Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of supplies of the Cevac Chlamydia vaccine.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The production of veterinary medicines is complex and highly regulated, and materials and processes must meet rigorous safety and quality standards. Manufacturers can experience difficulties from time-to-time for various reasons, from malfunctioning equipment on the production line, to packaging materials that fail to meet the required specification. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) liaises closely with pharmaceutical companies and distributors of medicines to detect potential problems at the earliest point possible in order to support the continued availability of veterinary medicines where possible.
In regards to availability of Cevac Chlamydia vaccine, the VMD understand there to be sufficient supply to meet the current national demand, and are in close liaison with the Marketing Authorisation Holder should this status change. As always, to avoid placing undue pressure on supply chains, we encourage veterinary surgeons to continue with normal ordering patterns and to maintain appropriate and proportionate stocks of veterinary medicines.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on tackling the matter of dogs attacking livestock.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Guidance is available to educate owners about handling their dogs responsibly in the vicinity of livestock, in order to prevent the occurrence of attacks or chasing. The Countryside Code highlights that it is best practice to keep dogs on a lead around livestock.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 work with supermarkets to ensure that customers can filter for and select cuts of meat with (a) Welsh and (b) UK origin when shopping online.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra meets regularly with food retailers and producers to discuss a range of issues and explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of food of UK origin. Current laws require origin labelling for foods where the consumer would be misled if the origin of the food were not given. In addition there are rules for compulsory origin labelling of beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat and poultry meat, fish and shellfish, honey, olive oil, wine and most fruit and vegetables. Where origin information is not required, it can still be provided as long as it does not mislead. The same level of information on a food label must be available online to the consumer, before a purchase is made.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the potential merits of using water efficiency technologies to help reduce household carbon emissions.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 merits of using water-saving technologies to help reduce the number of households in fuel poverty.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 has made an assessment of the potential role of water efficiency measures in helping achieve the Government's net zero aims.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to maximise the synergies between the Government goals to reduce water demand and achieve net zero. We consulted on introducing a mandatory water efficiency label for water using products across all UK nations and assessed that such a label could save £125 million on water bills and £147 million on energy bills over 10 years. Hot water use is the second largest use of energy in a home after space heating. For example, installing a water-efficient showerhead could save a family of four about £30 on their combined energy and water bill each year.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor and assess the impact of plastic waste in the ocean on marine life.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The UK monitors levels of marine litter on its beaches, sea surface and seafloor as part of the UK Marine Strategy. The UK Marine Strategy provides a legal framework for assessing and monitoring the status of our seas and to put in place the measures needed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES). The UK had not reached Good Environmental Status (GES) for levels of marine litter under its most recent assessment in 2019. To help address this, we are introducing additional single-use plastic item bans, extended producer responsibility and deposit return schemes for plastic packaging, whilst also improving consistency in recycling and advocating for high ambition outcomes under a new global treaty on plastic pollution.
The UK also contributes to regional monitoring of the North-East Atlantic as a contracting party to The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) Convention. The latest OSPAR assessments which will contribute to OSPARs Quality Status Report of the North East Atlantic, to be published summer 2023, show there has been a significant decrease in beach litter over the last 6 years in the North-East Atlantic. In the Greater North Sea, the probability of seafloor litter collected has increased. There has been a significant decrease in marine litter on the sea surface between 2009 – 2018, so progress has been made towards the threshold level for impact on marine life.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the amount of plastic entering (a) water courses and (b) the sea.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is proud to have supported the proposal by Rwanda and Peru that led to the ambitious resolution to start negotiating a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution being agreed at the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022. The UK is a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a coalition of like-minded Governments that are committed to a common ambition to end plastic pollution by 2040, underpinned by strategic goals and deliverables.
To do this, we will introduce additional single-use plastic item bans, extended producer responsibility, and deposit return schemes for plastic packaging and improve consistency in recycling. Through the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, we are also working bilaterally with partner countries to strengthen policies and regulations needed to eradicate plastic pollution and mismanaged waste.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 financial impact on pet owners and assistance dog users transporting their pets to the EU of the cost of Animal Health Certificates; what progress has been made on reaching an agreement with the European Commission on granting Great Britain Part 1 listed status for the purposes of travelling with pets; and whether she has discussed this matter with the Welsh Government.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The pet health and documentary requirements for pet travel to the EU are set out under the EU Pet Travel Regulations. The UK is listed as a ‘Part 2’ third country under those regulations.
We recognise the undue financial and administrative impact that these EU requirements are having on pet owners and assistance dog users. We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding GB ‘Part 1’ listed status and recognition of the UK’s tapeworm-free status and continue to engage on these matters.
The costs of completing and issuing an Animal Health Certificate are commercial decisions, set by individual veterinary practices.
Defra continues to work with the Devolved Administrations including the Welsh Government on pet travel matters including pet travel documentation.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion)
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 potential impact of increasing the area of UK seas covered by a permanent ban on bottom towed fishing gears on her Department's support of the Global Ocean Alliance target to protect at least 30 per cent of the global ocean by 2030.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Domestically, since 2010 we have created over 100 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which now protect over 38% of UK waters. In English waters we have built a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and are now focused on making sure they are properly protected. Nearly 60% of our 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity and all MPAs in English waters will be protected from such activity by 2024.
Internationally, the UK continues to champion the 30by30 ocean target, now supported by over 120 countries, including through its leadership of the Global Ocean Alliance and as ocean co-chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People. It is important that areas contributing to the 30by30 target are effectively managed, and that each site is afforded a level of protection appropriate to its conservation objectives. The UK remains committed to making a significant contribution to this global target in our own waters, and we are encouraging other countries to do the same.