Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the differences between the target for recycling 65 per cent of urban waste by 2035 agreed by the European Council and Parliament in December 2017 and their 25 year environmental plan that justified their opposing the EU target; and what assessment they have made of the extent to which such opposition will enhance the credibility of their 25 year plan.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government has yet to receive the formal text of the outcome of the trilogue discussions and we will consider it carefully. There are several targets in the circular economy package of which the 65% recycling by weight target by 2035 is just one.
The Government has committed to publishing a new Resources and Waste Strategy in 2018 aimed at making the UK a world leader in resource efficiency. It will ensure resources are kept in use for longer and set out how we will work towards eliminating all avoidable waste by 2050, and all avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042. This is consistent with the EU’s Circular Economy Package and in some respects goes beyond it.
As we develop the Resources and Waste Strategy we will explore whether more innovative targets can be developed that deliver clear benefits over those proposed by the EU, including weight-based measures. Should they be preferable, the UK Government will present proposals to the UK Parliament following the UK’s departure from the EU.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what quantity of fish and fish products was (1) imported from, and (2) exported to, (a) the EU, and (b) elsewhere, in 2016; and what tonnages of quotas have been sold by the UK fishing industry to fishermen based in other EU member states to allow them to fish within UK waters.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In 2016, the UK imported 252,000 tonnes of fish and fish preparations (excluding products such as oils, meals and flours) from EU member states (worth £1,044 million), and exported 324,000 tonnes of fish to EU member states (worth £1,165 million).
The UK imported 479,000 tonnes of fish and fish preparations (excluding products such as oils, meals and flours) from the rest of the world, including the EFTA countries (worth £2,029 million) and exported 117,000 tonnes (worth £475 million).
Further details on the UK’s trade in fish products can be found in the Marine Management Organisation’s UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016 at GOV.UK.
Sales of fish quotas allocated to member states are not permitted either between national governments or the fishing industries. However, quota can be exchanged for quota from another member state through international quota swaps. While these can be initiated by the fishing industries themselves, they are approved and enacted by the fishery administrations within each member state. In 2016, a total of 42077.9 tonnes of UK fishing quota was swapped out to other member states in exchange for 51321.3 tonnes of fishing quota coming in to the UK.
UK quota is linked to the vessels it is allocated to. Some UK registered vessels are foreign-owned. All UK registered vessels, including foreign-owned vessels, which catch quota stocks must meet “economic link” requirements. The aim of these is to make sure that the UK gains genuine economic benefits from UK quota. They require, for example, most of a vessel’s landings to be in the UK, most crew members to be UK resident or for other benefits to accrue to UK coastal communities.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of regulation 5(1) of the Water Industry (Specified Infrastructure Projects) (English Undertakers) Regulations 2013, which provides that “the incumbent undertaker must not undertake a specified infrastructure project”, what assessment they have made of statement in the Thames Water Utilities’ annual report and financial statements 2016–17 that “On completion of construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership will lay with the Company” –that is, Thames Water Utilities.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Bazalgette Tunnel Limited (trading as ‘Tideway’) is the private sector company set up to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Thames Tideway Tunnel. Once the Thames Tideway Tunnel construction and system acceptance is completed, the above ground assets, structures and equipment constructed by Tideway on land acquired by Thames Water for purposes of the project will transfer to Thames Water’s ownership. The deep tunnels, shafts and other related non-mechanical assets will remain in Tideway’s ownership, along with responsibility for inspections and any necessary maintenance arising to ensure the tunnel continues to operate effectively. Thames Water’s statutory obligation for ensuring effective drainage of its area remains, and as part of this it will have the right to exclusive use of the Thames Tideway Tunnel to discharge sewage into it and remove it for treatment. This arrangement is a finance lease as defined under international accounting standards, from which the terminology in Thames Water’s published accounts relating to risks and rewards of ownership lying with the company derives.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any National Policy Statements are under discussion or are being prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if so, which.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government is currently developing a National Policy Statement (NPS) for water resources. The development of this NPS was announced in a written ministerial statement by Lord Gardiner in March of this year (HLWS532). The Government is also considering whether there has been a significant change in circumstances on the basis of which the NPS for waste water was decided, and whether this would have a material impact on the policy itself and therefore whether a review of the NPS is necessary.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to investigate any possible conflicts of interests created by PriceWaterhouseCooper acting as (1) an adviser to Ofwat’s 2014 Price Review, and (2) an auditor to six water companies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government currently has no plans to investigate any possible conflicts of interests in relation to role of Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) as adviser to the 2014 Price Review (PR14).
Following a process of open competition, after which PwC was contracted as their PR14 delivery partner, Ofwat took steps to ensure that any potential conflicts of interest were identified and managed at all stages. The measures taken were over and above PwC’s normal processes to ensure robust ethical walls are in place.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - 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 16 March (HL5813 and HL5815), since HS2 Ltd, Thames Water Utilities Ltd and Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd are all private limited companies, why the information requested is available for HS2 but not the other companies.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
HS2 Ltd is funded by the Government, whereas Bazalgette Tunnel Ltd and Thames Water Utilities Ltd are not, and as such, different arrangements apply in respect of the information which the Government can request from them and the extent to which it can be disclosed.
In the particular case of information about CH2M Hill staff referred to in the noble Lord’s previous question (HL5813), this is not required by the Secretary of State to carry out her functions, and Defra therefore does not hold it.