Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publication of the animal welfare strategy; and if he will make it his Department's policy to ban male chick culling as part of the strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 sets out strict requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, including male chicks from the egg production sector. Permitted killing methods for chicks, such as gas stunning and maceration, are based on scientific research and assessment to ensure birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of technologies that allow chicks to be sexed in-ovo (within the egg), and we welcome the UK egg industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on levels of trifluoroacetic acid in the River Mersey.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The EA continues to evaluate scientific evidence, develop new testing methodologies for TFA, and refine its monitoring approach. Future recommendations may involve expanded data collection and updated regulation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 potential (a) impact of the AUK1 specification for toilet backflow protection on the quality of drinking water and (b) merits of formally adopting the new AUK4 standard.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the previous Government, a small number of cases of contamination of drinking water have been discovered in which water from toilet cisterns re-entered (or backflowed into) a building’s drinking water system. The water industry and the Bathroom Manufacturers Association set up a task and finish group to identify the issues, review relevant technical specifications, and suggest solutions. Defra considered the proposals and consulted on amendments (which include a new AUK4 specification).
We are finalising the summary of responses from the consultation and the government response to them and will consider approval of the new and updated specifications in due course.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 has plans to introduce representation of independent (a) environmental experts and (b) clinicians on the Food Strategy Advisory Board.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A range of representatives from the food sector and NGOs were invited to sit on the Food Strategy Advisory Board. We kept it deliberately small, whilst reflecting the scope of the food supply chain.
The Board represents the first step in a wider stakeholder engagement strategy which will continue to ensure and demonstrate the joined-up and systems-wide approach for the food strategy. There is huge expertise, energy and commitment to work towards better food system outcomes, and all stakeholders need to be part of the solution. There will be multiple routes to share ideas as part of the co-design process in 2025 – we say more on this soon.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 improve (a) public awareness and (b) accessibility of the flood warning service.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) provides the Check for flooding service, giving information on flood alerts and warnings as well as a 5-day forecast. It also uses it’s flood warning system to directly alert 1.6 million properties in England who are registered to receive flood warnings. Where there is danger to life there is also the ability to issue an Emergency Alert.
The flood warning service is continuously enhanced to improve public awareness and accessibility. In 2023 it was extended to 110,000 additional homes and businesses, particularly those that were previously hard to reach. This expansion uses innovative monitoring solutions, including solar-powered devices which provide flood warnings in challenging locations. A new flood warning system is being developed and is expected to launch in late 2025. This system aims to be more secure, resilient, and user-friendly.
Flood Action Week is the EA’s annual public awareness week, typically taking place in October. It aims to raise awareness amongst the public of their flood risk, actions they should take to respond, and work the EA does to prepare and respond during a flood.
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure that communities are better informed and prepared for flood risks.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote sustainable flood management practices in (a) flood-prone and (b) other areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural flood management (NFM) is a key part of our approach to mitigating flood risk and provides wider benefits for the environment and society, such as carbon reduction, environmental enhancement, improving water quality and water resources.
The floods investment programme delivers a range of schemes, including NFM. In addition, the Government’s ongoing investment in the environment will also support NFM measures.
The Government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as NFM and sustainable drainage. A consultation will be launched this spring which will include a review of the existing formula.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 impact of vegetable oils not included in the due diligence regulations under Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 on deforestation and whether he plans to extend due diligence obligations to cover these oils.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption Indicator, funded by Defra, estimates that UK-linked deforestation driven by soy and palm oil was 7-9 times and 15-20 times greater respectively than deforestation linked to sunflower and rapeseed oil in 2022.
We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 2 April 2024 to Question 17003 on River Mersey: Water, when he expects the Environment Agency's national programmes report on its investigation into chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across the Mersey catchment to be published.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 4 March 2024, UIN 17003. The Environment Agency’s national programmes investigating persistent chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across England are on-going, and there are therefore no plans to publish a specific report on the Mersey.
In 2025, the Water Framework Directive classifications for the water bodies in the Mersey catchment will be subject to a new assessment and published. Data informing the current classifications is available on Gov.uk at https://environment.data.gov.uk/water-quality/view/landing.
As stated in the original response, the Environment Agency has national programmes investigating persistent chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across England. These programmes are on-going, and there are therefore no plans to publish a specific report on the Mersey. In 2025, the Water Framework Directive classifications for the water bodies in the Mersey catchment will be subject to a new assessment and published. Data informing the current classifications is available on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of water in the River Mersey.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to continue to improving water quality and are delivering the record investment, the stronger regulation and the tougher enforcement to improve our water for our own health, for nature and the economy. For example, on 20 February we announced plans to more than quadruple Environment Agency (EA) water company inspections, strengthening oversight, reducing the reliance on self-monitoring.
The EA has been working with United Utilities in Stockport and in the upstream catchments of the River Tame and River Goyt. Within the current investment programme (2020-2025) there are improvements due to be completed at 2 storm overflows and at 6 of the wastewater treatment works in the upstream catchments. EA has also been working with United Utilities on their investment programme for 2025-2030.
The EA also have national programmes investigating persistent chemical failures and historic sources of chemicals across the Mersey catchment.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 tackle littering in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan set out how we will support councils across the county to take tougher action against those that litter. For example, last year we significantly raised the upper limit on fixed penalty notices from £150 to £500 and from 1 April 2024 councils will have to spend this income on enforcement and clean up activity.
On behalf of Defra and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Waste and Resources Action Programme has published guidance for local authorities on the provision of litter bins. The Right Bin in the Right Place guidance is available here.
The Chewing Gum Task Force, established by Defra and funded by producers, has provided almost £2.5 million in grants since 2022 to help nearly 100 councils remove gum stains from high streets and invest in long-term behaviour change to prevent gum being dropped in the first place. The Task Force has recently launched another grant scheme for councils this year. Further information can be found here.