Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to replace biodegradable plastic with compostable plastic.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government published a call for evidence on standards for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics. We want to gain a better understanding of the overall sustainability of these materials and whether product standards could provide reassurance of this. The call for evidence will run until 14 October and a Government response will be published taking the responses into account.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many water leaks have been recorded by each water company in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency’s records for water company leakage are in the table:
Total leakage Ml/d | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 |
Affinity Water | 178.70 | 182.64 | 179.57 | 171.68 | 173.92 |
Anglian Water | 192.72 | 192.00 | 182.65 | 184.72 | 182.66 |
Bristol Water | 43.65 | 45.11 | 44.22 | 46.42 | 46.64 |
Cambridge Water | 12.71 | 13.53 | 13.24 | 14.32 | 14.39 |
Essex & Suffolk Water | 58.39 | 60.86 | 62.42 | 68.08 | 66.17 |
Northumbrian Water | 134.04 | 136.79 | 134.66 | 133.82 | 137.05 |
Portsmouth Water | 29.50 | 28.85 | 28.06 | 30.37 | 32.87 |
Bournemouth Water | 20.67 | 20.56 | 19.63 | 19.11 | 19.11 |
Severn Trent Water | 441.00 | 440.40 | 429.39 | 423.56 | 445.52 |
South East Water | 92.56 | 92.43 | 88.11 | 88.63 | 87.69 |
South Staffordshire Water | 66.88 | 69.22 | 69.88 | 69.85 | 72.41 |
South West Water | 84.07 | 84.36 | 83.75 | 84.40 | 88.13 |
Southern Water | 84.59 | 81.69 | 83.91 | 88.11 | 88.16 |
Sutton & East Surrey Water | 23.93 | 24.16 | 24.17 | 24.30 | 24.16 |
Thames Water | 648.14 | 657.39 | 645.90 | 667.84 | 685.38 |
United Utilities | 451.90 | 453.89 | 451.96 | 439.34 | 453.76 |
Wessex Water | 69.33 | 68.57 | 68.35 | 68.35 | 67.68 |
Yorkshire Water | 282.29 | 288.32 | 285.11 | 295.17 | 300.28 |
England total | 2916.19 | 2941.89 | 2896.35 | 2918.07 | 2986.47 |
Water company leakage records for the last three years are published on the Discover Water website. This will shortly include leakage records for 2018-19.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a timetable has been set for the implementation of the water abstraction plan, published on 15 December 2017; and what progress has been made on that plan to date.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government’s report on the progress made in reforming the arrangements for managing water abstraction in England presented to Parliament in May 2019 included a timetable for completion of the water abstraction plan, which is progressing on schedule.
The report is published and is attached.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tenant farmers in England are awaiting their (1) Environmental Stewardship (ES) payments, (2) Countryside Stewardship (CS) payments, for 2018; and whether all ES and CS payments for 2017 have been made.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Rural Payments Agency has paid all CS 2017 eligible claims bar those held for legal reasons such as probate. On CS 2018, 95% of eligible claimants received an advance payment by early April; 30% of eligible claims have received their final payment and we expect to pay 95% of eligible claims by August 2019.
On ES, around 92% of 2017 eligible claims have now received a payment and we are on track to complete 95% by the end of July 2019. Just over 52% of 2018 eligible claimants have received their advance payment and just under 21% have received their final payment.
Regrettably, we cannot confirm how many of these are tenant farmers as we do not record the agreement holders’ occupant status.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 1 February (HL13061), what rationale was behind the decision to set the cost to serve allowance for smaller non-household water customers at its proposed levels.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Determining the appropriate price protections for non-household water customers, including the cost to serve allowance, is a matter for Ofwat, the economic regulator for the water industry. The current price protections for non-household water customers run until March 2020.
Ofwat has collected detailed cost data from all licensed water and sewerage retailers, to provide them with the evidence about the current cost to serve allowance.
In December 2018 Ofwat published a consultation on price protections to apply from April 2020. This included questions on the cost to serve allowance. Chapter 7 of the consultation published on GOV.UK sets out the proposed approach and Ofwat’s rationale for the proposal.
The consultation closed on 15 February. Ofwat is considering the responses received and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 1 February (HL13061), what assessment they have made of whether the cost to serve allowance for non-household water retailers is sufficient to enable effective competition.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Determining the appropriate price protections for non-household water customers, including the cost to serve allowance, is a matter for Ofwat, the economic regulator for the water industry. The current price protections for non-household water customers run until March 2020.
Ofwat has collected detailed cost data from all licensed water and sewerage retailers, to provide them with the evidence about the current cost to serve allowance.
In December 2018 Ofwat published a consultation on price protections to apply from April 2020. This included questions on the cost to serve allowance. Chapter 7 of the consultation published on GOV.UK sets out the proposed approach and Ofwat’s rationale for the proposal.
The consultation closed on 15 February. Ofwat is considering the responses received and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 14 March (HL14136 and HL14137), what is the number of individual farmers who are awaiting (1) Countryside, (2) Entry Level, and (3) Higher Level, stewardship payments from (a) 2016, (b) 2017, and (c) 2018.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
A farm business may hold more than one agreement and make multiple claims. As of 17 March 2019:
1) All eligible Countryside Stewardship 2016 and 2017 claims have received a payment apart from exceptional cases such as those that cannot be paid for legal reasons such as probate.
There are just over 6,100 2018 claims still due an advance payment. Any claim that has not been paid a 2018 advance payment by the end of March will be issued a bridging payment in early April.
RPA are on track to complete 95% of 2018 final payments on claims by the end of July.
2) The information held on Environmental Stewardship claims does not currently separate between Entry and Higher Level agreements.
All eligible 2016 claims have received a system advance and/or final, or a bridging payment. All eligible 2017 claims received an advance or bridging payment.
RPA is on track to complete 95% of 2017 final payments by end of July. There are just over 9,500 2018 claims due their advance payment.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many farmers are awaiting Countryside Stewardship payments from 2018.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Payments for 2018 Countryside Stewardship claims are underway and 20% of eligible agreement holders have received their advance payment. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is working towards paying 95% of 2018 advance payments by the end of March and will issue bridging payments, in early April, to eligible agreement holders who have not received a payment by the end of March. In addition the RPA is aiming to pay 95% of eligible final payments by the end of July 2019.
The RPA took on administration of Countryside Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many farmers are awaiting the final payment of their (1) Entry Level Stewardship, and (2) Higher Level Stewardship, for 2017; whether any bridging payments will be paid to such farmers; and if so when.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Over 98% of 2017 advance and over 80% of 2017 final payments have been issued to agreement holders. Recognising the importance of these payments, around £26 million was paid in bridging payments to just over 1,700 eligible agreement holders in September 2018. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is working to complete 95% of final payments by the end of July.
The RPA took on administration of Environmental Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system.
Asked by: Baroness Byford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether pulse fishing techniques are being used within the 6–12 mile zone of UK waters.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government recently announced that EU vessels will no longer be able to carry out electric pulse beam trawl fishing in UK waters after we leave the EU. At EU level, a recent provisional political agreement awaits adoption which will include a phase out period for pulse trawl, culminating in a ban from 1 July 2021.
The Dutch are considering the implications of the EU agreement for their fleet, but it is anticipated upon adoption and coming into force this will mean a drop from around 84 vessels they have authorised to use pulse methods, to an estimated 12 vessels operating with pulse during the phase out period, in line with the 5% of their beam trawl fleet that was originally agreed by Council. There are currently six UK authorisations in place, with three (two English and one Scottish) that actually use pulse fishing, and Defra is working with Marine Management Organisation and Marine Scotland to review these licenses with a view to withdrawal.
Meanwhile, under the current EU rules, there is a prohibition on beam trawling within the UK 12 mile zone for vessels with engine power of over 220kW, which includes relevant pulse-equipped beam trawl vessels. This applies to other EU Member State and UK beam trawl vessels in that gear category. In addition, under Common Fisheries Policy rules, the Netherlands, the primary exponent of pulse beam trawling, does not have access to use any beam trawl gear within our UK 6-12 mile zone. There are no reports of incursions within our 12 mile zone by Dutch pulse trawl vessels operating in the southern North Sea derogation area.