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1717921

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
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: Animal Welfare
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 end the use of cages in farming.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	26114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>We have delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which will deliver significant improvements for animals in the UK and abroad. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.</p><p> </p><p>Mindful of the challenges facing the sector, we are not consulting on cage reforms. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. Egg producers and consumers should rightly have pride in the quality of British eggs, with about 75% coming from free range, barn and organic production systems. The UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 21/05/2024 08:11:57 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1717922

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
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: Livestock
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 help support the transition to (a) humane and (b) sustainable livestock farming.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	26115
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>We are committed to investing in targeted schemes that support sustainable farming whilst improving the viability of farming businesses, delivering environmental outcomes and supporting sustainable food production.</p><p> </p><p>Through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway we are providing support directly to farmers in England to deliver gradual, continual improvement against a series of livestock health and welfare priorities, including tackling key endemic diseases alongside a range of welfare issues whilst ensuring that farmers can produce good quality food for the nation.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill is now awaiting Royal Assent; this will ban the export of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain, stopping unnecessary stress, exhaustion and injury.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 20/05/2024 14:14:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1714980

registered interest
date	30/04/2024
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	Furs: Sales
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 his planned timescales are for publishing the results of the consultation entitled The Fur Market in Great Britain, which closed on 31 May 2021.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	24222
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 April 2024 to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-04-16/22091" target="_blank">22091</a>.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 07/05/2024 13:16:50 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1715014

registered interest
date	30/04/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Poultry: Animal Welfare
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 his expected timetable is for reviewing the use of cages for laying hens.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	24223
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>We have delivered an ambitious legislative programme since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare, which will deliver significant improvements for animals in the UK and abroad. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and to delivering continued improvements, both in the course of this Parliament and beyond.</p><p> </p><p>Mindful of the challenges facing the sector, we are not consulting on cage reforms. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hen production. Egg producers and consumers should rightly have pride in the quality of British eggs, with about 75% coming from free range, barn and organic production systems.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 07/05/2024 13:06:57 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1700089

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Southern Water: Meters
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 ensure customers of Southern Water are able to install water efficiency measures in their meter chambers.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	20971
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>Southern Water is developing its next Water Resources Management Plan and its draft plan included the proposed to update water meters with smart meters across its customers by 2030 through an extensive replacement programme. The company plans to undertake 10,000 household water audits per year. The company is due to reconsult on its plan this summer. It will not be granted permission to finalise its plan until Defra are satisfied that it is appropriate, including assurance that the water efficiency programme is robust, sufficiently ambitious and enables customers to be efficient with the water they use.</p><p> </p><p>Most water efficiency interventions by water companies are directed to water use within properties. Southern Water have not specified measures beyond smart metering that directly involve the meter chamber. Water meters are normally water company property and measures in the meter chamber would not usually be undertaken by customers.</p><p> </p><p>Southern Water reported through its 2022/23 annual review that it had undertaken smart water meter trials in 1500 homes. The average water use across Southern Water households was 128 litres per person per day in 2022/23, in line with its forecasts and below the latest national average of 141. The Environment Agency and Defra track whether water companies are effectively reducing water consumption across household and business customers each year and escalate concerns where applicable.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 24/04/2024 09:43:33 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1697548

registered interest
date	20/03/2024
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 Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels
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 make it his policy to prohibit the use of bottom-towed fishing gear in Marine Protected Areas.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	19593
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Devon, on 22 January 2024, PQ UIN <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquestions-statements.parliament.uk%2Fwritten-questions%2Fdetail%2F2024-01-15%2F9706&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Cdac54863fba24d48038208dc4a6be6c4%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638467074492213138%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ISD4h6iMO25HStI%2BBZKhytqKE2vysfGLeaJJBfLQNsI%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">9706</a>.</p><p> </p><p>A byelaw restricting the use of bottom-towed fishing gear in 13 Marine Protected Areas mentioned in that answer came into force on 22 March 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 19598 question first answered 27/03/2024 14:27:16 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1696438

registered interest
date	15/03/2024
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	Animal Welfare
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 he plans to publish the findings of the post-implementation review of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	18880
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Defra has undertaken a post-implementation review (PIR) of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) as mandated by the regulations’ review clause. This evaluation assesses the extent to which the regulations have achieved their intended goals and identifies areas for potential improvement.</p><p>The PIR will be published soon.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 19/03/2024 16:40:15 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1688982

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
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	Cetaceans: Import Controls
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 his Department plans to introduce a ban on the (a) display and (b) importation of (i) dolphins, (ii) whales, (iii) porpoises and (iv) other cetaceans.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	13998
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government considers cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) to be highly intelligent, social animals, with complex needs that are unlikely to be met when removed from their natural marine habitat and kept in captivity.</p><p> </p><p>The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006 require high standards for the welfare of kept animals. We consider these protections sufficient to ensure cetaceans are not displayed or otherwise kept in captivity in this country.</p><p> </p><p>We are not aware of any cetaceans being kept in captivity or being displayed but if there was any indication that cetaceans were to be displayed or kept in captivity here again then we would of course consider further actions.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/02/2024 17:34:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1689098

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
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	Animal Welfare: Import Controls
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 bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that the UK requires imports of (a) meat, (b) milk, (c) eggs and (d) fish to meet UK animal welfare standards.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	13999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government is proud of the high food standards that underpin our high-quality Great British produce. We will never compromise on these.</p><p> </p><p>All agri-food products, including those from countries we have trade agreements with, must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will use our expertise and influence to drive enhanced animal welfare and food safety standards globally.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 27/02/2024 13:33:40 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1684919

registered interest
date	24/01/2024
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	Aviation: Alternative Fuels
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 his Department will review the position of sustainable aviation fuel within the waste hierarchy.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	11307
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2024 answer text <p>The best environmental outcome for waste that cannot be either prevented or prepared for reuse is for material to be recycled. However, we know that that is not always possible. Where waste cannot be reused or recycled, the Government supports maximising the value of residual waste through recovering energy, including supplying electricity or heat, or through use as a fuel.</p><p> </p><p>The process of converting waste into fuels is an energy recovery operation for the purposes of the waste hierarchy. We do not consider it the role of the waste hierarchy to determine the priority of recovery processes through which residual waste should be managed. There is nothing preventing the production of fuel from residual waste if this is determined to be the best overall value for money and environmental outcome for non-recyclable wastes. We therefore have no plans to change the position of sustainable aviation fuel within the waste hierarchy.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 31/01/2024 17:58:02 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith