Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
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 the effect of the UK leaving the REACH chemical framework on UK businesses and the supply chain after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
We want to secure the best possible outcome for UK industry in upcoming negotiations – a partnership underpinned by high standards, a practical approach to regulation and the greatest possible access to European markets. We will continue to engage with UK industry to shape our negotiating position.
Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, to be careful not to release information that would undermine our negotiating position.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to maintain its recognition of status of the sentience of non-domestic animals after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Secretary of State set out the Government’s position in a Written Ministerial Statement on 23 November:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2017-11-23/HCWS267/
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many defendants received the maximum permissible sentence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many custodial sentences were given under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to end the ivory trade in Africa.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The UK is committed to tackling poaching of elephants and illegal trade. We fully support the existing ban on international commercial trade in ivory under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
I attended the CITES Conference of Parties held in Johannesburg from 24 September to 5 October 2016, where the UK discussed elephant and ivory issues with a wide range of countries, including a number of African range states. At the conference, Parties agreed by consensus proposals on the closure of domestic ivory markets where they contribute to poaching or illegal trade and decisive action to strengthen National Ivory Action Plans, which help combat illegal ivory trade in key markets. In addition, proposals that could have led to the re-opening of international commercial trade in ivory were defeated.
Poaching to supply the illegal trade in ivory is a major threat to elephants. The UK has played a leading role in efforts to combat this problem including initiating and supporting a series of global conferences. The UK was represented by the Secretary of State at the Hanoi Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade in Vietnam in November 2016, the third in the series. At this conference, countries committed to practical actions to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, including trade in ivory, building on commitments made at previous conferences in London and Kasane. In addition, the Secretary of State announced an additional £13 million for measures to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, doubling our investment.
The UK regularly discusses action to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife with a number of key range states, as well as transit and consumer countries, and shares its expertise internationally to help combat illicit flows of ivory.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 264385, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that EU environmental law is transposed and implemented across the whole of the UK.
Answered by Rory Stewart
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on the 22 February 2016, PQ UIN 26438. The obligation to transpose and implement EU environmental law applies across the whole of the UK, although the responsibility for transposition and implementation in this area is a competence of the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide an estimate of the number of environmental laws, derived from the EU, that are (a) ignored and (b) unused by the devolved administrations.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Environmental law is an area of devolved competence. Transposition and implementation of EU environmental law therefore rests with the devolved administrations. The obligation to transpose and implement EU environmental law applies across the whole of the UK.