Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 plans to publish a list of members of the Industry Expert Panel for the National Food Strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The membership of the Food Strategy Advisory Board was published on gov.uk on 21 March 2025.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps to ensure that the Industry Expert Panel for the National Food Strategy includes representation from businesses involved in the production of (a) legumes, (b) nuts and seeds, (c) fresh, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables and (d) plant-based alternatives.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The membership of the Food Strategy Advisory Board was published on gov.uk on 21 March 2025.
The Food Strategy Advisory Board is the first step in a wider engagement strategy which will continue to ensure and demonstrate the joined-up and system-wide approach for the food system. 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. This collaboration aims to shape the strategy's scope and work together to deliver a comprehensive strategy.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 ensure that the composition of the Industry Expert Panel for the National Food Strategy aligns with the Government’s (a) obesity strategy and (b) public health objectives.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Food Strategy Advisory Board is a small group of senior leaders representing a wealth of experience from across the food system. Its role is purely advisory, to help steer the food strategy in delivering our ambition for a healthier, fairer and more resilient future food system. The board will provide advice to shape the outcomes the food strategy should deliver, and the conditions for the food strategy to succeed in, boosting food security, improving health, ensuring economic growth, and delivering environmental sustainability.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of water infrastructure costs on consumers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.
Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 on 19 December. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through a £104bn upgrade for the water sector.
These bill rises equate to around £3 additional per month on average. This will pay to fix crumbling infrastructure, which will dramatically reduce sewage spills and lead to cleaner rivers, lakes and seas.
Funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will also ensure that when money for investment is not spent companies refund customers.
All water companies offer affordability support for customers struggling to pay their bills and companies have more than doubled the number of customers that will receive help through social tariffs, from 4% to 9%, between 2025-30. The Government is working with industry to keep current support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers across the country are supported.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 made of the potential merits of nationalising the water industry.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has been clear the Government has no intention to nationalise water companies. Nationalising a water company would cost billions of pounds, and it would take years to unpick the current ownership model, during which time underinvestment in infrastructure and sewage pollution would only get worse. The Government wants to improve the situation in the water industry as quickly as possible, by focusing on improving the privatised regulated model.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 effectiveness of OFWAT in delivering value for money for consumers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are confident that Ofwat are delivering their core functions effectively.
Ofwat holds water companies to account for the delivery of affordable, secure and resilient water services. Ofwat must protect the interests of consumers whilst ensuring the companies properly carry out and finance their statutory functions.
It is Ofwat's responsibility to independently scrutinise water company business plans and ensure that the prices water companies charge their customers are fair and proportionate. Ofwat’s final determination saved customers £11 billion compared to what companies initially proposed in the next price review period.
Furthermore, the Independent Water Commission, launched in October 2024 by the UK and Welsh Governments, will consider the roles and responsibilities of the water industry regulators and how we can ensure our regulators operate as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 recent trends in the level of water chargers on consumers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population and climate change. Bills will therefore now need to rise to invest in our crumbling infrastructure and deliver cleaner waterways.
These bill rises equate to around £3 additional per month on average, before inflation. This will pay to fix crumbling infrastructure, which will dramatically reduce sewage spills and lead to cleaner rivers, lakes and seas.
This Government has been clear with Ofwat that increases to customer bills must not flow through to company profits, or to executive bonuses where performance is poor.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the continuity of (a) patient care and (b) NHS resilience in respect to specialist food products used by the NHS in the context of the implementation of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials are working with colleagues across the Government to ensure continuity of supply into Northern Ireland of specialist food products used by the NHS and to facilitate patient care, recognising the importance of these products to enable patients to meet their dietary requirements and live full lives.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 plans to take to (a) clean up water ways in a timely manner and (b) encourage companies to invest in waterways to improve infrastructure in the water industry.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat on 11th July proposed allowing a spending package of £88bn by water companies. This investment will deliver upgrades of 1500 wastewater treatment works, improvement of thousands of storm overflows and investment in improving bathing waters.
The Secretary of State and I also secured agreement that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will also ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers, with money never allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.
The Water (Special Measures) Bill will strengthen regulation, giving the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met and increase accountability for water executives.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
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 reduce plastic pollution.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to reducing plastic waste and in April 2024 announced a ban on plastic-containing wet wipes. We will be assessing further actions to take to address the challenge of plastic pollution and move to a circular economy for plastics.
As plastic pollution is a transboundary challenge, later this year, the UK will be attending the final round of negotiations to develop a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution globally and is committed to negotiating an ambitious treaty.