Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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 made of the potential impact of the UK's use of grain as biofuel on global food security.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The UK represents a very small proportion, roughly 0.5%, of global crop-based biofuel consumption and our use of crop-based feed stocks therefore has a relatively small impact on global food prices and security. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, the main mechanism incentivising renewable transport fuels in the UK, includes a cap on the proportion of crop derived biofuel that can be supplied each year and provides a double reward for fuels produced from wastes and residues. Because of this, 76% of renewable fuel supplied in the UK was derived from wastes in 2021 – one of the highest proportions in Europe.
The cap on crop derived fuels reduces each year as part of a continual transition to waste-based fuels. This ambition is supported by the forthcoming sustainable aviation fuel mandate, which will not allow the use of crop-based biofuels.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support he is providing to international efforts to improve transparency on the reporting of national grain reserves.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We continue to actively engage with international partners in the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS). AMIS aims to improve market information and transparency by encouraging major players on the agri-food markets to share data and by enhancing existing information systems.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for power companies with powers to carry out resilience cutting without a tree-felling license to replace or minimise adverse impacts to adjacent residencies or businesses.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is committed to increasing tree cover, which is why we have committed to raise planting rates to 30,000 hectares per year across the UK by the end of this parliament. Individual trees can provide important environmental benefits, but these benefits need to be balanced against people’s safety as well as security of electricity supply. For this reason, electricity operators may carry out or request felling without a licence where a tree is or will be in such close proximity to an electric line or electrical plant that it may impact on power distribution. Electricity operators may wish to consider compensatory planting if this does not have a negative impact on future operations.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support the reintroduction of (a) the white-tailed sea eagle and (b) other endangered raptor species in the West Midlands.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government committed in the 25 Year Environment Plan to providing opportunities for the reintroduction of formerly native species where there are clear environment and socio-economic benefits. We will shortly be establishing an England Species Reintroductions Task Force to provide expert, evidence-based views on potential species for conservation translocation and reintroduction in England.
The Government is supporting a wide range of successful and ongoing reintroductions and translocations for raptors. Defra’s Hen Harrier Action Plan, published in January 2016, includes six specific actions to achieve a self-sustaining hen harrier population in England. Both Forestry England and Defra have supported a project to reintroduce white-tailed eagles to the Isle of Wight. Forestry England is also in the process of launching a feasibility study into the reintroduction of golden eagle into England.
As a result of decades of conservation work including reintroductions and increased protections, many birds of prey such as the red kite, marsh harrier and white-tailed eagle have been helped off the UK Red List for birds.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, how many activities have been started under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund as at 14 of October 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund is still in development and so there have been no funded activities as of 14th October 2021. Procurement of a Fund Manager, whose duties will include administration of the Fund globally, is underway. For the single-country landscape, Madagascar, a grant competition has been conducted and funded activities are expected to start before the end of the year. For the five transboundary landscapes, programming is being finalised with open grant competitions due to be launched in early 2022 and funded activities expected to start by late Summer 2022. Recruitment of a member of in-country staff to work in each transboundary landscape has been undertaken.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of the launch of the International Biodiversity Fund on the 23 September 2019, how much of the £220 million that was announced for the first investment in that Fund has been dispersed as at 14 October 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The International Biodiversity Fund is comprised of three main programmes spending from FY21/22. This fund includes:
Since 1992, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £168 million to more than 1,162 projects across 159 countries. So far in FY21/22 (from 1st April 2021 to 14th October 2021) we have disbursed £5.23 million for Darwin Initiative projects.
We are investing over £46 million between 2014 and 2022 to counter the illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening enforcement, ensuring effective legal frameworks and developing sustainable livelihoods. So far in FY21/22 (from 1st April 2021 to 14th October 2021) we have disbursed £2.46 million for activities including supporting projects through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.
The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund is still in development and so there have been no funded activities as of 14th October 2021. Funded activities are expected to start before the end of the financial year.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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 extending badger cull licences on the badger population in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We recently consulted on the next phase of our bovine TB eradication strategy as part of our objective for TB-free status in England by 2038. The consultation, which closed on 24 March, included:
i) proposals to stop issuing intensive cull licences for new areas after 2022 and could see new four-year licences, after two-years of culling, be revoked after a progress evaluation by the Chief Veterinary Officer.
ii) proposals to restrict supplementary badger control licences to two years and to prohibit the issuing of new licences for areas licensed after 2020.
iii) proposals to reduce the duration of badger cull licenses, rather than extending them.
A Government response and next steps will be published in due course. Changes to the intensive and supplementary cull licences will be implemented by Natural England through revised guidance from Defra, which we also consulted on. Details can be found at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/bovine-tb-2020/eradication-of-btb-england/.
As part of the licensing criteria, for intensive and supplementary badger control, Natural England sets minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be removed. This is to ensure the badger control operations deliver disease reduction benefits without endangering the local badger population.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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 the criteria his Department plans to use for prioritising Official Development Assistance spending in the event of a decrease in GNI.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
To tackle the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity and poverty alleviation, Defra ensures it takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains high standards of programme delivery. Defra will remain focused on these three priorities in the event of an Official Development Assistance budget reduction.
The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI) each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since this commitment is linked to the size of the economy, the level of ODA spend is likely to decrease this year. HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and will agree any changes to these.
The Government reviews the ODA funding it allocates to projects on a regular basis in order to ensure delivery of its commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA. In the short term, we have paused some new decisions while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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's share of the Official Development Assistance budget will be reduced in the event of a decrease in GNI.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
To tackle the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity and poverty alleviation, Defra ensures it takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains high standards of programme delivery. Defra will remain focused on these three priorities in the event of an Official Development Assistance budget reduction.
The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI) each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since this commitment is linked to the size of the economy, the level of ODA spend is likely to decrease this year. HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and will agree any changes to these.
The Government reviews the ODA funding it allocates to projects on a regular basis in order to ensure delivery of its commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA. In the short term, we have paused some new decisions while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
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 is signing new funding agreements for projects funded by Official Development Assistance.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
To tackle the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity and poverty alleviation, Defra ensures it takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains high standards of programme delivery. Defra will remain focused on these three priorities in the event of an Official Development Assistance budget reduction.
The UK has a legal commitment to spend 0.7% of its gross national income (GNI) each year on Official Development Assistance (ODA). Since this commitment is linked to the size of the economy, the level of ODA spend is likely to decrease this year. HM Treasury allocates ODA budgets to departments and will agree any changes to these.
The Government reviews the ODA funding it allocates to projects on a regular basis in order to ensure delivery of its commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA. In the short term, we have paused some new decisions while we agree our future work in close cooperation with other aid spending Departments.