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1229346

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Cats and Dogs: Meat
	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 recent steps he has taken to ensure that (a) dog and (b) cat meat is not being consumed in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	82449
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, including the welfare of dogs and cats. The UK is a leader when it comes to the protection of animals, and we intend to go even further now that we have left the EU.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is appalled by the prospect of dogs and cats being consumed. However, it is already illegal to sell dog and cat meat for human consumption and we have seen no evidence that dog or cat meat is being sold or consumed in this country. The organisation behind the recent campaign to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat in this country acknowledged this point.</p><p> </p><p>We are confident that our current position sends a clear message that the slaughter and consumption of dogs and cats will never be acceptable. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office raises concerns about the welfare of animals with other governments at every suitable opportunity, and we are pleased to hear that authorities in China are proposing to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/09/2020 12:59:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1229679

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Loneliness
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cats report entitled Cats as Companions: Can Cats Help Tackle Loneliness, published July 2020, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the effectiveness of pet ownership on (a) reducing loneliness and (b) reducing cost to the NHS.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	82458
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>I recognise the important role that pets play in providing companionship to owners of all ages in this country. Recent events have highlighted how much we, as a nation of animal lovers, value this companionship, as we experienced restrictions in social contact and saw an increased demand for pets, including cats, both for purchase and rehoming. I agree with the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cats that cats can help alleviate loneliness.</p><p> </p><p>Defra officials will engage with the Department of Health and Social Care in relation to any actions they wish to take relating to those aspects and recommendations in the report covering mental health issues and associated NHS costs.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 08/09/2020 16:07:14 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1229766

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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	Pets: Imports
	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 (a) adequacy of the regulation and enforcement of pet imports, (b) trends in the level of pet imports during the covid-19 outbreak and (c) effect of the UK leaving the EU on pet imports.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	82461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra takes the illegal importation of pets seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to animals and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk.</p><p> </p><p>In terms of the regulation and enforcement of non-commercial pet travel movements, we operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in the world. All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under the EU Pet Travel Scheme undergo documentary and identity checks, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel Scheme, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. Any animals found to be non-compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme rules may be refused entry or detained until compliant.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding changing levels of pet imports (both commercial and non-commercial) during the COVID-19 lockdown, APHA has confirmed that during the initial period of lockdown (March-April 2020), we saw a reduction of pet movements. This increased to relatively routine figures as COVID-19 movement restrictions were eased. On non-commercial pet travel, 14,718 pets were moved into Great Britain in March 2020. Numbers of movements then fell to 1,834 in April 2020 and rose to 4,810 in May 2020. On the commercial imports of cats, dogs and ferrets under the Balai Directive, 2,506 animals were imported into the UK in March 2020, falling to 1,114 in April 2020. Numbers of commercial imports are steadily rising again and now sit at 6,741 for the month of August 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The end of the Transition Period may open up new opportunities for managing our own commercial and non-commercial import and pet travel arrangements. The Government will be considering our pet travel and import arrangements (including for puppies and kittens) as part of cracking down on puppy smuggling in line with our manifesto commitment.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 82544 question first answered 08/09/2020 16:16:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1259347

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2020
	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	Cats: Tagging
	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 encourage local authorities to collect and scan cats injured or killed in road traffic accidents for a microchip and inform their owners.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	126998
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2020 answer text <p>It is established good practice for local authorities to scan any cat or dog found on the streets so that the owner can be informed. Cats Protection reports that 80% of councils in England routinely scan cats involved in accidents.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, Highways England has clear guidelines for contractors to follow when they find a deceased cat or dog. This process is designed with owners in mind, giving them the best chance of being informed of the incident to allow closure. The process is laid out in the Network Management Manual and in 2015 the necessary arrangements were made in all Highways England’s contracts to collect and identify cats and dogs killed on the strategic road network and to contact their owners.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/12/2020 14:56:45 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1259348

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2020
	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	Cats: Imports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his answer to Q40 in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's oral evidence session on The work of DEFRA, HC 261, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening requirements for cats entering the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	126999
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2020 answer text <p>The end of the transition period will present new opportunities for managing our own Pet Travel rules and welfare arrangements for all pets, including cats. We are listening to the concerns of stakeholders around future requirements and the Government is developing a range of options to ensure there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare whilst allowing pet owners to continue to be able to travel to and from the EU with the minimum of disruption.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/12/2020 14:59:24 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1296905

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2021
	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	Local Government: Recycling
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of local authorities with responsibility for waste recycling centres have introduced charges for the use of waste recycling services; and if he will provide details of (a) which local authorities have introduced those charges and (b) how much each of those local authorities is charging for those services.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	161872
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2021 answer text <p>Defra does not hold records on which household and waste recycling centres (HWRCs) charge for the disposal of waste. The Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 set out charging arrangements for different categories of waste, including waste delivered to HWRCs. Charges made by local authorities to dispose of DIY waste vary and some do not charge for this service.</p><p> </p><p>In our Resources and Waste Strategy we committed to ensuring that charging arrangements in the Controlled Waste Regulations are clear, especially in relation to waste arising from small scale DIY construction activities carried out by ordinary householders with no specialist skills, which the government has been clear should not be charged for. We will review the Household Waste Recycling Centre services and the Controlled Waste Regulations and, subject to consultation, will amend them to ensure they remain fit for purpose, charges are fairly applied, and that services are accessible, support high levels of recycling and deliver value for money.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/03/2021 15:13:27 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1302586

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2021
	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	Supermarkets: Plastic Bags
	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 effect of the increase in supermarket deliveries since the start of the covid-19 outbreak on the use of single use plastic bags by supermarkets.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	169056
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p><br>Since 5 October 2015, large retailers in England have been required by law to charge a minimum of 5p for single-use carrier bags (SUCBs) and to report on the amount they sell each year. The data for the year 2020-2021 will be published in the summer.</p><p>The full datasets for each reporting year are on Gov.UK and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england.</p><p>The obligation for supermarkets to charge for SUCBs supplied with online deliveries (online grocery delivery bags) was temporarily removed in response to the first Covid-lockdown. These changes were only temporary, from 21 March 2020 to 21 September 2020. This exemption was made as a precautionary measure and in order to allow retailers time to adapt their delivery systems. As well as the charge exemption, the obligation to report during this time period was waived. The charge for these bags was reinstated in September 2020 along with the reporting requirement. Therefore the dataset for the year 2020-2021, will not include data from this period on bags used for online deliveries.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 23/03/2021 13:04:56 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1302587

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2021
	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: Packaging
	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 encourage a shift from conventional single use plastic films to certified compostable alternatives; and if he will set a target under the Environment Bill to accelerate that process.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	169057
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2021 answer text <p>While compostable materials may be seen as a solution to reduce the impact of waste, they can also be more environmentally damaging than non-compostable materials if disposed of incorrectly. The Government is concerned that, some claims about the compostability of plastic-based products cannot be verified.</p><p> </p><p>In order to consider impacts carefully, Defra and BEIS published a call for evidence to help us consider the development of standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics, and to better understand their effects on the environment and our waste management system. We are currently analysing responses to the call for evidence and will publish the Government’s response shortly.</p><p> </p><p>Our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out our ambition to transition to a circular economy by keeping resources in the system for longer and extracting maximum value from them, before recycling materials when they can no longer be reused. We have recently published consultations on introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging and introducing a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers. These consultations will inform policy that will transform the economic incentives on packaging producers by encouraging an increase in the amount and quality of unavoidable plastic packaging that is recycled or reused, so driving up recycling rates and helping to move us towards a circular economy.</p><p> </p><p>We are also preparing to launch a second consultation on increasing the consistency of materials collected for recycling from households, businesses and other organisations in England, which will seek views on the collection and disposal of compostable and biodegradable materials and the recycling of plastic films.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Plastics Pact is targeting plastic film as a coordinated effort involving the entire value chain to fix the system to create a circular economy for single use plastic films. Last year the Plastics Pact published a roadmap ‘Creating a Circular Economy for Flexible Plastic Packaging’, which sets out the high-level actions that need to be taken by each part of the value chain. The new roadmap sets out five key areas where efforts should be focused in order to develop a circular economy for flexible plastics. These are: designing packaging that can be recycled and sorted; capitalising on existing front of store collection points; implementing kerbside collection by all local authorities; investing in sorting and reprocessing capacity and capabilities; and ensuring strong and stable end markets for recycled flexible plastic packaging.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill requires the Government to set at least one long-term, legally binding target in four priority areas, including Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction. This will not be focused on increasing the use of compostable plastics, instead the target will ensure a holistic approach to all materials. These targets will be set following a robust, evidence-led process that includes seeking independent expert advice, a role for stakeholders and the public, and parliamentary scrutiny.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/03/2021 12:10:42 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1315684

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2021
	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	Rodents: Trapping
	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 review the (a) sale and (b) use of rodent glue traps across the UK; and whether he has plans to (i) introduce an outright ban, (ii) prohibit public sale and use and (iii) regulate use by other operators of those traps.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	3172
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2021 answer text <p>The use of glue traps is being considered very closely as part of the Government's continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.</p><p>We will look to restrict the use of glue traps as a means of pest control to help make sure rodents are despatched in a humane manner. Glue traps can cause immense suffering to rodents and other animals that inadvertently fall victim to their use.</p><p>Anyone using glue traps already has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/05/2021 12:23:31 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn

1336743

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2021
	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	Rabbits: Animal Welfare
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reasons did the recently published Action Plan for Animals not include domestic rabbit welfare.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Elliot Colburn
	uin	16226
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government continues to take positive action to protect the welfare of companion animals – including domestic rabbits. The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations, introduced in 2018, require anyone who is in the business of selling rabbits as pets to obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licence holders must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. The 2018 Regulations are supported by statutory guidance which provides specific information about the keeping of rabbits for sale:</p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F936832%2Fselling-animals-as-pets.pdf&amp;data=04%7C01%7CJosh.Day%40defra.gov.uk%7C3f40042e840d45142fca08d930e39051%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637594576196096625%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=roMPhF%2B9s5mfMloGHrhxGfmcSzMsot72s9l%2BzkOiVxg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/936832/selling-animals-as-pets.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>Additional advice is available to help pet owners provide for the welfare needs of their rabbit, including the British Rabbit Council’s Codes of Practice: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthebritishrabbitcouncil.org%2Fcodes-practice.php&amp;data=04%7C01%7CJosh.Day%40defra.gov.uk%7C3f40042e840d45142fca08d930e39051%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C1%7C0%7C637594576196106619%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=hcq7qWofxOcZikQ938A87zq8PIoyKjYROEUkMwir4vw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://thebritishrabbitcouncil.org/codes-practice.php</a></p><p> </p><p>Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 was recently granted Royal Assent. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. It means that from 29 June 2021, anyone who is cruel to an animal (including domestic rabbits) faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.</p><p> </p><p>The Action Plan for Animal Welfare is an ambitious plan which sets out an overview of the Government’s main priorities on animal welfare and conservation, particularly those which require legislative action and reform. It is not exhaustive of every animal welfare issue which the Government covers. While the Action Plan does not refer explicitly to rabbit welfare, the Government cares about rabbit welfare and my department continues to work closely with organisations such as the Companion Animal Sector Council to monitor developments in welfare standards for all domestic animals including rabbits. My department is also happy to engage with rabbit welfare groups on an ongoing basis about their concerns.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 16227 16228 16229 question first answered 23/06/2021 12:18:34 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4775 label Biography information for Elliot Colburn