Oral Answers to Questions

David Amess Excerpts

Thursday 25th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)]

3. What steps she is taking to tackle plastic pollution.

[Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con)]

17. What steps she is taking to tackle plastic pollution.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Theresa Villiers)]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Theresa Villiers]

There are many top tips in our 25-year environment plan, and I commend my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), for his world-leading work on this matter. A key message to get across to all the schoolchildren around the country who want to take part in tackling plastic waste is: don’t drop litter.

[Sir David Amess]

I also congratulate my right hon. Friend on her appointment. Will she join me in congratulating the students from the National Citizen Service I met at Roots Hall in Southend on Monday, who, inspired by David Attenborough, are right at this very minute picking plastic from our beautiful coastline in Southend?

[Theresa Villiers]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Both questions illustrate that there is a real attitude out there among the public that they want to be part of resolving this urgent problem. The Government will continue to support organisations such as the National Citizen Service to engage young people and ensure that they are playing a part in the Government’s determination to address this problem because people are concerned about it.