Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

823670

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2018
	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: Marine Environment
	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 next to undertake a census of seabirds.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
	tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
	uin	123125
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>Work on the next breeding seabird census, covering 2015-2019, is underway. The Seabirds Count census approach was developed by the Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP) partnership, which is coordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in partnership with government agencies and conservation organisations.</p><p> </p><p>To date the census has incorporated data collected by volunteers and professional surveyors as part of ongoing SMP annual monitoring and from other survey initiatives such as Common Standard Monitoring of the UK’s breeding seabird special protection area network. During the 2018 and 2019 breeding seasons, the JNCC will be working with the SMP partnership to increase census survey coverage.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 17:40:21 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

825593

	registered interest
	date	18/01/2018
	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	Plastics: 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 steps his Department is taking to reduce the level of plastic pollution in rivers and canals.
	tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
	tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
	uin	123722
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) regulates the management of waste plastics, including waste treatment, exports and recovery. The producer responsibility regime requires producers of plastic packaging to ensure it is recovered.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is currently working with the water industry through the price review process to investigate the sources and types of microplastics entering the environment via sewage and sewage sludge. This will feed into future planning and the potential for plastic capture technology at water company assets.</p><p> </p><p>The EA is investigating additional regulation of plastics from production to disposal, and enhanced monitoring and analysis to provide better evidence on how plastics enter and affect the land and water environment.</p><p> </p><p>The EA recently announced £750,000 for a new, dedicated team to tackle plastics pollution in the South West of England. The team aims to reduce plastic pollution across land, rivers and the coastline. It will promote better environmental practices across industry, including a reduction in plastic waste from manufacturing and community campaigns to clean up pollution locally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 14:03:02 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

822824

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	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	Game: Birds
	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 his Department is taking to increase the population of game birds in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	122507
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter. In England, the Countryside Stewardship Scheme encourages the provision of sympathetic habitat management of farmland through a Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package. This can indirectly benefit game birds, such as grey partridge and grouse, by providing winter feeding opportunities, nesting sites and food for chicks.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 14:15:43 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

823431

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2018
	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	Government Departments: Paper
	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 reduce the use of paper by (a) Government Departments and (b) non-executive agencies.
	tabling member constituency	North Swindon
	tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
	uin	122910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Greening Government Commitments (GGCs) require central Government Departments and their executive and non-executive agencies to improve their waste management by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill to less than 10%; continuing to reduce the overall amount of waste generated and increasing the proportion which is recycled; and reducing their paper use by at least 50% from a 2009/10 baseline.</p><p> </p><p>Compared with the 2009/10 baseline, by 2015/16 Departments had reduced their overall waste by 27% and their paper consumption by 44%. The proportion of waste sent to landfill in 2015/16 had been reduced to 13% across Government. The target to increase recycling was introduced for the 2016/17 financial year, and this data will be published shortly in the 2016/17 Annual Report on the GGCs, along with 2016/17 figures for the other GGC goals.</p><p> </p><p>Departments are responsible for making decisions about how to achieve these goals in line with the priorities of their own functions, but their performance is reported annually in the Annual Report on the GGCs. Defra and Cabinet Office Ministers follow up any significant issues with performance with individual Departments.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 122909 question first answered 23/01/2018 16:13:51 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

823430

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2018
	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	Government Departments: Recycling
	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 recycling rates across (a) Government Departments and (b) non-executive agencies.
	tabling member constituency	North Swindon
	tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
	uin	122909
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Greening Government Commitments (GGCs) require central Government Departments and their executive and non-executive agencies to improve their waste management by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill to less than 10%; continuing to reduce the overall amount of waste generated and increasing the proportion which is recycled; and reducing their paper use by at least 50% from a 2009/10 baseline.</p><p> </p><p>Compared with the 2009/10 baseline, by 2015/16 Departments had reduced their overall waste by 27% and their paper consumption by 44%. The proportion of waste sent to landfill in 2015/16 had been reduced to 13% across Government. The target to increase recycling was introduced for the 2016/17 financial year, and this data will be published shortly in the 2016/17 Annual Report on the GGCs, along with 2016/17 figures for the other GGC goals.</p><p> </p><p>Departments are responsible for making decisions about how to achieve these goals in line with the priorities of their own functions, but their performance is reported annually in the Annual Report on the GGCs. Defra and Cabinet Office Ministers follow up any significant issues with performance with individual Departments.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 122910 question first answered 23/01/2018 16:13:51 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

822980

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	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	Forests
	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 powers he plans for the Tree Champion to have; what the annual budget of that champion will be; and to whom that champion will report.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	122663
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The appointment of the Tree Champion is one of the priorities of the recently published 25 Year Environment Plan. The Tree Champion role will promote the benefits that trees deliver, support the tree planting manifesto commitments and co-ordinate a cross government approach to encourage a step change in tree planting.</p><p> </p><p>Further details will be set out in due course.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 14:49:51 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

822823

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	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	Wind Power: Birds of Prey
	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 information his Department holds on the number of birds of prey who have died as a result of impacting with wind turbines in the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	122506
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>Defra does not hold information in relation to the estimated number of birds killed in the last three years by the operation of wind turbines in the UK.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 14:31:35 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

822818

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	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	Pest Control: Urban Areas
	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 his Department has made of the effectiveness of local authorities' powers to deter pigeons and pests in town centres.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	122501
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The Government has not made any assessment of the effectiveness of local authorities' powers to deter pigeons and pests in town centres. However, there is a range of legislation in place to support local authorities in controlling pests and problem wild birds in urban areas.</p><p> </p><p>The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 allows for the control of wild birds, under licence from Natural England, in the interest of public health and safety or to prevent disease. Local authorities, businesses and individuals are also able to take action to manage urban bird populations e.g. using bins with secured lids, ensuring domestic animals are not fed outside and that streets are clear of litter.</p><p> </p><p>Dealing with problems caused by wild birds and pests is the responsibility of the owner or occupier of the property where the problem occurs. Where this is the local authority, it has the same powers to control pests as any other owner or occupier.</p><p> </p><p>There is also a range of legislation in place to support local authorities in managing rodent infestation and statutory nuisances, such as litter and refuse, where these are attracting pests. The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 obliges local authorities to ensure that their districts are kept, as far as is practicable, free of rats and mice.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 15:10:06 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

823669

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2018
	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	Puffins
	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 his Department had made of the (a) reasons for and (b) extent of the decline in the puffin population.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
	tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
	uin	123124
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The latest population trends indicate a decline in the population of UK puffins. UK-scale accurate trends in the puffin breeding population will, however, not be known until a new census of the UK’s breeding seabird populations is completed. Work on the breeding seabird census 2015-2019 is underway.</p><p> </p><p>Declines in puffin breeding populations are thought to be due to a combination of factors, including climate change related food shortages and unfavourable weather conditions during the breeding season.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 17:57:11 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

823107

	registered interest
	date	15/01/2018
	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	Algae: Marine Environment
	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 effect of changes in frequency and scale of algal blooms on the health of the marine environment in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	North Cornwall
	tabling member printed	Scott Mann
	uin	122790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The health of the marine environment including phytoplankton (and any potential algal blooms) is monitored for ecological status in the nearshore coasts and estuaries and for environmental status from the coast to offshore waters. The majority of English marine waters are considered to be healthy. There are some localised areas – estuaries or shallow harbours – that are affected by eutrophication but this is primarily due to nuisance green macroalgal mats, not blooms of phytoplankton.</p><p> </p><p>Several years’ worth of data is used to assess the health of marine waters which allows for typical variation between different years (often due to local meteorological conditions). The Environment Agency uses the latest evidence from a number of sources in a regular Weight of Evidence (WoE) assessment that suggests there has not been a significant change in recent years.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency is involved, with other partners, in the S-3 EUROHAB project which is investigating using data from the recently launched European satellite, Copernicus Sentinel 3, to track the growth and spread of harmful algal blooms in the Channel in near real time.</p><p> </p><p>The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) collects water samples from designated shellfish growing areas on behalf of the Food Standards Agency (FSA). These are analysed for various species of potentially harmful phytoplankton in the context of human health. The FSA data at individual beds shows that the proportion of samples over harmful limits varies quite widely each year.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 23/01/2018 15:02:54 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann