Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
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 effect on agricultural exports of there being no deal between the UK and the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2016, UK food, feed and drink exports to the EU were worth £12 billion and EU food, feed and drink exports to the UK were worth £30 billion. It is in the interests of both parties to conclude a comprehensive customs agreement. We are conducting rigorous analysis on various trade scenarios for the future to inform Government policy.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
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 was consulted by the Department for Exiting the European Union on the economic impact assessments conducted for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is carrying out an ongoing programme of comprehensive analytical work that will inform our negotiating position with the EU, to define our deep and special partnership with the EU and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks
Defra is working with officials across government, in close coordination with the Department for Exiting the European Union, to ensure the delivery of a holistic programme of analysis across government.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people have received (a) a fine and (b) a custodial sentence of less than six months for animal cruelty offences.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced for offences under Sections 4 to 8 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales from 2014 to 2016 is shown in the table. It should be noted that these figures pre-date the latest Sentencing Council’s guidelines which were introduced in May and, in the case of animal cruelty offences, allow magistrates more flexibility with regard to imposing penalties towards the upper end of the scale.
Offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts of animal cruelty offences (1), England and Wales, 2014 to 2016 (2)(3)(4) |
| |||||
| ||||||
Outcome | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |||
Found guilty | 814 | 622 | 585 | |||
Sentenced | 815 | 624 | 585 | |||
of which | ||||||
Fine | 146 | 97 | 116 | |||
Immediate custody | 82 | 58 | 63 | |||
of which | ||||||
under six months | 81 | 55 | 60 | |||
| ||||||
(1) Defined as being SS4-8 Animal Welfare Act 2006; (2) figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the one selected is that for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe; (3) every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, this data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces, so care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when the data is used; (4) the number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty, as a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court, may be sentenced in the following year.
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many crimes relating to animal cruelty have been reported in each of he last three years.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of offenders found guilty and sentenced for offences under Sections 4 to 8 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 in England and Wales from 2014 to 2016 is shown in the table. It should be noted that these figures pre-date the latest Sentencing Council’s guidelines which were introduced in May and, in the case of animal cruelty offences, allow magistrates more flexibility with regard to imposing penalties towards the upper end of the scale.
Offenders found guilty and sentenced at all courts of animal cruelty offences (1), England and Wales, 2014 to 2016 (2)(3)(4) |
| |||||
| ||||||
Outcome | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |||
Found guilty | 814 | 622 | 585 | |||
Sentenced | 815 | 624 | 585 | |||
of which | ||||||
Fine | 146 | 97 | 116 | |||
Immediate custody | 82 | 58 | 63 | |||
of which | ||||||
under six months | 81 | 55 | 60 | |||
| ||||||
(1) Defined as being SS4-8 Animal Welfare Act 2006; (2) figures relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the one selected is that for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe; (3) every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, this data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces, so care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when the data is used; (4) the number of offenders sentenced can differ from those found guilty, as a defendant found guilty in a particular year, and committed for sentence at the Crown Court, may be sentenced in the following year.
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to implement the proposals in the Government's report entitled Towards a one nation economy: A 10-point plan for boosting rural productivity published in August 2015.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Implementing the Rural Productivity Plan requires collaboration across Government.
We have already begun to implement the plan, for example announcing new Enterprise Zones in rural areas and small towns, assessing expressions of interest to deliver 30 hours of free childcare early implementers in some areas, including rural, from September 2016, and lastly, premises without basic broadband will have access to a subsidised satellite scheme by the end of December.
By investing in education and skills, increasing wages, improving infrastructure and connectivity, and simplifying planning laws for rural businesses and communities, we will help create thriving rural areas where generations of families can open and expand their businesses, buy a home and educate their children at first class schools.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department has undertaken any assessment into the European Commission's ban on the import of Indian mangoes and the economic impact on UK businesses.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
Protecting the UK's plants from incursions of pests and diseases is a high priority for the Government. There would be a major long term impact and costs from introducing more plant pests and diseases into the country. The pests intercepted on imports from India could cause significant damage to UK glasshouse crops worth £321 million a year. Such pests were found in 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India imported into the EU in 2013, of which 179 were intercepted by the UK.
While a detailed assessment of the economic impact on UK businesses of the ban on the import of Indian mangoes has not been undertaken, the Government recognises the implications this will have and officials have met with the National Asian Business Association to discuss the issue.
We very much hope that imports of this highly-valued product will be able to resume as quickly as possible and will work with the European Commission and other Member States to facilitate this, subject to India's exporters and government showing that the necessary standards are being achieved.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
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 (a) EU officials, (b) Indian authorities and (c) affected UK businesses regarding the European Commission's ban on the import of Indian mangoes.
Answered by Dan Rogerson
The Secretary of State has met with the Indian High Commissioner to discuss the ban on imports of mangoes from India and will be working with the European Commission and other Member States to facilitate a lifting of the ban subject to the necessary plant health standards being achieved. Defra officials have discussed the issue with the main trade association, the Fresh Produce Consortium, both prior to and following the introduction of the ban and also recently with the National Asian Business Network.