Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 is having with zoos and aquariums in relation to providing information which would give those organisation sufficient preparation time to allow them to open up their attractions to the public later in 2021.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
I am aware of the pressure that the current coronavirus restrictions are placing on zoos and recognise this has been an extremely tough time for the sector. The Government has not yet announced how and when the current coronavirus restrictions applying to zoos and aquaria will be eased. In preparation for an announcement, we have worked closely with BIAZA (British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums) on their reopening guidance to ensure that zoos and aquariums have the information on how to open safely. Defra officials have also met with the CEOs of the largest chartable zoos and BIAZA to understand the measures that zoos have put in place to manage social distancing. We are also aware that a number of zoos and aquariums have secured the Visit Britain 'We’re Good To Go’ COVID-19 industry standard and consumer mark. This mark provides reassurance that the business adheres to Government and public health guidance and that the necessary COVID-19 safety processes have been put in place.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase public awareness of the importance of keeping unneutered cats aged four months and over inside while access to neutering services is limited during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We welcome animal welfare charity campaigns, including those by Cats Protection, encouraging people to both microchip and neuter their cats and we have included such messaging in the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats about responsible ownership of cats, a copy of which can be found on the GOV.UK website. Anyone considering acquiring a kitten should ensure, before they take possession of it and if they do not intend it to breed, that they can arrange for it to be neutered. Many veterinary practices are now carrying out certain non-essential work such as neutering, but it is up to individual vets to decide whether to do this. As always owners should refer to their vets for advice about neutering and breeding control.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
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 the compulsory micro-chipping of cats.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The Government is committed to improving the welfare of cats and has a manifesto commitment to introduce compulsory microchipping of cats. In October 2019 Defra published a call for evidence on compulsory microchipping for cats, which attracted over 3,000 responses. We are in the process of assessing the responses with a view to publishing the summary of them in due course.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle rubbish and plastic waste on beaches; and what support her Department is giving to local authorities to enable them to tackle that waste.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December 2018, and the Litter Strategy for England (2017) set out our plans to reduce litter and plastic pollution and move towards a more circular economy.
Local councils are responsible for keeping their relevant land (including beaches above mean high water springs) clear of litter and refuse, so far as is practicable. The Litter Innovation Fund, launched in 2017, made nearly £500,000 available to councils and others to pilot and test small-scale innovative approaches to reducing litter.
The majority of ocean plastic pollution originates on land and our efforts have focussed on preventing plastic entering the ocean in the first place. We have already made good progress, removing 15.6 billion plastic bags from circulation with our 5p charge and introducing a world-leading ban on the sale of microbeads in rinse-off personal care products.
The Government consulted on a number of key policy measures set out in the Resources and Waste Strategy: reforming existing packaging waste regulations; exploring the introduction of a deposit return scheme for drinks containers; increasing consistency in the recycling system; and introducing a tax on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content. These measures will help to tackle plastic waste, including on beaches and will be brought forward in the forthcoming Environment Bill and future finance bills.
Government recognises the financial pressures on local authorities. They will therefore receive additional resource to meet new net costs arising from the policies set out in this Strategy once implemented.