Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimates his Department has made of increased demand on water supply over the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years; and what his policy is to meet that increase in demand.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Public water supply demand, with no water company interventions, is estimated to increase by 506 Ml/d over the next ten years and 972 Ml/d over the next twenty years. If demand management actions included in the recent revised draft water company water resource management plans (WRMPs) are taken, demand is estimated to decrease. Based on WRMP data, the Environment Agency estimates there will be reductions of 783 Ml/d in the next ten years and 1073 Ml/d in the next twenty years.
The region with the highest demand is the South East of England. The region with the lowest water demand is the North East of England. This is the case for both the next ten and twenty years.
The Government is working closely with the water regulators and the water industry to ensure future water demand is met sustainably and water supplies remain secure. The Government recognises continued action is required, and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’ of managing water demand, including leakage reduction, and increasing supply, in parallel.
In the case of large nationally significant infrastructure, the Government’s National Policy Statement for water resources infrastructure, currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny, will streamline the planning permission process.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which region in England his Department estimates will have the (a) highest and (b) lowest demand in water supply in the next (a) 10 and (b) 20 years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Public water supply demand, with no water company interventions, is estimated to increase by 506 Ml/d over the next ten years and 972 Ml/d over the next twenty years. If demand management actions included in the recent revised draft water company water resource management plans (WRMPs) are taken, demand is estimated to decrease. Based on WRMP data, the Environment Agency estimates there will be reductions of 783 Ml/d in the next ten years and 1073 Ml/d in the next twenty years.
The region with the highest demand is the South East of England. The region with the lowest water demand is the North East of England. This is the case for both the next ten and twenty years.
The Government is working closely with the water regulators and the water industry to ensure future water demand is met sustainably and water supplies remain secure. The Government recognises continued action is required, and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’ of managing water demand, including leakage reduction, and increasing supply, in parallel.
In the case of large nationally significant infrastructure, the Government’s National Policy Statement for water resources infrastructure, currently undergoing parliamentary scrutiny, will streamline the planning permission process.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what are the main sources of particulate matters in (a) urban and (b) rural areas.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government does not break down pollution sources into urban and rural areas; however, we do publish pollution emission maps, which are available on BEIS National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory website: http://naei.beis.gov.uk/emissionsapp/.
The main emissions sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on a national scale are domestic solid fuel burning (38% in 2016), industrial sources (16%) and road transport (12%), including brake and tyre wear.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce emissions of particulate matters less than 2.5 µm in diameter.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra published a Clean Air Strategy in January, which set out our plans to reduce emissions of particles under 2.5 µm in diameter, known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
The 2016 emissions inventory indicates that 38% of PM2.5 emissions come from domestic combustion, and 12% come from industrial sources. Therefore, we have developed policies to tackle these sectors, including phasing out the sale of wet wood and traditional, smoky house coal, only allowing the cleanest fuels for sale. We will also phase out the dirtiest stoves, only allowing the cleanest stoves which meet the Ecodesign standard. We are also working with industry to develop industrial roadmaps to drive long-term improvement in this sector.
We will be publishing our National Air Pollution Control Programme by the end of March 2019, which will set out our analysis for these policies in greater detail.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor levels of particulate dust (a) PM10 and (b) PM2.5 (i) throughout the country and (ii) in Southampton.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The national air quality monitoring network, run by the Environment Agency, includes 80 PM10 and 78 PM2.5 monitors. Two of these monitors are located in Southampton, both monitor PM2.5 and one monitors PM10.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, what his Department's policy is on individuals busking with dogs.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra does not have a policy specifically on individuals busking with dogs. All individuals are required to comply with relevant animal welfare legislations.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s report entitled, Air quality: explaining air pollution – at a glance, published on 22 May 2018, for what reason emissions of ammonia have increased since 2013.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Agriculture is the dominant source of ammonia emissions, with the sector accounting for around 88% of total UK emissions in 2016. The main emission sources are livestock manures and slurries and mineral fertilisers.
Emissions of ammonia increased by 10% between 2013 and 2016 (the most recent year for which data are available). The increase was largely due to increased use of urea-based fertilisers, which typically produce more ammonia than alternative fertilisers. As a result, emissions from inorganic fertilisers increased by 41% during this period. Smaller increases in emissions were attributed to a range of factors including increased numbers of poultry and cattle
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of winter tyres on roads on air quality.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra has not made an assessment of the effect of the use of winter tyres on roads on air quality.
In 2018, Defra carried out a joint call for evidence with the Department for Transport on particulate emissions from brakes, tyres and road. We are now considering the evidence submitted.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of congestion zone areas in reducing pollution to legally permissible limits.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government assessed the effectiveness of road user charging schemes based on vehicle emissions standards in reducing pollution to legally permissible limits in technical reports accompanying the consultation draft and final UK plans for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide concentrations.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned research on the costs to local authorities of administering (a) congestion charges and (b) ultra-low emission zone charges for (i) commercial and (ii) domestic vehicles.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government assessed the costs of implementing road user charging schemes based on vehicle emissions standards in the May 2016 Clean Air Zone impact assessment.
The Government has committed £255 million to support implementation costs incurred by those local authorities directed to develop local plans to achieve compliance with statutory air pollution limits within the shortest possible time. In the case of local plans involving road user charging schemes, implementation costs would exclude those costs offset via revenues from charges collected. Local authorities are currently assessing the detailed costs of delivery of their local plans as part of their feasibility studies.