Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of including a digital option in the UK’s deposit return scheme to enable consumers to recycle their in-scope containers from home.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through our regular industry engagement and international learnings from other schemes, there has been a broad consensus that a return to retail approach is the most effective way to launch a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers across the UK and begin to realise its benefits.
However, Defra recognises the broad benefits a digital model could bring and welcome the trials that are being held. I remain encouraged by this and keen to see the testing of the feasibility for introducing a digital solution in the future.
Regarding local authority revenue streams, Defra recognises the concerns expressed by some local authorities over the potential impact of DRS.
Defra officials are in regular contact with local authority representative associations and will continue to assess this important aspect of the deposit return scheme.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing a return-to-retail deposit return scheme on local council revenue streams.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through our regular industry engagement and international learnings from other schemes, there has been a broad consensus that a return to retail approach is the most effective way to launch a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers across the UK and begin to realise its benefits.
However, Defra recognises the broad benefits a digital model could bring and welcome the trials that are being held. I remain encouraged by this and keen to see the testing of the feasibility for introducing a digital solution in the future.
Regarding local authority revenue streams, Defra recognises the concerns expressed by some local authorities over the potential impact of DRS.
Defra officials are in regular contact with local authority representative associations and will continue to assess this important aspect of the deposit return scheme.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 bring forward his planned implementation of the (a) packaging and (b) other aspects of the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to creating a circular economy that: uses our resources as efficiently and productively as possible, minimises environmental impacts, accelerates our progress on Net Zero, supports economic growth, and creates new jobs. The draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 were recently laid before Parliament and, subject to Parliamentary processes, will be coming into force from 2025.
The Secretary of State has asked his department to convene a taskforce of experts to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Taskforce will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and as such will evaluate what interventions may be needed, including other Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
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 publish the outputs of the Air Quality Common Framework emissions reduction sub-group.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Air Quality Common Framework emissions reduction sub-group is a working level meeting between officials in the UK Governments. We will consider further whether any additional information regarding emissions policies under consideration should be published in due course.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the National Air Control Programme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No decisions have yet been taken in respect of the National Air Pollution Control Plan or any replacement.
In line with our statutory obligations we will continue to publish data setting out whether the UK has achieved its emission targets and whether it is on track to achieve future emission targets.