Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of packaging costs on (a) breweries, (b) pubs and (c) hospitality businesses in Rushcliffe.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published an updated assessment in October 2024 of the impact of introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) on packaging producers as a whole. The assessment did not provide separate estimates for breweries, pubs or hospitality businesses, or disaggregate impacts at a local level.
The Government is aware of concerns about the classification of packaging that is disposed of through commercial waste streams, including in hospitality settings. Defra continues to work on this issue and that includes working closely with the brewing, hospitality and wider packaging sectors.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 consider the merits of a ban on disposable barbecues.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will consider the case for further restrictions, including a permanent ban, on the sale of disposable barbecues in the light of experience gained from the temporary ban introduced in August. Any such restrictions are most likely to be implemented under waste legislation, which is why Defra is taking the lead on this issue, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who are leading the Government’s overall approach to wildfires.
In the meantime, local authorities have powers to establish Public Space Protection Orders, which can prohibit the use of disposable barbecues in designated areas where appropriate. It is for individual councils to decide how and to what extent to use these powers.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to launch a public consultation on prohibiting the sale of disposable barbecues.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will consider the case for further restrictions, including a permanent ban, on the sale of disposable barbecues in the light of experience gained from the temporary ban introduced in August. Any such restrictions are most likely to be implemented under waste legislation, which is why Defra is taking the lead on this issue, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who are leading the Government’s overall approach to wildfires.
In the meantime, local authorities have powers to establish Public Space Protection Orders, which can prohibit the use of disposable barbecues in designated areas where appropriate. It is for individual councils to decide how and to what extent to use these powers.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on consumers of the gap in Alternative Dispute Resolution provision in the water sector following the Consumer Council for Water's withdrawal from adjudication and the end of the WATRS/CEDR scheme in April 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 has considered a statutory automatic redress mechanism for consumers who lose access to Alternative Dispute Resolution due to regulatory or administrative failure.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
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 ensure continuity of Alternative Dispute Resolution provision in the water sector during future changes to regulatory arrangements.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued to water companies on handling complaints that had reached the adjudication stage before the withdrawal of the WATRS scheme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many consumer complaints were affected by the discontinuation of the WATRS adjudication scheme before a replacement provider became operational.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for restoring full Alternative Dispute Resolution provision in the water sector; and which body will deliver it.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.
Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.
The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a national policy framework for the long-term maintenance of Natural Flood Management schemes delivered by local authorities.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that natural flood management (NFM) measures remain effective over the long term. Projects funded through the Government’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management investment programme are expected to have appropriate maintenance plans and funding arrangements in place. The Government also expects all risk management authorities and other asset owners to invest in ongoing maintenance and repairs where necessary.