Contributions
852 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Environment BillI agree that this landmark proposed legislation needs to continue regardless of when Parliament dissolves for a general election. It is vital that the Bill comes back to the House…28 Oct 2019HANSARD Environment BillI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his praise for the determination expressed in the Bill to protect nature and reverse the decline in biodiversity. We will listen carefully to…28 Oct 2019HANSARD Environment BillThe Government have been involved in planting about 15 million trees, but we are determined to expand the programme because trees are crucial storage mechanisms for carbon and we…28 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyWe will certainly look at all the options to create low-carbon jobs, including the ideas that the hon. Gentleman speaks about. Just as the Climate Change Act set a path to…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyThe hon. Gentleman is right to highlight the pressing concerns about single-use plastic. The Bill contains a number of provisions designed to cut down on avoidable plastic waste,…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyYes, we would certainly envisage broadly the same direction of travel for the agriculture Bill when it is reintroduced. We very much value the input that Parliament previously…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyI am going to make some progress. We are a country that has shown that economic and environmental success can go hand in hand. We have cut our emissions by more than 40%—faster…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyMy hon. Friend makes an interesting suggestion, which I will consider carefully, and we might of course return to it when the Environment Bill is debated in Committee.17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyI am going to make a little more progress. Only six years ago, 40% of our electricity came from coal; now that figure is less than 5%. In 2018, more than a third of our…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyNo; I want Back Benchers to have all the time they need, so I will have to cut down on the points of information. We will, for example, go further and faster than ever before on…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyMy right hon. Friend makes a hugely important point, and I wholeheartedly agree and will return to it in a few moments. We have committed to building on the record of success I…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyThe UK Government have a strong record of protecting nature and biodiversity, and we will continue to build on that with the Environment Bill that I am talking about. The trees,…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyIt is a great honour to open today’s debate on Her Majesty’s Gracious Speech. A cornerstone of the legislative programme set out in that speech is a landmark Environment Bill. The…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate Emergencyrose—17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. He correctly points out that the NFU has suggested going further and faster in meeting the net zero target in relation to…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyWe are actually setting out a much more demanding programme for the environment than we would be required to undertake under EU law. We are proposing to go further and faster than…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyI assure my right hon. Friend that Ofwat and the Environment Agency work together closely in their complementary roles in regulating the water industry. Ensuring that the water…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyI can reassure the hon. Lady by drawing her attention to clause 10, which provides for interim targets. The OEP will also have the authority to hold the Government to account on…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyWithout going into the details of the make-up of that Committee, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that the UK Government will continue to work closely with all the devolved…17 Oct 2019HANSARDThe Climate EmergencyThat is, of course, the case. I would always urge everyone not to drop litter; it is an eyesore that blights our communities and open spaces, and we are determined to tackle it.…17 Oct 2019