Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce pesticide use; and if she will make it her policy to ban the use of bee-toxic neonicotinoids.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Government is clear that it is right to minimise the use of pesticides so that they are only applied when necessary. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) lies at the heart of our approach to minimising the environmental impact of pesticides and is a key tool for businesses facing the challenges of pesticide resistance and changing pest pressures due to climate change. To support this, we have introduced new paid IPM actions within the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme this year. Increased support for IPM approaches will also be a feature of the upcoming National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of pesticides.
The EU withdrew approval for the outdoor use of three neonicotinoid pesticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) from December 2018. The UK supported this move based on the growing weight of scientific evidence that these pesticides are harmful to bees and other pollinators. The Government’s position has not changed. Pesticides legislation allows emergency authorisations to be granted for pesticides including neonicotinoids for limited and controlled use in special circumstances where it appears necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 made an assessment of the potential merits of legislating to allow local authorities to take additional action to restrict noise-pollution caused by construction work sector at specific times of the year.
Answered by Jo Churchill
There are a range of legal protections in place to deal with construction noise.
The Control of Pollution Act 1974 already enables local authorities to serve a notice imposing requirements on construction or demolition works. This includes the hours during which the works may be carried out, recognising the importance of balancing noise management with the need to carry out vital construction, demolition and improvement works. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are responsible for investigating complaints of noise nuisance including construction noise that either substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home or business premises.
During the COVID pandemic, the Government issued temporary revised guidance which encouraged a flexible approach to the enforcement of planning conditions controlling construction site working hours. This flexible approach came to an end on 30 September 2021.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 restrict noise pollution created by construction work.
Answered by Jo Churchill
There are a range of legal protections in place to deal with construction noise.
The Control of Pollution Act 1974 already enables local authorities to serve a notice imposing requirements on construction or demolition works. This includes the hours during which the works may be carried out, recognising the importance of balancing noise management with the need to carry out vital construction, demolition and improvement works. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are responsible for investigating complaints of noise nuisance including construction noise that either substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home or business premises.
During the COVID pandemic, the Government issued temporary revised guidance which encouraged a flexible approach to the enforcement of planning conditions controlling construction site working hours. This flexible approach came to an end on 30 September 2021.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 plans to introduce mandatory visual checks on (a) dogs and (b) other animals entering the country via the Pet Travel Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial cats, dogs and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies) under the pet travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers.
To enter Great Britain pets must have been implanted with a microchip or have a legible tattoo imprinted prior to 3 July 2011. A pet's identity is checked by ensuring that the microchip or tattoo details correspond to the details in the pet's documentation. Carriers can refer suspected non-compliances to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). APHA staff are highly trained to deal with intercepted shipments. We have no plans to introduce further visual checks.
APHA works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the pet travel rules, disrupt illegal imports, safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced following the Queen's speech and will progress to Report stage in the commons as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Transport on the impact of aviation induced cloudiness on the environment.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Defra officials have regular discussions with officials from the Department of Transport on the impacts of transport including aviation on the environment. There is significant uncertainty about the impact of cloudiness or contrails from aviation which can lead to both warming and cooling effects. The Government is working closely with the academic community to better understand the non-CO2 impacts from aviation, and potential mitigation methods to ensure that future policy development is based on the latest available climate science.
Through the Jet Zero Consultation, the Government sought views on our approach to decarbonise aviation and also sought views on how to tackle non-CO2 impacts.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 May 2022 to Question 894 on flood insurance, whether the eligibility of the Build Back Better scheme will expand on the FloodRe scheme to include properties with more than three flats.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Flood Re is designed to ensure domestic flood insurance is available and affordable. Landlord insurance is classified by the insurance industry as commercial business insurance. Such insurance, including that for the larger leasehold premises, is often bespoke and not covered by Flood Re. Nonetheless, tenants and leaseholders are able to obtain contents insurance supported by Flood Re.
There are a number of insurers who offer solutions to those struggling to access flood insurance, including parametric insurance and a scheme which amends a lease for the remaining lifetime of Flood Re to allow the individual leaseholders in a block to insure their individual flats. The Government has worked with industry to set up a new flood insurance directory which insurers and brokers can signpost customers to when they cannot offer flood cover. The directory can be found on the British Insurance Brokers’ Association website.
The Government will consider the impact and effectiveness of Build Back Better and any changes required in the future to drive the growth of the property flood resilience market.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 take steps to help improve access to Flood Re Build Back Better scheme for homes at risk of flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Flood Re is a joint government and industry reinsurance scheme designed to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance. New regulations came into force on 1 April to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and promote uptake of Property Flood Resilience measures.
Flood Re can now pay claims from insurers which include an amount for resilient repair (Build-Back-Better) up to a value of £10,000 over and above the cost of like-for-like reinstatement for actual flood damage. This will help flooded households become more resilient and allow homeowners to return more quickly after any future flooding
Build-Back-Better will be available through a range of major insurance brands. To ensure consistency and fairness for all customers, insurers who choose to participate in Build-Back-Better are required to offer it on all policies across their home insurance offerings and not just on policies ceded to Flood Re.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Build Back Better scheme to provide up to £10,000 for properties to install flood prevention measures will be available only to properties covered by the Flood Re scheme or to all flooded properties.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Flood Re is a joint government and industry reinsurance scheme designed to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance. New regulations came into force on 1 April to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme and promote uptake of Property Flood Resilience measures.
Flood Re can now pay claims from insurers which include an amount for resilient repair (Build-Back-Better) up to a value of £10,000 over and above the cost of like-for-like reinstatement for actual flood damage. This will help flooded households become more resilient and allow homeowners to return more quickly after any future flooding
Build-Back-Better will be available through a range of major insurance brands. To ensure consistency and fairness for all customers, insurers who choose to participate in Build-Back-Better are required to offer it on all policies across their home insurance offerings and not just on policies ceded to Flood Re.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 merits of introducing a legal obligation on retailers to donate all revenues raised from the plastic bag levy to charitable causes.
Answered by Jo Churchill
No assessment has been made. Retailers have donated nearly £190 million to good causes from the charge since its introduction and the number of bags sold by the main retailers in England has fallen by 95%. Defra publishes a summary of data that includes the amounts of money given to good causes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england.
Asked by: Tulip Siddiq (Labour - Hampstead and Highgate)
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 merits of banning all non-essential single-use plastic in the UK.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Plastic is an extremely useful material and when used in the right way and disposed of correctly, it can help us deliver the best environmental outcome. For example, we have seen how useful it can be for medical and clinical purposes as it is strong, flexible and light-weight. However, where the evidence supports the case, we will not hesitate to introduce bans and other measures to limit its use, as we have done with single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds. Such an approach will continue to be applied to our upcoming policy measures, like our proposed ban of single-use plastic plates, cutlery and polystyrene food and drinks containers, to ensure we have the best overall impact on our natural environment.