Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on the Digital Assistance Scheme.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The total spend to date (as at 31 October 2023) by Defra on the Digital Assistance Scheme has been £42.33 million. The breakdown is below:
Type of Spend | FY 2020-21 £m | FY 2021-22 £m | FY 2022-23 £m | FY 2023-24* £m | Total |
DAS Programme and Staff Costs | 0.25 | 5.94 | 12.2 | 3.1 | 21.49 |
DAS Capital Costs | 3.2 | 7.79 | 4.4 | 5.45 | 20.84 |
Total | 3.45 | 13.73 | 16.6 | 8.55 | 42.33 |
*Spend to October 2023
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 hold discussions with the RSPCA on possible changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State always considers representations from stakeholders, including the RSPCA.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 support charities that engage in food waste reduction programmes.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Over £2m will be spent this year with the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a charity that helps business and citizens to waste less.
Included in this work is the development, provision of, and roll out of advice, best practice and guidance to help the supply chain redistribute more surplus food to the charitable sector.
Redistribution charities continue to benefit from the increased capacity and capability from the £13m that has spent since 2018 on infrastructure such as warehousing, vehicles, fridges and freezers.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Review of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, published on 2 February 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Veterinary medicines play a vital role in protecting our animals’ health and welfare. Defra is updating the Veterinary Medicines Regulations in respect of Great Britain, to ensure the Regulations continue to be fit for purpose, and we consulted on these changes earlier this year. We are finalising the response to the consultation, where we will set out the changes we are taking forward. We are aware that there is significant interest in our proposed changes and we are taking our time to make sure we get it right.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the Independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain, published 30 June 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently considering the 10 recommendations from the Independent Review into Labour Shortages and intends to publish a Government Response shortly.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 tackle the reported threat of the hybrid of an existing feline coronavirus arriving in the UK.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are aware of this case of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in an imported kitten from Cyprus and the subsequent diagnostic testing and sequencing carried out at Edinburgh University and the Roslin Institute.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis is caused by a mutation in a common feline coronavirus (FeC). This strain of virus is unrelated to those which cause SARS, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans) or MERS. Most infections with feline coronavirus cause a mild diarrhoea but sometimes, if the virus mutates within the cat, it can cause a severe infection and in vulnerable kittens can cause high mortality. FeC is often found in multiple cat households, cat shelters and feral cat colonies, as is the case in Cyprus where many cats have died of FIP.
At present, we understand this is an isolated case and there has been no transmission to other cats in contact with the kitten, but we are following the work closely through APHA’s Small Animal Expert Group to understand whether this has the potential to become an issue for the UK cat population. FeC is not a notifiable or reportable pathogen in the UK and there are no trade rules or quarantine rules for cat imports relating to FeC or FIP.
There are guidelines provided by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association for how to deal with outbreaks in cat shelters, where spread can happen quickly and with certain highly pathogenic strains, can lead to high fatality rates.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 13 September 2023 to Question 197683 on Sportsgrounds: Rubber, if she will instruct the evidence project to consider the potential impact of future regulatory action in this area of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The referenced evidence project is a UK-wide study, covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will review the emissions of intentionally added microplastics, including rubber crumb in sports pitches, and the risks they pose to both human health and the environment, as well as undertaking a socio-economic assessment. Defra and the Devolved Governments will consider its recommendations once complete. Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and Windsor Framework, EU REACH continues to apply in full to Northern Ireland. As we take forward the new arrangements in the Windsor Framework, will work with the EU to manage issues should they arise.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 of non-veterinary surgeons who have performed canine artificial insemination in the last five years.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Defra has made no prosecutions under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 of non-veterinary surgeons who have performed canine artificial insemination in the last five years. Defra does not have data for such prosecutions made by other organisations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 hold discussions with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on their planned timetable for concluding their inquiry into future veterinary demand.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials continue to work with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to understand the future needs for the UK veterinary workforce. We will look to work with the College and other stakeholders to progress any findings that emerge.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a target for the phased reduction of the grey squirrel population in the next five years.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
As well as being a threat to the native red squirrel, the grey squirrel poses a severe challenge to the sustainable management of woodlands in England.
In the Environmental Improvement Plan we committed to do more to tackle the impacts of grey squirrels on our trees, woodlands and red squirrel population by updating the Grey Squirrel Action Plan, embedding grey squirrel management into woodland and farming schemes, and encouraging public bodies and adjacent landowners to work together to manage grey squirrel populations, where appropriate.
Countryside Stewardship funding is now available for grey squirrel management. We have also provided funding to the UK Squirrel Accord, including for work on an innovative grey squirrel immunocontraceptive.
The updated Grey Squirrel Action Plan will build on existing support delivered through the Forestry Commission and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, setting out the additional actions Government will take to combat grey squirrels.
These actions are all aimed at reducing the pressures of grey squirrels on the environment and industry, through population reduction. Our objectives are to support red squirrel conservation and to reduce damage to trees and it is better to target our action to achieve those goals.