Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 her Department’s consultation on Consistency in household and business recycling in England, for what reason her Department has not yet published (a) the results of and (b) her Department’s response to the consultation entitled Consistency in household and business recycling in England; and when she expects to do so.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We received 896 responses to this consultation. Due to the large scope of the consultation, we wanted to carefully analyse the responses before making key policy decisions. Given the scale of change that will be required by this package of reforms we must ensure we take the time to get them right so they will be as effective as possible in achieving our objectives. We will be publishing our response to the consultation shortly which will confirm implementation dates and materials in scope for consistent collection, as well as our consultation on statutory guidance.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her proposed reform of waste collection practices will include a requirement that local authorities provide a free garden waste collection service.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We consulted on a range of options for dealing with garden waste in our 2021 recycling consistency consultation – including free collections, a maximum reasonable charge and methods to increase home composting rates.
We have considered the fairness of each option alongside its environmental benefit. We will confirm the policy decision on garden waste collections in our Government response to this consultation which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 plans to fully fund any additional costs incurred by local authorities arising from her proposed reforms to waste collection.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Any new financial burdens introduced through new statutory duties on local authorities will be assessed and the net additional cost covered by the Government in line with the latest New Burdens Guidance. In exceptional circumstances, Ministers at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities might decide to waive the funding requirement.
We are working to assess net additional costs to local authorities.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to group local authorities for funding purposes as part of her reforms to the collection of waste; and whether local authorities will be able to challenge how they have been grouped.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In line with the New Burdens Guidance the Government will consult with local authorities or their representative bodies to decide on the approach to allocating funding.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the impact of the land-based gambling industry on the economy.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Our gambling white paper set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of gambling in Great Britain. This included a number of measures to adjust outdated and overly restrictive rules to enable the land-based sectors to thrive sustainably. We recognise their contribution to the economy, including provision of employment in coastal towns and across the country.
We are working with the Gambling Commission to bring key measures, including those relating to gaming machines in casinos, arcades and bingo halls, into force as soon as possible. We will consult on details required for implementation this summer. Since publishing the white paper, ministers and officials have engaged with industry representatives across the land-based sector, including the Betting and Gaming Council, British Amusement Catering Trade Association and the Bingo Association.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Gambling White paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published on 27 April 2023, what her timeline is for publishing the findings of consultations on that White Paper.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Our gambling white paper set out a range of proportionate measures to tackle practices and products which can drive harm and ensure that people who are at risk of gambling harm and addiction are protected. These include new player protection checks, a stake limit for online slots games, improvements to consumer redress and a statutory levy on operators to fund research, education and treatment.
We are working with the Gambling Commission and other stakeholders to bring these measures into force as soon as possible, subject to further consultation where appropriate. The Government will publish a number of targeted consultations this summer, with the Commission also consulting on a number of priority areas, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Gambling White Paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published in April 2023, what steps her Department is taking to engage with the land-based gambling industry following the publication of the White Paper.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Our gambling white paper set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of gambling in Great Britain. This included a number of measures to adjust outdated and overly restrictive rules to enable the land-based sectors to thrive sustainably. We recognise their contribution to the economy, including provision of employment in coastal towns and across the country.
We are working with the Gambling Commission to bring key measures, including those relating to gaming machines in casinos, arcades and bingo halls, into force as soon as possible. We will consult on details required for implementation this summer. Since publishing the white paper, ministers and officials have engaged with industry representatives across the land-based sector, including the Betting and Gaming Council, British Amusement Catering Trade Association and the Bingo Association.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support the land-based gambling industry.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Our gambling white paper set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of gambling in Great Britain. This included a number of measures to adjust outdated and overly restrictive rules to enable the land-based sectors to thrive sustainably. We recognise their contribution to the economy, including provision of employment in coastal towns and across the country.
We are working with the Gambling Commission to bring key measures, including those relating to gaming machines in casinos, arcades and bingo halls, into force as soon as possible. We will consult on details required for implementation this summer. Since publishing the white paper, ministers and officials have engaged with industry representatives across the land-based sector, including the Betting and Gaming Council, British Amusement Catering Trade Association and the Bingo Association.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her proposed reforms to waste collection services of the ability of local authorities to purchase (a) new vehicles, (b) containers and (c) other necessary equipment.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To support the implementation of waste reforms, we will continue to make assessments of the ability of local authorities to purchase vehicles, containers and other equipment needed and support them in their local delivery.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
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 plans to provide guidance to all local authorities on minimum service standards following her proposed reforms to waste collection services.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
When we publish the Government response to the 2021 consultation on Consistency in Household and Business Recycling in England, we will launch a consultation on statutory guidance to support implementation.