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1717523

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2024
	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	Agriculture
	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 NFU's report entitled Farming for Britain's Future, published in December 2023, what steps his Department has taken to increase confidence within the agricultural industry.
	tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
	uin	25817
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>In 2020 we published the Agricultural Transition Plan (ATP), setting out our plan for farmers, allowing them to make business planning decisions with confidence. Since then, we have launched our reforms, aiming to give farmers more choice and ensuring there are offers available for all farm types and locations. This includes the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and our Innovation and Productivity schemes such as the Farming Investment Fund (FIF).</p><p> </p><p>We also continue to expand and improve our offers in response to farmers’ feedback. Recently, the Government has confirmed farmers will benefit from the improved SFI from July this year, following the announcement by the Environment Secretary Steve Barclay in January. The improved offer includes a 10% increase in the average value of agreements in SFI and Countryside Stewardship (CS); a streamlined single application process for farmers to apply for the SFI and CS Mid-Tier; and around 50 new actions that farmers can get paid for.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, to aid the transition, and to give farmers confidence in their choices and the best chance of benefiting from our reforms we are also providing support via the Future Farming Resilience Fund. This fund is designed to provide free business support to farmers and land managers in England during the early years of the agricultural transition.</p><p> </p><p>Lastly, on 14 May 2024 we published our Blueprint for Growing the UK Fruit and Vegetable Sector, which aims to boost production of fresh produce and reduce reliance on imports. This is backed by our new Horticulture Resilience and Growth Offer, where Defra will look to double to £80m the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses when compared to the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, which will be replaced from 2026 onwards. We are also unlocking the opportunities of gene editing with £15m investment into Genetic Improvement Networks, helping to boost access to more resilient crop varieties, that require fewer inputs and cut farmer costs.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 15:53:57 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1715602

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2024
	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	Sustainable Farming Incentive
	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 data her Department holds on the proportion of applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive made in the last 12 months in which more than (a) 25%, (b) 50% and (c) 75% of the applicant's holding was focused on uses other than food production.
	tabling member constituency	Scarborough and Whitby
	tabling member printed	Sir Robert Goodwill
	uin	24629
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>In the last 12 months data shows that the proportion of all applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive by the applicant's holding where they focused on uses other than food production is shown in the table below (this includes land that was not in food production previously and regardless to the status of the application).</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Not in Food Production</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Proportion Applications</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Between 25% and 50%</p></td><td><p>0.24%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Between 50% and 75%</p></td><td><p>0.64%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Greater than 75%</p></td><td><p>3.79%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>On the 26 March we introduced a “25% of your holding limit” on 6 SFI actions, these 6 were actions that were designed to operate in tandem with food production – rather than instead of. The 25% limit still provides farmers with the flexibility to incorporate SFI actions into their farming systems and rotations. The majority of the SFI actions are not limited and enable farmers to produce food sustainably. Very few farmers were putting over 25% of their land into these non-food producing actions, however, we decided to act promptly before this became an issue. Industry and stakeholders worked with us on this – and welcomed the move.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 15:44:36 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill

1716686

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	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	Agriculture: Seaweed
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess the impacts, whether positive or negative, on biodiversity and nature recovery of the establishment of seaweed farms in coastal waters.
	tabling member printed	Lord Teverson
	uin	HL4490
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Marine Management Organisation assesses all licence applications for seaweed farms in its jurisdiction, including their potential impacts on the environment and other sea uses, on a case-by-case basis. More generally, research commissioned as part of Defra’s £37m marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme includes considering the services provided by farmed and wild kelp and impacts on the environment and people.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 15/05/2024 13:54:32 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	3789 label Biography information for Lord Teverson

1715608

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2024
	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	Agriculture: Floods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the financial cost to farmers of flooding in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Fylde
	tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
	uin	24644
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>In March, Defra published its <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Ffarm-business-income%2Ffarm-business-income-in-england-202324-forecast%23%3A~%3Atext%3DWith%2520the%2520exception%2520of%2520grazing%2Cmain%2520factors%2520influencing%2520farm%2520incomes.&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C0f4aacb2f8724db36b4408dc6eaad6e5%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638506927247958316%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ATVQi4RNIpatnP1OmnmwanforM72%2FUgrF9i9V1%2FxDSk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">forecasts</a> of Farm Business Income, a measure of profit, for 2023/24. These forecasts reflect changes to price, crop area and yield in 2023, but not the impact of more recent weather events. The results of the 2023/24 Farm Business Survey will be published in autumn 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The recent <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistics%2Fbalance-sheet-analysis-and-farming-performance-england%2Fbalance-sheet-analysis-and-farming-performance-england-202223-statistics-notice&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C0f4aacb2f8724db36b4408dc6eaad6e5%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638506927247971208%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=susXVl3appaG9Lsl9HGGBl%2BhTRmbjJREUw6%2FXrjfaKM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">‘Balance Sheet Analysis’</a> publication highlights that average liquidity in the sector has been consistently improving over the latest five years of data and reached a 10-year high in 2022/23. This indicates that farm businesses have been keeping back funds in recent profitable years to help sustain the business in less profitable periods.</p><p> </p><p>It is too early to make definitive conclusions on the impact of more recent weather events on farm profitability. We have no reliable forecasts of yields, largely as spring planting is still underway. Additionally, for many farmers any financial impact that arises will not be felt until later in 2024/25. On this basis we continue to work closely with stakeholders to enhance our monitoring of the wet weather and its impact on farms.</p><p> </p><p>In April, Defra opened the Farming Recovery Fund to offset the financial cost to some of the most impacted farm businesses by providing grants of up to £25,000 for uninsurable flood damage.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/05/2024 13:30:35 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1716464

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	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	Agriculture: Land Use
	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 progress she has made on allowing land identified as Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England to be used for food production without financial penalties for farmers.
	tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
	tabling member printed	Caroline Ansell
	uin	25300
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Locally significant historical and archaeological features identified by local authority Historic Environment officers that could potentially benefit from management under environmental land management schemes are placed on the Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (or SHINE).</p><p> </p><p>These irreplaceable features are often only on a part of a parcel and Government does not pay for any action that could cause them damage. Farmers may already be using this land for food production and many of these features are subject to environmental land management scheme actions which either cause no harm or can directly benefit them.</p><p> </p><p>In 2022 we changed the process so that we could allow for the areas containing sensitive heritage features to be separated out from the remaining field area.</p><p> </p><p>We want to ensure that farmers have the maximum opportunities to be able to take part in our schemes and to that end will work with our partners to refine both SHINE data and SFI actions. We also expect to introduce further actions that allow for management of SHINE features under the Sustainable Farming Incentive later in the year.</p><p> </p><p>We will hold a roundtable discussion in due course to address the issues raised.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 13:21:17 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4512 label Biography information for Caroline Ansell

1716056

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT
	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 guidance by the Central Digital and Data Office entitled Guidance on the Legacy IT Risk Assessment Framework, published on 29 September 2023, how many red-rated IT systems are used by his Department; and how many red-rated IT systems have been identified since 4 December 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Reading East
	tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
	uin	25015
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a framework to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain assets within the IT estate. Departments have committed to have remediation plans in place for these systems by next year (2025). It is not appropriate to release sensitive information held about specific, red-rated systems or more detailed plans for remediation within Defra’s IT estate, as this information could indicate which systems are at risk and may highlight potential security vulnerabilities.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 13:06:15 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1716081

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Pesticides
	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 (a) monitor and (b) ensure compliance with pesticide regulations.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	24994
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>A pesticide may only be placed on the market in GB if the product has been authorised by the GB regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), following a thorough scientific risk assessment, that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised. Pesticide authorisations normally set conditions on the use of the pesticide. Pesticide users are also required to have relevant training and for the equipment they use to be tested regularly.</p><p> </p><p>The HSE undertakes compliance and enforcement activities, to ensure that where pesticides are used, they are used safely and in accordance with the law. The supply of professional pesticide products and the use of pesticides in agriculture, horticulture, and parts of the amenity sector is enforced by HSE’s Pesticide Enforcement Officers, following a risk-based approach to compliance established under the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:41:38 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1716104

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Hedges and Ditches: Regulation
	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 guidance his Department has issued on how the new regulations on hedge cutting apply to commercial hedgelaying.
	tabling member constituency	Mole Valley
	tabling member printed	Sir Paul Beresford
	uin	24845
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Subject to Parliamentary approval, the hedge-cutting rules in the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 will apply to commercial hedge-laying only where it takes place on agricultural land. The Rural Payments Agency as regulator will provide advice and guidance to all those who will need to comply with these new regulations. Full guidance will also be published on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:40:46 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	103 label Biography information for Sir Paul Beresford

1716154

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Tree Planting: Expenditure
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on tree planting in each year since 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
	tabling member printed	Tim Farron
	uin	24877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Data on tree-specific funding is only available from 2020, when the Nature for Climate Tree Programme was established. Since then, Defra has had a capital spend (CDEL) of £232 million on planting trees in England. The spending on tree planting in each year since 2020 is shown below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>20/21</p></td><td><p>21/22</p></td><td><p>22/23</p></td><td><p>23/24</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total Spend (£m)</p></td><td><p>17.215</p></td><td><p>33.569</p></td><td><p>59.446</p></td><td><p>122.045</p></td><td><p>232.275</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Additionally, the planting of trees has also been funded by the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Since 2016, £120 million has been claimed under the scheme for planting and managing trees and for managing and enhancing woodlands.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 15/05/2024 12:35:18 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1716076

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Pesticides: Pollinators
	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 assessment he has made of the potential impact of permitted pesticides on pollinator populations in England.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	24993
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment.</p><p> </p><p>Defra funds research projects examining the impacts of pesticide use on honeybees and the environment. As part of the National Honey Monitoring Scheme, we fund the analysis of honey samples aimed at assessing levels of pesticides in honey across England, Wales, and Scotland. This provides an estimated level of honeybee exposure to pesticides across different land uses.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Defra contributes funding to the Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (POMS) which tracks changes in pollinator numbers, including the abundance of bees, hoverflies, and other flower-visiting insects across the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Pollinators are a priority for this government, and we are taking action alongside many partners to implement the National Pollinator Strategy’s provisions. The National Pollinator Strategy Action Plan was published in May 2022 and sets out more specifically how we will continue to act to fulfil the vision, aims and objectives of the Strategy, over the period 2021-2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:29:44 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1716072

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Agriculture: Pest Control
	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 support farmers to adopt (a) integrated pest management and (b) other alternative pest management approaches.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	24992
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The forthcoming UK National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) will set out Defra’s ambition to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. Within the NAP we will set out our policies to increase the uptake of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) across all sectors.</p><p> </p><p>We have not waited for the publication of the NAP to move forward with work to support sustainable pest management. We introduced new paid IPM actions within the SFI scheme in 2023. Farmers are now paid to complete an IPM assessment and produce an IPM plan; establish and maintain flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips; establish a companion crop and move towards insecticide-free farming. Paid actions for precision application of herbicides will be available from this year.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has recently funded a package of research projects that will bring together scientific evidence underpinning IPM to look at ways of further encouraging its uptake. This work will support farmers’ access to the most effective IPM tools available and ensure that we understand changing trends in pest threats across the UK.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:26:08 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1716226

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	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 he is taking to raise awareness of legal changes requiring the microchipping of cats by 10 June 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	25117
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>We have worked closely with animal welfare and veterinary stakeholders to develop and implement a co-ordinated communication strategy to raise awareness that owned cats over the age of 20 weeks will be required to be microchipped by 10 June this year. The strategy has included press releases and a visible social media campaign.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:22:31 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1716063

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Pesticides
	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 to publish the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	24991
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>We will publish the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) shortly. It will set out Defra’s ambition to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment and the actions that need to be taken to deliver those goals.</p><p> </p><p>We have not waited for the publication of the NAP to move forward with work to support sustainable pest management. Defra has recently funded a package of research projects that will bring together scientific evidence underpinning Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a sustainable way of managing pests, in order to look at ways of further encouraging its uptake. This work will support farmers’ access to the most effective IPM tools available and ensure that we understand changing trends in pest threats across the UK.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 12:22:22 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1716246

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Hunting: Crime
	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 estimate he has made of the scale of illegal hunting with dogs in (a) England and (b) Wales.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	25068
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the committing of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 15/05/2024 12:14:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1716069

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Agriculture: Floods
	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 financial support is available to farmers impacted by flooding who are not eligible for support under the Farming Recovery Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Southport
	tabling member printed	Damien Moore
	uin	25023
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>October 2023 to March 2024 was the second wettest six-month period on record in England; recorded rainfall was nearly 60% above the average of the last decade. The impacts on farm businesses are already evident in some sectors and are likely to extend through the year. In recognition of these events, Ministers are in discussions with our stakeholders about what further support is needed.</p><p> </p><p>On 9 April we opened the Farming Recovery Fund, which provides grants of between £500 and £25,000 to eligible farmers affected by the exceptional flooding. The fund provides farmers with support to recover from uninsurable damage caused by the flooding. We have listened and responded to feedback and have already removed the requirement for land affected to be within 150 metres of the main river, which will increase the number of farmers who are eligible.</p><p> </p><p>We are actively reviewing the eligible areas for the Fund in England, including the eligibility within the original nine local authority areas we announced.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/05/2024 12:08:05 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1716000

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Internal Drainage Boards: Finance
	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 his Department plans to announce the long-term funding solution for internal drainage boards.
	tabling member constituency	West Suffolk
	tabling member printed	Matt Hancock
	uin	24896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Internal drainage boards (IDBs) are mainly funded locally through drainage rates paid directly by agricultural landowners and special levies issued to district or unitary authorities.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and DLUCH are working together to review the funding pressures reported by IDBs and the contributing local authorities, to consider whether any changes to current funding arrangements may be needed in the future.</p><p> </p><p>For the current financial year, the Government has announced a £75 million fund, for IDBs to support agricultural land and rural communities recover from recent flooding events and modernise infrastructure to increase future resilience. In addition, the Government is providing an additional £3 million in grant funding to support local authorities most significantly impacted by the increase in special levies in 2024-25.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 15/05/2024 12:04:09 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
	tabling member	4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock

1716247

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Hunting: Anti-social Behaviour
	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 potential impact on rural communities in (a) Wales and (b) England of anti-social behaviour associated with hunting with dogs.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	25069
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Since the introduction of the Act, many hunt organisations across the country have worked hard to adapt their activities towards trail hunting, which is intended to retain important traditions as part of the fabric of rural life without harming wildlife. We recognise it is possible that dogs may on occasion pick up and follow the scent of live foxes. If this occurs, it is the responsibility of the dog owner to control their dog. Those found guilty under the Hunting Act are subject to the full force of the law, and enforcement is an operational matter for the police.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 15/05/2024 12:02:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1716248

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Environment: Northern Ireland
	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 discussions he has had with the Minister for the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	25070
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>Regular engagement with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs at Ministerial and official level is a priority for the Secretary of State and he will meet Minister Muir at his earliest convenience.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 15/05/2024 11:52:01 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1716249

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Forests and Wildlife: Crime
	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 progress he has made on implementing the recommendations included in the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime report entitled Wildlife and Forest Crime Analytic Toolkit Report, published in 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	25071
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>We welcomed the UN Office of Drugs and Crime report and the fact that it recognised the UK's global leadership in fighting wildlife and forestry crime. We invited the UN to undertake this analysis and we are proud to be the first G7 country to request this assessment.</p><p> </p><p>We have carefully considered all the recommendations of the report and they are informing our work to help us build on the positive progress we have already made in tackling wildlife crime. This will include strategic engagement with our partners that have responsibilities where individual recommendations are concerned such as the devolved administrations, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).</p><p> </p><p>Many of the resourcing recommendations fall outside of Defra's remit but progress has already been made in response to the report. For example, in 2022 Defra more than doubled its funding of the NWCU to £1.2 million for the three-year period from 2022 to 2025, compared to £495,000 in the three years previous. Additionally, Border Force has increased numbers in their team specialising in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 15/05/2024 11:45:27 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1715704

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2024
	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	Import Controls: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what instructions, if any, they have issued to (1) environmental health officers, and (2) other relevant officers, as to the future charging for port inspections on goods coming from Great Britain to Northern Ireland (a) in general, and (b) when the goods fail the inspection.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Hoey
	uin	HL4332
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2024 answer text <p>On 31 January 2024, the Government published the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. It set out proposals for a new UK internal market system, ensuring a permanent, smooth flow of goods within the UK’s internal market.</p><p> </p><p>Under this new system, there will be no checks on goods moving within the UK internal market system. Checks will only be conducted as part of a risk or intelligence-led approach to tackle issues like criminality, abuse of the system, smuggling and disease risks.</p><p> </p><p>Following the agreement of the Windsor Framework, the Border Target Operating Model sets out new arrangements for Irish goods and non-qualifying goods moving directly from the island of Ireland to GB from 31 January 2024. Physical checks on goods arriving at West Coast ports will not begin before Spring 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We will begin phasing in checks and controls for non-qualifying goods moving from the island of Ireland, while ensuring that Qualifying Northern Ireland Goods continue to have unfettered access to the GB market, whether those goods are moving directly from Northern Ireland to Great Britain or moving to Great Britain from Northern Ireland via Ireland.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 15/05/2024 10:55:36 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
	tabling member	210 label Biography information for Baroness Hoey

1716172

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Import Controls: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of consignments containing only medium or low-risk goods which were required to pay the Common User Charge entering the UK from the EU were subject to a physical inspection under the Border Target Operating Model between 30 April and 5 May 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
	tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
	uin	24905
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. It would be inappropriate for us to set out operational details like the exact inspection details from 30 April. Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out BTOM inspection rates.</p><p> </p><p>DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption at the border.</p><p> </p><p>This will allow the level of goods inspected at the border to be operationally manageable over the introductory stages.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 24904 question first answered 14/05/2024 17:11:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1716171

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2024
	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	Import Controls: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of consignments containing high-risk goods which were required to pay the Common User Charge entering the UK from the EU were subject to a physical inspection under the Border Target Operating Model between 30 April and 5 May 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Walthamstow
	tabling member printed	Stella Creasy
	uin	24904
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. It would be inappropriate for us to set out operational details like the exact inspection details from 30 April. Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out BTOM inspection rates.</p><p> </p><p>DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption at the border.</p><p> </p><p>This will allow the level of goods inspected at the border to be operationally manageable over the introductory stages.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 24905 question first answered 14/05/2024 17:11:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4088 label Biography information for Stella Creasy

1715600

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2024
	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	Sustainable Farming Incentive
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of land covered by applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive was tenanted farmland in the 2023-24 financial year.
	tabling member constituency	Scarborough and Whitby
	tabling member printed	Sir Robert Goodwill
	uin	24628
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra does not hold data on which land is tenanted and so the data for the proportion of land covered by applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive which was tenanted farmland in the 2023-24 financial year is not available.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 14/05/2024 17:05:52 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill

1715173

	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	Food: Import Controls
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of inspection fees on food from (a) Eastern Europe and (b) other countries under the Border Target Operating Model on the cost of food.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	24513
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Our analysis has shown a minimal impact on food prices and consumers. Our new risk-based model has been designed to minimise costs for traders and consumers. Government analysis estimates the cost of the new model to be £330m per annum overall, across all EU imports. Traders will save around £520m per annum versus the model originally proposed, while the inflationary impacts on food for consumers will be, at most, less than 0.2 percentage points over a 3-year period.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 14/05/2024 17:01:58 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1715537

	registered interest
	date	02/05/2024
	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	Dairy Products: Labelling
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Not for EU labelling requirements in the dairy sector on levels of (a) food and (b) packaging waste.
	tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
	tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
	uin	24731
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>A public consultation on not for EU labelling requirements was held earlier this year. The evidence is now being analysed and we expect to publish a response in due course. Excessive wastage of food or packaging were not raised as a significant concern in these responses or in any wider industry forums.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 14/05/2024 16:56:44 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan