Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many goods exported to countries in the European Union from the UK have faced sanitary and phytosanitary checks since 1 January 2021.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The EU introduced sanitary and phytosanitary controls on all exports from Great Britain (GB) to the EU on 1 January 2021. Since then, all animal and animal product exports must have an appropriate export health certificate (EHC) and plants and plant products require a phytosanitary certificate (PC).
Each commodity type in a consignment will require a minimum of one EHC but in some cases, mixed load consignments or packages may require multiple EHCs. Physical checks conducted by the EU are not notified to the UK and therefore we are unable to confirm how many exporters have faced checks at EU border control posts. Minimum percentages for specific checks are set out in the Official Controls Regulation for both the EU and the UK to comply with.
Since 1 January, 1,533 GB plant exporters have applied for 28,904 PCs (this figure include plants moving to Northern Ireland).
Likewise, there have been 159,000 EHCs issued for animal and animal products commodities exported to EU member states from approximately 1,300 businesses.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated from 2021-22 to 2024-25 to support the development of the UK onion industry.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
While no specific provision for the onion sector has been allocated from 2021-22 to 2024-25, sources of funding available to the onion industry between now and 2024-25 could include the three funds available under the Farming Innovation Programme, the forthcoming Farming Investment Fund, and existing Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organisations under the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 he has made of potential retail shortages of (a) soft drinks, (b) bottled water and (c) alcoholic beverages over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust domestic supply chains, as well as imports through stable export routes
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption across different product groups in food supply chains.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 he has made of potential retail shortages of baked goods and baking ingredients over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust domestic supply chains, as well as imports through stable export routes
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption across different product groups in food supply chains.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 he has made of potential retail shortages of ready meals over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust domestic supply chains, as well as imports through stable export routes
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption across different product groups in food supply chains.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 he has made of potential retail shortages of (a) semi-processed and (b) processed meat products over winter 2021-22; and what discussions he has had with suppliers and retailers on those potential shortages.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust domestic supply chains, as well as imports through stable export routes
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption across different product groups in food supply chains.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
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 he has made of potential shortages of fertiliser products over winter 2021-22, and what discussions he has had with suppliers and the agricultural sector on those potential shortages.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We are aware that due to the increase in cost of natural gas across the globe, which is a key input for the production of ammonium nitrate-based fertiliser products, the cost of production of these fertiliser types has increased significantly. This has also increased the cost of other alternative fertiliser types. This is an issue affecting Europe and the global market with fertiliser companies halting production due to high input costs. However, the recent deal announced with industry and CF Fertilisers will help to alleviate the pressure on the domestic market.
Defra has been in regular contact with industry including the NFU and fertiliser producers and importers, and we have frequent contact with the key sector representative body for fertilisers, the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC). The situation and impact on farmers in particular and industry more widely is being monitored closely.
Alternatives to ammonium nitrate do exist and farmers will be looking closely at these options and how best they can be utilised. Support from producers of these products on how best to use them and to get the best nutrient uptake for crop has been offered.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of jobs that (a) have been or (b) will be retained as a result of (i) UK private, (ii) Government and (c) inward investment as part of the Government’s plans to protect the natural environment between November 2020 and November 2030.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution is mobilising significant investment in protecting the natural environment in England over the coming years. This will create and retain a range of green jobs while safeguarding our cherished landscapes and restoring habitats for wildlife in order to combat biodiversity loss and adapt to climate change.
As part of this, the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF) has already attracted £17.6 million in match funding across 159 projects and will create and retain around 2,500 jobs. The Government's £5.2 billion flood defence investment programme will create approximately 2,000 jobs over the duration of the programme (April 2021 - March 2027) with private sector delivery partners involved in flood defence scheme design and construction.
The England Trees Action Plan committed to treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, supported by over £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund. In the recently launched Net Zero Strategy, the Government has also announced that it will boost the Nature for Climate fund with a further £124 million of new money, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management – above and beyond what was promised in the manifesto. This funding, along with increased private investment, will help to support up to 1,900 jobs by 2024 and 2,000 jobs by 2030 in new woodland creation, harvesting and restocking. It will also support additional jobs in tourism, seed supply and local farming.
The England Peat Action Plan includes a commitment to invest over £50 million of the Nature for Climate Fund to restore approximately 35,000ha of peatland by 2025, which will create or retain approximately 600 jobs.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that (a) have been or (b) will be created as a result of (i) UK private, (ii) Government and (iii) inward investment as part of the Government’s plans to protect the natural environment between November 2020 and November 2030.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution is mobilising significant investment in protecting the natural environment in England over the coming years. This will create and retain a range of green jobs while safeguarding our cherished landscapes and restoring habitats for wildlife in order to combat biodiversity loss and adapt to climate change.
As part of this, the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GRCF) has already attracted £17.6 million in match funding across 159 projects and will create and retain around 2,500 jobs. The Government's £5.2 billion flood defence investment programme will create approximately 2,000 jobs over the duration of the programme (April 2021 - March 2027) with private sector delivery partners involved in flood defence scheme design and construction.
The England Trees Action Plan committed to treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, supported by over £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund. In the recently launched Net Zero Strategy, the Government has also announced that it will boost the Nature for Climate fund with a further £124 million of new money, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management – above and beyond what was promised in the manifesto. This funding, along with increased private investment, will help to support up to 1,900 jobs by 2024 and 2,000 jobs by 2030 in new woodland creation, harvesting and restocking. It will also support additional jobs in tourism, seed supply and local farming.
The England Peat Action Plan includes a commitment to invest over £50 million of the Nature for Climate Fund to restore approximately 35,000ha of peatland by 2025, which will create or retain approximately 600 jobs.
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether egg-based products produced from farms where laying hens are caged in stocking density as low as 550sq cm per hen falls under the definition of imports of lower welfare as set out in the Government’s call for evidence on Labelling for animal welfare, published on 13 September 2021.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
UK legislation sets out high standards for animal welfare. This includes the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, the 2007 Welfare of Farmed Animal Regulations, the 2007 Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) Regulations, and the 2015 Welfare at the Time of Killing regulations, as well as the retained EU Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport. Animal welfare is a fully devolved matter and comparable legislation exists in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The Government launched a call for evidence on 13 September to assess the impacts of different types of labelling reforms for animal welfare. For the purpose of this call for evidence, 'imports of lower welfare' is defined as 'the subset of imports that do not meet baseline UK welfare regulations', including, but not limited to, the regulations mentioned above.
Any future label requirements would need to be underpinned by a set of agreed welfare standards, referring to how these meet, exceed, or fall below baseline UK welfare regulations and international standards. The development of such welfare standards would be informed by the responses to this call for evidence and further stakeholder engagement.
The responses to this call for evidence will be used to inform any future policy proposals on animal welfare labelling. This will feed into the Government’s wider work on food labelling to ensure that consumers can have confidence in the food they buy and to facilitate the trade of quality British food at home and abroad.