Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) define and (b) set standards for the use of (i) biodegradable and (ii) compostable plastics.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A Circular Economy Taskforce of experts has been convened from across government, industry, academia and civil society to help us develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential toxicity of bioplastics; and whether he plans to introduce specific toxicity testing requirements beyond existing waste management regulations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chemical substances, including monomers, which are constituent components of bioplastics manufactured in or imported into the UK are subject to the requirements of our regulatory framework. This includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals), for which Defra has policy responsibility, and which requires manufacturers and importers to understand the hazards of the chemicals they are placing on the market, including their toxicity and ecotoxicology.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to (a) research and (b) mitigate the potential health risks posed by microplastic exposure to humans.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency, in collaboration with Imperial College, is carrying out research and providing evidence to assist the understanding of the potential risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), who made a number of recommendations for further research. The most recent COT statement was published in 2024. The statements are available at the following link:
https://cot.food.gov.uk/M-statementsandpositionpapers#microplastics
Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. It will advise on the most effective measures to address any risks and help identify wider evidence gaps that need to be addressed to support a more strategic approach to managing intentionally added microplastics. This project is expected to report in early 2025. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh and Scottish administrations will consider its findings once complete.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains, published in Nature Medicine on 3 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of microplastics in UK waters on (a) the environment and (b) public health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Microplastics have been widely detected in the environment – in the air, soils, rivers, and the seas. We are aware there is still much work to be done to strengthen our understanding of the impacts of microplastics in the water and wider environment. Defra engages with the academic community working in this area and keeps a close observation of emerging evidence of the risks microplastics may pose to the environment.
Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, Defra initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. This project is expected to report in early 2025. Defra and the Welsh and Scottish Governments will consider its findings once complete.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in collaboration with Imperial College, is carrying out research and providing evidence to assist the understanding of potential risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), who made a number of recommendations for further research. The most recent COT statement was published in 2024. The statements are available here.
The COT concluded that based on the available data a full risk assessment on the toxic effects of inhaled micro and nano plastics could not be carried out. The Committee concurred with the conclusions reached by other bodies, including the World Health Organization, that further research is required. The COT's statement is available here.
The Government is working with the devolved Governments to legislate for the ban on wet wipes containing plastic across the UK. We have been supporting Water UK’s behaviour change campaign to ‘Bin the Wipe’ which encourages consumers to dispose of wipes in the bin, not the toilet. The Government’s message is clear – if you need to use wet wipes, dispose of them in the bin, not the loo. Flushing wet wipes causes a number of environmental and drainage impacts.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to improve (a) broadband speed and (b) connectivity in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.
More than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to connect over a million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband, predominantly in rural areas. This includes a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire with the supplier CityFibre, benefitting the South Leicestershire constituency.
Through the Shared Rural Network, 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including communities in rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to maintain 2024-25 funding levels for research to (a) replace, (b) reduce and (c) refine the use of animal testing.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. A significant amount of UK research funding UK goes to underpinning technologies (e.g. cell-based assays and computer modelling) that have the potential to deliver 3Rs advances in the use of animals in science and other money supports research relevant to reducing animal use.
The Government invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs is currently undergoing a five year funding review that will determine future allocation of resources.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to the Animals in Science Committee's research entitled Commission of advice: non-human primates bred for use in scientific procedures, published on 6 September 2022; and whether she plans to permit the import of monkeys whose parents have been taken from the wild for use in scientific procedures.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through the UK legislation, the government requires the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to be delivered for non-human primates (NHPs) in scientific research. When there is no alternative to using NHPs in scientific procedures, the Government is committed to high standards of welfare and refinement.
The Government is therefore keen to continue to take steps to ensure that NHPs used in Great Britain are from self-sustaining colonies, or are second-generation bred in captivity. The Government intends to publish strengthened policy, based on the Animals in Science Committee recommendations, later in 2025.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on requiring local authorities to take into account the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) guidance, Guidance on the Assessment of Mineral Dust Impacts for Planning published in May 2016, for quarry planning applications.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.
By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason guidance from the Institute for Air Quality Management has been adopted for use in quarry (a) planning and (b) development control decisions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.
By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department uses to evaluate non-statutory guidance to inform planning policy for (a) quarries and (b) related proposed developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.
By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.