Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with domestic manufacturers on complying with dual labelling requirements for water efficiency in the UK and EU; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of aligning new labelling requirements with existing international standards.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 5 September the Secretary of State reaffirmed the Government’s intention to rollout a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label (MWEL). We will introduce the MWEL in the UK via Secondary Legislation under Section 52 and Schedule 6 of the Environment Act 2021. The label will be informed by the international standard ISO’s 31600:2022.
We are working with the Environment Agency to engage manufacturers and other stakeholders to keep them informed about the regulations as they develop.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse has been of developing a new water efficiency labelling scheme; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating the use of existing labels that comply with ISO31600 as an alternative.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 5 September the Secretary of State reaffirmed the Government’s intention to rollout a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label (MWEL). We will introduce the MWEL in the UK via Secondary Legislation under Section 52 and Schedule 6 of the Environment Act 2021. The label will be informed by the international standard ISO’s 31600:2022.
We are working with the Environment Agency to engage manufacturers and other stakeholders to keep them informed about the regulations as they develop.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to mandate the display of water efficiency labels for products such as taps and showers; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of accepting the Unified Water Label as a route to comply.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 5 September the Secretary of State reaffirmed the Government’s intention to rollout a Mandatory Water Efficiency Label (MWEL). We will introduce the MWEL in the UK via Secondary Legislation under Section 52 and Schedule 6 of the Environment Act 2021. The label will be informed by the international standard ISO’s 31600:2022.
We are working with the Environment Agency to engage manufacturers and other stakeholders to keep them informed about the regulations as they develop.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2024 to Question 1094 on Air Pollution, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a national public awareness campaign on the health impacts of air pollution.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the importance of raising awareness of air pollution and associated health impacts. In addition to our commitment to deliver a new Clean Air Strategy, we are undertaking a review of how we communicate air quality information to ensure members of the public, and vulnerable groups in particular, have what they need to protect themselves.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to meet with representatives of the charity Asthma and Lung UK.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State and the Ministerial team are in the process of meeting a wide range of stakeholders since their appointment to the department.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he last met the leadership of the Rural Payments Agency.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs with responsibility for the Rural Payments Agency, I met the Chief Executive Officer on 23 July 2024. The Secretary of State also met the Chief Executive Officer on 28 August 2024.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Environmental Land Management Schemes.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is fully committed to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and will not be redesigning the schemes from scratch. Record numbers of farmers are now in an ELM scheme, and the Government wants to maintain the momentum that built over recent months.
ELM’s design allows for ongoing improvements. The Government recently published a summary of recent changes to SFI actions and scheme information, made in response to feedback from farmers, stakeholder organisations, and other experts. These include specific technical changes to various SFI actions to ensure they are achievable and effective in meeting environmental goals.
Looking forward, the Government will optimise ELM schemes in an orderly way, over time. The Government will work with the sector to make sure schemes produce the right outcomes for all farmers, including small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms, supporting food security and nature’s recovery in a just and equitable way. To inform Defra’s work with the sector, the Government will increase the transparency of schemes by publishing data on the impact they are having.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
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 take steps to phase out per-and-polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS); and whether he plans to align with EU regulation standards on PFAS.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is charting a new course to develop an ambitious programme to turn the tide and better protect our natural environment. Recently we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to deliver on our legally binding targets to save nature. This includes how best to manage chemicals, including the risks posed by PFAS. We have already announced plans to restrict firefighting foams and will set out more detail in due course.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of local authorities ring fencing fly-tipping fines to pay for environmental recovery.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This policy was introduced under the previous government. The department has not yet made any formal assessment on the implications of this policy. Defra supports and encourages local authorities to investigate all incidents of fly-tipping, including those on private land, and make good use of their enforcement powers.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of fines issued to landfill site operators by the Environment Agency for a breach of permit conditions in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is able to take a range of enforcement action against non-compliances by site operators, in line with its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. Some enforcement action may lead to a prosecution resulting in a fine imposed by the court. Over the last ten years there have been 7 prosecutions at landfill sites, totalling £488,200 of fines. These figures relate to prosecutions at landfill sites but are not all directly attributable to site permit holders.