Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 halt and reverse population declines in (a) puffins and (b) other seabirds.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK’s seabirds, including puffins, are an important part of our natural heritage, and their protection is a high priority for this government.
We are working with Natural England to develop a comprehensive and ambitious English Seabird Conservation Strategy which we are aiming to publish in summer 2022. This strategy will aim to assess the vulnerability of each seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose actions to address them.
Forage fish such as sandeels play a crucial role in the health of the wider North Sea marine ecosystem. Seabirds and other sensitive marine species rely on sandeels as a food source. Sandeel stocks are highly sensitive to changing environmental conditions and this is affecting the resilience of the seabird populations. Defra and the UK Fisheries Administrations recently concluded a call for evidence on Sandeels and Norway pout to help inform future decision making to ensure these stocks are managed sustainably in the future. The responses are currently being analysed to feed into next steps.
We are also developing a UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative which we will be publishing early next year. This document will outline actions to tackle the bycatch of sensitive marine species, including seabirds, in UK waters.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 (a) mitigate the spread of trichomonosis amongst bird populations and (b) prevent the further decline of greenfinches.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Trichomonosis in garden birds is not a notifiable disease in the UK, but has caused a significant decline in greenfinch populations since it was first detected here in 2005. The disease has unfortunately also been documented in other garden bird species, including chaffinches, house sparrow, dunnock, great tit and siskin.
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) provides advice about keeping bird feeders and water baths clean to prevent transmission between birds. The public can report any concerns to the Garden Wildlife Health (GWH) programme. Defra supports the GWH, which is a collaborative project between the BTO, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Froglife. The project aims to monitor the health of British wildlife and identify new disease threats. It focuses on garden birds, amphibians, reptiles, and hedgehogs. Members of the public can submit reports of sick or dead wildlife and send in samples to the GWH for analysis.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 findings of the fifth UK Birds of Conservation Concern report published on 1 December 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to the recovery of species, including wild birds, in England and that is why within the Environment Act 2021 we have a requirement for a new legally binding target halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. Furthermore, we plan to publish a Green Paper soon which will consider further actions that Defra can take to assist nature's recovery.
Our Agri-environment schemes continue to be the principal means of improving habitat provision for farmland birds and the wider environment on farmland in England. We were delighted to see a 40% uplift in Countryside Stewardship applications this year which will help drive immediate action to support birds and other species.
In the longer term we will transition to three new environmental land management schemes which will further this work. In the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, participants can select from an initial set of eight standards to build their own agreements. Several of these standards contain actions to support birds. For example, the Arable and Horticultural Land Standard aims to support increased farmland biodiversity, including wild bird and pollinator populations through specific actions that will provide year-round resources for farmland birds and insects.
In addition, the Government continues to support specific conservation action for birds. For example, supporting the establishment of the National Recovery Partnership for curlew in England, which brings together a range of organisations with a desire to protect and conserve this species, and funding a trial translocation and recovery project in the east of England. We have also supported successful reintroductions, including the white-tailed eagle to southern England.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 begin work with the ornamental horticulture industry on developing a trusted trader inspection regime.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
GB's plant health regime is risk-based, and the history of compliance of specific trades (where the trade is the combination of a specific commodity from a specific origin), is a significant factor in determining biosecurity risk. Consequently, trades with a proven track record of compliance and meeting prescribed eligibility criteria may be subject to a reduced frequency or intensity of checks.
While the biosecurity risk of imported goods is largely trade based, there are areas where trader considerations may also play a role. For example, as the phased introduction of EU-GB plant health import controls is completed in early 2022, Defra is exploring possible options for performing plant health controls away from the border on a longer-term basis, such as increased uptake in the use of designated plant health Control Points. Eligibility criteria to be designated as a Control Point may include elements consistent with a trusted trader model.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the ornamental horticulture industry on the effect of fees for the inspection of plant and tree imports from the EU on that industry.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra took the decision to delay the introduction of fees for import checks of high-priority plants from the EU for 5 months to give businesses more time to prepare and adjust to the new charging arrangements. This has enabled an accurate calculation of the fees and allowed businesses more time to successfully implement the change. During this time, Defra communicated extensively with industry and stakeholder groups to ensure they were prepared for the new fees coming in.
The methodology used to calculate fees for plant health services was agreed with trade following a fees review and consultation in 2017.
It has long been UK Government policy to charge for many publicly provided goods and services. The standard approach is to set fees to recover the full costs of service delivery. This relieves the general taxpayer of costs, so that they are properly borne by users who benefit from a service. This allows for a more equitable distribution of public resources and enables lower public expenditure and borrowing. Defra plant health services operate in line with that principle and have done for many years. Plant health fees are reviewed regularly and adjusted to ensure no under, or over, recovery of costs and amended as necessary.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 his counterparts in EU member states to build competence and trust in respective phytosanitary processes with the aim of establishing inspections at points of embarkation for plant and tree imports.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra officials have been looking at a wide range or measures to make the import of plants and trees as efficient as possible, without compromising our high biosecurity standards. There is regular dialogue between our plant health services and those of our key trading partners in the EU, including on e-certification most recently, which will streamline the exchange of phytosanitary certificates for the benefit of businesses and regulators alike.
As to checks at point of embarkation, there are legal limitations with locating GB officials in a different jurisdiction to perform statutory functions, and whilst internationally there are precedents for locating inspectors in other countries, these staff typically perform an audit and assurance role rather than performing pre-import checks. Consequently, we are not actively pursuing this option with trading partners now, but Defra officials will continue to work with stakeholder organisations and those that import regulated plants and plant products from the EU to ensure GB plant health controls work as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 permitting driven shoots on moorland in North Yorkshire on specified days during the current covid-19 restrictions.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have not made any assessment of the potential merits of permitting driven shoots on moorland in North Yorkshire on specified days during the current Covid-19 restrictions. Organised events are not permitted during the National Lockdown.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 the Agricultural tenancy consultation and call for evidence on mortgage restrictions and repossession protections for agricultural land in England, if the Government will widen the scope of the proposed changes to include all commercial property.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government call for evidence regarding mortgage restrictions and repossession of agricultural land is now closed and a response will be published shortly. Before taking forward any proposals for legislative changes, Defra would discuss issues of scope with other Government departments.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to give notice to terminate the London Fisheries Convention 1964.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government remains fully committed to controlling and managing UK waters after we leave the EU in accordance with our rights and obligations under international law.
We are considering the issue of the London Fisheries Convention carefully to ensure we have full control of UK waters after we leave the EU and, as the Prime Minister said on 29 March 2017, we hope to be able to say something about it soon.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether EU fisheries regulation 1380/2013 will be rewritten in order to be transposed into UK domestic legislation.
Answered by George Eustice
We are currently analysing all EU fisheries legislation. No decision has yet been made on the extent to which the EU legislation governing the Common Fisheries Policy will be incorporated into domestic law.