Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
A Bill to establish the right to breathe clean air; to require the Secretary of State to achieve and maintain clean air in England and Wales; to involve the UK Health Security Agency in setting and reviewing pollutants and their limits; to enhance the powers, duties and functions of various agencies and authorities in relation to air pollution; to establish the Citizens’ Commission for Clean Air with powers to institute or intervene in legal proceedings; to require the Secretary of State and the relevant national authorities to apply environmental principles in carrying out their duties under this Act and the clean air enactments; and for connected purposes
A Bill to make provision about elections to and membership of the House of Lords; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to regulate and limit the practice of bottom trawling in marine protected areas, and for connected purposes
A bill to establish the right to breathe clean air; to require the Secretary of State to achieve and maintain clean air in England and Wales; to involve Public Health England in setting and reviewing pollutants and their limits; to enhance the powers, duties and functions of the Environment Agency, the Committee on Climate Change, local authorities (including port authorities), the Civil Aviation Authority, Highways England, Historic England and Natural England in relation to air pollution; to establish the Citizens’ Commission for Clean Air with powers to institute or intervene in legal proceedings; to require the Secretary of State and the relevant national authorities to apply environmental principles in carrying out their duties under this Act and the clean air enactments; and for connected purposes
First reading took place on 9 September. This stage is a formality that signals the start of the Bill's journey through the Lords.Second reading - the general debate on all aspects of the Bill - is yet to be scheduled.The 2015/16 session of parliament has ended and this Bill will make no further progress. A bill to make provision for the setting of biodiversity and other targets; to establish aNatural Capital Committee; to require local authorities to maintain local ecologicalnetwork strategies; to identify species threatened with extinction; for access to qualitynatural green space; and to include education about the natural environment in thecurriculum for maintained schools.
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to commission a programme of research into the merits of replacing the council tax and non-domestic rates in England with an annual levy on the unimproved value of all land, including transitional arrangements; to report to Parliament within 12 months of completion of the research; and for connected purposes.
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
GBN (Great British Nuclear) is pushing forward its small modular reactor competition for UK deployment and is negotiating with four companies. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
In line with usual government approvals, it will be important that any SMR projects represent value for money for the British taxpayer.
GBN (Great British Nuclear) is pushing forward its small modular reactor competition for UK deployment, which is based on fairness and transparency to ensure value for the British taxpayer. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
GBN follows usual government best practice for delivering major projects.
GBN (Great British Nuclear) is pushing forward its small modular reactor competition for UK deployment, which is based on fairness and transparency to ensure value for the British taxpayer. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
GBN follows usual government best practice for delivering major projects.
Great British Nuclear (GBN) is pushing forward its small modular reactor competition for UK deployment, which is based on fairness and transparency to ensure value for the British taxpayer. Final decisions will be taken in the spring.
GBN is seeking those technologies best able to facilitate commercially operational projects by the mid-2030s.
Recent papers on the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) provide a range of views on the likelihood, extent and timing of potential changes in AMOC. They provide useful evidence on this rapidly evolving area of science; they do not represent a significant update to the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report is the most comprehensive assessment of climate science to date and determined that there is a high likelihood of the AMOC weakening in the 21st century, but an abrupt collapse is unlikely (although not impossible) in this timeframe.
NSOIT’s commitment to protecting freedom of expression is embedded in its compliance policies and practices. For example, NSOIT has a blanket ban on referring content from journalists and politicians to social media platforms. Its privacy notices are publicly available on gov.uk.
The legislation sets out strict requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, including male chicks from the egg production sector.
Permitted killing methods for chicks, such as gas stunning and maceration, are based on scientific research and assessment to ensure birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering. All laying hen hatcheries in the UK use argon gas mixtures as their stunning method.
We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of technologies that allow chicks to be sexed in-ovo (within the egg). We welcome the UK egg industry investing in the development of day zero sexing technology.
The Government is committed to the system of economic regulation. This model has delivered a range of benefits including high quality drinking water and reducing leakage by around a third.
However, public trust in the industry is currently low and we need to ensure a robust regulatory system is in place to deliver the much-needed investment to clean up our waterways and meet the additional challenges of population growth and climate change. The Water (Special Measures) Act was the first major step this Government took to deliver for customers and the environment by driving meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry.
Launched in October 2024, the Independent Water Commission is drawing upon a panel of cross-sector experts and will recommend reforms to reset our water sector regulatory system, which could include proposals for improving industry governance. The Commission will consider approaches from other countries, where varying water governance models have evolved.
This Government has made it clear that levels of water pollution are unacceptable. That is why cleaning up our rivers is a priority for this Government; addressing agricultural pollution is key to delivering this.
To this end, we are currently reviewing the Environmental Improvement Plan to set out how Defra will deliver improvements to reach our legally binding targets including to reduce agricultural pollution. We want to work with farmers to tackle agricultural pollution through a range of proportionate and effective regulations, advice programmes and incentives schemes.
As part of this, we are prioritising finalising the Post-Implementation Reviews on both the Farming Rules for Water and Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations. The outcomes of these reviews will inform our next steps to ensure these regulations are effective for both farmers and the environment.
A Special Administration Regime (SAR) enables a company which provides vital public services (e.g. water, energy, rail) to be put into administration in certain circumstances, to ensure that the public service will continue to be provided.
There is a high bar for the imposition of a Special Administration Regime. The law states that Special Administration can only be initiated if the company becomes insolvent, can no longer fulfil its statutory duties or seriously breaches an enforcement order.
Enforcement of governance and compliance issues fall within the remit of the regulators. There is a robust system of independent economic and environmental regulation for holding the water sector to account. It is of course right that we continue to look at the regulatory context, and where necessary, take action to strengthen the regulatory framework. This is why the Government has launched the Independent Water Commission, which will fundamentally transform how our water system works.
Ofwat published its final determinations for Price Review 2024 in December 2024, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104bn upgrade for the water sector. This investment will mean cleaner rivers, seas, and lakes across the country, more jobs and more investment.
Since 1 January 2025, water companies have been required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. The Secretary of State has authorised Ofwat to carry out enforcement action for this duty, in accordance with the powers conferred under sections 18 and 141DA (4) of the Water Industry Act 1991.
Ofwat is monitoring compliance with the duty to report relevant data in real time. Ofwat’s enforcement powers provide for a wide range of enforcement activity, including substantial penalties. Where it detects non-compliance, it will take appropriate enforcement action.
In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has introduced an equivalent duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. Once commenced, this duty will be enforced in the same way.
The Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. We will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU.
The Marine Management Organisation, in conjunction with Cefas, run an annual Disposal Site Monitoring project and identify a list of disposal sites for monitoring each year, ensuring that no area is left without monitoring. Disposal can be redirected to a specific site if there are particular concerns regarding that site.
There is no limit to which contaminants can be recommended for analysis for applications for disposal at sea. Cefas – the agency that provides contaminant sampling advice – primarily uses the OSPAR Guidelines for the Management of Dredged Material at Sea (Agreement 2014-06, Updated 2024). The testing of Primary List contaminants will be recommended for most applications, whilst Secondary List contaminants will also be recommended in some applications, where considered relevant. Ultimately recommendations are based on likelihood of adverse effects and practicality considerations. The OSPAR Expert Assessment Panel on Dredged Material last reviewed these lists for the update of the Agreement in 2024. The UK has convened several Action Level Reviews against which contaminants are assessed (in 2003, 2005, 2015 and 2020).
The OSPAR guidelines allow for the use of effect response analyses (such as bioassays). These are not commonly recommended by Cefas largely due to the costs and additional time implications of the analyses which would be incurred by applicants. However, if it was identified that such tests would be useful for a weight of evidence in a specific case, they could be requested or considered if an applicant wished to provide them. Cefas is considering the use of ‘Microtox’ bioassay testing as a potential option for characterising dredged material, in such instances.
We do not have any plans to change the formal Action Levels for contaminants at this time. However, when assessing levels of contaminants that can be disposed of at sea, Defra bodies follow international OSPAR guidelines to protect the environment. Cefas use the best available evidence when providing advice on dredged contaminants, which may draw on best practice from other countries. The MMO will consider this advice when determining a dredging licence application. We will continue to work with stakeholders to improve our evidence base on the environmental and economic impacts of Action Levels, and to explore options to manage any impacts.
The range of contaminants monitored at sea disposal sites is not a standardised list. Rather, the choice of which contaminants to monitor is based on a review of each year’s licenced disposals and considering the OSPAR Guidelines for the Management of Dredged Material at Sea (Agreement 2014-06. Updated 2024). Primary List contaminants (Technical Annex I) may be analysed for at disposal sites while Secondary List contaminants can also sometimes be analysed for. Monitoring also adheres to the OSPAR Coordinated Environment Monitoring Programme Guidelines for the assessment of dumping and placement of waste and other matter at sea (Agreement 2017-04). Other analyses such as benthic infauna and bathymetry surveys may also be undertaken, as appropriate.
The full output of the marine economy, and split by sector and country, is unknown due to the complexity of attributing economic output to the marine environment.
However, for human activities that use UK seas, the latest data (2015) from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science estimated the sector contributed around £27 billion to UK Gross Value Added (GVA) and employed 341,000 people. The Office for National Statistics reports that the UK marine natural capital assets, for which we can estimate a value, had an asset value of £211 billion in 2021.
For the wild-catch fishing sector, the Marine Management Organisation provides the split by country for 2023 as follows:
Wild-catch - landings by vessel nationality:
| Total landings value (million) |
Scotland | £694 |
England | £314 |
Wales | £13 |
Northern Ireland | £75 |
We have a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 40% of English waters and a statutory MPA target under the Environment Act 2021 to ensure they are in a good and healthy state. All MPAs are protected from the dumping of waste at sea and marine litter by the planning and marine licensing regimes.
The UK’s marine licensing regimes comply with the obligations of international conventions that the UK is party to, including the London Convention and Protocol and the OSPAR Convention which prohibit the dumping of waste at sea with very limited exceptions.
The UK is also a signatory to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). MARPOL Annex V controls the discharge of garbage from ships and is brought into UK law through the Merchant Shipping Regulations on the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (2020). These regulations prohibit the discharge of garbage at sea with very limited exceptions.
For too long the nation has seen recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning or burying waste.
The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. Key to this commitment is the reduction of residual waste. The Government has set out that it will only back new waste incineration projects that meet strict conditions and that these are in accordance with the long-term residual waste reduction target.
Estimates of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) in England, and their treatment method, for 2022 were published in April 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimates-of-residual-waste-excluding-major-mineral-wastes-and-municipal-residual-waste-in-england).
It is not possible to provide a figure for residual waste as a proportion of all waste. A comparable figure of all waste is not available.
For too long the nation has seen recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning or burying waste.
The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. Key to this commitment is the reduction of residual waste. The Government has set out that it will only back new waste incineration projects that meet strict conditions and that these are in accordance with the long-term residual waste reduction target.
Estimates of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) in England, and their treatment method, for 2022 were published in April 2024 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimates-of-residual-waste-excluding-major-mineral-wastes-and-municipal-residual-waste-in-england).
It is not possible to provide a figure for residual waste as a proportion of all waste. A comparable figure of all waste is not available.
A total of 18 million tonnes of waste was incinerated in 2023 in England (Source: Waste Management Summary for England for 2023). This compares with 17.2 million tonnes in 2022. Information on how much of this was recyclable is not held.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has responsibility for decarbonisation readiness requirements and support for waste CCUS projects. Defra officials work closely with officials in his department on this. The decarbonisation readiness requirements will come into force for new and substantially refurbished energy from waste facilities from 28 February 2026.
The Government has developed a business model to support carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) waste projects and stimulate private sector investment, including project finance. By providing an incentive mechanism for waste CCUS, we can support the sector to decarbonise and support carbon budget and net zero commitments.
There is a statutory target to ensure that the total mass of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) in England does not exceed 287kg per person in 2042. This is roughly equivalent to reducing residual waste arisings on a kg per person basis by 50% by 2042 from 2019 levels. This includes residual waste from both municipal (household and ‘household-like’) and non-municipal sources. It excludes major mineral wastes, the predominant and largely inert waste typically arising from construction and demolition sources, such as soils, concrete, ceramics and dredging spoils.
The figure of 17.6 million tonnes of residual waste arisings in 2042, in the context of meeting the 2042 target, is calculated by taking the 287kg figure and multiplying this by the Office for National Statistics population projection for 2042. We do not have estimates of the proportion or weight of this that will be made up of municipal waste and the proportion or weight that will be made up of non-municipal waste.
Data on residual waste disposed of and incinerated in 2023 is not yet available. Estimates of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) and municipal residual waste in England for 2023 are due to be published in Spring 2025.
Data on residual waste disposed of and incinerated in 2023 is not yet available. Estimates of residual waste (excluding major mineral wastes) and municipal residual waste in England for 2023 are due to be published in Spring 2025.
Defra officials meet formally with the Canal and River Trust senior management three times a year, at which a range of issues are discussed. The minutes of those meetings are published on the Trust’s website.
The Government has no such plans. Navigation authorities are responsible for operational matters on their waterways, including setting the terms and conditions of their boat licencing regimes.
All navigation authorities in England and Wales are responsible for operational matters on their waterways, including setting fees and charges for those using them and the use of corresponding enforcement powers, under the relevant statutory provisions. The Government does not have a role in that but recognises that boaters using navigable waterways require a valid licence from the relevant navigation authority and are expected to comply with the terms of their licences for the benefit of all waterway users. The Canal and River Trust has provided assurances that appropriate enforcement action on its waterways is only used as a last resort in response to persistent non-compliance, to ensure fairness to all boaters who do comply.
No, there is no precondition to compensate shareholders in the case of transferring of company to new owner after a Special Administration Regime (SAR). The Procedure for a transfer scheme in a SAR is set out in Schedule 2 to the Water Industry Act 1991.
An annual assessment of declarations of interest takes place across the Environment Agency (EA). The EA has a Code of Conduct that applies equally to all employees including Area Directors and Directors of Operations (Regional Directors). All employees are required to make an annual declaration of interest even if it's to confirm that there are no interests to declare, as well as at any time, should a potential conflict arise. They must make a declaration when an actual or potential conflict arises, including the existence of any private interest which might influence or be reasonably thought by others to influence their impartiality or the performance of their duties under the contract of employment. In these situations, the EA assess the declaration and take steps to mitigate or avoid the risk of conflict. A serious failure to declare an interest could lead to disciplinary action resulting in dismissal on the grounds of gross misconduct.
The question of publication of Area and Regional Directors’ financial declarations has recently been the subject of a ruling from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) which examined the balance of data protection and the public interest, given the current focus on water industry regulation. The ICO found that the Agency should publish relevant financial disclosures for those at Director level, and not for those at the Deputy Director grade, which includes Area Directors. The Agency intends to comply with this ruling.
If the whole water industry was nationalised, share- and debt-holders would need to be compensated, which could cost over an estimated £90 billion. This is based on Ofwat’s Regulatory Capital Value 2024 figures for companies in England and Wales.
The Government has no intention to nationalise water companies. In addition to the significant costs attached, it would take years to unpick the current ownership model, during which time the sector's issues would only get worse. The Government instead wants to tackle the situation as quickly as possible by improving the privatised regulated model.
That is why, alongside providing the regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, the Government has also announced a full review of the water system. This will shape further legislation that will fundamentally transform how the current system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Following receipt of the Health and Safety Executive’s final opinions, the final decision for any restriction will be made by the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, and published on GOV.UK.
We are working closely with local planning authorities, who are responsible for monitoring and addressing incidents of non-compliance with biodiversity net gain regulations.
Failure to deliver, or attempt to deliver, biodiversity net gain outcomes which are secured with conditions or limitations (subject to which planning permission is granted) can result in enforcement action by the planning authority. Planning authorities have a range of existing planning enforcement tools at their disposal.
Defra has funded the Planning Advisory Service to deliver training and guidance on biodiversity net gain to local planning authorities, ensuring they can competently enforce regulations.
As biodiversity net gain delivery develops, Defra will continue to review the role of guidance in supporting when enforcement action can be taken. Defra will also continue to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on any future measures that could support enforcement of BNG and develop the essential housing and infrastructure Britain needs, while safeguarding the environment.
We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.
That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.
The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, whilst being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.
Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.
Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver both much needed development and deliver for the environment.
As part of the existing badger control licensing policy, for intensive and supplementary badger control, Natural England set minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be removed, in order to comply with commitments under the Bern Convention. This is to ensure the badger control operations deliver disease reduction benefits without endangering the local badger population.
The number of badgers removed and extent of culling activity is also closely monitored by Natural England during the operational period to ensure local extinction of badgers is avoided and to monitor the humaneness, safety and effectiveness of these culls. In addition, prior to licence authorisation, Natural England can also conduct sett surveys and sett checks in order to determine whether there is badger activity present in an area and that local extinction has not occurred.
On 30 August, the new Government announced the start of work to refresh the Bovine TB strategy for England, to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament and drive down disease to save cattle and farmers’ livelihoods. This work starts immediately and includes the launch a new survey to start this winter to update estimates of badger abundance and population recovery.
Further details can be found on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-end-badger-cull-with-new-tb-eradication-strategy (attached).
A complaint was submitted to the Bureau of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention in 2019 in relation to the licensed culling of badgers to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in England. In response to the evidence submitted by the UK Government, the Bureau decided there was insufficient evidence to open a complaint. Instead, it decided to keep it on standby so the situation could be monitored. As requested by the Bureau the UK has provided further progress reports in 2021 and 2023. The UK’s next progress report is due in July 2026.
If the whole water industry was nationalised, share- and debt-holders would need to be compensated, which could cost over an estimated £99 billion. This is based on Ofwat’s Regulatory Capital Value (RCV) 2024 figures for companies in England and Wales. This figure is higher than the Social Market Foundation's 2018 estimates because the industry's RCV has grown over the past six years, following new investment in infrastructure and RPI inflation.
Given the significant costs attached, the Government has no intention to nationalise water companies. It would take years to unpick the current ownership model, during which time the sector's issues would only get worse. The Government instead wants to tackle the situation as quickly as possible by improving the privatised regulated model.
That is why, alongside providing the regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, the Government has also announced a full review of the water system. This will shape further legislation that will fundamentally transform how the current system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
We have no plans to nationalise Thames Water or other water companies so are not considering alternative calculations on renationalisation. We continue to carefully monitor the situation at Thames Water. The Government is also focused on tackling the public’s immediate concerns to clean up the nation’s polluted waterways and turn around the sector’s performance.
A Special Administration Regime (SAR) is not a form of renationalisation. It is a tool to ensure vital public services continue to be provided after a company fails.
Compensation for shareholders is not a requirement for placing a company into a SAR.
The Environment Agency is aware of the trial at the Blackford public water source in South Harefield in April and May, however, the Environment Agency has not yet seen the results. Affinity Water expect to finalise the trial’s report in October and the Environment Agency expects to see it then. Any action carried out by the Environment Agency will be dependent upon the result of the trial. The Environment Agency continues to provide advice and guidance to both Affinity Water and HS2 Ltd.
The cost of nationalisation was calculated in a report published by the Social Market Foundation titled ‘The cost of nationalising the water industry in England’. The report estimated the costs of nationalising water companies, including Thames Water, would be £90bn. This research draws on a range of existing academic studies, as well as publicly available data from Ofwat, the London Stock Exchange and the annual accounts of the water companies. The research can be viewed on the Social Market Foundation’s website www.smf.co.uk.
It is essential to manage bottom trawling in our Marine Protected Areas appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected seabed habitats. Fisheries regulators make detailed assessments of the impact of all fishing activities on the protected species and habitats in our Marine Protected Areas and develop byelaws to restrict fishing when it has been assessed as damaging. 60% of England’s MPAs have bottom trawling restrictions already. This is something that will be getting early attention as we consider next steps in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations and how we support the fishing sector.
The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its Manifesto. We intend to deliver on this and are currently considering the most effective way to do so.
Providing assistance for passengers who require it is crucial. Under license conditions and as part of their Accessible Travel Policy (ATP), operators must participate in the Passenger Assist scheme. This scheme is designed to help disabled passengers and those with additional needs to use the rail network with confidence and in safety. More broadly, rail operators are responsible for ensuring staff are available to deliver this assistance.
Any changes to ticket office opening hours in relation to regulated stations covered by Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement must be made following the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement process and Secretary of State guidance. Ticket office changes made by Great Western Railway in 2022 followed that process and guidance.
Ensuring accessibility for all passengers is at the heart of our passenger-focussed approach. Southeastern Trains (SET) is seeking to implement changes to ticket office opening hours at 14 of its stations. We are aware that SET’s proposals include mitigations to ensure staff would continue to be available to support passengers.
Decisions on making local speed limits and implementing road danger reduction measures on roads in England rest with the transport authorities who have responsibility for roads in local areas. The Department for Transport issues best practice guidance on setting local speed limits designed to make sure that speed limits are appropriately and consistently set while allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.