Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 implications for his policies of the letter from a group of cross-party hon. Members to the Federal Deputy for Rio de Janeiro requesting that the Brazilian congress halt the continued illegal deforestation of the Amazon.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening supply chains. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilian government and legislators on the progress of legislation in Brazil that affects rates of deforestation. The Government will continue to support action by businesses, civil society, and members of Parliament to help reduce deforestation globally. We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue, working to protect nature and biodiversity and support global climate objectives.
In line with recent calls to halt illegal deforestation including in the Amazon, we are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to help address illegal deforestation across UK supply chains. Close to 90% of deforestation in some of the world’s most important forests is illegal.
We do not currently have plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK. However, our due diligence law will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains, and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 ensure that JBS complies with UK environmental and welfare standards.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Great Britain maintains its own imports regime to protect public, animal and plant life, health, welfare and the environment.
Countries that are approved to import animal products to the UK are required to ensure that their exporting establishments meet UK import requirements, as set out in legislation including Retained Regulations 2019/625, 853/2004 and 1099/2009.
Within Great Britain, compliance with animal welfare regulations is monitored and enforced in approved slaughterhouses by official veterinarians from the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the welfare standards of the Brazilian company JBS in the context of the appropriateness of the UK accepting imports from that company into the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Our existing legal requirements for imports include a ban on animal products which were produced using artificial growth hormones, and a legal requirement that imported poultry carcases can only be washed in potable water.
In addition, imports of animal products are legally required to have been subject to humane slaughter methods.
The Government’s manifesto is clear that in all of our trade deals, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 his EU counterpart on the food safety practices of the subsidiaries of JBS, the Brazilian meat processing company, in Europe.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary has no specific plans to hold discussions with his EU counterpart in respect of the food safety practices of the subsidiaries of JBS. However, if any concerns are raised to Defra, he will be happy to pass them to the Food Standards Agency for consideration, as appropriate.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the food safety practices of the Brazilian meat processing company JBS.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland hold information on food safety practices of food businesses based in the UK, including the ones owned by JBS.
Checks are carried out on foodstuffs imported into the UK to ensure that they meet our food safety standards. When safety risks or non-compliances are identified in food, feed or food contact materials imported into the UK, the FSA is notified and in turn notifies the country that exported the non-compliant or hazardous goods into the UK.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 long-term competition rules derogation for milk processors in non-aligned dairy farms for (a) facilitating trading cooperative and (b) building resilience in the milk processing and supply industry.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
In order to support milk producers, we have temporarily eased some elements of competition law to make it easier for the dairy industry to come together to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency and ensure as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. This approach will allow the market for milk to adjust to the change in demand for milk while allowing production to be restored when shops, restaurants and pubs are able to open again. Exempted activities have been developed in conjunction with the dairy industry.
Beyond this immediate and temporary measure, the Government plans to launch a range of initiatives to improve the position of milk producers. Government is keen to see greater levels of collaboration between producers and will continue to support farmers who want to harness the benefits of working together. Our Agriculture Bill includes powers to introduce a new domestic system for recognising producer organisations, which will be better tailored to the requirements of UK producers.
The Bill also includes powers to introduce and enforce statutory codes of practice to address unfair trading practices which can occur between milk producers and purchasers. We will carry out a full consultation on dairy contracts to take account of the range of stakeholder views and hope to launch the consultation later this year.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to reduce the level of permitted (a) particulates emissions and (b) volatile organic compounds.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Our Clean Air Strategy, published in 2019, set out the comprehensive action required across all parts of Government and society to reduce our emissions of five key pollutants, including particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to meet legally binding targets for 2020 and 2030.
Our landmark Environment Bill delivers key parts of the Strategy. It introduces a duty to set a legally binding target for fine particulate matter, in addition to a further long term air quality target. It also provides Government with new powers to enforce environmental standards for vehicles and non-road mobile machinery and ensures that local authorities have more effective powers and a clear framework for tackling air pollution in their areas.
In addition, we have recently announced plans to introduce secondary legislation to phase out the sale of traditional house coal, high-sulphur manufactured solid fuels and small quantities of wet wood; and Public Health England have published guidelines to reduce the health impacts of selected VOCs in UK homes and offices. These actions will all help tackle emissions of particulates and VOCs.