Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Federation of British Herpetologists on the implications for shops and businesses selling reptiles and related species of the new animal activities licence.
Answered by David Rutley
Defra held meetings with stakeholders including the Federation of British Herpetologists during the drafting of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations). These discussions helped to inform us of the effect of the Regulations on all affected businesses. An impact assessment was carried out, as required with all new regulations.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
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 effect of the administration of the new animal activities licence on shops and businesses holding or selling reptiles and related species.
Answered by David Rutley
Defra held meetings with stakeholders including the Federation of British Herpetologists during the drafting of The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations). These discussions helped to inform us of the effect of the Regulations on all affected businesses. An impact assessment was carried out, as required with all new regulations.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidelines he and his officials have given to local authorities as to the nature and reasonable costs of inspection and licence renewal for shops and businesses holding or selling reptiles and related species under the provisions of the new animal activities licence.
Answered by David Rutley
Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations) local authorities are able to charge a full cost recovery fee to the applicant. Guidance has been provided to local authorities about the enforcement of the Regulations and this includes a section on fee setting. The guidance includes what the fee can include and also refers to more comprehensive guidance on fees which the Local Government Association published in June 2017. Under the Regulations, any business achieving higher welfare standards will be entitled to a longer licence with fewer inspections at lower cost.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
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 merits of extending the transition timetable for the new animal activities licence for shops selling reptiles and related species beyond 31 December 2018.
Answered by David Rutley
The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations) came into force on 1 October and modernise and streamline the licensing system for a range of licensable activities involving animals, including the sale of pets. Anyone applying for a new licence to sell pets in England will now do so under the new Regulations. Existing licences remain in force until their expiry, which is generally 31 December 2018. The Regulations have been subject to wide consultation with interested stakeholders including the pet industry and the reforms are widely welcomed. There are no plans to extend the application of existing licences beyond their current expiry date.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he and his officials have had with the Environment Agency on the adequacy of how frequently it monitors processes for groundwater at fracking sites across Lancashire.
Answered by David Rutley
Defra’s shale gas team works closely with Environment Agency colleagues on the environmental aspects of fracking, including the protection of groundwater.
The environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency, such as the one issued to Cuadrilla for the Preston New Road site in Lancshire, sets out the pre-operational and operational monitoring requirements according to environmental risk. The type and period of monitoring may vary between sites, according to the sensitivity of the environment and the type and scale of activities. When a site is decommissioned, the operator continues to be held to the monitoring requirements of the environmental permit until the Environment Agency is satisfied that the site has been returned to a satisfactory condition.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the number of additional (a) badger cubs and (b) adult badgers that will be killed as a result of moving the proposed badger cull from autumn 2015 to June 2015.
Answered by George Eustice
No decision has yet been taken on the start dates for culling in 2015. It is for the cull companies to decide when they wish to start, and the current four year licences for the two existing cull areas allow culling of badgers from 1 June onwards. This is based on previous advice that badger cubs are weaned and independent by 1 June.
An estimate of the minimum number of badgers to be removed from each cull area has not yet been finalised.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what independent veterinary evidence she has sought from outside her Department on the effects on badger cubs of moving the proposed badger cull from autumn 2015 to June 2015.
Answered by George Eustice
No decision has yet been taken on the start dates for culling in 2015. It is for the cull companies to decide when they wish to start, and the current four year licences for the two existing cull areas allow culling of badgers from 1 June onwards. This is based on previous advice that badger cubs are weaned and independent by 1 June.
An estimate of the minimum number of badgers to be removed from each cull area has not yet been finalised.