Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy to commit £29m in support of the 30x30 initiative made at the CBD COP15 in 2022.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is on track to invest up to £29 million to support partner countries' efforts to deliver the global 30x30 target. Since COP15, Defra has invested £20 million in the Legacy Landscapes Fund and supported countries to achieve 30x30 through new Darwin Initiative and other international nature projects.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the £9 million Tranche 2 international nature funding already approved for the Legacy Landscapes Fund.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has invested £20 million in the Legacy Landscapes Fund as planned. The £9m Tranche 2 was intended for a new, separate programme. Following ODA budget reductions, Defra has prioritised existing programmes to support partner countries to achieve 30x30.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, of the water company inspections that were due to take place in 2025/26 (a) how many enforcement notices were served following inspection and (b) how many improvement works were required to be undertaken on a voluntary basis.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
After the 2025–2026 inspections, the Environment Agency served 3 Enforcement Notices and issued 728 compulsory actions for serious permit breaches.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Climate and Security Taskforce is still seeking new membership or whether the 'full list of members' on the Taskforce website is now fixed, and no new members are being sought.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The full membership of the Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss is published on GOV.UK. The Taskforce will continue to seek wider expertise and perspectives as appropriate to support its work.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether a second meeting of the Climate Security Taskforce will take place in 2026.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss met for the first time on 20 October 2026. A summary of the meeting can be found on GOV.UK. The Taskforce will not formally convene again in 2026. Its next meeting will be in early 2027.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the planned budget envelope for Round 32 of the Darwin Initiative is.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Darwin Initiative continues to support communities to find just, scalable and sustainable ways to conserve and restore nature, while growing their economies and reducing poverty. Funding levels are subject to normal government business planning and approvals processes, and we are not providing a specific budget envelope for Round 32 at this stage. We expect the Initiative to continue supporting substantial new investment, focused on delivering the greatest possible impact for biodiversity, local communities and sustainable development.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to announce the restoration of eligibility to apply to the UK's Darwin Initiative to all Commonwealth developing countries prior to the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Round 32, eligible Darwin Initiative projects will focus on one or more of 13 global biodiversity hotspots across 36 countries. These hotspots were chosen because they are where the Darwin Initiative is likely to deliver the greatest biodiversity gains per pound invested. The hotspots combine some of the highest concentrations of threatened, irreplaceable species; long-term ODA eligibility and potential to reduce poverty; enabling conditions for lasting, transformative change; and, in some cases, a critical role in regulating climate and global food systems that the UK relies on. The Government recognises that critical conservation and development work is taking place beyond the eligible hotspots and countries, and that those needs and contributions continue to matter.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason some Commonwealth countries have been excluded from participation in the UK's Darwin Initiative to protect and restore international nature.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Round 32, eligible Darwin Initiative projects will focus on one or more of 13 global biodiversity hotspots across 36 countries. These hotspots were chosen because they are where the Darwin Initiative is likely to deliver the greatest biodiversity gains per pound invested. The hotspots combine some of the highest concentrations of threatened, irreplaceable species; long-term ODA eligibility and potential to reduce poverty; enabling conditions for lasting, transformative change; and, in some cases, a critical role in regulating climate and global food systems that the UK relies on. The Government recognises that critical conservation and development work is taking place beyond the eligible hotspots and countries, and that those needs and contributions continue to matter.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the Climate Security Taskforce will be publishing its 'Assessment of key gaps in the UK government response to the risks posed by climate change and nature loss', described as a 'deliverable' on the Taskforce website.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The assessment will be an outcome from the Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss’s work. The Taskforce has held its first meeting and will continue to develop its assessment through subsequent work. Further information on the outcomes of the Taskforce’s work will be published in due course.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
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 Environment Agency inspections carried out at wastewater treatment works and at water-company-operated sewage pumping stations and combined sewer overflows in 2025-26, if she will publish a breakdown of (a) how many, and which, sites inspected were found to be in breach of environmental permit conditions, (b) what number of, and which, sites were found to be in breach of environmental permit conditions on more than one occasion (if inspected more than once), (c) what environmental permit conditions were breached on each occasion at each site, (d) what fines were issued to water companies following breaches, for which site and for what breach, and (e) whether such fines have been paid by the water company in question, and if they were paid in the full amount requested by the Environment Agency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Site-level inspection findings, including permit breaches, are available through the Environment Agency’s (EA) public register. Water companies’ environmental performance, including discharge permit compliance, is also reported annually on GOV.UK. Details of court-imposed fines following EA prosecutions are published on GOV.UK. Fines are determined by the courts; the EA does not hold information on their administration or payment.