Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
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 implications for her policy of the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides advice against allowing the use of thiamethoxam.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In making the decision, the Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries gave careful consideration to the advice provided by the Health and Safety Executive, the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides, Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra economists. He considered the identified risks and benefits in the light of the legal requirements for emergency authorisation and decided that there are special circumstances which made the limited and controlled emergency authorisation necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to maintain existing restrictions on (a) neonicotinoids and (b) other harmful pesticides.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government supported and continues to support the existing restrictions on neonicotinoids. We will continue to ensure that decisions on the use of pesticides are based on careful scientific assessment of the risks, with the aim of achieving a high level of protection for people and the environment.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
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 on the Government's decision permit the use of the banned pesticide thiamethoxam on sugar beet in England in 2023 on the health of (a) bees and (b) other wildlife.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In considering whether to allow the use of Cruiser SB on sugar beet crops this year, risks to the environment were assessed and weighed against the benefits of using Cruiser SB. On granting the authorisation, strict conditions have been attached to mitigate the impact of the treatment on bees and other wildlife. The main area in which potential concerns were flagged was the risk to bees from thiamethoxam taken up by crops planted in the same field after treated sugar beet. For this reason, a restriction has been imposed on such crops planted. Only a specific list of crops, none of which flower before harvest, are permitted to be planted within 32 months of treated sugar beet.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what alternatives were considered prior to the Government's decision permit the use of the banned pesticide thiamethoxam on sugar beet in England in 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
One of the legal requirements for granting emergency authorisations is that there must be a danger which cannot be contained by any other reasonable means. In the case of the emergency authorisation for Cruiser SB, the “danger” is high levels of yellows viruses, which lead to severe yield losses.
Before granting the emergency authorisation, alternative pesticides and non-pesticide approaches to were considered. It was concluded that these alternative control measures, even when used in combination, were not sufficient to address a dangerous level of virus threat. They were not, therefore, considered to be reasonable means of control.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what statutory assurances the Government has put in place to ensure that food standards will be maintained or enhanced following the passage of the Retained EU Law Bill.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government is in the process of analysing and assessing retained EU law to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, and what should be repealed, or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Bill.
In reviewing retained EU law, HM Government’s aim is to ensure that food law is fit for purpose and the UK regulatory framework is appropriate and tailored to the needs of UK consumers and business. The UK has world leading standards of food safety and quality, backed by a rigorous legislative framework but it is only right that we should evaluate REUL to ensure it continues to meet our needs. While this is an opportunity for review, maintaining the UK’s high food standards remains our priority. HM Government remains committed to promoting robust food standards nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests, facilitate international trade, and ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
More information on decisions with regard to individual pieces of retained EU law will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow Environmental Health Officers to conduct import inspections on products of animal origin.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the development of our future imports regime, we are exploring which qualifications and competencies are appropriate for performing checks on products of animal origin and will be working with Port Health Authorities to apply these.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
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 help reduce food prices.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Rising food prices are dependent on a combination of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs. Given sustained pressures, we anticipate food prices continuing to trend upwards in the short term. Defra is closely monitoring the situation and taking action to maintain an efficient food supply chain by mitigating against any potential burdens or friction which could otherwise drive-up consumer food prices. In addition, my Department continues to use regular engagement to work with retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. However, it is not for HM Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to publish its UK Chemicals Strategy.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have been engaging closely with external partners over the past few months to inform policy development across a range of chemicals issues. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to set out our strategy to tackling chemicals of concern. No publication date for a Chemicals Strategy has yet been set.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for setting the statutory targets for (a) air and water quality, (b) biodiversity and (c) waste and resource efficiency under the Environment Act 2022.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
As the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs set out in a written statement published on 28 October, we continue to work in order to lay the draft statutory instruments. It is our intention to publish the targets before the end of the year.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
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 she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in the Environment Agency’s budget on levels of sewage discharge.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has increased the Environment Agency's overall grant in aid funding by over 40%, and capital funding by 80%, since 2010. We have also boosted funding for the Environment Agency with £2.2 million per year specifically for water company enforcement activity so that robust action is taken against illegal breaches of storm overflow permits.
HM Government has been repeatedly clear to water companies that the levels of sewage pollution at present are completely unacceptable, and they must take significant and urgent action to tackle them.