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224183

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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
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 the average age is of workers in the agricultural industry.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>Age data is not collected for farm workers. The average age of farm holders in England in 2013 was 59.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:35:08 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

224203

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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
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 estimate she has made of the cost to UK agriculture of weeds, disease and pests.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The Department does not hold information to answer this question in full. The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, the following information may be useful.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· The UK plant health risk register assesses the likelihood of non-native pests and diseases of plants being introduced or spreading to their full extent and the impact and value at risk. The register is updated monthly and the outputs are all published: <a href="https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/" target="_blank">https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/phiw/riskRegister/</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· In 2010, a Defra funded study by CABI estimated the cost of yield losses caused by non-native plant diseases at around £282m across GB. A sector breakdown shows the majority of costs are incurred in the grain, commercial vegetable and potato sectors: <a href="http://www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=487" target="_blank">www.nonnativespecies.org/downloadDocument.cfm?id=487</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· A 2010 report by the Animal and Plant Health Agency looked at the costs of ‘conflicts’ between human and wildlife interests, including pests. The estimated £500m annual cost of these conflicts and mitigation actions includes UK agriculture.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· A 2003 Defra study assessed the costs to GB agriculture of 35 endemic livestock diseases. This study has not been updated: <a href="http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=ZZ0102_1215_FRP.doc" target="_blank">http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=ZZ0102_1215_FRP.doc</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· Tackling bovine TB costs English taxpayers in the region of £100m per year with additional costs to farmers estimated to run to tens of millions of pounds each year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:38:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

224205

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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	Farmers: Income
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 the net farm income per worker was in each of the last 15 years.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The table below shows the average income for entrepreneurial labour (typically farmers and their partners) received over the last 15 years for the United Kingdom. The values are expressed in real terms; this is where earlier years’ data are adjusted to take account of inflation so they are comparable to the 2013 data.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Total income from farming (TIFF) in real terms (2013 prices) per annual work unit (AWU) of entrepreneurial labour in the United Kingdom 1999 to 2013</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>TIFF / AWU of entrepreneurial labour (£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1999</p></td><td><p>12,457</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2000</p></td><td><p>9,360</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2001</p></td><td><p>10,123</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2002</p></td><td><p>13,243</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2003</p></td><td><p>16,741</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2004</p></td><td><p>15,646</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2005</p></td><td><p>14,634</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>14,318</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>15,300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>23,035</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>23,641</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>22,654</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>28,316</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>25,120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>29,145</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:34:44 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

224206

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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
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 she is taking to improve knowledge transfer in the agricultural sector; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government is investing £90million in Centres for Agricultural Innovation under the Agri-Tech Strategy. One key requirement for the Centres will be that they facilitate knowledge exchange between scientists, farmers, growers and others in the food supply chain. We intend soon to announce a final decision on the first centre which will apply “big data” to farming and develop means of measuring sustainability.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Rural Development Programme’s Countryside Productivity scheme will provide £141million of support for improvements in farming and forestry productivity; encourage the creation of new farming and forestry enterprises; and facilitate technology transfer within the farming and forestry sectors.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Part of this support will be through farmer-led operational groups under the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability. These groups will bring together farmers, advisors, researchers and others to solve issues of common concern and build bridges between research and practice. Grant funding of between £5,000 and £150,000 per project will be available towards the cost of taking an innovative idea from initial research to the market place. A key element is the emphasis on dissemination of results and knowledge transfer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We will announce details of further support for training and knowledge transfer under the Programme later this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 14:34:53 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

224207

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
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 benefits for UK agriculture she anticipates from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is an opportunity to make it easier and cheaper for British producers to do business across the Atlantic, and to give consumers more choice. The negotiations are continuing and the final outcome is not yet known. Defra’s initial analysis suggests that a successful deal could lead to a net increase in UK agriculture, food and drink output of up to £600 million and total exports by up to £550 million.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:27:38 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

224211

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were employed in the agricultural sector in each year since 1995.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	225769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The number of people working on farms in England and in the United Kingdom from 1995 to 2014 is set out in the table below.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Figures pre-2000 cover all farms, whereas figures from 2000 onwards relate to commercial holdings only, so are not directly comparable. Commercial farms are defined as those with significant levels of farming activity and have any of the following:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· More than 5ha farmed area</p><p> </p><p>· More than 1ha permanent nursery/fruit crops</p><p> </p><p>· More than 0.5ha outdoor crops</p><p> </p><p>· More than 0.1ha glasshouses</p><p> </p><p>· Any area used to grow mushrooms</p><p> </p><p>· More than 10 cattle, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The principal effect of this change was to reduce the number of part-time farmers who had very small levels of farming activity.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><br><p><strong>Number of people working on agricultural holdings on 1 June</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td><p>Number of people (thousands)</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p>England</p></td><td><p>United Kingdom</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>1995</strong></p></td><td><p>425</p></td><td><p>620</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>1996</strong></p></td><td><p>421</p></td><td><p>616</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>1997</strong></p></td><td><p>417</p></td><td><p>611</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>1998</strong></p></td><td><p>415</p></td><td><p>608</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>1999</strong></p></td><td><p>398</p></td><td><p>586</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2000</strong></p></td><td><p>333</p></td><td><p>516</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2001</strong></p></td><td><p>333</p></td><td><p>514</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2002</strong></p></td><td><p>328</p></td><td><p>507</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2003</strong></p></td><td><p>313</p></td><td><p>491</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2004</strong></p></td><td><p>322</p></td><td><p>501</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2005</strong></p></td><td><p>319</p></td><td><p>494</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2006</strong></p></td><td><p>317</p></td><td><p>491</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2007</strong></p></td><td><p>308</p></td><td><p>481</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2008</strong></p></td><td><p>312</p></td><td><p>483</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p>293</p></td><td><p>464</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p>293</p></td><td><p>466</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p>303</p></td><td><p>476</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p>307</p></td><td><p>481</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>296</p></td><td><p>464</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p>302</p></td><td><p>476</p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td colspan="4"><p>Figures prior to 2000 relate to all holdings, whereas figures from 2000 onwards relate to commercial holdings only.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:33:17 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

223938

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	River Ribble
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2015 to Question 224693, what the date, location and nature has been of the Environment Agency's spending on maintaining channels and flood defences on the River Ribble and its tributaries in the Savick Brook and Preston Asset Management Systems since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Mark Hendrick
uin	225644
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The Environment Agency has carried out the following activities to maintain channels and flood defences on the River Ribble and its tributaries since 2010, in the Savick Brook and Preston Asset Management Systems:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Type of activity</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/11</p></td><td><p>Obstruction removal, tree work, grass cutting by mechanical means, grass cutting by hand, vermin control, in-channel vegetation control, maintenance of structures, flood storage reservoir works, environmental management, and debris screen checks.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/12</p></td><td><p>Environmental management, tree work, in-channel vegetation control, weed control by mechanical means, weed control by hand , obstruction removal, asset inspections, debris screen checks, flood storage reservoir works, grass cutting by mechanical means, vermin control and maintenance of structures.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/13</p></td><td><p>Operational inspections, operation of structures, maintenance of structures, environmental management, obstruction removal, grass cutting by mechanical means, grass cutting by hand, asset inspections, in-channel vegetation control, debris screen checks, tree work and vermin control.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/14</p></td><td><p>Operation of structures, maintenance of structures, vermin control, asset inspections, obstruction removal, tree work, grass cutting by hand, flood storage reservoir works, in-channel vegetation control, environmental management and debris screen checks.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014/15</p></td><td><p>Operation of structures, vermin control, obstruction removal, grass cutting by hand, grass cutting by mechanical means, in-channel vegetation control, tree work, weed control by hand, grass cutting by hand, maintenance of structures, debris screen checks, asset inspections, vermin control.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Watercourses in these systems where this activity was carried out include: Savick Brook, Sharoe Brook, Eaves Brook, Boundary Brook, Sandy Brook, River Ribble, Moorbrook Culvert and Swilbrook Culvert.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information on specific locations for each of these tasks is not held centrally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 05/03/2015 09:02:09 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

223951

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Insects
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 the non-financial regulatory constraints are on research on the potential of insects as a sustainable source of livestock feed; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage such research.
tabling member constituency	Aldershot
tabling member printed	Sir Gerald Howarth
uin	225605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>Research on the potential use of insects in livestock feed is permitted under the provisions of the EU Animal by-Products Regulations 1069/2009 which require registration of operators by competent authorities under conditions which control risks to public and animal health. The Food and Environmental Research Agency of Defra is currently leading research on the use of insects as a protein source for livestock in the UK.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 05/03/2015 09:06:08 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	47 label Biography information for Sir Gerald Howarth

223953

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Seas and Oceans: Electric Cables
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 the Marine Management Organisation has taken to safeguard the marine environment from damage by cable laying involving the SCAR plough system and similar technologies.
tabling member constituency	Newbury
tabling member printed	Richard Benyon
uin	225626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>Should such activities require a marine licence from the MMO, a number of steps are taken to ensure the protection of the marine environment is adequately considered. The potential environmental impacts of any licensable activity are a material consideration under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. All decisions should be made in accordance with the UK Marine Policy Statement or relevant Marine Plan, and be in compliance with relevant legislation. Where mitigation is required to reduce potential impacts these can be secured through marine licence conditions.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:22:28 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon

223954

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Seas and Oceans: Electric Cables
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences have been granted by the Marine Management Organisation for the laying of cables on the seabed involving the SCAR plough system and other similar technologies; and to whom each of those licences has been granted.
tabling member constituency	Newbury
tabling member printed	Richard Benyon
uin	225662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The MMO grants marine licences for the laying of cables on the seabed following assessment of the proposed activity including installation method. It is up to the individual developer to propose which methodology they intend to employ for cable installation. To date, the MMO has not issued any marine licences where the applicant has stated that the SCAR system would be deployed although since 2011, 11 licences have been granted to wind farm developers, electricity and telecoms companies who have proposed to use plough, trenching and jetting installation methods.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The SCAR system has been used for boulder clearance at one project prior to cable laying activities commencing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/03/2015 10:29:25 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon