Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the first hand sale value of fish caught in English waters by EU registered fishing vessels in each year 2015-2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Although a breakdown of non-quota catches by species caught by EU vessels in UK waters is not published, cumulative catches are published as per Article 507 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. These are published on gov.uk as part of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/specialised-committee-on-fisheriesData. Data on the firsthand sale value of fish caught in English waters by EU-registered vessels is not published.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many non-compliance warning letters were issued in each year 2020-2025 to i) EU registered fishing vessels, ii) English registered fishing vessels over ten meters in length, and iii) English registered fishing vessels under ten meters in length.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation’s approach to control and enforcement is risk-based and intelligence-led and are enforced in accordance with their published Compliance and Enforcement Strategy: Compliance and Enforcement Strategy - GOV.UK.
The MMO does not publish a breakdown of non-compliance warning letters issued to English or EU-registered vessels. The MMO annual report, published on gov.uk, provides an overview of the number of regulatory enforcement actions that have been taken: Marine Management Organisation Annual Report and Account
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with poultry industry representatives on the potential welfare merits of upright catching.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the publication of the public consultation on poultry catching and handling, we engaged with poultry industry representatives to discuss the potential welfare merits and harms of different poultry catching and handling methods, including upright catching.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 review the definition of irreplaceable habitats to ensure it is (a) robust and (b) comprehensive to support decision makers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 add priority species-rich grasslands to the list of irreplaceable habitats.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of water lost due to leaking toilets in the UK; and if he will take steps to help reduce this.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Waterwise, the lead environmental non-governmental organisation for water efficiency, estimates to 8% of toilets are leaking around 400 litres a day each.
The Government is committed to reducing leakage by 50% by 2050 as part of our legally binding target to reduce water use per person by 20% by 2038. This includes taking steps to reduce water wastage from toilets. Our recent update to our government response on a Call for Evidence on leaking toilets, conducted in 2022 outlined we are reviewing initial discussions with stakeholders as part of a ‘leaky loos taskforce’ to understand the steps needed to reduce toilet leakage.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging on SME beverage producers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In October 2024 the Government published a final impact assessment on the pEPR scheme. The impact assessment did not look at the specific impacts of the pEPR scheme on individual sectors.
The Government recognises the importance of protecting small producers from direct cost obligations. This is why the regulations include a de-minimis threshold of £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes which exempts approximately 70% of the producers supplying packaging in the UK from paying scheme fees.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 the Written Statement entitled Outcomes from Nature COP16, Cali, Colombia of 6 November 2024, HCWS196, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) increase funding to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and (b) join the Legacy Landscapes Fund.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At COP16, the UK pledged an additional financial contribution of £45 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to help countries across the globe to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The UK also continues to encourage other countries and non-sovereign organisations to provide financial contributions.
In December 2024, Defra joined the Legacy Landscapes Fund as a donor and has so far invested just over £10 million, helping to protect biodiversity, promote climate resilience and foster equitable development in some of the world’s most outstanding landscapes.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
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 potential impact of reductions in levels of Official Development Assistance spending on levels of funding for (a) the Darwin Initiative, (b) the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and (c) Darwin Plus.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No decisions have been made regarding future levels of funding for the Darwin Initiative, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, or Darwin Plus. Defra will allocate budgets to its Official Development Assistance programmes for future Financial Years after Defra receives its Multi-Year Spending Review settlement.
The UK has a strong and pioneering record in overseas development and will continue to play a vital humanitarian role in crises such as those in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza, while tackling global challenges including climate change and biodiversity loss.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging fees on (a) food and (b) drink costs.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has assessed the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on both producers and consumers, including the potential effect on the affordability of food and drink. This assessment is included in Section 8 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
We are closely monitoring the potential impact of these costs on consumer prices and remain committed to balancing environmental goals with economic considerations.