Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps has he taken to ensure RAF Wyton force protection elements are equipped with an effective C-UAS capability.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Base security at RAF Wyton consists of professionally trained personnel from the Military Provost Guard Service, Ministry of Defence Guards and RAF Police, responsible for maintaining physical security across the site, and the Station works to reduce security risk to as low as reasonably possible. Service personnel are also held at readiness should the threat level be heightened, or a major incident declared. In addition to the sites well-guarded posture, it is encircled by a metal, razor wire topped, fence line which is patrolled. We also work closely with the local Cambridgeshire Constabulary and their Counter Terrorism Policing network. As the local MP, I know the team at RAF Wyton would welcome further visits from the hon. Gentleman.
Asked by: Robert Jenrick (Reform UK - Newark)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the use of (a) scanners and (b) enhanced security screening upon entry to secure prisons for all prison officers.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) maintains a zero-tolerance approach to smuggling contraband into prisons, including weapons, drugs and mobile phones, which can fuel violence and create instability.
Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, comprising of metal detectors and X-ray baggage scanners, is used in 52 highest-risk prison sites (both private and public sector), including all of the High Security prisons in the Long Term High Security Estate.
Asked by: Perran Moon (Labour - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Energy Intensive Industries support scheme to include (a) metal manufacturing, (b) mining and (c) disposal of waste.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The British Industry Supercharger already covers manufacturers of iron, steel, aluminium and other metals, and mining companies, subject to the business-level test on electricity usage. Iron and steel manufacturers may also be eligible for compensation on indirect carbon costs stemming from electricity generation. We will conduct an eligibility review for the British Industry Supercharger in 2026 to account for changing business trends.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
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 trends in the levels of recycling rates for (a) plastic, (b) metal and (c) glass beverage containers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made an assessment of trends in the levels of recycling rates for plastic, metal and glass beverage containers.
However, Defra’s Impact Assessment for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) uses external estimates of the recycling rates for beverage containers made of specific materials for specific years –
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/217/pdfs/ukia_20240217_en.pdf
Defra more routinely publishes annual statistics on the total amount of UK packaging waste that is recycled broken down by material types. The following table shows the amount of packing waste recycled by material types for 2023. The amount of recycled packaging is based on tonnages reported by accredited reprocessors and exporters under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations.
Table1: Packaging waste and recycling, split by material, UK 2023 (thousand tonnes and % rate)
Material | Packaging waste arising | Total recycled | Achieved recycling rate |
Metal | 774 | 551 | 71.2% |
— of which: Aluminium | 277 | 162 | 58.6% |
— of which: Steel | 497 | 389 | 78.3% |
Paper and cardboard | 5,422 | 3,980 | 73.4% |
Glass | 2,680 | 1,818 | 67.8% |
Plastic | 2,259 | 1,186 | 52.5% |
Wood | 1,504 | 668 | 44.4% |
Other* materials | 23 | 0 | 0.0% |
Total | 12,662 | 8,204 | 64.8% |
Notes
* ‘Other’ includes materials such as cloth, corks, gel, glue, hessian sacks and wax used as packaging
Arisings estimates made at point of manufacture.
UK packaging waste figures by material types for 2012 to 2023 can be found in the UK statistics on waste dataset: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data.
Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd includes representation from (a) small businesses and (b) the wider beverage industry.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Small businesses, including small producers and retailers, are key to the success of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. During the development of DRS policy and legislation, the Government worked closely with small businesses and their trade associations through dedicated sub-groups.
The appointment of UK Deposit Management Organisation Limited (UK DMO) has been made by government, effective from 2nd May 2025 as the operator of the DRS for single-use plastic and metal drinks containers across England and Northern Ireland.
UK DMO are continuing the engagement with small business and wider beverage industry representatives via their Advisory Group and their views must be taken into account as delivery of the DRS progresses.
UK DMO itself is an organisation that represents a significant portion of the UK drinks and retail sectors. The DMO application process has ensured that there is a wide representation of industry needs on the DMO Board. UK DMO also has an Advisory Group, which will include small businesses representation.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent industrial lead entering (a) drinking water and (b) the food chain.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is addressing the historic pollution of our rivers and estuaries by abandoned metal mines through a collaborative partnership between Defra, the Environment Agency, and the Mining Remediation Authority under the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme. Mine water treatment schemes, constructed at identified priority pollution sites, can remove up to 90% of the harmful targeted metals, including lead, from the water coming from abandoned metal mines before the treated water is returned to the river. The Programme also constructs diffuse interventions to limit ‘diffuse pollution’ by metal contaminated sediment from mine wastes left on the surface.
Industrial discharges to land and water are controlled by the Environment Agency permitting framework. Permitting, limits the level of lead discharged into the environment including raw water sources.
Water companies carry out regular risk assessments of their raw water sources, such as rivers and reservoirs, to identify any potential risks from naturally occurring substances or historic and current industrial activity. Where necessary, they will treat, blend, or remove a source from use to ensure consumer safety.
Water companies must demonstrate meeting the statutory limits for lead by providing regular compliance sample results from designated points in the supply network to the Drinking Water Inspectorate.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the presence of two anchors from the former HMS Prince of Wales among the metal looted from the wreck and currently held in Malaysia.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales. As these investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the alleged perpetrators at this stage, or speculate on the future preservation of the artefacts, including any metal recovered, until they have concluded.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any plans for the disposal of metal illegally looted from the wreck of the former HMS Prince of Wales currently held in Malaysia.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales. As these investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the alleged perpetrators at this stage, or speculate on the future preservation of the artefacts, including any metal recovered, until they have concluded.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the men responsible for looting the wreck of the former HMS Prince of Wales have been released from Malaysian custody.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales. As these investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the alleged perpetrators at this stage, or speculate on the future preservation of the artefacts, including any metal recovered, until they have concluded.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they have taken to recover metal illegally looted from the wreck of the former HMS Prince of Wales.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Malaysian authorities have primacy over the investigation into the illegal salvage of HMS Prince of Wales. As these investigations are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment on the alleged perpetrators at this stage, or speculate on the future preservation of the artefacts, including any metal recovered, until they have concluded.