Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 publish a consultation on the law surrounding the use of cages for farmed animals.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Government is committed to exploring the phasing out of confinement systems, supporting the industry to do so in a way which underpins UK food security. We need to work carefully and sensitively with all sectors, ensuring any move towards cage free systems does not have unintended animal welfare or business impacts.
This is an extremely challenging time for Britain’s farmers, with enormously increased input costs — of food, fuel and fertiliser — affecting almost all production systems, and for the general public who are faced with significant challenges around the cost of living. The poultry sector is also dealing with the largest ever avian influenza outbreak.
Any decisions by Government on the timing of public consultation around this issue must be carefully considered in light of these wider priorities. We will progress with plans to consult on the use of cages in farming systems as soon as the time is right.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
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 potential merits of including a ban on all non-essential uses of (a) Perfluoroalkyl and (b) Polyfluoroalkyl substances as part of the UK Chemical Strategy.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and develop a 'Regulatory Management Options Analysis' (RMOA). The RMOA and other work across HM Government will help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy.
We have been engaging closely with external partners over the past few months to inform policy development across a range of chemicals issues. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to set out our strategy to tackling chemicals of concern. No publication date for a Chemicals Strategy has yet been set.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the production of the UK’s Chemical Strategy.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and develop a 'Regulatory Management Options Analysis' (RMOA). The RMOA and other work across HM Government will help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. The RMOA will be published in due course and will make recommendations for risk management measures. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy.
We have been engaging closely with external partners over the past few months to inform policy development across a range of chemicals issues. This builds on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to set out our strategy to tackling chemicals of concern. No publication date for a Chemicals Strategy has yet been set.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking to steps to ensure that (a) environmental protections and (b) ancient woodlands will not be negatively affected by the creation of investment zones.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We are committed to halting the decline of nature by 2030 and will not undermine our obligations to the environment in pursuit of growth. A strong environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. We have legislated through the Environment Act and will continue to improve our regulations, marine protections and wildlife laws in line with our ambitious vision.
Making sure that our ancient woodlands are adequately protected and suitably managed to provide a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits to society remains a key HM Government commitment.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) states that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists.
Natural England and the Forestry Commission have published 'standing advice' for ancient woodland, ancient trees and veteran trees. It is a material planning consideration for local planning authorities (LPAs) and as such should be taken into account when making planning decisions that affect ancient woodland, ancient trees or veteran trees.
HM Government have also recently updated the new Keepers of Time policy, providing updates to HM Government's policy to recognise the value of England's ancient and native woodlands and ancient and veteran trees. It restates our commitment to evaluate the threats facing these habitats and sets out our updated principles and objectives to protect and improve them for future generations.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish legislation on banning the import and export of foie gras.
Answered by Scott Mann
The Action Plan for Animal Welfare noted that HM Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese which have been force fed raises serious welfare concerns and that the production of foie gras by force feeding is already illegal in the UK.
The Action Plan also noted that now that the United Kingdom has left the EU, we are committed to building a clear evidence base to inform decisions on banning the import or sale of foie gras and other products derived from low-welfare systems.
HM Government is currently continuing to build this evidence base. No specific deadline has been set for this exercise.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish legislation on banning the import and export of animal fur products.
Answered by Scott Mann
HM Government made a commitment to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties.
We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector and speak to a range of interested parties, to make sure we fully understand the issues at hand before taking any decisions regarding the import and export of animal fur products.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish legislation on banning the import and export of hunting trophies.
Answered by Scott Mann
We have pledged to ban the import of hunting trophies from thousands of species. HM Government is committed to a ban that is among the strongest in the world and leads the way in protecting endangered animals. We welcome the Private Member's Bill, led by the hon. Member for Crawley, that will deliver this.