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99726

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
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	Rivers: Pollution
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 Government is taking to prevent plastic contaminants in UK river basins from reaching the sea.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211007 211008 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

99727

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
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	Water: Pollution
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 her Department is taking to (a) prevent and (b) rectify plastic and litter contamination of (i) UK river basins and (ii) the sea.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211007
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211006 211008 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

99728

registered interest
date	17/10/2014
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	Rivers: Pollution
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 her Department has taken to study the effect of plastic and litter contamination of UK river basins on local biodiversity.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211008
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government focuses on preventing litter from entering rivers and the sea by reducing it at source.</p><p>Through the waste hierarchy, we seek to reduce the amount of waste produced in the first place and to encourage greater reuse and recycling of goods and materials. The Waste Prevention Programme for England, published in December last year, sets out actions for government, businesses, the wider public sector, civil society and consumers to prevent waste.</p><p>Where litter is found on waterside land, the responsibility for rectifying it depends on the ownership and management arrangements. The responsibility for removing litter may fall on local authorities, appropriate Crown authorities, designated statutory undertakers and the governing bodies of educational institutions. All of these bodies have a statutory duty to keep specified land clear of litter and refuse. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse recommends that canals and waterside areas should be subject to regular and systematic management and monitoring of litter and refuse.</p><p>Investment by the water companies to improve sewerage infrastructure has resulted in a significant reduction in sewage-related litter entering rivers and the sea through screening of discharges and improvements to sewage treatment.</p><p>We welcome work such as that done by Keep Britain Tidy and Anglian Water through their RiverCare programme to engage local communities in clearing litter, removing non-native species, surveying and monitoring flora and fauna and carrying out habitat management and restoration in their local rivers.</p><p>Defra will shortly be consulting on a programme of measures, including for marine litter, as part of the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. The UK is contributing to the OSPAR convention’s regional action plan on marine litter in the north-east Atlantic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has not undertaken any recent studies into the effect of plastic and litter contamination on rivers; however, Defra is funding a study into the possible effects of microplastics in the marine environment.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson grouped question UIN 211006 211007 question first answered 22/10/2014 16:59:03 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

93188

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	Water 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, what her policy is on reduction of the virtual footprint of UK water usage.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	210586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government recognises we must ensure a sustainable and secure water supply for the future. Defra encourages businesses to become more water efficient by, for example, incentivising the purchase of water efficient technology and providing business tools to manage their water use so as to save water and money.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Defra supports sector-led action to understand and reduce the environmental impacts of products sold in the UK. In some cases, this includes looking at their water footprint. For example, signatories of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan have committed to a 15% reduction in water use per tonne of clothing by 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of its wider work to ensure the UK has a secure, environmentally sustainable and affordable supply of food, the UK government is encouraging the UK food and drink industry to use resources more sustainably. Lead trade associations and major businesses have developed sustainability strategies, which include targets to measure and reduce water use. For example, the Federation House Commitment aims to help reduce overall water usage across the food and drink sector by 20% by 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are also looking to improve water efficiency internationally through ongoing negotiations on the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 17/10/2014 13:55:27 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

93191

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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: Carbon Emissions
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 her Department has taken to reduce carbon dioxide release from agricultural practices while maintaining and increasing crop yields.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	210588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>Carbon dioxide emissions make up 7% of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions based on the UK National Inventory of Greenhouse Gases. Government and industry efforts have therefore been focused to date on the challenge of supporting crop yields while reducing nitrous oxide (53%) and methane (39%) emissions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra research indicates that the major sources of carbon dioxide emissions on farm are field operations, heating of greenhouses and livestock buildings, and grain drying.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since 2010 Defra has actively engaged with industry to develop a greenhouse gas (GHG) Action Plan which they are now taking forward. The action plan includes implementation of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy generation on farms. The major cost effective energy related emissions savings are supported by DECC’s wider energy efficiency initiatives such as the Renewable Heat Incentive.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 17/10/2014 14:00:52 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

93192

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	Timber: Imports
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 she will make it her policy to reduce the import of any hardwood timber from tropical forests.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	210589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2014 answer text <p>The import of hardwood timber from tropical forests is governed by a robust regulatory framework.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The EU Timber Regulation prevents the import of illegally-harvested timber into the EU by laying down obligations on operators who place timber and timber products on the market and those who subsequently trade in them. It was implemented in the UK by the Timber and Timber Products (Placing on the Market) Regulations in March 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The UK supports the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) process between the EU and timber producing countries, many of which contain tropical forests, under the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan. The VPA process helps timber producing countries to stop illegal logging by driving improvements in the regulation and governance of the forest sector. Once in operation, VPAs will ensure that timber and timber products exported to the EU come from legal sources.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, the import of a number of endangered hardwood species into the UK is controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) licensing system. The system aims to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of endangered species and is implemented in the EU by the Wildlife Trade Regulations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 17/10/2014 13:56:53 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

90067

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
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	Meat
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 Government is taking to educate the public about the (a) health and (b) environmental effects of eating high amounts of red meat.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	207746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Government provides tips and information on healthy eating through the Live Well pages of NHS Choices website and through promotional material on the ‘eatwell’ plate, to educate the public on eating meat as part of a healthy balanced diet.</p><p> </p><p>As depicted in the ‘eatwell’ plate, the Government recommends eating some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein as part of a healthy balanced diet.</p><p> </p><p>In response to one of the Green Food Project’s recommendations in 2012, Defra initiated a debate about sustainable food consumption. The Sustainable Consumption report from the group of interested organisations which came together to work on this project, published in July 2013, included eight principles of a healthy and sustainable diet. These are being reviewed by the Global Food Security Programme and will be published as part of its Insight series in due course.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/09/2014 17:01:23 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

90068

registered interest
date	01/09/2014
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: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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 UK is taking to monitor the effect of the UK food industry on greenhouse gas emissions.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	207747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/09/2014 answer text <p> </p><p /> <p> </p><p /> <p>The Food Statistics Pocketbook 2013 (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/food-statistics-pocketbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/food-statistics-pocketbook</a>) contains a chapter on environmental statistics, including greenhouse gas emissions. Around 176 million tonnes of CO<sub>2</sub> equivalent greenhouse gases (mt CO<sub>2</sub>e) were emitted within the UK from domestic agri-food sector activity in 2011. This excludes emissions from non-fertiliser pre-farm gate production, food packaging, food waste and land use change; the largest contributor is net trade in food and drink, estimated at 61 mt CO<sub>2</sub>e. The UK farming and fishing sector was the second largest contributor, accounting for 55.1mt CO<sub>2</sub>e.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 04/09/2014 12:21:32 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

64020

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
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	Sharks
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 chance of a possible increase in shark numbers in and near UK waters as a result of climate change.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	202456
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Defra continues to collect data on the distribution and abundance of sharks through dedicated fisheries surveys. This and all other relevant information will contribute to future assessments of the state of UK seas and our progress towards achieving Good Environmental Status as required under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Such assessments will take into account climate change.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 30/06/2014 15:38:45 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

64021

registered interest
date	25/06/2014
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	Marine Animals
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 changes in levels of marine animals and aquatic life on UK beaches and coasts as a result of climate change and a consequent effect on levels of tourism.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	202457
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Defra has in place monitoring to inform our understanding of the conservation status of certain marine habitats and species, much of which is in response to EU legislation. We also continue to support the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership which brings together scientists, government, its agencies and NGOs to provide co-ordinated advice on climate change impacts around our coast and in our seas. Further, we have recently consulted on proposals for monitoring the state of the marine environment, including marine animals, under the provisions of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. We will be publishing our response to that consultation shortly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra currently has no plans to specifically assess the impact of potential changes in populations of marine animals as a result of climate change on levels of tourism. However, where appropriate, Government impact assessments include consideration of the economic impacts of policies in the marine environment on tourism.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 01/07/2014 11:43:22 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham