Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to take steps to (a) monitor chemical trails discharged by aircraft and (b) analyse air quality and soil samples to identify chemicals and their potential impact on the (i) environment, (ii) food and (iii) health.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Emissions from aircraft are strictly regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). ICAO sets global standards to limit emissions of oxides of nitrogen, particulates and some other air pollutants from aircraft engines.
Most recently, ICAO set particulate emissions standards for aircraft engines in 2019, which have now been adopted into UK law and came into force on 1 January 2023. These were the first scientifically based global certification standards for aircraft particulate emissions.
Defra monitors air quality and assesses its impacts on an ongoing basis. Data from our nationwide monitoring networks can be found on UK-AIR.
National soil monitoring under the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) programme began in 2022. NCEA will provide high quality data to assess the state and condition of natural capital assets, ecosystems, and biodiversity in terrestrial and freshwater environments. As part of this, up-to-date and comprehensive soils data is a priority of the programme and is being measured through projects such as the strategically sampled England Ecosystem Survey and the England Peat Map.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
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 the APHA Cites applications currently processed in Bristol, what progress he has made on replacing the paper-based application process for a licence to export live falcons with an online process; and what the timescale is for the completion of that process.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are continuing to develop an electronic permitting (e-permitting) system through which traders and individuals would be able to apply for CITES permits and certificates online. The system would be accessible for all CITES listed specimens including live falcons.
Timelines for progressing this work are currently subject to further discussion however we remain committed to delivering an efficient and modern domestic regime.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on replacing the paper-based application process for a licence to export live falcons with an online process.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
On 1 June 2020, the Export Health Certificates (EHC) Online service was made available by Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. This service allows exporters to apply for certain EHCs using a fully online application process.
The EHCs to export captive birds (live falcons) to the United Arab Emirates and Japan were released on the EHC online service on 1 June 2020, replacing the paper-based application process.
A further 13 EHCs for the export of captive birds to various countries will be available for use via the online service by the end of 2020.
Asked by: Allan Dorans (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
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 link between the global fur trade and the spread of covid-19.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
We are monitoring the situation carefully and are aware of the recent Covid-19 cases in mink. However, there is currently no evidence suggesting there being a link between the spread of Covid-19 and the global trade in fur. Farming for fur was banned in England and Wales in 2000 and in Scotland and Northern Ireland in 2002, and there are no mink farms in the UK. Therefore the risk to the UK population from these outbreaks in mink is negligible.
Nevertheless, we are keeping a close eye on the findings that mink can effectively maintain the virus which causes Covid-19.