Thursday Volume 663 25 July 2019 No. 337 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 25 July 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1415 25 JULY 2019 1416 Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP): The Minister House of Commons might be toasting the new Prime Minister, but I do wonder how much hot air is being generated and what contribution that will make to the net emissions target. Thursday 25 July 2019 The Scottish Government have committed to net zero by 2045, rather than the UK Government’s 2050 target. The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Is the UK not willing to match that level of ambition? PRAYERS Mr Goodwill: When it comes to hot air, pots and kettles spring to mind. I look forward to working with the Scottish [MR SPEAKER ] in the Chair Administration to achieve the target. This is not a party political issue. Every single part of this House wants to take action on climate change, and it is vital that we do Oral Answers to Questions so to deliver a cleaner and greener planet in the future. Colin Clark (Gordon) (Con): This is perfect weather ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS for barbecues and enjoying Scottish beef. Does the Minister agree that the beef industry is doing its bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from burping cows? The Secretary of State was asked— Climate Change Adaptation Mr Goodwill: Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas, but it is interesting to note that, unlike carbon 1. Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab): What plans she has to dioxide, which takes 100 years to dissipate, methane implement the recommendations on climate change dissipates in about 12 years. That means that if we can adaptation in the May 2019 Committee on Climate reduce the current rate of methane production—never Change report on net zero carbon emissions. [912183] mind net zero—we will actually reduce the amount of methane in the atmosphere, which will be an important The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food way of contributing to our net zero targets. (Mr Robert Goodwill): The Government recognise the need for urgent action on climate change—on both Forestry Investment Zones: England mitigation and adaptation. For example, we are investing £2.6 billion over six years in flood defences. Some 2. Anne-Marie Trevelyan (Berwick-upon-Tweed) (Con): sectors are already adapting to the changing climate. What steps she is taking to designate forestry investment When I visited the Fruit Focus event in Kent, I learned zones in England. [912184] that the climate is now better suited for apricot production and for vineyards. The good news is that this will mean TheParliamentaryUnder-Secretaryof StateforEnvironment, more high-quality English sparkling wine to toast the Food and Rural Affairs (David Rutley): We are piloting health and success of our new Prime Minister. the first forestry investment zone in Cumbria to learn how best to support long-term forestry investment. I Liz Twist: Do I detect an end-of-term feel about the was delighted to visit Northumberland last week to Minister’s comments? discuss with my hon. Friend and others how to increase What analysis has the Minister undertaken of the tree planting rates. We have everyone from the county impact on homes, infrastructure and communities as a council to the national park agreeing to work together result of climate change over the next 10 to 20 years? to increase woodland creation in that great county. Will he share that analysis with the House, so that Members are able to assess the impact on our constituencies? Anne-Marie Trevelyan: I welcome the Minister’s visit to Northumberland last week and thank him for his Mr Goodwill: I thank the hon. Lady for that question. kind words. Does he agree that what we need is a whole The Committee on Climate Change assessed 33 sectors, of Northumberland FIZ, which will be structured to and we welcome its report. We are committed to taking allow long-term private investment to support local robust action to improve resilience to climate change. landowners to plant and, importantly, maintain extensive We will formally respond to the Committee’s detailed commercial and amenity planting projects, so that our recommendations in October, in line with the timetable 11 million new carbon sinks—our trees—will be a reality, set out in the Climate Change Act 2008, and that will not just a plan? include the way climate change affects communities. Richard Benyon (Newbury) (Con): Does my hon. David Rutley: I welcome my hon. Friend’s further Friend the Minister agree that tackling and adapting to comments on the development of a FIZ in Northumberland climate change has the virtue not only of being the right and completely agree that we need to do more to make policy—making sure that we continue to be a world our long-term tree planting aspirations a reality. As we leader in this regard—but of being popular? discussed last week, we need to explore further the opportunities around the potential FIZ in Northumberland, Mr Goodwill: As we switch the way we support our basing them around the lessons learned from the Cumbria farmers from the basic payment system to paying public pilot. I welcome the positive work that has already money for public goods, getting action on climate change taken place. We clearly need to do a lot more to will be just one of those public goods that we can achieve our ambitious targets across the country and deliver outside the European Union. in Northumberland. 1417 Oral Answers 25 JULY 2019 Oral Answers 1418 Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): The as the National Citizen Service to engage young people Minister knows that the Tory Administration in the and ensure that they are playing a part in the Government’s 18th and 19th centuries stole the public land from the determination to address this problem because people people. That is the truth of the matter. The enclosure are concerned about it. Acts were a stain on the history of this country. Is it not about time that we gave that land back and grew trees Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab): Nearly 40 million on it—and that we did so seriously, not through playing plastic bottles are used in the UK every day, but the around with words? Government’s bottle return scheme does not kick in for four years. Why so long? David Rutley: Of course we need to do more to plant more trees, and we are taking that action. We are Theresa Villiers: We have gone further than any other already committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022 Government in history on tackling plastic waste. I and we are well on target to achieve that aim, but our acknowledge the concern felt about the matter that the aspirations are much bigger—going to 12% level of hon. Gentleman has raised. We will always try to move woodland cover by 2060. as fast as we can to ensure that we are taking the most Plastic Pollution effective action possible, but we also need to take time to ensure that we get it right. I assure him that I will be 3. Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con): What steps she is working hard to ensure that this action is delivered as taking to tackle plastic pollution. [912185] soon as possible. 17. Sir David Amess (Southend West) (Con): What Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab): I welcome the new steps she is taking to tackle plastic pollution. [912199] Secretary of State to her place. On 1 May,this House unanimously supported Labour’s The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and declaration of an environment and climate emergency. Rural Affairs (Theresa Villiers) rose— The Center for International Environmental Law predicts that plastics will contribute to 13% of global carbon Hon. Members: Hear, hear. emissions by 2050 if no action is taken, yet the Government’s Theresa Villiers: Thank you. It is good to be back at plans do not envisage that extended producer responsibility this Dispatch Box. for packaging will come into force before 2023 or that a 75% recycling rate will be achieved before 2030. Does Our priority is preventing plastic waste from entering the Secretary of State accept that the emergency requires the environment in the first instance. The resources and much faster action? waste strategy sets out our plans to eliminate avoidable plastic waste,including measures to tackle certain single-use plastic items.This week we published Government responses Theresa Villiers: I look forward to working with the to consultations on measures that include making recycling shadow Front Benchers on these issues. We have gone easier and ensuring that producers pay the full cost of further and faster than the previous Labour Government managing their packaging waste responsibly. with radical changes, including the plastic bag tax and our plans to ban plastic stirrers and other plastic products. Vicky Ford: I congratulate my right hon. Friend on We are a world-leading country on this issue, and we her new role. will continue to be so because we are determined to Pupils from Kings Road Primary School and the tackle the problem. Bishops’ Primary School in Chelmsford want to do more to reduce single-use plastic. I have obviously given Air Pollution: Local Authority Funding them copies of “Vicky’s Guide to Going Green”, but what top tips would my right hon. Friend like to share? 4.