Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase scientific research into (1) organic, (2) biodynamic, (3) permaculture, and (4) aquaculture, methods of food production, and their potential benefits for public health
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra's agri-food evidence programme supports the productivity, environmental sustainability, risks and trade-offs of farming systems.
Defra's research portfolio includes: examination of sustainable, agro-ecological, and organic food systems; investigating securing future food and nutrient supply, while also responding to consumer demand for a diverse, healthy, safe, and attractive diet. Research also explores future innovation possibilities for sustainable food production, including integrated fish production techniques, controlled environment horticulture technology, in conjunction with permaculture and agroforestry approaches; and aquaculture systems.
The Seafood Innovation Fund, part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, was set up to support the long-term future and sustainability of the UK fisheries and seafood sector. It funds various innovative projects, ideas and technologies in fisheries and aquaculture where research on reducing public health risk and the potential benefit for human health is within scope.
Defra partners with UK Research & Innovation which leads the 'Transforming the UK Food System Programme'. This £47.5 million research programme supports a food system which places healthy people and a healthy natural environment at its centre, considering the complex interactions between health, environment and socioeconomic factors.
Additionally, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, part of UK Research & Innovation, also has a long-term strategic commitment to supporting bioscience for sustainable agriculture and food, delivering more productive, healthy, resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will end subsidies on land used for growing crops for bio-fuel.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom's main scheme supporting biofuels is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), a certificate trading scheme administered by the Department for Transport. The RTFO is not a direct land or biofuel crop subsidy. Where biofuels deliver significant carbon savings and meet stringent sustainability criteria then the supply of biofuels, as distinct from land used for growing crops, will continue to be eligible for reward under the RTFO scheme. The RTFO provides greater incentives for waste-derived biofuels compared with crop-based biofuels and includes a cap on the amount of crop-based biofuels that may count towards supplier targets.
In 2020 just under 36,000 hectares of British crops were used for biofuels supplied to the British road transport market, which equates to 0.6% of the total arable area of the United Kingdom. While growing crops for the biofuel sector offers farmers more routes to market for their harvest and flexibility in their crop rotations, consideration must also be given to land biodiversity or carbon-store value.
HM Government recognises the importance of food security, which is why we published the Food Strategy earlier this year. The Food Strategy puts food security at the heart of HM Government's vision for the food sector. It aims to broadly maintain the current level of food that we produce domestically and to boost production in sectors where there are the biggest opportunities.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what analysis, if any, of storm water from (1) the roofs of houses, and (2) highways, they have undertaken to establish whether such water can be discharged safely into (a) water courses, and (b) the sea.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
In July 2021, the Environment Agency (EA) produced The State of the Environment: The Urban Environment report (www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-environment/the-state-of-the-environment-the-urban-environment), which includes an overview of the impact of urban and highways surface water run-off in England. Run off from roofs and roads has historically been considered suitable for discharge to watercourses with the overriding driver being efficient drainage to maintain highway safety, but increasingly the impact of this run-off is being better understood, particularly in inland watercourses. There is little risk to the sea because of ample dilution.
National Highways continue to work with the EA to better understand pollutants in road runoff and effective treatment strategies. There is ongoing work to better understand the contribution from the Strategic Road Network (SRN) to micro plastic pollution and to build on earlier research to investigate the presence of other contaminates of potential concern not previously monitored.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan will be ready by 1 September 2022; and when it will be published.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
As set out in the Environment Act (2021), the Government will publish the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan by 1st September 2022.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they (1) are taking, and (2) plan to take, to encourage households to (a) store, and (b) provide soakaways for, rainwater; and what assessment they have made of incentivising the adoption of such practices through reductions in (i) council tax, or (ii) water and drainage fixed rates.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We support the use of blue green infrastructure, such as sustainable drainage systems and grey water recycling to manage surface water, across existing and new communities. We have placed a greater emphasis on this in our 25 Year Environment Plan, Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Policy Statement and updated planning policy.
We are currently reviewing the implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act (2010). This schedule introduces standards for new sustainable drainage systems and makes connection to public sewers conditional on approval of the drainage system before any construction work can commence. National standards will set out a hierarchy of destinations for surface water runoff to ensure the most effective drainage system is delivered that will help alleviate pressures on the sewer network, as well as reducing flood risk, harvesting rainwater and improving water quality, amenity and biodiversity.
As set out in our Written Ministerial Statement on Water Demand in July 2021, we are developing a roadmap towards greater water efficiency in new housing developments and retrofits. This includes the exploration of revised building regulations and how the development of new technologies can contribute to meeting these standards. We will ensure that the underlying legislation can, where appropriate, accommodate any potential future expansion of rainwater harvesting, water re-use and storage options.
Households who can show that their premises are not connected to the public sewer for surface water drainage are already entitled to a bill discount via a surface water drainage rebate from their water company.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking towards securing a UNEA resolution for a treaty on plastic pollution; what timetable they are working to; and how they will monitor the effectiveness of any such treaty.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution on ending plastic pollution agreed at the continuation of the 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.
As laid out in the adopted resolution, a series of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meetings will be held to negotiate the content of the treaty. The first meeting is due to take place in the second half of 2022 with the aim of concluding negotiations by the end of 2024.
An Open-Ended Working Group meeting is scheduled for the first half of 2022, where the INC’s programme of work will be discussed.
The introduction of any monitoring mechanisms, including on monitoring the effectiveness of the treaty, will be negotiated by the INC.
At UNEA 5, the UK announced it had joined the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution as a founding member to drive a comprehensive and effective new treaty.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to remove masses of plastic from the oceans.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Plastic pollution in the ocean is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today, with estimates suggesting that around 12 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean every year, a figure that is predicted to increase three-fold between 2016 and 2040. This is why there is an immediate need to better manage plastic waste and prevent plastic pollution from entering ocean in the first place.
Domestically, the UK supports the Fishing for Litter scheme, a voluntary, unpaid litter bycatch removal scheme by commercial fishermen, run by Komunernes International Miljøorganisation (KIMO), which provides fishing boats with bags to dispose of marine-sourced litter collected during normal fishing operations and the development of similar local schemes. In 2019, we changed marine licensing measures to make it easier for divers to recover marine litter, including abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear. We also support and endorse national clean up campaigns such as the Great British Beach Clean, and the UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coasts which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution across several years. This data is used in combination with other monitoring data to inform our decisions about how to tackle marine litter.
Additionally, our 25 Year Environment Plan establishes our target of reducing all forms of marine plastic pollution where possible, and our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out how we will achieve this, including through consulting on measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for fishing gear by 2022 to ensure that fishing gear that is no longer fit for purpose is disposed of correctly and is prevented from polluting the ocean.
Internationally, the UK has supported the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) since 2018. GPAP brings together world leaders, decision-makers and industry to take collaborative action on tackling plastic pollution in developing countries. The UK are active members of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI): a pioneering alliance of the fishing industry, private companies, NGOs and Governments working to solve the global problem of ghost fishing gear. The UK also launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance in 2018, along with our co-chair Vanuatu, to reduce marine plastic pollution. Since its launch, 34 Commonwealth member states have united to take action on tackling plastic pollution.
Furthermore, the UK has co-sponsored a resolution to start negotiations for a new internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution at the United Nations Environment Assembly. A new international instrument would build upon the important work we are doing to tackle marine litter both domestically and internationally and support our commitments to reduce additional plastic pollution in the ocean to zero.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
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 12 October (HL2433), how they assess the impact on global climate of converting existing (1) high forest, or (2) rain forest, to palm oil plantations, in particular if this is done over large acreages; and, in any such assessments, whether they have found a significant impact on biodiversity.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Climate and Land Use (2019) reports that agriculture, forestry and other land use accounted for 23% of total net emissions of greenhouse gases from 2007-16 caused by human activity, with deforestation alone accounting for half of this. This provides the best available estimate of the impact on greenhouse gas emissions from converting existing forests.
The UK does not directly assess the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of converting forest to palm oil plantations, though several of our programmes aim to minimise their impact. This includes the Partnerships for Forests programme.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) prosecutions, and (2) convictions, have been obtained in each of the last five years for discharging (a) general garbage, (b) plastic materials, and (c) fishing nets, into natural waters in England.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. In December 2018, we published the Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how we want to achieve this and move towards a circular economy while stamping out waste crime. We also committed in the Strategy to consult on measures such as Extended Producer Responsibility for fishing gear.
The number of prosecutions and convictions on discharging (a) general garbage, (b) plastic materials, and (c) fishing nets, into natural waters in England are not centrally held in the court proceedings database as these specific offences are not separately defined in legislation. Identifying prosecutions and convictions for such actions would require a manual search of court records, which would incur disproportionate costs.
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 it is an offence to litter or to knowingly cause or permit the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste.
Published figures for prosecutions and convictions for these offences are available in the Home Office code principal offence tool at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987731/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2020.xlsx
It is important to note that these numbers include all prosecutions and convictions that fall within each offence category, beyond those specifically requested and beyond just natural waterways.
Defra also publishes annual statistics for fly-tipping, which include enforcement actions. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england
Under the Merchant Shipping Regulations on the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (2020), the discharge of all garbage into the sea is prohibited with very limited exceptions. In all cases the discharge of plastic is prohibited. These regulations bring the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (MARPOL Annex V) into UK law. No data has yet been collected for these regulations.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their analysis of the impact of palm-oil production on (1) indigenous small farmers, (2) global climate, (3) food manufacturing, and (4) consumer diets and health.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
To inform our policies on palm oil, the Government draws on the analysis of experts and NGOs, as well as working with the UK roundtable on sustainable palm oil, and the work of certification schemes like Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. In addition, we utilise government programming like Partnerships for Forests and the independent Global Resource Initiative to help inform policies on palm oil and on supply chains more widely.
This analysis has indicated that palm oil can be associated with negative environmental impacts, such as deforestation, land conversion and associated climate impacts. However, it also shows that oil palm is a very efficient crop, producing more oil per hectare than other vegetable oil crops. Substitution with other oils (e.g. soybean, rapeseed, sunflower), which typically require significantly more land to produce, may lead to greater deforestation as more land is converted to agricultural use. More than 3 million smallholder farmers make a living from palm oil, providing 40% of total production, and palm oil is important for food security in many countries
Certifiably sustainable palm oil increases traceability and transparency through the supply chain, supporting manufacturers and retail to make more informed decisions about their sourcing, and allowing them to source from producers with a lower environmental footprint. The UK’s Partnership for Forests programme includes support to develop new standards for the sustainable production of palm oil, and support to test new ways of growing oil palm that brings greater benefits to local communities and protects forests.
Finally, palm oil is an important part of food production globally. We want the entire supply chain to help to deliver healthier food and encourage healthy eating. To that end, our Food Strategy White Paper will build on existing policy work such as that developed under the Agriculture Act, and the obesity strategy, to help ensure our food system delivers healthy and affordable food for all people and is built upon a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.