Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent estimate she had made of the number of energy efficiency measures that will be delivered through the ECO4 scheme by March 2026.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In the published Impact Assessment for the scheme, the Government estimated that around 800,000 measures would be installed under ECO4 by March 2026.
Since it began in April 2022, ECO4 has delivered 319,800 measures by end November 2023, with around 32,700 measures being installed in November. Statistics are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/household-energy-efficiency-statistics-headline-release-january-2024.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on (a) the raid by Israel Defence Forces on the premises of Action around Bethlehem Children with Disability in Gaza on 3 January 2024 and (b) the destruction of paperwork and the removal of children's clothing; and whether he has held discussions with his Israeli counterpart on this matter.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of these reports. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children. In our dialogue with the Israeli authorities we have recognised their legitimate need to deploy security measures. However, we encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations.
We continue to call for international humanitarian law to be respected and civilians to be protected. Too many civilians have been killed and we want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes. We regularly raise the issue with the Israeli authorities, including encouraging transparent investigations into whether use of live fire had been appropriate and to use restraint in deploying live fire.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 Simpler Recycling on recycling rates.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Simpler Recycling will play a key part in helping us reach our ambition outlined the in the Resources and Waste Strategy 2018 to reach 65% recycling rate for municipal solid waste, with less than 10% ending up in landfill by 2035. We will be publishing our Final Impact Assessment for Simpler Recycling alongside secondary legislation in 2024 which will contain modelled impacts of the Simpler Recycling on recycling rates.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 effectiveness of the statutory guidance on Simpler Recycling in helping ensure collected packaging waste is recycled.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As per new section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Secretary of State may issue guidance about the duties imposed in sections 45 to 45AZD. We have consulted relevant parties on the proposed statutory guidance and will publish a consultation response in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 through Simpler Recycling to help ensure that collected packaging waste is recycled.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through Simpler Recycling, all household and non-household premises (such as businesses, schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core groups: metal; glass; plastic: paper and card; food waste; garden waste (household only). By making recycling clearer and easier, we will help reduce contamination, better preserve material value and help to grow demand for recyclables.
Furthermore, under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, local authorities will receive payments for managing recyclable packaging waste, supporting costs associated with upgrading services and sorting infrastructure and incentivising them to deliver efficient and effective services. Under EPR, higher fees can be charged to producers for packaging that is less recyclable, incentivising them to choose readily recyclable packaging.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 page 12 of his Department's Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, what progress his Department has made on investigating the role of behavioural science in understanding how single-use coffee cups are used.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is looking further into single-use coffee cups and how to bring their use more in line with the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, and recycle). Further consideration of the behavioural aspect of the use of these cups will be undertaken in due course as part of this workstream.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
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 help reduce the number of non-recyclable disposable coffee cups being disposed of in a recycling bin.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To increase the recycling of recyclable, fibre-based composite cups, the Government plans to introduce mandatory cup takeback and recycling obligations in 2025. Consumers will be able to use a dedicated cups recycling bin at any obligated premises.
Additionally, as part of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging Regulations, we are introducing a single, UK-wide approach to packaging labelling. Producers of packaging, including coffee cups, will be required to label primary and shipment packaging as either Recycle or Do Not Recycle. This will provide consumers with clear and consistent information on what packaging they can and cannot recycle.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans her Department has to reduce domestic energy consumption by 15 per cent by 2030.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. In addition, £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028.
The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, Home Upgrade Grant, Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Great British Insulation scheme and Energy Company Obligation.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it remains her Department's policy to reduce domestic energy consumption by 15 per cent by 2030.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
In the 2022 Autumn statement, the Government set out a national ambition to reduce energy use by 15% by 2030 compared to 2021.
The Government remains committed to our existing targets, which keep us on track to meet Net Zero in 2050.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) review School Food Standards to incorporate any developments in dietary guidance and (b) require schools to report on food available in their schools using a mandatory reporting template as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The current School Food Standards (SFS) provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food. The Department continues to keep the SFS under review.
In February 2022, the Levelling Up White Paper outlined a number of things the Department is doing to strengthen adherence with the SFS, including piloting work with the Foods Standards Agency, investing up to £200,000 in a pilot Governor Training Scheme, and encouraging schools to publish a school food policy on their school websites.
The Department will promote accountability and transparency of school food arrangements by encouraging schools to develop and publish a policy that sets out their approach to food. The reporting would be voluntary initially, with the intention that this will become mandatory when schools can do this effectively. The Department is currently working closely with stakeholders to develop this scheme of work.