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1147264

	registered interest
	date	30/09/2019
	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	Inland Waterways: St Helens
	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 she has made of the potential merits of (a) restoring sections of and (b) extending the Sankey Canal to join the main canal system through the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.
	tabling member constituency	St Helens North
	tabling member printed	Conor McGinn
	uin	292280
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made any such assessments. Responsibility for canals, including their operation, development or restoration rests with the bodies that own them and for which they are the navigation authority. For the majority of the canal network in England and Wales the navigation authority is the Canal and River Trust (CRT). Responsibility for different sections of the Sankey Canal falls to three Unitary Authorities, the CRT, and a limited company.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 03/10/2019 08:44:11 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4458 label Biography information for Conor McGinn

1146774

	registered interest
	date	27/09/2019
	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	Tea: Plastics
	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 her Department plans to introduce a ban on the sale of plastic tea bags.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	291557
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>The Department has no plans to introduce a ban on the sale of plastic tea bags.</p><p>In general, we prefer to help people and companies make the right choice, rather than banning items outright. Where progress is insufficient we will explore alternative policy measures, which may involve further bans as part of a wider strategic approach.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 02/10/2019 16:10:42 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1146530

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Tree Planting
	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 Committee on Climate Change scenario is being used to calculate any costs associated with afforestation and tree planting outside of woodlands to meet the UK’s net zero target.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol East
	tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
	uin	291293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>Tree planting will play an important role in meeting net zero greenhouse gas emissions. By early next year we will consult on a Tree Strategy for England which will consider tree planting rates in the context of net zero.</p><p> </p><p>The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) estimate the cost of net zero to be 1-2% of GDP in 2050, and the Government’s initial high-level analysis falls within the same range. These figures do not include the significant benefits from decarbonising the economy, including opportunities from clean growth, which could offset a proportion, or potentially all of these costs.</p><p> </p><p>HMT has accepted the CCC’s recommendation for HMT to conduct a review into the costs of decarbonisation, the world’s first comprehensive review by a finance ministry into the costs of transitioning to a net zero economy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 03/10/2019 15:45:54 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1146536

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
	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 meetings her Department has had with Liverpool City Council to discuss preparations for leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
	tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
	tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
	uin	291246
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with government.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.</p><p> </p><p>We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:</p><ul><li>MHCLG’s Local government Brexit preparedness page on GOV.UK;</li><li>MHCLG’s weekly e-bulletin to local authorities setting out all relevant updates for the week;</li><li>Presenting information at MHCLG’s monthly delivery board to local authority representatives;</li><li>The Food Standards Agency’s Smarter Comms platform accessed directly by regulatory officers in local authorities;</li><li>Cascading information via MHCLG’s network of nine regional local authority Chief Executives;</li><li>Using MHCLG’s newly established network of Brexit lead officers in each local authority;</li><li>Direct email messages to regulatory leads in relevant local authorities;</li><li>Engaging with and passing information through regulatory bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute or the Association of Port Health Authorities.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:</p><ul><li>Exporting fish and shellfish (Export Health Certificates);</li><li>Importing fish and fisheries products (Catch Certificates);</li><li>Import control systems for animals, products of animal origin and high risk food and feed;</li><li>Food labelling changes;</li><li>The protection of habitats and species;</li><li>Waste;</li><li>Guidance for businesses exporting goods to the EU.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:</p><ul><li>Changes to environmental regulations;</li><li>Changes to food and farming;</li><li>Changes to exports of animals and animal products;</li><li>Changes to imports of animals and animal products;</li><li>MHCLG’s regional roadshows on how local authorities will be affected by exiting the EU without a withdrawal agreement in Wakefield, Birmingham, London and Cambridge;</li><li>Training on catch certificates in Wales, Inverness, Bristol and Newcastle;</li><li>Changes to trading standards regulatory functions in Exeter;</li><li>A series of teleconferences on changes to export health certificates;</li><li>A webinar on changes affecting border or coastal local authorities;</li><li>A workshop on regulatory services hosted by MHCLG with input from other departments including Defra.</li></ul> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 291247 question first answered 03/10/2019 14:35:04 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1146537

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
	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 meetings her Department has had with Knowsley Borough Council to discuss preparations for leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
	tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
	tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
	uin	291247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/10/2019 answer text <p>We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with government.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.</p><p> </p><p>We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:</p><ul><li>MHCLG’s Local government Brexit preparedness page on GOV.UK;</li><li>MHCLG’s weekly e-bulletin to local authorities setting out all relevant updates for the week;</li><li>Presenting information at MHCLG’s monthly delivery board to local authority representatives;</li><li>The Food Standards Agency’s Smarter Comms platform accessed directly by regulatory officers in local authorities;</li><li>Cascading information via MHCLG’s network of nine regional local authority Chief Executives;</li><li>Using MHCLG’s newly established network of Brexit lead officers in each local authority;</li><li>Direct email messages to regulatory leads in relevant local authorities;</li><li>Engaging with and passing information through regulatory bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute or the Association of Port Health Authorities.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:</p><ul><li>Exporting fish and shellfish (Export Health Certificates);</li><li>Importing fish and fisheries products (Catch Certificates);</li><li>Import control systems for animals, products of animal origin and high risk food and feed;</li><li>Food labelling changes;</li><li>The protection of habitats and species;</li><li>Waste;</li><li>Guidance for businesses exporting goods to the EU.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:</p><ul><li>Changes to environmental regulations;</li><li>Changes to food and farming;</li><li>Changes to exports of animals and animal products;</li><li>Changes to imports of animals and animal products;</li><li>MHCLG’s regional roadshows on how local authorities will be affected by exiting the EU without a withdrawal agreement in Wakefield, Birmingham, London and Cambridge;</li><li>Training on catch certificates in Wales, Inverness, Bristol and Newcastle;</li><li>Changes to trading standards regulatory functions in Exeter;</li><li>A series of teleconferences on changes to export health certificates;</li><li>A webinar on changes affecting border or coastal local authorities;</li><li>A workshop on regulatory services hosted by MHCLG with input from other departments including Defra.</li></ul> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 291246 question first answered 03/10/2019 14:35:04 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1146605

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Seas and Oceans: Climate Change
	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 her Department has made of the findings in the IPCC’s Special Report entitled the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	291458
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>We welcome the IPCC Special Report, which provides the best available science on the wide range of impacts of climate change on the ocean and the cryosphere and potential measures for building resilience to those impacts. Climate change has already caused significant impacts on the ocean and cryosphere, including warming, acidification and deoxygenation of the ocean, melting of glaciers, ice sheets and permafrost, and sea level rise, with detrimental consequences for ecosystems and people.</p><p>As this report and the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5◦C find, the severity of future impacts depends heavily on the levels of future greenhouse gas emissions. Higher emissions will result in more severe impacts, which is why the UK government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050.</p><p>To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees we should explore every available avenue. In the marine environment, Nature Based Solutions such as the conservation and restoration of coastal habitats, protection of coral reefs and designation of Marine Protected Areas can provide climate mitigation as well as climate adaptation and resilience benefits for biodiversity, fish nursery habitats, storm protection and contributions to coastal communities. To that end, the UK is encouraging countries to join the Global Ocean Alliance - our call to protect at least 30% of the global ocean within Marine Protected Areas by 2030.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 01/10/2019 13:37:38 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1146606

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Flood Control
	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 her Department has to improve flood defences in (a) rural, (b) coastal and (c) urban areas in response to rising sea levels.
	tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
	tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
	uin	291459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>Government is investing £2.6 billion from 2015-2021 to better protect the country from flooding and this will attract more than £600 million of additional investment. This is funding over 1,000 flood defence schemes, which will better protect 300,000 homes by 2021. The Environment Agency regularly reviews the programme: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/programme-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-schemes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/programme-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-schemes</a></p><p> </p><p>On September 10, the Government announced a £62 million boost for thirteen flooding defence schemes across the country, and we are also making up to £2 million available to support farmers North Yorkshire and Wainfleet, with uninsurable damages resulting from the summer flooding. The Farm Recovery Fund was opened on Friday 20 September and farmers can apply for grants between £500 and £25,000 to cover a number of repair costs.</p><p> </p><p>By the end of 2019 the Government will set out its policies to better prepare the country for flooding and coastal erosion in a Government policy statement on flooding and coastal erosion. The Government will also set out plans for broader infrastructure investment through the publication of a National Infrastructure Strategy later in the autumn. Informed by this Government policy, the Environment Agency will update its national strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management. These documents will ensure the country is on the right footing to better manage and adapt to the risks of flooding and coastal erosion. Improving our resilience to these risks will have benefits for our economy, environment, communities and our wellbeing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/10/2019 15:30:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1146621

	registered interest
	date	26/09/2019
	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	Food: Prices
	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 she has made of the potential effect on food prices in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton South
	tabling member printed	Dr Paul Williams
	uin	291467
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>The most important drivers of change in the cost of food to consumers are global food commodity prices, currency exchange rates and oil prices. This will continue to be the case once the UK has left the EU and the UK Government has no direct control of these factors. However, we work closely with industry to promote transparency for consumers, and internationally to promote open global markets.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 01/10/2019 16:45:13 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4666 label Biography information for Dr Paul Williams

1145700

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	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: Biofuels
	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 she has made of the potential effect on (a) wheat and (b) dairy farmers of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what assessment she has made of the level of the UK's reliance on imported bioethanol.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	290722
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2019 answer text <p>We have been meeting regularly with the food and farming sectors across the UK to understand and anticipate the potential impacts of a no deal scenario on our agri-food industry. The UK is a net importer of dairy but there are specific products of which we are net exporters. These may face tariff and non-tariff barriers to future EU export, and this will have a larger impact on Northern Ireland where they are heavily reliant on the Irish market. For wheat, for the last few years the UK has been a net importer, but it’s likely that this harvest will see us becoming a net exporter. MFN tariffs on wheat into the EU are extremely high, however, there is an underutilised tariff rate quota.</p><p> </p><p>We currently import around 2/3rds of our bioethanol, mainly from the EU. The UK alcohol industry, particularly gin and vodka, is reliant on EU bioethanol. Bioethanol is also a vital processing aid in the production of food flavourings and colourings, household and industrial cleaners, toiletries, cosmetics and medicinal agents. Ethanol is a globally traded commodity and we do not anticipate any shortages as a result of our exit from the EU.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 02/10/2019 12:38:54 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1145702

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	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	Eggs: Salmonella
	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 estimate she has made of the number of scheduled tests for salmonella in eggs that were (a) carried out behind schedule and (b) not carried out.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	290637
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/10/2019 answer text <p>National Control Plan official sampling is done annually as per legislative requirements. The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) are an approved Industry Control Body for their own assurance scheme members and their annual official sampling is carried out by their auditors NSF International. Non-BEIC producers are sampled by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, APHA completed all official sampling on non-BEIC laying farms in the timescales required. 2019 sampling for non-BEIC laying farms is also on track for completion within the timescales required.</p><p> </p><p>As part of routine regulatory inspections APHA inspectors audit each egg producer’s salmonella sampling records in order to review operator sampling. Where late or missed sampling is identified a penalty notice will be issued. In addition, where there is no clear current test present at the time of the inspection, the inspector will immediately take the appropriate samples for testing and will serve a notice applying restrictions to the eggs pending a clear test result.</p><p> </p><p>The number of penalty notices that have been raised against producers in England are:</p><p> </p><p>01/06/16-31/05/17 - 30.</p><p>01/06/17-31/05/18 - 44.</p><p>01/06/18-31/05/19 - 35.</p> answering member constituency Richmond Park answering member printed Zac Goldsmith question first answered 01/10/2019 17:57:44 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham