Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the proportion of antibiotic use in the UK which is accounted for by administration to animals on farms.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government collects sales data on antibiotics sold for use in animals. Currently there are no data sets that allow direct comparison between animal and human use of antibiotics in the UK.
For 2013; the current best estimate of total antibiotics dispensed for use in humans is 590 tonnes. Total antibiotics sold for use in animals was 420 tonnes, of which 355 tonnes were indicated for use in food producing animals, including fish.
Based on these data, antibiotics for food producing animals accounts for 35% of the total proportion of antibiotics in the UK.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
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 effect on the spread of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria of increased use of antibiotics in farm animals; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
Bacteria naturally adapt and find new ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic; any use of an antibiotic increases the risk that bacteria will develop resistance.
The Government continues to carry out research and surveillance to better understand the link between antibiotic use and development of resistance. Final reports from completed research projects are published via gov.uk, while results from surveillance of resistance in key zoonotic bacteria are published annually in the Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance report.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that high animal welfare standards are incorporated into international trade agreements; and how her Department plans to measure such standards.
Answered by George Eustice
The European Commission are responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of the European Union. However, the UK actively supported the inclusion of commitments on animal welfare in the agreement with Canada (CETA). We are also pressing strongly for the same in the EU/US Free Trade Agreement; and will be making the case in other agreements under negotiation, including those with Japan and Vietnam.
We will also work with the Commission and other trading partners, to incorporate EU animal welfare standards into the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) international trade framework.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to (a) protect the Green Belt and (b) maintain national protections for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and other environmental designations.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Defra has responsibility for policy on national parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) and sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), while oversight of the planning system and green belt protections are the policy responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
a) The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that most types of new development in green belt are inappropriate, and should only be approved in very special circumstances. The Government published further guidance in October 2014, which reaffirmed the need to consider green belt protection when developing local plans. Policy also encourages the use of brownfield sites for development.
b) A quarter of England is protected as national park or AONB, recognising the importance of conserving and enhancing our finest landscapes, their culture and heritage; and the contribution our beautiful countryside makes to the nation’s prosperity and well-being. The NPPF contains strong planning policies to maintain the protection of these landscapes on the nation’s behalf. These policies provide national parks, the Broads and AONBs with the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty.
SSSIs are protected both by legislation and through the NPPF. Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) sets out provisions regarding the notification, protection and management of SSSIs, and requires authorities to take steps to further the conservation of SSSIs. The NPPF provides strong protection for SSSIs and for other environmental designations. It also directs planning authorities to give consideration to the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in their decision making.
Existing protections for the green belt, for our national parks, and for other environmental designations are robust and this Government is committed to maintaining that protection.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research her Department has commissioned on horizontal gene transmission between bacteria in the human gut which transfers antibiotic resistance from one organism to another regardless of its strain or of its human or animal origin.
Answered by George Eustice
The pathways through which antibiotic resistance genes can be transferred between bacteria of any origin or strain are complex.
The Department continues to carry out research and surveillance to better assess the potential for, and the frequency of, spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria, including between those of human and animal origin. Examples of recently commissioned or completed projects include:
Final reports from completed projects are published via GOV.UK. Results from surveillance of resistance in key zoonotic bacteria are published annually in the Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance report.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the extend to which the presence of antibiotic resistant organisms in the human gut is the result of horizontal gene transmission from bacteria of farm animal origin, notwithstanding the strains of bacteria concerned.
Answered by George Eustice
The pathways through which antibiotic resistance genes can be transferred between bacteria of any origin or strain are complex.
The Department continues to carry out research and surveillance to better assess the potential for, and the frequency of, spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria, including between those of human and animal origin. Examples of recently commissioned or completed projects include:
Final reports from completed projects are published via GOV.UK. Results from surveillance of resistance in key zoonotic bacteria are published annually in the Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance and Sales Surveillance report.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect that withdrawal from the EU would have on British farming.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation of our relationship with the EU. In addition, Defra is making the case for improvement to the Common Agricultural Policy so that it is simpler and more effective.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
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 designate the second tranche of Marine Conservation Zones.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has made good progress on designating a Blue Belt of Marine Conservation Zones around our coasts. The first tranche of 27 Marine Conservation Zones was designated in 2013, and a consultation on 23 sites proposed for the second tranche closed in April this year. We will designate the second tranche by January 2016.
We have committed to completing the network of Marine Conservation Zones, to create a Blue Belt of protected sites around our coasts. Further details on our plans to achieve this will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her priorities are for reforming the Common Agricultural Policy; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
Our immediate priority, over the next year, is to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Reducing the administrative burden of the CAP on farmers is a necessary part of increasing the competitiveness of our food and farming sector.
We have pushed hard in the EU for reforms such as a review of the greening rules which place unnecessary burdens on farmers for limited environmental benefits. There is an opportunity to reform the CAP in a positive way for farmers by developing a simpler policy as part of the Commission’s CAP simplification programme.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding her Department has allocated to delivery of the Government's 25-year plan to grow, buy and sell more British food.
Answered by George Eustice
This Government is committed to working with industry to develop a long-term plan to grow our food and farming industry. The plan will set out how British food and farming can become a world leader: innovative, competitive, profitable and resilient. Any future funding to deliver the plan will, as with all Government expenditure, be considered as part of the next Spending Review. It will build on the extensive support across Government for innovation and research, skills and apprenticeships, and export promotion.