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Written Question
Furs: EU Law
Friday 1st December 2023

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with their counterparts in the EU regarding the introduction of legislation to ban (1) fur farming, and (2) fur sales.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

No recent discussions have been held with EU member states regarding the introduction of legislation to ban fur farming or fur sales.

We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade. This includes commissioning the Animal Welfare Committee to explore current responsible sourcing practices in the fur industry.


Written Question
Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal
Tuesday 30th April 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the volume of consumer electronics that end up in landfill.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The Government has not made an estimate of the volume of consumer electronics that end up in landfill. The 2013 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations seek to reduce the amount of WEEE going to landfill by encouraging its separate collection and subsequent treatment, reuse, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal.

Reports on the amount of WEEE (both household and non-household) collected in the UK under the WEEE Regulations is published by the Environment Agency here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/waste-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-weee-in-the-uk.

Last year, producers financed the collection of 493,323 tonnes of household WEEE.

Additionally, based on a study carried out by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, we estimate that between 250k and 273k tonnes of large domestic appliances (cookers, washing machines etc.) are collected with scrap metal and recycled outside the WEEE system every year.


Written Question
Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal
Tuesday 30th April 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues on the processing of consumer electronics in landfill after metals have been harvested from them.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

Defra has not issued any guidance on the processing of consumer electronics in landfill or removal from landfill sites after metals have been harvested from them.

The 2013 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations seek to reduce the amount of WEEE going to landfill by encouraging its separate collection and subsequent treatment, re-use, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal.

Defra has issued statutory guidance on the best available collection, treatment, recovery and recycling techniques (BATRRT) for WEEE at approved authorised treatment facilities. The BATRRT guidance sets out the minimum requirements which treatment facilities must comply with.

The guidance can be found here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130403043343/http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/electrical/documents/weee-batrrt-guidance.pdf.


Written Question
Birds: Conservation
Thursday 25th April 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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 review the adequacy of the laws and guidance relating to the netting of bird nesting sites.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given to the Rt. Hon. Member for Birkenhead, Frank Field, on 23 April 2019 to PQ 243353.


Written Question
Fisheries: Treaties
Thursday 28th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will ratify the Agreement on Port State Measures To Prevent, Deter And Eliminate Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated Fishing.

Answered by Robert Goodwill

The UK Government and the European Council have reached political agreement on the text of a treaty on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (“the Withdrawal Agreement”).

The UK is currently a Party to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) through its membership of the EU. In the event that the UK leaves the EU without the Withdrawal Agreement being approved and ratified, the PSMA would immediately cease to apply to the UK.

In this scenario, the UK would deposit its instrument of accession in time to ensure that the UK becomes a Contracting Party to the PSMA in its own right immediately upon its withdrawal from the EU.


Written Question
Animal Products: Imports
Monday 3rd December 2018

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total cost to the public purse is of processing and issuing a permit for the importation of a hunting trophy for species listed in Appendix I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

The UK licensing service for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is subject to the policy of full cost recovery so that it is not a burden on the public purse. Where an import permit is required, applicants need to pay a fee. Details of these import permit fees can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/355264/cites-ag-ct-01.pdf


Written Question
Animal Welfare: Litter
Thursday 29th March 2018

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of (a) injuries and (b) deaths caused to (i) farmed animals and (ii) wild animals by (A) plastic and (B) other forms of litter.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

Defra does not hold information on the number of injuries and deaths caused to farmed and wild animals by plastic and other forms of litter. However, we do know that plastic can cause injuries and death and that is why we are taking action to reduce plastic pollution.


Written Question
Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges
Monday 26th March 2018

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2018 to Question 132299 on Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges, whether retailers are obliged to redistribute all of the revenue they raise from the 5p carrier bag charge to good causes; and if he will take steps to ensure that all of the £94.8 million raised so far by the ten largest retailers is redistributed for such purposes.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

As this is not a tax, the UK Government does not determine where the proceeds of the charge are redistributed. We expect retailers to donate the proceeds of the charge (after deducting VAT and reasonable costs) to good causes such as charities or community groups. The costs of the bags themselves cannot be deducted from the revenue.

The Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) Order 2015 is due for review before 5 October 2020, which will require an assessment of cost and benefits. Any changes to amend the policy ahead of this timeframe will be considered as part of the Government’s forthcoming Resources and Waste Strategy.


Written Question
Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges
Monday 19th March 2018

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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 has taken to ensure that retailers pass on the full cost of the five pence charge for plastic carrier bags.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

Since the introduction of the five pence plastic bag levy, our data indicates that the ten largest retailers in England have raised around £94.8 million in net proceeds and that approximately £74.4 million towards a variety of good causes covering the arts, education, environment, health, heritage and sports as well as local causes chosen by customers or staff.

The regulation does not specify to record where the proceeds of the charge are distributed. Retailers are, however, expected and have been encouraged by Ministers to donate the proceeds to good causes such as charities or community groups.

Defra publishes records supplied in accordance with the regulation by 31st July each reporting year on GOV. UK.


Written Question
Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges
Monday 19th March 2018

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been raised by the five pence plastic bag levy from each of the ten largest retailers since that policy was introduced.

Answered by Thérèse Coffey

Since the introduction of the five pence plastic bag levy, our data indicates that the ten largest retailers in England have raised around £94.8 million in net proceeds and that approximately £74.4 million towards a variety of good causes covering the arts, education, environment, health, heritage and sports as well as local causes chosen by customers or staff.

The regulation does not specify to record where the proceeds of the charge are distributed. Retailers are, however, expected and have been encouraged by Ministers to donate the proceeds to good causes such as charities or community groups.

Defra publishes records supplied in accordance with the regulation by 31st July each reporting year on GOV. UK.