Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the SHOT-SWITCH research project, published in Conservation Evidence, about the voluntary transition from hunting with lead to non-lead ammunition in Great Britain; and what plans they have to ban the use of lead shot in hunting in England.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The use of lead shot in England and Wales is already prohibited in specific circumstances by existing legislation – including on all foreshores, and in or over specified sites of special scientific interest, predominantly wetlands.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is currently preparing recommendations on further action to restrict the use of lead in ammunition. This work has included looking at information submitted to them with regard to possible options to control the use of lead ammunition. The previous SHOT-SWITCH study has been considered and is referenced in the background document of evidence (attached to this answer) which was put out with the public consultation last year.
HSE expects to issue its final restriction opinions later this year. The decision to apply any UK REACH restrictions as a further regulatory measure, or not to do so, will subsequently be made by the Defra Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
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 implications for his policies of the Evidence Needs Statement published by the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in June 2023.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK established the cross-Administration UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) to progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters. Through this partnership, Defra, DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations share information, data and knowledge on blue carbon evidence across UK administrations.
The UKBCEP’s Evidence Needs Statement, published last year (2023), will support our ambition to fill critical evidence gaps relating to blue carbon habitats, increasing our understanding and thereby our ability to protect and restore these important habitats. These evidence gaps currently prevent the inclusion of coastal wetlands in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI)that would allow for saltmarsh habitats to contribute to the UK’s Net Zero target in accounting terms.
The UKBCEP’s Evidence Needs Statement will help to address this, and together with our £640,000 funding commitment, will enable the development of a UK Saltmarsh Code, which will allow saltmarsh carbon to be marketed and traded as a carbon offset, prompting further investment in these crucial habitats; and support the creation of a restoration project pipeline for blue carbon habitats in the UK.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what environmental projects have been funded through Darwin Plus in Antartica since 2019.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 2019, Darwin Plus has funded 22 environmental projects of benefit to the Falkland Islands. These are listed in the table below.
Please visit the Darwin Plus website at https://darwinplus.org.uk/ for full details of funded projects.
Project reference | Project title | UK Overseas Territories involved |
DPLUS146 | Red Listing can protect OT marine biodiversity | British Antarctic Territory, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
DPLUS110 | Recognise, protect, restore: driving sound stewardship of Falklands peat wetlands | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS115 | Unlocking Falkland Islands Marine Management: Key Biodiversity Areas for seabirds | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS116 | Falklands wetlands and aquatic habitats: baselines for monitoring future change | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS126 | Advancing Falklands and region-scale management of globally important whale populations | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS139 | Improving Falklands marine management effectiveness for marine higher predators | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS148 | Climate change resilience in Falkland Islands fisheries and marine ecosystems | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS167 | Pathogens as a threat to seabirds in the Falkland Islands | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS168 | Understanding increased FI seal bycatch to inform bycatch Action Plan | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS169 | New Island: completing preparatory steps for restoration against invasive mammals | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS182 | Habitat restoration and species re-introductions on four Falklands island reserves | Falkland Islands |
DPL00047 | Increasing environmental monitoring capacity on FI: a Thermal Imaging UAV | Falkland Islands |
DPL00058 | Fire Contingency Planning for Offshore Islands | Falkland Islands |
CV19RR02 | Establishing wildlife health and disease monitoring in the Falkland Islands | Falkland Islands |
DPL00002 | Restoring native tussac grassland habitat | Falkland Islands |
DPL00006 | Restoring peat soils and tussac grass habitat in the Falklands | Falkland Islands |
DPL00020 | Data driven solutions to land management and climate change adaptation | Falkland Islands |
DPL00025 | Building farm biodiversity planning and monitoring capacity for sustainable management | Falkland Islands |
DPLUS092 | Seabird sentinels: mapping potential bycatch risk using bird-borne radar | Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
DPLUS094 | Developing Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) tools for Turks and Caicos | Falkland Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands |
DPLUS175 | Enhancing monitoring and prevention of invasive non-native species across UKOTs | Gibraltar, Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (on Cyprus), South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Bermuda, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands |
DPLUS174 | A cross-UKOT camera network to enhance marine predator conservation | Montserrat, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, British Antarctic Territory, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands |
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 help restore wetlands.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made a number of commitments which will help to restore our wetland habitats. Our Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) is underpinned by our legally binding Environment Act targets, including our apex target to halt species decline by 2030, and a commitment to create or restore over 500,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitats, including wetland habitats, by 2042. We also aim to bring 75% of our Protected Sites to favourable condition by 2042; many wetlands are Protected Sites.
The UK is a member of the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Across the UK, including the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, we protect 175 internationally important Ramsar wetlands, which is more than any other country. As part of our commitment under Ramsar, we have committed to establishing a UK Wetland Inventory which involves mapping our wetlands for the first time and supporting future action to protect these vital habitats.
Our England Peat Action Plan sets out a strategic framework to improve management and protection of our peatlands, which are a kind of wetland. In our Plan for Water, we acknowledge the vital role that wetlands can play in Natural flood management (NFM) and are also actively using wetlands in our proposals for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which mimic natural water flow and are designed to reduce the impact of rainfall on new developments.
Additionally, we have launched 12 landscape-scale Nature Recovery Projects over the past two years, and half of them include wetland habitat elements within their wilding mosaics. These include a 60,000-hectare Nature Recovery Project focusing on the Somerset Wetlands, with the 6,140-hectare super National Nature Reserve at its heart.
We are also encouraging the delivery of wetlands through our other schemes. Recent actions announced under our Environmental Land Management schemes include increased payments for the creation and management of wetlands; for example, payment for management of fen has increased from £35 per hectare to £920 per hectare. In addition to this, our multi-million-pound Species Survival Fund grant scheme will create and restore a range of habitat types, including wetlands. Together these projects will enhance connectivity, species recovery and resilience to climate change.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
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 taking steps to (a) produce centralised guidance and (b) provide training for (i) land managers, (ii) planning authorities and (iii) practitioners on how to create and manage wetlands for flood resilience.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural flood management (NFM) is a key part of our approach. As you mention, we acknowledge the vital role that wetlands can play as part of the suite of NFM measures, both in reducing flood risk and in delivering multiple other benefits.
We advocate the need for centralised NFM guidance and training that is relevant to all landscapes, including wetlands. The Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) NFM Manual provides a step-by-step guide to natural flood management from identification through to implementation for a range of NFM measures. Wetlands are primarily covered in chapter 12 on floodplain reconnection.
In summer 2023, the Environment Agency surveyed NFM practitioners on their skills and training needs. The Environment Agency is now exploring training options.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
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 increase the (a) biodiversity (b) native fish stocks (c) native insect populations and (d) native plant populations in UK rivers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise that rivers are an important national asset forming a key part of our natural environment by providing green and blue corridors along which biodiversity can flourish.
We are committed to recovering nature, including restoring our freshwater habitats, which is why we have now set four legally binding targets for biodiversity in England. By 2030 we have committed to halt the decline in species abundance and by 2042 we aim to reverse species decline; to reduce the risk of species extinction; and to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats.
Action towards these targets will drive essential improvements to our freshwater habitats. The indicator for our species abundance targets includes freshwater invertebrates, which are an indicator of the health of an overall water body, fish species and vascular plants. Wildlife-rich freshwater habitats, including rivers, will also be counted towards our habitats target. Restoration of these habitats will therefore be vital to delivery.
We are taking a broad range of actions to increase the biodiversity of our rivers in England. We will shortly be able to announce successful applicants to our 25-million-pound Species Survival Fund grant scheme, which we launched last year, which will create and restore a range of habitat types, including rivers.
Our Landscape Recovery scheme is aiming to provide over £40 million of funding for 56 projects. Projects under Round 1 are already underway and aiming to restore more than 600 km of rivers, including through the Adur River Restoration project and the Killerton Three Rivers Landscape Recovery project.
We are also rolling out Nature Recovery Projects across the country to create improved and better-connected habitats for wildlife. We have launched 12 landscape-scale projects over the past two years across over 200,000 hectares of habitat. Many of these projects are supporting riverine habitats, for example the Lost Wetlands project in Cheshire is using nature-based solutions to connect wetlands to their rivers, recover ghost ponds and create riverine woodlands.
Regarding fish stocks specifically, the Environment Agency funds projects that have a direct benefit to native fish populations. Fishing rod licence income is invested through the Fisheries Improvement Programme which includes barrier removal and fish passes. In 2022/23 the projects improved 52km of river, protected a further 20km and enhanced 237ha of Stillwater fisheries.
Asked by: Siobhan Baillie (Conservative - Stroud)
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 recommendation 4.10 in the Annex entitled Guidelines for the implementation of the wise use concept in the publication entitled Guidelines for development and implementing National Wetland Policies adopted by Resolution VII.6 of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, whether his Department plans to formulate a National Wetland Strategy.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK plays an active role to support and implement the conservation and wise use of wetlands through the Ramsar Convention. In England we are not currently planning to publish a separate National Wetland Strategy but have set out our plan to recover nature and restore our habitats and wetlands in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), as well as our England Peat Action Plan. We are also meeting our commitments under the Ramsar Convention, as laid out in our Environmental Improvement Plan and the National Adaptation Plan, through establishing a UK Wetland Inventory - mapping our wetlands for the first time and supporting future action to protect these vital habitats.
We recognise that wetland restoration will be critical to protect the vast number of wetland species as well as providing critical nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaption. By 2030 we have domestically committed to halt the decline in species abundance and by 2042 we aim to reverse species decline; to reduce the risk of species extinction; and to restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats outside protected sites. Many wetlands are also Protected Sites, of which we have committed to restore 75% to favourable condition by 2042.
Alongside setting targets in other areas including water and air quality, we are taking targeted action to recover our wetlands. Our recently announced and government-supported Lost Wetlands Nature Recovery Project will reclaim, restore and rewet a mosaic of wetland habitats over 5,000ha in South Greater Manchester and North Cheshire, previously lost to industrialisation, urbanisation and agricultural intensification. Defra has also launched a 60,000-hectare Nature Recovery Project focusing on the Somerset Wetlands, with the 6,140-hectare super National Nature Reserve at its heart. These projects will enhance connectivity, species recovery and resilience to climate change.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
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 improve water quality in Solihull constituency.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Rivers in the West Midlands urban centres are affected by historical industrial development and physical modification of water courses and food plains. The Environment Agency (EA) has generously contributed to funding Warwickshire Wildlife’s Tame Valley Wetlands project. Working alongside Natural England, the project will enhance biodiversity and improve the ecological status of the River Blythe by creating a wide range of habitats on over 140 hectares of land within the River Blythe SSSI (Site of special Scientific Interest). The restoration work will include bank re-profiling, floodplain reconnection, in-channel habitat creation, invasive species management and the creation of new terrestrial habitats to enhance biodiversity.
Nationally, the Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment, including our rivers. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. The Plan is underpinned by Increased investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement.
Asked by: Siobhan Baillie (Conservative - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will support wetlands-focused research on barriers relating to (a) private finance for, (b) land use change affecting and (c) long-term management of wetland sites.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government has a goal of stimulating at least £500m per year of private investment into nature recovery in England by 2027, rising to at least £1bn per year by 2030. Defra is putting in place interventions to set the conditions for this to happen, including publishing a nature markets framework, partnering with the British Standards Institute on nature investment standards, stimulating a pipeline of investable nature projects (including multiple projects in wetland areas), and enabling public funding for nature to crowd-in private investment.
The Government is also supporting eight blue finance projects with around £750,000 of grants through the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund. This funding is being used to develop a pipeline of projects that can demonstrate viable private-sector investment models, ultimately working to restore important coastal and marine habitats such as saltmarsh. Four of the five Protected Site Strategy Research and Development Pilots involve pressures affecting wetlands, including long-term management and financing, while Natural England is additionally progressing two projects on peatland National Nature Reserves on selling carbon using the Peatland Code.
Defra already supports a range of research projects relating to wetlands, including a recent collaboration with the British Trust for Ornithology modelling the impacts of different land use change scenarios on a range of wetland species. We also fund the Wetlands Bird Survey through grant in aid via JNCC. Through the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership, UK Administrations are working with DESNZ and Defra to address key research questions relating to blue carbon habitats.
Internationally, we provide regular financial and in-kind support to the Ramsar Wetlands Convention to promote the protection and wise use of wetlands.
Asked by: Siobhan Baillie (Conservative - Stroud)
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 celebrate World Wetlands Day.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Yes, my Department will be marking World Wetlands Day, including through a variety of communications and engagement activities. Wetlands play a crucial role in sustaining life globally - they benefit water, food, livelihoods, climate, cultural pursuits, and biodiversity – and this day marks an opportunity to promote these benefits.
This year’s World Wetlands Day theme is ‘Wetland and human wellbeing’, reflecting that Wetlands positively impact mental wellbeing by promoting mindfulness and emotional balance through the connection to nature they provide and offer recreational opportunities, contributing to stress management and relaxation.