Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 readiness of the supply chain to implement a deposit return scheme; and if he will engage with the wine and spirits industry on steps to implement such a scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is fully committed to a Deposit Return Scheme and will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland to launch the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027.
The Department has been working closely with industry, including the wines and spirits sector, during the development of DRS policy and legislation. Officials have engaged with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) and the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) who have been acting as Industry Champions of the DRS Small Producers sub-group, working alongside the UK and devolved governments.
In England and Northern Ireland, glass will not be in scope of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. Scottish Government have also agreed to exclude glass from the DRS to progress the delivery of the schemes. This means most wine and spirit drinks containers will not be included in the scheme, only those supplied in PET plastic, aluminium and steel containers will be in scope of the scheme.
We aim to appoint the industry-led scheme administrator, the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), in April 2025. The DMO will work with industry and support them to implement DRS in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 help the wine and spirits industry manage the implementation of a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is fully committed to a Deposit Return Scheme and will continue to work closely with the Scottish Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland to launch the scheme across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in October 2027.
The Department has been working closely with industry, including the wines and spirits sector, during the development of DRS policy and legislation. Officials have engaged with the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) and the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA) who have been acting as Industry Champions of the DRS Small Producers sub-group, working alongside the UK and devolved governments.
In England and Northern Ireland, glass will not be in scope of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. Scottish Government have also agreed to exclude glass from the DRS to progress the delivery of the schemes. This means most wine and spirit drinks containers will not be included in the scheme, only those supplied in PET plastic, aluminium and steel containers will be in scope of the scheme.
We aim to appoint the industry-led scheme administrator, the Deposit Management Organisation (DMO), in April 2025. The DMO will work with industry and support them to implement DRS in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding he has allocated to flood resilience in South Cotswolds constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
£2.4 billion will be invested in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The list of projects to receive government funding in 2025/26 will be agreed in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees with local representation.
The Environment Agency is continuing to work across the South Cotswolds constituency to support communities at flood risk, particularly those who have recently flooded. This includes communities such as Dauntsey where the Environment Agency is continuing to provide flood resilience advice to better prepare people for the risk of flooding.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the mental health of farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
The department regularly meets with stakeholders as part of ongoing work to understand the causes behind poor mental health in farmers and what actions can be taken to assist those experiencing mental health challenges.
Before Christmas, I hosted a roundtable for national farmer welfare organisations to discuss this important issue. The department is in contact with officials from the Department for Health and Social Care and will shortly be discussing the issues raised during the roundtable.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which legislation created the requirement for individuals to obtain permission from every riparian property owner to pass through their land while using a waterway; and whether he plans to (a) clarify and (b) amend existing guidance on public access to rivers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Determining access rights onto rivers is complex. There is no general waterway access right and the matter has not been tested in the courts. It is not government’s role to offer legal advice, and at present those seeking to navigate inland rivers for recreational purposes where there is no navigation authority should establish that they have a legal right to do so, either through voluntary agreement with riparian landowners or otherwise.
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. A further update will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its land use framework.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government plans to publish the first steps of its land use strategy in due course.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 plans to take to reform funding arrangements for Internal Drainage Board levies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has committed to work with the internal drainage board (IDB) sector and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to review IDBs’ current funding and costs. This will include examination of whether any changes are needed to their funding model.
IDBs are local independent statutory public bodies, mainly funded by the beneficiaries of their work. This includes farmers who pay drainage rates and local authorities that pay special levies. Those beneficiaries are represented on the boards of IDBs, where decisions are made on the forthcoming programme of work and the annual drainage rates and special levies.