Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on UK science, plant breeding and food production of changes to the regulatory regime for plant breeding techniques after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
There are two EU regulatory regimes which have a particular bearing on plant breeding in the UK. These are the controls on the marketing of new plant varieties, and the controls on the release of genetically modified organisms. The Government wants to ensure that we have science and evidence-based legislation in place which allows our plant science and breeding sector to thrive in the post-EU environment.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce carbon emissions from England's upland and lowland peatlands.
Answered by Rory Stewart
We recognise the significance of peat as a natural carbon store and are undertaking a series of measures to reduce carbon emissions from peatlands. These include: the pilot Peatland Code, negotiating the implementation of management objectives in designated areas for peatland restoration through agri-environment schemes, and targets for the reduction of peat use in horticulture. Between 2003 and 2013 the number of peatland Sites of Special Scientific Interest in “unfavourable but recovering” condition, increased from 16% to 85%, illustrating a major step forward in the restoration of degraded peat habitats.
The UK has chosen to report and account for the carbon emissions from wetland drainage and rewetting, including peatlands, as part of our international climate change commitments. To inform this reporting, Government is funding research on the carbon mitigation potential of improved peatland management. This will help to identify how resources might best be targeted to reduce carbon emissions from both upland and lowland peat soils.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
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 a timetable for the preparation of an action plan to improve air quality.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
As set out in Defra’s business plan, we will be publishing revised Air Quality Action Plans by December 2015. These will set out actions at all levels, including national and local, to improve air quality.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the introduction of further low emission zones outside London to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution in ambient air.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Government has funded a number of local authorities outside London to investigate the feasibility of low emission zones (LEZs) within their areas, through the annual Air Quality Grant Scheme targeted at reducing levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and accelerating compliance with EU limit values.
This ongoing support is focused on addressing barriers and looking for practical options for putting in place NO2-related LEZs and similar measures.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have been sent letters indicating that they may have to pay part or all of the fines arising from infraction proceedings following the European Court of Justice's finding against the UK for breach of nitrogen dioxide limit values under the EU Air Quality Directive.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
In March this year, Defra sent letters to all local authorities in England to inform them of the Commission's decision to commence infraction procedures against the UK for non-compliance with NO2 limit values, what it means and the next steps that should be taken by the Government in response. As part of this, local authorities were reminded of the discretionary power in Part 2 of the Localism Act under which the Government could require responsible authorities to pay all or part of an infraction fine.