Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what involvement the tobacco industry has had in the Litter Strategy for England.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what grants were made by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to animal welfare groups in each of the last five years; to which groups they were made; and how much was provided in each grant.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
As part of a government wide digital transparency self-service agenda, government grant data from the previous three years is available online through the Government Grants Information System (GGIS). Data for Defra is combined with data for Defra’s arms-length bodies. As we have no firm definition of what an animal welfare group is these grants would not be easily identifiable on the GGIS.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of potential secondary uses of the estimated 400,000 foxes killed each year in Britain, including as a source of biofuel.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In 2000, the Burns Report estimated that 400,000 foxes die each year in Britain on roads, by being shot or through natural causes.
It is the responsibility of those who wish to control foxes by culling to ensure that the carcases are disposed of in accordance with the law. We have made no assessment of potential secondary uses of fox carcases.
Animals killed on roads are typically sent for disposal by incineration, co-incineration or processing (rendering). The fat extracted from rendering is commonly sent to approved biodiesel plants for conversion into biodiesel.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 8 April (HL15102), what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of the disposal of the estimated 400,000 foxes killed each year in Britain, in particular to water courses.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Environment Agency has not been made aware of any largescale or widespread practice of dead foxes being disposed of in watercourses.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of animal hunting trophies entering the UK each year.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Details of the import permits issued by the Animal and Plant Health Agency are available through the CITES Trade Database. In 2017, 57 import permits were issued for game hunting trophies. We do not hold data for species that are not CITES listed as an import permit in that case is not required.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of foxes killed each year in the UK, broken down by means of killing; and what advice they have provided, if any, on the disposal or sale of fox carcasses and skins.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government’s policy is that individuals should be free to manage wildlife within the law. The decision on whether or not to control foxes lies with the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs.
As a result, the Government does not collect data on the number of foxes killed or how they are killed. However, in 2000 the Burns Report estimated that 400,000 foxes die each year in Britain – on roads, shot or through natural causes.
The Government would always encourage those considering taking management action to try preventative strategies to deter foxes. However, we recognise it may be necessary to cull individual animals who are causing persistent problems. Natural England provides detailed advice on the humane and legal management of foxes to help owners and occupiers protect their property from damage.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what records they keep of the import of animal trophies into the United Kingdom; and whether they plan to publish data regarding the number of such imports and the respective countries of origin.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The UK holds records of applications and permits issued to import hunting trophies of species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to the UK from outside the EU. We also hold information on which import permits were returned as used.
The UK annually submits trade data in CITES specimens, including hunting trophies, to the CITES Secretariat, which administers the Convention. These are publically available on the CITES Trade Database on the CITES website.
Asked by: Lord Hanningfield (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to ban the import of animal trophies into the United Kingdom, particularly trophies from endangered species.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Under international rules set by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, a hunting trophy of an endangered species can only be exported if the exporting country is satisfied that the hunt was both legal and sustainable in terms of its impact on the overall population of the species in that country.
However, in light of growing concerns about the sustainability of the hunting of some species, we have worked within the EU to introduce stricter controls on the import of hunting trophies of particular species. This requires the importing country to also carry out an assessment of the sustainability of the hunt. In this way the import of hunting trophies of certain species from certain countries is currently prohibited by the EU.
The Government considers that properly managed, legal and sustainable trophy hunting can play a part in species conservation efforts, including providing an important source of funding for some countries. As such we have no plans to introduce legislation banning the import of all animal trophies, but we will continue to monitor the impact of trophy hunting and will work with the EU and our international partners to put in place greater protection, including prohibiting imports, where this is shown to be needed.