Barry grills Thames Water bosses

In the hearing of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday 15th July, Barry interrogated Thames Water Chief Executive Christopher Weston, and Thames Water Chair, Sir Adrian Montague.

Barry quizzes Christopher Weston over Thames Water’s environmental obligations.

Barry probes into Thames Water’s finances with its Chair, Sir Adrian Montague.

Barry raises constituency flooding issues

In the Environmental Audit Committee hearing on Wednesday 9th July, Barry raised the issue of the Wembley Brook flooding in Brent West with the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.

He further probed both the Environment Agency and Minister Emma Hardy on the Government’s flood management.

Barry questions the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency about Wembley Brook.

Barry presses Philip Duffy on the work of the Environment Agency.

Barry questions Minister Hardy about the Government’s flood protection work.

With climate change making flooding events more likely, are flood resilience efforts fit for purpose?

It has been estimated that climate change could cause one in four properties to be at flood risk by 2050, but what are the solutions and is the Government’s current approach to flood resilience adequate?

 

The Environmental Audit Committee seeked to get to the bottom of these issues with the Climate Change Committee’s Adaptation Committee, the National Infrastructure Commission, academics specialising in flood risk and experts in flood and coastal risk management.

 

Members explored current Government policy and flood resilience approaches, and what may be needed as the future flood risk becomes greater with climate change. They considered nature-based solutions vs grey infrastructure, and how joined up England’s monitoring of the flood risk is.

 

The evidence session came following widespread flooding across England earlier in the month following heavy rainfall and snowmelt. Last week, a survey by Climate Barometer found that three-quarters of people think the UK is not prepared to deal with flooding and other extreme weather driven by climate change.  

     

Witnesses 

    

From 14.30:

  • The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE, Chair of the Adaptation Committee, Committee on Climate Change

  • Professor Richard Dawson, Member of the Adaptation Committee, Committee on Climate Change

 

From 15.15:

  • Professor Jim Hall, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission

  • Professor Briony McDonagh, Professor of Environmental Humanities, University of Hull

  • Professor Larissa Naylor, Professor of Geomorphology and Environmental Geography, University of Glasgow

Dr. Paul Sayers BEng PhD CEng MICE, Partner at Sayers and Partners

How can we protect the marine environment with such a busy seabed?   

Policies to protect the marine environment and ensure 30% of waters are protected by 2030 was the focus of the Environmental Audit Committee’s first evidence session of its ‘Governing the marine environment’ inquiry.

The inquiry was launched in December 2024 to examine whether provisions of international treaties aimed at protecting global seas and oceans are adequate, particularly in the light of current competing demands on the marine environment including fishing, undersea cabling, renewable energy, shipping and leisure.

Members aimed to complete a stocktake of how the UK is implementing policies protecting the marine environment by the UN Oceans Conference in June 2025, and will, if necessary, press Ministers to address any limitations in the current domestic and international policy landscape.   How can we protect the marine environment with such a busy seabed?   

Barry grills Ministers on British science in Antarctica

British scientists and researchers have been active in Antarctica for over a century: but what is their role in the region, and how is their work deepening our knowledge of climate change?

Science Minister Lord Vallance and Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty MP gave evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee as members conclude its predecessor Committee’s work on ‘The UK and the Antarctic environment’. The inquiry was established to examine the role of UK science in understanding the effects of climate change in Antarctica, and how well the UK Government is meeting its obligations under the Antarctic Treaty.

The importance of the right tree, in the right place at the right time

On the 27th of November 2024 Barry sat on a session of Environmental Audit Committee to ask the question: Can the UK reduce emissions by 81% without behaviour change?

This panel quizzed 2 representatives from the Climate Change Committee. In addition to exploring what is needed to meet the UK’s NDC, the Committee also discussed the CCC’s annual report to Parliament made in June 2024, seeking the CCC’s views on the prospects of meeting the Sixth Carbon Budget, looking forward to the CCC’s advice on the Seventh Carbon Budget, and discussing the CCC’s assessment of climate-related announcements in the recent Autumn Budget. 

National Planning Policy Framework reforms and the environment

In this one off session of the Environmental Audit committee Barry alongside the other MPs considered the Government's recent proposals for reform of the National Planning Policy Framework, including the 'standard formula' for determination of housing need, and to look at the extent to which the Government has taken into account the likely effect of its proposals on delivery of the environmental objective of the planning system in England.

Barry Gardiner for EAC Chair

“Why do they spend a lot of time and money doing careful scientific studies, and then simply ignore the results?” – Sir David Attenborough 

 

Dear Colleague,

The job of the Environmental Audit Committee is to make sure we examine the science and hold people to account against their environmental and sustainability targets.

A good chair of committee does not hog the limelight but builds a cross-party team that will work together to question witnesses. The chair's key role is to draft a report that can command the agreement of all members, and find suitable compromises where they differ, whilst moulding a powerful report of constructive recommendations to government.

In the last parliament I was a member of all three of the environment select committees: EAC, EFRA, and ESNZ where I worked constructively with colleagues from all sides of the House. That is why the Chairs of all three committees in the last parliament (two Conservatives and one SNP) have been pleased to endorse my candidacy to Chair the Committee. I hope you will too.

Experience

As Minister for Biodiversity and Rural Affairs, I set up Natural England, the network of Marine Conservation Zones, the English Coast Path, and established the system that led to the Natural Capital Committee.

As Minister for Energy in Northern Ireland, with the Irish Minister I unified the electricity grid in the whole of Ireland.

As Minister at the Dept of Trade and Industry, I helped introduce the system of cap and trade for carbon emissions.

As the Prime Minister's Envoy for Forests, I established the £58 million Congo Basin Forest Fund.

In opposition, I served as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Shadow Environment Minister and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade.

Outside of parliament, I have been President of GLOBE, a Director of The Climate Parliament and the UK Chair of the International Conservation Caucus Foundation.

1st Preference VOTE for Chair of the EAC.

Barry Gardiner
Member of Parliament for Brent West

The public are angry about shrinkflation - why won't the government do anything about it?

Shrinkflation, also known as package downsizing or weight-out, is the process of items shrinking in size or quantity while the prices remain the same, or in some cases even increase.

A survey by Which found that 77% of the British public aren’t happy about it. they dislike the sneaky tactics by which to increase their costs.

On the 21st of May 2024, Barry asked the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries Mark Spencer MP, why he and his government weren’t doing anything about it.

Minister left speechless when confronted with the reality of foodbanks

On the 24th of January 2023 Barry a government minister tried to dismiss the rise in use of foodbanks, instead arguing that  the UK consumer is savvy enough to continue to shop around and avoid astronomical rises in food prices.

Barry pointed out to him that an Ealing Road foodbank in our community on Saturday morning, had a queue that was over a quarter of a mile long. He didn’t have much to say in response.

Why were U.K. bill payers saddled with an extra £29Billion for their gas and electric?

On the 9th of May 2024 the CEO of Centrica was asked to explain why U.K. bill payers were saddled with an extra £29Billion for their gas and electric, driving many into hardship at the same time as Oil and Gas companies were making £65billion in profit. And why his company who made £3.3Billion profit felt they had to fire and rehire workers on worse terms and conditions.

The government have ignored advice on fast fashion for too long

On the 1st of May 2024, Barry sat on two Environmental Audit Committee Sessions on the subject of fast fashion.

On the first panel, Barry questioned the experts on how best the UK fashion industry can reduce its carbon footprint. He also asked what actions the government could take to change attitudes towards green fashion. This panel consisted of Professor Dilys Williams, Founder and Director, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, University of the Arts London, Keith James, Head of Policy and Insights, WRAP and Femke den Hartog, CSR Policy Advisor, Europe, INretail.

After this Barry challenged Andrew Reaney, Director of Responsible Sourcing, boohoo group, Marcus Hartmann, Head of Public Affairs, H&M, Joe Metcalfe, Founder and CEO, Thrift+ and Lorna Fallon, Trading Director, Oxfam on microplastics in the fashion industry.

What more can supermarkets do to support you in your weekly shop?

On the 30th of April 2024 Barry questioned representatives from Britain’s largest supermarkets to question what theyre doing to support people sturggling with rising inflation during a cost of living crisis.

The panel included Dom Morrey, Commercial Director for Fresh Food, Tesco, Kris Comerford, Chief Commercial Officer (Food), Asda, Charlotte Di Cello, Commercial Director, Waitrose, Richard Bourns, Chief Commercial Officer, Lidl GB and Rhian Bartlett, Chief Food Commercial Officer, Sainsbury’s.

Amazon fails to appear before the Committee: Electronic waste and the circular economy

On Wednesday 17 April, the Environmental Audit Committee held a follow-up session to its inquiry on electronic waste.

Electrical and electronic equipment are estimated to be Europe’s fastest growing source of waste, increasing by 3-5% year on year. UK households and businesses discard an estimated 2 million tonnes of e-waste each year.

MPs heard from organisations and experts working across the waste and recycling industries. However, Amazon declined an invitation to appear, despite being the primary UK marketplace for electronics. Committee Chair Philip Dunne has written to the company querying this, saying it raises concerns of how waste and recycling is being tackled “at board level”.

Thames Water have provided a catastrophic failure in service

“I’m not sure you have charted a plan in what you’ve said”, Barry told Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as he outlined the “catastrophic failure” of Thames Water.

In the second half of the same session, Barry put to the Minister that “there is a huge descrepancy in the number of checks you think will be required at Sevington and that they believe will be required at Sevington”. 1.1 million to be specific. This was part of Barry’s line of questioning on the operation of Britain’s ports.