Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support the production of biomethane on farms using organic waste.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion (AD) and injected into the gas grid. It is expected to contribute 10.7MTCO2e of carbon savings over its lifetime.

The GGSS requires that at least 50% of all biomethane, by energy content, is produced using waste feedstocks, which includes agricultural wastes.

The GGSS will close to new applicants on 31 March 2028. To follow this, the Government is developing a holistic policy framework to support the growth of the biomethane sector. The new framework includes consideration to the role of AD in treating agricultural wastes.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11619 on the Groceries Code Adjudicator: Finance, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the £1 billion turnover threshold on farmers.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for monitoring effectiveness of the Groceries (Supply Chain Practices) Market Investigation Order 2009 in ensuring that businesses, including farmers, that supply groceries directly to designated retailers are treated lawfully and fairly. This includes the £1 billion threshold at which a retailer can be designated by the CMA.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the use of hydrogen for decarbonising heavy goods vehicles.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is aware that hydrogen has a potential role to play in decarbonising heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

The £200 million zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme will demonstrate both battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on UK roads alongside recharging and refuelling infrastructure. The programme will gather data for a 5-year demonstration period which will be released publicly throughout the duration of the programme.

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 waste collection authorities to deliver mandatory household food waste collections from 2026-27.

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

To support waste collection authorities to deliver household food waste collections, we provided capital transitional funding in February 2024 to cover reasonable costs of purchasing trucks and bins needed to deliver weekly food waste collections from 31 March 2026.

We are preparing to deliver transitional resource new burdens funding to local authorities for weekly food waste collections for households in two batches, one in early 2025 and the other in spring 2025.

Funding for ongoing resource funding from 1 April 2026 is subject to agreement through a spending review and we will confirm details when we can.

We are also working with sector specialists WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to provide guidance on best practice and scope additional areas of support.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to use biomethane generated from mandatory food waste collections from 2026-27 for (a) injection into the gas grid and (b) combustion for electricity generation.

Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion (AD) and injected into the gas grid. It is expected to contribute 10.7MTCO2e of carbon savings over its lifetime.

The GGSS requires that at least 50% of all biomethane, by energy content, is produced using waste feedstocks. In England, we expect that food waste collected due to Simpler Recycling reforms will constitute a significant portion of AD feedstocks.

Food waste can also be used in AD Combined Heat and Power systems to produce electricity, with support provided through a number of the Department’s renewable electricity schemes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the capacity of anaerobic digestion facilities, in the context of the planned introduction of mandatory food waste collections in 2026-27.

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

The Government’s preference is for unavoidable food waste to be collected for treatment by anaerobic digestion (AD): producing bio-gas and digestate.

Defra has been working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to estimate AD capacity in England. Based on current estimates, there will be sufficient AD capacity in England to treat the increased tonnage of food waste expected to be collected once Simpler Recycling’s mandatory food waste collection requirements commence between 2025-2027. Defra intends to publish a Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis soon. This will set out anticipated waste volumes to 2035, mapping this modelling against known waste management infrastructure for various waste streams, including food waste. The analysis will signal where there is likely over or under-provision of waste management capacity.

DESNZ’s Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via AD and injected into the gas grid, supporting investment in AD plants. Under the GGSS, at least 50% of all biomethane by energy content must be produced using waste or residue feedstock. In England, we expect that food waste collected due to Simpler Recycling reforms will constitute a significant portion of AD feedstocks.

Import and sale of real fur

Knighthood for Sir Ian Dudson

Closure Notice issued to Walleys Quarry

Institutes of Technology

Found: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat; Glastonbury and Somerton) Jayne Kirkham (Labour; Truro and Falmouth) Josh Newbury

Found: Carmichael (Chair); Tonia Antoniazzi; Sarah Bool; Charlie Dewhirst; Helena Dollimore; John Glen; Josh Newbury

Found: Carmichael (Chair); Tonia Antoniazzi; Sarah Bool; Charlie Dewhirst; Helena Dollimore; John Glen; Josh Newbury

Found: Carmichael (Chair); Sarah Bool; Charlie Dewhirst; Helena Dollimore; Sarah Dyke; Jayne Kirkham; Josh Newbury

Found: Moon Dr Simon Opher Kirsteen Sullivan Ellie Chowns Mike Reader Yasmin Qureshi Alex Sobel Josh Newbury

UK water bodies are affected by a number of high-profile threats including agricultural and sewage pollution. The water sector faces other important concerns such as weak resilience of water supply systems and future water security. Water companies providing services have been criticised for their environmental, financial and customer satisfaction performance.  

Submit Evidence (by 24 Jan 2025)

In recent years, external shocks have affected the UK’s food supply chain, raising questions about its resilience and vulnerabilities. Extreme weather events, such as floods, have put further pressure on domestic food production, as well as affecting countries that the UK sources food from. The impact of extreme weather on supply chains is likely to increase due to climate change. 

Submit Evidence (by 29 Jan 2025)