Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 his international counterparts on preparation for COP16.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers and senior officials across Government, led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, are in close and ongoing contact with their global counterparts about preparation for COP16. In addition, the Environment Secretary and Lord Benyon spoke to a number of their international opposites at the COP28 meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 20 November 2023 to Question 1716 on Deposit Return Schemes: Drink, if he will publish a timeline for the release of the final impact assessment for the proposed deposit return scheme.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The final Impact Assessment will be published alongside the Statutory Instrument.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 industry to use alternatives to fluorinated gases.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We undertook a joint review of the GB F gas Regulation and published our assessment report in December 2022 (available online). We are now in the process of developing policy proposals for reform and intend to consult on these in due course. Both the assessment report and consultation consider the use and effectiveness of alternatives.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 will publish the consultation on fluorinated gas regulation.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We undertook a joint review of the GB F gas Regulation and published our assessment report in December 2022 (available online). We are now in the process of developing policy proposals for reform and intend to consult on these in due course. Both the assessment report and consultation consider the use and effectiveness of alternatives.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 effectiveness of alternatives to fluorinated gases.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We undertook a joint review of the GB F gas Regulation and published our assessment report in December 2022 (available online). We are now in the process of developing policy proposals for reform and intend to consult on these in due course. Both the assessment report and consultation consider the use and effectiveness of alternatives.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 natural cork in the list of materials to attract higher modulated fees under the extended producer responsibility scheme.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials are currently collating the evidence received from an extended programme of stakeholder engagement on modulated fees which was carried out over the second half of 2023. This engagement has included consideration of natural cork. The Government intends to seek further stakeholder input in this area, including to further assess business impact, before finalising any proposals. The final decisions on packaging materials with increased fees will be agreed and announced by the Scheme Administrator for the UK Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Trenchard Scrapyard in Four Marks, Hampshire is compliant with the required Environment Agency permits and conditions; and what steps are being taken to ensure compliance.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The site does not currently benefit from an Environmental Permit. The Environment Agency is providing advice and guidance about what activities need to cease or be brought into compliance by applying for an environmental permit and/or registering appropriate exemptions.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings have taken place between Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council and the Environment Agency on Trenchard Scrapyard in Four Marks, Hampshire.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency met with Hampshire County Council on the site on Monday 27 November 2023.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement action the Environment Agency will take to prevent environmental contamination from Trenchard Scrapyard in Four Marks, Hampshire.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency does not take enforcement action to prevent contamination. The Environment Agency takes enforcement action in response to significant contamination where there is evidence it has occurred and who is responsible for it. The Environment Agency does not have evidence that the current activities at the site are causing significant contamination.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
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 higher modulated fees on the grounds of lower recyclability under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on businesses (a) using and (b) producing (i) natural cork products and (ii) other materials subject to higher fees.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials are currently collating the evidence received from an extended programme of stakeholder engagement on modulated fees which was carried out over the second half of 2023. This engagement has included consideration of cork and other natural products. The Government intends to seek further stakeholder input in this area, including to further assess business impact, before finalising any proposals. The final decisions on packaging materials with increased fees will be agreed and announced by the Scheme Administrator for the UK Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging.