3 APPG Officer Positions (as of 31 Jul 2025)
Georgia, South West, Sustainable Resources9 APPG Memberships
Climate Change, Energy Studies, Financial Education for Young People, Fusion Energy, Grid Networks, Internet, Communications and Technology, Manufacturing, Music, Ocean24 Former APPG Officer Positions
Agroecology for Sustainable Food and Farming, Arctic and Nordic Councils, Canada, Denmark, District Councils, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Energy Studies, European Union, Financial Markets and Services, Fisheries, Grid Networks, Guinea-Bissau, Health and the Natural Environment, Internet, Communications and Technology, Migration, Net Zero, Norway, Print, Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Running, South West Rail, Sustainable Resource, WetlandsDivision Voting information
Lord Teverson voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 1 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 4 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 106 Noes - 120
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
(25 debate interactions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
(13 debate interactions)
(9 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(35 debate contributions)
(12 debate contributions)
(10 debate contributions)
(5 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(4,147 words contributed)
(3,430 words contributed)
(806 words contributed)
(697 words contributed)
Lords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Teverson, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
1 Bill introduced by Lord Teverson
A Bill to amend the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 so as to alter the method used in Great Britain and Gibraltar for electing Members of the European Parliament.
Monday 11th June 2012
Lord Teverson has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 39 Written Questions
(View all written questions)Globalised supply chains remain a crucial part of our nation's economic growth. This government is actively working to strengthen the resilience of supply chains critical to the UK's economic security and growth, ensuring they remain secure, diverse, and sustainable in the face of global challenges. This includes work being done by the Department for Transport to encourage modal shift of freight from road to rail or water. We will consider the University of Manchester's report and its recommendations as part of our wider programme of work.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Following its transitional period, the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its definitive regime from January 2026. UK officials have been discussing CBAM requirements with the EU and engaging affected businesses to support them in responding to new requirements.
EU CBAM implementation and guidance remains fundamentally a matter for the European Commission and National Competent Authorities. The Commission website is the most up to date source of information for businesses seeking guidance on requirements https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en.
Businesses experiencing EU market access issues in relation to CBAM may wish to seek additional support via the Government’s UK Export Support Service.
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Under the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the UK Government and EU agreed to give serious consideration to linking our respective carbon pricing schemes and to cooperate on carbon pricing. As part of our reset with the EU the Government continues to explore all options to improve trade and investment.
The Government will work to reset the relationship with our European partners to strengthen ties that improve our trade and investment relationship with the EU and promote climate, energy, and economic security, while recognising that there will be no return to the single market or customs union.
The UK shares the EU’s concerns about the risk of carbon leakage and recognises the EU’s right to take action to address it. The Government plans to apply the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) across the whole UK, including in NI. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses.
The EU CBAM could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework.
For goods moving from Northern Ireland into the EU, guidance is a matter for the European Commission and EU Member States. The UK have raised with the EU Commission the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the EU CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved.
The EU Commission website is the most up to date source of information and guidance.
20 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Lord Teverson's Defra questions)All consignments of honey bee queens imported into Northern Ireland (NI) must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place. When the imports arrive in NI they are cleared by NI officials. Great Britain (GB) officials do not have access to the systems used by NI so we do not have figures for how many queen honeybees have been imported into NI. Once the imports have been cleared by NI officials, the bees can be moved to GB without any further controls so information about the number of queen honeybees moved from NI to GB is not collected.
NI officials have shared intelligence that since 2021 they have received increased numbers of queen honey bee imports into NI while the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit has recorded fewer imports of queen honey bees into GB.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All consignments of honey bee queens imported into Northern Ireland (NI) must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests, including small hive beetle, and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place. Imports into NI are cleared by NI officials.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is leading an action under the second OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. The Government commissioned the environmental consultancy Resource Futures to undertake research on the number of vessels reaching end-of-life and the policy options to reduce the issue of marine litter from abandoned vessels. This research will inform further OSPAR action, including the development of best practice guidance.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
End of life recreational vessels are recognised as a source of litter and pollution when abandoned. The UK is leading an action under the second OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels.
The Government commissioned research on the number of vessels reaching end-of-life and the policy options to reduce the issue of marine litter from abandoned vessels. This work reviewed existing good practices, including the extended producer responsibility scheme in place in France. OSPAR Contracting Parties have agreed to produce best practice guidance to inform regional and national action, based on the research commissioned. This guidance is currently under development.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is taking a phased approach to implementing remote electronic monitoring, working first with volunteers to design and test systems before moving to mandatory implementation.
We are currently evaluating the progress of the project. Once implementation issues have been appropriately addressed, we will issue notification that mandatory requirements will be coming in, with a minimum of 24 months lead in time before mandatory requirements were introduced.
This is to ensure the fishing industry has time to adapt to the change.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all UK Fisheries Authorities, publishes lists of all UK registered and licensed fishing vessels each month. This includes vessel characteristics and licence information. There is currently no requirement to publish enforcement statistics or details of sanctions relating to non-compliance with fisheries regulations and MMO does not routinely do so. It does, however, share details of specific cases where there may be a wider public interest or where it is considered appropriate to do so, and it continues to engage with the fisheries sector on compliance matters directly, through established groups and networks, and through wider-reaching awareness campaigns.
The UK Government welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency and continues to review the steps we can take to combat illegal fishing. We welcome the ongoing engagement with the organisations who have produced the Charter.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has carefully considered how to incentivise fishing industry participation in the early adopter phases of the remote electronic monitoring programme. The programme is still in the early stages of implementation; it is therefore too early to draw upon how we can assess the effectiveness of those incentives.
Defra funds remote electronic monitoring equipment and installation for vessels that volunteer to be early adopters. Participation also gives the fishing industry an opportunity to shape the programme alongside resolving potential operational issues as we test them. An additional benefit to industry for early participation is that it may support applications by fishing operators to the Quota Allocation Mechanism, or for sustainability certification.
A volunteer vessel has been secured for the first early adopter project – deploying REM on large pelagic trawlers. This project is now underway. We are in the process of seeking further volunteers for the second early adopter project – deploying remote electronic monitoring on demersal seines (flyseines).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is currently no requirement to publish enforcement statistics relating to non-compliance with fisheries regulations in English waters and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) does not routinely do so. It does, however, share details of specific court cases where there may be a wider public interest or where it is considered appropriate to do so, and it continues to engage with the fisheries sector on compliance matters directly, through established groups and networks, and through wider-reaching awareness campaigns.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each UK Fisheries Administration is responsible for ensuring catches from their waters are reported accurately. In English waters, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) monitors all catches from commercially licensed fishing vessels, for vessels over 10 metres, information is recorded in logbooks whilst English vessels under 10 metres record their catches using a purpose-built mobile app or website. All catch data is submitted to the MMO to provide an accurate picture of how much fish we are taking from our seas. To ensure catch details are accounted for correctly, the MMO regularly conduct inspections of fishing vessels based upon a risk-based intelligence led marine enforcement model.
Defra has been reviewing the operation of the landing obligation as part of wider reforms to discards management in England. In 2025, these reforms include trialling changes to how we account for catches. This work aims to help ensure that catches are recorded and accounted for and contribute to the achievement of the bycatch objective.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government fully supports the Cape Town Agreement. It is the first global agreement on fishing safety. It provides mandatory minimum standards to safeguard fishers working at sea and deters vessel operators from engaging in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Agreement achieves this by making poor working conditions subject to detention and inspection globally.
We have worked to ensure that the UK can accede to the Cape Town Agreement. Subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession. This will be as soon as possible.
The UK Government also welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. We see considerable merit in its objective of improving transparency and accountability in global fisheries governance and management.
The UK has already implemented many of the policies set out in the Charter. We will continue to keep under active review the steps we can take to combat IUU fishing and will continue to welcome engagement with the organisations which have produced the Charter.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Delivering the UK’s 30by30 target on land in England will require a strategic approach, to address the scale of action needed, and ensure a diverse and well-connected network of 30by30 areas. Over the coming months, we will be developing a delivery strategy for 30by30, to ensure we make good on this important commitment. This will confirm the key levers that will help us to achieve this target and set out the pathway to 2030. We hope to finalise and publish this strategy this year.
Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently being prepared across England. Each LNRS will agree priorities and propose practical actions in the best locations for nature recovery and wider environmental benefits, such as water quality, flood risk management and climate mitigation. Where appropriate action is then taken, some of these areas could go on to contribute towards 30by30 where landowners/land managers are willing.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and we are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors.
We are considering our approach to improving access to nature and are committed to working with our stakeholders as we develop this thinking. We will provide a further update in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.
That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.
The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.
Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.
Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to nature recovery. Work is underway to develop options for the role marine net gain may play including consideration of timescales for operation of the policy.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.
That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.
The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.
Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.
Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.
That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.
The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.
Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.
Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is committed to supporting the Cape Town Agreement. It is the first global agreement on fishing safety, to ensure mandatory minimum standards to safeguard fishers working at sea and deter vessels engaged in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing from operating by making poor working conditions subject to detention and inspection globally.
The Explanatory Memorandum on the Cape Town Agreement will be laid as a Command Paper before Parliament upon their return from recess on 1 September for 21 sitting days. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will be asked to commence accession procedures once Parliament has resolved it is content to accede.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has not made a detailed assessment of the costs and benefits of such a scheme but will consider it carefully as it develops its future plans for active travel.
Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Second-hand goods may already benefit from a reduced rate of VAT under the VAT margin scheme. Sellers of eligible goods are not required to charge VAT on the full final sale price of the good, but instead on the difference between the amount paid for the item and the final sale price.
VAT is the UK’s second largest tax, forecast to raise £171 billion in 2024/25. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for vital public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
The government has no plans to further reduce VAT on reused, refurbished and repaired goods.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government plans to apply the UK CBAM across the whole UK, including in NI. The UK will continue to work with international partners, including the EU, to ensure our approach is implemented in a way that works for businesses. The EU CBAM could only apply in Northern Ireland with the agreement of the UK and in line with the democratic safeguards of the Windsor Framework.
For goods moving from Northern Ireland into the EU, guidance is a matter for the European Commission and EU Member States. The Commission website is the most up to date source of information and guidance.
The EU Commission have also published their own impact assessment of the EU CBAM which is available online.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Yes, the government will introduce the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on 1 January 2027.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK Government was initially in contact with the Scottish Government, before the introduction of the bill, to confirm that no legislative consent motion was required. This is on the basis that the bill does not legislate on devolved matters and the management of the crown estate in Scotland is devolved.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The management of the crown estate in Scotland is a devolved matter. In the first instance it is a matter for the Scottish Government to consider any proposed changes they may want to make to Crown Estate Scotland. There have been no discussions with the Scottish Government on this matter.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
British citizens and those settled in the UK are free to enter into a genuine relationship with whomever they choose. Foreign partners are able to come to the UK to be married or enter into a civil partnership through a visit visa, where they intend to return home, or a fiancé visa where they intend to go on to apply for permission to stay as a spouse or partner.
Unmarried partners, where the couple have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least 2 years are able to apply for a permission to enter or stay in the UK as partner.
For those intending to establish their family life in the UK through the spouse, partner or fiancé routes, it is appropriate they should do so on a basis which is fair to the UK taxpayer and promotes integration with the wider community.
The government has announced the intention to commission the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to conduct a review of the financial requirements of the family immigration rules and will take into account their recommendations.
Minister of State (Home Office)
6 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Questions
(View all Lord Teverson's MHCLG questions)We intend to publish the Future Homes Standard later this year. The focus of the Future Homes Standard will be to ensure new homes are highly energy efficient and that they are zero carbon ready, meaning they will become zero carbon as the electricity grid fully decarbonises, without the need for any retrofit work.
While nature recovery is beyond the scope of the Future Homes Standard, the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats and hedgehogs.
Furthermore, the National Model Design Code and Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework set out how development can incorporate a range of nature friendly features including hedgehog highways, bee bricks, and bricks with a hole which can benefit sparrows, tree sparrows, swifts, starling, and bats.
These combined approaches will ensure that we are able to support the environment as well as helping us deliver the housing and infrastructure we need.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Last year the Environment Act introduced a new mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement of 10% for new developments, subject to some exceptions.
The Nature Restoration Fund will be in addition to BNG and will run concurrently, focusing on enabling development in areas where that has stalled due to specific environmental obligations relating to impacts on protected sites or species in those areas
We will ensure that developers receive a user-friendly experience and that BNG credit and the Nature Restoration Fund revenue is deployed in a joined-up manner to maximise environmental outcomes.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The terms of individual leases will vary. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government does not gather data on the number of residential leases that contain terms which allow for proposed alterations in support of energy efficiency improvements.
Leaseholders can take various actions to save energy in their home. They may however need to apply for permission from their landlord (and in some cases other leaseholders) should they wish to make certain alterations or improvements which could include structural alterations. This will depend upon whether the terms of the lease allow for the proposed works to be carried out.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government remains committed to meeting its net zero emissions targets by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it.
Reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will make it easier and cheaper for more leaseholders to buy their freehold or take over the management of their building, if they wish to do so. This will provide them with greater control over their building to make alterations in support of energy efficiency improvements in accordance with the terms of the lease.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government recognises the important role the Green Belt plays in preventing urban sprawl and remains committed to its continued protection. The manifesto was clear that without changing its purpose or general extent, the government will take a more strategic approach to Green Belt release to build more homes in the right places.
The Government’s proposed reforms relating to the Green Belt, and approach to implementation, are set out in the consultation on our approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system. This consultation began on Tuesday 30 July and closes on Tuesday 24 September.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)