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1129570

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	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: Monitoring
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the Automatic Urban and Rural Network continuous monitoring stations that record air pollution have been closed down in each of the last three years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL16055
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>The Automatic Urban and Rural Network has expanded over the last three years from 152 open stations at the end of 2016 to 164 open stations today.</p><p> </p><p>In 2019 one station closed and its relocation is in progress. In 2017, three stations closed, two of which were relocated and one of which was replaced. In 2016, five stations were closed, one of which was replaced, one of which was relocated, and three of which were not replaced or relocated.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 14/06/2019 11:30:54 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1129581

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to whether there will continue to be sufficient supplies of water for all purposes, including domestic purposes, if climate change continues as expected.
	tabling member printed	Lord Trefgarne
	uin	HL16066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is working closely with other water regulators and the water industry to improve the resilience of water supplies. The Government recognises continued action is required and it is committed to a ‘twin track approach’ of reducing demand for water and increasing supply in parallel.</p><p> </p><p>Water companies have a statutory duty to provide clean and reliable water to customers under the Water Industry Act 1991. To fulfil this duty, there is a statutory requirement to maintain water resources management plans, which balance water supply and demand at least twenty-five years into the future.</p><p> </p><p>The Government, Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat issued guidance to water companies in 2016 on how they should be planning to be resilient to foreseeable risks, including taking appropriate action to respond to climate projections. Water companies are currently revising their plans.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is taking steps to improve water resources planning to ensure that there is better collaboration between water companies and other water using sectors on their water supply resilience. This includes the EA developing a National Framework for water resources, which will identify high priority water users who are unable to meet their demand or are likely to need to expand and set expectations on collaboration at a regional scale. The Government has also consulted on legislative improvements to ensure that water companies’ plans are informed by effective collaboration.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is also implementing the abstraction plan published in 2017. This includes work to bring together the EA, abstractors and catchment groups to develop local solutions to existing pressures and to prepare for the future.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 14/06/2019 11:34:16 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	1813 label Biography information for Lord Trefgarne

1130221

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many tenant farmers in England are awaiting their (1) Environmental Stewardship (ES) payments, (2) Countryside Stewardship (CS) payments, for 2018; and whether all ES and CS payments for 2017 have been made.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL16082
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency has paid all CS 2017 eligible claims bar those held for legal reasons such as probate. On CS 2018, 95% of eligible claimants received an advance payment by early April; 30% of eligible claims have received their final payment and we expect to pay 95% of eligible claims by August 2019.</p><p> </p><p>On ES, around 92% of 2017 eligible claims have now received a payment and we are on track to complete 95% by the end of July 2019. Just over 52% of 2018 eligible claimants have received their advance payment and just under 21% have received their final payment.</p><p> </p><p>Regrettably, we cannot confirm how many of these are tenant farmers as we do not record the agreement holders’ occupant status.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 14/06/2019 11:34:39 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1130259

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the timescale of their plan for UK farming subsidies after Brexit.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL16120
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Harmony Consultation closed on 8 May 2018. Over forty thousand responses were received from a wide range of people including farmers, environmental and food/farming related organisations and the general public. All responses have been analysed and are being used to inform our policies on future farm support.</p><p> </p><p>The Government published its policy response on 14 September setting out a future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, together with reports on its analysis of the impacts of removing direct payments and economic rationales for future government intervention.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s assessment was to adopt a gradual transition from the current approach to the new, avoiding a cliff-edge for farm businesses - noting the negative experiences in New Zealand when rapid changes were adopted. Our proposals therefore outline a 7 year transition period.</p><p> </p><p>We are applying reductions to Direct Payments in a fair way, with higher reductions initially applied to amounts in higher payment bands. All farmers will see some reductions from the start of the transition. We plan to begin making these reductions in 2021, with the final year for Direct Payments being 2027. We believe that this approach balances the views of those who feel recipients of the highest payments should initially face higher reductions, with the strong calls for the reductions to be shared amongst all farmers from the start of the transition and in a way that prepares the industry for change. The transition period also needs to be long enough to give farmers sufficient time to adapt and prepare for the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, which starts in 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The ELM National Pilot, starting in late 2021, will assess the end to end operability and deliverability before the scheme is rolled out in 2024. This will allow us to identify and refine any issues or barriers that occur in practice. We are working closely with a range of agricultural and environmental stakeholders to collaboratively design the new scheme, and to test and trial new approaches and investigate innovative mechanisms for the delivery of environmental outcomes.</p><p> </p><p>Defra recognises the challenges around the uncertainty and outcome of the timing of leaving the EU. It is planning for every contingency to ensure a smooth departure from the EU, including detailed ’no deal’ plans.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 14/06/2019 11:32:45 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1130364

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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
	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 total emissions were in England of (a) PM2.5, (b) PM1 and (c) PM0.1 in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	261096
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Defra publishes the report: ‘Air Pollutant Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’ in the autumn each year. This report provides the total annual emissions in England of PM<sub>2.5</sub>. 2018 total emissions of PM<sub>2.5</sub> in England will be published in autumn 2020, and 2017 total emissions of PM<sub>2.5</sub> in England will be published in autumn 2019. The URL for the latest report is:</p><p><a href="https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/1810160958_DA_Air_Pollutant_Inventories_1990-2016_Issue1.pdf" target="_blank">https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/1810160958_DA_Air_Pollutant_Inventories_1990-2016_Issue1.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Emissions of PM<sub>1</sub> and PM<sub>0.1</sub> are not estimated for England, however they are estimated for the UK. The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) website holds the database of UK annual emissions for a wide range of air pollutants including PM<sub>2.5</sub>, PM<sub>1</sub> and PM<sub>0.1</sub>.</p><p> </p><p>The database for UK emissions of particulate matter from 1970 to 2017 can be accessed from the following URL: <a href="http://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/data-selector?view=pms" target="_blank">http://naei.beis.gov.uk/data/data-selector?view=pms</a>.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 10:47:54 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1130431

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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
	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 recent trends in the UK bee population.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	261132
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Each year the Government publishes an indicator of trends in populations of wild bees and other pollinators in the UK. The indicator measures changes in the distribution of almost 400 species of bees and other insects since 1980 and shows that, for all pollinating insects, the indicator has declined by 22% since 1980 although it has stabilised in recent years. For bees, the indicator has declined by 17% since 1980 although it shows evidence of a recovery since 2013.</p><p> </p><p>Trends are also available for managed honey bees. The number of beekeepers registered on BeeBase, the National Bee Unit’s biosecurity system which underpins the Government inspectorate’s actions for bee health, has increased significantly over the last 10 years from 12,000 to over 40,000 today.</p><p> </p><p>Protecting pollinators is a priority for this Government. Since 2014 we have been working with a range of partners to implement a National Pollinator Strategy to address declines in wild pollinators and concerns about bee health, including establishing a pollinator monitoring and research partnership to gather further data and strengthen the evidence base.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 09:47:25 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1130433

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity: South East
	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 increase biodiversity in (a) London and (b) the South East.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	261133
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has implemented a range of measures to both protect and increase biodiversity across the country. In London 6,000 hectares have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with some 141,000 hectares designated as SSSI across the south east. These protected sites host habitats and species of international importance for wildlife conservation. Examples include Walthamstow Reservoirs SSSI which is Europe’s largest urban wetland, and the New Forest, the largest area of semi-natural habitat in England covering 29,000 hectares of heathland, grassland and ancient woodland.</p><p> </p><p>We provide substantial public funding for increasing biodiversity, spending £2.9 billion on agri-environment schemes in England through our seven year Rural Development Programme. Schemes are tailored to the specific biodiversity interests in London and the south east through our local targeting statements. In London priorities include wood pasture and parkland as well as wetland habitats such as reedbeds. In the south east there are a number of statements reflecting the diverse landscapes of the region including the heathlands of the Thames Basin, chalk grasslands of the North Downs and South Downs and wetlands of the Kent coast.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also supports a range of partnership activities. For example in London, at Walthamstow, Natural England has worked closely with a range of partners over ten years on a partnership project to expand wetlands and open them to the public. In the south east, Natural England is working with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the RSPB and over 100 farmers and landowners to reintroduce the short-haired bumblebee to Dungeness. The success of the project in creating extensive, wildflower-rich habitat has led to the recording of rare bee species in areas where they have not been seen for 40 years.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 09:31:04 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1130493

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity: Gardens
	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 increase biodiversity in UK gardens.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	261155
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Under the National Pollinator Strategy the Government works with research, voluntary and private sector partners to develop advice so everyone can provide and manage nesting and feeding habitat for bees and other insects in their gardens, window boxes, allotments or community gardens. We promote this advice through the Bees’ Needs website and through the Defra-coordinated, annual Bees’ Needs Week campaign to celebrate and encourage nationwide action. Advice includes Five Simple Actions, detailing steps that gardeners can take to help pollinators and garden biodiversity.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also addressing the needs of biodiversity in urban areas through its plans to introduce a mandatory biodiversity net gain requirement for development in England. This will help to ensure that new developments include wildlife-friendly green spaces.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to work in partnership with scientists and practitioners to review and improve the evidence base, to inform our policy and we will be sharing examples of nature-friendly gardening during the 2019 Year of Green Action. This will include a garden, developed in partnership with the Sensory Trust, at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, which will showcase the many ways in which gardens can contribute to increased biodiversity.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 10:37:01 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1130540

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	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 he has made an assessment of the contribution that green bridges make to biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261183
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Green bridges are structures designed to provide wildlife and non-motorised users with easy and safe crossing of main roads and railways.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, Natural England published a review of the literature on green bridges. The review looked at 53 case studies from Europe and North America and found evidence that, in the majority of cases, green bridges were utilised by wildlife, although an assessment of their effectiveness in conserving wildlife populations was limited by the lack of long-term monitoring data. Guidance on the design of green bridges was also published by the Landscape Institute based on research undertaken by Natural England.</p><p> </p><p>In 2015, the Government published research which included an assessment of the A21 Scotney Caste Green Bridge, constructed by the then Highways Agency, which found that of all incidences of bats crossing the road to and from the Scotney Castle Estate, 97 per cent used the green bridge. At least five bat species were recorded foraging over the bridge which was also used by deer, badger and breeding dormice.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will keep the evidence for the effectiveness of these structures under review as new green bridges are planned and implemented.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 11:08:13 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie

1130541

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Biodiversity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which key performance indicators his Department uses to assess progress in improving the UK’s biodiversity.
	tabling member constituency	Windsor
	tabling member printed	Adam Afriyie
	uin	261184
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter. The UK government has a range of performance indicators for England, although we do also work with the devolved administrations to compile indicators at UK scale for international reporting.</p><p> </p><p>In June 2019 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan/department-for-environment-food-and-rural-affairs-single-departmental-plan-may-2018" target="_blank">Single Departmental Plan</a> which includes biodiversity performance indicators for England, including: extent of marine protected areas and condition of protected sites and priority habitat.</p><p> </p><p>In May of this year, the Government published a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-environment-plan" target="_blank">new indicator framework</a> for the 25 Year Environment Plan, setting out a transparent, comprehensive framework that shows how the environment in England is changing and whether it is improving over time. These indicators include diversity and health of our seas, wildlife and wild places, and nature on land and water.</p><p> </p><p>To support reporting of progress across the whole of the UK, the government publishes a set of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/biodiversity-indicators-for-the-uk" target="_blank">UK Biodiversity Indicators,</a> updated annually. These measure long term trends in the UK’s biodiversity and progress against our international commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 14/06/2019 09:52:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1586 label Biography information for Adam Afriyie