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1052387

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	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	Wildlife: Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) China, (2) Vietnam, (3) India, and (4) other countries in Asia about banning the trade in endangered species and their products including (a) elephants, (b) big cats, (c) rhinoceroses, and (d) pangolins.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL13332
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK is committed to the conservation and protection of wildlife. We work closely with other countries to promote wildlife conservation through our membership of international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES is an international agreement between 183 Parties, including China, Vietnam and India, to promote sustainable trade in wildlife and to ensure that no plant or animal species becomes extinct through overtrading.</p><p> </p><p>CITES prohibits nearly all international trade in wild caught specimens of species considered to be threatened with extinction. These Appendix I species include pangolins, most elephant and rhino populations, and some big cat species. Species not currently threatened with extinction, but for which uncontrolled trade would not be sustainable, are included on CITES Appendix II and can only be traded internationally with the correct permits. Permits will only be granted if trade is considered not to be detrimental to the survival of the species.</p><p> </p><p>Domestic trade is regulated by national laws and falls outside the scope of CITES. CITES cannot oblige Parties to prohibit domestic trade but it can encourage them to do so. In 2016 Parties were encouraged to close their domestic ivory markets.</p><p> </p><p>In 2016 Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met the Chinese minister and attended the CITES Conference of the Parties, where she had further meetings including with the Vietnamese minister. The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP represented the UK government at the 3<sup>rd</sup> global Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) conference in Hanoi in 2016 and had bilateral meetings with Vietnam and China. Last October the UK hosted the 4<sup>th</sup> global IWT conference in London. Sixty-five of the seventy countries which attended, including China, India, Vietnam and the UK, reaffirmed their commitment to counter illegal trade and declared what further action they will be taking. The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP and Dr Thérèse Coffey MP met with a number of countries at the conference including Burma, China, Japan, Indonesia and Nepal.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, the British Embassy in Beijing ran a highly visible campaign, “End Wildlife Crime”, with public events delivered across China, some in conjunction with the local government authorities, and attended by 19,250 members of the public.</p><p> </p><p>Embassies and High Commissions in many Asian countries play a key role in raising IWT issues with host governments. Officials and ministers discuss IWT with these countries in the margins of international meetings and during visits to the region. Most recently the Rt Hon Mark Field MP discussed IWT with senior members of the Vietnamese Government on a visit to the country.</p><p> </p><p>China has taken positive action on closing its domestic ivory market, co-hosting a session on combatting the ivory trade at the 2018 IWT conference. However, last year China decided to adjust its 1993 legislation to allow the use of farmed tiger and rhino products in traditional medicine; following discussions with the UK and others the Chinese Government is reviewing that decision. We regularly discuss IWT with the Chinese authorities and will continue to raise our concerns with them.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 14/02/2019 17:06:14 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

772444

	registered interest
	date	17/10/2017
	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	Wild Parsnips
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what dangers wild parsnips pose to the environment and the public.
	tabling member printed	Lord Moonie
	uin	HL2137
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2017 answer text <p>Wild parsnip, <em>Pastinaca sativa</em> subspecies <em>sylvestris</em>, is the wild ancestor of the cultivated garden parsnip. It is part of our native flora and poses no risk to the environment. Some members of the public experience skin irritation or blisters after contact with the plant’s sap and sunlight but the health risk is limited.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 30/10/2017 12:19:03 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	621 label Biography information for Lord Moonie

389165

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2015
	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	White Fish: Conservation
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action is being taken to prevent the disappearance of sea bass in the English Channel and North Sea due to overfishing.
	tabling member printed	Lord West of Spithead
	uin	HL1351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2015 answer text <p>Bass are in serious decline due to the combination of five consecutive years of poor reproduction (due to cold winters) and overfishing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This year the UK Government has negotiated action at EU level to close the pelagic trawl spring fishery on spawning aggregations; introduce a recreational daily 3 fish bag limit; set monthly vessel catch limits across all commercial fishing gear categories; ban commercial fishing by EU vessels in waters around Ireland; and, increase the minimum conservation reference size for bass to 42cm, to come into force from 1 September.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Consideration will now be given to appropriate action for next year, to respond to the latest scientific advice, and to the development of regional multi-annual plans. Aligned with this work at EU and regional level the UK Government has initiated a high-level review of our current domestic management measures, particularly for protection of bass nursery areas.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 21/07/2015 14:43:33 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	3834 label Biography information for Lord West of Spithead

1052388

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2019
	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	Whales: Japan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Japan about its decision to resume whaling; and whether they intend to impose sanctions on that government if that practice goes ahead.
	tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
	uin	HL13333
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2019 answer text <p>During Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe’s, visit to the UK on 9 January, the Prime Minister expressed her disappointment at Japan’s decision to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and reiterated our opposition to commercial whaling practices.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with other likeminded countries to assess the implications of this decision and will be using all appropriate opportunities to urge the government of Japan to rethink its decision.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 11/02/2019 14:34:17 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

381741

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2015
	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	Whales: Japan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Japan about that government's intention to resume whaling in the Antarctic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hoyle
	uin	HL594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK Government regularly makes representations to the Government of Japan to set out our opposition to special permit whaling for “scientific purposes”. Most recently, the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) reiterated the Government’s concerns, including in relation to Japan’s proposals to resume whaling in the Antarctic, at a meeting with the Japanese Commissioner to the IWC in May 2015, and officials from the Japanese Embassy in March 2015. The Minister of State for Farming, Food and the Marine Environment, George Eustice, attended the IWC meeting in September 2014, where he underlined the Government’s continued opposition to commercial whaling.</p><p>We will continue to make our concerns known to Japan at every appropriate opportunity, including in light of the recently published advice of the IWC Scientific Committee, which has examined Japan’s latest proposals.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 29/06/2015 15:34:14 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	1000 label Biography information for Lord Hoyle

100587

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2014
	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	Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will bring forward the review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010.
	tabling member printed	Lord Black of Brentwood
	uin	HL2324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2014 answer text <p>The Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 are not due for review until after they have been in force for five years, which will be April 2015. However, Defra is beginning to gather evidence on the operation of the regulations now, with a view to completing the review by summer 2015.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 27/10/2014 17:50:36 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
	tabling member	4171 label Biography information for Lord Black of Brentwood

830501

	registered interest
	date	25/01/2018
	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	Water: Theft
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the problem of water theft in the UK’s water industry.
	tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
	uin	HL5109
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2018 answer text <p>Based on information provided by water companies, the Environment Agency assesses that around 3% of water put into public supply is used and not paid for. This includes water taken legally and water that is stolen. Water taken legally includes public supplies for which no charge is made, such as firefighting and training.</p><p> </p><p>The ratio of the 3% taken legally to illegally is unknown.</p><p> </p><p>Companies can take action through the courts against water thieves. For example, in September 2017, Thames Water took Kilgannon Street Care to court, who admitted 12 offences under the Water Industry Act 1991 and was ordered to pay more than £5,000 in fines and costs.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 02/02/2018 12:59:02 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

513900

	registered interest
	date	19/04/2016
	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	Water: Pollution Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to protect the UK's rivers, lakes and wetlands from agricultural pollution, and what assessment they have made of whether the water protection zones are being used effectively in this regard.
	tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
	uin	HL7774
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2016 answer text <p>Given that environmental protection is a devolved matter, I am replying in regard to the position in England.</p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to protecting and improving our water environment and supporting competitive agriculture. The recently published river basin management plans set out the actions that we will take over the next six years to improve water quality. The plans promote integrated catchment management and local decision making.</p><p> </p><p>We have a wide range of actions to tackle water pollution from agriculture ranging from advice, voluntary and incentivised rules to regulation. For example, there are regulations to reduce the risk of nitrate pollution in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.</p><p> </p><p>Building on these regulations, Countryside Stewardship supports farmers who want to do more than the legal requirements and good practice by providing £400 million in funding to helping improve water quality and to manage flood risk.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working towards better targeting of farm inspections with risk based enforcement that recognises good performance.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to Government action, the agricultural industry is playing its part by developing an offer, explaining how it will help farmers to better protect the water environment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All of this is underpinned by advice to farmers which is delivered through the Farming Advice Service and Catchment Sensitive Farming, £106 million has been invested through Catchment Sensitive Farming over the past 8 years to mitigate the impact of agricultural activities on the water environment</p><p> </p><p>Further actions at national and local level are planned. Defra recently consulted on new rules to address sediment and phosphate pollution from agriculture. The consultation proposed some clear, simple and basic rules for all farmers, which would make a contribution to further protecting the water environment. Ministers are considering how to proceed in light of this consultation.</p><p> </p><p>We are using a wide variety of measures to protect and improve our water environment. Water Protection Zones (WPZs) are a further tool. The Government is currently considering what further action will be required to meet the conservation objectives for our most precious protected sites. This will consider the full range of mechanisms, including WPZs.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 29/04/2016 13:06:01 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

418611

	registered interest
	date	14/09/2015
	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	Water: Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current state of the monitoring in the United Kingdom of the industrial chemicals present in groundwater and river water, in particular pseudo-oestrogens (xenoestrogens) and those substances itemised in Directive 2008/105/EC.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Hanworth
	uin	HL2203
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2015 answer text <p>In England, the Environment Agency has an extensive monitoring network over both surface and groundwaters, to comply with European groundwater legislation (2006/118/EC) and requirements under the EU Priority Substances Directive (2008/105/EC and its update, 2013/39/EU). It monitors surface waters for priority substances (set at EU level), and also certain other chemicals of a national, but not European, concern.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency are developing a programme to monitor priority substances that accumulate in biota (e.g. in fish or shellfish) at a number of freshwater sites in England.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency is shortly to start contributing to the European-wide surveillance of a number of emerging substances of concern (the watch list) required under Directive 2013/39/EU.<strong> </strong>This monitoring will include the xenoestrogen ethinyloestradiol.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 22/09/2015 16:01:07 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	2648 label Biography information for Viscount Hanworth

484851

	registered interest
	date	23/03/2016
	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	Water: Pollution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the levels of pollution in (1) drinking water, (2) river water, and (3) coastal waters, caused by chemicals used in medications which are resistant to present purification techniques
	tabling member printed	Lord Tebbit
	uin	HL7357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2016 answer text <p>The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) published research in 2012 to assess the levels of pollution caused by a range of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs found in source waters, such as rivers, abstracted for drinking water and the comparative levels after water treatment. Over a year, substances were measured at four sites. Results agreed with similar studies and concentrations in English surface waters are generally low and below 1 microgramme per litre (1 μg/L). Levels of pharmaceuticals and drugs in drinking waters after treatment were generally significantly lower than those found in surface waters. This indicates that the drinking water treatment systems used in England and Wales are effective at removing these contaminants. The study concluded that the presence of low levels of pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs in drinking waters in England and Wales do not pose an appreciable risk to human health.</p><p> </p><p>There is evidence that widely used pharmaceuticals are detected at low concentrations in sewage effluent and receiving surface waters. Due to a lack of good quality toxicity data for many of these substances to assess reliably risks to aquatic wildlife that may be exposed to them, research is underway in the UK, at European level and by the pharmaceutical industry to characterise the risks better. This includes a Chemical Investigations Programme, undertaken by England’s water companies, where significant investment is being made to investigate around 20 substances from 2015-2017. Reported data will improve our understanding of the contamination of surface waters due to these chemicals and information will contribute to assessment of the risk posed to, or via the aquatic environment.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the UK is participating in a European monitoring network of surface water sites on a ‘watch list’ of contaminants and pharmaceuticals, including the active ingredient of the contraceptive pill, EE2. The Devolved Administrations are doing something similar. Data will inform the Commission’s selection of future priority substances requiring control, and the chemical status of the EU’s surface waters with respect to these chemicals.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 05/04/2016 09:51:04 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	952 label Biography information for Lord Tebbit