Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
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 help ensure that local authorities have the resources to enforce the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered by David Rutley
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities, in common with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the police, have powers of entry to inspect complaints of suspected animal cruelty and take out prosecutions where necessary. Local authorities are able to make decisions based on local needs and the arrangements that work best for them, and it is for local authorities to determine how to prioritise their resources. The Government is investing in Britain’s future, and this year’s local government finance settlement includes extra funding for local services. Local authorities will have access to £46.4 billion this financial year (2019/20) to meet the needs of their residents. This is a cash increase of 2.8% and a real terms increase which will strengthen services and support for local communities.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
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 with the European Commission to tackle illegal seabass fishing activity from commercial fixed netters.
Answered by George Eustice
Under recovery measures for the bass stock, there is a general prohibition in EU legislation on fishing for bass, with a number of specific derogations allowing for limited bass landings from directed and by-catch fisheries. The current derogation for fixed gillnetters provides for a 1.2 tonne annual limit per vessel to allow for unavoidable by-catches of bass. This limit means landings of UK gillnetting bass catches are over 70% lower than pre-recovery measures levels.
I am aware of concerns being raised about targeting of bass under that unavoidable by-catch provision and at this year’s Fisheries Council on 17-18 December, we will be considering new management measures relating to seabass, including new proposals from the European Commission in relation to commercial fixed gillnets.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
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 effect on the operation of the UK-EU medical devices supply chain of the ongoing use of cobalt in UK-manufactured medical devices in the event that the UK is no longer subject to EU REACH regulations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
To provide continuity for businesses in a no deal scenario, the EU Withdrawal Act copies EU legislation into UK law, including REACH, as far as possible. This means that the requirements established through these regulations will continue to apply in the UK. This includes retaining all exemptions that remain applicable, including chemicals used in medical products or equipment. By doing this we would minimise disruption to the supply in chemicals.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of negotiations regarding the Future Economic Partnership, we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in chemicals regulation in the best interests of both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to provide funding from the public purse to provide farmers with payments for fulfilling their legal duties to keep paths on their land clear after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
In England, the cornerstone of future agriculture policy will be the payment of public money for environmental public goods. The Agriculture Bill includes public access in the list of purposes that the Secretary of State may pay for in the future. Paths that provide access to farmers’ land enable people to access and spend time in the natural environment. Infrastructure is required for recreational walking, cycling and horse-riding and providing access to greenspace and countryside for disabled people. This is important for maintaining and improving physical and mental health and wellbeing and therefore provides public benefits.
There are a number of requirements relating to Public Rights of Way that are currently set out in legislation across the UK. We expect land managers to comply with these regulatory obligations, irrespective of whether financial assistance is to be received or not. As we leave the EU we will be assessing how best to deliver outcomes, including through regulation, enforcement and incentives.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many members of staff have left his Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.
Answered by George Eustice
Since January 2015, 1070 staff on the payroll have left Defra. Of those, the recorded number of staff that have left the department in the same period, where non-UK EU nationality is known, is 36.