Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with representatives of disability charities on banning disposable plastic straws.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A recent study indicated that up to 8.5 billion plastic straws are used and thrown away annually in the UK. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. We will also propose excluding plastic straws for medical reasons. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
Defra is in the process of developing the Consultation and as part of that, we are keen that we get the exemption and the overall approach absolutely right. We are aware that there are a number of vital uses for plastics straws for both elderly and disabled people, which is why we made clear the need for an exemption from the outset.
We are reaching out to all stakeholders in general, including Devolved Administrations but in particular, disability charities and other groups to talk through the policy implications and ensure their concerns are addressed.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what impact assessments his Department undertook in relation to disabled people in advance of the decision to ban disposable plastic straws.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A recent study indicated that up to 8.5 billion plastic straws are used and thrown away annually in the UK. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. We will also propose excluding plastic straws for medical reasons. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
Defra is in the process of developing the Consultation and as part of that, we are keen that we get the exemption and the overall approach absolutely right. We are aware that there are a number of vital uses for plastics straws for both elderly and disabled people, which is why we made clear the need for an exemption from the outset.
We are reaching out to all stakeholders in general, including Devolved Administrations but in particular, disability charities and other groups to talk through the policy implications and ensure their concerns are addressed.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the introduction of a ban on plastic disposable straws.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A recent study indicated that up to 8.5 billion plastic straws are used and thrown away annually in the UK. At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in April, the Prime Minister announced that subject to a consultation to be launched by Defra later this year, there will be a ban on the sale of plastic straws, drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. We will also propose excluding plastic straws for medical reasons. Policy proposals will be subject to an impact assessment.
Defra is in the process of developing the Consultation and as part of that, we are keen that we get the exemption and the overall approach absolutely right. We are aware that there are a number of vital uses for plastics straws for both elderly and disabled people, which is why we made clear the need for an exemption from the outset.
We are reaching out to all stakeholders in general, including Devolved Administrations but in particular, disability charities and other groups to talk through the policy implications and ensure their concerns are addressed.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new departmental site in Victoria Dock, Caernarfon is owned by the Government or is rented property.
Answered by George Eustice
Although commercial offices at Victoria Dock were considered as part of an options appraisal for the relocation of Defra staff based in Caernarfon, the decision has been made to relocate to Gwynedd Council’s offices at Penrallt.
All staff currently located in the Welsh Government offices at North Penrallt will relocate to the Council offices.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many departmental jobs are being transferred from the Welsh Government building in Caernarfon to the site at Victoria Dock.
Answered by George Eustice
Although commercial offices at Victoria Dock were considered as part of an options appraisal for the relocation of Defra staff based in Caernarfon, the decision has been made to relocate to Gwynedd Council’s offices at Penrallt.
All staff currently located in the Welsh Government offices at North Penrallt will relocate to the Council offices.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will commit to not falling below the standards set in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 when establishing common UK frameworks for the environment after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Prime Minister has been clear that current environmental protections will not be weakened after the UK leaves the EU. We are committed to working closely with the devolved administrations to deliver an approach that works for the whole of the UK, whilst also respecting the devolution settlements and the specific needs of each administration.
Ministers and officials are in regular discussion with counterparts in the devolved administrations on environmental policy matters. This includes considering the need for common frameworks after the UK leaves the EU, and how standards set in relevant devolved legislation, such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, should be taken into account in any future framework arrangements agreed between the UK Government and the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on devolution and inter-governmental relations; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra uses Civil Service Learning and local delivery for the provision of learning and development.
Defra provides a range of learning on devolution and intergovernmental relations for all levels of staff. This includes online learning, face to face workshops, and bespoke sessions designed for specific requirements of Defra staff. The learning includes sessions for new and existing staff, senior civil servants, fast stream civil servants, civil servants registered in talent schemes, civil servants working on legislation, and those working closely with Ministers.
Since April 2017, Defra has facilitated or delivered 20 devolution seminars to over 1,200 of its staff who have the most engagement with counterparts in the devolved administrations. We do not hold information on the numbers of Defra staff who attended devolution training held before 2017.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what training his Department has provided to (a) general civil servants, (b) fast stream civil servants and (c) senior civil servants on understanding the scrutiny and legislative roles of the UK Parliament; how many such courses have taken place; and how many civil servants have attended such training courses in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra uses Civil Service Learning (CSL) for the provision of learning and development to our people. The management information data provided by CSL to Defra does not differentiate between generalists and fast stream civil servants and therefore we are not able to provide specific attendance data for CSL courses for fast streamers. The CSL managed learning offer changed in late 2016 / early 2017 and the department only has management information data for learning products accessed via the new managed offer.
CSL’s ‘EU exit and new UK partnerships’ course is a face to face workshop for all grades. CSL released this course in early 2018 and one pilot session has been delivered. No Defra general, fast stream or SCS civil servants attended the pilot course.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what arrangements he plans to make for continued UK involvement in the EU Circular Economy programme after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government is developing a strategy on resources and waste, which includes the circular economy. This is not dependent on our membership of the EU. The aim of the strategy will be to make us a world leader in resource efficiency and resource productivity and increase competitiveness. It will set out how we will work towards our ambitions of doubling resource productivity and zero avoidable waste by 2050, maximising the value we extract from our resources and minimising waste and the negative environmental impacts associated.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
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 outcomes of the 2018 Plenary meeting of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The sixth Plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) met in Medellin, Colombia between 17 and 24 March.
Five new assessments were adopted – four Regional Assessments on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (for Africa; the Americas; Asia-Pacific; and Europe and Central Asia) and a thematic assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration. UK scientists have been at the forefront of delivering these assessments. Thirteen leading UK scientists worked on the assessment for Europe and Central Asia.
The assessments will feed into a global synopsis called Global Biodiversity Outlook to be finalised in 2019 and this will inform future targets and action under the Convention on Biological Diversity. We are determined to play a lead role in the development of an ambitious international biodiversity strategy under the Convention.