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Written Question
Food: Import Controls
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the impact of the proposed 70 per cent cut in funding from DEFRA from April 2024 for the inspection team of Dover Port Health Authority, and (2) how this will affect the action of this team to maintain UK food safety and security.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On the 31 January 2023 we introduced the first stage of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) which balances the need to protect biosecurity with the impact on trade. All port health authorities (PHAs) and local authorities (LAs) undertaking the new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on EU goods from 30 April 2024 will be able to issue charges to recover their costs in the way they do now for Rest of the World goods. In 2022, Defra began providing a temporary financial support package to PHAs and LAs to retain staff until the introduction of the BTOM. In that time, these staff were focused on supporting wider biosecurity work. This included supporting Border Force with enforcing the temporary African Swine Fever (ASF) safeguard measure on pork and pork products from the EU, in place pending implementation of a new SPS policy for goods intended for personal use.

Defra remains committed to protecting biosecurity and we are confident that this will not negatively impact UK food safety and security. We are working closely with all border stakeholders in the lead up to all implementation dates of new SPS controls. We are working with them to train and upskill staff to ensure that any new controls that are brought in are enacted in an efficient manner so as not to disrupt trade, but which crucially will maintain our high biosecurity standards.


Written Question
Meat: Imports
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how they will ensure that all freight vehicles carrying meat present themselves at the Sevington inland border facility having passed through the Port of Dover; and how these vehicles will be monitored and tracked.

Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Border Target Operating Model is a system deliberately designed to target risk in a proportionate way. It is not intended to carry out checks on all goods. The proportion of a particular commodity type that is required to present for physical checks is determined by the risk categorisation (high, medium or low) of that commodity. Meat products span all three risk categories, and as such will be subject to physical inspection rates between 0% and 100%.

Where a consignment is called to Sevington inland border facility for a physical inspection, those goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP). Where the BCP has concerns, either due to non-attendance or evidence of non-compliance, there are existing provisions, including requiring return or destruction of the goods, or for the goods to be referred for inland controls by the local authority. These are part of the established processes for Border Contl facilities like Sevington that sit outside the controlled zone of ports, including those at Liverpool Birkenhead, Newhaven, Portsmouth and Tyne. Other EU ports like Dublin also carry out checks at control posts outside of the port itself.

Goods selected for inspection will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the BCP. Where the BCP has concerns, for example due to non-attendance, there are existing provisions for the goods to be referred for inland controls by the local authority. There are also established processes for Border Control facilities that sit outside the controlled zone of ports.

We will look to implement the BTOM in a way that recognises that new requirements are being placed on traders. As a result, we will introduce the BTOM in a way that will focus on improving trader compliance rather than enforcement. However, enforcement will be implemented where there is evidence of deliberate avoidance, fraud or biosecurity concerns.


Written Question
Pesticides: Risk Assessment
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reform the procedures for risk assessments of biopesticides prior to their approval for release onto the commercial market.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The term “biopesticide” covers a diverse group of substances with very different modes of action. They often, but not always, have a lower risk profile than conventional pesticides and we recognise that they can play an important role as part of an integrated pest management approach. We plan to review regulatory processes and data requirements to identify where approvals and permissions for biopesticides can be made simpler and speedier. This should reduce regulatory burdens on applicants and lead to quicker approval timelines, without compromising environmental and human health standards.


Written Question
Canal and River Trust: Finance
Tuesday 25th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - 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 impact of cuts in funding to the Canal and River Trust on (1) its ability to maintain and repair the waterway network, (2) the number of resulting canal closures, (3) the maintenance of canals, bridges, locks and other associated infrastructure affected by extreme weather events, and (4) the number of jobs that will be lost, both directly and indirectly, as a result of those funding cuts.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

When the Canal and River Trust was set up in 2012 to replace British Waterways, the Government agreed to provide an annual grant over 15 years to provide a measure of financial stability while the Trust developed alternative income streams. This was on the clear agreement, set out in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Defra and the Trust at the time, that the Trust would progressively reduce reliance on Government grant funding. During this 15-year period the total value of the grant payments will be around £740 million.

The Government carried out a comprehensive evidence-based review of the grant that recognised the progress made so far. Following this, and while there was no obligation to do so, the Government has agreed to provide the Trust with a further £400 million grant over ten years from 2027 to support their continued efforts towards that end and deliver a safe and resilient canal network. Both the current grant and the new grant from 2027 onwards are primarily to support the Trust’s infrastructure maintenance programme. However, it is an operational matter for the Trust to determine the allocation of funding within their maintenance programme, and Ministers do not have a role in that.

The Government has discussed with the Trust its ability to increase income from other sources, such as rental returns from a property portfolio endowed by Government in 2012 and currently valued at over £1 billion. The Government believes that the Trust will be able to leverage other sources of income to ensure canals and towpaths remain open.


Written Question
Canal and River Trust: Finance
Tuesday 25th July 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government why they are implementing cuts in funding over successive years to the Canal and River Trust, despite their recent review finding that the Canal and River Trust provides "clear value for money"; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in funding on the Trust's ability to raise additional funding from donations.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

When the Canal and River Trust was set up in 2012 to replace British Waterways, the Government agreed to provide an annual grant over 15 years to provide a measure of financial stability while the Trust developed alternative income streams. This was on the clear agreement, set out in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Defra and the Trust at the time, that the Trust would progressively reduce reliance on Government grant funding. During this 15-year period the total value of the grant payments will be around £740 million.

The Government carried out a comprehensive evidence-based review of the grant that recognised the progress made so far. Following this, and while there was no obligation to do so, the Government has agreed to provide the Trust with a further £400 million grant over ten years from 2027 to support their continued efforts towards that end and deliver a safe and resilient canal network. Both the current grant and the new grant from 2027 onwards are primarily to support the Trust’s infrastructure maintenance programme. However, it is an operational matter for the Trust to determine the allocation of funding within their maintenance programme, and Ministers do not have a role in that.

The Government has discussed with the Trust its ability to increase income from other sources, such as rental returns from a property portfolio endowed by Government in 2012 and currently valued at over £1 billion. The Government believes that the Trust will be able to leverage other sources of income to ensure canals and towpaths remain open.


Written Question
Environment Protection: Wales
Friday 23rd June 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Wales on the need to establish a permanent environmental governance body to enable compliance with legal obligations under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Aarhus Convention.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

My Department is in regular contact with the Welsh Government (alongside other Devolved Governments) regarding environmental governance. The Welsh Government has set out its intention to establish a Commission for the environment and has appointed an interim complaints assessor.

The UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (which reflects within it certain obligations under the Aarhus Convention to which the UK is also a signatory) places obligations on the parties to ensure that their competent authorities (which enforce relevant law with regard to environment and climate) give due consideration to alleged breaches of law, and that there are sufficient remedies available, dissuasive sanctions and judicial proceedings accessible to natural and legal persons.

The UK has a well-established environment regulatory and enforcement regime. Regulators such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and their equivalents across the Devolved Administrations have the powers to regulate or take enforcement action against third parties such as business.


Written Question
Electric Vehicles: Batteries
Tuesday 25th April 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what plans they have to create a new regulatory framework for electric vehicle battery recycling, (2) when such plans will be implemented, (3) whether they will include making "second life" mandatory, and (4) whether they will introduce (a) standardised labelling to facilitate recycling, and (b) a mandatory minimum level of recycled content.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Defra is currently reviewing the existing UK Batteries Regulations, and a consultation is scheduled for the end of 2023. The review is expected to consider a range of measures promoting the recovery, reuse or recycling of all battery chemistry types in line with the waste hierarchy. This includes those batteries found in electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle batteries are no longer viable once they drop below 80% efficiency. By working with the relevant industries and Government departments, the Environment Agency is looking to produce an effective Electric Vehicle Batteries Resource Framework. The framework will look to set out end of waste criteria for electric vehicle batteries when put to second life applications or dismantled to constituent parts for recovery of metals. The main purpose to this framework is to embed the circular economy approach to end of waste for this waste stream.


Written Question
Inland Waterways: Freight
Friday 17th March 2023

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the guidelines followed by the Environment Agency so that priority is given to proposals and planning applications that enable access to freight transported on waterways, rather than roads; and what account the Environment Agency takes of the emission reductions and health benefits of moving freight from roads to waterways.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Department for Transport operates two freight revenue grant schemes to encourage modal shift from road to rail or water. These are Mode Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) for rail and inland waterways and Waterborne Freight Grant (WFG) for coastal and short sea shipping.

MSRS assists companies with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. WFG can assist a company with the operating costs associated with running waterborne freight transport instead of road, where transport by water is more expensive.

The Government has committed £20 million per year towards these two schemes.

The MSRS grants are awarded through a competitive bid round process and applications are considered for funding on the basis of value for money.

The amount of grant is capped by the estimated benefit of the mode shift, calculated by using Mode Shift Benefit Values (MSBs). The MSBs are an estimate of the economic, environmental and other social benefits of removing one lorry mile of freight from the road and transferring it to rail or water.

The MSRS grant scheme helps remove up to 900,000 lorry journeys per year from Britain’s roads, saving up to 58,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and has been a vital tool for supporting the Government’s environmental priorities.


Written Question
Musical Instruments: Customs
Monday 10th October 2022

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what negotiations are taking place with the governments of (1) France, (2) Belgium and (3) the Netherlands, to designate Eurostar terminals as entry and exit points for items including musical instruments affected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); what progress they have made in any such negotiations; and, in the absence of any agreement, what steps they are taking to broaden and increase the number of ports of entry to the EU that can be used by UK musicians who are required to obtain a carnet to work in the EU.

Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Any specimen covered by CITES controls must be imported or exported through one of the 36 designated and operational land, sea and air Points of Entry (PoE). The full list is available at GOV.UK and kept under review.

We are working closely with Border Force, industry and our European counterparts to look at the feasibility of designating further PoE to provide additional routes for the movement of CITES items (e.g. musical instruments), including the Eurostar.

Approximately 80 countries around the world (including all EU member states) accept ATA Carnets. ATA Carnets are not a mandatory requirement for anyone temporarily moving goods between the United Kingdom and the EU, including musicians transporting their instruments. They are an optional facilitation that allows goods to be imported temporarily without the normal customs formalities (i.e. customs declarations) and import duty being paid. They allow a single document to be used for multiple countries’ customs controls. The management of EU import and export procedures is the responsibility of the customs authority of the relevant EU member state.


Written Question
Tetraethyllead
Thursday 20th January 2022

Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

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

To ask Her Majesty's Government why they decided not to place tetraethyllead on a list of substances “of very high concern”; on what grounds that decision was taken; whether the transition period has been extended for the use of this substance in the fuel for small aircraft; and if so, when that transition period will end.

Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Tetraethyllead is listed on the UK REACH Candidate list as a substance of very high concern. There is no transition period associated with these obligations under UK REACH.