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1257117

registered interest
date	01/12/2020
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	Avian Influenza
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 his Department is taking to tackle the spread of bird flu in the UK.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Paul Girvan
uin	123679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Animal health and welfare policy and responding to outbreaks is a devolved matter. I outline below information about control of the disease in England. I also set out how all four administrations in the UK work with one another in order to develop a response which supports the areas of common interest.</p><p>My department, and the departments of all administrations in the UK, have well-established, strong track records of controlling and eliminating outbreaks of Avian Influenza. Our aim is to limit the spread and the economic impact of this disease on the industry, governments and other bird keepers.</p><p>Defra's approach to disease control is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and in the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Once disease has been confirmed, susceptible birds are humanely culled and disease control zones put in place around the infected premises to further reduce the risk of spread. Movement of poultry and captive birds are not allowed in the zones and movements of eggs, poultry carcases and poultry litter and manure are subject to restrictions.</p><p>Veterinary investigations are carried out at each infected premises, including the tracing of all movements on and off, and surveillance within the disease control zones.</p><p>Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) were put in place in England, Scotland and Wales on 11 November 2020. These require all bird keepers to take extra biosecurity precautions such as limiting access to non-essential people on their sites, workers changing clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures, cleaning and disinfecting site vehicles regularly and fencing off ponds and standing water. Similarly, an AIPZ was declared in Northern Ireland on 1 December 2020.</p><p>In addition, given the increasing risk of incursion of avian influenza to captive birds, from the 14 December 2020 new housing measures will come into force in England for all poultry and captive birds. I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 8 December 2020:</p><p><a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631</a></p><p>Although disease control is a devolved matter colleagues in all administrations are an integral part of the UK-wide decision-making processes. All attend the Defra Group's National Disease Control Centre 'bird table' meetings, are members of the Animal Disease Policy Group and participate in daily stocktakes to review on-going disease control strategy.</p><p>I have no plans to amend Defra's responsibilities for compensation for affected keepers.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 123680 123681 question first answered 09/12/2020 16:30:23 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4633 label Biography information for Paul Girvan

1257118

registered interest
date	01/12/2020
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	Avian Influenza
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 discussions his Department has had with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland in the last two weeks on tackling the spread of bird flu in the UK.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Paul Girvan
uin	123680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Animal health and welfare policy and responding to outbreaks is a devolved matter. I outline below information about control of the disease in England. I also set out how all four administrations in the UK work with one another in order to develop a response which supports the areas of common interest.</p><p>My department, and the departments of all administrations in the UK, have well-established, strong track records of controlling and eliminating outbreaks of Avian Influenza. Our aim is to limit the spread and the economic impact of this disease on the industry, governments and other bird keepers.</p><p>Defra's approach to disease control is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and in the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Once disease has been confirmed, susceptible birds are humanely culled and disease control zones put in place around the infected premises to further reduce the risk of spread. Movement of poultry and captive birds are not allowed in the zones and movements of eggs, poultry carcases and poultry litter and manure are subject to restrictions.</p><p>Veterinary investigations are carried out at each infected premises, including the tracing of all movements on and off, and surveillance within the disease control zones.</p><p>Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) were put in place in England, Scotland and Wales on 11 November 2020. These require all bird keepers to take extra biosecurity precautions such as limiting access to non-essential people on their sites, workers changing clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures, cleaning and disinfecting site vehicles regularly and fencing off ponds and standing water. Similarly, an AIPZ was declared in Northern Ireland on 1 December 2020.</p><p>In addition, given the increasing risk of incursion of avian influenza to captive birds, from the 14 December 2020 new housing measures will come into force in England for all poultry and captive birds. I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 8 December 2020:</p><p><a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631</a></p><p>Although disease control is a devolved matter colleagues in all administrations are an integral part of the UK-wide decision-making processes. All attend the Defra Group's National Disease Control Centre 'bird table' meetings, are members of the Animal Disease Policy Group and participate in daily stocktakes to review on-going disease control strategy.</p><p>I have no plans to amend Defra's responsibilities for compensation for affected keepers.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 123679 123681 question first answered 09/12/2020 16:30:24 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4633 label Biography information for Paul Girvan

1257119

registered interest
date	01/12/2020
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	Poultry: Avian Influenza
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 plans his Department has to provide additional financial support to poultry farmers in Northern Ireland who may have to cull livestock as a result of bird flu, beyond the support available under schemes administered by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Paul Girvan
uin	123681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Animal health and welfare policy and responding to outbreaks is a devolved matter. I outline below information about control of the disease in England. I also set out how all four administrations in the UK work with one another in order to develop a response which supports the areas of common interest.</p><p>My department, and the departments of all administrations in the UK, have well-established, strong track records of controlling and eliminating outbreaks of Avian Influenza. Our aim is to limit the spread and the economic impact of this disease on the industry, governments and other bird keepers.</p><p>Defra's approach to disease control is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and in the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Once disease has been confirmed, susceptible birds are humanely culled and disease control zones put in place around the infected premises to further reduce the risk of spread. Movement of poultry and captive birds are not allowed in the zones and movements of eggs, poultry carcases and poultry litter and manure are subject to restrictions.</p><p>Veterinary investigations are carried out at each infected premises, including the tracing of all movements on and off, and surveillance within the disease control zones.</p><p>Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZ) were put in place in England, Scotland and Wales on 11 November 2020. These require all bird keepers to take extra biosecurity precautions such as limiting access to non-essential people on their sites, workers changing clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures, cleaning and disinfecting site vehicles regularly and fencing off ponds and standing water. Similarly, an AIPZ was declared in Northern Ireland on 1 December 2020.</p><p>In addition, given the increasing risk of incursion of avian influenza to captive birds, from the 14 December 2020 new housing measures will come into force in England for all poultry and captive birds. I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 8 December 2020:</p><p><a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-12-08/hcws631</a></p><p>Although disease control is a devolved matter colleagues in all administrations are an integral part of the UK-wide decision-making processes. All attend the Defra Group's National Disease Control Centre 'bird table' meetings, are members of the Animal Disease Policy Group and participate in daily stocktakes to review on-going disease control strategy.</p><p>I have no plans to amend Defra's responsibilities for compensation for affected keepers.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 123679 123680 question first answered 09/12/2020 16:30:24 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4633 label Biography information for Paul Girvan

1257295

registered interest
date	01/12/2020
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	Organic Food: EU Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the potential effect on sales of organic goods of EU requirements for proof of compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary rules after 1 January 2020; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	123511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>EU requirements for proof of compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary rules after 1 January 2020 affect all products regardless of whether they are organic or not. All organic imports from third countries, except from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, must be accompanied by a GB Certificate of Inspection (COI) from 1 January 2021.</p><p>Organic imports from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland will need to be accompanied by a GB COI from 1 July 2021. We are implementing this phased approach for COIs from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland to provide additional time for ports to adjust to the new GB organic import process from 1 January 2021. This decision is in line with a number of other phased approaches designed to simplify import procedures in the short term.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/12/2020 16:35:02 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1257296

registered interest
date	01/12/2020
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	Organic Food: UK Trade with EU
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 she has made of the potential merits of securing an equivalency agreement with the EU for sales of organic food and drink products into (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the EU from 1 January 2021; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	123512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>On 2 December 2020, the European Commission confirmed that the UK’s six organic control bodies will be recognised as equivalent for the purpose of trade in organics. It will allow British businesses to export organic food, drink, ingredients and feed to Northern Ireland and the EU until 31 December 2021.</p><p> </p><p>On 12 October, Defra notified the European Commission of its intention to recognise the EU as equivalent for the purpose of trade in organics until 31 December 2021. These arrangements will allow EU and British consumers to continue to have access to the wide choice of organic food they currently enjoy, and British businesses will be able to continue to produce the high quality organic foods for which we are internationally renowned.</p><p> </p><p>While this is a temporary solution, we remain of the view that a bilateral organics equivalence agreement is the best basis for our future organics trading relationship with the EU.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/12/2020 14:52:14 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1256622

registered interest
date	30/11/2020
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	Environmental Health: Scotland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 26 November 2020, Official Report, Column 962, what the source was for his statement that Scotland was 100 Environmental Health Officers short of requirements; and how that figure was calculated.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	122757
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Challenges exist in estimating the number of Export Health Certificates (EHCs) required at the end of the Transition Period. Modelling was carried out to assess possible demand for certification of fish exports and certifier supply in Scotland, to support an understanding of the requirements from 1 January 2021. Demand was calculated using consignment estimates provided by the Scottish Government. The current certifier supply, or number of Food Competent Certifying Officers (who are usually EHOs) per local authority, was provided by APHA. We applied assumptions on the amount of time spent on certification based on local authority engagement and on the range of time taken to certify a consignment. The shortfall of approximately 100 Environmental Health Officers fell within this range.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/12/2020 17:24:34 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock