Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
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 effect of banning the landing of bass by fixed nets on reducing the incidence of accidental catching of those fish.
Answered by George Eustice
The EU bass measures that apply this year are intended to further reduce the landings of bass across all fishing gear groups – trawl, hook and line, and netting (both fixed and drift) as Member States work together to recover this important stock. Limited derogations from a complete ban were agreed for application this year, including a monthly limit of 250kg per eligible vessel to allow for limited landings of unavoidable by-catches when using fixed gillnets to catch fish other than bass.
In the first six months of this year, we have seen a reduction of bass landings in the UK fleet netting gear group of 54% from the 2011-13 baseline average in the same period, i.e. 54 tonnes landed from January to June, down from 117 tonnes in the earlier six month baseline average.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
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 assess the feasibility of raising the maximum sanction to five years in prison for animal cruelty sentences in England and Wales to align sentences with Northern Ireland.
Answered by George Eustice
Anyone who is cruel to an animal or does not provide for its welfare needs may be banned from owning animals, given an unlimited fine or sent to prison. We are aware of the penalties which apply in other parts of the United Kingdom. As the Secretary of State told the House on 20 July, we are actively reviewing penalties in England.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
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 including the permeable ammonia-recycling crust within the Farming Ammonia Reduction Grant.
Answered by George Eustice
In order to deliver grants to farmers under the scheme by the European Commission’s deadline of 30 September 2017, it was necessary to use equipment that had already been costed by Natural England. The permeable ammonia-recycling crust was not on the list of equipment that had been previously costed.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pairs of hen harriers nested in the Bowland Fells and North Pennine Moors special protection areas for birds in each of the last five years.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The number of pairs of hen harriers that nested in the Bowland Fells and North Pennine Moors special protection areas (SPAs) are set out below:
| Bowland Fells SPA | North Pennine Moors SPA |
2012 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | 0 | 2 |
2014 | 2 | 0 |
2015 | 1 | 1 |
2016 | 0 | 1 |
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people in (a) the UK and (b) Wiltshire have been prosecuted under sections (a) 1(3), (b) 3(1) and (c) 3(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts in 2015 for offences, under the requested sections of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, in England and Wales, and specifically for Wiltshire, is in the table below. Data for 2016 is not yet available.
Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under selected sections of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, England and Wales (with breakdown for Wiltshire Police Force Area), 2015 (1)(2) | ||||
Section of Act | Coverage | |||
Section 1(3) | England and Wales | 199 | ||
of which | ||||
Wiltshire | 1 | |||
Section 3(1) | England and Wales | 1,501 | ||
of which | ||||
Wiltshire | 11 | |||
Section 3(3) | England and Wales | 8 | ||
of which | ||||
Wiltshire | - | |||
'-' = Nil | ||||
(1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | ||||
(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | ||||
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice. | ||||
Ref: 557-16 PQC 48656 | ||||
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of badgers exterminated through culling in Wiltshire were found to carry bovine TB in all instances in which tests were carried out in the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
Natural England has not licensed the killing of badgers in Wiltshire for the purpose of preventing the spread of bovine TB in the last five years.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
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 issued guidance to local authorities on the conservation of nestling swifts in the demolition or renovation of old housing estates.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Natural England has part funded the production of book called Designing for Biodiversity: A Technical Guide for New and Existing Buildings. The publication includes detailed advice on provision for swifts (as well as a range of other species) in new developments, which local authorities may find useful.
No specific guidance has been issued to local authorities on the conservation of nestling swifts in the demolition or renovation of old housing estates.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the extent to which kosher products are sold without being labelled as such in (a) supermarkets and (b) restaurants and cafes.
Answered by George Eustice
There is no obligation to label products as being kosher. However, when foods are labelled or presented as such, the information given must not mislead the average consumer. It is the responsibility of food businesses, including retailers and caterers, to ensure that the food they sell is what they say it is.
The definition of kosher and certification as kosher is a matter for the Jewish community and private business.
Accreditation bodies can assist retailers by setting standards and ensuring that these standards are met. These bodies are private organisations.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the extent to which halal products are sold without being labelled as such in (a) supermarkets and (b) restaurants and cafes.
Answered by George Eustice
There is no obligation to label products as being halal. However, when foods are labelled or presented as such, the labelling must not mislead the consumer. It is the responsibility of food businesses, including retailers and caterers, to ensure that the food they sell is what they say it is.
The definition of halal and certification as halal is a matter for the Muslim community and private business.
Accreditation bodies can assist retailers by setting standards and ensuring that these standards are met. These bodies are private organisations.
Asked by: Michelle Donelan (Conservative - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support her Department provides to farmers who are waiting to receive a single farm payment.
Answered by George Eustice
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) started paying Basic Payment Scheme claims from the opening of the payment window on 1 December 2015. As of 21 March 2016, the RPA has paid 72,807 claimants approximately £1.15 billion and remains focused on paying the remainder of claims as promptly as possible.
The RPA has an established financial hardship process and is working with a range of farming help organisations to see what further support could be offered. Following hardship case referrals from these organisations, over 420 farmers have received RPA hardship payments, amounting to more than £6.8 million.