Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 decrease water wastage in the South West.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambitions for reducing leakage. This includes supporting Ofwat’s challenge to the industry to reduce leakage by 15% by 2025.
In 2016/17, South West Water’s leakage rate was 102 litres per property per day, Bristol Water’s rate was 87 litres per property per day and Wessex Water was 112 litres per property per day. This compares with a national figure of 121 litres per property per day.
All water companies are currently setting out their targets for leakage reduction in their long term water resources management plans.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 representatives of the fishing industry on the future implications of the discard ban and its effects on local fishermen’s income.
Answered by George Eustice
I have discussed the implications of the Landing Obligation and possible problems regarding choke species with a number of fishing industry representatives including from the Cornwall Fish Producers Organisation, where concerns over the gadoid fishery in the Celtic sea were raised.
The UK has put forward proposals for mitigation measures which have been included in the join recommendations submitted by the North Sea and North Western Water regional groups to the Commission in May 2018. Other mitigation measures will be developed in discussion with the European Commission and Member States over the next few months for possible inclusion in the annual TAC and Quota Regulation to be agreed at December Council. I had a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Vella to discuss the specific challenge of choke species during the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on the 18th July.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of withdrawing from the EU discard ban before it comes into full force in 2019.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK Government continuously works with the fishing industry, and other interested parties, in assessing the impacts of the landing obligation on the industry, as well as on fish stocks.
We continue to participate actively in the regional groups that are currently preparing the discard plans for 2019, and are working closely with Member States and the Commission in preparing for the full implementation of the landing obligation in 2019. This will enable us to end wasteful discarding, while providing the industry with the support it needs to operate effectively.
The UK Government is committed to implementing EU regulations while it remains a member. We will continue to work with the industry to develop a landing obligation that reflects the UK’s mixed fisheries once we leave the EU.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 make an assessment of the effects on fishermen of the EU discard ban coming into full force in 2019.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK Government continuously works with the fishing industry, and other interested parties, in assessing the impacts of the landing obligation on the industry, as well as on fish stocks.
We continue to participate actively in the regional groups that are currently preparing the discard plans for 2019, and are working closely with Member States and the Commission in preparing for the full implementation of the landing obligation in 2019. This will enable us to end wasteful discarding, while providing the industry with the support it needs to operate effectively.
The UK Government is committed to implementing EU regulations while it remains a member. We will continue to work with the industry to develop a landing obligation that reflects the UK’s mixed fisheries once we leave the EU.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 make registration to the Central Equine Database a statutory requirement for horse owners.
Answered by George Eustice
All horses resident in the UK are required to hold an equine passport, which requires registration with a UK Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO). Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/262 requires the particulars of this passport to be included in a national equine database, which includes details of the horse’s owner. The UK therefore requires all PIOs to share relevant data with the Central Equine Database. This gives government, Local Authorities and the Food Standards Agency access to records on all horses and other equines resident in the UK.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the quantity of plastics washed up on UK beaches in each year since 2015.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Data from Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean show consistent levels of litter on UK beaches. The information is in the table below:
Year | Number of litter items per 100 meters |
2017 | 718 |
2016 | 649 |
2015 | 676 |
MCS have found that plastic fragments, fishing-related litter and packaging are the most common types of litter found, with variable trends in the specific categories. This is consistent with the findings in our recent National Environment Indicators.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
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 ensure that (a) food labelling is accurate and (b) imported food is not labelled as having been produced in Britain.
Answered by George Eustice
All information provided with food must not be misleading and, specifically, origin information must be given where not to do so would mislead consumers. Food labelling rules require that accurate origin information must be displayed with many foods, including fresh and frozen meat. If a food business operator fails to provide mandatory information, or provides information that is misleading (including provenance information) they will be served with an improvement notice. Failure to observe the improvement notice is an offence.