Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on consultancy fees in the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The provisional consultancy spend for 2021-22 is £26.970m for the Core Department and Agencies.
The department’s spend on consultancy is published each year in the Annual Report and Accounts.
2020-21
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021 (page 100)
2019-20
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2019-to-2020 (page 87)
2018-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019 (page 64)
2017-18
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defras-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018 (page 51)
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of an earned recognition trusted trader imports system for the professional tree and plant growers.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
We will publish a Target Operating Model in the autumn (2022) that will set out how and when we will introduce an improved global regime of all border import controls. It will be based on a further assessment of risk and will harness the power of data and technology. We are working with stakeholders to develop these proposals. This includes looking at the role a trusted trader scheme might play in the plant health control system, which applies to the import of trees, plants and plant products.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 steps needed to facilitate access to alternatives to peat for use in horticulture.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Since we agreed the voluntary commitment to phase out the use of peat with the horticultural industry in 2011, many peat-free alternatives have been introduced to the market and some are readily available. However, we know that these products will need to be scaled up to meet demand, and that there might be some specific plants where alternatives are still under development.
We are currently analysing the responses from our recent consultation and call for evidence on ending the sale of peat and peat-containing products in horticulture, to add to our understanding of any challenges and opportunities regarding peat-free alternatives. We are also continuing to work with the industry to understand the support they will require to make the transition. This includes the funding of research to help underpin the development and management of alternative growing media in the professional sector. We will publish our response to the consultation as soon as possible.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 publish in full his Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Ministers regularly meet with departmental officials and external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
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 representatives of the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority on the Seasonal Workers Pilots scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Defra works closely with the Home Office and the Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority to monitor and evaluate the Seasonal Workers Pilot against its stated aims and ensure that its rules and regulations are being adhered to.
The Government takes the safety and wellbeing of seasonal workers extremely seriously. The Home Office sponsor licencing system places clear and binding requirements and obligations on the operators of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to safeguard seasonal workers.
The Seasonal Workers Pilot requires the operators to ensure all seasonal workers have a safe working environment, are treated fairly and paid properly, and robust systems are in place for the reporting of concerns and rapid action. A prerequisite for becoming an operator is that each organisation must hold and maintain licencing from the Gangmasters Labour and Abuse Authority. Defra would be notified should an operator or farm not be meeting the required standards and appropriate action taken.