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1203119

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2020
	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	Nature Conservation: Crime
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how wildlife crime, including the illegal killing of raptors and illegal use of traps and snares, has been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is aware of suggestions that there has been an increase in reports of wildlife crime, in particular associated with raptor persecution, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Raptor persecution is one of the UK's six wildlife crime priorities and we understand a number of criminal investigations are ongoing. However, it is not possible to confirm on available data whether there has been an increase in the incidents of wildlife crime, increased reporting, or a combination of both.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 25/06/2020 16:13:00 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1204198

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	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	Birds: Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of penalties in deterring the trapping, poisoning or shooting of protected species of birds in England and Wales.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL5797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has not carried out an assessment of the deterrent effect of penalties for wildlife crime. Measuring the effectiveness of deterrence is extremely challenging, as potential offenders do not often admit to being deterred from committing a crime.</p><p> </p><p>Nevertheless, the Government takes wildlife crime seriously. Those who commit offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and other legislation that protects our wildlife face significant penalties including up to six months in prison and/or unlimited fines.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 30/06/2020 13:01:32 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

1200712

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the future prospects for (1) Chester Zoo, (2) other major zoos and (3) small zoos; and what plans they have to secure the future of zoos and their animals.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL5297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>We recognise that zoos are working tirelessly during this challenging time to ensure the health and welfare needs of animal collections in their care continue to be met. We have been engaging regularly with zoos, including Chester Zoo, to gather information and supporting evidence to understand the impacts of coronavirus on the sector.</p><p> </p><p>The £14 million Zoos Support Fund was opened on 4 May to help those zoos, safari parks, aquariums and eligible farm visitor attractions in severe financial distress due to the disruption caused by coronavirus. This Fund remains open for applications until 19 July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>As announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June, outdoor areas of zoos and safari parks are now allowed to reopen, subject to appropriate social distancing measures being in place. Allowing zoos to reopen is an integral step towards supporting an early financial recovery.</p><p> </p><p>Consideration of proposals for any longer-term support that might be needed for the sector is ongoing. With the help and support of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) we are working diligently to find the best way forward.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 17/06/2020 14:49:56 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1175280

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2020
	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	Lighting: Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the annual 2.2 per cent growth of global light pollution, according to the journal Environmental Evidence, on the (1) environment, and (2) health, of the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Patten
	uin	HL758
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the annual growth of global light pollution on the environment.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has published or contributed to a range of assessments of the impact of artificial light on insects and wider biodiversity, as well as global and national assessments of the drivers of biodiversity loss more generally.</p><p> </p><p>Following publication of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution’s report, ‘Artificial light in the environment’ in 2009, Defra has supported assessments of impacts of artificial light on insects and on other organisms such as bats. These are published on our science website. Defra has also funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production, which notes that effects of light on nocturnal insects may be growing and identifies the need for further study.</p><p> </p><p>There have been a number of externally funded studies which have highlighted potential impacts of artificial light pollution on insects, which Defra keeps under review, for example, with our academic partners on the National Pollinator Strategy for England.</p><p> </p><p>Public Health England carried out a study in 2016 for the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and the Society of Light and Lighting, which included an assessment of light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights on health. The study concluded that some LED streetlight luminaires emitted more blue light than was necessary, but that there was no evidence of direct adverse health effects on people.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/02/2020 14:51:40 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	1137 label Biography information for Lord Patten

1272450

	registered interest
	date	17/12/2020
	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	Public Footpaths: Repairs and Maintenance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the rate of (1) erosion, and (2) widening, of footpaths in upland, coastal and other popular areas due to any increased usage during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to provide extra funding to national parks and other relevant authorities for any resulting extra costs for the repair and maintenance of such footpaths.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL11589
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/01/2021 answer text <p>The maintenance of public rights of way is a local issue and local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the existing rights of way network in their area.</p><p>Local authorities receive most of their rights of way funding from central Government through the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) to deliver various duties, including ROWIPs. It is not ring-fenced, and we cannot say how much of the RSG authorities should spend on ROWIPs. It is up to local authorities to manage their own budgets and decide how much they should spend on their different duties and for local people to hold them to account.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 04/01/2021 12:59:21 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1204184

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	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	Ivory: Sales
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of ivory products commercially traded within the UK each year since 2015.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hague of Richmond
	uin	HL5772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s consultation on proposals to ban UK sales of ivory asked for evidence on the value, or number, of sales of items containing ivory in the UK. The response was published on the Defra website on 3 April 2018 and is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-uk-sales-of-ivory" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-uk-sales-of-ivory</a></p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 30/06/2020 15:11:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond

1176696

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	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
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Centre for Cities Cities Outlook 2020, published on 27 January; and in particular, whether there is a "south–north" divide in air quality in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL812
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2020 answer text <p>We are aware of the Centre for Cities report and are considering its evidence and findings. Improving air quality is a top priority for this Government and we are committed to take action to drive down overall emissions of air pollutants across the UK and reduce human exposure to local concentrations of pollutants.</p><p> </p><p>Levels of air pollution in the UK vary significantly depending on the specific pollutant, location, time of day and season. There are many factors that contribute to levels of air pollution at a local level but proximity to the European continent also plays a role particularly for the pollutant of greatest harm to human health, PM2.5. Around a third of the UK PM2.5 can be from sources outside of the UK (up to 50% on specific days). Many additional factors also contribute such as weather conditions and population density but South East areas of England are more affected by transboundary pollution in comparison to more north westerly regions of the UK.</p><p> </p><p>To improve air quality across the UK, the Government have already put in place a £3.5 billion plan to reduce harmful emissions from road transport and are supporting 61 English local authorities in both the North and the South of England to reduce nitrogen dioxide. We have also published the Clean Air Strategy (CAS) which sets out comprehensive action to reduce the national emissions of pollutants, reduce background pollution, and minimise human exposure to harmful concentrations of pollution. The CAS also seeks to drive down emissions of PM2.5 across the UK and provide stronger powers to tackle it in local areas where there is a problem. Furthermore, the forthcoming Environment Bill will introduce measures to ensure both neighbouring local authorities and relevant public authorities work collaboratively and cooperate to tackle the problem of regional air pollution. To tackle transboundary pollution we are increasing our International engagement activity. The Bill will also introduce a duty to set a target for concentration levels of PM2.5 in ambient air as well as a duty to set an additional long-term target on air quality, going beyond EU requirements and delivering significant health benefits for our citizens</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 03/02/2020 16:34:55 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1199387

	registered interest
	date	02/06/2020
	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	Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill 2019–21 sponsored by the Member of Parliament for West Dorset.
	tabling member printed	Lord Randall of Uxbridge
	uin	HL5072
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is supporting the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill as it makes its way through Parliament. The Bill will increase the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>The new maximum penalty of five years is in line with campaigns by key stakeholders such as Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Dogs Trust and the RSPCA. This is a positive step forward in improving animal welfare and will act as a serious deterrent against cruelty and neglect. Northern Ireland has already set the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences at five years’ imprisonment, and the Scottish Government introduced the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill on 30 September 2019. The Welsh Government have confirmed that the new maximum penalty being proposed should apply in Wales.</p><p> </p><p>The increase to five years' imprisonment will provide one of the toughest sanctions in Europe, strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare. This builds on recent positive action the Government has taken to improve animal welfare standards, such as a requirement for CCTV in all slaughterhouses and implementing one of the world's toughest ivory bans. For companion animals, we have introduced new updated minimum welfare standards for pet selling, dog breeding, riding schools, animal boarding and exhibiting animals; as well as a ban on the commercial third-party sale of puppies and kittens.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 09/06/2020 11:06:25 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	209 label Biography information for Lord Randall of Uxbridge

1200754

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2020
	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	Birds: Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current (1) numbers, and (2) distribution, of lapwings in the United Kingdom, and what plans they have to support an increase in their numbers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL5301
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The latest estimates of lapwing are 6,500 pairs and 620,000 individuals in Britain (Frost et al. 2020).</p><p> </p><p>The latest national bird survey, ‘Bird Atlas 2007-11’, published results on the distribution of lapwing during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. In Britain, during the breeding season, lapwing were present in 2,241 ten-kilometre squares, which is 74% of the total. Except for southwest England, lapwing breed almost throughout rural England. During the non-breeding season, lapwing were present in 2,309 ten-kilometre squares, which is 80% of the total.</p><p> </p><p>The lapwing is a species of conservation concern and is closely associated with the farmed and managed landscape therefore agri-environment schemes have an important role to play in its recovery.</p><p> </p><p>The current Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme includes tailored options designed to meet the requirements of breeding lapwings on grassland and arable farmland, including the management of grassland to provide the right structure for nesting and to supply food for chicks. On arable farmland CS fallow plots have been created and designed to suit lapwing that breed in that particular habitat. This year, new CS options are also available which will benefit lapwings.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 17/06/2020 14:50:31 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1202615

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2020
	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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what is their policy and detailed programme on badger culling and other means of controlling tuberculosis in badgers over the next five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
	uin	HL5514
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to the goal of achieving Officially Free bovine TB status for the whole of England by 2038.</p><p> </p><p>On 5 March 2020, the Government published its response to Professor Sir Charles Godfray's 2018 review of England's bovine TB eradication strategy, setting out the priorities for the next phase of the strategy around three key priorities.</p><p> </p><p>We will provide funding to accelerate the research and trial work necessary to authorise the BCG vaccine for use in cattle alongside a test that can differentiate between vaccinated cattle and those with the disease. Our aim is to have a deployable cattle vaccine within the next five years. Vaccination will never provide full protection but could significantly reduce the spread of the disease both between cattle and between cattle herds and wildlife. The UK can harness its world-leading science in developing solutions such as vaccination that would also be valuable to other countries.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, we will also begin an exit strategy from intensive badger culling, while ensuring that wildlife control remains an option where the epidemiological evidence supports it (i.e. areas where badgers pose a significant source of TB infection). We intend to pilot government-funded badger vaccination in at least one area where the four-year cull cycle has concluded, with simultaneous surveillance of disease. We envisage that any remaining areas would join the current cull programme in the next few years and that the badger cull phase of the strategy would then wind down by the mid to late 2020s.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to support badger vaccination projects in areas where the prevalence of disease is low. We will also investigate the potential for projects where adjacent vaccination and culling could complement each other in controlling disease. Changes to our guidance to Natural England on licensing badger control will be subject to consultation.</p><p> </p><p>Thirdly, we will invest in the deployment of better, more frequent, and more diverse cattle testing, so that we are able to detect the presence of the disease earlier and remove it from cattle herds faster. The frequency of mandatory surveillance testing in two high risk area counties – Shropshire and Staffordshire – will increase from annual to six-monthly as soon as the COVID-19 situation allows. We expect this to be extended across the high risk area from 2021.</p><p> </p><p>There is no single answer to tackling the scourge of bovine TB but by deploying a range of policy interventions, we can turn the tide on this terrible disease and achieve our long-term objective of eradicating it by 2038.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 24/06/2020 10:27:14 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves