Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
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 has had with representatives of the farming industry on the use of farrowing crates for pigs.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
As part of a series of meetings Lord Goldsmith had with key stakeholders last autumn to discuss farm animal welfare reform priorities, he met with the pig sector and discussed the use of farrowing crates for sows.
As stated in Defra’s new pig welfare code of practice, which came into force in March last year, our aim is for farrowing crates no longer to be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets. Any change also has to be done in a way which is sustainable for the industry and we are exploring the options.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made in discussions with the EU on simplifying the administrative processes for the movement of organic foodstuff between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been smooth overall and deliveries are reaching their intended destinations.
Authorised traders moving agri-food goods, including organic products, under the grace period do not require certification. For other traders we are continuing to consider any further support that may be required here ahead of the end of the official certification grace period on 1 April, including reviewing the operation of our existing Movement Assistance Scheme for agri-food traders.
In the meantime, we will also be discussing with the EU means to streamline and simplify requirements, including the use of e-seals.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
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 urgently bring forward legislative proposals to ban environmentally destructive industrial fishing in UK offshore Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Marine protection is a devolved matter and the devolved administrations are responsible for the enforcement of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within their waters. The information below relates to England only.
Once the transition period has finished, we plan to use new powers contained in the Fisheries Bill to put byelaws in place to protect offshore MPAs, as we have done in the inshore environment where over 90 MPAs are now protected from bottom towed fishing gear. The new byelaw power proposed in the Fisheries Bill will allow the Marine Management Organisation to protect offshore MPAs from activities such as trawling which could damage protected features on the seabed. We are prioritising those MPAs most at risk and aim to make rapid progress as soon as the transition period ends. A Call for Evidence for the first sites began on 28 October, and will be followed by the formal consultation in early 2021.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
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 level staffing resource required for the Office for Environmental Protection to undertake its statutory functions in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It will be for the Executive and the Assembly to decide whether to extend the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to cover Northern Ireland. Practical decisions about the operation of the OEP in Northern Ireland such as staffing levels will therefore be made by Northern Ireland Ministers and the OEP itself, if and when the decision to extend the OEP to Northern Ireland has been taken.