Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what assessment the Sponsor Body has made of the potential impact of the Restoration and Renewal of the Parliamentary Estate on levels of air pollution.
Answered by Mark Tami - Opposition Pairing Whip (Commons)
The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal Act) 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieiving sustainable development in exercising its functions.
The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. This would have included an environmental assessment on both the construction phase and operations of the restored buildings, including considering the impact on air pollution and steps to mitigate road traffic pollution. The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.
Despite the broader uncertainty about the future of the programme, the Delivery Authority is planning to conduct an Air Quality Survey to set a site-specific air quality baseline. This will allow site-specific assessments to be completed in the future. The Delivery Authority is also continuing to review opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what discussions the Sponsor Body has had with (a) experts and (b) industry leaders in (i) haulage and (ii) construction to ensure that the River Thames is effectively utilised during the restoration and renewal of the parliamentary estate.
Answered by Mark Tami - Opposition Pairing Whip (Commons)
The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieving sustainable development in exercising its functions.
The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. As part of this, the Delivery Authority was reviewing opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks. This included preliminary discussions with some of the relevant stakeholders, such as the Port of Tilbury and Tideway.
The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.
The scope of the Restoration and Renewal Programme does not include the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and the Sponsor Body has therefore not made an assessment of the potential merits of transporting construction materials and debris via the River Thames during the construction of the Memorial and Learning Centre. The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is a matter for the Secretary of State of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Representatives from the Programme have held preliminary discussions with representatives working on the Memorial and Learning Centre to discuss potential efficiencies in using the River Thames for both construction projects. We intend to continue these discussions once the planning process for the Memorial and Learning Centre is concluded.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question
To ask the Right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside representing the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body, what assessment the Sponsor Body has made of the potential merits of transporting construction materials and debris via the River Thames during the (a) construction of the Holocaust Memorial Centre and (b) restoration and renewal of the parliamentary estate.
Answered by Mark Tami - Opposition Pairing Whip (Commons)
The Restoration and Renewal Programme is committed to sustainability and to meeting its environmental obligations. Under the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019, the Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body has a statutory duty to have regard to the need to protect the environment and to contribute to achieving sustainable development in exercising its functions.
The Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority had been working on developing a detailed and costed plan for the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster. As part of this, the Delivery Authority was reviewing opportunities to make use of the River Thames during construction to reduce environmental and traffic impacts on the surrounding area and road networks. This included preliminary discussions with some of the relevant stakeholders, such as the Port of Tilbury and Tideway.
The work on developing a detailed and costed plan is currently paused following the decisions made by the two House Commissions in February.
The scope of the Restoration and Renewal Programme does not include the construction of the UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre and the Sponsor Body has therefore not made an assessment of the potential merits of transporting construction materials and debris via the River Thames during the construction of the Memorial and Learning Centre. The UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre is a matter for the Secretary of State of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Representatives from the Programme have held preliminary discussions with representatives working on the Memorial and Learning Centre to discuss potential efficiencies in using the River Thames for both construction projects. We intend to continue these discussions once the planning process for the Memorial and Learning Centre is concluded.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on pollution levels around the River Thames and London of amending the Energy Act 2004 to allow biofuel suppliers to claim Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates on biofuel supplied to ferries operating solely on UK inland waterways.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) does not extend to fuels used in ferries, and there are no plans to widen the scheme so that biofuel supplied in ferries which operate solely on inland waterways would be eligible for Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) under the RTFO scheme.
Earlier this year the Department consulted on changes to the RTFO including expansion to new transport modes. The consultation “The Role of the RTFO in Domestic Maritime” explains that whilst biofuels can have a role in reducing maritime emissions, it is the Government's current view that the RTFO should not be used to stimulate the uptake of biofuels in maritime transport.
The availability of biomass used to produce biofuels is limited, and these finite resources are best used in those sectors of the economy where greater greenhouse gas savings can be achieved, or sectors that have fewer decarbonisation options than maritime, such as aviation. Therefore, the main focus of our RTFO support is to maximise greenhouse gas emissions savings from biofuels in road transport and to grow the supply of renewable aviation fuels where biomass will be needed in the longer term.
The Department is supporting Research and Development in low emission shipping technologies for vessels, including inland waterways craft, and infrastructure as part of a £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
More generally, to tackle the pollution levels around the River Thames and London the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) uses a combination of monitoring and modelling to annually assess air quality in the UK. This Modelling allows Defra to assess levels of pollutants both now and in future years in order to develop policies across government to continue to improve air quality in the UK. Additionally, the Mayor of London is responsible for air quality and transport strategies in the capital, including local air quality monitoring, and Transport for London is responsible for managing traffic on the river. Local Authorities also carry out their own assessments of air quality.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on the UK's levels of net greenhouse gas emissions of amending the Energy Act 2004 to allow biofuel suppliers to claim Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates for biofuel supplied to ferries operating solely in UK inland waterways.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) does not extend to fuels used in ferries, and there are no plans to widen the scheme so that biofuel supplied in ferries which operate solely on inland waterways would be eligible for Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) under the RTFO scheme.
Earlier this year the Department consulted on changes to the RTFO including expansion to new transport modes. The consultation “The Role of the RTFO in Domestic Maritime” explains that whilst biofuels can have a role in reducing maritime emissions, it is the Government's current view that the RTFO should not be used to stimulate the uptake of biofuels in maritime transport.
The availability of biomass used to produce biofuels is limited, and these finite resources are best used in those sectors of the economy where greater greenhouse gas savings can be achieved, or sectors that have fewer decarbonisation options than maritime, such as aviation. Therefore, the main focus of our RTFO support is to maximise greenhouse gas emissions savings from biofuels in road transport and to grow the supply of renewable aviation fuels where biomass will be needed in the longer term.
The Department is supporting Research and Development in low emission shipping technologies for vessels, including inland waterways craft, and infrastructure as part of a £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
More generally, to tackle the pollution levels around the River Thames and London the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) uses a combination of monitoring and modelling to annually assess air quality in the UK. This Modelling allows Defra to assess levels of pollutants both now and in future years in order to develop policies across government to continue to improve air quality in the UK. Additionally, the Mayor of London is responsible for air quality and transport strategies in the capital, including local air quality monitoring, and Transport for London is responsible for managing traffic on the river. Local Authorities also carry out their own assessments of air quality.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the definition of inland waterway vessel in the Energy Act 2004 to allow biofuel suppliers to claim Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates on biofuel supplied to ferries operating solely on UK inland waterways.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) does not extend to fuels used in ferries, and there are no plans to widen the scheme so that biofuel supplied in ferries which operate solely on inland waterways would be eligible for Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) under the RTFO scheme.
Earlier this year the Department consulted on changes to the RTFO including expansion to new transport modes. The consultation “The Role of the RTFO in Domestic Maritime” explains that whilst biofuels can have a role in reducing maritime emissions, it is the Government's current view that the RTFO should not be used to stimulate the uptake of biofuels in maritime transport.
The availability of biomass used to produce biofuels is limited, and these finite resources are best used in those sectors of the economy where greater greenhouse gas savings can be achieved, or sectors that have fewer decarbonisation options than maritime, such as aviation. Therefore, the main focus of our RTFO support is to maximise greenhouse gas emissions savings from biofuels in road transport and to grow the supply of renewable aviation fuels where biomass will be needed in the longer term.
The Department is supporting Research and Development in low emission shipping technologies for vessels, including inland waterways craft, and infrastructure as part of a £20m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
More generally, to tackle the pollution levels around the River Thames and London the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) uses a combination of monitoring and modelling to annually assess air quality in the UK. This Modelling allows Defra to assess levels of pollutants both now and in future years in order to develop policies across government to continue to improve air quality in the UK. Additionally, the Mayor of London is responsible for air quality and transport strategies in the capital, including local air quality monitoring, and Transport for London is responsible for managing traffic on the river. Local Authorities also carry out their own assessments of air quality.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 minimise the levels of pollution in the River Thames.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is the primary regulatory authority to minimise pollution of the River Thames.
The Environment Agency regulates water companies, industry, business and farming activities through permitting of discharges which may directly or indirectly impact the river. Regulated water discharge activities include discharges from sewage treatment works and permits place restrictions on the quality and quantity of effluent discharged to the environment. The Environment Agency carries out compliance checks including data audits of permitted discharges. The Environment Agency continues to hold water companies to account, and has prosecuted Thames Water 10 times since 2017 with fines totalling £28.4 million.
The construction of the Lee Tunnel, completed in 2016, conveys storm sewage from the largest pumping station to the newly extended Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in West Ham. The construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel, which will be connected to the Lee Tunnel, will operate as the London Tideway Tunnels and will capture the majority of flows from CSOs through London between Acton and Beckton. The completion of the London Tideway Tunnels will remove the majority of storm sewage discharges, resulting in better water quality, which the EA will monitor.
Thames Water's five sewage treatment works along the tidal Thames were enlarged by between 40-60% between 2010 and 2020. New discharge permits with tighter limits were issued and came into force in 2013. This has resulted in improvements in year-round water quality, which has encouraged aquatic life and made the river more resilient to polluting discharges.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with local authority leaders in London on increasing the number of jetties on the River Thames to (a) encourage more sustainable craft using that river and (b) mitigate the number of vehicles on London roads.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The responsibility for transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London, and the Rivers Thames in London is managed by the Port of London Authority. The number of jetties on the River Thames is the responsibility for the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the sustainability of river craft in use on the River Thames.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The responsibility for transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London, and the River Thames in London is managed by the Port of London Authority.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
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 local authorities in London to mitigate the levels of water and air pollution in and around the River Thames.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My Rt Hon Friends the Environment Secretary and the Secretary of State for Transport work closely together on issues related to air pollution, which poses the biggest environmental threat to public health. Defra officials also have regular discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Transport.
The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality and transport strategy in the capital and, through Transport for London, is also responsible for managing traffic on the river.
Local authorities are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. Defra provides support for local authorities through statutory guidance, a dedicated helpline and assessment tools. In London the Mayor provides this support.
River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) are strategic plans for England’s waters and set statutory objectives for water bodies and how to achieve them. In London, the Environment Agency is working in partnerships, updating RBMPs and flood risk management plans together, for a more integrated approach to improving water quality in London, including the Thames.
The London Tideway Tunnels are being built to intercept the 39 million tonnes of diluted sewage that would otherwise spill into the River Thames from storm overflows in a typical year. The Tideway tunnel will start to intercept sewage overflows by 2023 and be fully completed by 2025, resulting in further significant improvements to water quality in the tidal Thames. At a community level, the Environment Agency works with Thames Water and local authorities on combined flood and water quality projects, including Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS)