Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 28 March 2018 to Question 134095 on Department for Transport: Hedgehogs, what steps he is taking as species champion for the native hedgehog to make hedgehogs a protected species.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Hedgehogs are listed under Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 so are protected from being killed using prohibited methods such as a crossbows, traps and snares. The Government is committed, through the 25 Year Environment Plan, to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat for the benefit of species such as the hedgehog.
To designate hedgehogs as a protected species would require them to be listed under Schedule 5 of the Act. There are no plans to do so as protection of the hedgehogs’ habitat from destruction or disturbance, as defined in the Act, could mean that aspects of garden and land maintenance would constitute a criminal offence, and this may have the unintended consequence of discouraging the creation of hedgehog habitat.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to (a) designate hedgehogs as a protected species and (b) ensure that planning guidance takes into account the need to preserve hedgehog habitats.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Hedgehogs are listed under Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 so are protected from being killed using prohibited methods such as crossbows, traps and snares. We are committed, through the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, to creating or restoring 500,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat for the benefit of species such as the hedgehog.
To designate hedgehogs as a protected species would require them to be listed under Schedule 5 of the Act. There are no plans to do so as protection of the hedgehogs’ habitat from destruction or disturbance, as defined in the Act, could mean that aspects of garden and land maintenance, or use, would constitute a criminal offence and this may have the unintended consequence of discouraging the creation of hedgehog habitat.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s policy on planning, and states that the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by minimising impacts on biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks. The accompanying planning practice guidance (www.gov.uk/guidance/natural-environment) provides further advice on how this should be achieved by local planning authorities. The Government is currently consulting on amendments to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of flood risk in areas along the River Ribble and River Darwen as part of the Preston and South Ribble Flood Management Scheme; what funding has been made available to improve flood defences in affected locations in those areas; what (a) meetings have taken place and (b) correspondence has been exchanged between the Environment Agency and Lancashire County Council to facilitate that work; and when that work will be completed in each of those locations identified as at risk of flooding.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Environment Agency (EA) assessed and modelled flood risk from the rivers Ribble and Darwen in 2012, 2016 and 2018 to inform the current flood risk management scheme for Preston and South Ribble.
£3.2m of Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA) funding has been made available and brought forward into the current EA 6 year programme. This will enable a scheme to be built more quickly than previously planned as long as suitable contributions in line with the funding formula can be found.
Meetings between the EA and Lancashire County Council have taken place since October 2015 with regard to the current Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme. These meetings have focused on securing additional funding from the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) and on preparing and submitting an application to this fund in line with the European Regional Development Fund timescales. Correspondence with regard to this submission has been exchanged.
Based on the current modelled assumptions and all funding being secured, a flood risk management scheme to provide improved flood protection to communities within Preston and South Ribble could be designed and constructed between 2019/2023.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
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 16 March 2018 to Question 131506 on Phytophthora Ramorum, how many Statutory Plant Health Notices were issued in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017 to fell infected (i) larch and (ii) rhododendron.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Forestry Commission and the Animal and Plant Health Agency been actively managing Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernovie since 2009 to minimise spread.
Phytophthora ramorum is found across the UK. In England most infected sites are in the south west and north west. We continue our risk-based approach to identify infection in the wider environment and when it is found we issue Statutory Plant Health Notices to fell infected larch and rhododendron.
We still have specific measures in place that regulate the movement and processing of infected larch to prevent the spread through the trade in timber and related products. We work closely with all stakeholders to help manage the disease, we share good practice, promote and improve biosecurity, and continue to carry out research to better understand this pathogen.
The following table shows a breakdown of Statutory Plant Health Notices issued for Phytophthora ramorum sites on larch and rhododendron in England.
Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
Larch | 41 | 48 | 31 |
Rhododendron | 59 | 50 | 26 |
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions in the last three calendar years the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was notified of the sale of tortoises without correctly completed Article 10 transaction certificates; and how many of those reports (a) were investigated and (b) resulted in (i) prosecution and (ii) another legal remedy.
Answered by George Eustice
The information requested is set out in the table below.
Year | Sale of tortoises without correctly completed Article 10 transaction certificates |
2015 | 13 |
2016 | 21 |
2017 | 23 |
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) refer all investigations to the National Wildlife Crime Unit or the local Police Force to take forward. APHA are not provided with updates on cases and therefore do not hold records of how many were investigated, prosecuted or had other legal remedies.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to stop the spread of Phytophthoras in woodlands since May 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In England we have been actively managing Phytophthora ramorum, and Phytophthora kernovie since 2009 to minimise the spread of these pathogens.
Phytophthora ramorum is distributed across the UK with most infected sites currently occurring in northwest, southern and western England. Our activity is focused on risk based aerial and ground surveillance to identify infection in the wider environment. Where infection is found, landowners are issued with Statutory Plant Health Notices to fell infected larch and rhododendron. There are also specific measures that regulate the movement and processing of larch infected with Phytophthora ramorum, in order to prevent the spread through the trade in larch timber and related products.
We are also working closely with key stakeholders on the issue to help manage the disease, share good practice, improve biosecurity and carry out research to understand more about the pathogen.
We are currently undertaking a fundamental review of the Phytophthora programme which will be completed in 2018.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the extinction of the (a) stictoleptura erythroptera and (b) iphthiminus italicus species of beetles; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
While we are concerned by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s recent publication of the European Red List of Saproxylic Beetles showing that 18 percent of these beetle species are at risk of extinction due to ongoing decline in large veteran trees across Europe, as neither of the two species of beetle in the question is native to the UK so we will not be taking species-specific action for them.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken under the North West river basin district river basin management plan to implement further action to work with farmers to develop inclusive catchment farm groups to work cooperatively to reduce pollution from agriculture through a number of schemes including countryside stewardship in the Ribble catchment.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) is a partnership initiative established in order to improve our water environment. The Catchment Partnerships work to agree and deliver the strategic priorities for the river catchment and to support the Environment Agency (EA) in developing an appropriate River Basin Management Plan.
One key outcome for the Ribble catchment is establishing groups which provide training for farmers and help them to access support such as Countryside Stewardship funding for farm management improvements, aimed at reducing agricultural pollution.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has funded the development of tests for finding TB infection in badger faeces since 2015.
Answered by George Eustice
Prior to 2015, Defra funded development of a DNA based test for finding TB infection in badger faeces and funded a trial to compare several tests that had potential to find TB infection in badger faeces. None of the tests met the specifications required to be a useful tool in delivery of the TB strategy. Since 2015, Defra has not directly supported development of any new tests, but is interested in any tests that are developed and have potential, and will work with industry and academia to enable validation of such tests.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to reduce pollution from sewage in the Ribble catchment as a result of the North West river basin district river basin management plan.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
River Basin Management Plans provide an overview of a River Basin District and give details of water bodies and their condition as well as proposed actions needed for water bodies to improve status and prevent deterioration. These include actions that water companies and other sectors need to complete to help achieve good status and prevent deterioration.
United Utilities’ Asset Management Plan (AMP6) for the period 2015 to 2020 includes a number of schemes designed to improve water quality across the Ribble catchment. By improving the quality of waste water discharged to rivers and coastal waters from sewage treatment works and reducing the frequency and duration of discharges from storm overflows, water quality will be improved in, for example, the River Darwen, River Calder, River Hyndburn, River Yarrow and Colne Water. There has already been a significant improvement in bathing water and shellfish water quality in the Ribble catchment as a result of previous water company investment rounds.
These measures will be continued as part of the next review (PR19/AMP7) of water company prices.