Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the practice of horse tethering.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
People who tether their horses inappropriately risk causing their animals distress and suffering and could be liable to prosecution for offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and their Hybrids provides keepers with information on how and when tethering may be used. We remain committed to tackling the issue of inappropriate horse tethering through effective partnership working, enforcement and dissemination of best practice.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 is making on meeting the 2.3 per cent public sector apprenticeship target; and when his Department will meet that target.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
As of 31 March 2020, the Civil Service has achieved a total of 2.1% of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3% by March 2021. Defra had achieved 1% of the total staff employed within the department.
In Defra group, we have taken the following steps towards the public sector apprenticeship target.
We have reactivated our ‘Early Talent’ Strategy for 2020/21 to focus on:
We have identified a number of levers that can be used to achieve the above and these are actively being discussed within the business. We continue to enhance the information and tools available to line managers to improve understanding.
While there are a number of standards that we can actively use, given the unique nature and breadth of our activities in Defra group, we continue to explore and invest in trailblazer activity.
Defra group has been focused on delivery against EU exit requirements and more recently COVID-19. Defra remains committed to the Civil Service Apprenticeship Strategy and is looking to increase our use of apprenticeships across Defra group over the next 12 months.
Given this target is a percentage of the total workforce, the percentage changes in line with workforce fluctuations over time, therefore making it challenging to predict when a department will meet the target. The data for 2018/19 can be found on the GOV.UK website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019. The data for 2019/20 will be released on GOV.UK by the end of September 2020.
Departments are committed to increasing the number of apprentices across the Civil Service and continue to work towards the 2.3% target. The impact of the current pandemic has slowed recruitment due to priority work and logistics. With the current strategy and targets coming to an end in April 2021, the Civil Service is already focusing on how to continue to support the apprenticeship agenda and drive forward apprenticeship recruitment, pulling on the Plan for Jobs initiative and considering the current economic situation.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on re-opening dog grooming parlours to ensure the welfare of animals during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government's message to the public is clear: stay alert, control the virus and save lives. Dog grooming businesses play a key role in ensuring the welfare of the nation's pets and have been allowed to operate since advice to businesses was first published, within the strict advice on social distancing and hygiene.
The Canine and Feline Sector Group, which advises both the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England and Defra Ministers, has issued its own guidance to pet businesses, including dog groomers, on how they can continue to operate under current restrictions and in line with guidance around social distancing and hygiene: www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Animal%20Business%20Guidance%2007.04.20.pdf.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he has issued to local authorities about the re-opening of rubbish tips; and if he will make it his policy that rubbish tips can remain open on condition that social distancing can be adhered to.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We published guidance on 7 April to help local authorities prioritise waste services at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-to-local-authorities-on-prioritising-waste-collections/guidance-on-prioritising-waste-collection-services-during-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic. This recommends keeping household waste recycling centres open if it is safe to do so.
The Government is working closely with local authorities and the waste industry to see how we can re-open these sites in the coming weeks, whilst observing social distancing and other requirements, to make sure collections are prioritised appropriately and that all parts of the waste system continue to run as smoothly as possible. We expect to publish further guidance shortly.
Local authorities should maintain black bag collections and prevent waste from building up to protect the environment and public health.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 ensure that the seasonal demand for fruit pickers will be met during the covid-19 outbreak; and what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on how those positions can be filled.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak have meant that there will be a shortfall in the numbers of workers who usually travel to the UK from Europe to work during the harvest season, with the demand for workers peaking from late May through the summer.
Farming leaders have already kick-started a recruitment drive for work on farms, with thousands of British people already expressing an interest in picking up seasonal agricultural work over the coming weeks and months. With many British workers furloughed from their jobs, and students having to put their summer plans on hold, the Government is supporting industry efforts to help farmers bring in this year’s harvest, working to build on these numbers.
The majority of roles for the early part of the harvest season have already been filled. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will shortly be launching a public- facing campaign to highlight the roles available from late May onwards and to encourage people to apply. The Government has confirmed that those who have been furloughed from their jobs due to coronavirus, and who are contractually allowed to work for another employer, can take on this seasonal work.
A new Government-industry digital hub for seasonal work information and job opportunities has been launched to provide guidance on getting into farm work and links to the available jobs and recruiters. The website can be found at pickforbritain.org.uk and will be updated regularly over the coming weeks to help match jobs to workers as the demand grows.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the total amount of funding from the public purse given by his Department to (a) civil society and (b) campaigning bodies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department’s finance system does not categorise suppliers in a way that would enable separate identification of funding to civil society and campaigning bodies. The only way in which we could obtain the requested information would be to manually go though payments to all suppliers and categorise them individually. This could only be done at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
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 plans take to help mitigate the effects of climate change on the most disadvantaged in society.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Adapting to inevitable changes in our climate is vital which is why the Government is taking robust action to improve resilience to the effects of climate change across the whole country and economy, as set out in our current National Adaptation Programme [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-second-national-adaptation-programme-2018-to-2023].
The Government considers the distributional impact of our interventions on different groups, including disadvantaged groups. For instance, the formula for allocating the Government’s flood defence funding is weighted towards protecting people’s lives and homes. The most deprived areas of the country are eligible for higher payment levels than elsewhere, explicitly targeting higher Government investment in deprived areas.
Moving towards our net zero carbon emissions target offers the UK real opportunities such as new jobs, clean air and warm homes.?It is vital we make sure that these opportunities are inclusive, benefitting people across the UK.? HM Treasury will be conducting a review into the costs of decarbonisation, including how to achieve this transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many local authorities hold contracts for waste management services with Veolia.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not retain a list of Veolia’s contracts with local authorities.
All companies that collect waste for local authorities must be registered waste carriers with the Environment Agency and must take that waste to a permitted or registered exempt site. The Environment Agency will hold registration details for these carriers.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations she has received on the conduct of Veolia management in Harlow.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not received any representations on the conduct of Veolia management in Harlow.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
What steps the Government is taking to ensure that domestic climate change adaptation policy does not disproportionately affect low-income households.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government considers the distributional impact of its interventions on different groups, including low income households, and our National Adaptation Programme sets out the steps the Government will be taking, until the next five year plan in 2023, to further adapt to climate change. Its central aim is to build resilience across the economy, and draws from across a large body of cross-Government work. To take just one example, the Government’s capital investment programme in flooding and coastal erosion is expected to provide over a ten-fold economic return on the initial outlay.