Show Search Form

Search Results

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

Search

1050086

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2019
	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	Litter
	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 funding his Department has allocated directly to (a) Keep Britain Tidy and (b) other anti-litter initiatives in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	213350
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2019 answer text <p>The following table sets out the grant funding allocated to Keep Britain Tidy from 2010 to 2015:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Grant </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>£4.75 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>£4 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>£3.5 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>£2.25 million</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014-15</p></td><td><p>£0.5 million</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>After 2015, no funding was specifically allocated to Keep Britain Tidy, but it has successfully bid for a number of litter-related contracts:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Project</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Contract value </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>Analysis of Local Environment Quality Survey for England data 2014-15</p></td><td><p>£29,986</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>Survey of roadside litter on trunk roads other than motorways</p></td><td><p>£79,000</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>Economic valuation of the non-market benefits of dealing with specific types of litter that a Deposit Return Scheme in England would help to overcome</p></td><td><p>£41,525</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Keep Britain Tidy was also awarded the following grant funding towards the delivery of national clear-up days in 2015-18:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Grant </strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015 (Community Clear-Up Day)</p></td><td><p>£9,500</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016 (Clean for the Queen)</p></td><td><p>£9,500</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017 (Great British Spring Clean)</p></td><td><p>£10,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>In 2017, we also launched the £450,000 Litter Innovation Fund (jointly funded by Defra and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government), to pilot, implement and evaluate small scale local research projects that could be replicated more widely. The Fund was open to applications from councils, community groups, campaign groups and small/medium-sized enterprises. A total of £122,449 was awarded to 13 projects in the first round, including 4 awards to Keep Britain Tidy, totaling £39,717. Full details of all the first-round awards are available online at:</p><p><a href="http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/litter-innovation-fund" target="_blank">http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/litter-innovation-fund</a></p><p>Defra has spent the following amounts on the development of the national anti-littering campaign (none of this funding was paid to Keep Britain Tidy).</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Purpose</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-2017</p></td><td><p>Initial scoping and research</p></td><td><p>£15,868</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-2018</p></td><td><p>Development of campaign and partnership strategy and stakeholder research, as well as testing and development of a campaign identify</p></td><td><p>£124,412</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-2019</p></td><td><p>Campaign branding, creative assets and launch.</p></td><td><p>£50,000</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Since 2015, Defra has also provided £5,000 per year to the Marine Conservation Society to carry out beach cleaning at priority beaches.</p><p>No funding has been allocated to other anti-litter initiatives.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 31/01/2019 11:48:08 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

445513

	registered interest
	date	18/01/2016
	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	Sheep Meat: Prices
	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 she will take steps to ensure that (a) abattoirs processing sheep use the standardised carcase classification or EUROP grid and (b) mandatory deadweight price reporting for such carcases is introduced.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	22939
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2016 answer text <p>Defra and the devolved administrations (DA) are contributing to the Commission’s ongoing review of regulations on carcase classification and price reporting as part of the EU Commission’s legislation simplification programme. We aim to ensure that UK farmers are not disadvantaged and that no unnecessary burdens are placed on the industry.</p><br /><p>In addition, the Commissioner has established a series of workshops on the future of the sheep industry in the European Union. This forum provides an opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues relevant to the industry, including carcase classification and price reporting. Defra and the DAs are fully engaged in these discussions.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 25/01/2016 15:49:56 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

457532

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2016
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 changes the Government has made to the Basic Payment Scheme claims process; and what assessment the Government has made of the effect of those changes on the performance of that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	29764
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2016 answer text <p>The new Common Agricultural Policy has widely been acknowledged as being more complex and the Rural Payments Agency has had to implement new systems and processes. In the first year of the Basic Payment Scheme, as of 23 February, 70,880 farmers, just over 81% of all eligible claims, have received their 2015 payments, bringing the total paid out for the scheme to £1.11 billion.</p><p>The Rural Payments Agency has already indicated that for 2016 there will be an online Basic Payment Scheme application process supported by online land and entitlement transfers. There will also be a paper application form for those that need it. The agency will work with farmers and agents to support them to submit their applications by the deadline of midnight on Monday 16 May.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/03/2016 09:48:32 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

457533

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2016
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what date she plans to announce the Basic Payment Scheme claims process for 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	29765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency is launching the 2016 claim period at the beginning of March and will work with farmers and agents to support them to submit their applications by the deadline of midnight on Monday 16 May.</p><p>The Rural Payments Agency has already indicated that for 2016 there will be an online Basic Payment Scheme application process supported by online land and entitlement transfers. There will be a paper application form for those that need it.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/03/2016 09:52:08 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

457534

	registered interest
	date	03/03/2016
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 the Government is taking to ensure (a) people who have not received payments from the Basic Payment Scheme for 2015 will receive those payments by the end of March 2016 and (b) all claimants of that scheme will receive information on how payments have been calculated.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	29763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/03/2016 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency is working to pay the remainder of farmers their Basic Payment Scheme claims as promptly as possible and is aiming to make almost all payments by the end of March. The Secretary of State and I have regular conversations with the CEO of the agency about progress. The agency has been communicating with farmers who have not yet received their payments. Going forward the agency will keep them updated about the likely timing of their payment until they are paid.</p><p>The Rural Payments Agency will support every payment with a paper explanatory claim statement and guidance on how payments have been calculated. These statements started to be issued in February and will continue to go out throughout March.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 08/03/2016 09:36:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

513600

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	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	Litter: Fixed Penalties
	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 she plans to commence Section 154 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, on fixed penalty notices for leaving litter.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	34309
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2016 answer text <p>No timetable has been set for when Section 154 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 will be commenced.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has announced plans for a new litter strategy and we are working with industry, experts and councils across England to improve the way we all tackle the scourge of litter. The litter strategy will promote affordable and replicable ways to influence littering behaviour and reduce littering. This will include work on ways to deal with littering from vehicles.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 27/04/2016 12:15:24 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

513638

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 farmers in Stafford constituency who are eligible for payments under the Basic Payments Scheme 2015 had not been paid by 31 March 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	34305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2016 answer text <p>As of 31 March 2016, the Rural Payments Agency had paid 168 (80%) of the 211 eligible Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims received in Stafford constituency. To date 191 had been paid and the agency has announced that those customers who do not receive a claim payment in April will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be around half of their claim value.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 34306 question first answered 27/04/2016 13:33:30 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

513639

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2016
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 payments under the Basic Payments Scheme 2015 had not been made to farmers in Stafford constituency by the Rural Payments Agency by 31 March 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	34306
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2016 answer text <p>As of 31 March 2016, the Rural Payments Agency had paid 168 (80%) of the 211 eligible Basic Payment Scheme 2015 claims received in Stafford constituency. To date 191 had been paid and the agency has announced that those customers who do not receive a claim payment in April will be provided a bridging payment. Bridging payments will be around half of their claim value.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 34305 question first answered 27/04/2016 13:33:30 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

720452

	registered interest
	date	13/04/2017
	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	Food Supply
	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 the UK food self-sufficiency was in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013, (d) 2014, (e) 2015 and (f) 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	70370
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2017 answer text <p>In the most recently published figures from Agriculture in the UK, production to supply ratio for all food is 61 per cent, and for indigenous food 76 per cent. These figures have been relatively constant over the previous 10 years.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>All food %</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Indigenous type food %</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>78</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>63</p></td><td><p>77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>73</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>62</p></td><td><p>76</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>61</p></td><td><p>76</p></td></tr></tbody></table></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>The next publication of Agriculture in the UK will be on 25 May 2017 and this will include the 2016 production to supply figures.</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/04/2017 15:40:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

909155

	registered interest
	date	21/05/2018
	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	Developing Countries: Sustainable Development
	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 plans his Department has to contribute to the UK's Voluntary National Review of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals to be presented in 2019 at the High Level Political Forum of the United Nations.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	146235
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2018 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development PQ 146233.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 30/05/2018 11:17:11 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

92986

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2014
	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	Floods: Stafford
	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 flood prevention measures have been undertaken in Stafford constituency in the last three years; and how many staff of (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency were employed on those measures.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	210220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>Defra staff work on flood prevention at a strategic level across England rather than being allocated to specific locations such as Stafford.</p><p>The Environment Agency carries out various tasks to reduce flood risk from main rivers through Stafford. It has a field team of four people based at Uttoxeter, who carry out all routine maintenance and provide an incident response capability for Staffordshire, which includes Stafford.</p><p>In the past three years (2011 onwards) the Environment Agency has carried out the following works:</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Location</p></td><td><p>Work</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sandyford Brook</p><p> </p></td><td><p>Yearly routine maintenance programme which includes clearing and maintaining flood risk management structures along the watercourse.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>River Sow</p><p> </p></td><td><p>1. Routine inspection of the flood risk management structures and removal of objects such as trees that pose a flood risk.</p><p>2. Old timber capping boards replaced.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rising Brook and Kingston Brook</p><p> </p></td><td><p>Routine inspection of the flood risk management structures and removal of objects such as trees that pose a flood risk.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Stafford flood scheme</p></td><td><p>Yearly routine maintenance programme which includes clearing and maintaining flood management assets along the watercourse.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><br><br></p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 20/10/2014 16:31:07 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

964591

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 plans as a result of extreme weather conditions to instruct the Rural Payments Agency to make advance payments or bridging loans to farmers who will not have received their 2018 BPS by 31 December 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	169357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is fully focussed on getting Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2018 payments issued promptly. Given the prescriptive EU requirements in making advance payments, RPA will concentrate on making payments from the opening of the payment window in December. In addition we are reviewing options, such as bringing forward bridging payments, for those BPS claimants who will not have received their BPS 2018 payments in December.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 06/09/2018 10:30:54 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

964592

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	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	Grazing Land
	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 grant farmers flexibility in allowing livestock to graze land which is not normally permitted for grazing because of the short supply of bedding and grazing.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	169358
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>Three variations or derogations from EU law have been granted or are under active discussion in Brussels in relation to grazing. First, some member states have secured permission to allow the grazing of Ecological Focus Area (EFA) Fallow Land. This derogation is not relevant in England as we already allow the grazing of such land after 1 July each year.</p><p> </p><p>The UK was the first Member State to raise a concern with the European Commission over the difficulties farmers faced in establishing EFA catch crops by the required date of 20 August. Other Member States agreed with us and the Commission agreed that “force majeure” should apply in these circumstances, so we could waive any penalties for farmers for non-compliance with EU law.</p><p> </p><p>The third possibility relates to the small areas of land that have been declared as EFA Winter Cover Crops for the purposes of the EU Greening requirements. This green cover must be present from 1 October to at least 15 January and ordinarily must not be grazed. Because of the extreme weather conditions, the EU is considering waiving that rule for 2018 in suitably justified areas, and we have asked that England be listed amongst those countries eligible for this derogation. The change that we expect to secure this week will allow for grass and other herbaceous forage to be grown in those areas, rather than the usual restrictive list of plant species, and for those areas to be grazed.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 06/09/2018 16:59:17 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

964593

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	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	Agricultural Products: Republic of 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 discussions he has had with the Irish Government on its plans to reintroduce a subsidy on the import of forage and bedding; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such a subsidy on the supply of forage and bedding within the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Stafford
	tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
	uin	169359
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2018 answer text <p>Farmers in the UK, Ireland and across northern Europe have experienced a difficult time this year with the hot, dry weather. The impacts are likely to be most severely felt by the grazing livestock due to the shortage of grass.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is clear that the main impact of the recent drought conditions is likely to be felt by livestock farmers facing a shortage of fodder and that the full extent of the impacts may not be realised until later in the year. We have prioritised practical solutions to help farmers increase access to fodder and bedding both now and in the coming months. These actions will help farmers to limit the impact of extra feed costs by allocating land to forage growth and grazing, but we will keep the situation under review.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Particular measures the Government has taken to help farmers are:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li><p>We have clarified that English farmers, unlike farmers in other EU countries where derogations have been sought, have been able to use fallow land for grazing since 1 July. That is because our legislation reflects what we consider to be the minimum EU requirement.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>We were the first Member State to raise a concern with the Commission to establish Ecological Focus Area (EFA) catch crops by 20 August: Other Member States agreed with us and the Commission agreed that “force majeure” would apply in these circumstances, so we could waive penalties for farmers in this situation.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>We are seeking a derogation from the requirement to sow only certain seed types which are unpalatable to livestock in EFA areas as catch crop. The derogation we expect to secure this week will allow for grass and herbaceous forage to be grown in those areas, and those areas to be grazed.</p><p> </p></li><li><p>On Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship and forestry legacy agreements farmers are able to ask Natural England to agree a temporary variation to the agreement conditions, either as an Environmental Stewardship Derogation (to date, over 100 have been granted) or a Countryside Stewardship Minor and Temporary Adjustment (over 30 have so far been granted).</p></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>I will monitor whether the fodder import scheme that has been introduced in Ireland has an appreciable effect on supplies of fodder and bedding within the UK. We have also made the point to the European Commission that whilst the UK is committed to working to identify appropriate responses to this year’s weather impacts, these should not interfere with the normal functioning of the market or obscure the focus of farmers in mitigating weather impacts.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 170407 170412 170415 question first answered 06/09/2018 16:58:52 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy