Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of efforts to encourage other countries to ratify the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The implementation and ratification of the Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement is the subject of active and positive discussions at international meetings, such as the Our Ocean Conference that was held in Greece on 15-17 April, the Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting held in Cyprus on 18-19 April, and the upcoming High Level Ocean Action event in Costa Rica on 7-8 June. The government has also been actively engaging with other interested States and international organisations to exchange current policy thinking on BBNJ Agreement implementation and ratification. The FCDO is funding a project by the Commonwealth Secretariat to provide technical assistance to smaller Commonwealth members. The UK is aware that a substantial number of States are actively working to implement and ratify the BBNJ Agreement and encourage other States. A draft UN General Assembly Resolution (A/78/L.41) to establish a Preparatory Commission for the BBNJ Agreement will be voted on shortly. Once the Preparatory Commission is established it will prepare for the first Conference of the Parties to take place within the first year after entry into force of the Agreement (with entry into force taking place 120 days after the 60th ratification). The UK aims to ratify in time for the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 and to play an active part in the first Conference of the Parties.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
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 effectiveness of hedgerow protections.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There has been no formal assessment made of the effectiveness of hedgerow protections. The majority of hedgerows on agricultural land were previously managed in accordance with rules contained in cross compliance that were conditioned to payments made through the Basic Payment Scheme and some agri-environment schemes. As we moved away from the Basic Payment Scheme at the end of last year, cross compliance and the hedgerow management rules also ended. The Government consulted last year on the best approach following the end of cross compliance and on the 16 April laid new regulations that, if approved, will put management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into law.
Certain hedgerows are also protected from removal under the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 if they meet specific criteria. These regulations are enforced by Local Planning Authorities, who can utilise their understanding of the local context and landscape character.