Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of classifying all territorial waters as Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has signed up to the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 (30by30 target). Domestically, we have designated a comprehensive network of MPAs covering 40% of English waters, based on recommendations from our scientific advisors (Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee). Our priority is to ensure all sites are managed appropriately to meet our statutory MPA target.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of bottom trawling on Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Slough, on 6 July 2023, PQ UIN 192154.
A byelaw restricting the use of bottom trawling in 13 Marine Protected Areas mentioned in that answer came into force on 22 March 2024.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 take steps to prohibit bottom trawling.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bottom trawls are used by all parts of the fishing fleet, from small day boats to large offshore vessels. In 2021, fishing with bottom towed gears in the UK Exclusive Economic Zone by the UK fleet represented approximately 30% of the total tonnage, by value this was 45%. The economic importance to coastal communities varies, but there are significant trawler fleets in the South West of England. There is currently no commercially viable replacement for bottom trawling to catch the high-value species targeted (e.g. cod, haddock, scallops). There is work underway to progressively address the environmental effects of bottom trawling, working alongside the fishing industry, academia, and other stakeholders including through Fisheries Management Plans, the first of which were published in December 2024. The issue needs to be approached carefully to ensure the environmental, social and economic pillars of sustainability are balanced.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timescale is for publishing a public consultation on potential proscribed activities in relation to the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence-based and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed.
This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 has made on producing a draft list of proscribed activities for application under the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence-based and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed.
This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2024, to Question 13272 on Tobacco: Smuggling, how many referrals have been made by Trading Standards to HMRC in the last 12 months; and how many penalties have been issued as a result.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In July 2023 new powers were given to Trading Standards to make referrals to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) where they find evidence of tobacco products that don’t comply with the UK Tobacco Track and Trace System. The referral process which practically implements these powers started in October 2023. HMRC periodically publishes outputs of its tobacco strategy, and will publish the outputs of its work with Trading Standards as part of future publications.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) active and (b) passive surveillance measures in informing prevention strategies for infectious diseases in newborn babies.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy Screening programme (IDPS) for HIV, Hepatitis B and syphilis is monitored through surveillance systems within the UK Health Security Agency. This programme is delivered through NHS England which also monitors it through their Integrated Screening Outcomes Surveillance Service (ISOSS). IDPS is offered in every pregnancy, with a high uptake of 99.7%.
All pregnancies with a screen positive result for these infections are reported to NHS England’s ISOSS which conducts active surveillance, including pregnancy and infant outcome. Data collected through ISOSS enables the IDPS to monitor performance, review all positive cases and identify new areas for further audit and research.
All instances of vertical transmission, previously known as mother-to-child transmission, of infection for HIV, hepatitis B and diagnosis of congenital syphilis in babies are investigated and anonymously reviewed by clinical experts to add to the understanding of the burden of disease and risk factors associated with it. Data and findings from ISOSS are used to improve the screening pathway and feed into the production of national clinical guidance for the treatment and management of these infections in pregnancy.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Ukraine on the role of Ukraine's private sector in the country's economic resilience (a) during and (b) after the war.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
I met with Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, at the end of February.
We discussed the role of Ukraine’s private sector in the country’s resilience and reconstruction, the importance of transparent and clear procurement and the alignment between Ukraine’s reform agenda and enhancing its business environment both during and after the war. My department works closely with colleagues in the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Government of Ukraine counterparts to address these important topics.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress he has made on implementing the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Future decisions on which specific animal activities will fall in scope of the advertising ban will be evidence-based and subject to Parliamentary scrutiny. Sufficient, compelling evidence will be required to demonstrate why any specific advertising ban is needed.
This Government continues to make animal welfare a priority and we are currently exploring a number of options to ensure progress as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an estimate of the annual economic costs to the NHS of Group B streptococcus infections in newborns.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
No specific assessment has been made.