Written questions by Robertson.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Simpler Recycling in England: policy update, published on 29 November 2024, what the evidential basis is for the statement that he inherited legislation that could have required households to have up to seven bins.

The Environment Act 2021 created a requirement for the six recyclable waste streams to be collected separately from each other and be re-collected separately from residual waste for all households in England. The Government has now laid regulations to streamline waste disposal so that all areas have the same rules to tackle the avalanche of rubbish communities are facing and clean up our streets for good.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20097 on Environment Agency: Motor Vehicles, whether livery expenditures are classified as (a) essential and (b) non-essential modifications; and how these classifications are determined.

The Environment Agency does not specify a colour for wheel lug nuts on its vehicles and does not cosmetically alter them. All wheel nuts on the Environment Agency’s commercial vehicles have plastic wheel nut indicators attached, which act as a safety feature to indicate if any wheel nuts have come lose. These plastic caps are yellow as standard but can be found in green or orange. Very occasionally, the Environment Agency uses red wheel nut indicators to indicate when a wheel has been changed but has not yet been torqued. All vehicles owned by the Environment Agency have Chapter 8 markings to comply with Department for Transport codes of practice. The Environment Agency logo is also added to owned vehicles; this is regarded as essential for any public serving organisation, particularly for vehicles being used to respond to incidents where the Environment Agency needs a physical presence. The Environment Agency cannot provide a breakdown of the costs of applying chapter 8 markings and logos. The Environment Agency does not have a specific budget allocated solely for vehicle branding.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20097, on road Environment Agency: Motor Vehicles, how much the Environment Agency has spent on vehicle livery broken down by (a) vehicle type, (b) fuel type, and (c) the proportion allocated to branding and decorative elements in each of the last three financial years.

The Environment Agency does not specify a colour for wheel lug nuts on its vehicles and does not cosmetically alter them. All wheel nuts on the Environment Agency’s commercial vehicles have plastic wheel nut indicators attached, which act as a safety feature to indicate if any wheel nuts have come lose. These plastic caps are yellow as standard but can be found in green or orange. Very occasionally, the Environment Agency uses red wheel nut indicators to indicate when a wheel has been changed but has not yet been torqued. All vehicles owned by the Environment Agency have Chapter 8 markings to comply with Department for Transport codes of practice. The Environment Agency logo is also added to owned vehicles; this is regarded as essential for any public serving organisation, particularly for vehicles being used to respond to incidents where the Environment Agency needs a physical presence. The Environment Agency cannot provide a breakdown of the costs of applying chapter 8 markings and logos. The Environment Agency does not have a specific budget allocated solely for vehicle branding.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20098 on Environment Agency: Motor Vehicles, what colour wheel lug nuts are standard for vehicles purchased by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency does not specify a colour for wheel lug nuts on its vehicles and does not cosmetically alter them. All wheel nuts on the Environment Agency’s commercial vehicles have plastic wheel nut indicators attached, which act as a safety feature to indicate if any wheel nuts have come lose. These plastic caps are yellow as standard but can be found in green or orange. Very occasionally, the Environment Agency uses red wheel nut indicators to indicate when a wheel has been changed but has not yet been torqued. All vehicles owned by the Environment Agency have Chapter 8 markings to comply with Department for Transport codes of practice. The Environment Agency logo is also added to owned vehicles; this is regarded as essential for any public serving organisation, particularly for vehicles being used to respond to incidents where the Environment Agency needs a physical presence. The Environment Agency cannot provide a breakdown of the costs of applying chapter 8 markings and logos. The Environment Agency does not have a specific budget allocated solely for vehicle branding.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20098 on Environment Agency: Motor Vehicles, whether wheel lug nuts on Environment Agency vehicles are (a) painted and (b) otherwise cosmetically enhanced.

The Environment Agency does not specify a colour for wheel lug nuts on its vehicles and does not cosmetically alter them. All wheel nuts on the Environment Agency’s commercial vehicles have plastic wheel nut indicators attached, which act as a safety feature to indicate if any wheel nuts have come lose. These plastic caps are yellow as standard but can be found in green or orange. Very occasionally, the Environment Agency uses red wheel nut indicators to indicate when a wheel has been changed but has not yet been torqued. All vehicles owned by the Environment Agency have Chapter 8 markings to comply with Department for Transport codes of practice. The Environment Agency logo is also added to owned vehicles; this is regarded as essential for any public serving organisation, particularly for vehicles being used to respond to incidents where the Environment Agency needs a physical presence. The Environment Agency cannot provide a breakdown of the costs of applying chapter 8 markings and logos. The Environment Agency does not have a specific budget allocated solely for vehicle branding.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 14178 on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the minimum residual bin collection requirement in the final Simpler Recycling policy on the prevalence of local waste collection authorities moving to three-weekly or monthly bin collections.

Local authorities are already legally required to deliver waste collection services to all households in their area. Simpler Recycling in England will go further by mandating weekly food waste collections under the Environment Act 2021. Local authorities have always had flexibility to choose residual waste frequency, depending on local need. Local authorities are best placed to determine the effective delivery of local services. We recognise that as recycling services are expanded and improved under Simpler Recycling, local authorities may choose to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing best value for money in line with local need. The Government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard, as they do now. Defra recently published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained. These include ensuring that there are no disamenity impacts, such as the build-up of odorous waste at the kerbside or an increase in fly-tipping of residual waste. We expect local authorities to monitor any changes to collection frequencies to ensure there are no unintended adverse consequences.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency (a) is and (b) was in each of the last three years.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent on custom wheel lug nuts for Agency vehicles in each of the last three years; and for what purpose.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency spent on road vehicle fleet maintenance by (a) vehicle type, (b) fuel type and (c) non-essential modifications in each of the last three financial years.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) his Department’s policy is and (b) what guidance has been given to local authorities on the use of microchips in household wheelie bins.

No, the department has not outlined a policy relating the use of microchips in household wheelie bins and has not issued guidance to local authorities in relation to this topic.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance has been produced by his Department on the issuing of fines by local authorities on householders who leave items by the curtilage of their property to be given away and re-used.

The department has not produced guidance for local authorities on issuing fixed penalty notices for householders who leave items by the curtilage of their property to be given away and re-used. The principles of the Regulators’ Code applies, however, to enforcement action local authorities undertake. This states that regulatory activity should be carried out in a way which is proportionate, transparent, accountable and consistent. We are considering whether further guidance is necessary with regards to fly-tipping enforcement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information (a) his Department and (b) its agencies holds on the number of household receptacles required for rubbish and recycling collections by each local waste collection authority.

Defra and the Environment Agency do not routinely collect data on the number of containers required for waste and recycling collections by each waste collection authority.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the frequency of residual waste household collections on (a) public health and (b) local amenities.

Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, there is a duty on local authorities to keep land and highways clear of litter. We recognise that as recycling services are expanded and improved under Simpler Recycling in England, local authorities may choose to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing the most appropriate service for local circumstances. The government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard. Defra recently published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained. These include ensuring that there are no disamenity impacts, such as the build-up of odorous waste at the kerbside or an increase in fly-tipping of residual waste.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the frequency of household residual bin collections by local waste collection authorities.

Defra does not routinely collect data on the frequency of household residual bin collections by waste collection authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024, to Question HL2390, on Waste: Codes of Practice, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation on making the Code of Practice a statutory code.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse is already a statutory document, and Local Councils must have regard to it when carrying out their duty to keep relevant land clear of litter and refuse. Separate guidance on enforcement was published in 2019 and attached to the Code of Practice but is not statutory. Under the previous Government a consultation was run on making this enforcement guidance statutory. At this stage, the Government has not yet made an assessment of how it can further support local authorities to tackle litter. Any decisions or updates will be communicated in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether any (a) grant scheme, (b) core departmental and (c) other funding for local authorities is linked to their recycling rates of household waste.

From 1 January 2025, the Producer Responsibility (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, alongside simpler recycling and the deposit return scheme, will deliver transformational change, creating thousands of new jobs, helping communities to clean up their local areas, and stimulating billions of pounds’ worth of investment. This will require obligated producers to pay the full end of life costs including managing the efficient and effective collection and disposal costs of waste associated with the packaging that they place on the market. That will bring more than £1 billion of investment into local Government waste collections. The majority of the funding provided from central Government to councils through the Local Government Finance Settlement is un-ringfenced, including funding for waste management. For 2025-26, funding that local authorities receive from the Extended producer responsibility scheme will be additional income that is separate to income received through the local government finance settlement. The Government will assess the impact of additional pEPR income on the relative needs and resources of individual local authorities, and how we factor it into our measurement of local authority spending power, ahead of the 2026-27 Settlement. We will consult local councils on any expected changes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency in managing flood defences in the last five years; and if he will make made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing (a) a dedicated flood defence agency and (b) other models of flood management oversight.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. Defra has recently established a Flood Resilience Taskforce which brings together local, regional and national government and organisations including from the voluntary and insurance sectors to improve resilience and preparedness in England. The role of the EA, Local Authorities and other flood risk management authorities in incident management is set out in the Flood & Water Management Act 2010. Defra has not assessed the adequacy of international flood defence agencies. It is not the role of Defra to assess the effectiveness of agencies of other countries.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of flood defence agencies in other countries; and what account his Department takes of such an assessment in consideration of a potential Flood Defence Agency.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. Defra has recently established a Flood Resilience Taskforce which brings together local, regional and national government and organisations including from the voluntary and insurance sectors to improve resilience and preparedness in England. The role of the EA, Local Authorities and other flood risk management authorities in incident management is set out in the Flood & Water Management Act 2010. Defra has not assessed the adequacy of international flood defence agencies. It is not the role of Defra to assess the effectiveness of agencies of other countries.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits of establishing a Flood Defence Agency as a standalone arms-length body and (b) implications for (i) budget allocations and (ii) operational efficiency of such a body.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. Defra has recently established a Flood Resilience Taskforce which brings together local, regional and national government and organisations including from the voluntary and insurance sectors to improve resilience and preparedness in England. The role of the EA, Local Authorities and other flood risk management authorities in incident management is set out in the Flood & Water Management Act 2010. Defra has not assessed the adequacy of international flood defence agencies. It is not the role of Defra to assess the effectiveness of agencies of other countries.