Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
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 number of cattle that were slaughtered for the purpose of eradicating bovine tuberculosis in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answered by Steve Double
The number of cattle slaughtered for bovine tuberculosis control purposes is published on gov.uk and can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb.
The number of cattle slaughtered in England from the 2019/2020 financial year onwards is as follows:
Financial year | Number of cattle slaughtered |
2019/2020 | 30,137 |
2020/2021 | 28,397 |
2021/2022 | 26,448 |
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to GrassCheck GB data for the week of 13 June 2022, what recent assessment he has made of the potential need for securing reasonably priced chemical fertiliser to help increase domestic grass yields.
Answered by Jo Churchill
While global fertiliser prices have risen and this is undoubtedly a challenging period for our agricultural sectors, the supply chain providing imports of fertiliser to the UK has remained resilient. Within the domestic market, CF Fertilisers continues to produce ammonium nitrate fertiliser from their plant at Billingham.
Through our UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group we are monitoring a range of data around input costs, grass yields and production levels. We have also recently expanded our engagement with industry, to supplement our data with live intelligence We have also established a ministerial-led fertiliser Taskforce to more closely monitor the fertiliser market. More information about the latest work of the Taskforce is available at the following link.
The latest from the Fertiliser Taskforce - Future Farming (blog.gov.uk)
To reflect the challenges the industry is facing, we have already announced a number of measures to support growers at this time. These include delays to the introduction of restrictions to the use of urea fertiliser, further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme and the bringing forward of half of this year's Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment to July as an advance injection of cash to farm businesses.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
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 protect the areas of Shrewsbury’s town centre, Coton Hill, Coleham, and Riverside, from flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
After severe flooding in Shrewsbury in 2000, the Frankwell and Coleham Head Flood Alleviation Schemes were built. These schemes are designed to protect 75 and 80 properties respectively. These schemes proved to be highly effective at alleviating flooding to properties, businesses and infrastructure during further significant flood events, including February 2022.
The Environment Agency has recently conducted an initial assessment for areas of Shrewsbury which remain at risk of flooding. Identified options have been explored and indicative solutions have been shared with communities via Flood Action Groups.
The Environment Agency is working closely with Shropshire Council as it considers options to redevelop the riverside area of the town. This includes exploring options for further reducing flood risk.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
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 mitigate the risk of flooding throughout Shrewsbury in the short and medium term, in the context of recent record levels of flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is investing a record £5.2 billion in a new six-year capital investment programme to deliver around 2,000 flood schemes, benefiting every region of England, better protecting 336,000 properties from flooding.
The Environment Agency routinely inspects and maintains its existing flood risk management assets at the Frankwell and Coleham Head areas in Shrewsbury, ensuring they remain operational and highly effective at alleviating flooding to properties, businesses and infrastructure including through the most recent significant flooding events.
The Environment Agency with the River Severn Partnership is developing a catchment scale approach to sustainable flood risk and water management across the Upper Severn catchment, to help address flooding and the impacts of climate change under the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. This scheme has been provided with £10 million of Government Economic Recovery Funding to support the development of business cases and the frameworks needed to underpin future delivery. Amongst other outcomes, the scheme seeks to develop catchment-based approaches to reduce flood risk to up to 3,000 properties and 1,000 businesses across the upper and middle Severn. An additional £4.5 million of economic recovery funding has also been allocated to ‘demonstrator’ projects benefiting the Shrewsbury region: at Attingham Park, on the Rea Brook, in Guilsfield, Afon Camlad and Afon Cain Brooks in the upstream catchment.
The Environment Agency and partners are also developing a long term Climate Resilience & Adaption Strategy to cover the geographical extent of the River Severn area, encompassing the Severn catchment, comprising the Severn, Teme, Avon and Wye.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been conducted on the effectiveness of flood defences during the last flooding experienced by Shrewsbury.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
During the significant flood event in February 2022, Coleham Head and Frankwell flood defences were deployed, together protecting over 150 properties. Once again, these schemes proved to be highly effective at alleviating flooding to properties, businesses and infrastructure. Information to date confirms that approximately 50 to 100 properties were impacted in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area, both residential and non-residential.
After a flood event, the defences are assessed by EA asset inspectors to ensure they continue to perform as intended. Following these inspections in Shrewsbury, some minor ingress was discovered consistent with assets of this age. Action has already been taken with consultants who have carried out investigations and drawn up remediation plans for implementation by EA contractors this year to ensure the defences remain in excellent condition.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to provide support to the fertiliser industry in the context of the recent increase in gas prices.
Answered by Jo Churchill
Agricultural commodity prices are closely linked to global gas prices. Farmers are facing increased input costs, including for fertiliser, feed and fuel. We are monitoring the situation closely, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group. Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and key sector representatives.
The Government announced on 30 March a number of actions to help mitigate the current issues and support farmers and growers ahead of the next growing season. These included changes to statutory guidance to the Environment Agency on how they should implement the "Farming Rules for Water" to provide clarity to farmers on how they can use slurry and other manures during autumn and winter to meet agronomic needs.
The announcement also included new infrastructure grants to help farmers improve slurry storage and management from Autumn 2022 under the Farming Investment Fund ; alongside measures in the Farming Innovation Programme to boost research, including on nutrient management; and a delay to changes to the use of urea by at least a year. When the urea restrictions are introduced, they will be related to the use of ammonia inhibitors rather than a complete ban.
We recognise that fertiliser pressures on the livestock and arable sectors may differ, particularly over the farming seasons. On 31 March, Minister Prentis hosted the first meeting of the Fertiliser Task Force with key industry bodies to discuss potential mitigations to the challenges which global supply pressures are causing. Ministers will continue to meet with key industry bodies for further fertiliser round-table sessions in the coming months, to help identify and mitigate potential risks.
Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as National Farmers Union can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that AHDB have published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices. They can be found on the AHDB website.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Fertiliser Taskforce will next be convened to discuss fertiliser prices; and whether the minutes of that taskforce will be published.
Answered by Jo Churchill
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.