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1700015

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Hedges and Ditches: Conservation
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 steps his Department has taken to protect (a) hedgerow habitats and (b) associated species.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	20889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>Hedgerows are important ecological and environmental building blocks across our landscapes. As set out in the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), Defra will support farmers to create or restore at least 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, increasing to 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050.</p><p> </p><p>On the 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it.</p><p> </p><p>The new regulations will be supplemented by actions being undertaken by many through Environmental Land Management schemes. There are now over 55,920 miles of hedgerows with one or both sides managed under 16,000 Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farm Incentive agreements.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/04/2024 12:32:54 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1700054

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Dangerous Dogs: Animal Breeding
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 support is available to (a) animal rescue organisations and (b) local authorities to care for XL Bully puppies that do not meet the legal breed standard for a banned type of dog, but may eventually grow to do so.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	20918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>My Department is engaging closely with local authorities and rescue and rehoming organisations to monitor the impacts of the XL Bully dog ban.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 22/04/2024 14:15:23 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1700076

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 29 January and (b) 4 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare relating to haggis exports.
tabling member constituency	Weston-super-Mare
tabling member printed	John Penrose
uin	20947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued in due course. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 23/04/2024 16:44:09 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	1584 label Biography information for John Penrose

1700087

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Swimming
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the list of successful new bathing water sites following the consultation which closed on 10 March.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	20954
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>Defra plans to publish the outcomes of the consultation on the designation of 27 proposed bathing sites by the start of the 2024 bathing season, which begins on 15 May.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 23/04/2024 12:47:59 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1700089

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Southern Water: Meters
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 steps he is taking to ensure customers of Southern Water are able to install water efficiency measures in their meter chambers.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	20971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Southern Water is developing its next Water Resources Management Plan and its draft plan included the proposed to update water meters with smart meters across its customers by 2030 through an extensive replacement programme. The company plans to undertake 10,000 household water audits per year. The company is due to reconsult on its plan this summer. It will not be granted permission to finalise its plan until Defra are satisfied that it is appropriate, including assurance that the water efficiency programme is robust, sufficiently ambitious and enables customers to be efficient with the water they use.</p><p> </p><p>Most water efficiency interventions by water companies are directed to water use within properties. Southern Water have not specified measures beyond smart metering that directly involve the meter chamber. Water meters are normally water company property and measures in the meter chamber would not usually be undertaken by customers.</p><p> </p><p>Southern Water reported through its 2022/23 annual review that it had undertaken smart water meter trials in 1500 homes. The average water use across Southern Water households was 128 litres per person per day in 2022/23, in line with its forecasts and below the latest national average of 141. The Environment Agency and Defra track whether water companies are effectively reducing water consumption across household and business customers each year and escalate concerns where applicable.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 09:43:33 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1700177

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Potatoes: Diseases
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 steps he is taking to help protect farmers against new strains of potato blight.
tabling member constituency	Moray
tabling member printed	Douglas Ross
uin	21221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic approach that carefully considers all available plant protection methods and keeps the use of pesticides to levels that are ecologically and economically justified. IPM lies at the heart of our approach to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides and is a key tool for businesses facing the challenges of pesticide resistance, removal of pesticides from the market, and changing pest pressures due to climate change. Within the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) we will set out our policies to increase the uptake of IPM by farmers, growers, amenity managers and amateur gardeners.</p><p> </p><p>Having an IPM approach can reduce the risks associated with pesticides, combat pesticide resistance, and support sustainable agricultural productivity. IPM aims to diversify crop protection and reduce reliance on the use of chemical pesticides by making use of lower risk alternatives and promoting natural processes. For example, creating habitats for natural predators of plant pests, or using crop rotations to break pest, weed and disease cycles. When alternative methods are ineffective or unavailable, IPM also aims to optimise and minimise the use of chemical pesticides through targeted and precise application.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently commissioned a package of research projects that will bring together scientific evidence underpinning IPM and to look at ways of further encouraging its uptake. This work will support farmers’ access to the most effective IPM tools available and ensure that we understand changing trends in pest threats across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is also a partner in the European Research Area Network (ERA-Net) Co-Fund on Sustainable Crop Production (SusCrop). This research network aims to enhance cooperation and coordination of different national and regional research programmes focussing on agriculture and climate change, sustainable farming systems and biodiversity, sustainable water management, resource efficiency and resilience in the food chain. It also seeks to increase productivity through technological innovation.</p><p> </p><p>Projects within SusCrop ERA-Net include: ‘Eco-friendly solutions for the integrated management of late and early blight of potatoes (ECOSOL)’ which aims to Identify Effective Biological Control Agents and Plant Resistance Inducers for the Control of Potato Late Blight in the field.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 22/04/2024 14:08:00 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4627 label Biography information for Douglas Ross

1700178

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Fungicides
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 assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Health and Safety Executive’s proposal to withdraw approval for (a) Mancozeb and (b) other multi-site fungicides.
tabling member constituency	Moray
tabling member printed	Douglas Ross
uin	21222
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra is aware of the concerns of GB potato growers about the Health and Safety Executives’ (HSE) proposed decision to withdraw approval of mancozeb. GB pesticides legislation requires that decisions on active substances are solely based on careful scientific assessment of risks, to provide a high level of protection for people and the environment.</p><p> </p><p>HSE has reviewed the approval of mancozeb. In light of new scientific and technical information received, HSE has concluded that the active substance no longer satisfies the approval criteria. The review concluded that mancozeb has endocrine disrupting properties for humans and non-target organisms. In addition, non-dietary exposure exceeded the reference levels. HSE has therefore proposed to withdraw approval of mancozeb in GB. The withdrawal of products containing mancozeb will not be immediate; we expect HSE to set an 18-month grace period (six months for sale and supply, and 12 months after that for storage, disposal and use) to allow existing stocks in the supply chain to be used up.</p><p> </p><p>Under certain circumstances, set out in Article 53 of Assimilated Regulation 1107/2009, it is possible to grant emergency authorisation for the placing on the market of a pesticide containing an active substance that is not approved. There must be special circumstances where limited and controlled use is necessary because of a danger to crops, other plants or the environment, including human or animal health, that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means.</p><p> </p><p>We are not aware of any HSE proposal to withdraw any other multi-site fungicide.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 09/05/2024 13:25:18 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4627 label Biography information for Douglas Ross