Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on Wednesday 14 January (HL Deb col 1727), what specific plans they have to provide (1) practical, and (2) financial, assistance to the victims of organised waste tipping on private land to support them with the cost and difficulty of removing the waste and cleaning the affected land.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to tackling waste crime and continues to keep under review how best to do this.
It is a long-established policy that landowners are responsible for clearing dumped or abandoned waste from their land.
We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. The Environment Agency also conducts communications campaigns around tackling and preventing waste crime, including working through landowner associations such as the NFU or The Country Land and Business Association.
We recognise the financial burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. However, central Government generally does not compensate victims of non-violent crime. It is important not to create a perverse incentive for some people to dump, or facilitate the dumping of, waste. However, where there is sufficient evidence, fly-tippers can be prosecuted and, on conviction, a cost order can be made by the court so that a landowner’s costs can be recovered from the perpetrator.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the research by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors indicating that many broadband providers operate without an internal audit function.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks to essential services and the wider economy posed by broadband providers' lack of internal audit functions.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that broadband providers and telecoms companies establish internal audit functions.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government, working with Ofcom, closely monitors the financial health of the telecoms market. Ofcom have powers to request financial information from providers where appropriate.
We recently held a public consultation on proposed updates to the Telecommunications Security Code of Practice, which provides guidance on how public telecoms providers can meet their statutory requirements to secure their networks and services. These include requirements relating to reviews, governance and board responsibilities. Ofcom monitor and enforce these requirements.
In response to the consultation, the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors raised the matter of independent assurance arrangements. We are now carefully reviewing all feedback to the consultation to ensure that any updates to the Code of Practice are appropriate and proportionate.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need (1) to raise awareness of, and (2) to encourage requests by Field Army units for, the rapid trial of small batches of SME-delivered, battlefield-tested equipment through MoD Commercial X, particularly in relation to innovations from Ukraine; and what steps they are taking to clarify the existence of dedicated MoD funding so that such units (1) are confident in their ability to make such requests, and (2) are informed about how those trials are delivered and paid for.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
It is vital we utilise defence as an engine for innovation and growth including investing in novel technologies. With further investment from this Government, innovation will thrive in every region and nation of the United Kingdom.
Drones, including unmanned aerial systems, are integral to the modern way of warfighting, exemplified in the lessons learnt from the war in Ukraine. The Strategic Defence Review announced a doubling in autonomy investment in this Parliament, taking total Defence investment in autonomy to circa £4 billion.
Work to deliver the Strategic Defence Review recommendations, including on autonomy and drones, will be prioritised appropriately against the threat as part of the Integrated Force.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires local authorities and other relevant bodies to keep only land under their control, such as highways, clean of litter and refuse; whether the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse specifies the distance from the highway for which it is the responsibility of the local authority to clear fly-tipping and other waste; and whether local authorities and other bodies are required to assist landowners with clearing their land beyond the edge of the highway of waste placed illegally by third parties, including toxic waste and fly-tipping.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes duties on local authorities to ensure that certain land is, so far as is practicable, kept clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (see attached) provides guidance on discharging these duties. It does not specify the distance from the highway for which it is the responsibility of the local authority to clear fly-tipping.
Local authorities are responsible for most trunk roads and other, more minor roads. National Highways is responsible for motorways and certain trunk roads. Landowners are responsible for the land that they own. We encourage local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land. The Environment Agency may investigate waste that has the potential to damage the environment, such as hazardous waste.
We recently published a Pride in Place Strategy in which we committed to bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on littering and modernising the code of practice on Litter and Refuse that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a difference between the responsibilities of a local authority for clearing, or paying to clear, waste illegally placed by third parties (1) within 10 metres of a public highway for which the local authority is responsible, and (2) more than 10 metres from such a highway; what is the legal basis; and what assessment they have made of whether there is sufficient legal certainty of those responsibilities.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 imposes duties on local authorities to ensure that certain land is, so far as is practicable, kept clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse provides guidance on discharging these duties. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-on-litter-and-refuse (attached).
Landowners are responsible for clearing waste from land that they own.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 29 October (HL11074), whether they will make an assessment of the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to clearing up fly-tipping that takes place on a private land more than 10 metres from the highway.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is no plan to make an assessment of the responsibilities of local authorities in relation to clearing up fly-tipping that takes place on a private land more than 10 metres from the highway.
Landowners are responsible for clearing waste from land that they own.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits to (1) employers, (2) employees, and (3) the environment, of employer-based benefit schemes such as Climate Perks that encourage rail travel in place of air travel; what consideration they have given to raising public and employer awareness of those schemes; and what consideration they have given to adopting such schemes for public sector employees.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
No such assessments have been made, but this government is committed to increasing awareness of/access to 'green' friendly schemes.
Asked by: Lord Cromwell (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the duties of a local authority for clearing, or paying to clear, waste illegally placed by third parties (1) within 10 metres of a public highway for which the local authority is responsible, and (2) on private land more than 10 metres from such a highway; what assessment they have made of the implications where waste is illegally left by third parties (not the landowner or occupier) beyond 10 metres from the highway; and whether they intend to take any steps as a result.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities have a duty to keep their public land clear of litter and refuse and they have enforcement powers to help them tackle fly-tipping. We encourage local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land, and make good use of their enforcement powers.
An assessment of the implications of waste illegally left by third parties beyond 10 metres from the highway has not been made.
Landowners are responsible for land that they own. We appreciate the difficulty and cost that fly-tipping poses to landowners and we are working with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, such as the National Farmers Union, to promote and disseminate good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land.
We have committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess they have created. We are also taking steps to develop statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance for local authorities and are conducting a review of council powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.