Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
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 recent discussions with Ofwat on the standardisation of social tariff schemes for water bills.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All water companies have a range of measures in place for people who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including social tariffs, WaterSure, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.
The Government is working with industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
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 help reduce the impact of increased water bills on pensioners.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Whilst it is never wanted, bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector.
This Government expects water companies to put robust support in place for customers that are struggling to pay their bills – including for pensioners. These include bill discount schemes such as WaterSure and Social Tariffs as well as financial support measures to assist households to better manage their budgets and provide flexible payments including payment holidays, payment matching, benefit entitlement checks and money/debt advice referral arrangements.
This Government expects industry to keep the current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported, including having regard to the interests of individuals of pensionable age. Bills must remain affordable, and customers cannot be expected to pay the price for years of underperformance in the past.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which companies were granted additional quota through the quota application mechanism in 2025; and what (a) environmental, (b) social and (c) economic outcomes are expected from each.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2025, a total of 8,658.8 tonnes of additional quota was awarded to fish producer organisations as part of the quota application mechanism trial (QAM). Applications were based on an environmental, social, and economic scoring criteria. Eastern England Fish Producers Organisation was awarded 3144.3 tonnes, and Humberside Fish Producers’ Organisation was awarded 5225 tonnes. The remaining tonnage was allocated to non-sectoral fishers, across 16 non-sectoral vessels.
Some of the environmental, social and economic benefits being rewarded include:
Across all the successful applicants, 217 commitments were made. Defra will publish an update on the Quota Application Mechanism trial later this year.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
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 11 April 2025 to Question 44061 on Water Restoration Fund, how environmental (a) fines and (b) penalties collected from (i) water and (ii) sewerage companies since November 2023 will be used.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April last year, is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund funding is based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023.
Up to £11m of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects.
Following a rigorous assessment process, I am pleased to say that current applicants to the Water Restoration Fund have been contacted regarding the outcome of their application. Further details regarding which projects have been successful will be shared in due course once funding agreements have been finalised.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the reinvestment of environmental (a) fines and (b) penalties collected from (i) water and (ii) sewerage companies since November 2023 through the Water Restoration Fund.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund funding is based on water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023.
Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects.
Following a rigorous assessment process, I am pleased to say that current applicants to the Water Restoration Fund have been contacted regarding the outcome of their application.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding he has allocated to support National Parks in England in 2025-26.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 25/26 the Government is providing £44.8 million resource funding to the 10 National Park Authorities, alongside £15 million capital investment.
Projects in National Parks will also receive funding through extensions to our Farming in Protected Landscapes and Access to All programmes. We have extended Farming in Protected Landscapes until March 2026, providing £30 million across England’s 10 National Parks and 34 National Landscapes. Access For All has also been extended to March 2026, with an additional £6.8 million for National Parks and National Landscapes to deliver improved access to nature for all users.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
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 ensure small businesses are supported during the implementation of the extended producer responsibility scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The aim of packaging extended producer responsibility is to ensure businesses - rather than taxpayers - are responsible for the cost of dealing with packaging when it becomes waste. These plans will encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and increase recyclable and reusable alternatives.
Packaging extended producer responsibility cost obligations will only apply to large producers with a turnover over £2 million and who place more than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market. This threshold exempts around 70% of producers from paying these fees. Any large producers who supply the exempt producers with empty packaging will pay the fees associated with that packaging.
We have made a full assessment of the impacts that implementing packaging extended producer responsibility will have. This includes assessment of the impacts on small businesses, which can be found in Section 8 of the impact assessment: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has of the cost of the Extended producer responsibility scheme for small businesses.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The aim of packaging extended producer responsibility is to ensure businesses - rather than taxpayers - are responsible for the cost of dealing with packaging when it becomes waste. These plans will encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and increase recyclable and reusable alternatives.
Packaging extended producer responsibility cost obligations will only apply to large producers with a turnover over £2 million and who place more than 50 tonnes of packaging on the market. This threshold exempts around 70% of producers from paying these fees. Any large producers who supply the exempt producers with empty packaging will pay the fees associated with that packaging.
We have made a full assessment of the impacts that implementing packaging extended producer responsibility will have. This includes assessment of the impacts on small businesses, which can be found in Section 8 of the impact assessment: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for reopening the main Capital Grant offer for new applications.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Capital Grants scheme is currently under review after exceptional demand over the Autumn. Officials are currently reviewing the offer to ensure funding goes further to improve outcomes for food security and nature conservation. This review will include looking again at spending controls removed by the last Government. Defra will explain the outcome of that review and provide an update to all applicants, including farmers who have submitted but not yet been offered an agreement, in early 2025.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for announcing the outcome of bids submitted to the Water Restoration Fund in spring 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement.