Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the responsibility of local authorities to work with water companies to tackle polluted surface water outfalls that occur as a result of mis-connections to sewers rather than surface water runoffs.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues. Misconnections are often the product of poor domestic drainage from private drainage asset owners. However, the contents discharge from water company assets and water companies have a responsibility to investigate and resolve. Water company drainage and wastewater management plans provide the opportunity for companies to proactively identify these risks and propose long-term solutions to address them.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 report entitled Incineration Overcapacity in England, published by the United Kingdom Without Incineration Network in November 2022, what steps her Department is taking to tackle overcapacity of incinerators in England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government does not support overcapacity of Energy from Waste treatment in England. We will publish an assessment of our further residual waste treatment capacity needs in due course.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to improve the welfare of domestic rabbits.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licence holders must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:
Additional advice is available to help pet owners provide for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, particularly those which require legislative action and reform. It is not exhaustive of every animal welfare issue which the Government covers. While the Action Plan does not refer explicitly to rabbit welfare, the Government cares about rabbit welfare and my department continues to work closely with organisations such as the Companion Animal Sector Council to monitor developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits. My department is also happy to engage with rabbit welfare groups on an ongoing basis about their concerns.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings his Department had with rabbit welfare groups in the development of the Action Plan for Animals.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licence holders must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:
Additional advice is available to help pet owners provide for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, particularly those which require legislative action and reform. It is not exhaustive of every animal welfare issue which the Government covers. While the Action Plan does not refer explicitly to rabbit welfare, the Government cares about rabbit welfare and my department continues to work closely with organisations such as the Companion Animal Sector Council to monitor developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits. My department is also happy to engage with rabbit welfare groups on an ongoing basis about their concerns.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation his Department undertook with rabbit welfare groups in the development of the Action Plan for Animals.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licence holders must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:
Additional advice is available to help pet owners provide for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, particularly those which require legislative action and reform. It is not exhaustive of every animal welfare issue which the Government covers. While the Action Plan does not refer explicitly to rabbit welfare, the Government cares about rabbit welfare and my department continues to work closely with organisations such as the Companion Animal Sector Council to monitor developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits. My department is also happy to engage with rabbit welfare groups on an ongoing basis about their concerns.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons did the recently published Action Plan for Animals not include domestic rabbit welfare.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licence holders must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:
Additional advice is available to help pet owners provide for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, particularly those which require legislative action and reform. It is not exhaustive of every animal welfare issue which the Government covers. While the Action Plan does not refer explicitly to rabbit welfare, the Government cares about rabbit welfare and my department continues to work closely with organisations such as the Companion Animal Sector Council to monitor developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits. My department is also happy to engage with rabbit welfare groups on an ongoing basis about their concerns.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 review the (a) sale and (b) use of rodent glue traps across the UK; and whether he has plans to (i) introduce an outright ban, (ii) prohibit public sale and use and (iii) regulate use by other operators of those traps.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The use of glue traps is being considered very closely as part of the Government's continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.
We will look to restrict the use of glue traps as a means of pest control to help make sure rodents are despatched in a humane manner. Glue traps can cause immense suffering to rodents and other animals that inadvertently fall victim to their use.
Anyone using glue traps already has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 encourage a shift from conventional single use plastic films to certified compostable alternatives; and if he will set a target under the Environment Bill to accelerate that process.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
While compostable materials may be seen as a solution to reduce the impact of waste, they can also be more environmentally damaging than non-compostable materials if disposed of incorrectly. The Government is concerned that, some claims about the compostability of plastic-based products cannot be verified.
In order to consider impacts carefully, Defra and BEIS published a call for evidence to help us consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, and to better understand their effects on the environment and our waste management system. We are currently analysing responses to the call for evidence and will publish the Government’s response shortly.
Our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our ambition to transition to a circular economy by keeping resources in the system for longer and extracting maximum value from them, before recycling materials when they can no longer be reused. We have recently published consultations on introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and introducing a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers. These consultations will inform policy that will transform the economic incentives on packaging producers by encouraging an increase in the amount and quality of unavoidable plastic packaging that is recycled or reused, so driving up recycling rates and helping to move us towards a circular economy.
We are also preparing to launch a second consultation on increasing the consistency of materials collected for recycling from households, businesses and other organisations in England, which will seek views on the collection and disposal of compostable and biodegradable materials and the recycling of plastic films.
The UK Plastics Pact is targeting plastic film as a coordinated effort involving the entire value chain to fix the system to create a circular economy for single use plastic films. Last year the Plastics Pact published a roadmap ‘Creating a Circular Economy for Flexible Plastic Packaging’, which sets out the high-level actions that need to be taken by each part of the value chain. The new roadmap sets out five key areas where efforts should be focused in order to develop a circular economy for flexible plastics. These are: designing packaging that can be recycled and sorted; capitalising on existing front of store collection points; implementing kerbside collection by all local authorities; investing in sorting and reprocessing capacity and capabilities; and ensuring strong and stable end markets for recycled flexible plastic packaging.
The Environment Bill requires the Government to set at least one long-term, legally binding target in four priority areas, including Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction. This will not be focused on increasing the use of compostable plastics, instead the target will ensure a holistic approach to all materials. These targets will be set following a robust, evidence-led process that includes seeking independent expert advice, a role for stakeholders and the public, and parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
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 effect of the increase in supermarket deliveries since the start of the covid-19 outbreak on the use of single use plastic bags by supermarkets.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 5 October 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge a minimum of 5p for single-use carrier bags (SUCBs) and to report on the amount they sell each year. The data for the year 2020-2021 will be published in the summer.
The full datasets for each reporting year are on Gov.UK and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england.
The obligation for supermarkets to charge for SUCBs supplied with online deliveries (online grocery delivery bags) was temporarily removed in response to the first Covid-lockdown. These changes were only temporary, from 21 March 2020 to 21 September 2020. This exemption was made as a precautionary measure and in order to allow retailers time to adapt their delivery systems. As well as the charge exemption, the obligation to report during this time period was waived. The charge for these bags was reinstated in September 2020 along with the reporting requirement. Therefore the dataset for the year 2020-2021, will not include data from this period on bags used for online deliveries.
Asked by: Elliot Colburn (Conservative - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of local authorities with responsibility for waste recycling centres have introduced charges for the use of waste recycling services; and if he will provide details of (a) which local authorities have introduced those charges and (b) how much each of those local authorities is charging for those services.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold records on which household and waste recycling centres (HWRCs) charge for the disposal of waste. The Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 set out charging arrangements for different categories of waste, including waste delivered to HWRCs. Charges made by local authorities to dispose of DIY waste vary and some do not charge for this service.
In our Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to ensuring that charging arrangements in the Controlled Waste Regulations are clear, especially in relation to waste arising from small scale DIY construction activities carried out by ordinary householders with no specialist skills, which the government has been clear should not be charged for. We will review the Household Waste Recycling Centre services and the Controlled Waste Regulations and, subject to consultation, will amend them to ensure they remain fit for purpose, charges are fairly applied, and that services are accessible, support high levels of recycling and deliver value for money.