Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
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 22 September 2020 to Question 89904, when the Government plans to respond to the Independent Review of Landscapes; and what steps he is taking to achieve the recommendation of a night under the stars in a national landscape for every child as part of that response.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The independent Review of Protected Landscapes, led by Julian Glover, set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Government welcomes this ambition and is committed to increasing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the benefits of spending meaningful time in our national landscapes in England. We are carefully considering the recommendations and working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, which we will publish in due course.
The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which launched in September 2020, will kickstart a programme of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment. Some of these projects will help deliver on Glover recommendations, such as the proposal to give every child a night under the stars in a national landscape.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of protection of chalk streams in the South Downs.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Restoring England’s internationally important chalk streams is a Government priority. In October last year I co-hosted a conference bringing together key partners whose actions are needed to achieve that priority. A chalk streams working group has been formed and is developing an action plan, a first draft of which will be presented to Government later this year.
A number of river systems drain the South Downs but in many cases only the headwaters would be considered to be chalk streams. The main exceptions are the Itchen and Meon which are sizeable rivers with strong chalk stream character. The Itchen is notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation from source to sea for its national and international importance as chalk stream habitat.
More broadly, River Basin Management Plans set out the actions that are required by a range of organisations and sectors to improve the water environment at a local scale. In addition, the Nitrates (Pollution Prevention) Regulations 2015 and the Farming Rules for Water (2018) aim to reduce agricultural loadings to the natural environment. The Environment Agency is addressing the issue of unsustainable water abstraction, which may also impact on the health of a chalk stream.
Chalk streams are habitats of principal importance under Section 41 of The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, alongside other important river types. The Act requires that the Secretary of State takes steps, as appear to be reasonably practicable, to further the conservation of these habitat types, and promote the taking of similar steps by others. Natural England and the Environment Agency work closely with public bodies and other landowners and stakeholders to advise on and support better protection and restoration of chalk streams, in the South Downs and more widely.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
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 9 December 2020 to Question 123502, when the new joint taskforce on storm overflows will publish its proposals on protecting chalk streams.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The new Storm Overflows Taskforce established between the Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs will set out clear proposals to address the harm and frequency of sewage discharged into our rivers and other waterways from storm overflows. The Taskforce has commissioned a research project to gather a comprehensive evidence base about the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options. This research project is due to be completed in the spring.
Additionally, we are working with stakeholders through a new national working group to develop a chalk steam action plan to restore and protect England’s chalk streams.
The working group will be considering all available options on providing further protection of chalk streams and will be reporting its recommendations later in the year.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Environment Agency has made on maintenance at high flood risk areas along the River Arun and River Adur in West Sussex.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency carries out an annual programme of routine maintenance works on the River Adur and Arun which have been completed for this financial year. The programme will resume from April 2021.
In 2020 the Environment Agency received additional Government funding to repair assets that were damaged during the 2019/20 winter storms and floods. This funding has been used to repair flood embankments on the River Arun in the following locations: Hardham (south of Pulborough), Greatham and many locations along the River Stor.
The Environment Agency is also working with partners and local communities in both river catchments to implement the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Strategy.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
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 improve flood prevention on the River Arun and River Adur in West Sussex.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has completed Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) schemes totalling approximately £90 million at Littlehampton and Arundel on the River Arun and at Shoreham on the River Adur during the current 6 year capital investment programme (2015-2021).
Further capital investment is planned over the following 6 years, subject to confirmation of funding. On the River Adur, works to benefit communities at Beeding and Bramber will involve ‘upstream’ natural flood management with habitat creation. The EA will also repair and refurbish flood defences at Burgess Hill. For the River Arun catchment, investment is scheduled at Liss, at the Warnham Mill reservoir at Horsham and along the west bank of the Arun at Littlehampton. The EA is also supporting Local Authority works at Shoreham and Angmering.
The EA will continue to carry out maintenance at ‘high flood risk’ locations along the Arun and Adur rivers, and to provide advice to landowners undertaking their own watercourse maintenance.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to regulate which vessels can fish in UK waters after the transition period.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
At the end of the transition period, the UK will become an independent coastal state under international law. We will automatically take back control of our waters, and others’ right to fish in them. Access by non-UK vessels to fish in UK waters will be a matter for negotiation. Any foreign vessels we agree may fish in UK waters will be required to have a licence issued by the UK’s Single Issuing Authority. They will also be obliged to abide by the same rules as UK vessels when fishing in our waters, including those on sustainability.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with National Park Authorities on strengthening protections against light pollution.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is engaging with National Park Authorities on a range of matters including the delivery of the 25-year Environment Plan and the Landscapes Review recommendations. There have been no recent discussions with National Park Authorities on the specific issue of strengthening protections against light pollution.
The government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system; the statutory nuisance regime, and when improvements are made to street lighting.
My department has worked with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Transport to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework policies include consideration of the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation, including where there may be impacts on wildlife and eco-systems.
We strongly welcome the designation of the South Downs National Park as an International Dark Sky Reserve, one of only 16 in the world. As a result of this designation the South Downs National Park Local Plan, adopted on 2 July 2019, has incorporated local policies to protect dark skies. We welcome the adoption of local policies for dark sky protection and understand their extension to other National Parks is under consideration.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to make mesh filters in washing machines compulsory to prevent microbeads entering rivers and oceans.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently has no plans to require manufacturers to install mesh filters on new washing machines but is working with industry to encourage improved environmental outcomes and reduce water pollution. We will continue to assess new and emerging evidence and?consider the need for legislation in the future if industry approaches are not successful.
With our world leading microbeads ban in place, we are exploring how other microplastic sources enter our marine environment. In 2018 we pledged £200,000 for scientists at the University of Plymouth to explore how microfibres and tyre particles enter our waterways and oceans. The findings of their research include that particles released from vehicle tyres could be a significant and previously largely unrecorded source of microplastics in the marine environment (GOV.UK press release). The Government has also launched the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance to help address marine plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
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) strengthen protections against light pollution and (b) increase the number of Dark Sky reserves.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is effectively managed through controls in the planning system; the statutory nuisance regime, and when improvements are made to street lighting.
My department has worked with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Transport to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework policies include consideration of the impact of light pollution from artificial light on local amenity, intrinsically dark landscapes and nature conservation, including where there may be impacts on wildlife and eco-systems.
Defra’s 25 Year Environment Plan will also deliver benefits including promoting access to stargazing.
Across the UK's 15 National Parks there are a number of locations that have been awarded International Dark Sky Reserve or Dark Sky Discovery Site status. Defra has no formal role in the Dark Sky designation process as it is non-governmental and non-statutory. The Independent Review of Landscapes recommended, ‘A night under the stars in a national landscape for every child.’ The Government has welcomed the Review and will respond in due course. We are committed to increasing opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy the benefits of spending meaningful time in our national landscapes in England.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to approve the Sussex Near Shore Trawling Byelaw proposal approved by the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority to restrict trawling close to the Sussex shore.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) Near Shore Trawling Byelaw has not yet come to Defra for consideration and therefore no decision has yet been taken as to whether to confirm the byelaw. It is currently going through the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) quality assurance process in accordance with statutory best practice guidance on IFCA byelaws and we understand that the MMO reverted to Sussex IFCA with comments in June. Once the byelaw has been submitted by the MMO to the Secretary of State for a decision as to confirmation, Defra will review the full byelaw package, including the results of the byelaw consultation, in accordance with the statutory guidance.