Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the full evidence behind in the decision to exclude glass from the Deposit Return Scheme, including the assessment it would have had on glass recycling and impact on consumer behaviour.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Government published a consultation stage impact assessment alongside the publication of our 2021 consultation in March 2021, and can be found here - https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/consultation-on-introducing-a-drs/supporting_documents/Impact%20Assessment.pdf. Further details on next steps for DRS will be set out in the upcoming Government's response to the 2021 consultation. We are working towards publication shortly. We are continuing to update our cost benefit analysis and will publish a Final Impact Assessment in advance of the DRS regulations being laid in Parliament.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 has taken to evaluate and trial Digital DRS technologies.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Digital DRS is an approach to DRS that is in its infancy and is still being tested and trialled, and for that reason it is not the right time to commit to a full scale digital DRS.
We do recognise the benefits of a digital model and remain interested in seeing the continued testing of the feasibility for introducing a digital scheme in the future.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 is planning to introduce a Deposit Retention Scheme in the UK.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
In its 2019 manifesto, HM Government committed to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers to incentivise people to recycle more and to reduce littering of in-scope containers. HM Government has consulted twice on the introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and further details will be set out in the Government response to the 2021 consultation. We are working towards publication of the Government response in late 2022.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of investment zones on (a) biodiversity and (b) waterway pollution.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra and DLUHC are working closely together on Investment Zone policy to support our growth objectives and maintain HM Government’s strong position on the environment. Investment Zones will be locally led and areas have been asked to submit Expressions of Interest. We are not weakening our environmental ambition either at home or abroad and remain committed to delivering on the Environment Act, including setting new environmental targets that will drive action to protect and enhance the natural world.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
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 announcement on 24 September 2022 of Investment Zones, whether existing protections for ancient woodlands and trees will be maintained in those zones.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Making sure that our ancient woodlands are adequately protected and suitably managed to provide a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits to society remains a key commitment of HM Government.
The National Planning Policy Framework states that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.
Natural England and the Forestry Commission have published ‘standing advice’ for ancient woodland, ancient trees and veteran trees. It is a material planning consideration for local planning authorities and as such should be taken into account when making planning decisions that affect ancient woodland, ancient trees or veteran trees.
HM Government has also recently updated the new Keepers of Time policy, providing updates to HM Government’s policy to recognise the value of England’s ancient and native woodlands and ancient and veteran trees. It restates our commitment to evaluate the threats facing these habitats and sets out our updated principles and objectives to protect and improve them for future generations.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Retained EU Law Bill on (a) Special Protection Areas and (b) Special Areas of Conservation.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We have been clear about the importance of environmental protection across the United Kingdom, not least through our world leading Environment Act, which includes a legally binding target to halt the decline of nature by 2030.
Earlier this year we published a Nature Recovery Green Paper, setting out proposals to reform our system of protections, including the Habitats Regulations. The Nature Recovery Green Paper consultation closed in May and we are now in the process of analysing responses and will publish a response on conclusion of this exercise.
Defra is carefully considering the scope of the delegated powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, and whether they can be used to deliver a better, bespoke British system of nature protections to replace the provisions in the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many four car motor electric units have been scrapped in each year since 2015.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra does not hold that information. We collect data on vehicles scrapped each year to monitor whether producers are meeting the required recycling targets on the valuable resources contained in end-of-life vehicles. This information is not split by vehicle fuel type.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of bottom trawling on ecosystems in designated Marine Protection Areas.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Marine Management Organisation and the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities assess on a site-by-site basis which fishing activities could prevent MPAs from achieving their conservation objectives. Byelaws are developed using an evidence-led process to determine what management is required to protect sites and to not unduly restrict legitimate fishing activity.
Nearly 60% of our 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity, including byelaws this year in the first four offshore sites, which ban bottom towed gear over sensitive habitats. We are aiming to have all MPAs in English waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the yearly change was in numbers of staff working in the Environment Agency from (a) 2015-16, (b) 2016-2017, (c) 2017-18, (d) 2018-2019, (e) 2019-2020, (f) 2020-21 and (g) 2021-22.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Year | Total employees (payroll employees only) |
2015/16 | 9,673 |
2016/17 | 10,103 |
2017/18 | 9,490 |
2018/19 | 9,873 |
2019/20 | 10,326 |
2020/21 | 10,201 |
2021/22 | 10,378 |
Sep-22 | 10,890 |
In 2017/18, 895.9 FTE were TUPE-ed (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)) to Defra.
Recruitment controls were implemented in 2020/21 to mitigate impacts from COVID and other cost pressures.
Since 2021/22, recruitment continues to support an increased capital programme and new duties funded through Spending Review 20 and Flood Recovery funding, as well as ongoing support to Defra group on priority work linked to COVID management.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to review the current policy and delivery method of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme as detailed in the Government's Food Strategy.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Decisions on policy and delivery of the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme are a matter for the Department of Health and Social Care.