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Written Question
Agriculture: Red Diesel
Monday 5th September 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

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 18 July 2022 to Question 35899 on Fuels: Prices, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increase in the price of red diesel on (a) farming and (b) other agricultural businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Defra engages extensively with the farming sector and other agricultural businesses and continues to do so through various forums including the Agri-Supply Coalition and the Arable Chain Advisory Group. Through these forums, we closely monitor live issues, including the increase in the price of red diesel, and their impact on farming and other agricultural businesses. Defra also works closely with other Government departments, particularly HM Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport, to relay the information gathered from industry.

In the Spring Statement 2022 and in response to fuel prices reaching record levels, the Government announced a temporary 12-month cut to the full rate of duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre and an equivalent percentage cut on the rates for rebated fuels. This is a significant tax cut that will deliver considerable savings to consumers and businesses over the next year, including those that use diesel, and is the first time in over a decade that the main rates of petrol and diesel have been cut.


Written Question
Cats and Dogs: Imports
Friday 22nd July 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

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 15 July 2022 to Question 33729 on Cats and Dogs: Imports, if he will take steps to help animal rescue and rehoming organisations develop processes that meet biosecurity standards to allow those organisations to import cats and dogs from Romania whilst the ban on commercial imports remains in place.

Answered by Steve Double

The Government appreciates the work of rescue and rehoming organisations to ensure that unwanted and abandoned animals are given the opportunity to find a forever home whilst complying with our animal health and welfare legislation. However, this measure is important to protect our biosecurity and the health of pets in this country. We would encourage organisations which are temporarily unable to import rescue dogs, cats, and ferrets into Great Britain to provide help and assistance to animals in situ.

We are regularly engaging with the rescue sector on the impacts of the temporary safeguarding measure on the import of cats, dogs and ferrets from Romania and on options to mitigate the biosecurity risks.


Written Question
Food: Waste
Thursday 21st July 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to (a) help reduce (i) supermarket and (ii) other retail food waste and (b) provide an outlet so that food that would otherwise go to waste is made available to (A) food banks and (B) other means to help people in need.

Answered by Steve Double

The Government is investing £2.6 million this year to combat food waste through funding the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Through WRAP we work to address food waste in households and supply chains. This includes support for the Courtauld 2030 Commitment, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste, which includes a target of a 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 against a 2007 baseline. Action through Courtauld includes working with businesses to measure and reduce food waste through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and the key tool to Target Measure and Act on waste. The government is currently conducting a consultation on options to improve food waste reporting by large businesses as measuring leads to a reduction in waste.

Grant-funding provided by Defra is also facilitating an increase in the availability, capacity, and capabilities of the redistribution sector laying the foundations for increasing surplus redistribution in the future. Since 2017 nearly £12 million has been awarded to over 250 redistribution organisations across the country. This funding has provided important infrastructure such as additional warehousing, vehicles, fridges and freezers. Recent data from WRAP stated that in 2021 over 106,000 tonnes was redistributed, worth over £330 million and the equivalent of over 253 million meals; over 40000 tonnes from the retail sector alone.

Surplus food redistribution in the UK 2015 to 2021 | WRAP

We also continue to support WRAP and its work with the redistribution sector in the provision of guidance and advice and the sharing of expertise and knowledge on practical ways of increasing redistribution and helping to facilitate new partnerships.

Surplus Food Redistribution Resource Hub | WRAP


Written Question
Cats and Dogs: Imports
Friday 15th July 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

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 make it his policy to give special dispensation to animal rescue charities for the commercial import of cats and dogs from (a) Belarus, (b) Poland, (c) Romania and (d) Ukraine where those charities guarantee full compliance with all health and legal requirements.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments have temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets into Great Britain if they originate from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 3 September 2022.

We appreciate the impact that the temporary suspension will have on rescue organisations that operate in these countries. However, this measure is important to protect our biosecurity and the health of pets in this country.

This decision has been taken because of the serious health risk to humans and animals in Great Britain from commercial cats, dogs and ferrets from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine that do not comply with UK health and documentation requirements.

We understand the fluid situation at present due to the crisis and are aware that Romania, Belarus and Poland are currently experiencing high volumes of animal movements from Ukraine. Movements from these countries into Great Britain therefore present a higher risk at the current time due to the flow of animals from Ukraine.

In particular, there is evidence to suggest that commercial consignments of pet animals from Ukraine are being moved into Poland, Romania and Belarus, including strays, rescue and abandoned animals.

Unlike non-commercial pets accompanying Ukrainian refugees, these animals often have unknown history and disease status which increases the risk of disease spread.

Our standards of biosecurity are among the highest in the world. The Government takes the importation of pets seriously and is committed to preserving our high standards of biosecurity. The movement of commercial pets from Belarus, Poland, Romania and Ukraine represents a clear and serious enough biosecurity risk at the current time that we therefore consider the suspension of these movements necessary to protect the health of people and pets in Great Britain.

This risk has been exacerbated further by serious cases of non-compliance. There is a history of non-compliant movements of rescue animals into Great Britain from this region, which further increases the biosecurity risk.

The Government appreciates the work of genuine rescue and rehoming organisations who work to ensure that unwanted and abandoned animals are given the opportunity to find a forever home while importantly complying with our animal health and welfare legislation. It is important to note that this is a temporary measure which will be reviewed in due course. We would encourage organisations which are temporarily unable to import rescue dogs, cats, and ferrets into Great Britain to provide help and assistance to animals in situ.


Written Question
Animal Products: Imports
Wednesday 25th May 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import of hunting trophies, as set out in the Department’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, in the absence of an Animals Abroad Bill in the Queen’s Speech; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2022 to the hon. Member for Twickenham, PQ 1557.


Written Question
Foie Gras: Imports
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals on banning the import of foie gras as set out in his Department’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has made clear that the production of force-fed foie gras raises serious welfare concerns. Building on the opportunities presented by our departure from the EU, we are now able to actively consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This will be used to inform our approach to the issue of force-fed foie gras.


Written Question
Pâté de Foie Gras: Imports
Monday 7th March 2022

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on banning the import of foie gras; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Now we have left the EU we are able to consider any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale. We are gathering information and will continue to speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.


Written Question
Birds: Gough Island
Tuesday 2nd March 2021

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide financial support to the Gough Island Restoration project to help save critically endangered and endangered birds there by eradicating mice from the island.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Gough Island is a UNESCO natural World Heritage site and the UK Government continues to support RSPB’s efforts to eradicate invasive non-native mice from Gough Island to save critically endangered seabirds from extinction. The RSPB is proceeding with preparations for the final eradication stage taking place later this year. The UK Government has provided over £2 million in funding to support this project and will give further consideration to providing additional funding for the next financial year.


Written Question
Pâté de Foie Gras: Imports
Friday 20th November 2020

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

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 9 November 2020 to Question 109225, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import and sale of foie gras made by force-feeding after the transition period.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the Government to consider further the steps it could take in relation to the import or sale of foie gras.


Written Question
Pâté de Foie Gras
Monday 9th November 2020

Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of scientific evidence of (a) physical and (b) psychological pain experienced by animals in the production of foie gras made by force-feeding; and if he will publish his Department's assessment.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The production of foie gras by force feeding is banned in the UK as it is incompatible with our domestic legislation (Animal Welfare Act 2006), which makes it a criminal offence to allow an animal to suffer unnecessarily.

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras using forcing feeding raises serious welfare concerns.