Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the impact assessment entitled, Introducing a deposit return scheme on beverage containers, included an assessment of the changes proposed to the waste regime which were included in the strategy entitled Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England published on 18 December 2018.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We recognise that any potential deposit return scheme would need to work alongside the wider producer responsibility and recycling systems in operation in this country (including any potential changes to them). We have carefully considered the connections between these policy areas and chose to launch the three sets of consultations and impact assessments together to reflect this.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the implications for her policies of the Impact Assessment entitled, Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme on beverage containers, published on 15 February 2019.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We published an impact assessment that detailed the costs and savings to local authority finances, including possible reduction in litter cleaning costs and loss of material revenues. However, under the reformed packaging producer responsibility system, packaging producers will be responsible for the costs of dealing with the packaging waste they produce, so the identified kerbside costs and benefits are expected to fall to packaging producers, rather than placing a burden on local authorities.
The Government has also committed to funding any additional net costs that the new policies will bring to local authorities.
We will continue to refine our analysis of the costs and benefits as we receive more evidence and as we develop further policy options.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential annual (a) costs and (b) savings accruing to local authority finances of a deposit return scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is expected to increase recycling and reduce littering of the drinks containers in-scope. The greenhouse gas emissions reduction associated with this is 2.9 metric tonnes of CO2e over the ten-year appraisal period. The Net Present Value of a DRS for drinks containers is estimated in the initial impact assessment to be more than £2 billion over the appraisal period for the ‘all-in’ option, and £250 million for the ‘on-the-go’ option. We will continue to refine our analysis of the costs and benefits as we receive more evidence and develop further policy options.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to inform local authorities of changes to the financing of waste collection as a result of the policies in Our waste, our resources: a strategy for England published on 18 December 2018.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Earlier this year, the Government published three consultations: ‘consistency in household and business recycling’, ‘reforming the UK packaging producer responsibility system’ and ‘introducing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers’. The consultations sought views on the policies in our Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) including the financing of waste collections.
During the consultation period, we held events for local authorities where we invited views on the proposals in the consultations. We have also made it clear to local authorities that the Government is committed to funding any additional net costs that the new policies will bring. We have also made local authorities aware that the reform of the packaging regulations will mean that they receive funding to pay for the collection of packaging materials for recycling.
The Environment Bill was introduced on 15 October https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2019-2020/0003/20003.pdf. It contains the draft legislation relating to the policies in the RWS. We will continue to have regular discussions as we develop our final proposals which we will consult on in 2020.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Impact Assessment entitled, Introducing a deposit return scheme on beverage containers included an assessment of the changes proposed to the waste regime that were included in the strategy entitled, Our waste, our resources.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the Impact Assessment, Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme on beverage containers, published on 15 February 2019.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential (a) costs and (b) benefits to local government finances of the introduction of a deposit return scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to inform local authorities of changes to financing waste collection as a result of the policies contained in the document entitled, Our Waste, our resources: a strategy for England.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support his Department provides to local authorities for investment in waste and recycling facilities.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Government has provided local government with over £200 billion for this spending period and while councils make their own spending decisions, we would expect councils to prioritise what they do to deliver what their residents want to see and to invest in waste and recycling facilities as necessary to ensure good waste management practice.
The Government is also investing around £3 billion of grant funding in 24 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) waste infrastructure projects. These grants support infrastructure including material recovery, mechanical biological treatment and anaerobic digestion facilities, as well as implementing and expanding kerbside recycling services.
Asked by: Sandy Martin (Labour - Ipswich)
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 cost to the public purse of the introduction of separate food waste collections throughout England.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In the supporting impact assessment to our consultation on consistency in recycling, we modelled three scenarios on how that policy could be delivered, all including separate food waste collection. In the preferred option of that impact assessment (option 3, which for local authorities includes weekly separate food waste, free garden waste, weekly dry multi-stream recycling and fortnightly residual waste collections) the overall cost to the public purse is estimated to be just under £260 million a year between 2023-2035.
This comprises: local authority initial costs and subsequent savings; lost revenue to the Exchequer from local authority and business waste diverted away from landfill; lost garden waste income to local authorities; and policy costs to Government in supporting waste collection changes to municipal business.
The full impact assessment is available from the following link: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environmental-quality/consultation-on-consistency-in-household-and-busin/supporting_documents/recycleconsistencyconsultia.pdf
We will refine our analysis based on consultation feedback and engagement with the sector.