Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 10078 on Horticulture: Peat, what (a) legal and (b) other advice he has received on the suitability of powers provided by section 53 and schedule 7 of the Environment Act 2021 in providing an appropriate legislative vehicle for restricting the sale of horticultural peat.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 2 February 2024, PQ 10078.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the conservation status of the swift.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK swift population is estimated at 59,000 pairs (2016) Swift population trends are monitored annually by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which recorded a decline of 62% between 1995 and 2021, and of 40% between 2011 and 2021. Due to the declines recorded by BBS, swifts were added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK in 2021 and are considered ‘Endangered’ at GB level.

Natural England is currently undertaking a review of the conservation interventions needed to support the recovery of over 100 of our most threatened bird species, including the swift.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will designate the swift under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on birds which are protected by special penalties.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will designate the swift as a species of bird which re-uses its nest under Schedule ZA1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2024 to Question 12565, whether she plans to instruct the Civil Procedure Rule Committee not to amend the Civil Procedure Rules as recommended in paragraphs 73 and 74 of Part L of the Leveson Inquiry.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has no plans to instruct the Civil Procedure Rule Committee to amend rules of court in regard to the commencement and implementation of section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013. This aligns with its commitment to repeal section 40.

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .

Found: _NC33 George Eustice .