Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in order to secure the (1) water level, and (2) quality, of chalk streams, what plans they have to prevent HS2 from using water to tunnel through the Chilterns.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency is advising HS2 Ltd and their contractors on mitigating the potential impacts of their works on water level and quality of chalk streams. This includes water usage for tunnelling in the Chilterns. The Environment Agency will review any application for increased abstraction in the Colne catchment in line with the current Colne Catchment Abstraction Management Strategy to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on the environment.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the amount of unpicked fruit on UK farms due to a lack of labour; and what plans they have to ensure that there is enough labour to pick winter vegetables on UK farms.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We know that the horticulture sector requires a high proportion of seasonal workers. The Government introduced a new pilot for 2019 and 2020 enabling up to 2,500 non-European Economic Area migrant workers to come to the UK to undertake seasonal employment in the edible horticultural sector. As of June 2019, pilot operators had recruited all 2,500 workers who continued to arrive in the following months for the harvesting of winter vegetables. This pilot is not designed to meet the full labour needs of the horticultural sector. Rather we are seeking to evaluate the immigration pilot’s ability to assist in alleviating labour shortages during peak production periods.
Defra and the Home Office continue to monitor the impact of the seasonal workers pilot and the workforce pressures faced by farmers as we look at how best to support the longer-term needs of industry outside the EU.
EU citizens can continue to come to the UK for work in 2019 and 2020 regardless of whether the UK reaches a deal with the EU. This includes for seasonal work on farms. EU citizens arriving after we leave the EU, in a no deal scenario, will need to apply for European Temporary Leave to Remain, granting a further 36 months in the UK if they want to stay after 31 December 2020, which is the deadline for applying to the scheme.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council that the Council will not pay for the repairs to Hammersmith Bridge, whether they intend to contribute to the cost of the repairs; and what discussions they intend to have with (1) Transport for London, and (2) Hammersmith and Fulham Council, about those bodies' contribution to those repairs.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Transport in London is devolved and the maintenance of London’s roads is a matter for Transport for London (TfL) and the London Boroughs. The Department has not received a formal request for funds from either the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham or TfL for the repair of Hammersmith Bridge. Should such a request be made, we would consider it with respect to other funding requests, and in view of the devolution settlement for London.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to European Commissioner Hogan’s request for ideas on how to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy.
Answered by Lord De Mauley
The UK response to Commissioner Hogan’s request to Member States for ideas and suggestions on simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was submitted on 3 March. The response has been prepared in conjunction with the Devolved Administrations and following wide consultation across the UK farming industry. It sets out a number of ideas that meet the criteria set out in the Commissioner’s request, which are immediate, practical and non-legislative changes. We have also submitted a table of issues as a basis to inform future legislative change, as that will be required to genuinely simplify the CAP.
I have placed a copy, both of the response and table of the UK’s CAP simplification priorities and issues, in the House library.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have had any discussions with Mr Juncker about the arrangements he is putting in place to replace the function of the post of Chief Scientific Adviser to the President of the European Commission; and what are those arrangements.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government has discussed this matter with Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner responsible for Research, Science and Innovation and with Commission officials. The European Commission is still considering a number of options on the future provision of scientific advice to the European Commission and has indicated it will make an announcement before the summer.
Asked by: Earl of Caithness (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions of the Anderson Farm Consultants report <i>The Effect of the Loss of Plant Protection Products on UK Agriculture and Horticulture and the Wider Economy, </i>published in October 2014; and what are their reasons for any disagreement with those conclusions.
Answered by Lord De Mauley
This report was commissioned by the Agricultural Industries Confederation, the Crop Protection Association and the National Farmers Union. It concludes that 40 pesticide active substances are likely to be lost or restricted under European Union (EU) legislation between now and 2020. A further 47 active substances could be threatened. Consequent crop yield losses are likely to lead to substantial loss of profits and jobs across the farming and food sectors.
The report concludes that policies in this area should be science-led and based on a realistic and proportionate assessment of risk.
The Government has not carried out a detailed assessment of the analysis set out in the Andersons Centre report. However, we would support the central conclusions that current EU pesticide rules will reduce the range of available products. We also agree that decisions on pesticide approval should be proportionate and be taken on the basis of a scientific assessment of risk. Parts of the EU regime for the approval of pesticides do not currently work in this way.
The EU Regulation on the approval of pesticides includes a review clause. UK Ministers are pressing the Commission to make sure that the review is carried out thoroughly and takes full account of costs and benefits of regulation.