Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
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 alleviate the environmental impact of (a) polystyrene bodyboards and (b) other disposable beach products.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We know that when polystyrene bodyboards and other items used at the beach are littered they can have harmful impacts on the environment. The Government is committed to encouraging local solutions for local problems. This is particularly relevant in dealing with litter and fly-tipping issues, which require a local approach, tailored to the characteristics of the area and the community in which the problems occur.
The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse advises councils to monitor and clean beaches below the high-water mark areas as appropriate. Beaches present unique challenges. They may not always be cleaned to the maximum standard possible because of the terrain, conditions, accessibility and the need to be sensitive to habitats. The duty body should do as much as is practicable. It is recommended that councils and beach managers are aware of the different types and nature of beaches in their areas and carry out regular monitoring and suitable cleaning.
The Government's Resources and Waste Strategy for England published in December 2018 sets out our plans to reduce plastic pollution and move towards a more circular economy. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste. The measures set out in the Strategy will help our society move away from a 'take, make, use and throw' approach regarding resources and materials to where we reuse, recycle, and repair more and waste less. Our Environment Bill will enable us to significantly change the way that we manage our waste and take forward a number of the proposals from the Resources and Waste Strategy.
In general, we prefer to help people and companies make the right choice, rather than banning items outright. There may, however, be times when a ban is appropriate as part of a wider strategic approach. Which is why we introduced measures to restrict the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in October 2020. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/ or materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
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 implement the recommendations of the 2019 Landscapes Review; and when he plans to publish the Government’s response to that review.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The independent Landscapes Review, led by Julian Glover, set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).
We welcome this ambition, as the government is committed to ensuring our protected landscapes flourish as havens for nature and are places that everyone can visit and enjoy.
The Landscapes Review included recommendations for long-term structural changes, such as creating a new National Landscape Service and changing National Park and AONB statutory purposes, that would require legislation were they to be taken forward.
We are taking time to carefully consider the recommendations and working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, which we will publish in due course.
In the meantime, we are working to implement the ambitions of the Review on the ground now. For example, we are leading a £5.77m cross-governmental project to test nature-based social prescribing in seven test and learn sites, run national experimental work to understand its scalability, and deliver a robust project evaluation. This will help improve mental health and wellbeing by connecting more people to nature, including in protected landscapes.
The £80m Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which launched in September 2020, will kickstart a programme of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment. Some of these projects will help deliver on the Landscape Review's recommendations, such as the proposal to give every child a night under the stars in a national landscape.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that UK fishing businesses are able to gain access to EU markets with minimal delays arising from customs procedures.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra is working with other Government departments, industry and EU authorities to ensure smooth trade flow and minimise disruption at the border. To do so, we have established a twice-weekly seafood exports working group to identify issues and resolve across Government. To further support businesses Defra has developed a support package of guidance and training with HMRC, including an online journey that guides fish exporters through each step of the export journey.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the challenges facing the British pig industry; and what steps the Government is taking to support pig farmers in the Torridge and West Devon constituency.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
I am very much aware that the pig sector is currently facing a number of challenges due to Covid-19 and global trading conditions. I will be hosting a roundtable with key industry stakeholders to discuss these challenges and will continue to work with the pig industry to address them.
The Government has made available financial assistance via a number of Covid-19 HM Treasury schemes. These can be accessed by the pig sector and we encourage companies impacted by Covid-19, including those in Torridge and West Devon, to investigate if any of these schemes are appropriate for their needs.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of culled badgers are tested for bovine tuberculosis.
Answered by George Eustice
Badgers removed under licence between 2013 and 2015 were not routinely tested for TB.
In 2013, four badgers removed were tested at the specific request of landowners. The tests were carried out privately by independent veterinary surgeons and one badger was confirmed to be infected with TB. This information is publicly available: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/323530/RFI_6489.pdf.
In 2016 we initiated development of a badger TB surveillance programme in nine cull areas in the High Risk Area of England. A report on the results from tested badgers is publicly available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-surveillance-in-wildlife-in-england-2016-to-2017.
In 2017, 84 badger carcasses from one cull area were submitted for TB testing as part of a research project to develop and validate novel techniques for diagnosing TB in badgers. A further nine carcasses from a different cull area were also submitted for TB testing as part of a commercial collaboration. No results from these tests are yet available.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
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 publish the conclusions of her Department's investigations into the use of contraceptives for Dartmoor ponies.
Answered by George Eustice
We do not publish information on investigations undertaken by Defra Investigation Services given the confidential nature of such enquiries. However, we are considering an FOI request regarding the subsequent review that was carried out on the original investigation referred to by my Honourable Friend.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
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 effect of the complexity of the rules and requirements for applications under LEADER 5 on the take-up of that scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
All 80 LEADER Local Action Groups have started to invite applications for funding. The total LEADER budget for 2014-20 is £138 million.
Since the LEADER Programme was launched in October 2015, 1,629 outline applications, worth £51.3 million, have been received. 974 projects have been endorsed to go to full application, with a potential value of almost £30 million. 306 full applications have been received seeking £7.7 million and 83 applications have been approved with a value of almost £2.3 million.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for grants under LEADER 5 North Devon Plus have been (a) received and (b) granted in Torridge and North Devon.
Answered by George Eustice
The Torridge and North Devon LEADER Local Action Group (LAG) has a budget of c£2.3 million to fund its contribution to delivering the Rural Development Programme for England for 2014-20.
Torridge and North Devon LAG has received 39 outline applications for grants. 25 of these, seeking a total of £577,353, have been invited to submit a full application, with nine full applications, seeking a total of £248,006, having been received so far.
Three projects have so far been approved for a total value of £50,545.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the rules and requirements for LEADER 5 do not deter individuals and businesses from pursuing applications under that scheme.
Answered by George Eustice
LEADER funding is delivered through 80 LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs). LAGs can fund a wide range of projects under a broad set of priorities that is consistent across England. From this, LAGs have developed their own local plans to meet local needs.
Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will, with representatives of LAGs, continue to review lessons learned from implementation of the current programme. This includes looking at the potential to simplify and streamline the application process for applicants, LAGs and the RPA.
Asked by: Geoffrey Cox (Conservative - Torridge and West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when it is planned Dartmoor Farmers who farm on common land will receive payments under the Basic Payment Scheme; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
For those Basic Payment Scheme claims with commons, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has faced a particularly difficult challenge as it is necessary to wait until all claimants for a common have had their commons rights validated before the area for each commoner can be established. RPA is working to make the payments for claimants who have not been paid as promptly as possible, including the Dartmoor farmers who farm on Common land.