Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - 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 environmental impact of requiring sofas and other furniture containing persistent organic pollutants to be incinerated at 800°C alongside clinical waste as per Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is a growing concern about the health and environmental impacts of some chemical flame retardants, including tris(chloropropyl) phosphate. In June 2025, the Environment Agency published a scoping review of flame retardants relevant to the GB market. This year the Health and Safety Executive added several flame retardants to the UK REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern, signalling their potential for further regulatory control.
There is a growing body of evidence to support action to reduce the volume of chemical flame retardants used to enable upholstered furniture to pass flammability tests set out in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade recently ran a consultation on a set of policy proposals that aim to maintain a high level of fire safety, while meaningfully reducing the reliance on chemical flame retardants.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - 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 World Health Organisation’s designation of tris(chloropropyl) phosphate as a probable carcinogen; and what steps they are taking to reduce public exposure of this compound in domestic furniture.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is a growing concern about the health and environmental impacts of some chemical flame retardants, including tris(chloropropyl) phosphate. In June 2025, the Environment Agency published a scoping review of flame retardants relevant to the GB market. This year the Health and Safety Executive added several flame retardants to the UK REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern, signalling their potential for further regulatory control.
There is a growing body of evidence to support action to reduce the volume of chemical flame retardants used to enable upholstered furniture to pass flammability tests set out in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade recently ran a consultation on a set of policy proposals that aim to maintain a high level of fire safety, while meaningfully reducing the reliance on chemical flame retardants.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of the average number of kilograms of tris(chloropropyl) phosphate and melamine present in sitting rooms across the UK.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is a growing concern about the health and environmental impacts of some chemical flame retardants, including tris(chloropropyl) phosphate. In June 2025, the Environment Agency published a scoping review of flame retardants relevant to the GB market. This year the Health and Safety Executive added several flame retardants to the UK REACH Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern, signalling their potential for further regulatory control.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Fidra's estimate that disposing of sofas containing chemical flame retardants costs local authorities £135 million per year.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are long-lasting chemicals that can harm human health and the environment. Waste containing POPs above legal limits must be managed so that the POPs are destroyed or irreversibly transformed. Some chemical flame retardants previously used on sofas and similar upholstered seating are classified as POPs and therefore must be disposed of in this way.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many senior civil servants in her Department were on a leave of absence from work due to mental illness in each month of each year since the Department's creation.
Answered by George Eustice
Since Defra was created in June 2001, there have been 39 instances covering 9 Senior Civil Servants who have taken sickness absence for mental health reasons which amounts to 535 days. However, for reasons of anonymity it is not possible to provide a monthly breakdown in the answer as the numbers are too small to report.
Defra is committed to reducing work related absence due to mental illness. We have an active Wellbeing network (Break the Stigma) which shares best practice, activities and events relating to all aspects of wellbeing. Mental health has been a key priority since the network was established. Defra’s Wellbeing Advisors work closely with the network’s organisers to support events and develop group communications including a series of inspiring blogs by staff.
Our Employee Assistance Provider can be contacted 24/7, 365 days a year and employees can receive up to 6 sessions of free counselling. The Charity for Civil Servants which is another superb source of support, also offers advice on a wide range of issues.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on supporting Mersey Forest in its aim to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent of the Mersey Forest area.
Answered by Rory Stewart
We certainly support this partnership of local authorities with organisations in the Defra Group, and its aim to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent of the Mersey Forest area. This supports our national commitment to plant 11 million more trees by the end of this Parliament and to continue to expand woodland cover in England.
The Mersey Forest partnership has transformed the Mersey area since it was set up in 1991. It has planted 9 million trees and doubled woodland cover in the area, providing great places for local people to enjoy as well as a wide range of economic and environmental benefits. The Mersey Forest is one of eight Community Forests in England that together deliver urban, economic and social regeneration, helping to transform areas that have seen significant industrial restructuring, by reclaiming brownfield land to create high-quality environments for millions of people. This wider network of Community Forests has planted over 10,000 hectares of new woodland and brought more than 27,000 hectares of existing woodland into management.
Whilst it is for the constituent local authorities to agree their ongoing commitment, Defra Group organisations will continue to support Mersey Forest in its ambition to increase woodland cover to 20 per cent.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to reduce air pollution in (a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside since 2010.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Government is committed to improving air quality in the UK. Between 2010 and 2014, emissions of nitrogen oxides fell by 17 per cent.
To make further progress, the Government published the national air quality plan for nitrogen dioxide in December last year. The plan clearly set out how we will improve the UK’s air quality through a new programme of Clean Air Zones, alongside national action and continued investment in clean technologies such as electric and ultra-low emission vehicles. This included a plan for the achievement of EU air quality limit value for nitrogen dioxide in the North West and Merseyside.
Alongside national action, local authorities have a crucial role to play in improving air quality in their areas. They are required to review and assess air quality in their areas and to designate Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) and put in place Air Quality Action Plans (AQAPs) to address air pollution issues where national air quality objectives are not being met.
Nitrogen dioxide pollution from road transport is the predominant source of air pollution in Liverpool and the Merseyside area.
Since 2008, Liverpool City Council has declared the whole city and its boundaries as an AQMA, while both Sefton and St Helens Councils have designated five and four AQMAs respectively. No AQMAs have been designated by Knowsley and Wirral Councils. All three Merseyside local authorities with designated AQMAs have AQAPs in place to improve air quality in their areas. Most of the measures set out in the AQAPs are aimed at promoting sustainable transport initiatives.
Since 2010 a total of £265,526 in air quality grant funding has been awarded to Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council and St Helens Council in support of various projects aimed at improving air pollution monitoring and promoting greener transport in the region.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preparations her Department is making to ensure that mandatory microchipping of dogs comes into effect in April 2016.
Answered by George Eustice
Regulations to require the compulsory microchipping of all dogs in England by 6 April 2016 came into force on 24 February 2015. Defra is working closely with a number of partners including veterinary organisations, animal welfare charities and others to promote the message on compulsory microchipping using a range of channels including social media and the websites www.chipmydog.org.uk and www.gov.uk.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what alternative proposals on the capping of payments to farmers in England were considered beyond the five per cent reduction for basic payments above £150,000.
Answered by George Eustice
We put forward proposals for reductions of direct payments to farmers as part of our wider consultation on CAP reform in October 2013. The consultation included estimates for the amounts which would be transferred annually to Rural Development programmes arising from reductions of 5% and 100% (i.e. capping), further analysis was included in the evidence paper published alongside the consultation. These can both be found at consult.defra.gov.uk/agricultural-policy/cap-consultation. We announced in December that reductions would be applied at 5% on amounts in excess of €150,000; however, we no longer take the view, contained in our response to the consultation, that we have no power to make further or alternative reductions at a higher threshold such as €300,000.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will estimate the effect on farmers in England of capping direct payments to farmers and initiating a 15 per cent reduction on payments over £150,000 and a complete cap at payments of £300,000.
Answered by George Eustice
We put forward proposals for reductions of direct payments to farmers as part of our wider consultation on CAP reform in October 2013. The consultation included estimates for the amounts which would be transferred annually to Rural Development programmes arising from reductions of 5% and 100% (i.e. capping), further analysis was included in the evidence paper published alongside the consultation. These can both be found at consult.defra.gov.uk/agricultural-policy/cap-consultation. We announced in December that reductions would be applied at 5% on amounts in excess of €150,000; however, we no longer take the view, contained in our response to the consultation, that we have no power to make further or alternative reductions at a higher threshold such as €300,000.