Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
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 discontinuing the use of U1 waste exemptions.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2018, Defra and the Welsh Government consulted on reforming the waste exemptions element in the environmental permitting regime to prevent the use of exemptions to cover illegal activity.
The consultation specifically asked whether the Government should keep the U1 exemption with no changes to its conditions, change the exemption (amend its conditions) or remove the exemption and require activities it covers to be carried out under an environmental permit.
A Government response to the consultation was published on 26 November 2018. However, because of the breadth of impacts that will result from changing these exemptions, and the implications for different business practices that can emerge from relatively minor technical changes, Defra and the Welsh Government have been further considering the impacts of the proposed changes. A supplementary Government response will be published in the spring.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish a response to the proposal by the National Farmers Union for a sustainable food and farming scheme.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
We met the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to discuss their proposals at Ministerial and official level and the Secretary of State wrote to the NFU to thank them for their considered input into the development of our new policies. The Agricultural Transition Plan published in November sets out our plans for agricultural policies, including for the Sustainable Farming Incentive which we are currently piloting.
We have ongoing engagement with the NFU and meet regularly.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to encourage the expansion of abattoirs in Kent.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra recognises the role small abattoirs play in supporting the rural economy.
Defra is working with industry to find innovative solutions to support abattoirs. The Rural Development Programme for England Growth Programme, which is delivered by the Rural Payments Agency, is currently supporting a farmer-led mobile abattoir project which is trialling the use of a compact system for the on-farm slaughter of livestock. The project is due to be operational in autumn 2021 and, if successful, could be replicated elsewhere.
However, any decision to establish a new abattoir would be a commercial decision for the abattoir themselves.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to review the adequacy and practicality of (a) the condition requiring applicants to apply for an exemption 14 days before their visit and (b) other conditions attached to the exemptions granted to people travelling from red list countries to the UK to visit dying relatives during the period of covid-19 travel restrictions.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The condition for individuals to apply at least 14 days in advance of their arrival is required due to the volume of exemption applications we are currently receiving and is necessary to ensure that all exemption requests, including the most complex cases, are treated with the appropriate care and attention. In complex cases, the process may involve requests for additional information, for which applicants need sufficient time to respond.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What steps he is taking to help protect farmers from fly-tipping.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are preparing new legislation to tackle waste crime, such as fly-tipping. This includes reforming how those transporting waste are regulated and introducing mandatory electronic tracking of waste, subject to consultation. The Environment Bill will also ensure authorities have better access to evidence and improved powers of entry. The Defra-chaired National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group works with the National Farmers Union and others to share advice on how to prevent fly-tipping on private land.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
What steps she is taking to ensure that assessments for health and disability benefits are conducted safely during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Justin Tomlinson - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In March 2020, to ensure safety, we paused face-to-face assessments and assessed through paper-based review, telephone and video assessments. Working with providers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, we developed guidance to ensure the re-opening of assessment centres and resumption of face-to-face assessments can be conducted safely. Face-to-face will initially be for claimants unable to be assessed through other means.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with refence to the promotional publication entitled The Environmental Land Management scheme: public money for public goods, published on gov.uk on 20 October 2020, what steps he is taking to help ensure that farmers have information on preparing for the transition to a new agricultural policy.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
On 30 November 2020 we published our agriculture transition plan document, which sets out more detail on the transition and the Environmental Land Management offer. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-transition-plan-2021-to-2024.
The agricultural transition period started on 1 January 2021 and will run to the end of 2027. Between 2021 and 2027, the Government will gradually phase out Direct Payments and introduce a new system which will pay farmers to improve the environment, improve animal health and welfare and reduce carbon emissions.
We know it is important for farmers and land managers to have clear, definitive information as soon as possible so that they can plan. However, we also want to make sure we are designing and delivering things that work on the ground. That means we need to learn and adapt as we go, building on the 74 tests and trials underway or completed to date, involving over 3,000 farmers and other land managers, and piloting extensively the new environmental schemes we are developing.
We will be publishing detailed information on the first phase of piloting the Sustainable Farming Incentive in spring 2021. We will also be consulting on the details of delinking and our planned lump sum exit scheme, publishing more details of our Farming Investment Fund and consulting on regulation and enforcement, all throughout the early part of this year.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
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 protect from cliff erosion homeowners living on the north coast of the Isle of Sheppey.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Coast Protection Act 1949, Swale Borough Council is the maritime authority for the Isle of Sheppey coastline and takes the lead for coastal erosion. The Shoreline Management Plan, led and owned by the South East Coastal Group, was agreed by all local partners and signed off by Defra in 2010. The long term plan has identified that it is not viable to invest in sustaining defences on the coastline from Minster Slopes to Warden Bay. This is because a large coastal defence and surface water management scheme to reduce the rate of erosion in this location would not be economically justifiable due to the small number of properties that would be beneficiaries. In addition, the eroding cliffs are of national conservation, geological and landscape importance and are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
To help manage the impact on those directly affected by coastal erosion, the Environment Agency’s Medway Estuary and Swale Flood and Erosion Risk Strategy has developed adaptation options to relocate or compensate affected properties. This strategy has been supported by key local partners including Swale Borough Council, Natural England and Defra. The Environment Agency will continue to work closely with Swale Borough Council and the South East Coastal Group to support this approach and work with the local residents. The EA will also help explore funding opportunities for any property adaptation proposals which Swale Borough Council may bring forward.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) Iraq and (b) other countries allow UK contract workers who test negative for covid-19 to return to those countries.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The pandemic has led to unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions and all countries may impose travel restrictions without notice. The UK Government is in close contact with international partners, including the Government of Iraq, on the rules for UK contract workers. All FCDO travel advice pages remain under constant review to ensure they reflect the latest threat assessment to British nationals and include up-to-date information and advice.
Carriers may deny boarding if passengers are not in receipt of a qualifying negative test. The Government recognises the continued challenges that the pandemic poses, both for individuals and for businesses. If British Nationals test positive for COVID-19 they should not travel and should follow the local relevant guidance on self-isolation.
Asked by: Gordon Henderson (Conservative - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October 2020 to Question 106980 on Prisons: Disclosure of Information, what response his Department has received from HMPPS trade unions to the drafts of the updated policy and supporting guidance documents.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Consultation has taken place with the following trade unions: Prison Officers’ Association, Prison Governors’ Association, PCS, Prospect, GMB, FDA, Napo and Unison and the response was largely positive with trade unions supportive of the new policy and supporting guidance documents.
The new Raising a Concern policy and supporting guidance documents include provision for staff in prisons to access the Integrity Hotline which allows staff to raise any concerns they may have about the workplace or their own wellbeing. HMPPS has effective and reliable systems for reporting and recording adverse security, and health and safety incidents. This allows staff to voice any concerns, and for health and safety teams to monitor and act where necessary.
Trade union consultation has now been completed and the new policy is now going through the separate Ministry of Justice and HM Prison & Probation Service policy governance processes. Once these processes are complete the policy will be published, which is expected to be in January 2021.