Asked by: Tracey Crouch (Conservative - Chatham and Aylesford)
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 it his policy to replace the lethal dose 50 test with non-animal testing methods.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for West Derby on 24 April 2024, PQ 22419.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure there are no delays by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in processing applications for new seed varieties; and when they will determine the causes of the current backlog of applications so that in future new varieties are made available to UK growers in a timely manner.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The backlog of applications for variety listing following EU exit has now largely been resolved.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency and Defra are working closely with stakeholders to monitor the processes involved in variety listing and are currently instigating improvements and resilience in the system.
The UK authorities are working together to develop the first UK Plant Variety and Seeds strategy. Following a Call for Ideas and further industry engagement, additional improvements in the plant variety listing process are anticipated.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff left his Department in each year since 2015.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We centrally hold some of the information requested.
In as far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics, for Defra, at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics
The Declaration on Government Reform (2021) stated: "There is however more we must do to attract a broader range of people to the privilege of public service... It should be natural for people with careers and skills built in business to serve in government for a period, and for those in public service to spend time in organisations which are not dependent on public money... We will develop new entry routes from industry, academia, the third sector and the wider public sector, with flexibility to suit those who want to build a career in government and those who want a shorter tour of duty."
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken to introduce health and safety checks on imports from the EU on (a) biosecurity and (b) food safety standards.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have worked very hard to get this right. We are aware of the uncertainty this may have caused however remain committed to delivering the Government's priorities which includes a commitment to delivering the world’s most effective and efficient border.
We held workshops with industry to develop our ideas on a new Border Target Operating Model, we then tested our conclusions with stakeholders to ensure the model was both ambitious and deliverable. We have engaged closely with stakeholders with a wide range of views, considering the balance of appropriate facilitations with biosecurity and security risks.
We have designed a global risk-based import model for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) goods that will deliver a streamlined approach which protects public, plant and animal health, boosts our economic growth, and minimises friction at the border.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains his policy that the new health and safety checks for EU imports will begin on 30 April 2024.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Yes, the guidance for businesses, Government IT systems and infrastructure are in place, or are on track, to ensure delivery of the BTOM milestones.
Checks are commencing from 30 April and medium and high-risk goods posing the greatest biosecurity risk are being prioritised as implementation builds up to full check rates and high levels of compliance. DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption risk at the border. Current check rates applied to rest of world consignments will be maintained, or set to agreed BTOM levels, and will not be impacted by this incremental approach.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of border control posts ahead of the introduction of the common user charge on 30 April; and what assessment they have made of the likely impact of the common user charge on the UK’s environmental horticulture industry.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is confident that existing and new BCP infrastructure will have sufficient capacity and capability to handle the volume of expected checks outlined in the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), with robust, dynamic, and effective operational measures ready to call upon if needed.
Defra will continue to work with existing BCP operators to ensure they are prepared, and the Government has built new infrastructure at critical locations.
Operators have not expressed concerns regarding under-capacity, we are therefore not anticipating queues but will continue working closely with operators to address any concerns they may have.
The common user charge for BCP operating costs applies only to UK government-run BCPs. Commercial operators will independently set BCP charges for their own facilities.
The impact of the Common User Charge (CUC) on businesses of all sizes will be kept under monthly and quarterly reviews, with rates reviewed and updated annually.
Full details of the CUC can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the time taken to implement health and safety checks on EU imports on (a) inventory levels for, (b) costs incurred by and (c) business continuity planning by the retail sector in Slough constituency in each of the last three years.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is no assessment specific to the retail sector in Slough. Overall, the new Border Target Operating model will not reduce choice for domestic consumers and will lead to an approximate increase in consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2 percentage points over a 3-year period. The proposed regime aims to balance the impact on traders with the need to maintain UK biosecurity, which is essential to ensuring a supply of safe food to consumers. We are working closely with traders and the border industry to implement the new regime and minimise impact.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when farmers in existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements can transfer to the new offer.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We plan to roll out the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer during 2024, with applications opening from the summer. We will publish more information about this, and how farmers will be able to apply, ahead of applications opening. This will include setting out how farmers with existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements will be able to access the new offer.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish further information on the combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We plan to roll out the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer during 2024, with applications opening from the summer. We will publish more information about this, and how farmers will be able to apply, ahead of applications opening. This will include setting out how farmers with existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements will be able to access the new offer.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when farmers will be able to apply for the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We plan to roll out the new combined Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship offer during 2024, with applications opening from the summer. We will publish more information about this, and how farmers will be able to apply, ahead of applications opening. This will include setting out how farmers with existing Higher Level Stewardship, Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements will be able to access the new offer.