Mr Gove goes to Holyrood*

Taking place on Wednesday 15 May, the Secretary of State will give evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee at 9.30 and the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee at 10:45. Both sessions will be in Committee Room 1.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Gillian Martin MSP, Convener of the Environmental, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee said: “It is clear that we are at a cross roads for the environment in Scotland. With Brexit and the ever-present risk of a no deal exit, there are real challenges facing how our environment is protected and managed.

“In addition to hearing whether the UK Government intends to legislate in this devolved area, we will explore issues we’ve been discussing with stakeholders around chemicals and waste.

“These will be subject to common frameworks – agreed with the UK Government and other devolved administrations – so it is important to hear the UK Government’s priorities and expectations.

“We want to ensure that the protections and regulations which govern these areas won’t be eroded, which could lead to chemicals classed as too unsafe to be imported into the EU could be brought into the UK, or that waste shipments won’t be halted.

“We will also seek strong assurances from the Secretary of State that the UK Government will not unpick the devolution settlement and will respect the Scottish Parliament’s legislative competence on environmental policy.”

Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee said: “The success of the farming and fishing sectors are crucial to rural communities across Scotland, and indeed the UK.

“Leaving the EU, and the terms on which we leave, matter deeply to these vital industries. The policies of both the UK and Scottish Governments will have real and tangible impacts on the prospects of Scottish fishers and farmers.

“With the UK Parliament currently considering both a Fisheries and an Agriculture Bill, which would have consequences for Scotland and the powers of the Scottish Parliament, and the Scottish Government proposing its own Agriculture Bill, this is a timely and important opportunity to put questions to the Secretary of State.”

Environment Secretary Michael Gove yesterday invited organisations to apply for the second round of more than £6 million funding under the Westminster  government’s game-changing scheme to slash food waste.

The fund will improve how charities and other organisations handle and distribute leftover food by investing in infrastructure such as weighing equipment, storage solutions, warehouses, industrial freezers and fridges, labelling equipment and vehicles.

This comes as Food Waste Champion Ben Elliot hosted more than 300 major players from the food industry at London’s prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum, where businesses including Nestlé, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose signed a pledge to take tough action on food waste – including halving food waste by 2030.

The Environment Secretary also unveiled new figures which show redistribution of surplus food in the UK has almost doubled in the last three years, with enough food saved to produce the equivalent of 133 million meals a year.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “I want to thank our Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot for bringing together the biggest players from the world of food today to ‘Step up to the Plate’ and slash food waste.

“Every year, millions of tonnes of good, nutritious food is thrown away. Today I am opening the second round of funding to help organisations ensure that food is not thrown away, but goes to those most in need. Together we can deliver real change to stop good food going to waste.”

Redistribution organisations in England will be able to bid into a £6 million pot to help them overcome the financial barrier to redistributing surplus food which is currently going to waste but which could be redistributed.

It’s the second round of a £15 million scheme announced last year by the Environment Secretary to specifically address surplus food from retail and manufacturing.

The food waste symposium runs alongside the V&A’s FOOD: Bigger than the Plate exhibition, which will explore similar themes when it opens to the public on Saturday 18 May.

Currently around 55,000 tonnes of surplus food is redistributed from retailers and food manufacturers every year. It is estimated a further 100,000 tonnes of food – equating to 250 million meals a year – is edible and readily available but goes uneaten. Instead, this food is currently sent away for generating energy from waste, anaerobic digestion, or animal feed.

The UK government is committed to being a global leader in tackling food waste. The government’s £15 million scheme to tackle food waste builds on its landmark Resources and Waste Strategy, which sets out how the government will introduce annual reporting of food surplus and waste by food businesses. Should progress be insufficient, Westminster will consult on seeking legal powers to introduce mandatory targets for food waste prevention.

The Resources and Waste Strategy also sets out how the government will ensure weekly collections of food waste, which is often smelly and unpleasant, for every household – restoring weekly collections in some local authorities, subject to consultation.

The UK government is committed to supporting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger by 2030.