I echo the words of the shadow Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport. We must set the tone and objectives for the negotiations, so it is critical to retain the cross-party amendment passed in the other place to make environmental sustainability the driving …
..."Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to undertake an independent assessment of the safety of glyphosate as part of the forthcoming National Action Plan for the Sustainable use of Pesticides.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
All pesticides are subject to strict regulation, which requires that they can only be authorised for use if a scientific assessment finds that this will not harm people or have unacceptable impacts on the environment. Authorisations are subject to regular review. The safety of glyphosate has been scrutinised in this way and glyphosate products are authorised for use.
The Government will publish for consultation a draft of the revised National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides later this year. The National Action Plan will expand on the approach set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan to reduce further the impacts of pesticide use while protecting crops. At the centre of this will be encouraging the development and uptake of Integrated Pest Management, under which farming systems are designed to minimise the need for pesticides and to make use of alternative approaches wherever possible.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 2 March 2020 to Question 21293, for what reasons the most recent navigational risk assessment in relation to oyster farm activity in the Whitstable area has not been published to the same timescale as the previous risk assessment of the site which took place in 2017.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is currently undertaking enquiries into ongoing oyster farm activity in Whitstable. The latest navigational risk assessment is considered material evidence which is informing part of these ongoing enquiries and at this stage it would not be appropriate to release the report into the public domain.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Marine Management Organisation plans to publish the navigational risk assessment that it conducted on 22 January 2020 in relation to oyster farm activity in the Whitstable area.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The latest navigational risk assessment relating to oyster farm activity in the Whitstable area is currently being reviewed by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO do not routinely publish these reports and will consider publication in this instance once this review has been completed, and any necessary action as result of the findings of the report has been appropriately considered.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Independent - Canterbury)
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 19 February 2019 to Question 220196 on Inland waterways, whether a public right of navigation is in place along the Kentish Stour between Canterbury and Fordwich.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
There is no navigation authority with jurisdiction over the Kentish Stour between Canterbury and Fordwich. Rights of navigation in this stretch are subject to navigation agreements between riparian landowners and those wishing to navigate the waterway. The Department does not hold information on individual navigation agreements.