Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - 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 impact of increasing water bills on consumers, and what action they will take to limit that impact.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.
Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 in December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. These bill rises equate to around £3 additional per month on average before inflation.
The Government expects water companies to put robust support measures in place to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported and is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that customers are sufficiently supported.
Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their commitment to end Water Poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to this end.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that the ban on keeping XL Bullies is enforced effectively.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to ensuring that the ban on XL Bully dogs is fully implemented and enforced to ensure our communities are protected from dangerous dogs. Defra have supported the police to deliver additional training to Dog Legislation Officers to make sure the ban is effectively enforced, and we are continuing to engage closely with the Police to monitor the impacts of the XL Bully dog ban.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - 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 performance of the Environment Agency in relation to (1) monitoring water quality, and (2) taking appropriate remedial action.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
DEFRA works closely with the Environment Agency to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment.
The EA is accountable to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As the principal sponsor of EA, DEFRA works closely with EA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on EA performance and delivery.
The EA currently operates a network of monitoring programmes which fulfil different legislative, regulatory and policy needs. These programmes have been designed by technical experts to reflect a diverse range of parameters used to understand water quality, at the scale and frequency the data is required.
In 2023 over 70,000 samples were collected and analysed to understand water quality from a range of programmes. The EA also has continuous monitoring in place for water quality at over 200 sites at any given time.
It is critical that we continue to build and maintain a robust evidence base which strengthens our understanding of the state of the environment, and the pressures and risks impacting it. This allows action to be taken in the right places to improve the environment when needed.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - 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 public concerns concerning (1) the quality of drinking water, and (2) the discharge of untreated waste into the sea, rivers and lakes.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
It is important not to conflate the quality of raw water and drinking water. Drinking water quality in England is of an exceptionally high standard and among the best in the world. Compliance with drinking water quality standards has been consistently high for a number of years, with a rate of 99.97% in 2022.
The Government published the Plan for Water in April 2023 – our comprehensive strategy for managing our water environment. It brings together the significant steps we have already taken with a suite of new policy actions. It aims to change the way that we manage water, improve water quality, and continue to secure our water supply through increased investment, stronger regulation and enforcement.
The Government is clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. The Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP) sets out stringent targets to protect people and the environment; and prioritises for early action areas used for bathing, for growing shellfish or with high ecological importance. The SODRP will drive £60 billion investment between now and 2050 to improve storm overflows, the largest infrastructure programme in water company history.
We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
The recent cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham is extremely unfortunate and it is a horrific experience for the people who have been made ill. The Drinking Water Inspectorate is actively investigating the cause, extent and actions of the company, and will take actions including enforcement action in due course to prevent this type of event happening again.
Thankfully, these events are very rare, and elsewhere consumers should continue to have confidence in their high quality drinking water.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - 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 danger of Asian hornets becoming established in England; and what steps they are taking, if any, in response.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
In 2011, the GB Non-Native Invasive Species Team conducted a pest risk assessment (copy attached) to assess the dangers of Asian hornets establishing in the UK, following the spread of Asian hornet across Europe and the associated impacts reported on pollinators. The risk of the pest entering the UK and establishing was assessed as very likely and it was suggested that the impacts on honey bees and wild pollinators could be significant.
Following this assessment Defra and the Welsh Government developed the Asian hornet contingency plan (copy attached) which outlines what actions will be taken when incursions occur. This Plan has been regularly updated with the most recent version published in January 2023.
We have taken contingency action against all credible sightings of Asian hornet that have been reported in the UK since the first occurrence in 2016. Contingency action is delivered on the ground by the National Bee Unit (NBU) – part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency. As of 6th September 2023, the NBU have located 37 Asian hornet nests which have been destroyed.
Genetic analyses of hornet and nest samples are done to determine relatedness and assess whether Asian hornets are established in England. Evidence from previous years suggested that all 13 Asian hornet nests found in the UK between 2016 and 2022 were separate incursions and there is nothing to suggest that Asian hornets are established in the UK. We have not seen any evidence which demonstrates that Asian hornets discovered in England this year were produced by queens that overwintered. More detailed analysis will be done over winter to assess this.
Raising awareness is a key aspect of the response. We ask anyone who thinks they may have spotted an Asian hornet to report it through the Asian hornet app or online. By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of coastal erosion; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The National Coastal Erosion Risk Map, available at data.gov.uk, provides a consistent assessment of coastal erosion risk around England. Between 2021 and 2027, we have doubled our overall investment in flooding and coastal erosion to £5.2 billion. This will ensure a further 336,000 properties are better protected from flooding and coastal erosion.
In addition, £200 million is being invested in the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This is already helping 25 local areas over six years to take forward wider innovative actions that improve their resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. As part of this £200 million, Ministers have allocated £36 million over six years, to develop a 'Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme' to trial opportunities, in a small number of coastal areas at significant risk of coastal erosion, to transition and adapt to a changing climate.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of peatland loss; and what steps they are taking in response.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
England’s peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. They provide a home for rare wildlife, regulate our water supply and provide a record of the past. However, only 13% of our peatlands are in a near-natural state at present.
In May 2021, we published the England Peat Action Plan, which sets out the steps we are taking in response to peat loss: England Peat Action Plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A copy is attached to this answer.
As part of this, we are funding a research and development project that will map the extent and condition of England’s peatlands in detail. Final outputs of the England Peat Map will be made available in 2024.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ban the (1) import, and (2) sale, of fur.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government made a commitment to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties.
We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector and speak to a range of interested parties, to make sure we fully understand the issues at hand before taking any decisions regarding fur.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat of bird flu in the UK to (1) poultry health, and (2) egg production.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK is experiencing the largest outbreak of avian influenza with (as of 23 March 2022) 106 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 confirmed in poultry and other captive birds (86 cases in England, 5 in Wales, 9 in Scotland, 6 in Northern Ireland).
In Great Britain, the risk level of HPAI H5 in wild birds remains assessed as very high, owing to continued high numbers of HPAI H5 detections in wild birds, across various species. The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 is assessed as medium (with low uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied but high where biosecurity is suboptimal. This assessment takes into consideration the Avian Influenza Protection Zone (AIPZ) including housing measures which is currently in force across the UK. In Northern Ireland, the risk of HPAI incursion to domestic poultry is assessed as low if effective biosecurity is in place, increasing to moderate if the biosecurity measures are considered inadequate.
The Food Standards Agency has said that, on the basis of the current scientific evidence, AI poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.
Following the introduction of mandatory housing measures on 29 November 2021, there is a 16 week ‘grace period’ during which eggs from birds which were intended to be free-range may be marketed as free-range even though they are housed. This expired at 00:01 on 21 March 2022 and means that in most cases, the eggs from birds temporarily housed for their welfare should be marketed and sold as ‘barn eggs’.
While the mandatory housing measure remain in force, changes to egg stamping, labelling and point of sales information are required to reflect this change in status. These measures will ensure consumers are able to make an informed choice. We are very mindful of the need to maintain consumer confidence in the free-range brand long term. The AIPZ requirements, including housing measures, will remain in force until further notice. However, the measure will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza. Any decisions on when to lift or amend the AIPZs will be based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of threats to the otter population in the UK; and what steps, if any, they are proposing to address any such threats.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The recently published sixth national otter survey of Wales (2015-18) showed a decline in the percentage of survey sites which had evidence of otters for the first time since the surveys began in the late 1970s. In England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Mammal Society are collaborating on a new national otter survey of England which is due to start later this year. By the end of next year we hope to have sufficient data to understand whether the England population has continued to recover and what threats, if any, may hinder recovery locally or nationally.
Under the Environment Act, this government has set a world leading target to halt the decline in species by 2030, and will also be setting targets to restore water quality. We expect actions to deliver these targets to support the continued recovery of native species like the otter.
My department will publish a Green Paper early this year which will look at how the regulatory framework can help drive the delivery of our 2030 target and reverse declines of species.
We are creating a Nature Recovery Network which will be a bigger, better quality and increasingly connected network of places that are richer in wildlife, support the recovery of species, and are more resilient to climate change and other pressures. At the core of the Network will be our existing best areas for nature, including protected sites and National Nature Reserves. As committed to in the 25 Year Environment Plan, we will also create or restore 500,000 hectares of additional wildlife-rich habitat beyond these existing areas. These actions will also help recover species like the otter.