Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to issue guidelines to water companies operating in England regarding the salaries paid to their senior management.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, customers have been let down and water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers.
Executives will no longer be able to take home eye-watering bonuses where companies fail to meet standards on environmental performance, financial resilience, customer outcomes or criminal liability.
In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, also launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent discussions in relation to an international treaty to curb plastic pollution; and what steps they are taking to accelerate progress on this matter.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over 170 countries met for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Busan from 25 November 2024 to 1 December 2024 to discuss a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution. While it is disappointing that no agreement was reached, the Committee decided it would resume the meeting for final negotiations in 2025.
The UK was one of 85 countries to endorse the Stand Up for Ambition statement calling for a global target to reduce the production of primary plastic polymers to sustainable levels, phasing out the most harmful plastic products and chemicals of concern in plastics, ambitious and effective financing from all sources, and allowing the treaty to be strengthened over time. The UK also supported using the text proposed by the Chair as a basis for future negotiations.
We urgently need an ambitious international agreement to end plastic pollution that tackles the full life cycle of plastics. The Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics - a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs; our economy prospers; and nature thrives.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government with regard to the transfer of additional quantities of water from the reservoirs in Wales, or from rivers running from Wales to England, to meet increased water demand in South East England.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
As agreed in the Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality, Defra and the Welsh Government work closely on water resources management.
Water companies in England and Wales have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically.
Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies, consulted on their draft water resources plans. These plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Within their plans, water companies consider all options, including water demand management and new water resources infrastructure including water transfers. In the latest round of plans, no new additional quantities have been identified to be transferred from Wales to England. A summary can be found at gov.uk.
Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales issued joint water resources planning guidance to water companies, which takes account of policy in England and Wales. They are also statutory consultees on the plans, as relevant. When reviewing the plans, the Environment Agency and National Resources Wales regularly meet to discuss proposals by water companies.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions were made for illegal sewage dumping in each of the water authority areas in England in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government is holding water companies to account on a scale never seen before and the regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to take appropriate action if they are in breach of their permits and failing to meet their legal obligations. The EA can now use new powers to impose unlimited penalties for a wider range of offenses following Government’s changes to broaden of the scope of the existing civil sanctions regime and remove the previous cap on penalties.
The EA has made 59 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies for pollution offences since 2015, securing fines of over £150m.
Four prosecutions have been concluded so far in 2023 for pollution offences:
More prosecutions are progressing through the court system with hearing dates next year.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding proposals being developed by United Utilities, Severn-Trent Water and Thames Water to divert water from reservoirs in Wales to the Thames basin.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
As agreed in the Intergovernmental Protocol on Water Resources, Water Supply and Water Quality, Defra and the Welsh Government work together on water resources management as a matter of course.
Water companies in England and Wales have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically. Statutory water resources management plans show how companies will continue to meet this duty and manage water supply and demand sustainably for at least the next 25 years. In their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and water resources infrastructure. Collaborative regional water resources groups and water companies have been consulting on their draft water resources management plans. This includes United Utilities, Severn Trent Water and Thames Water.
Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales issued joint water resources planning guidance to water companies, which takes account of policy in England and Wales. They are also statutory consultees on the plans, as relevant. The plans will be referred to the Secretary of State and Welsh Ministers for decisions on whether the plans can be finalised later in the year.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have allocated to protect maritime communities in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland, from the effects of rising sea levels.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government is responsible for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England. In Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, this responsibility rests with the devolved governments.
This Government is investing a record £5.2 billion in flood and coastal erosion risk management schemes in England. Of this, approximately £1.6 billion will be spent on protecting coastal communities.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to safeguard the export of lamb products from the UK to EU markets in their negotiation for a trade agreement with the EU.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government intends to achieve a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU by December 2020.
The Government wants a free trade deal, based on friendly cooperation. Avoiding tariffs would be beneficial to both the UK and the EU. The Political Declaration aims to achieve a zero tariff and zero quota agreement. We are working to achieve this, in the interests of farmers, businesses and consumers across the UK. This will benefit lamb producers who are exporting lamb products from the UK to the EU.
We remain optimistic and we will work hard to reach an agreement on our future relationship. This is why we have agreed to intensify talks throughout July.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they sought from the government of Romania any assurances that Romanian citizens coming to undertake agricultural or horticultural harvesting work in the UK, had been screened for coronavirus before being permitted to travel.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
All passengers on entry to UK are to follow Government’s social distancing guidance strictly as per gov.uk website available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others
Various airlines and airports have implemented social distancing measures, by making reasonable adjustments and any individual who is ill and showing signs of COVID-19 should not be allowed to board the flight to the UK.
All flights to the UK are required to provide health announcements to passengers relating to the current COVID-19 outbreak and to provide information to the relevant airport in line with standard operating procedure. In the unlikely event that there is a seriously unwell passenger on a flight, the Public Health England (PHE) Health Control Unit at Heathrow Airport in London will be informed. If the unwell passenger has COVID-19 like symptoms then on arrival they will be advised to self-isolate for 7 days and if symptoms worsen to call NHS111. All passengers will be provided with information leaflets and appropriate posters are on display on arrival in the UK about following Government’s social distancing guidance.
In the white paper published on 11 May, ‘The UK Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy’, the Government sets out the plan for managing the risks of transmissions being introduced from abroad. The paper states that: ‘Alongside increased information about the UK’s social distancing regime at the border, the Government will require international arrivals to supply their contact and accommodation information. They will also be strongly advised to download and use the NHS contact tracing app.
All international arrivals to the UK not on a short list of exemptions will be required to self-isolate in their accommodation for fourteen days. Small exemptions to these measures will be in place to provide for continued security of supply into the UK and so as not to impede work supporting national security or critical infrastructure. These measures will be introduced as soon as possible and further details will be set out shortly’.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review regulations concerning the use of glyphosate products as weed killers, in the light of evidence presented to the United States Federal Court relating to its safety.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Pesticides are highly regulated in the UK and can only be used if scientific assessment establishes that they pose no unacceptable risks to people or the environment.
UK specialists participated in the European Food Safety Authority’s assessment of glyphosate and support its conclusions that glyphosate meets the safety requirements for approval. The Government therefore supports the continuing approval of glyphosate.
If glyphosate is approved, we will review the authorisations of glyphosate products to ensure they meet current standards.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the government of Ireland concerning the UK's withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Secretary of State and the Irish Agriculture Minister, Michael Creed, discussed the UK’s withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention on 5 July 2017.