Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) policies and (b) grant and funding programmes his Department has introduced to provide support to individuals and organisations in response to the covid-19 outbreak; and what funding has been allocated to each of those programmes in the 2020-21 financial year.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Since March the Government’s priority has been to save lives and protect jobs, businesses, and livelihoods. To support workers and businesses across all sectors the Government has provided an unprecedented package of support worth more than £280 billion.
My Department has introduced a number of support packages to avoid the loss of productive capacity, prevent disproportionate harm to the economy or society and to protect vulnerable groups against the effects of Covid-19. These are as follows:
In addition, Defra has worked with delivery bodies and partners to introduce a number of regulatory easements to ensure regulatory obligations remain proportionate in these challenging circumstances, including in the areas of veterinary medicines, environmental regulations and marketing standards inspections. Specific interventions were also made with key Departments to ease regulations to support food supply, including competition law exclusions and driver hours flexibilities.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the delivery of the software required for the implementation of the Birmingham Clean Air Zone by February 2020.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide support to Birmingham City Council to implement a system to collect payment for the Clean Air Zone.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to pass on any fines Birmingham City Council may incur as a result of breaches in air quality attributable to the late implementation of the charging Clean Air Zone.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings Ministers of his Department have had with representatives of the Legatum Institute in the last 12 months.
Answered by George Eustice
Details of Ministerial Meetings are published in the Department's Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 reasons for the decline in the bee population; what steps he is taking to tackle such a decline; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Changes in our bee and pollinator populations are due to a range of environmental pressures, including intensification of land use and loss of good quality habitat; pests and diseases; invasive species; use of pesticides; and climate change.
In 2013 Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Ian Boyd, commissioned a report on the ‘Status and Value of Pollinators and Pollination Services' to review the current evidence on the impact of environmental pressures on pollinators. A copy of this report will be placed in the House Library. We have just begun a two year project to develop a framework and test methods for monitoring pollinator abundance.
In the autumn we will publish our National Pollinator Strategy, which includes a series of policy actions to safeguard pollinators. In the meanwhile, we will continue to raise public awareness through the launch this July of our call to action, ‘Bees' Needs: Food and a Home'. This is a simple message for all land managers on the essential needs of pollinators and how to fulfil them.
We want to see a thriving bee and pollinator population in the UK, to enhance biodiversity and support our food production.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
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 place in the Library a summary of his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser's latest analysis of the decline in the bee population.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Changes in our bee and pollinator populations are due to a range of environmental pressures, including intensification of land use and loss of good quality habitat; pests and diseases; invasive species; use of pesticides; and climate change.
In 2013 Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Ian Boyd, commissioned a report on the ‘Status and Value of Pollinators and Pollination Services' to review the current evidence on the impact of environmental pressures on pollinators. A copy of this report will be placed in the House Library. We have just begun a two year project to develop a framework and test methods for monitoring pollinator abundance.
In the autumn we will publish our National Pollinator Strategy, which includes a series of policy actions to safeguard pollinators. In the meanwhile, we will continue to raise public awareness through the launch this July of our call to action, ‘Bees' Needs: Food and a Home'. This is a simple message for all land managers on the essential needs of pollinators and how to fulfil them.
We want to see a thriving bee and pollinator population in the UK, to enhance biodiversity and support our food production.
Asked by: Liam Byrne (Labour - Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings he has had with his Department's Chief Scientific Adviser in the last 12 months.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Secretary of State meets his Chief Scientific Adviser at least weekly, sometimes more frequently.