Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the consultation document Public sector food and catering policy for England: The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF), published in June 2022, whether the proposed criteria in that document encouraging the purchase of locally produced food are compatible with the non-discrimination obligations of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra’s consultation on food and catering policy sought views on a number of proposals to update the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. This included ways of meeting the Government’s manifesto commitment encouraging the public sector to procure British food to support the environment, animal welfare and our farmers. We will publish the consultation findings, alongside updated standards and guidance later this year. Whilst it is too soon to pre-empt any specific findings at this stage, the final policy will be compliant with the Government’s domestic and international obligations, including under the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Government Procurement.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to respond to the Public sector food and catering policy consultation, which ran from 13 June 2022 to 4 September 2022.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The consultation on public sector food and catering policy attracted a wide range of responses, and we are considering the impact of this feedback on our initial proposals. We will publish the consultation findings, alongside updated standards and guidance later this year, to showcase sustainable, high welfare, quality produce consumed in the public sector.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the non-recycled waste from disposable vapes; and what plans they have to build awareness of the direct effect of disposable vapes on the environment.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Disposable vapes are considered to be electrical products and fall within scope of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Businesses placing more than 5 tonnes of disposable vapes onto the UK market have a financial obligation to fund the collection and recycling of waste disposable vapes. The regulations also set minimum recycling targets for waste electrical equipment. We will shortly be consulting on reviewing these regulations with a view to introducing measures aimed at driving up levels of collections of waste electricals, including vapes, to ensure more of these products are properly recycled.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the proposals contained in the Nature recovery green paper: protected sites and species, published on 16 March 2022, what plans they have to reform the designations of protected sites (1) on land, and (2) at sea, including (a) the types of designations, and (b) the overall structure.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The reforms explored in the Nature Recovery Green Paper have fed into the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), our delivery plan for protecting nature. A summary of responses to the Green Paper will be published separately.
Any substantive changes to the legislative framework governing protected site designations, which includes both European sites and SSSIs, would require legislation and therefore follow normal parliamentary process and scrutiny.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of (1) land, and (2) sea, they currently classify as protected in regard to the 30by30 target.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). We consulted on our approach to 30by30 in the Nature Recovery Green Paper and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee on 30 November where she stated that there are "about 1100" pieces of retained EU law within her department, what the precise number is.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is in the process of confirming the full list of retained EU law (REUL) held by the Department. Until this work is complete, it is not possible to provide precise figures on Defra’s REUL. Defra will continue to publish new REUL to the public dashboard which will be regularly updated.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made regarding the classification and implementation of Other Effective Area-Based Measures; and whether these measures will contribute towards their 30by30 target.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HM Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). We consulted on our approach to 30by30 in the Nature Recovery Green Paper earlier this year and are now working at pace to develop the assessment criteria, in line with international standards, that will inform what land will count towards 30by30.
We expect land recognised as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), meeting our assessment criteria, to play a part in achieving this ambitious commitment. For OECMs to count, we know that they need to be effectively managed and deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity. We continue to explore next steps for identification and classification of OECMs in England.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the final Environmental Principles Policy Statement.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft Policy Statement concluded in June. Consideration of the feedback received from Parliament is still ongoing.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to engage business, civil society and land management stakeholders in the preparation of the first annual environmental improvement plan under the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra engages with business, civil society and land management partners on an ongoing basis, both on individual policies and on the development of the Environmental Improvement Plan as a whole. This engagement will continue over the coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Parminter (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to publish in full the recommendations at a species level from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee arising from the 7th Quinquennial Review of Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, submitted to Ministers on 19 April.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
JNCC’s seventh Quinquennial Review report provides the Secretary of State with independent scientific advice on proposed changes to Schedules 5 and 8 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. We are required to publish recommendations and advice received from JNCC, before both Houses of Parliament under Section 24(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. We will consider the recommendations carefully and the Government’s response before aiming to publish JNCC’s advice later this year.