Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Woodland Access Implementation Plan.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In the England Trees Action Plan, we committed to implementing policies to allow the provision of safe and appropriate public access in as many woodlands as possible through a suite of measures from updating of Forestry Commission guidance through to plans to encourage improvements to the quality and permanency of existing access. Defra is already working in partnership with communities, landowners and user groups across these areas and will release more information in due course.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to provide access to the quotas for spurdog following the conclusion of the annual fisheries negotiations with (a) the EU and (b) other North Atlantic states.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the recent UK-EU agreement on total allowable catches for Northeast Atlantic spurdog in 2023, UK fishing quotas have been published within the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats and presented to Parliament.
We are working with the Devolved Administrations and Marine Management Organisation to ensure spurdog quota allocation methods will be in place and will provide industry with clarity over their fishing opportunities for 2023. These will be announced ahead of fishing being allowed in UK waters.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 facilitate the export of livestock to the EU for breeding purposes.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As a result of the UK leaving the EU and becoming an independent trading nation, there are rules to follow and specific actions to take for GB exporters. The UK was granted third country listed status by the EU on 28 December 2020. This meant that, as an independent trading nation and a non-EU country, the UK continues to export goods, including live animals for breeding purposes and animal products, to the EU after 1 January 2021. The sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) chapter of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement puts in place a framework that allows the UK and the EU to take informed decisions to reduce their respective SPS controls, with a commitment to avoid unnecessary barriers to trade. It is in both the UK and EU’s interests to use this framework to reduce or streamline SPS checks where possible, ensuring that they are proportionate to the biosecurity risks.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 his Action Plan for Animal Welfare, when he will be launching a call for evidence on the use of snares.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals, and it is an issue we are looking at closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.
Through our Animal Action for Welfare Plan, published in May 2021, we are looking at whether changes need to be made to reflect concerns raised.
The call for evidence on the use of snares will be launched in due course. This is planned to run for 12 weeks and will be launched online. After closing the call for evidence, responses will be analysed, and a summary of responses will be published online.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 the special measures introduced for trade in animals from Belarus, Poland, Romania and Ukraine on 8 July 2022, if he will take steps to ensure those measures are not further extended without advance notice.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government has made the difficult decision to extend the temporary suspension of commercial cats, dogs, and ferrets (including rescue animals) dispatched or originating from Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, and Poland for a further eight weeks to the 29 October 2022.
We continue to engage with competent authorities in impacted countries, the European Commission, and external partners (including rescue and rehoming charities) to gather data and information to enable us to keep the biosecurity risks to Great Britain under review. The measure is under constant review based on the evidence provided to ensure it is proportionate to the risks posed.
The Government appreciates the work of rescue and rehoming organisations who work to ensure that unwanted and abandoned animals are given the opportunity to find a forever home whilst complying with our animal health and welfare legislation.
Given this is a fluid situation it may not always be possible to give advance notice of any extension to the measure. We continue to engage with external partners including rescue and rehoming organisations based here and abroad, veterinary experts and carriers on the impact and future of the measure.
That is why this is only a temporary measure, to ensure that we protect our biosecurity at this challenging time. Given the consequences of getting this wrong, I hope you will understand why we are being cautious.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 extent to which recent increases in the price of emptying septic tanks have been caused by reduced competition in the market for processing.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra and the Environment Agency have worked with South West Water through the Cornwall operators group to increase capacity and flexibility for the acceptance of tankered waste.
Tanker waste companies in Cornwall must use the local water company sites for legitimate discharge/disposal of tankered septic waste at least until providers can offer other legitimate routes for disposal. Water company rates are higher than previous non-compliant land spreading sites, but the prices charged should reflect the cost of legitimate disposal.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 assessment of the potential merits of proposals in the Real Bread Campaign’s Honest Crust Act to require (a) full ingredient declarations and (b) legal definitions of commonly-used market terms for bread produced by (i) supermarkets and (ii) bakeries.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations committed to carry out a review of Bread and Flour Regulations across the UK. The key proposals for change are outlined in a public consultation published on 1 September 2022 which is open for responses until 23 November 2022. The proposals address the most pressing aspects identified for change including the addition of mandatory folic acid to flour to prevent neural tube defects in foetuses. Full ingredient listing is already required for all prepacked foods with loose foods subject to certain derogations for practical reasons. An update of existing guidance around commonly used marketing terms across all foods is planned for the future.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to (a) monitor progress against and (b) enforce the target that 50 per cent of the public sector food budget is spent on sustainable, organic and locally grown produce.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government wants the public sector to lead by example, championing healthier, sustainable food, provided by a range of suppliers. We have launched a consultation on public sector food and catering policy, including updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services This includes a proposal that the public sector reports on progress towards our aspiration that 50% of its food expenditure is on food produced locally or to higher environmental production standards. To monitor progress, the consultation will examine a proposal for new data reporting requirements to increase transparency and improve our understanding of what is bought and served in the public sector.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 potential merits of (a) developing hemp production in the UK and (b) simplifying the regulations governing such production.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Hemp is a long-standing crop in UK agriculture with a variety of uses, and Defra has an interest in exploring the benefits to UK farmers.
Defra has commissioned a research project, “Review of opportunities for diversifying UK agriculture through investment in underutilised crops”, which includes industrial hemp. This will examine hemp cultivation from a grower and consumer standards perspective, alongside its environmental benefits. We are also considering the role of industrial hemp in the bioeconomy and the opportunities for our agriculture sector.
An enhanced evidence base will help us to better understand how novel crops can contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable actions and make informed decisions about hemp cultivation. When these studies conclude, Home Office and Defra will work together to take forward any recommendations to help farmers navigate the licencing system and make sure all related processes are fit for purpose.
Asked by: Derek Thomas (Conservative - St Ives)
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 promote the sale of milk in reusable glass bottles.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There are no current plans to exclusively promote the sale of milk in reusable glass bottles. However, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging will place responsibility on packaging producers for the costs currently borne by local authorities in collecting and managing packaging from households, including milk bottles, from 2024. This will encourage producers to think carefully about the packaging they use and encourage the use of reusable and refillable packaging.