Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to change the (1) membership, or (2) operation, of the Dartmoor National Park Authority.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We greatly appreciate the time, energy, and commitment that board members bring, and the important work they do in caring for our National Parks. Other than new national appointments to fill upcoming vacancies, we have no immediate plans to change the membership or operation of Dartmoor National Park Authority. Our 2022 consultation on implementing the Landscapes Review sought views on potential changes to National Park Authority boards. We are carefully considering the consultation results and are working to publish a response shortly.
Asked by: Miriam Cates (Conservative - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to protect landscapes while delivering Project Gigabit.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to ensuring everyone receives the coverage and connectivity they need and recognises the need to balance this with environmental considerations.
Broadband providers need to comply with the relevant planning requirements and legislation in conservation areas and protected landscapes.
This is supported by best practice guidance with Natural England and a joint accord with National Parks England on delivery of broadband within the 10 National Parks in England.
Penistone and Stocksbridge constituency is also set to benefit from our innovative Fibre in Water project, which will trial the use of water mains to deploy digital infrastructure.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 improve public awareness of permissive wild camping rights in National Parks.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Improving public awareness of permissive wild camping is a matter for each National Park Authority and the respective landowners. The Government is supporting our National Parks to deliver access to nature, including through an additional £4.4 million funding grant for National Park Authorities to support services such as visitor centres, ranger support and efforts to increase access to nature.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will (a) introduce and (b) expand permissive wild camping rights in each National Park.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Permissive wild camping is a matter for each National Park Authority and the respective landowners. We have no plans to introduce or expand wild camping rights in National Parks centrally.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department monitors the impact of artificial light levels on wildlife in (a) Merseyside and (b) the UK.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Our legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 underlines our ambition to protect wildlife across all areas of the UK, including Merseyside.
Artificial light offers valuable benefits for safety and amenity. Defra has funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. This report notes that the effects of artificial light in general on nocturnal insects may be growing.
Defra has worked with other government departments to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenities, dark landscapes and nature conservation. Our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have some of the best dark skies across Great Britain and attained some of the earliest designations in Europe. Seven of our parks have secured protected dark sky status and we are committed to conserving and celebrating this wonderful experience for all.
HM Government has not made any specific assessment of the impacts of light pollution on insect (or wider wildlife) population trends, but we will continue to work with partners including leading scientists to review the latest studies and ensure we continue to address key threats to biodiversity.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities about the impact of light pollution on insect populations; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce light pollution in (a) urban, (b) suburban and (c) rural areas.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Artificial light offers valuable benefits for safety and amenity. Defra has worked with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation. Our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have some of the best dark skies across Great Britain and attained some of the earliest designations in Europe. Seven of our parks have secured protected dark sky status and we are committed to conserving and celebrating this wonderful experience for all.
Defra has funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. This report notes the effects of artificial light in general on nocturnal insects may be growing.
HM Government has not made any specific assessment of the impacts of light pollution or changes in spectrum on insect population trends. We will continue to work closely with researchers, NGOs and across HM Government to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution
Protecting insects is a priority, and we are taking action to support them and the wider natural environment of which they are a vital component. Our legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 underlines our ambition.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of (1) deaths, and (2) serious injuries, in the agricultural industry from 2015 up until the last year for which records are available.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority
A response to the noble Baroness’ Parliamentary Question of 3 February is attached.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician
Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
8 February 2023
Dear Lady Kennedy,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of deaths and serious injuries in the agricultural industry from 2015 up until the last year for which records are available (HL5397).
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for publishing statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. The information on occupation is supplied by the informant when registering the death. The ONS does not hold data on serious injuries occurring in the agricultural industry.
From 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2022, 10,240 deaths of persons aged 16 to 64 working in the agricultural industry were registered in England and Wales (including non-residents). These deaths were registered with the Standard Occupational Classification minor group codes 511 and 911. These agricultural and related trades occupations are defined as those who cultivate and harvest crops, breed and rear animals, raise animals for consumption, catch and breed fish and other aquatic life, grow plants, trees, shrubs and flowers for sale, tend private and public gardens, parks, sports pitches and other recreational areas, and perform a variety of other skilled occupations related to agriculture and fishing.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the CareMoor for Exmoor crowdfunder launched by the Exmoor National Park Authority, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the projected shortfall in National Park Authority budgets for 2023-24; and what information her Department holds on the Authority's target for fundraising for core services via public appeals for donation.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
We recognise the economic challenges facing National Park Authorities and that they are considering options to manage current inflationary pressures. The Government remains committed to supporting our National Park Authorities and are working with them to generate more income from a range of sources including commercial revenue. As National Park Authorities are responsible for balancing their budgets, DEFRA does not hold information related to individual parks fundraising targets.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the recent High Court decision on Dartmoor National Park, whether she intends to update the definition of open-air recreation in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 to include wild camping.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
There are no plans to update the definition of open-air recreation as set out in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
Asked by: Dean Russell (Conservative - Watford)
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 increase access to green spaces.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We committed in our Environmental Improvement Plan published this week to work across government to help ensure that everyone lives within 15 minutes’ walk of a green or blue space.
The Government is delivering a number of policies to increase access to nature including: