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1198767

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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: 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, what steps he is taking to safeguard British farmers from the adverse effects of future imports of food that would be illegal to produce in the UK; what role he plans for the compulsory labelling of food products in those safeguarding arrangements; and whether he will establish a permanent body to ensure that the UK's high standards in (a) animal welfare, (b) food production and (c) food processing are maintained in the implementation of future trade deals.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	51519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>At the end of the transition period, the Withdrawal Act will convert all EU food safety, animal and plant health, animal welfare and environmental standards into domestic law. This includes a ban on using artificial growth hormones in both domestic and imported products. Nothing apart from potable water may be used to clean chicken carcasses. Any changes to these standards would have to come before Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also committed to a rapid review and a consultation on the role of labelling to promote high standards of animal welfare.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, this Government was elected on a manifesto commitment that in all of our trade negotiations we will not compromise on our high environmental protections, animal welfare and food standards. The UK will maintain its own autonomous sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regime to protect public, animal and plant life and health and the environment, reflecting its existing high standards. We will repatriate the functions of audit and inspections to ensure that trading partners, including those we secure trade deals with, continue to meet our import conditions. This will provide a standing, robust system that will work alongside border controls to maintain our high standards going forward.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 13:57:23 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1198908

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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 recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of techniques of maintaining social distancing applied by Jersey Zoo since its reopening on 12 May 2020; whether the site-specific plans for safe reopening of UK zoos have been evaluated by his Department; if he will make it his policy to allow zoos to reopen in Step Two in accordance with the safety plans currently prepared by them; and how many days' notice he plans to give to zoos once a reopening date has been chosen.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	51520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>We understand the challenges faced by zoos and aquariums during these unprecedented times.</p><p>Defra officials have met with Jersey zoo since they reopened and have discussed the measures they have put in place, including:</p><p> </p><p>- Visitors to wear masks</p><p>- Use of Protective screens at indoor contact points</p><p>- Signage reminding visitors and staff of social distancing, frequent handwashing and the need to cover mouths if sneezing etc.</p><p>- Floor taping to identify distances</p><p>- Keeping indoor attractions closed</p><p>- Social areas including café/playgrounds to remain closed</p><p>- Limited entry numbers with pre-booking slots</p><p>- Provision of hand sanitiser at frequent points</p><p>- No public talks</p><p> </p><p>Defra officials have been engaging with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) on their industry guidelines for reopening.</p><p>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. Zoos have therefore not been included in the list of outdoor ticketed venues that can reopen yet. As of 1 June 2020 aquariums, zoos and safari parks were added to the list of venues that are legally required to remain closed.</p><p>Work is ongoing to understand how and when zoos and aquariums may be able to reopen in a safe way to the public whilst maintaining social distancing.</p><p>We are meeting regularly with BIAZA to provide updates on the reopening position and have also emailed all licenced zoos with an update for 1 June. We will notify these again when there any further updates to the current position.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 13:53:35 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1198922

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Global Resource Initiative Taskforce
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 the Government plans to publish its response to the Final recommendations report of the Global Resource Initiative.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	52348
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The Global Resource Initiative taskforce published its final recommendations report on 30 March. This report comes at a time of an unprecedented global challenge, and the priority of the UK Government must remain focused on supporting the response to COVID-19. The Government is committed, however, to addressing the major challenges identified in the report and providing global leadership on these issues which are also important in supporting a recovery that is based on solid foundations including a fairer, greener and more resilient global economy. We will be looking carefully at the report’s detailed recommendations and issue our formal response later this year.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/06/2020 09:42:23 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1198925

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Environment Protection
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 he has to reduce the UK’s global environmental footprint.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	52351
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to support and protect the world’s forests, support sustainable agriculture and work towards zero-deforestation supply chains.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is part of the Amsterdam Declarations Partnership that aims to eliminate deforestation from agricultural commodity chains and supports a 100% sustainable palm oil supply chain in Europe.</p><p> </p><p>Through International Climate Finance, Defra contributes to a joint pledge between the UK, Germany, and Norway to provide $5 billion to encourage ambitious action from developing countries to protect their forests and promote more sustainable patterns of land use.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has established an independent taskforce, the Global Resource Initiative, to provide us with recommendations as to how we could support the efforts of producer countries to improve the sustainability of products and reduce deforestation. The taskforce recently published its final report that sets out an ambitious and strategic package of measures the Government could take to reduce the UK’s global environmental footprint, with a focus on forest risk commodities. We will be looking carefully at the report’s detailed recommendations and we will issue our formal response later this year.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/06/2020 09:39:22 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1198796

registered interest
date	28/05/2020
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, what discussions he has had with representatives from supermarkets on ensuring that appropriate adjustments have been made to enable as many disabled people as possible to shop safely during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	52288
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has been working closely with supermarkets to ensure that disabled people have access to the food and essential goods that they need.</p><p> </p><p>We have published guidance online that explains what steps people can take if they are unable to access food. This guidance has been shared with local authorities, retailers and charities to help them respond to enquiries from those seeking help. The guidance can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-accessing-food-and-essential-supplies" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-accessing-food-and-essential-supplies</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets have been working at pace to expand the total number of delivery and click and collect slots. We have secured a limited number of supermarket delivery slots for the dedicated use of vulnerable people who are having difficulties in securing access to food and who have no other options available to them. We are working closely with local authorities and charities to help make sure these delivery slots are made available to those who need them most. We have built a bespoke digital service to enable local authorities and a number of charities to directly refer individuals for access to the prioritised slots.</p><p> </p><p>Most supermarkets also offer protected in-store shopping hours to the disabled and their carers. <br></p><p>All major supermarkets have introduced cashless volunteer shopping cards that can be purchased online and used by volunteers to purchase foods on behalf of those self-isolating or in vulnerable groups. <br></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 11:35:13 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1197847

registered interest
date	21/05/2020
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	Fruit and Vegetables: Production
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the availability of a diverse range of UK-grown vegetables and fruit in areas local to their production.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the crucial role the UK's horticulture industry plays in both feeding the country and in promoting people's health and wellbeing. The UK has the climate, the landscape, and entrepreneurial farmers and growers to enable us to produce world-class fruit and vegetables.</p><p> </p><p>We are proud of our growing food reputation. Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), whether they be for beef from Scotland, lamb from Wales or asparagus from the Vale of Evesham in England, play an important role as exemplars of our quality produce. We are committed to celebrating the success of these regional and traditional products whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed, along with driving further market access to make sure they are enjoyed here and around the world.</p><p> </p><p>We will always champion our farmers and growers, supporting them to grow more of our great British food and to provide a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public. This includes through using powers under our landmark Agriculture Bill, and through our work with the Food and Drink Sector Council, a formal industry partnership with the Government, helping to create a more productive and sustainable food and drink sector.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. Half of the food we eat is produced in the UK. The rest of our food is imported, with 30% coming from the EU and 20% from other countries. The UK's current production to supply ratio is 75% for indigenous-type foods and 61% for all foods. We produce 61% - 75% of our food supply, but some of that is exported.</p><p> </p><p>Under the current EU State Aid rules we have been unable to promote our home produced food and drink to the domestic market in Government sponsored campaigns nationally. However, we continue to work with regional food groups to showcase their top-quality produce locally; tying this up where we can with stakeholder initiatives (such as those of the AHDB), focussing on provenance and the UKs world-leading standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 05/06/2020 12:33:51 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1197863

registered interest
date	21/05/2020
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	Air Pollution: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the short- and long-term improvements to health resultant from the reduction in air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to prevent levels of traffic and air pollution returning to pre-COVID-19 levels, particularly in cities, towns and other urban areas, and along major transport routes.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL4828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Nitrogen dioxide pollution at the roadside has almost halved during the lockdown period as a result of reduced emissions from traffic, with much smaller reductions observed for particulate matter in urban areas. Emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants from energy use and transport are likely to be much lower than in normal times, on account of reduced energy demand and much lower road traffic. The Government recently launched a rapid call for evidence to ensure we can fully understand any changes that may have occurred in terms of pollution emissions, concentrations and human exposure over the current period. Defra’s Air Quality Expert Group is analysing those responses.</p><p> </p><p>Our ambitious aims to decarbonise transport, improve air quality and support more active forms of travel have not changed. The Transport Secretary set out our plan to encourage new travel habits and support zero emission forms of travel - a clear signal of our commitment to delivering on these aims. As we rebuild our economy in response to the coronavirus pandemic, we must continue to shape an economy and society that are cleaner, greener and more resilient.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 04/06/2020 12:30:36 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1197882

registered interest
date	21/05/2020
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	Bees: Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, following World Bee Day on 20 May, to raise awareness of the (1) importance of bees in the survival of ecosystems, and (2) role they play in the process of pollination; and what impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the beekeeping sector.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL4847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Awareness raising</p><p> </p><p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only. Protecting pollinators is a priority for the Government. Pollinators are an essential part of our environment and play a crucial role in food production through pollination. The Government supports two major events to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators and to encourage people to take action.</p><p> </p><p>Firstly, there is our ‘Bees’ Needs’ campaign, which we run with our many partners to raise awareness of the steps we can all take to protect pollinators. Under current circumstances, we shall celebrate Bees’ Needs Week online this year, from 13 to 19 July. We encourage everyone across the country to get involved, to share their own stories and to find out more about the importance of pollinators and how they can support them.</p><p> </p><p>Defra also organises, in partnership with the Green Flag Awards, Championing the Farmed Environment and the Bee Farmers’ Association, an annual Bees’ Needs Champions Awards to recognise and celebrate examples of exemplary initiatives undertaken by schools, local authorities, community groups, farmers and businesses to support pollinators.</p><p> </p><p>Our awareness-raising work is a key objective of the National Pollinator Strategy, a ten-year plan which sets out how the Government, conservation groups, farmers, beekeepers and researchers can work together to improve the status of pollinating insects in England.</p><p> </p><p>Beekeeping sector</p><p> </p><p>Honey bee hives in the UK are managed by hobbyist beekeepers and bee farmers. Guidance with respect to beekeeping in relation to COVID-19 was published on the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase website in March. The guidance highlighted the importance of beekeepers acting responsibly and ensuring that they continued good beekeeping practices, effective stock management and health checks while respecting Government guidance on social distancing. Some beekeepers rely on being able to import queens and current indications are that COVID-19 does not appear to have had a significant impact on imports.</p><p> </p><p>Training courses and beekeeping events provided by the Government and beekeeping groups have been cancelled. It is difficult to mitigate the effects of this but we are making efforts to develop additional online resources available to beekeepers. Our inspectors are able to continue their vital work of inspecting apiaries to target bee pests and diseases. Social distancing can be maintained as inspectors work outdoors and do not have to be in close proximity to the beekeeper.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 04/06/2020 12:32:12 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

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

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