Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 and promote the UK fishing industry; what his timescale is for providing details of new measures to boost capacity to attract new entrants into the industry to sustain and improve employment opportunity; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Opportunities for new entrants are essential for safeguarding the UK fishing industry’s future. It is important to recognise that the industry itself has many of the levers it needs to attract people into the sector, with many of the more far-sighted organisations taking active measures.
In addition, the Government is working closely with regional fisheries groups, Producer Organisations and representative bodies to understand how best to encourage more resource into the industry while also considering examples of best practice from around the world.
The £100 million UK Seafood Fund was announced by the Prime Minister on 24 December 2020 and includes a Skills and Training pillar to support industry’s efforts, by providing new courses to fill gaps and augmenting existing courses to improve take-up and retention of new entrants. In addition, funding support is available across the UK from fishing administration funding schemes. In England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme supports industry with funding for a variety of areas, including job opportunities and support for new entrants, apprenticeship schemes and lifelong training.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will require all poultry which is intended for human consumption and which has been injected with water and/or salt, to be clearly labelled as such in a large typeface, or stated to be so at the point of sale, whether such an item is sold packaged or unpackaged, raw or cooked, to allow consumers to make an informed choice before they purchase that product.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Under UK regulations on the provision of food information to consumers, it is already the case with meat products and meat preparations which have the appearance of a cut, joint, slice, portion or carcase of meat, that an indication of the presence of added water, if the added water makes up more than 5% of the weight of the finished product, must accompany the name of the food. The presence of water, if added, will also be included in the ingredients list. As mandatory information, this indication with the name of the food as well as the information in the ingredients list must be marked in a conspicuous place in such a way as to be easily visible, clearly legible and, where appropriate, indelible. It shall not in any way be hidden, obscured, detracted from or interrupted by any other written or pictorial matter or any other intervening material.
Under the Food Information Regulations 2014 Regulation 6 (applicable in England, similar regulations are in place in the Devolved Administrations), the name of the food is required for food that is not prepacked, and therefore the indication accompanying the name of the food as related above will also appear. Additionally, under Regulation 7 of the Food Information Regulations 2014, a ‘Quantitative Indication’ of the meat ingredients must be provided which can help the consumer understand what proportion of the whole product is meat.
There is no current intention to add further to these requirements. However, the Government will be reviewing food labelling more broadly to ensure consumers continue to be provided with the information they need to make safe and informed food choices.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to require labelling of meat to show animals slaughtered without prior stunning; if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing more detailed food labelling to promote animal welfare, including the method of slaughter; and if he will make statement.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
There are currently no regulations that require the labelling of meat with the method of slaughter, but where any information is provided voluntarily it must be accurate and not misleading to the consumer. The Government expects the industry, whether food producer or food outlet, to provide consumers with all the information they need to make informed choices about the food they eat.
The Government has committed to consult on what can be done through labelling to promote high standards and high welfare across the UK market. We will shortly launch a call for evidence to assess the impacts of different types of labelling reforms for animal welfare, including method of slaughter. 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.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason domestic rabbit welfare was not included in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare published on 12 May 2021; what plans he has to improve the welfare of domestic rabbits in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets, to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licences must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:
Meanwhile other advice is available to educate pet owners on providing for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both. This strengthened penalty sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated. Following a conviction for animal cruelty or welfare offences, the court may also ban the offender from keeping certain types of animals and/or order that their animals are removed from them. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare provides an overview of current priorities – particularly those which require legislative action and reform. We will continue to work closely with the companion animal welfare sector to monitor future developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 effect of the decision to issue a licence for white-tailed eagles to be introduced into England on the risks posed to (a) livestock and (b) domestic pets; what consultations have taken place with farming groups and their representatives on that matter; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Natural England examined the diet and feeding behaviour of white-tailed eagles elsewhere in continental Europe and found no evidence of predation of livestock or pets. The evidence strongly suggests it is most likely that the birds will feed on a range of wild prey and carrion – fish, birds, rabbits and hares - usually around the coast or waterbodies. The areas surrounding the proposed release site will provide ample wild prey for the birds. There appears to be no evidence of livestock or pet predation elsewhere in Europe with the exception of some lamb predation in Scotland where husbandry conditions are very different to East Anglia and there is a lower abundance of wild prey.
Natural England also looked at evidence from the Isle of Wight reintroduction project which has closely monitored all of the GPS tagged birds including studying their diets. Some of these birds have spent time on livestock farms in Norfolk and have been shown to feed only on wild prey. In the unlikely event of livestock predation occurring, it is most likely to be localised, rare and perpetrated by just one or two eagles and there is a conflict management plan and exit strategy to address any concerns.
The licence applicants consulted a number of farming organisations including the National Farmers Union (NFU) and representatives of the sheep, pig and poultry industries. They also participated in a webinar organised by the NFU for livestock farmers in the East Midlands and East Anglia and wrote directly to a number of local farms and estates. A web based survey was conducted in which 63% of 216 farmers expressed support for the project.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has in place to ensure adequate UK recycling capacity for obsolete batteries used in electric vehicles from 2030 onwards; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 ban the disposal of industrial, including electric vehicle, and automotive batteries to landfill and their incineration. Under producer responsibility requirements, the regulations also obligate those placing these types of batteries on the market to take them back at end of life and provide for their appropriate treatment. We are currently reviewing these regulations, with a consultation on proposals due to be issued by the end of this year, and this will consider the implications of the growing numbers of electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
The Government has committed £318m into the Faraday Battery Challenge to support the research, development and scale-up of world leading battery technology in the UK. The innovation strand is supporting several business led collaborative R&D projects on reuse and recycling of EV batteries.
UK Research and Innovation has also recently invested £22.5m in interdisciplinary circular economy centres to explore how reusing waste materials, including rare metals, in the textiles, construction, chemical and metal industries could deliver huge environmental benefits and boost the UK economy.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 improve the welfare of (a) domestic and (b) other animals in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK is a global leader in animal welfare. The Government has already taken significant steps to improve the welfare of domestic and others animals and we are currently considering the best legislative vehicle to bring forward a range of further animal welfare and animal-related measures to strengthen our position as a world leader in this field. This includes delivering our manifesto commitments when Parliamentary time allows.
We have modernised the regulation (licensing) of a range of animal activities including dog breeding, pet selling and animal boarding. These animal welfare regulations apply modern welfare standards and make it easier for local authorities to enforce.
We banned the commercial third-party sale of puppies and kittens which has been a significant milestone towards disrupting the unscrupulous trade that supports cruel puppy farming and smuggling. Through our national ‘Petfished’ campaign we continue to educate prospective pet owners on how to source pets responsibly, avoiding the common tricks and tactics used by deceitful sellers which may result in the purchase of a mistreated or unwell pet.
We launched a public consultation on introducing compulsory cat microchipping in England. Microchipping means lost cats can be identified and returned home rather than handed into rehoming charities as strays. It also means that injured cats can be quickly identified by vets and their owners can be informed and involved in their care.
We are supporting the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill which will increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty offences from six month to five years imprisonment. This increase will act as a strong deterrent to those that commit such appalling acts and provide one of the toughest sanctions in Europe. This legislation, coupled with the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019, will also ensure that those who harm service animals are punished accordingly.
We have a strong track record in raising the bar for farm animal welfare standards — such as banning battery cages for laying hens, sow stalls and veal crates and introducing CCTV in all slaughterhouses in England. We will strengthen the regulatory baseline to ensure we maintain our high standards and look to raise them sustainably over time as new research and evidence emerges.
We are currently examining the evidence around the use of cages for farm animals.
We are delivering on our manifesto commitment and we hope to have legislation in place to end live animal exports for slaughter and fattening by the end of the year.
We have consulted on a wide range of proposals to improve animal welfare in transport and we will be publishing our response to the consultation and outlining how we will take reforms forward later this year. We are carefully considering potential improvements identified by the recent review of the regulations concerning the welfare of animals at the time of killing.
We are also co-designing an Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which aims to promote the production of healthier, higher-welfare farm animals at a level beyond compliance with current regulations. The direction of the Pathway so far has been developed in active partnership with industry and a range of stakeholders through our co-design approach.
As part of the Pathway, we are developing publicly-funded incentives for English farmers to provide enhanced animal health and welfare beyond the regulatory baseline. These incentives will be for enhancements valued by the public but not sufficiently provided for by the market. Small and large grants will also be used to co-fund investment in measures that will increase animal health and welfare over the statutory baseline.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase the range and scope of penalties available for hare coursing offences including (a) extending the seizure and forfeiture powers in relation to dogs and vehicles and (b) enabling full kennelling costs to be recovered from defendants; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We are determined to continue our efforts to prevent illegal hare coursing. In consultation with stakeholders and others we are exploring a number of options for additional measures and will continue to keep these under review.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
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 discourage littering in (a) tourist and (b) other areas as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased and outdoor socialising increases; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We know that people’s health, wellbeing and resilience can be improved by spending time in the natural environment and there has been an encouraging increase in the number of visitors accessing the countryside. We are clear, however, that everyone should follow the recently updated Countryside Code, which is available on gov.uk. A key part of the Government’s strategy is to get clear and consistent messages to the media, which promote better behaviour in the countryside and encourage a partnership response.
We continue to campaign to raise awareness of the impacts of littering.
In response to Covid-19, Defra developed a ‘Respect the Outdoors’ campaign to encourage people to follow the Countryside Code and to highlight the impacts of littering. This has been promoted both online and in locations across the country near to urban parks, beaches and national parks. We also supported, and provided funding for, Keep Britain Tidy’s Love Parks campaign, which encouraged people to treat our parks with respect.
I recently spoke at the launch of Keep Britain Tidy’s 2021 Great British Spring Clean, encouraging everyone to get involved. By doing so, we are setting the tone for the summer ahead, by showing that litter is not acceptable, and that people care deeply about protecting their local environment.
It is an offence to drop litter, and councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of between £65 and £150.
To support councils to meet their duties in keeping land clear of litter and refuse and maintaining public bins, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has recently published guidance on the provision of litter bins, available at https://wrap.org.uk/content/binfrastructure-right-bin-right-place.
In support of this guidance, WRAP has recently run a grant competition, funded by Defra, for local authorities in England to apply for grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 to purchase new litter bins. In total, 44 applications were approved, worth almost a million pounds.