Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have a strategy for dealing with trifluoroacetic acid in waterways and the water supply.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Drinking Water Inspectorate is undertaking a research programme to better understand the prevalence of TFA in drinking water sources across England and to assess treatment efficacy.
This work is being coordinated with colleagues in the Environment Agency (EA), Defra, and the Health and Safety Executive, who are also assessing TFA in the wider environment and reviewing its potential classification.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions ministers have had with organisations promoting non-chemical pest control; and what assessment they have made of progress made in developing forms of non-chemical pest control.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Ministers have met with a range of organisations to discuss all aspects of the development of farming policy. This includes organisations that promote non-chemical pest control such as organic farming.
“A Green Future”, the Government’s 25 year plan to improve the environment, sets out our plans to protect crops while reducing the environmental impact of pesticides by making Integrated Pest Management (IPM) central to our approach. The key principle of IPM is maximising the use of non-chemical options for pest control. Sustainable biological, physical and other non-chemical methods must be preferred to chemical methods if they provide satisfactory pest control.
Much good work is already taking place to research, develop and promote means to move away from pesticides. This includes: plant breeding for pest-resistant varieties; the use of natural predators; the development of biopesticides; and the use of a variety of cultural methods to reduce pest pressures. We are considering what progress has been made with the development and adoption of non-chemical pest control and what more can be done to overcome barriers to adoption.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for future relationships post-Brexit between (1) UK public agencies, and (2) UK industry, and the European Environment Agency.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Our future relationship with the EU is still to be determined and is the subject of negotiations. As part of Exit negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States our future status and arrangements with regard to EU bodies, including the European Environment Agency.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for future relationships post-Brexit between (1) UK public agencies, and (2) UK industry, and the European Chemicals Agency.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We are working to ensure a smooth transition for the chemical industry as we leave the EU. As part of the exit negotiations, the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in the field of chemicals regulation in the best interests of both the UK and the EU. We want to secure a deep and special partnership with the EU, including in relation to the chemicals sector.
Our priority is to maintain an effective regulatory system for the management and control of chemicals to safeguard human health and the environment, respond to emerging risks, and allow trade with the EU that is as frictionless as possible.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the effect of the reduction of the budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the veterinary service and research on animal disease.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the effect of the reduction of the budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on staffing, and scientific expenditure and activity, at Kew Gardens.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the effect of the reduction of the budget of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on activity and staffing in relation to air quality.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Budgets for 2016/17 to 2020/21 have not yet been finalised. Defra’s internal business planning process is still underway, and it would not, therefore, be appropriate at this time to comment on how particular policy areas may be affected.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are undertaking, both nationally and internationally, to reverse the global decline in the bee population.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government is committed to supporting pollinators, including bees, through the National Pollinator Strategy for England. This is an exciting 10 year plan, with comprehensive action to protect pollinators on farmland and across towns, cities and the countryside.
In November 2015 Defra published an implementation plan highlighting significant progress in the first year of the strategy, delivered through collaboration between government and non-government partners. This includes £900 million Defra has made available for the new Countryside Stewardship scheme, launched in July 2015. For the first time ever this contains dedicated management options for pollinators as part of the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package.
We have been working to raise public awareness and engagement, holding the first Pollinator Awareness Week in July 2015. This promotes our Bees’ Needs Call to Action, setting out simple actions that any individual or business can take to provide food and shelter for pollinators.
Internationally, Defra hosted two successful events on pollinators at the Milan Expo in July 2015, and following this is working with academics to explore opportunities to build on the innovative work the UK is doing for bees. The UK is also an active member of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), with UK experts contributing to the IPBES assessment of the state of knowledge on pollinators, the reasons for their decline and the policy options to protect them. The final report of this assessment will be considered and approved by Governments at the 4th IPBES Plenary Meeting in February 2016.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much public funding has been spent on Open Water, and why it has been wound up and the Open Water programme taken over by Ofwat and Market Operating Services Limited.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Open Water is the programme responsible for the design and delivery of the new retail market. It has not been wound up. It includes the work of Defra, Ofwat, and Market Operator Services Limited (MOSL), which is a private company owned by market participants. MOSL’s precursor, Open Water Markets Limited, is being wound-up, following the transition of the majority of its functions to MOSL.
For further information please see Ofwat’s information notice IN 15/08 (Opening a new retail market for non-household customers – roles, responsibilities and governance for the Open Water programme after May 2015). This is available on Ofwat’s website.
The Open Water programme is funded by contributions from water and sewerage companies. In June 2015, Open Water published an update on the programme budget (Revised budget for implementing the new water and wastewater retail services market in England – the Open Water programme), which is available on Ofwat’s website.
Asked by: Lord Whitty (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what factors were taken into account in setting the criteria for granting retail licences in the deregulated water retail market following the coming into force of the Water Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Entrants to the new retail market will be required to hold one of the new Water Supply and Sewerage licences (WSSL). There are existing retail licences under the current regime, and the licence conditions and applications process for that regime are being built on to develop the new regime. Further information is available on Ofwat's website.
In June 2015, Ofwat consulted on the form of the new WSSL licences, and the proposed process for issuing them ('Licensing and policy issues in relation to the opening of the non-household retail market - a consultation'). The applications process for these licences will open from April 2016. Further information, and a copy of the consultation, is available on Ofwat's website.