Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 adequacy of (a) funding and (b) capacity for local authorities to implement Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Funding for Local Nature Recovery Strategy responsible authorities to support the delivery of the strategies will be confirmed as part of departmental business planning for financial years 2026/27 to 2028/29. This will be informed by discussions with responsible authorities about what the new delivery role will entail.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with local authorities and regional stakeholders, including in Surrey, on the delivery of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s intentions to enhance the roles and functions of Local Nature Recovery Strategy responsible authorities to take a leading role in environmental delivery are set out in English Devolution White Paper. Officials have been engaging with all responsible authorities, including Surrey County Council, and other relevant stakeholders to develop more detailed expectations for what this delivery role should entail.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 adequacy of funding levels to meet the Government’s environmental targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets out how we will deliver against our Environment Act targets. This is backed by a settlement that maintains the Government’s steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 on biodiversity outcomes of substantially increasing the de minimis threshold for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently consulted on options to improve the way Biodiversity Net Gain works for small, medium and brownfield development. This included potential changes to the de minimis exemption threshold. Since then, Government has announced its intention to introduce a new area-based exemption set at 0.2 hectares to reduce costs for smaller development while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response and impact assessment will be published in due course.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish an updated timeline for the implementation of the (a) deposit return scheme and (b) extended producer responsibility schemes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging came into force in January, and notices of liabilities have recently been issued. From 2026 fee modulation will be introduced to encourage producers to use more recyclable and sustainable packaging.
The Deposit Return Scheme regulations for England and Northern Ireland came into force in January 2025, and June 2025 by Scottish Government, to run the Deposit Return Scheme. The scheme will launch in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in October 2027.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to review the (a) application and (b) enforcement of the UK Forestry Standard in Surrey, in the context of recent logging activities at Bummoor Copse; and if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the UK Forestry Standard for balancing ecological protections with commercial forestry operations in (i) bluebell season, (ii) the bird nesting period and (ii) other times.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Forestry Commission regulates tree felling in England under the provisions in the Forestry Act. Most felling licences require that felled trees or woodland are replaced by replanting or natural regeneration. The exception to this is a thinning licence, where sufficient woodland cover is retained so as not to require restocking. In this specific case, the Forestry Commission issued 3 felling licences covering thinning, coppicing and an area of clear felling. Felling trees is an essential part of woodland management and plays a vital role in supporting the rural economy through the production of sustainable timber.
When considering a felling licence application, the Forestry Commission will judge the proposals against the UK Forestry Standard, the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. The latest (5th) edition was published in 2023 following an extensive review process. The standard encompasses the impacts on biodiversity and recognises the importance of priority habitats and species. As a result, felling licences also include guidance on additional issues the licence holder may need to consider such as compliance with wider relevant legislation, including laws related to habitat and species conservation.
Following concerns raised by the local community, the Forestry Commission visited the site in early May to assess compliance with the felling licence conditions. The woodland has been impacted by ash dieback and therefore the felling operations will help address the health and safety risks associated with diseased trees as well as providing an opportunity to increase the structural diversity to improve biodiversity in the longer term.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 the Circular Economy Taskforce on the development of the repair and reuse economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Defra recognises that repair and reuse are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. The Circular Economy Taskforce will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy throughout the development of the strategy.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the public’s awareness of electrical goods recycling options; and what steps he plans to take to improve public awareness of those options.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment regulations make producers responsible for the electrical products they place on the market when they become waste. Within that framework producers fund a not-for-profit industry body Material Focus through the WEEE Compliance Fee. Part of the funds are used for consumer awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of properly disposing of their electrical waste.
A Material Focus communications campaign has helped lead to 30 million more small electrical items being recycled in 2024 compared to 2022.
We are considering further measures to deliver a Circular Economy, including across electricals, as part of the circular economy strategy.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to incentivise manufacturers to design electrical products with longer lifespans to support (a) sustainability and (b) the circular economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce, composed of experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis, including a roadmap for electricals and electronic equipment.
While led by Defra, development of the strategy is a cross-government effort based on close collaboration between departments, including the Department for Business and Trade. Therefore, the strategy will reflect the needs and insights of industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders within the sector while improving lives up and down the country, growing our economy, and protecting our environment for generations to come.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of the household waste electrical and electronic equipment collection scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The January 2025 Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the WEEE regulations assess a range of measures aimed to drive up the levels of separately collected WEEE for re-use and recycling.
We are considering further measures to deliver a Circular Economy, including across electricals, as part of the circular economy strategy.