Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why a regional avian influenza prevention zone for the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, and Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk was not put in place before 23 December 2024.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The prevention measures mandated through an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) are introduced in a phased and escalating manner proportionate to the escalating risk to an area. An AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity was declared across the East Riding of Yorkshire, the City of Kingston upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk on the 13 November 2024 in response to cases in the area and an increase in both the wild bird and poultry avian influenza risk levels. The AIPZ was extended to include mandatory housing from the 23 December 2024 following a further increase in both the wild bird and poultry risk levels and an escalating number of cases in the area indicating further controls were required to stop the spread of disease. Decisions on when to introduce or vary controls are based on risk assessments of the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much they have spent on compensation, disinfection of premises and other costs associated with avian flu outbreaks at poultry and game farms, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Figures include (i) compensation claims related to the avian influenza compensation scheme; and (ii) operational costs, which includes culling, disposal, and cleaning and disinfection at infected premises.
2023/24 Total costs of £13.1 million, made up of £2.9 million compensation claims and £10.2million of operational costs
2022/23 Total costs of £84.5 million, made up of £38.3 million compensation claims and £46.2 million of operational costs
2021/22 Total costs of £24.8 million, made up of £6.5 million compensation claims and £18.3 million of operational costs
2020/21 Total costs of £4.5 million, made up of £1.5 million compensation claims and £3.0 million of operational costs
2019/20 Total costs of £0.1 million, made up of £0.1 million in operational costs, there were no compensation claims.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - 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 effectiveness of existing measures in place to both respond to, and reduce the risk of, outbreaks of avian flu at poultry and game farms.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s approach to avian influenza is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.
All avian influenza disease control and prevention measures are kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza, and all decisions regarding these measures are based on risk assessments containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the special protection areas on General Licence 45 were reassessed following the highly pathogenic avian influenza risk-level in wild birds being increased to medium (on 7 October 2024), high (on 30 October 2024) and very high (on 18 December 2024), and under what scenario the licence would be modified or revoked.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra regularly assesses the local risk of HPAI to internationally protected birds on Special Protected Areas subject to the General licence 45. It has not been necessary to modify or revoke the licence as no gamebirds are being released at the times stated and the biosecurity conditions of GL45 were considered sufficiently precautionary.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish details of progress made in implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is committed to meeting the requirement to submit to the Convention on Biological Diversity its seventh and eighth national reports in February 2026 and June 2029, respectively. These reports will provide an assessment of our progress on the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, including progress towards the national targets which we submitted on 1 August.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to introduce management measures for the stage 3 and stage 4 offshore marine protected areas.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is essential to manage damaging fishing activity in our Marine Protected Areas appropriately due to the significant damage it can have on protected habitats and species. The department is considering next steps for both stages 3 and 4 in the context of our domestic and international nature conservation obligations and how we support the fishing sector.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - 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 environmental impacts of the Cayman Islands government’s proposed east-west arterial road project.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The responsibility for any environmental impact assessments for road projects is with the Cayman Islands Government, as environment is devolved to Overseas Territories (OTs) governments. Defra regularly engages with the OTs to facilitate knowledge exchange on environmental issues, where requested.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a new UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government will work with the Governments and Administrations of the UK Overseas Territories on timescales for publishing a new UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to continue financing Darwin Plus at £10 million per year after the current commitment ends in 2025.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Running since 2012, the Darwin Plus programme has invested over £55 million in more than 320 projects across the UK Overseas Territories. The UK Government has recently expanded the Darwin Plus programme to better meet the needs of the UK Overseas Territories. In 2023, Darwin Plus introduced a new local scheme aimed at building capacity, and a new strategic scheme for fostering great innovation, ambition and collaboration in and between territories, both of which are now funding live projects.
Post March 2025, Darwin Plus funding will be subject to outcomes of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Randall of Uxbridge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies prohibits fuel subsidies for fleets and vessels catching depleted fish stocks in UK waters.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies prohibits specific subsidies, including specific fuel subsidies, for fishing or fishing related activities regarding an overfished stock. The UK does not provide specific fuel subsidies to the UK fishing fleet.