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 (1) whether Natural England's Scientific Advisory Committee will publish their recently completed assessment report on the hen harrier brood meddling trial, (2) on what basis the decision was made by Natural England licensing services to extend the trial by two years rather than a longer or shorter period or not at all, and (3) whether they can identify the number of hen harrier chicks that were part of the trial and are subsequently known or thought to have fallen victim to illegal persecution.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
An overview of Natural England's (NE) Science Advisory Committee review of the Brood Management Trial was published in this NE blog on 16 March 2023: naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/03/16/update-on-the-hen-harrier-brood-management-trial/. A copy is attached with this answer. They advised that further social science data on changing attitudes, was needed. Consequently, The Brood Management partnership has applied for a licence for two years (2023-2024) to allow for further data to be collected. NE’s wildlife licensing service assessed this two-year licence application and issued the licence on 4 May 2023.
The trial is designed to understand how the availability of brood management may affect the persecution of all hen harriers. All hen harriers in England are therefore part of the trial, and research is underway on survival rates of wild reared hen harriers satellite-tagged by NE, before and after the availability of brood management. Of the 32 hen harriers reared in captivity and released with satellite tags, 10 are still alive, six dead birds have been recovered (five confirmed died naturally, one currently under investigation), and 16 have stopped transmitting and have not been recovered. The status of all tagged hen harriers tracked by NE is regularly published on this page: www.gov.uk/government/publications/hen-harriers-tracking-programme-update/hen-harrier-tracking-update.
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 state of the microbiosphere in England and Wales; and what steps they are taking (1) to enhance knowledge of it, and (2) to preserve it.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 31st January 2023 the Government published its second statutory Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23), as committed to in the Environment Act. The EIP23 builds on the Government’s commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it. It is delivery focussed and sets out the actions that will drive us towards reaching our long-term environmental targets and goals, including improving and protecting soil health.
This is aided by Defra receiving £140 million research and development funding over three years towards delivering the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme. NCEA is building long term monitoring capability and yielding valuable new data, including improved understanding of national soil condition and soil microbial activity.
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 whether they have made an assessment of any damage done by any dumping of building waste beside the River Roding in Chigwell.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Environment Agency has assessed this site as a category 3 incident which is defined as having “minor or minimal impact or effect on the environment, people and/or property”. Environment Agency officers carried out a joint visit with Epping Forest District Council on 24 January 2023. At the time it was agreed the council would lead on the investigation, using their powers to issue an Enforcement Notice requiring all material imported onto site to be removed. The Environment Agency has continued to monitor the site to ensure no additional offending takes place.
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, further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 February 2022 (38774), when they intend to make an assessment of the environmental cost of single-use batteries in disposable vapes being improperly disposed.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware that the use of disposable vaping products which contain batteries has increased substantially in recent years and are considering the implications for the environment. As part of the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, we will consult on policies aimed at driving up levels of separate collection of electric and electronic waste, including vaping devices, later this year. A separate consultation on batteries is also scheduled for later this year and is similarly looking to strengthen the collection of portable batteries, including those contained in vapes.
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 steps they are taking to address the environmental hazard posed by discarded disposable vapes; and what consideration they have given to banning the sale of these products.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no immediate plans to ban disposable vapes. However, as part of the review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations, we will consult on policies aimed at driving up levels of separate collection of electric and electronic waste, including vaping devices, later this year.
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 plans they have to carry out independent environmental impact studies in advance of significant dredging work in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Dredging and disposal of dredge material in the UK marine licensing area (as per Section 66 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA) require a marine licence, unless exempt under Section 75 of the MCAA. Before a licence is granted for dredging or disposal, an assessment of the potential impact on the environment must be undertaken. The MMO, as the licensing authority for English (and Northern Irish offshore) marine waters, are responsible for issuing marine licences.
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 progress in the implementation of the F-gas regulations, particularly with regard to the greenhouse gas sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and reducing its carbon footprint in electricity transmission, distribution, and hydronic heat pump equipment; what plans they have to amend the F-gas Regulations 2014 ((EU) No 517/2014); and how they intend to ensure that expansion of the electricity grid does not increase carbon emissions through increased use of fluorinated greenhouse gases.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A review of the F-gas Regulation is underway. Defra published an Assessment Report in December 2022 that assesses the Regulation against its objectives to reduce F-gas use and emissions. Defra are now identifying options for change, with a focus on additional measures to help the UK meet Net Zero. Development of any proposals will account for factors such as the expansion of the power grid as regards SF6 use and the rollout of heat pumps as regards use of hydrofluorocarbons (the main types of F-gas).
In addition to the F-gas Regulation, Ofgem has a framework in place that encourages the reduction of SF6 emissions from existing switchgear equipment on the grid.
The F-gas Regulation reduces emissions primarily through the phasedown of the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the main type of F-gases. The Regulation also sets rules on F-gas use, containment, recovery and destruction and training and certification.
Alternative technologies to the use of SF6 in the power sector are being developed, with some already available and being deployed. Consideration needs to be given as to the ability to use alternatives at some existing sites, particularly where the footprint of a site is restricted such as in built-up areas.
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 steps they are taking to promote a regional fisheries agreement for the South Atlantic.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK government is concerned about gaps in international fisheries governance in areas of our ocean and fish stocks not covered by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO), including the South West Atlantic. The UK plans to raise this issue for discussion in a variety of international forums this year, including the Resumed Review Conference on the UN Fish Stocks Agreement. Establishing new agreements which would bring about more robust governance arrangements is likely to be a lengthy process. As a first step, and more immediate solution, we will be encouraging distant water fishing nations and coastal States to share scientific data in areas where there is no RFMO.
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, further to the paper by R E Green, M A Taggart, D J Pain, et al ‘Voluntary transition by hunters and game meat suppliers from lead to non-lead shotgun ammunition: changes in practice after three years’, published in the Conservation Evidence Journal in February, which found that three years into the five year voluntary phase-out programme, 94 per cent of pheasants sold in supermarkets were killed with lead shot, what steps they plan to take to end the use of lead shot in hunting in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2020, nine high-profile shooting organisations released a joint statement calling for an end to lead in ammunition used for taking live quarry with shotguns within five years. We welcomed this move away from lead and are committed to ensuring a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between shooting and conservation.
In Spring 2021, Defra asked the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency to prepare a UK REACH restriction dossier for lead in ammunition. This required both organisations to consider the evidence of risk posed by lead in ammunition on human health and the environment, and therefore, the case for introducing a restriction on lead in ammunition. HSE published restriction proposals in May 2022, setting out a range of options for introducing restrictions on lead in ammunition, and opened a six-month consultation. In January 2023, due to the large volume of consultation responses, HSE announced a six-month extension to its review process, to allow for due consideration of responses to inform the development of its final recommendation. The HSE final opinions are now expected by 6 November 2023. The Defra Secretary of State will be required to make a decision within three months of receipt of the opinions, with the consent of Welsh and Scottish Ministers.
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 potential shortage of birds for commercial hunting given the avian flu pandemic and restrictions on bird movement.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing its biggest ever outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) in poultry and captive birds. Defra’s approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.
During AI outbreaks the release of game birds in the UK is tightly restricted. Due to the global nature of AI, countries such as France which supply the UK with gamebird hatching eggs have also been affected by AI.
Biosecurity at our borders is also paramount in protecting our game farming and shooting sectors. The restrictions put in place on imports, limiting the number of gamebirds that can enter the country, ultimately exist to prevent further outbreaks in poultry farms and gamebird premises.
We recognise that any sustained interruption to normal supplies of gamebirds due to AI outbreaks is likely to impact those business that make available gamebirds for commercial hunting in the UK.
We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken. Any future decisions on disease control measures will be based upon the latest scientific, ornithological, and veterinary advice.