Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with (a) British Sugar and (b) the National Farmers Union on the 2024/25 sugar beet price negotiations.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra has had discussion with all parties. The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared. That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market.
There is a well-established process in place to agree the sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties, with Government only acting as final arbitrator at the end of the process should no agreement be reached. It is very important that all parties involved now continue to follow that process and reach a mutually acceptable outcome.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the length of water abstraction licences to incentivise investment in winter reservoir storage.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Environment Agency is legally required to include a time limit on all new abstraction licences and permanent licence variations.
When the Environment Agency grants a licence for the first time, the licence duration is usually between 6 and 18 years. On renewal, the normal duration will be 12 years. In exceptional cases licences may be issued with a longer time limit if the applicant meets four government tests. Further information can be found in the guidance note WR253 Long duration water abstraction licences on gov.uk.
The Environment Agency would consider a long duration licence for a winter storage reservoir providing the applicant can meet the four tests.
We are working to move the water resources licensing regime into the Environmental Permitting Regulations. We consulted on the move in Autumn 2021 and are considering the responses. The consultation included proposals to remove the requirement on the Environment Agency to issue abstraction permits with a time limit.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the performance of (a) inshore fisheries and (b) conservation authorities.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra published an independent ‘Evaluation of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities’ in 2021 as part of an ongoing evaluation programme which includes the production of Conduct and Operations Reports. Work is currently underway to gather feedback for the third Report covering 2018 to 2022. We expect to lay the Report in Parliament and publish in spring 2024.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the import of forage maize seed treated with (a) Kori bird deterrent, (b) Redigo M fungicide and (c) Force insecticide on levels of maize production in the UK.
Answered by Mark Spencer
From 1 January 2024, treated seeds can only be used if they are treated with Plant Protection Products authorised in GB. After we left the EU, transitional arrangements were put in place so that seeds treated with products authorised for use in the EU but not GB could continue to be imported, marketed and used. These arrangements come to an end on 31 December 2023. Industry has had the opportunity over the last three years to apply for the relevant GB authorisations, and the Health and Safety Executive has highlighted the actions that they need to take.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of an (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory scheme to require drive through fast food outlets to print the car registration details of each customer's vehicle on the packaging containing their purchased items.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Defra does not intend to carry out a formal assessment of the potential merits of requiring drive through fast food outlets to implement a vehicle registration number printing system for packaging. We have concerns that the additional burden this would place on businesses and those responsible for enforcement would outweigh the benefits. We support voluntary initiatives aimed at reducing litter.
In recent years we have bolstered local authority enforcement powers, such as by allowing them to issue the keeper of a vehicle, from which litter is thrown, with a civil penalty. Councils also have powers to issue Community Protection Notices which can be used to require the owner of premises, such as fast-food outlets, to take certain actions to tackle litter created by their activities.
Furthermore, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has recently updated planning guidance to clarify the powers available to councils to ensure new hot food takeaways do not increase the impact of litter on local communities. The guidance gives councils advice on what rules they can enforce when new takeaways open, such as ensuring they install more bins and anti-litter signs.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to (a) carry out a review of and (b) publish a report setting out the conclusions of the review of Part 3 of the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 under Regulation 17P, as inserted by the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We recognise that the post implementation review (PIR) of The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008, as amended, is outstanding. We intend to complete our Post Implementation Review by the end of 2024.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 make an assessment of the potential effect of the proposal to replace the Wash Fishery Order 1992 made by Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority on the viability of the fishing fleet.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra is currently considering the application made by the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (EIFCA), the body responsible for fisheries management in the area. The intended effect of the proposal is to ensure that the aquaculture and wild capture fisheries continue to be regulated, a role undertaken by the EIFCA.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has received representations on the extension of the Wash Fishery Order 1992.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra has received a letter requesting the extension of the Wash Fishery Order 1992. Once an Order is made, its duration cannot be subsequently extended without repeating the full application process.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has paid in compensation to claimants in Norfolk with premises affected by avian influenza in each month of 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer
As of 1st December, there have been 59 cases of avian influenza confirmed in poultry and other captive birds in Norfolk in 2022. We have to date processed payments of £15.8 million in compensation to claimants at 40 of these infected premises, with payments to a remaining 19 premises in the process of being agreed with keepers.
We do not comment on individual claims and the amount of compensation that individual keepers receive is not disclosed. It is not possible to disclose a monthly breakdown of compensation payments as this would enable individual payments to be identified.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 it his policy for avian influenza compensation to be applicable from the point of notification of a suspected outbreak.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Compensation, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981, is payable for healthy birds only. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation policy for birds culled by HM Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion, as swift and humane culling of birds on infected premises coupled with good biosecurity are critical for preventing the amplification of avian influenza and subsequent environmental contamination and to reduce the risk of disease spread from infected premises.
APHA makes its assessment of the disease status of the birds based on clinical inspection and veterinary judgment. Historically this assessment has been based on the actual number of birds culled rather than the number of healthy birds at the point that culling starts. The amount paid was therefore depended on the evolution of the disease on site between the initial assessment of the number of healthy birds close to the start of culling less any that die between the start and end of culling.
In response to significant concerns from industry on the impact the rapid mortality caused by the current H5N1 strain and risk that escalating cases numbers leading to substantial delays to culling can have on the amount of compensation paid, changes to the compensation scheme for avian influenza have been introduced (effective from the 1 October).
Compensation will now be linked to decisions taken at the start of planned culling rather than at the end. This will allow us to give earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation, better reflect the impact of outbreaks on premises and lead to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures.
Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. Compensation is also not paid for other things that have to be seized because they pose a risk of transmitting disease.
Biosecurity guidance and a biosecurity self-assessment checklist have been published by HM Government to assist all bird keepers in instigating and maintaining good biosecurity.