Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
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 support the restoration of (a) the River Colne in Huddersfield and (b) other urban rivers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are funding two projects led by the Calder and Colne Rivers Trust this year through the Water Environment Improvement Fund. One project is a three-year project looking at pollution,land and highway management issues on the River Colne and tributaries. The other is a feasibility and design project in the second of its three years, developing solutions for artificial barriers across the Calder and Colne catchment.
Through the WEIF, we are committing £3 million of investment this financial year to restore urban rivers. By combining this with rod licence income and working in partnership with organisations like the Wild Trout Trust, the Environment Agency is tackling urban waterway challenges and delivering lasting environmental improvements through collaborative action.
Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top priority for this government. We are putting water companies under special measures through our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act has introduced new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against law breakers and made it mandatory for water companies to publish plans to reduce pollution incidents.
The Independent Water Commission will recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system and clean up our waterways for good.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms to reduce pollution by water companies in local rivers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water (Special Measures) Act (WSMA) provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.
A record 81 criminal investigations into water companies have been launched in England since the election, and the Environment Agency has increased inspections into sewage pollution by nearly 400% since last July.
Furthermore, the regulators will be bolstered by at least £55 million additional per year through water company permit charges and implementation of the new cost recovery powers in the WSMA, ensuring that polluters are held to account for breaches of their obligations.
The Independent Water Commission will consider the roles and responsibilities of the water industry regulators and how we can ensure our regulators operate as effectively as possible. The Commission’s Interim Report was published on 3 June, and the final report and recommendations will be published later in the summer.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
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 increase enforcement powers to tackle (a) fly-tipping and (b) littering in (i) Huddersfield and (ii) similar towns.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and littering. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 for fly-tipping and £500 for littering, and prosecution action which can lead to significant fine or even imprisonment and vehicle seizure. We encourage councils to make good use of these powers and we are taking steps to develop statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support local authorities to consistently and effectively exercise these existing powers.
We have also announced a review of their powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.
We are also committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
Additionally, we will move the regulation of waste carriers, brokers and dealers from light-touch registration into environmental permitting. This will enhance the Envrionment Agency’s ability to take action in this area and make it harder for rogue operators to operate. Penalties set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, such as prison sentences of up to 5 years, will also become applicable to breaches of the new regulations.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
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 tackle operators who do not dispose of waste appropriately despite holding valid waste licences; and whether he plans to take further steps to improve enforcement against licensed waste operators who breach environmental regulations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Waste sites in England are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 which include a range of penalties including fines and imprisonment for breaches of conditions. The EA also takes action against illegal operators who abuse and ignore the rules.
The Secretary of State has recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. Councils to seize and crush fly-tipping vehicles to clean up Britain - GOV.UK. This will give the EA a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally.
Additionally, we will reform the waste permit exemptions regime by removing three exemptions and requiring those activities to be fully permitted and tightening the controls around 7 other exemptions. This will ensure greater oversight of activities which are being abused by waste criminals.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to improve enforcement powers against water companies that repeatedly discharge untreated sewage.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.
That is why we have placed water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. This includes new powers for Ofwat to ban unjustified bonuses, and for the Environment Agency to impose automatic penalties and recover costs for a much greater range of enforcement activities.
The Environment Agency is also increasing its regulatory officers, data analysts and enforcement specialists who deal with pollution. They are using new digital tools and data sources, including from storm overflow monitors to identify offences and take enforcement action.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing (a) Huddersfield and (b) other towns to create (i) cleaner and (ii) more attractive public areas.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local councils have a range of enforcement powers to tackle issues such as fly-tipping and littering. These include fixed penalty notices, prosecution and vehicle seizure. We are seeking powers to issue statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their fly-tipping powers.
Councils are also responsible for keeping public land clear of litter. We are targeting some of the most commonly littered items to reduce the presence of these on our streets. The sale of single-use vapes will be banned from 1 June 2025 and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will go live in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027. The DRS will introduce a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers.
Defra continues to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders, such as local authorities, to share good practice on preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools are available from their webpage at: National Fly-tipping Prevention Group | Keep Britain Tidy.
National design guidance supports local authorities to bring forward well-designed new development, including attractive, inclusive, and safe public spaces.
Asked by: Harpreet Uppal (Labour - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local food partnerships.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives, including Local Food Partnerships, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.