Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
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 include goat farmers in the eligibility criteria for the Animal Health and Welfare grant in the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Guidance for grants under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025 was published on 7 May ahead of opening to applications on 29 May. These grants are available to keepers of pigs, dairy cows, beef cattle, laying chickens, broilers and sheep.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with international investors on the potential impact of extended producer responsibility on the attractiveness of the UK as an investment destination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Government’s broader Collection and Packaging Reforms Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging will provide regulatory certainty necessary to support investment in recycling and reprocessing infrastructure across the UK and support the transition to a circular economy. Defra and senior officials from the Dutch Government have met with representatives of the UK and Dutch finance sectors to set out a path toward closer cooperation in financing a circular economy. Both sets of officials, with support from the Dutch Banking Association, invited attendees to form a Circular Economy Finance Coalition. The Coalition will identify ways to boost investment in the transition to a circular economy, including developing the necessary infrastructure and innovative business models.
Investment is at the heart of the government’s growth mission, increasing the number of good, well-skilled jobs and improving productivity across the country. The UK has a strong track record attracting private investment – a testament to our strong economic foundations, including world-leading innovation, the rule of law, our ambitious transition to clean energy, and a supportive regulatory framework.
The UK remains a globally competitive destination with the lowest top-line corporation tax rate in the G7 at 25%; the joint most generous capital allowances regime for plant and machinery in the OECD; and R&D tax incentives up to 27% for SMEs and the joint highest uncapped rate in the G7 for large companies.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
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 risk of incinerators to public health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In England, waste incinerators cannot operate unless issued with an environmental permit by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA assesses the emissions from new incinerators as part of its permitting process and consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on every application received. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local and national concentrations of air pollutants.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle (a) illegal landfill sites and (b) waste crime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a range of powers to tackle waste crime and take enforcement action. These powers, coupled with those of their partners ensure that it can confront criminals. Over the last 3 years the EA has stopped more than 1500 illegal waste sites and is now implementing powers from the Environment Act 2021 to increase funding available for enforcement work against waste crime.
This Government is committed to tackling waste crime. We are considering how to continue to increase the pressure on illegal waste operators.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release of 26 September 2024 entitled Immediate measures to step up safeguards against African swine fever from Europe, what additional resource has been allocated to (a) Border Force and (b) Port Health Authorities to help implement those measures.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), including the Border Control Post at Sevington. We are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. The effectiveness of the import controls has been demonstrated throughout September and October by the interception at Sevington of 34 consignments of plants infested with Pochazia Shantungensis, a fruit tree pest native to China but now present in mainland Europe. The consignments were destroyed, preventing the potential for a damaging outbreak for UK fruit growers.
The BTOM is designed to assure the biosecurity of commercial imports. Illegal imports of products of animal origin are dealt with through separate intelligence led checks, conducted at the border by Border Force, in Border Force facilities, with the assistance of Port Health Authorities.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release of 26 September 2024 entitled Immediate measures to step up safeguards against African swine fever from Europe, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning all personal imports of (a) pork and (b) pork products including those manufactured and packaged to EU commercial standards.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 12666 on 5 December 2024.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the new Border Target Operating Model and (b) threat of its use as a route to illegally import products of animal origin.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has made additional funding of £1.9 million available to Dover District Council for the Port Health Authority, for the remainder of this financial year (2024 to 2025), to support Border Force to conduct safeguarding checks on the illegal import of products of animal origin. This is in addition to the £1.2 million already committed. This total funding of £3.1m million is based on the existing staffing costs provided by Dover Port Health Authority. This funding is only for this financial year. Defra has also contributed operational equipment to support Border Force with relevant checks.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) likelihood of an African Swine Fever outbreak in the UK and (b) potential economic impact of such an outbreak.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Epping Forest on 28 October 2024, to Question 10798.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question 12061 on Agriculture: Land Use, if he will commission research into the potential impact of solar farms on soil (a) carbon storage, (b) structure and (c) biodiversity.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has no current plans to undertake research on the specific impact of solar farms on soil properties.
We have undertaken an evidence review evaluating opportunities for agrivoltaic systems in England and Wales. Impacts on soil were not considered.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
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 solar farms on soil (a) carbon storage, (b) structure and (c) biodiversity.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of solar farms on soil.
When considering development proposals that affect agricultural land and soils, the Government encourages developers and local planning authorities to refer to relevant Government policies and legislation that aim to protect all soils by managing them in a sustainable way.
The previous Government did not commission research into this space, so it is currently unclear what impact solar panels may have on soil properties such as carbon storage, structure and biodiversity across England. However, a solar farm development near Kenilworth (Honiley Road solar farm) reports that it delivered 135% Biodiversity Net Increase.