Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - 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 recommendations of the report by Zero Hour, Creating a Nature-rich UK, published on 13 September 2023.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A key recommendation of Zero Hour’s “Creating a Nature-rich UK” report is for the Government to develop a coordinated plan to implement nature-based solutions, to tackle climate change and support nature recovery.
The Government is committed to protecting and restoring the environment and recognises the role of nature-based solutions in achieving this aim. We have set out our intention to accelerate progress to net zero, tackle the pollution of our rivers and seas, expand nature rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests, and make our environmental land management schemes work for both farmers and nature.
On 30 July we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to be completed by the end of the year. We will develop a new statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery to meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets. It will focus on cleaning up our waterways, reducing waste across the economy, planting millions more trees, improving air quality, and halting the decline in species by 2030. We will consider the use of nature-based solutions in delivery of these aims.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) halt, and (2) reverse, nature loss by 2030.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to protecting and restoring nature. In England, we are committed to halting the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reversing it by 2042. We are also committed to reducing the risk of species extinction and restoring and creating more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042.
Delivering these targets sits at the very heart of our mission to ensure nature’s recovery. To meet them we will create, restore and connect wildlife-rich habitat, reduce pressures on species including from pollution and climate change and take targeted action to recover specific species, working in partnership with civil society, communities and business.
On 30 July, we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to be completed before the end of the year to make sure it is fit for purpose. We will develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery to meet each of our Environment Act targets.
Ministers are reviewing new policies which will be announced in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that (1) farms, (2) food producers, (3) manufacturers, and (4) packagers, remain in business during this period of heightened energy costs in order to prevent a food shortage.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
While no national government can control the global factors pushing up the cost of energy, we will continue to support British business.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to make sure that all businesses, including chemical companies, and other non-domestic customers are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter period. Non-domestic customers do not need to take action or apply to the scheme - support will automatically be applied to bills.
In addition, we have more than doubled our support for high energy usage businesses, reduced employer national insurance, slashed fuel duty, introduced a 50% business rates relief for eligible high street businesses and put the brakes on bill increases by freezing the business rates multiplier - worth £4.6 billion over the next five years.
HM Government is also supporting businesses to improve their energy efficiency by at least 20% by 2030. This could deliver up to £6 billion in cost savings by 2030.
We have extended the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme by three years and more than doubled its budget.
The United Kingdom has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what national preparations, if any, they have made for an increase in frequency and intensity of drought conditions.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Despite the dry summer, water companies in England have assured us that essential water supplies remain resilient across the country. It is their duty to maintain those supplies. Defra ministers expect water company action in accordance with their pre-agreed drought plans.
The National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, sets out the strategic water needs for England to 2050 and beyond. The Government is requiring water companies to plan to deliver resilience to a one in 500-year drought, that is not needing to resort to emergency measures, such as stand pipes and rota cuts.
The Government recognises the need to improve the resilience of our water supplies and is committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience, which is set out in our Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, Written Ministerial Statement on Water Demand and in the 25 Year Environment Plan. This involves investing in new supply infrastructure and action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency.
Water companies are using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the current Price Review period (2019-2024) to progress the infrastructure required. In Autumn 2022, water companies will publish their statutory draft Water Resources Management Plans for consultation, that will set out how they will improve drought resilience and secure water supplies in the long term.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage more home grown food production; and what assessment they have made of whether a policy akin to the Dig for Victory campaign during World War 2 would be effective.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. These figures have changed little over the last 20 years.
Strong domestic food production is an important factor in our food security. The UK enjoys considerable self-sufficiency in food, with production to supply ratios of nearly 100 percent in poultry, carrots and swedes, and we also produce 88% of all the cereals that we need. In addition, UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. The Government is also supporting farmers in England to become more efficient and has recently awarded grants of £48.5 million through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, helping boost productivity at this critical time.
Recognising the importance of food production, the Government has set out a legal obligation on the Government to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It recognised the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience, and the importance of strong domestic production to our food security. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.
With regard to the Noble Lord’s question on Dig for Victory, the Government is not considering the introduction of this type of mass civilian food production campaign at this time. However, the Government has recently announced a number of steps it is taking to support farmers ahead of the growing season. Farmers are facing rising costs in inputs, including manufactured fertiliser prices, which we know has an impact on the productivity and profit of farms in this country. The Government’s measures include new slurry guidance and new slurry storage grants, a delay in planned changes to urea usage, and further details of the early rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive and opening of more farming grants worth more than £20 million to support farming R&D and productivity. The Government will also continue to work with farmers and growers, including through a newly created fertiliser roundtable, to identify solutions and better understanding of current pressures on farmers.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 (1) how HGV drivers’ average earnings in the UK compare to those in the rest of Europe, and (2) how many European HGV drivers are likely to apply to the temporary visa scheme to work in the UK; and what steps they are taking to incentivise take-up of the scheme.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
4700 visas will be available for HGV drivers delivering food ahead of Christmas 2021. Defra is not going to provide a running commentary on scheme take-up. However, industry engagement has been positive.
Defra continues to work with other Government departments and industries and has already taken action to support the road haulage sector with measures to help to attract new drivers, simplify training, and to encourage people to return to or stay in the industry. The Government encourages all sectors to make employment more attractive to UK domestic workers through offering training, careers options, attractive wages and good working conditions.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 (1) the impact of climate change on global food production, and (2) the potential for mass migration from areas where food supply has failed owing to climate change.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
1) The Climate Change Committee's Independent Assessment of UK Climate Risk (CRIA) offers a detailed and up to date insight into the growing risks and opportunities the UK faces from climate change. The report provides evidence for risks to UK food availability, safety, and quality from the impact of climate change on global food production and supply chains.
The CRIA will inform our third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA), due for publication in January 2022, which states our position relative to such advice and marks the formal end of the third CCRA cycle. This evidence will be indispensable in informing greater action and ambition in the third National Adaptation Programme (a five-yearly requirement under the UK Climate Change Act 2008), which will set out how the government will address climate risks.
In the 2021 policy paper "Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy", the Government made tackling climate change and biodiversity loss its number one international priority.
(2) The UK recognises the need to better understand the complex links between migration, climate change and environmental degradation to inform our policy and action. The Government has commissioned an assessment of existing evidence of how climate change impacts migration to support this dialogue.
The UK is also supporting countries with adaptation and resilience planning through major international climate funds such as the Green Climate Fund and programme funding.[1]
We are fulfilling our pledge to attain the goals of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction through our contributions to the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership. Through this, the UK is leading the way in scaling up early-warning systems to make 1 billion people safer from disaster by 2025.
We have also supported the efforts for the establishment of a High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement, which will look at climate change as a compounding factor contributing to internal displacement. The High-Level Panel submitted a report to the United Nations Secretary General in September with recommendations on how to resolve and prevent further displacement, including through adaption.
[1] We also fund Climate Investment Funds and Global Environmental Facility.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK is prepared for sustained periods of unusually high temperatures.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Adapting to current and predicted changes to our climate is vital across the economy, including preparing for extremes. There are a range of activities we are taking across government to manage and prepare for the impacts of high temperatures, including in the health and built environment sectors. These include adapting our health systems to protect people against the impacts of overheating, such as ensuring all clinical areas in NHS Trusts have appropriate thermal monitoring.
The Heatwave Plan for England aims to protect public health from heat-related harms and is supported by the Heat-Health Alert Early Warning System. This is run by Public Health England (PHE) in collaboration with the Met Office. These form part of the Heatwave and Summer preparedness programme, led by PHE, which became operational on 1 June 2021. Heat-Health Alerts are cascaded through the health and care system, including National Health Service providers and commissioners, social care and local government.
The Extreme Heat National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS) was also launched on 1 June 2021 to warn the public and emergency responders whenever a severe or prolonged hot weather episode is forecast.
Overheating in buildings has been highlighted as a key risk for the health and productivity of people in the United Kingdom. Through the Future Buildings Standard consultation, the Government, led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, has proposed a new overheating mitigation requirement to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings. The Future Buildings Standard consultation was launched on 19 January 2021 and closed on 13 April 2021. We plan to regulate later this year.
Defra, its agencies and partners are also preparing for the impacts of climate change on the natural environment, including from high temperatures. For example, Natural England and the RSPB’s updated Adaptation Manual (2020) addresses issues associated with high temperatures for freshwater species and habitats, and the role of riparian trees in keeping rivers cool.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (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 the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 November 2020 (HC112026), what impact has been made by the winter support package; and whether there is an increasing need for support regarding food insecurity.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Throughout the pandemic, the Government has sought to protect jobs and incomes. This includes through the furlough scheme, which has now been extended until September 2021, and by spending billions on strengthening welfare support and ensuring the most vulnerable can meet their basic needs. This additional support includes increases to the Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit standard allowances of up to £1,040 this financial year, and uplifts to the Local Housing Allowance rates to cover the lowest 30% of market rents.
Tackling poverty in all its forms is a key priority for this Government. We are committed to helping people with the cost of living and providing a safety net for those that need it through our well-established social security systems. Building on the significant support given to the most vulnerable during the initial months of the pandemic, the Government has also delivered a winter support programme to support the economically vulnerable. This package included increasing the value of Healthy Start Vouchers, the national rollout of the Holiday Activities and Food programme, and a £170 million Covid Winter Support Grant to local authorities which started in December to support households with food and other essential costs.
The winter package also included £16 million of funding for Defra to support food charities with the purchasing and distribution of food to the vulnerable over a 16-week period starting from the beginning of December. This funding stream is being managed by the food redistributor FareShare
Defra will also continue to monitor food insecurity. As part of the Agriculture Act the Government has committed to lay a report on food security before Parliament by the last sitting day of 2021 and at least once every three years thereafter.
The report will cover a range of current issues relevant to food security including: global food availability; supply sources for food; the resilience of the supply chain for food; household expenditure on food; food safety; and consumer confidence in food.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to improve the relationship between grocery stores and food banks, specifically to encourage the use in food banks of food that would otherwise become waste.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the UK Government does not have any role in their operation. However, since 2018 over £11 million has been awarded to the surplus food redistribution sector to help them acquire more surplus food from the supply chain to those in need.
Hundreds of projects both large and small have been supported across the country in providing infrastructure such as vehicles, freezers and fridges. In addition, through the Waste and Resources Action Programme we continue to work closely with the redistribution sector and across the food chain to tackle any barriers to increasing redistribution including through the provision of tools and guidance.