Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timetable is for responding to the Ending the retail sale of peat in horticulture in England and Wales consultation.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The consultation closed on 18 March 2022 and as is standard practice, the Government aims to respond to all consultations within 12 weeks, as set out in Cabinet Office guidance.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of potential risks to animal health and welfare associated with laypeople performing breeding procedures in canine fertility clinics.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 restricts anyone except vets and vet nurses from performing canine artificial breeding procedures. There are no immediate plans to amend this. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 requires owners or handlers of animals to protect them from harm and to provide for their welfare in line with good practice. A breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which provides owners and keepers with general welfare information, including a specific section on how to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease. That section of the Code of Practice recommends owners seek veterinary advice before breeding their dogs and that owners should take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are able to provide the care required during pregnancy.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her timetable is for awarding contracts for the delivery and operation of her Department's three inland border control posts.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Defra is in the final stages of a competitive tender to secure a site operator for the Sevington and Dover Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Border Control Posts (BCPs). The appointment of the operator for these sites will mark a major step towards completion of the BCPs for implementation of SPS inspections from July 2022.
The BCP operator will deliver a comprehensive facilities management function to enable the Port Health Authority and the Animal and Plant Health Agency to deliver their inspection services. The BCP operator will appoint the security, logistics, maintenance, and other support staff for the site.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is the leading Government department responsible for the construction of the Sevington site. All construction contracts for the Sevington site are managed by DfT.
In November 2021 Defra secured the lease on an existing warehouse at the Dover White Cliffs Business Park. The site was constructed in 2003 and had previously been used by P&O as a distribution warehouse and became vacant in March 2020. The Dover site will be converted to create a BCP to facilitate SPS checks of some goods entering the UK via the Port of Dover. Defra will allocate funds to Kent County Council (KCC) by way of ‘Section 31’ grants for the conversion and construction works of the site. KCC will issue and manage the necessary contracts on behalf of Defra.
A further facility in Kent to accommodate all other animal species not handled at the Sevington SPS BCP is also being sourced. Defra will make the necessary and appropriate contract arrangements in due course.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with relevant stakeholders on the concerns raised by Greenpeace on the Environment Agency's Sludge Strategy.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Greenpeace article published on 4 February 2020 was associated with a consultant's report produced as part of an Environment Agency Materials-to-Land project. The Environment Agency takes its responsibility to protect the environment very seriously, which is why it commissioned this report to inform its upcoming sludge strategy and make sure regulations are based on the latest scientific data.
On 17 March 2020 the Environment Agency completed and published its Strategy for safe and sustainable sludge use on gov.uk. Section 9.5 of the strategy lays out aims associated with hazards including chemicals and micro-plastics. An update was then published on 15 July 2020 to reflect adjustments to our delivery timeline due caused by having to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current timeline is to implement the strategy in 2023. The Environment Agency is currently working with the water industry, Defra and other key stakeholders on the preparation for a public consultation to effect the changes laid out in the published strategy.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 25 October 2021 to Question 57091 on Dogs: Artificial Insemination, what his planned timetable is his Department to consider the recommendations on future veterinary legislation submitted by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
As I stated in my previous answer, Defra officials are currently considering the recommendations submitted by The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons concerning the reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Any possible subsequent legislation would be when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Environment Agency's Sludge Strategy in regulating the use of sewage sludge by farmers.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Environment Agency published its sludge strategy in March 2020 and is currently working on the delivery of this strategy with the water industry, Defra and other key stakeholders - including the National Farmers’ Union. The strategy’s implementation is due to be completed in 2023. Current work includes preparation for a public consultation to effect the changes laid out in the strategy, including an assessment of the strategy’s approach.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
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 a (a) list of the companies his Department has engaged in the delivery and operation of inland border control posts and (b) a timetable for any contracts awarded for that purpose.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Defra has engaged Mott MacDonald under contract to provide Design Assurance services to support the delivery of the Sevington Border Control Post (BCP) and the Dover Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) BCP. Their contract in support of Sevington BCP currently runs until 31 January 2022 and their work in relation to Dover SPS BCP until 4 February 2022. The Department is also in the process of engaging other companies to support the delivery and operation of its three inland border control posts.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of Union Jack flags purchased by his Department in each of the last two years were manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has purchased one Union Jack flag since 2019. This flag was made in the UK.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which companies have supplied Union Jack flags to his Department since 2019.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has purchased one Union Jack flag since 2019. This flag was made in the UK.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Bromborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people carrying out the artificial insemination of canines have been found by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to not be suitably competent to carry out the procedure, in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Anyone performing artificial insemination of canines and not considered competent would be operating outside of the regulatory framework. As a result, Defra or the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons do not hold information on instances of people who are not suitably competent carrying out this activity.