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Written Question
Deposit Return Schemes
Wednesday 15th September 2021

Asked by: Jeremy Hunt (Conservative - South West Surrey)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on introducing a deposit return scheme.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was published earlier this year and is now closed. The Government is analysing the responses to that consultation, with a view to publishing a Government response in due course.


Written Question
Imports: Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 28th July 2020

Asked by: Jeremy Hunt (Conservative - South West Surrey)

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 reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions associated with goods imported into the UK.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The latest figures show carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with imported goods fell by 1% between 2016 and 2017, and by 16% between 2007 (when they peaked) and 2017.

The latest figures published are at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uks-carbon-footprint but they focus on greenhouse gas emissions rather than just CO2 emissions.

The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy for England sets out its ambition to move from a make, take, use, throw linear economic model to a more circular economy which will reduce our carbon footprint from imported emissions through increasing repair, re-use, remanufacture and other waste prevention activities.

The Environment Bill includes measures that will help consumers to make purchasing decisions that support the market for more sustainable products. It contains powers to introduce clear product labelling, which will enable consumers to identify products that are more durable, reparable and recyclable and will inform them on how to dispose of used products.


Written Question
High Speed 2 Railway Line: Environment Protection
Tuesday 28th July 2020

Asked by: Jeremy Hunt (Conservative - South West Surrey)

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 protect the (a) environment and (b) woodlands in the vicinity of the High Speed Two route.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

High Speed Two (HS2) aims to be one of the most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever delivered in the UK.

The Government and HS2 Limited have committed to provide a range of tailored measures to compensate for its impacts, for example, planting more than 7 million new trees and shrubs, and creating over 900 hectares of new native woodland.

At least 400km of hedgerows will be created or translocated. On top of this, the Government has committed £7 million in establishing the HS2 Woodland Fund, helping landowners within 25 miles of the railway to create and restore woodland. The first £1.6 million of the Fund has already been allocated, supporting around 115ha of new native woodland and around 160ha of plantations on ancient woodland sites.