Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to tackle packaging waste in the agricultural sector.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of banning the ivory trade in the UK.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Ivory Act 2018 received Royal Assent on 20 December 2018 and bans the sale of elephant ivory within the UK, with five areas of exemption.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 make an assessment of banning the non-elephant ivory trade.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
On 30 May 2019 the Government published a call for evidence concerning the trade in ivory from species other than elephants The species in scope are the common hippopotamus, killer whale, narwhal, sperm whale, walrus, common warthog, desert warthog and mammoth.
Evidence provided through this call for evidence, which closes on 22 August, will help inform what, if any, action could be taken to further restrict the trade in ivory from one or more of these species.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 ban the transit of whale meat through UK ports.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The transit of whale meat through UK and EU ports is subject to international trade rules. Leaving the EU will present us with the opportunity to review our position on this issue.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 protect the population of Orcas off the coast of Scotland.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Protection of this particular population is a devolved issue.
All cetaceans are fully protected in UK waters under the EU Habitats Directive, the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and through sectoral measures tackling specific threats, such as the bycatch mitigation measures implemented under EU Regulations (Regulation 812/2004).
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 make an estimate of the volume of recyclable waste that has been sent to be incinerated in each of the last five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We do not record this information and we do not have a basis to make such an estimate.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote the vaccination of pets.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Pet owners are strongly advised by the chief veterinary officer to consider vaccinating their pets to prevent diseases which can prove to be fatal. They should consult their private vet for advice based on the individual pet’s risk and circumstances. General advice on vaccination can be obtained from a number of sources including from the National Office of Animal Health.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the risk of wildfire in Yorkshire.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The risk of severe damage from wildfire on wet, well functioning peatlands is relatively low. Natural England is working with landowners and land managers through its uplands programme to develop long term management plans to bring and keep moorlands and peatlands, including those in Yorkshire prone to wildfire, in favourable condition. We are also currently undertaking a wildfire review to ensure that our future land management policies minimise the risks of wildfire.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 he had with whom on ensuring that jockeys follow guidelines in respect of the use of the whip in horseracing; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards and any racehorse fatality is one too many. We are in regular discussions with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who are responsible for safety at racetracks, about how we can look at ways in which we can make horseracing safer and further reduce fatalities at tracks.
The Government considers that whilst the BHA have made improvements to the welfare of racehorses, there is still more work to be done. That is why I will be meeting with the BHA soon, and pressing them for an action plan on improving the safety at starting stalls, and safety relating to other equipment. There are strict rules around the use of whip with stiff penalties for those riders who breach them. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence for anyone to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal and this includes racehorses on racetracks.
Asked by: Andrea Jenkyns (Conservative - Morley and Outwood)
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 limit or reduce the number of fatalities in horse racing.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is keen that the welfare needs of racehorses are well met, both during their racing lives and afterwards and any racehorse fatality is one too many. We are in regular discussions with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), who are responsible for safety at racetracks, about how we can look at ways in which we can make horseracing safer and further reduce fatalities at tracks.
The Government considers that whilst the BHA have made improvements to the welfare of racehorses, there is still more work to be done. That is why I will be meeting with the BHA soon, and pressing them for an action plan on improving the safety at starting stalls, and safety relating to other equipment. There are strict rules around the use of whip with stiff penalties for those riders who breach them. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence for anyone to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal and this includes racehorses on racetracks.