Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to recent reports of unsold electrical goods being destroyed by Amazon, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it unlawful for retailers to destroy unsold stock.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
There is already an obligation, set out in the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, for businesses that handle waste to take all measures reasonable to apply the waste hierarchy. Failure to meet the legal obligation can lead to enforcement action from the Environment Agency in England.
We also have a producer responsibility system in place under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations to ensure all waste electrical and electronic products are collected and treated properly. This supports action in line with the waste hierarchy by those who treat electronics to ensure priority is given to preparing the products for reuse where possible, and then recycling so full use is made of components and materials.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the future funding arrangements will be for the National Wildlife Crime Unit; and whether that funding will be for 12 months or on a longer term basis.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Since 2016, Defra and the Home Office have committed £300,000 a year to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). This contribution has been continued into the financial year 2021/22. The NWCU's other funding partners, the Scottish Government, the Northern Ireland Executive and the National Police Chiefs Council, have similarly undertaken to maintain their contributions through 2021/22. Decisions on the government's future funding of the NWCU will be taken as part of the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
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 strengthen the law against hare coursing.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We made it clear in our Action Plan on Animal Welfare that we are determined to do more to crack down on the illegal practice of hare coursing and we have committed to introducing legislation. On 17 June I will be chairing a round table with the police and stakeholders to share our outline proposals and initiate detailed consultations with officials.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is his policy to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers from 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The government plans to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers subject to further evidence and analysis. On timelines for implementation, we want a timetable that is bold but realistic, given our desire to develop and implement an effective, cost-efficient scheme that works coherently across the UK. We will provide further information on this timetable, along with further details of the proposed DRS, in our forthcoming consultation in 2021.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many grazing livestock farms in lowland areas had only (a) sheep and (b) beef cattle, in England in 2019.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
In June 2019, the number of lowland grazing holdings in England with sheep but no beef cattle was 11,766, while the number of holdings with beef cattle but no sheep was 8,553.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
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 publish the assessment he has made of the effect on dairy producers in the UK of tariffs being charged by the UK and the EU in the event of no agreement being reached in the current negotiations on the future relationship.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Previous studies (e.g. LEI Wageningen Uur, 2016) have indicated that the application of MFN tariffs on trade between the EU and UK would result in an increase in domestic farm gate prices for raw milk.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds 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 feasibility of farmers switching from lamb to beef production.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
In 2019, there were 7,085 grazing livestock farms in lowland areas in England with some amount of beef and sheep on the holding. These businesses have the ability to change the mix of these enterprises within their business.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds 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 Arla on the relocation of its production capacity to the UK in the event of tariffs being charged on dairy products by the UK and the EU.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Secretary of State met the Chief Executive of Arla on 9 October 2019, where the impact of a no deal exit on Arla was discussed.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
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 Chancellor of the Exchequer on support for the bid by the Canal and River Trust for capital funding to enable the development of the Leeds Inland Port and the upgrading of eight locks on the Aire and Calder Navigation.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds North West on 22 October 2020, PQ UIN 105528.
[questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-19/105528]