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348956

registered interest
date	08/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Bees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) threats to and (b) steps necessary to address the decline of British bees; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	1342
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>Defra recognises the importance of pollinators, including bees, and their value to food security and sustaining the natural environment. This is why Defra committed to producing the National Pollinator Strategy (NPS) (<a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pollinator-strategy-for-bees-and-other-pollinators-in-england" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pollinator-strategy-for-bees-and-other-pollinators-in-england</a>).</p><p>To help inform the NPS, Defra commissioned a report published in July 2014 on the ‘Status and Value of Pollinators and Pollination Services’ (<a href="http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&amp;Module=More&amp;Location=None&amp;Completed=0&amp;ProjectID=18916#RelatedDocuments" target="_blank">http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&amp;Module=More&amp;Location=None&amp;Completed=0&amp;ProjectID=18916#RelatedDocuments</a>). The report reviewed evidence on threats to pollinators and served to highlight the many pressures which pollinators face. A loss of flower-rich habitat is considered to be the likely primary cause of the recorded decline in diversity of wild bees and other pollinating insects. Another key finding was the uncertainty that remains over population levels. Addressing such key gaps in our understanding is one of the key aims of the NPS. Defra has commissioned a research project to develop a national pollinator monitoring framework to detect changes in pollinator populations in the future.</p><p>The NPS, published in November 2014, forms a framework for collective action to help manage and raise awareness of the pressures facing pollinators. To raise public awareness a ‘Call to Action’, “Bees’ Needs: Food and a Home” (<a href="http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/Bees-needs" target="_blank">www.wildlifetrusts.org/Bees-needs</a>) was launched in July 2014. This is a simple message on the essential needs of pollinators and how to fulfil them.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/06/2015 13:35:19 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

348714

registered interest
date	05/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government will cover the costs of any bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers suffering delays in receiving support from the Basic Payments Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Penistone and Stocksbridge
tabling member printed	Angela Smith
uin	1291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The RPA expects to pay the vast majority of payments early in the payment window which runs from December to June. As such we do not expect to provide cover for bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 1290 question first answered 10/06/2015 15:29:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1564 label Biography information for Angela Smith

348715

registered interest
date	05/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency will cover the costs of any bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers suffering delays in receiving support from the Basic Payments Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Penistone and Stocksbridge
tabling member printed	Angela Smith
uin	1290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The RPA expects to pay the vast majority of payments early in the payment window which runs from December to June. As such we do not expect to provide cover for bridging finance from commercial banks for farmers</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 1291 question first answered 10/06/2015 15:29:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1564 label Biography information for Angela Smith

346846

registered interest
date	27/05/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agriculture: Subsidies
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Basic Payment Scheme was not rolled out online as originally announced: what was the additional cost to the taxpayer of returning to paper-based British Payment Scheme applications; what assessment they have made of the reasons for the failure of the online roll-out; and in the light of the date for final submissions of completed Basic Payment Scheme forms being extended from 15 May to 15 June, whether there will be any delay in making payments to farmers by the end of 2015.
tabling member printed	Lord Willoughby de Broke
uin	HL84
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>While the core of the new online Rural Payments system is working well, there have been performance problems around the interface between the customer portal and the back end of the system. That one area was not consistently stable and it was having a negative effect on the rest of the service.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As a result, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) switched the approach to delivery of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 to one where farmers and their agents use existing forms to complete their claims by the extended deadline.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Over the longer term we will continue to work on a user-friendly web interface - but for this claim year the priority is making sure farm businesses get the help and support they need to get their claims in on time.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are currently assessing the additional costs from the revised approach.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The RPA will be making full payments as early as possible in the payments window, which opens in December.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 10/06/2015 16:40:42 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	1775 label Biography information for Lord Willoughby de Broke