Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they anticipate glyphosate to continue to be available for treating Japanese knotweed; and if not, what steps they are taking to ensure that effective alternatives are available.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Like all pesticides, glyphosate is subject to restrictions to ensure that its use will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment. UK scientists participated in the European Food Safety Authority’s recent assessment of glyphosate and support its conclusions. The Government therefore agrees with the continuing approval of glyphosate. The European Commission decided in December 2017 to approve glyphosate for continuing use until December 2022.
When the approval of glyphosate is next reviewed, we will consider our position based on a careful scientific assessment of the evidence and risks at that time.
With regard to the second point, the Government is funding work by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International to trial biocontrol methods targeted at Japanese knotweed. A sap-sucking bug (psyllid) has been selected as a highly specific natural enemy to help control this invasive non-native species. The work is undergoing peer review and further regulatory scrutiny would be required before the psyllid could be released under strict licence conditions. The project team continues to work to establish the psyllid at a series of experimental sites. It is hoped that, in time, this method will prove effective in reducing the invasive capacity of Japanese knotweed as well as the effort and cost of managing it.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of each of the sections of the English coastal path which have been completed; what is the estimated cost of each of those sections which have not yet been completed; and what were, or will be, the sources of funding.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The England Coast Path (ECP) will be a 2,700 mile walking route around the coast of England. Natural England have been allocated £25.6m between 2015 and 2020 to deliver the England Coast Path.
A summary of progress on each of the 16 open or approved stretches is included in Table A and B. The 50 unopened stretches are summarised in Table C. Estimated cost of establishment works and opening dates are provided where known.
The ECP proposals are within scope of a European Court opinion, known colloquially as People over Wind (PoW), which was handed down in April 2018. The PoW opinion affects the way Natural England manage the impact of their proposals on sites with nature conservation designations. As such, the PoW court ruling has impacted on delivery of the path to date and will continue to have an impact moving forward.
In light of this judgement and progress to date the 2020 delivery date is being reviewed. Natural England continue to work towards opening as much of the path as possible by 2020.
To date the delivery programme has cost £18million. Establishment costs have been funded through grant in aid to Natural England. From 2018/19 Rural Development Programme for England funding has been available for local authorities to meet the cost of establishment.
Table A - Open stretches
Stretch name | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment Costs (Actual) |
Rufus Castle to Lulworth Cove | 29/06/2012 | 20 | £25,000 |
Allonby to Whitehaven | 11/04/2014 | 22 | £67,813 |
North Gare to South Bents | 12/04/2014 | 34 | £51,306 |
Sea Palling to Weybourne | 12/12/2014 | 25 | £64,301 |
Brean Down to Minehead | 15/03/2016 | 58 | £381,506 |
Camber to Folkestone | 19/07/2016 | 29 | £19,123 |
Folkestone to Ramsgate | 19/07/2016 | 37 | £99,994 |
Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge | 21/07/2016 | 68 | £65,221 |
Hopton On Sea to Sea Palling | 24/10/2016 | 21 | £79,901 |
South Bents to Amble | 26/07/2018 | 44 | £223,048 |
|
| 358 | £1,077,213 |
Table B - Unopened stretches undergoing building works
Stretch name | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment costs (Estimated) |
Skegness to Mablethorpe | 27/02/2019 | 16 | £80,484 |
Newport Bridge to North Gare | TBC | 10 | £528,979 |
Whitehaven to Silecroft | TBC | 32 | £415,949 |
Walney Island | TBC | 21 | £233,679 |
Ramsgate to Whitstable | TBC | 25 | £31,574 |
Maldon to Salcott | TBC | 27 | £46,099 |
|
| 131 | £1,336,764 |
Table C - Unopened stretches
Region | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment costs | |
(Stretches) | ||||
South West | TBC | 548 | (8) | TBC |
West | TBC | 140 | (4) | TBC |
South | TBC | 276 | (7) | TBC |
South East | TBC | 208 | (6) | TBC |
Essex | TBC | 266 | (8) | TBC |
East | TBC | 261 | (7) | TBC |
North East | TBC | 212 | (5) | TBC |
North West | TBC | 302 | (5) | TBC |
| TBC | 2213 | 50 | TBC |
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the length and location of each of the sections of the English coastal path which have (1) been completed, and (2) not yet been completed; when each of the sections (1) opened, and (2) are expected to open; and whether they will achieve the target date of 2020 for its overall completion.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The England Coast Path (ECP) will be a 2,700 mile walking route around the coast of England. Natural England have been allocated £25.6m between 2015 and 2020 to deliver the England Coast Path.
A summary of progress on each of the 16 open or approved stretches is included in Table A and B. The 50 unopened stretches are summarised in Table C. Estimated cost of establishment works and opening dates are provided where known.
The ECP proposals are within scope of a European Court opinion, known colloquially as People over Wind (PoW), which was handed down in April 2018. The PoW opinion affects the way Natural England manage the impact of their proposals on sites with nature conservation designations. As such, the PoW court ruling has impacted on delivery of the path to date and will continue to have an impact moving forward.
In light of this judgement and progress to date the 2020 delivery date is being reviewed. Natural England continue to work towards opening as much of the path as possible by 2020.
To date the delivery programme has cost £18million. Establishment costs have been funded through grant in aid to Natural England. From 2018/19 Rural Development Programme for England funding has been available for local authorities to meet the cost of establishment.
Table A - Open stretches
Stretch name | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment Costs (Actual) |
Rufus Castle to Lulworth Cove | 29/06/2012 | 20 | £25,000 |
Allonby to Whitehaven | 11/04/2014 | 22 | £67,813 |
North Gare to South Bents | 12/04/2014 | 34 | £51,306 |
Sea Palling to Weybourne | 12/12/2014 | 25 | £64,301 |
Brean Down to Minehead | 15/03/2016 | 58 | £381,506 |
Camber to Folkestone | 19/07/2016 | 29 | £19,123 |
Folkestone to Ramsgate | 19/07/2016 | 37 | £99,994 |
Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge | 21/07/2016 | 68 | £65,221 |
Hopton On Sea to Sea Palling | 24/10/2016 | 21 | £79,901 |
South Bents to Amble | 26/07/2018 | 44 | £223,048 |
|
| 358 | £1,077,213 |
Table B - Unopened stretches undergoing building works
Stretch name | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment costs (Estimated) |
Skegness to Mablethorpe | 27/02/2019 | 16 | £80,484 |
Newport Bridge to North Gare | TBC | 10 | £528,979 |
Whitehaven to Silecroft | TBC | 32 | £415,949 |
Walney Island | TBC | 21 | £233,679 |
Ramsgate to Whitstable | TBC | 25 | £31,574 |
Maldon to Salcott | TBC | 27 | £46,099 |
|
| 131 | £1,336,764 |
Table C - Unopened stretches
Region | Opening date | Length in Miles | Establishment costs | |
(Stretches) | ||||
South West | TBC | 548 | (8) | TBC |
West | TBC | 140 | (4) | TBC |
South | TBC | 276 | (7) | TBC |
South East | TBC | 208 | (6) | TBC |
Essex | TBC | 266 | (8) | TBC |
East | TBC | 261 | (7) | TBC |
North East | TBC | 212 | (5) | TBC |
North West | TBC | 302 | (5) | TBC |
| TBC | 2213 | 50 | TBC |
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they are providing to waste collection authorities that are suspending the collection of plastics or considering doing so owing to the difficulties of finding reliable markets for the plastic materials.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Since 2015 all councils have had to collect waste paper, metal, plastic and glass by separate collection, except where this is not necessary to provide a sufficiently high quality of recyclate or where it is not technically, environmentally or economically practicable. My honourable friend, Therese Coffey, has taken up this issue with the local government association and will also be sharing her concerns with the regulator, the Environment Agency.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, following accounts of widespread fraud in activities involving the recycling, export and disposal of plastics, what action they intend to take to protect and promote genuine recycling of plastic.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Businesses involved in the shipment of wastes are required to take all necessary steps to ensure that the waste they ship is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout its shipment and during recycling. The export of waste for disposal is illegal and illegal exports of waste are part of the Government’s focus on tackling waste crime. Any UK operators found to be illegally exporting waste can face severe sanctions – from financial penalties up to imprisonment.
The UK environmental regulators take an intelligence led approach to checking compliance with these obligations, intervening to stop illegal exports taking place. Last year, the Environment Agency (EA) issued 158 stop notices, prohibiting the export of unsuitable waste. It stopped 367 containers of waste destined for illegal export at ports and intervened further upstream to prevent 8,974 tonnes of waste from reaching our ports. Tackling all forms of waste crime is a Government priority. The Government has commissioned a review of serious and organised waste crime and, following this, we will set out our strategic approach to waste crime as part of the Resources and Waste Strategy.
We have also committed in our 25 Year Environment Plan to reforming our producer responsibility systems (including packaging waste regulations) to incentivise producers to take greater responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products.
Waste exports will continue play an important role in resource management, however. Where the UK cannot recycle materials economically, exports can help ensure those materials are recycled rather than landfilled. As not all products sold in the UK are made in the UK, exports can help increase the amount of recyclable materials going into the new products we buy.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in appointing the National Tree Champion.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Sir William Worsley, Chair of the National Forest Company, was appointed as the National Tree Champion on 13 June.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the process for appointing the National Tree Champion; whether applications are being invited; if so, how; to whom the Champion will be responsible; and what the term of office will be.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Decisions on the appointment of the National Tree Champion including responsibilities, reporting mechanisms and the term of office will be made in due course.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will meet a delegation from Pendle Borough Council to discuss the problems relating to past and potential flooding in Earby.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Pendle Borough Council are advised to write to the Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Environment setting out their concerns. The contact address is Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Environment, Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Environment Agency’s flood alleviation study for Earby will be published; and when they will make a decision on the proposed community flood resilience scheme for Earby.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency (EA) expects its Modelling and Appraisal Study for Earby Beck and its Tributaries to be completed in April 2018. The EA will make the findings public on completion.
The EA supports the Earby Community Property Flood Resilience Scheme but needs to be sure that the proposed temporary flood barriers will not increase flood risk elsewhere. The EA has commissioned further modelling work to assess this risk which will begin in February 2018 and is due for completion in March 2018.
Asked by: Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they have taken since the floods which took place in Earby on Boxing Day 2015, through the Environment Agency or otherwise, to reduce the probability of households in Earby being flooded, and to increase resilience against flooding in that town.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Since the floods of Boxing Day 2015 the Environment Agency (EA) has worked in partnership with Pendle Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and Yorkshire Water to develop schemes to reduce flood risk in Earby.
The EA removed 60 tonnes of gravel and debris from Earby Beck in September 2016 and carried out further channel maintenance in 2017, in addition to its routine maintenance activities on the beck.
The EA is carrying out detailed hydraulic modelling of Earby Beck and its tributaries to identify technically and economically viable options to reduce flood risk from all sources in and around Earby. The EA has secured £100,000 of Flood Risk Management Grant in Aid to fund this study and it is scheduled to be completed in April 2018. The outcomes of this study will also be used to update the EA’s flood map, improve its flood warning service and provide better data to inform planning decisions.
The EA has also developed a programme of works to repair the Victoria Clough culvert and restore it to its original capacity. An improved trash screen will also be installed at its inlet. These works are planned to be completed in 2018, subject to full funding being secured, and will reduce the risk of flooding to 91 properties.
The EA has recruited four new community flood wardens to help coordinate the community response during future flooding and to support the development of the community flood plan led by Pendle Borough Council.