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1202615

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what is their policy and detailed programme on badger culling and other means of controlling tuberculosis in badgers over the next five years.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL5514
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to the goal of achieving Officially Free bovine TB status for the whole of England by 2038.</p><p> </p><p>On 5 March 2020, the Government published its response to Professor Sir Charles Godfray's 2018 review of England's bovine TB eradication strategy, setting out the priorities for the next phase of the strategy around three key priorities.</p><p> </p><p>We will provide funding to accelerate the research and trial work necessary to authorise the BCG vaccine for use in cattle alongside a test that can differentiate between vaccinated cattle and those with the disease. Our aim is to have a deployable cattle vaccine within the next five years. Vaccination will never provide full protection but could significantly reduce the spread of the disease both between cattle and between cattle herds and wildlife. The UK can harness its world-leading science in developing solutions such as vaccination that would also be valuable to other countries.</p><p> </p><p>Secondly, we will also begin an exit strategy from intensive badger culling, while ensuring that wildlife control remains an option where the epidemiological evidence supports it (i.e. areas where badgers pose a significant source of TB infection). We intend to pilot government-funded badger vaccination in at least one area where the four-year cull cycle has concluded, with simultaneous surveillance of disease. We envisage that any remaining areas would join the current cull programme in the next few years and that the badger cull phase of the strategy would then wind down by the mid to late 2020s.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to support badger vaccination projects in areas where the prevalence of disease is low. We will also investigate the potential for projects where adjacent vaccination and culling could complement each other in controlling disease. Changes to our guidance to Natural England on licensing badger control will be subject to consultation.</p><p> </p><p>Thirdly, we will invest in the deployment of better, more frequent, and more diverse cattle testing, so that we are able to detect the presence of the disease earlier and remove it from cattle herds faster. The frequency of mandatory surveillance testing in two high risk area counties – Shropshire and Staffordshire – will increase from annual to six-monthly as soon as the COVID-19 situation allows. We expect this to be extended across the high risk area from 2021.</p><p> </p><p>There is no single answer to tackling the scourge of bovine TB but by deploying a range of policy interventions, we can turn the tide on this terrible disease and achieve our long-term objective of eradicating it by 2038.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 24/06/2020 10:27:14 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

1199287

registered interest
date	02/06/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Dairy Farming: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide an economic assistance package for sheep and goat milk producers whose markets have been disrupted by COVID-19.
tabling member printed	The Duke of Montrose
uin	HL5047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>We continue to monitor the impact of the coronavirus disruption on all sectors and dairy producers and are committed to providing support. Dairy producers are eligible for a range of support, including the Covid-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. The Bounce Back Loan Scheme will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans with a Government 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 16/06/2020 16:55:30 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	1922 label Biography information for The Duke of Montrose

1197847

registered interest
date	21/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Fruit and Vegetables: Production
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the availability of a diverse range of UK-grown vegetables and fruit in areas local to their production.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the crucial role the UK's horticulture industry plays in both feeding the country and in promoting people's health and wellbeing. The UK has the climate, the landscape, and entrepreneurial farmers and growers to enable us to produce world-class fruit and vegetables.</p><p> </p><p>We are proud of our growing food reputation. Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), whether they be for beef from Scotland, lamb from Wales or asparagus from the Vale of Evesham in England, play an important role as exemplars of our quality produce. We are committed to celebrating the success of these regional and traditional products whose authenticity and origin can be guaranteed, along with driving further market access to make sure they are enjoyed here and around the world.</p><p> </p><p>We will always champion our farmers and growers, supporting them to grow more of our great British food and to provide a reliable and sustainable food supply to the British public. This includes through using powers under our landmark Agriculture Bill, and through our work with the Food and Drink Sector Council, a formal industry partnership with the Government, helping to create a more productive and sustainable food and drink sector.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. Half of the food we eat is produced in the UK. The rest of our food is imported, with 30% coming from the EU and 20% from other countries. The UK's current production to supply ratio is 75% for indigenous-type foods and 61% for all foods. We produce 61% - 75% of our food supply, but some of that is exported.</p><p> </p><p>Under the current EU State Aid rules we have been unable to promote our home produced food and drink to the domestic market in Government sponsored campaigns nationally. However, we continue to work with regional food groups to showcase their top-quality produce locally; tying this up where we can with stakeholder initiatives (such as those of the AHDB), focussing on provenance and the UKs world-leading standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 05/06/2020 12:33:51 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1197882

registered interest
date	21/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Bees: Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, following World Bee Day on 20 May, to raise awareness of the (1) importance of bees in the survival of ecosystems, and (2) role they play in the process of pollination; and what impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the beekeeping sector.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL4847
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Awareness raising</p><p> </p><p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only. Protecting pollinators is a priority for the Government. Pollinators are an essential part of our environment and play a crucial role in food production through pollination. The Government supports two major events to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators and to encourage people to take action.</p><p> </p><p>Firstly, there is our ‘Bees’ Needs’ campaign, which we run with our many partners to raise awareness of the steps we can all take to protect pollinators. Under current circumstances, we shall celebrate Bees’ Needs Week online this year, from 13 to 19 July. We encourage everyone across the country to get involved, to share their own stories and to find out more about the importance of pollinators and how they can support them.</p><p> </p><p>Defra also organises, in partnership with the Green Flag Awards, Championing the Farmed Environment and the Bee Farmers’ Association, an annual Bees’ Needs Champions Awards to recognise and celebrate examples of exemplary initiatives undertaken by schools, local authorities, community groups, farmers and businesses to support pollinators.</p><p> </p><p>Our awareness-raising work is a key objective of the National Pollinator Strategy, a ten-year plan which sets out how the Government, conservation groups, farmers, beekeepers and researchers can work together to improve the status of pollinating insects in England.</p><p> </p><p>Beekeeping sector</p><p> </p><p>Honey bee hives in the UK are managed by hobbyist beekeepers and bee farmers. Guidance with respect to beekeeping in relation to COVID-19 was published on the National Bee Unit’s BeeBase website in March. The guidance highlighted the importance of beekeepers acting responsibly and ensuring that they continued good beekeeping practices, effective stock management and health checks while respecting Government guidance on social distancing. Some beekeepers rely on being able to import queens and current indications are that COVID-19 does not appear to have had a significant impact on imports.</p><p> </p><p>Training courses and beekeeping events provided by the Government and beekeeping groups have been cancelled. It is difficult to mitigate the effects of this but we are making efforts to develop additional online resources available to beekeepers. Our inspectors are able to continue their vital work of inspecting apiaries to target bee pests and diseases. Social distancing can be maintained as inspectors work outdoors and do not have to be in close proximity to the beekeeper.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 04/06/2020 12:32:12 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1197786

registered interest
date	20/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Agricultural Products: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government where they intend to establish border control posts in Northern Ireland.
tabling member printed	Lord Empey
uin	HL4764
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The Northern Ireland Protocol was designed as a practical solution to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland, whilst ensuring that the UK, including Northern Ireland, could leave the EU as a whole. In implementing the Protocol, the Government’s top priority remains protecting Northern Ireland’s place in our United Kingdom, and preserving the huge gains from the peace process and the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst the Protocol is in force, both the UK and EU must respect and abide by the legal obligations it contains, as well as our other international law obligations.</p><p> </p><p>The Protocol will require changes to provide for agrifood checks and assurance as goods move into Northern Ireland, building on the provisions that already exist to support the Single Epidemiological Unit on the island of Ireland. This will include a need for agrifood goods from Great Britain to enter Northern Ireland via a Border Control Post (BCP), designated for the type of goods it will handle.</p><p> </p><p>As set out in the Command Paper on <em>The UK’s Approach to the Northern Ireland Protocol </em>published on 20 May, the Government is taking forward this work with the Northern Ireland Executive. We have already confirmed that existing BCP designations at Belfast Port, Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Airport and Warrenpoint Port will be maintained.</p><p> </p><p>At a minimum we expect to expand the categories of commodities that can be handled at Belfast Port, and to designate Larne Port for live animal imports. Checks are already currently carried out at Larne on all livestock entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain, but the existing facility does not currently have formal EU approval. Subject to further work with the Northern Ireland Executive and delivery partners, further designations may also be required at other existing sites. There will be no construction at points of entry where no plant or animal health checks are currently carried out.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 04/06/2020 12:18:19 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4216 label Biography information for Lord Empey

1197222

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Supermarkets: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have put in place for blind and partially sighted people to have priority for supermarket online delivery slots.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
uin	HL4691
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has been working closely with local authorities, retailers, food businesses and charities to ensure that blind and partially sighted people have access to the food and essential goods that they need.</p><p> </p><p>We have published guidance online that explains what steps people can take if they are unable to access food. This guidance has been shared with local authorities, retailers and charities to help them respond to enquiries from those seeking help. The guidance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-accessing-food-and-essential-supplies.</p><p> </p><p>Various sight loss charities are working directly with some of the major supermarkets to take forward some practical initiatives to help people with sight loss to access supermarkets.</p><p> </p><p>This crisis has seen a surge in community spirit not seen in many decades, with grassroots support networks springing up all over the country. There are many local community groups who can help, as well as local shops which may be able to provide orders for delivery (by phone or by email). Many local authorities are now publicising such initiatives on their Covid-19 websites and through their Covid-19 helplines.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, over 600,000 people are now registered as NHS Volunteer Responders. Verified volunteer responders can receive tasks to help those in their communities, including through shopping for vulnerable people for food and essential supplies. Health and care professionals and approved charities (including Citizens Advice and Age UK) are now able to refer vulnerable individuals into the system to receive support from volunteers.</p><p> </p><p>Further, it is now possible for individuals to self-refer for assistance from the NHS Volunteer Responders, if they consider themselves to be vulnerable and in need of support.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 03/06/2020 14:59:29 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

1196866

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Livestock: Hormone Treatments
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble n 15 May (HL3775), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, why they have adopted the EU's legislation on the use of growth hormones in food production; and what caused the change in policy held by previous governments on that legislation within the Council of European Agricultural Ministers.
tabling member printed	Lord Jopling
uin	HL4577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>As a Member State, the UK fulfilled its obligations of EU membership and implemented EU Council Directive 96/22/EC (as amended) into domestic law. UK policy was always to implement EU law as required.</p><p> </p><p>Although the UK expressed some concerns with the robustness of the scientific evidence underpinning the EU ban at the time, it has always been fully implemented in the UK and this will continue, now we have left the EU.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 02/06/2020 11:26:28 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	883 label Biography information for Lord Jopling

1196940

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Trees: Disease Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to protect the UK from the import of (1) oak processionary moth, (2) emerald ash borer, and (3) Xylella fastidiosa.
tabling member printed	Lord Framlingham
uin	HL4650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government has established UK Preparedness Boards for both Xylella fastidiosa and the emerald ash borer (EAB), chaired by the Chief Plant Health Officer, to monitor and mitigate risks and to ensure a swift and effective response should either enter the UK.</p><p> </p><p>On 21 April, Defra also introduced new national measures to impose more stringent import requirements to protect the UK from these threats.</p><p> </p><p>For Xylella, the import of Coffea and Polygala myrtifolia species is now prohibited, due to a high disease rate in these species, and stronger import requirements have been introduced for other high-risk hosts including olive, almond, Nerium oleander, lavender and rosemary.</p><p> </p><p>For the EAB, there are stronger controls on countries within 100km of confirmed outbreak areas. This includes the removal of an option in EU legislation to remove the bark and sapwood to a depth of 2.5cm for all countries regulated for EAB.</p><p> </p><p>In relation to oak processionary moth (OPM), restrictions on oak tree imports were tightened in 2019, so that imports of all oaks from outside Europe are prohibited and the import of large oaks (which are susceptible to OPM) from Europe is prohibited, unless they originate in a pest-free area or a country where OPM is not known to occur, or have been grown under physical protection throughout their life.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 27/05/2020 13:14:54 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	134 label Biography information for Lord Framlingham

1195935

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of the food in parcels being distributed to those shielding from COVID-19 in England is ultra-processed food.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2020 answer text <p>There is no universally agreed description for ultra-processed foods and therefore the Government cannot comment on the percentage of such in the food parcels. The contents of the emergency food parcels have, however, been reviewed by nutritionists as overall based on, and broadly in line with, the national food model, the Eatwell Guide.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 28/05/2020 12:14:29 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1195957

registered interest
date	14/05/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Supermarkets: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the ability of supermarkets to identify vulnerable people to ensure that they are able to arrange food deliveries, and (2) the concerns raised by many disabled people that personal information may be sold on via marketing companies.
tabling member printed	Baroness Grey-Thompson
uin	HL4503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/05/2020 answer text <p>Defra works closely with supermarkets to ensure that people who have registered with the Government as extremely clinically vulnerable, and have indicated that they need help to access food, are supported by offering them emergency food parcels provided by the Government.</p><p> </p><p>Supermarkets have been working at pace to expand the total number of delivery and click and collect slots for people in the wider non-shielded vulnerable category.</p><p> </p><p>Data has been made available to supermarkets on a strictly limited and controlled basis for the purpose of helping vulnerable people; supermarkets cannot contact anyone who does not have an account with them and individuals’ data will not be passed anywhere apart from to participating supermarkets. We have written agreements in place governing the sharing, use and retention of data. This precludes the sale of data that has been shared with them, or its use in any way contrary to the purpose under which it is shared.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 29/05/2020 09:22:08 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	3862 label Biography information for Baroness Grey-Thompson