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1197448

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: 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,what the average length of time was for Ministers of his Department to respond to correspondence from hon. Members in each month in the last two years..
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	49740
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>In line with Cabinet Office guidance, Defra has a target of responding within 20 working days where a response is required.</p><p> </p><p>As you will understand, Defra is currently dealing with unprecedented volumes of correspondence due to COVID-19. Defra ensures that urgent cases raised by hon. Members are prioritised and is taking steps to provide substantive responses in as short a time as possible.</p><p> </p><p>All correspondence received from hon. Members is being reviewed and will be responded to as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 09:43:11 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1197485

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Horticulture: Coronavirus
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 financial challenges facing ornamental horticulture commercial growers.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	49583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>Coronavirus represents a very significant challenge, affecting daily life and every part of the economy, including the ornamental horticulture sector. A vibrant and successful ornamental horticulture sector brings significant benefits. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain including the Horticultural Trades Association to understand the short-term and long-term impacts on the UK sector.</p><p>Defra has already been in close discussion with banks to ensure the ornamental horticulture sector has access to financial support. This will ease cashflow problems during this period, including through the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan scheme, which was announced on 27 April and is the latest step in a package of support measures announced by the Chancellor. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support small businesses. These loans will be from £2,000 up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms' turnover, and the Government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender. Almost all UK businesses will be eligible to apply for a loan under the scheme.</p><p>On 13 May, the Government announced that all garden centres in England which are able to adhere to social distancing measures were legally able to reopen. This measure has been widely welcomed by growers, garden centre owners, and consumers.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">While the Government has made a wide-ranging package of measures available to ornamental horticulture businesses to support them through this difficult period, we continue to keep the situation under review. Legal powers were included in the Coronavirus Act 2020 enabling us to offer further financial support if we believe it is necessary. </ins></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 10:16:13 question first ministerially corrected 08/06/2020 14:59:06 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis previous answer version 26131 answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1197486

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Horticulture: Coronavirus
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 plans to provide a specific stock grant aid fund for commercial ornamental horticulture growers.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	49584
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>Coronavirus represents a very significant challenge, affecting daily life and every part of the economy, including the ornamental horticulture sector. A vibrant and successful ornamental horticulture sector brings significant benefits. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain including the Horticultural Trades Association to understand the short-term and long-term impacts on the UK sector.</p><p>Defra has already been in close discussion with banks to ensure the ornamental horticulture sector has access to financial support. This will ease cashflow problems during this period, including through the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan scheme, which was announced on 27 April and is the latest step in a package of support measures announced by the Chancellor. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support small businesses. These loans will be from £2,000 up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms' turnover, and the Government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender. Almost all UK businesses will be eligible to apply for a loan under the scheme.</p><p>On 13 May, the Government announced that all garden centres in England which are able to adhere to social distancing measures were legally able to reopen. This measure has been widely welcomed by growers, garden centre owners, and consumers.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">While the Government has made a wide-ranging package of measures available to ornamental horticulture businesses to support them through this difficult period, we continue to keep the situation under review. Legal powers were included in the Coronavirus Act 2020 enabling us to offer further financial support if we believe it is necessary. </ins></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 10:16:13 question first ministerially corrected 08/06/2020 14:58:51 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis previous answer version 26132 answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1197487

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Horticulture: Coronavirus
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 his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a scheme similar to the ornamental horticulture grant aid scheme provided for growers in the Netherlands by the Dutch Government.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	49585
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>Coronavirus represents a very significant challenge, affecting daily life and every part of the economy, including the ornamental horticulture sector. A vibrant and successful ornamental horticulture sector brings significant benefits. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain including the Horticultural Trades Association to understand the short-term and long-term impacts on the UK sector.</p><p>Defra has already been in close discussion with banks to ensure the ornamental horticulture sector has access to financial support. This will ease cashflow problems during this period, including through the Government-backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan scheme, which was announced on 27 April and is the latest step in a package of support measures announced by the Chancellor. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support small businesses. These loans will be from £2,000 up to £50,000, capped at 25% of firms' turnover, and the Government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender. Almost all UK businesses will be eligible to apply for a loan under the scheme.</p><p>On 13 May, the Government announced that all garden centres in England which are able to adhere to social distancing measures were legally able to reopen. This measure has been widely welcomed by growers, garden centre owners, and consumers.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">While the Government has made a wide-ranging package of measures available to ornamental horticulture businesses to support them through this difficult period, we continue to keep the situation under review. Legal powers were included in the Coronavirus Act 2020 enabling us to offer further financial support if we believe it is necessary. </ins></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 10:16:13 question first ministerially corrected 08/06/2020 14:58:36 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis previous answer version 26133 answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1197489

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Horticulture: Coronavirus
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 potential effect on the adequacy of Government biosecurity and plant health strategies from a contraction in the size and output of the domestic ornamental horticulture sector as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	49586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>COVID-19 represents a significant challenge to daily life and every part of the economy, including the ornamental horticulture sector. The Government continues to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain to assess the short-term and long-term impacts on the sector.</p><p> </p><p>We have robust policies and strategies in place to protect the UK’s plant biosecurity and we continually review any wider impacts that our plant biosecurity approach may have on industry sectors and other stakeholder groups, including as a result of COVID-19. Defra officials meet frequently with relevant organisations to discuss such developments through the UK Plant Health Advisory Forum.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 08:23:25 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1197542

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Supermarkets: Coronavirus
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 people shielding due to the covid-19 outbreak will be allocated supermarkets for priority deliveries; and whether those people will be offered a choice of supermarket where they are not an existing customer.
tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
uin	49617
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>Defra is working closely with supermarkets to ensure that people who have registered with the Government as extremely clinically vulnerable and have indicated that they need help to access food are supported, by offering them emergency food parcels provided by the Government or by sharing data to facilitate priority access to online supermarket delivery slots. People can register with supermarkets where they were not previously customers in order to ensure that they can access the food and essential goods that they need.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/06/2020 10:27:44 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

1197637

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Zoos: Coronavirus
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 potential merits allowing zoos to reopen with social distancing measures in place as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased..
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	49609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>We understand the challenges faced by zoos and aquariums during these unprecedented times. We also appreciate the significant opportunities zoos can provide for the public to access well managed and controlled outdoor spaces, and the potential to improve general wellbeing.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government has taken the decision that zoos and aquariums should not yet reopen, and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 1 June, provide greater clarity and certainty on this. While each individual attraction can be made safer, it’s vital that we do not move too quickly in reopening to ensure public health is protected.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to work with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to understand how we can reopen zoos in a safe way as soon as possible with social distancing measures in place.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 49669 question first answered 08/06/2020 10:11:17 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1197639

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	Food Supply
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 plans to formally recognise food security as a public good.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	49870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>Food security is not deemed to be a public good that necessitates public provision. A public good refers to a good or service that when consumed does not reduce its availability to others, and of which no one can be deprived.</p><p>The resilience of food supply lies with the food industry. The Government's role is to regulate and support the industry, including on contingency planning and in the event of an incident that has the potential to disrupt supply.</p><p>We are including a new requirement in the Agriculture Bill for the UK Government to report on food security to Parliament at least once every five years, demonstrating the importance we place on this subject. The report will contain information on food supply including the role of strong domestic production alongside diverse sources of supply.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 14:26:21 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1197640

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	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, if he will assess the potential merits of delaying the roll-out of Environmental Land Management Scheme as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	49871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to developing a new agricultural policy now we have left the EU. This includes moving to a system that rewards farmers and land managers for delivering public goods with public money, while ensuring we can continue to produce food in an environmentally sustainable way. The new scheme will be launched in England in 2024 and will be tested and refined through a National Pilot which will begin in 2021.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 10:24:27 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1197641

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
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	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, what contingency plans his Department has made for supporting farming in the event of potential disruption at the end of the transition period.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	49872
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2020 answer text <p>The Agriculture Bill provides powers for the Government to act in a crisis related to severe market disturbance.</p><p> </p><p>As we are doing now, we will be closely monitoring all agricultural sectors. We have developed the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group which is meeting in shadow form during the transition period. This allows officials in Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor UK agricultural markets, to share the latest stakeholder information and to provide warning of atypical market movements. This will help prepare the evidence base for the cause and possible range of interventions that may be needed in specific markets.</p><p> </p><p>It is in everyone's interests to secure a good trade deal with the EU and that is exactly what the Government is committed to doing.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/06/2020 09:50:21 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden