Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 7 January 2025 to Question 21148 on Air Pollution, which local authorities his Department is discussing Clean Air Zones with.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has agreed local plans with all areas in the NO2 programme except for Stoke-on-Trent/Newcastle-under-Lyme. Seven Clean Air Zones have been implemented by local authorities under the previous Government where local plans had evidenced them to achieve legal NO2 levels in the shortest possible time. Government engages with these local authorities on a range of issues, including the operation of their Clean Air Zones,
Local authorities with established Clean Air Zones are:
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 3 January 2025 to Question 19349 on Nature Conservation: EU law, what amendments to assimilated EU law are being considered.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Future plans for the reporting period 24 June to 23 December 2025 will be included in the fourth Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report. Past reports can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/retained-eu-law-reul-parliamentary-report.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how local authorities are charged for the costs of residual waste disposal through (a) incineration and (b) landfill.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long the nation has seen recycling rates stagnate and relied on burning or burying waste.
The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. Key to this commitment is the reduction of residual waste.
Charges for waste disposal are usually expressed as a pound per tonne cost and paid monthly in arrears depending on the tonnage managed under the contractual relationship. The overall cost of waste disposal will depend on a number of variables, associated with their contracts.
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) publishes an annual gate fees report UK Gate Fees report 2023-24 | WRAP.
The disposal of waste in landfill is also subject to the Landfill Tax. Landfill Tax rates - GOV.UK
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 21 January 2025 to Question 23346 on Property Development: Air Pollution, for what reason a Regulatory Impact Assessment is not required for that guidance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Applicants are advised to consider the interim planning guidance as part of their planning application, but the interim guidance is not statutory. Therefore, it is not a regulatory provision and as such a Regulatory Impact Assessment is not currently required.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 21 January 2025 to Question 23346 on Property Development: Air Pollution, how many new developments and dwellings currently undertake air quality assessments; and when such are assessments required.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All developments subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment are required to undertake air quality assessments. Air quality assessments may also be required for developments where national assessment indicates that relevant limit values for air pollutants have been exceeded or are near the limit, or where the need for emissions reductions has been identified.
The information regarding how many new developments and dwellings currently undertake air quality assessments is not collated centrally.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 Answers of 20 September 2024 to Question 5409 on Recycling and to Question 5225 on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, whether it is her policy that the minimum residual frequency for household waste collections should be two weeks.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Simpler Recycling will mean that people across England will be able to recycle the same materials at home, work or school, ending the confusion over what can or cannot be recycled in different parts of the country.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) publish a response to and (b) implement the policies set out in the consultation on statutory litter enforcement guidance that closed in April 2024.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises the role that appropriate and proportionate enforcement can play in helping local authorities keep streets clear of litter. Defra is considering the benefits of bringing forward statutory litter enforcement guidance and any new guidance will be announced in the usual way.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 6 September 2024 to Question 2316 on Equality, whether the socio-economic duty will apply to local authority decisions on the configuration of household waste and recycling collections.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities must comply with all relevant Equalities Act duties and in England this will include the socio-economic duty in due course.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to implement the policies set out in Annex A of the Government response to the consultation on Consistency in household and business recycling in England, updated on 21 November 2023.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
By default, the primary legislation requires that the recyclable waste streams are collected in separate containers, unless this is technically or economically impracticable, or provides no significant environmental benefit. Regarding exemptions that were announced in the Simpler Recycling Government response in October 2023 and May 2024: further regulations would be required to implement these exemptions. Ministers are reviewing these policies; we hope to provide further certainty and clarity to stakeholders as soon as possible.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to limit the number of bins into which councils require householders to separate their rubbish.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to delivering the Collection and Packaging Reforms to the announced timelines, including the Simpler Recycling policy in England, subject to spending review outcomes. Ministers are reviewing final policy positions relating to Simpler Recycling; we hope to provide further certainty and clarity to stakeholders as soon as possible.