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1715438

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2024
	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	Deep Sea Mining: Environment Protection
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish any reports from their newly launched environmental science network focusing on deep-sea mining, DSM Environmental Network.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick
	uin	HL4299
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>On 19 February, we opened the new UK Deep-Sea Mining (DSM) Environmental Science Network to applications. The aims of the network are to recognise and promote the extensive and world-renowned UK expertise in environmental and natural science related to DSM. The Network will not be responsible for developing policy or providing advice or recommendations to the Government or Ministers. Rather, it will help fill the current evidence gaps on the environmental impact of DSM, coordinate research effectively and strategically, make sure UK research is included in the global environmental evidence base for DSM, and encourage conversations between the Government and the scientific community to raise awareness and coordination between DSM science and policy environmental issues.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 10/05/2024 12:54:50 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

1714622

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2024
	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	Darwin Plus: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to continue financing Darwin Plus at £10 million per year after the current commitment ends in 2025.
	tabling member printed	Lord Randall of Uxbridge
	uin	HL4173
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>Running since 2012, the Darwin Plus programme has invested over £55 million in more than 320 projects across the UK Overseas Territories. The UK Government has recently expanded the Darwin Plus programme to better meet the needs of the UK Overseas Territories. In 2023, Darwin Plus introduced a new local scheme aimed at building capacity, and a new strategic scheme for fostering great innovation, ambition and collaboration in and between territories, both of which are now funding live projects.</p><p> </p><p>Post March 2025, Darwin Plus funding will be subject to outcomes of the next Spending Review.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 08/05/2024 13:47:09 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	209 label Biography information for Lord Randall of Uxbridge

1714675

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2024
	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	Non-native Species
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are monitoring the spread of non-native flatworms in the UK, particularly the New Zealand flatworm; what assessment they have made of any recent increases in the numbers of non-native flatworms in the UK; and what steps they are taking (1) to combat the spread of non-native flatworms, and (2) to advise the public.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL4160
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>No recent assessment has been made of the numbers of non-native flatworms in the UK. While some data on New Zealand flatworms (<em>Arthurdendyus triangulates</em>) is collected this is not sufficiently systematic to support a full assessment.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage the public to submit sightings with photographs to iRecord (which can be found at irecord.org.uk) such that the species can be accurately identified. The record is then uploaded to the biological records centre and will improve our understanding of the distribution of the species.</p><p> </p><p>We have developed a <a href="https://www.nonnativespecies.org/biosecurity/pathway-action-plans/horticulture-pap-for-great-britain/" target="_blank">Horticulture Pathway Action Plan</a> (PAP) (copy attached) which aims to prevent and manage the risk posed by species such as the New Zealand flatworm using measures such as raising public awareness, minimizing the contamination of goods, commodities, vehicles and equipment by invasive non-native species, and ensuring appropriate border checks. An action within this document specific to flatworms is to establish a task-and-finish group to review existing guidance and develop new guidance on flatworms. We are due to consult on the PAPs later this year, and following the conclusion of that exercise, the actions such as this one in the PAPs will commence.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Invasive Species Week is coming up and will take place from the 20th to 26th May 2024. This is an annual week of awareness raising and events to help prevent the spread, and reduce the harmful impacts, of invasive non-native plants and animals.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 13:33:21 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name HL4160 attachment.pdf title Horticulture Pathway Action Plan
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1713990

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	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	Hares: Animal Welfare
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for introducing legislation to introduce a closed season for hares in England, following the publication of DEFRA’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021; and what consultations they have had with stakeholders in that regard.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
	uin	HL4097
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to legislate to introduce a close season for hares in England. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021 made a commitment to consider such legislation and it remains an option. An industry-led, non-statutory code of practice to protect hares in England is already in place which states that lethal control to prevent damage to crops should only be carried out in the winter months of January and February when vegetation is low and hares are easily visible. These months avoid the main breeding season and thereby reduce risks to dependent young.</p><p>The Government has had no formal consultations with stakeholders on this issue since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare but we have heard representations from interested parties, both in support of and opposed to a close season for hares.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 13:58:18 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1713281

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	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	Soil
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect soil monitoring data will become available from the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL4022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment is a new environmental monitoring programme, assessing the state and condition of ecosystems in England and their natural capital. The field data, including soils data, is being collected on a 5-year cycle that runs from 2023/24 to 2027/28. Final statistics and data will be published after 2027/28 when 100% of the data has been collected and there are outline plans to publish interim statistics, mid cycle, once 50% of the field data has been collected.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/05/2024 11:08:06 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1713283

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	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	Agriculture: Land Use
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat is let on annual farm business tenancies; and what steps they are taking to ensure this land is not being farmed in a manner that is accelerating its degradation and threatening future food security.
	tabling member printed	The Earl of Caithness
	uin	HL4024
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Peat policy is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>Defra does not have any data on the percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat let on annual farm business tenancies.</p><p> </p><p>In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we said that we are committed to halting the degradation of our lowland peat soils which causes such significant harm to the environment.</p><p> </p><p>We have also agreed to take forward action on all recommendations of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force Chair's report, recognising the vital role that lowland peat soils play in producing food for our nation and supporting our rural economies.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently funding approximately £12.5million on projects on paludiculture, local collaboration, and water management, as first steps towards a more sustainable future for lowland agricultural peat.</p><p> </p><p>We are also developing a new England Peat Map that will help us identify areas for future intervention.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/05/2024 11:07:30 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	3310 label Biography information for The Earl of Caithness

1713296

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	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	Wildlife: Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of animal population decline in other countries on the UK, following the WWF’s Living Planet Report 2022 which showed that worldwide animal populations have declined by 69 per cent since 1970.
	tabling member printed	Lord Mendelsohn
	uin	HL4037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK is susceptible to impacts from animal population decline worldwide through global impacts on food supply and the increasing emergence and transmission of diseases. For example, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Pollinators Assessment showed that 35% of global crop production volume depends on animal pollination, while the IPBES Workshop report on Biodiversity and Pandemics showed that over 30% of emerging disease events are caused by land-use change and its impacts on wildlife. Healthy ecosystems are also vital for mitigating and adapting to climate change, thus animal population declines may also exacerbate the climate impacts felt by the UK, as set out in the UK’s Climate Change Risk Assessment. The UK Government with others continues to support the work of the IPBES and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to further understand these global impacts.</p><p> </p><p>A recently published report from the Green Finance Institute, entitled ‘Assessing the Materiality of Nature-Related Financial Risks for the UK’, with direction from Defra and others, showed that about half of all UK nature-related risk comes from overseas, through supply chains and financial exposures. It showed that the combination of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation could lead to major economic shocks leading to UK Gross Domestic Product being up to 12% lower that it may otherwise have been by the 2030s (even lower when combined with climate impacts).</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/04/2024 13:43:36 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4286 label Biography information for Lord Mendelsohn

1702344

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Economic Community of West African States
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they, together with international partners, have had any discussions with the government of Nigeria, and with the authorities in (1) Burkina Faso, (2) Niger, and (3) Mali, to persuade those three counties to re-join the Economic Community of West African States in the interests of the stability and security of West Africa.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL3955
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK maintains regular dialogue on regional security with the Nigerian Government and the Transitional Authorities in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. The Deputy Foreign Minister, spoke to ECOWAS Commission President Touray earlier this year after those three states announced their departure from the organisation. The Deputy National Security Adviser also visited Nigeria in February 2024 and discussed the future of the three states' participation in ECOWAS. The UK continues to encourage all actors to maintain regional engagement in the interest of working together to tackle the shared threat of terrorism and promote stability and prosperity for citizens in the region.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 14:00:18 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1702311

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Sudan: Humanitarian Situation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the World Food Programme that the situation in Sudan is “catastrophic” and that it is currently only able to reach 10 per cent of the population; and what discussions they have had with those blocking access.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL3922
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK strongly condemns the decision on 21 February by the Sudanese Armed Forces to withdraw permission for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid from Adré, Chad. The UK continues to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline and cross-border humanitarian access across Sudan. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. This includes funding to UNICEF, providing emergency, life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas; and the World Food Programme to assist over 285,000 beneficiaries for six months by providing 13,405 tons of food commodities including cereals, pulses, oils and salt. On 8 March, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted UK-drafted Resolution 2724 calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 13:59:42 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1701958

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Sudan: Humanitarian Aid
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how quickly their decision to increase humanitarian aid for war victims in Sudan will be made available; what it will be used for; and how it will be deployed.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL3873
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We are providing £89 million for this financial year. The vast majority of this will go towards humanitarian support. This will include funding to UNICEF which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under five. Current access into Sudan remains highly constrained and our top humanitarian priority remains securing immediate humanitarian access and operational security guarantees for humanitarian agencies.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/05/2024 15:51:56 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool