Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 through the water reform white paper to consider potential options for increasing access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users. We will respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper and will bring forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for the environment and restore trust and accountability. The Government’s full response to the Commission’s recommendations will be published through the White Paper.
The Government has already responded to a number of Sir Jon’s recommendations, as set out in the statement made by the previous Secretary of State on 21 July. This set out the Government’s intention to establish a single regulator for water, to include a regional element within the new regulator, to establish a new statutory water ombudsman, to end operator self-monitoring and transition to Open Monitoring, and to issue an interim Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat and give Ministerial directions to the Environment Agency, setting out our expectations and requirements.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 impact of method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan, on 20 October 2025, PQ UIN 78472.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 consult with recreational user groups during the development of the proposed White Paper on water reform.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users, and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops.
Extensive consultation with stakeholders took place during the Independent Water Commission’s review of the water sector. The government will continue to engage key stakeholders as it develops its full policy response to the recommendations.
A new partnership between Government, the sector, investors and communities will deliver the change the public expects.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Environment Agency's Chief Scientist’s Group report entitled Exploring recreational water use in England, published in July 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. The Environment Agency’s report on recreational water use will help to inform that process.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review plastic waste exports to promote domestic recycling.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to ensuring a level playing field for domestic plastic recyclers and we are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste.
Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. We recognise that export markets can compliment domestic reprocessing to ensure more of our waste is recycled.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress she has made on the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will launch in October 2027 across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Earlier this year we appointed UK DMO as the deposit management organisation for the schemes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and they are continuing to progress at pace with delivery of the scheme.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 to reduce environmental pollution caused by the spreading of sewage sludge on agricultural land.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that wastewater treatment practices have changed in recent years and new risks may be emerging from the spread of treated sewage sludge to agricultural land.
The Government has been working with water companies on the Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) to improve the evidence base contaminants in wastewater treatment. Phase 4 of CIP will investigate the impact of sludge application on soil, surface and groundwater. The results will help inform future policy.
The Government is continuing to work with the Environment Agency to assess the regulatory framework for spreading sludge. We recognise that effective and proportionate regulations are an essential tool to improve the water environment. However, further work is required before any proposal for change may be progressed.
The Government has also launched an Independent Commission into the water sector regulatory system, which is the largest review of the industry since privatisation.
The Independent Commission’s Call for Evidence, published in February 2025, highlighted the Environment Agency’s recommendation to strengthen the regulatory framework for sludge application on land by incorporating the Sludge Use in Agriculture Regulations 1989 into the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.
A set of recommendations will be delivered by Q2 of this year. The UK government and Welsh Government will then respond and consult on proposals we intend to take forward.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 take steps to implement a national soil health monitoring programme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Yes, national soil monitoring began in October 2023 under the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme. This 5-year survey will deliver a baseline of soil health in England, with Analysis Ready Data from earlier years of the sample being released from December 2025. This data will enable us to understand how well our soils are functioning and inform efforts to improve soil health.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
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 ban the use of lead shot and large calibre bullets for game shooting.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has formed a final Opinion on their restriction proposal, including for live quarry shooting, informed by information from public consultations as well as independent scientific advice. Now Defra has received HSE’s final Opinion on their proposed restriction, we are assessing their proposals. A decision will follow in due course, which will be taken with consent from the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) a Minister from his Department plans to attend the next round of negotiations on the UN Global Plastics Treaty in Geneva.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution is scheduled to take place from 5 to 14 August 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.
As with previous negotiating committee sessions, the UK will have a strong negotiating presence to push for the agreement of an ambitious and effective Treaty covering the full plastics life cycle. No decisions have been taken on Ministerial attendance.