To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Compost: Peat
Thursday 3rd June 2021

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - 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 relative cost of (1) peat free compost, and (2) compost incorporating peat; and what steps they are taking to reduce the cost of peat free materials to gardeners.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

In the recently published England Peat Action Plan we have committed to undertake a full consultation in 2021 on banning the sale of peat and peat containing products in the amateur sector by the end of this Parliament. As part of that consultation, we will be considering opportunities to reduce both the costs and availability of alternatives to peat in growing media.

As outlined in the Action Plan, the Government is committed to working with the industry to understand the implications of our proposals, identify blockages and to working with the private sector to develop and enact solutions, thus making the transition to peat alternatives as seamless as possible.

The England Peat Action Plan is attached.


Written Question
Thames Water: Sewage
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - 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 Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 29 January (HL608), whether the Environment Agency has prosecuted Thames Water in relation to incidents of polluting the River Thames or its tributaries since the beginning of 2020.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

There have been no prosecutions of Thames Water for pollution to the Thames or its tributaries in 2020.


Written Question
Sewage: Water Treatment
Tuesday 18th February 2020

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - 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 Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 29 January (HL608), what powers exist to curtail housing developments in the Thames Valley until sufficient capacity for treating sewage has been developed by Thames Water.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The Water Industry Act 1991 places a duty on water and sewerage companies to provide, maintain and extend a system of public sewers to ensure that the area is and continues to be effectually drained. Water and sewerage companies and the Environment Agency are statutory consultees on local authority development plans, which provide the primary means of determining where future development should be located, including in respect of wastewater infrastructure. Local councils in their role as local planning authorities adjudicate on individual planning applications which, under planning law, must be decided in accordance with the development plan, subject to other material planning considerations. Water and sewerage companies can comment on individual applications and their representations should be taken into account by the planning authority where they raise material planning considerations.


Written Question
River Thames: Sewage
Thursday 6th February 2020

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the Environment Agency has prosecuted Thames Water for illegal discharges of untreated sewage into the River Thames or its tributaries in the last five years for which figures are available; and in what instances a penalty was imposed as a result of any such prosecution.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

The table below shows the prosecutions of Thames Water Utilities Limited by the Environment Agency during the five calendar year period (from 2015 to 2019) for illegal discharges of sewage to the River Thames and its direct and indirect tributaries.

Each row of the chart represents one prosecution. The watercourse related to the prosecution is shown in the centre column, and the type of penalty which resulted from the prosecution is shown in the right-hand column.

Table title: Prosecution of Thames Water Utilities Limited by the Environment Agency, 2015 to 2019, for sewage discharges to direct and indirect tributaries to the River Thames

Date of Prosecution
[appeal hearing dates in brackets]

Name of Water Course

Outcome

16/02/2015

River Blackwater

Fined

29/08/2014 [03/06/2015]

River Enborne, Chase Brook and nearby watercourses

Fined

04/01/2016

Grand Union Canal

Fined

07/03/2016

Horsenden Stream

Fined

22/03/2017

Fawley Court Stream

Fined

22/03/2017

River Thames

Fined

22/03/2017

River Thames

Fined

22/03/2017

Moor Ditch

Fined

22/03/2017

River Thames

Fined

22/03/2017

Barkham Brook

Fined

10/07/2019

Maidenhead Ditch and River Cut

Fined

21/12/2018 [26/07/2019]

Idbury Brook

Fined


Written Question

Question Link

Wednesday 29th January 2020

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times OFWAT has fined Thames Water for illegal discharges of untreated sewage into rivers; and what penalties were imposed on each occasion.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Ofwat has not fined Thames Water for illegal discharges of untreated sewage into rivers. Regulation of discharges of untreated sewage to the water environment is the responsibility of the Environment Agency (EA) and not Ofwat.

In March 2017, Thames Water was ordered to pay fines of almost £20 million following a series of significant pollution incidents on the River Thames and its tributaries in 2012 to 2014. The fine, for six separate cases, was a record as the highest ever set by the courts in a prosecution brought by the EA. More recently, in July 2019, Thames Water was ordered to pay costs and fines of about £700,000 for pollution from Maidenhead Sewage Treatment Works.


Written Question
Bridleways and Public Footpaths: Lake District National Park
Tuesday 8th October 2019

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - 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 damage caused to footpaths and bridleways in the Lake District National Park; and what measures are available to park authorities to remedy such damage.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.


Written Question
Bridleways and Public Footpaths: Motor Vehicles
Monday 9th September 2019

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are taking any action to prevent damage to footpaths and bridleways by off road vehicles and trail bikes; and if so, what this action entails.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

Some public rights of way allow for the legal use of motor vehicles. Footpaths and bridleways however do not. Any person riding an off-road motorised vehicle such as a trail bike on a public footpath or bridleway is committing a criminal offence and such issues are for the police to deal with.

Byways open to all traffic do carry vehicular rights and are managed by local highway authorities. Local authorities have the power to make traffic regulation orders to close routes to motorised vehicles if any problems occur, provided they fully consider and respond to any representations they receive about a proposed order.

In response to last year’s report from the House of Lords Select Committee on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, Defra is currently working with Natural England and stakeholders to assess current use of traffic regulation orders and refresh the guidance for local authorities.


Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 02 Jul 2018
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Committee Report

Speech Link

View all Lord Bradshaw (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Committee Report

Written Question
River Exe: Flood Control
Wednesday 4th April 2018

Asked by: Lord Bradshaw (Liberal Democrat - 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 15 March (HL5998), (1) when did Network Rail seek the Environment Agency's assurance in providing assistance to relieve the flood problems at Cowley Bridge Junction, (2) when the Environment Agency responded to that request, and in what form, (3) when is Network Rail expected to respond to this request, (4) how long the Environment Agency forecasts it will take to assess the consequences of the structure, and (5) in the meantime, what assessment has been made of the flood risk to the railway and surrounding area.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Environment Agency (EA) agreed in 2014, following flooding of the railway line in 2012 and 2013/14, to assist Network Rail in finding a technically appropriate solution to the problem, whilst ensuring that it does not conflict with the £30 million investment in new flood defences in Exeter.

The EA has had regular meetings with Network Rail to provide advice on its culvert installation and weir removal works at Cowley Bridge. The EA has also been working with Network Rail since November 2017 to advise on the flood risk modelling for its weir removal proposals. This includes the EA providing flood history information, geomorphology commentary and examples of issues experienced in other local weir removal projects.

The EA has also established a team to assist Network Rail with the technical and permitting requirements of both phases of its works at Cowley Bridge, and has accelerated the issuing of permits for the culvert works.

Network Rail’s modelling is expected to be completed in spring 2018 and on completion the EA will provide feedback on the outputs. This is to ensure that Network Rail’s proposals do not increase flood risk to residential properties or adversely impact on the level of protection provided by new flood defences in Exeter. The EA will prioritise this work to ensure a timely response to Network Rail.

Although flood risk models have been available for discrete areas around Exeter and the Cowley Bridge location since 2005, no single model takes account of the whole system or all watercourses. The EA is working with Network Rail to ensure its latest modelling is comprehensive. In the interim there is a flood warning system for Cowley Bridge. This has been in place since 2012, with improvements to the forecasting model introduced in November 2017.


Speech in Grand Committee - Thu 08 Mar 2018
Inland Waterways

Speech Link

View all Lord Bradshaw (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Inland Waterways