Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will establish an ongoing scientific programme to monitor recovery of the area of the North East impacted by the crustacean die-off in October 2021 and June 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are considering carefully if further analysis by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science can ascertain more conclusively the cause of this unusual mortality.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the anonymity of the expert panel on public confidence in the results of the enquiry into crustacean deaths in the North East.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The expert panel was set up by the Defra Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Gideon Henderson, to independently scientifically review all the available evidence of the unusual crustacean mortality event in the north-east of England in autumn 2021. The Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir Patrick Vallance, was consulted as the panel was formed and had oversight of the membership and the Terms of Reference
The identities of the panel members have been made public. Names and affiliations of members have been released and published.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the names of the people on the expert panel set up to investigate crustacean deaths off the North East coast.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Names and affiliations of the crustacean mortality expert panel (CMEP) members have been published.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a peer review was undertaken of his Department’s conclusion that an algae bloom was probably to blame for the die off of sea creatures off the North East coast over the last year.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra group, including the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Environment Agency, carried out a thorough investigation seeking causes of the mass mortality incident that occurred towards the end of 2021. A summary of this investigation was published in May. As the May publication was an investigation summary rather than a technical report, we did not seek a peer review, in line with normal practice. The algal bloom conclusions were based on the best available evidence in the time allowed. Priority was given to information from peer-reviewed literature, standardised research techniques and accredited testing methodology.
It is intended that the ongoing Cefas research and development will undergo peer review ahead of publication next year, due to generating primary evidence. All data relating to the conclusions of the initial investigation are due to be published in the coming weeks. This will inform the on-going collaboration between HM Government scientists and external researchers.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure the UK REACH Regulation does not create (a) bureaucracy and (b) additional costs for UK businesses.
Answered by Steve Double
We are developing an Alternative Transitional Registration (ATR) model to address industry concerns about costs of transitioning to UK REACH, while still ensuring high levels of environmental and health protection. Alongside this work, Defra and the Devolved Administrations are beginning a project to consider how best to improve UK REACH and enable it to deliver UK priorities effectively.
We continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the chemicals supply chain as this work develops, for example through a small consultative Oversight Group on the ATR work. We are also engaging more widely with a broad range of stakeholders with relevant experience on a range of technical considerations as we develop the ATR model in more detail. Although it is too early to commit to a new model, any changes to the UK REACH legislation would also require public consultation as part of the legislative process.
The Health and Safety Executive holds the policy lead across government for the GB CLP Regulation and continues regular contact with stakeholders in the UK chemicals industry through GB CLP e-Bulletins as well as close engagement with stakeholders, including trade associations and duty holders, on the process for the GB mandatory classification and labelling of hazardous substances.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with downstream users across industries when developing (a) UK REACH, and (b) UK Chemical classification, labelling and packaging policy.
Answered by Steve Double
We are developing an Alternative Transitional Registration (ATR) model to address industry concerns about costs of transitioning to UK REACH, while still ensuring high levels of environmental and health protection. Alongside this work, Defra and the Devolved Administrations are beginning a project to consider how best to improve UK REACH and enable it to deliver UK priorities effectively.
We continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the chemicals supply chain as this work develops, for example through a small consultative Oversight Group on the ATR work. We are also engaging more widely with a broad range of stakeholders with relevant experience on a range of technical considerations as we develop the ATR model in more detail. Although it is too early to commit to a new model, any changes to the UK REACH legislation would also require public consultation as part of the legislative process.
The Health and Safety Executive holds the policy lead across government for the GB CLP Regulation and continues regular contact with stakeholders in the UK chemicals industry through GB CLP e-Bulletins as well as close engagement with stakeholders, including trade associations and duty holders, on the process for the GB mandatory classification and labelling of hazardous substances.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
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 extend the representation of (a) downstream users, (b) FMCGs, and (c) working groups when developing (i) UK REACH, and (ii) UK Chemical classification, labelling and packaging policy.
Answered by Steve Double
We are developing an Alternative Transitional Registration (ATR) model to address industry concerns about costs of transitioning to UK REACH, while still ensuring high levels of environmental and health protection. Alongside this work, Defra and the Devolved Administrations are beginning a project to consider how best to improve UK REACH and enable it to deliver UK priorities effectively.
We continue to engage with stakeholders throughout the chemicals supply chain as this work develops, for example through a small consultative Oversight Group on the ATR work. We are also engaging more widely with a broad range of stakeholders with relevant experience on a range of technical considerations as we develop the ATR model in more detail. Although it is too early to commit to a new model, any changes to the UK REACH legislation would also require public consultation as part of the legislative process.
The Health and Safety Executive holds the policy lead across government for the GB CLP Regulation and continues regular contact with stakeholders in the UK chemicals industry through GB CLP e-Bulletins as well as close engagement with stakeholders, including trade associations and duty holders, on the process for the GB mandatory classification and labelling of hazardous substances.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
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 21 June 2022 to Question 17967, whether he has held discussions with travel industry and other stakeholder organisations on the potential merits of a ban on the domestic (a) advertising and (b) sale of wild animal experiences abroad.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Ministers and officials have been engaging with industry groups and interested stakeholders - and continue to do so - on many of the measures set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, including reforms relating to not advertising or offering for sale, here, activities involving unacceptable practices abroad.
The Government considers that reputable and responsible tour operators here should not be advertising or offering attractions, activities, or experiences abroad that involve the unacceptable treatment of animals. The Association of British Travel Agents has published guidelines and lists activities which have been classified as unacceptable.
In addition, the Advertising Standards Association regulates online advertising in the UK and has issued advice about featuring animals in marketing communications.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
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 merits of introducing a domestic ban on the (a) advertising and (b) offering for sale of attractions, activities or experiences abroad that involve (i) elephant rides and (ii) other forms of exploitation of animals.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government takes the welfare of all animals seriously and the Government has been made aware that animals including Asian elephants, that are part of tourist attractions, can be subjected to cruel and brutal training practices to ensure their compliance.
As set out in our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are committed to promoting high animal welfare standards, both at home and abroad. We have engaged with the travel industry and other stakeholder organisations, and we support measures which ensure that money from tourists from this country is not channelled towards animal experiences abroad that involve the unacceptable treatment of animals.
The Government is committed to exploring available options to deliver the action plan, including to limit the advertising and offering for sale of these experiences.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of running and managing the UK REACH system.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We want to minimise disruption for business and ensure a smooth transition to UK REACH. We have put in place provisions to minimise the costs for businesses and maintain market access to both the EU and GB markets
We recognise that transition to the UK REACH regime has presented some challenges for the chemicals industry, particularly around the cost of having to access and purchase data to support their registration.
We previously extended the transitional registration deadlines (from two years to a phased two, four, & six-year approach) to allow industry more time to adapt and comply with UK REACH and to spread costs over a longer period. We have now gone further and committed to exploring alternative arrangements for UK REACH transitional registrations that would reduce the need for companies to access EU REACH data packages whilst maintaining high standards to safeguard public health and the environment. Although it is too early to commit to this model, we wish to further explore its potential. We will engage fully with industry, NGOs and other interested stakeholders as part of this process. We have also committed to consult on further extending the transitional registration deadlines.
The cost to Government in running UK REACH includes the cost of further digital development and management of the Comply with UK REACH digital service and the cost of regulatory capacity in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency (EA). In 2022/23 this will cost around £13 million. There will also be additional costs of Defra staff working on REACH.