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416267

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Timber: EU Law
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 she is taking to ensure that wood or paper products from illegal or unsustainable timber sources are not being sold or used in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	8658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our efforts in these areas were reflected in WWF’s 2014 ‘EU Government Barometer’ on illegal logging and trade, where we received the highest score of all the EU Member States, see:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://barometer.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/government_barometer/" target="_blank">http://barometer.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/government_barometer</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy requires central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:35:25 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

416273

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Timber: EU Action
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 make it her policy to (a) back amendments to the EU Timber Regulation so that it covers all timber and wood products and (b) support at a European level proposals by the World Wild Fund for Nature to enable a market in 100 per cent sustainable timber by 2020.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
tabling member printed	Mr Roger Godsiff
uin	8418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>Earlier this year, Defra responded to the current EU review of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) to recommend that the scope of the regulation is broadened to cover more timber products. We believe this would allow the EUTR to better meet its objectives in preventing illegal timber entering the EU market.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It is positive that UK organisations are committing to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign. We are supportive of companies across the EU making similar commitments through this campaign.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:56:36 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	304 label Biography information for Mr Roger Godsiff

416365

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	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 steps the Government is taking to support bees and pollinators.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	9045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2015 answer text <p>Defra recognises the importance of pollinators, including bees, and their value to food security and sustaining the natural environment. This is why Defra published the National Pollinator Strategy in November 2014:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pollinator-strategy-for-bees-and-other-pollinators-in-england" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-pollinator-strategy-for-bees-and-other-pollinators-in-england</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Strategy is a ten-year plan to bring about the best possible conditions for pollinators to flourish across all land types. It identifies specific policy and evidence actions for government and others, and actions that everyone can take to help expand food, shelter and nest sites. The Strategy also seeks to address key gaps in our understanding about the status of pollinators.</p><p>To raise public awareness a ‘Call to Action’, “Bees’ Needs: Food and a Home” (<a href="http://www.beesneeds.org.uk/" target="_blank">www.beesneeds.org.uk</a>) was launched in July 2014. This is a simple message on the essential needs of pollinators and how to fulfil them.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 14/09/2015 10:24:44 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

416419

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Wildlife: 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 she will hold discussions with UK airlines on the transit of hunting trophies through UK airports.
tabling member constituency	The Wrekin
tabling member printed	Mark Pritchard
uin	8787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>There are no current plans to hold discussions with UK airlines on this subject. It is at the discretion of each airline whether they wish to allow the transport of hunting trophies. However, the UK Government is working within the EU to introduce stricter hunting trophy import controls. These ensure that not only must the exporting country be satisfied that the animal was hunted sustainably but the importing country must also undertake this check. In this way the import of hunting trophies of certain species from certain countries is currently prohibited by the EU.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:43:58 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1576 label Biography information for Mark Pritchard

416427

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	New Covent Garden Market
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 publish the Final Business Case, approved by the Government in March 2012, for the redevelopment of the New Covent Garden Market site.
tabling member constituency	Daventry
tabling member printed	Chris Heaton-Harris
uin	9018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2015 answer text <p>The Final Business Case (FBC) for the development was approved by Treasury in March 2012. It includes commercially sensitive information that is unsuitable for release. A decision to withhold the entire document was taken due to concerns over potential harm to commercial interests and the interests of government internal policy formulation.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 14/09/2015 14:56:38 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	3977 label Biography information for Chris Heaton-Harris

416479

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Flood Control: Lincolnshire
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 she has had with the Environment Agency on improving flood defences in (a) Lincoln and (b) Lincolnshire.
tabling member constituency	Lincoln
tabling member printed	Karl McCartney
uin	8764
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State regularly discusses progress with the delivery of the six year £2.3 billion flood defence capital investment programme with the Environment Agency. Within that programme, Lincoln has been allocated around £1.1 million and Lincolnshire over £164 million to develop a range of 72 flood and coastal erosion protection measures in the city and the county.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 08:25:16 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4028 label Biography information for Karl McCartney

416555

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Timber: EU Action
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 her Department has had with its EU counterparts on meeting targets for the (a) illegal and (b) sustainable timber trade; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
uin	8829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. Defra officials are engaged in coordinating implementation of the EUTR and FLEGT Regulation across the EU, and in the EU-wide reviews of these Regulations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy (TPP) requires central government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable. Information on the TPP has been shared with other interested EU Member States.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:40:07 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

416637

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Soil
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 she is taking to (a) protect and (b) increase soil fertility.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	8419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>The Government recognises that soil is essential for underpinning a range of benefits, including food production, but also biodiversity, carbon storage and flood protection.</p><p>New national standards for agricultural soils under cross compliance were introduced in January. These rules require farmers in receipt of payments under the Common Agricultural Policy to prevent soil erosion which contributes to the loss of nutrients from soil, to maintain soil cover, and to protect the level of organic matter in their soils.</p><p>The Government is investing in a significant research programme to improve our understanding of soil condition and resilience, which includes joint programmes with the Research Councils.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:53:23 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

416814

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Hunting and Poaching
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 her Department is taking to tackle (a) illegal and (b) unethical hunting and poaching internationally.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	8430
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2015 answer text <p>The UK remains committed to playing a leading role in tackling illegal wildlife trade and working with our international partners to bring an end to this scourge.</p><p>Following on from the UK’s high-level international London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade in February 2014, the UK supported the Government of Botswana to host a well-attended follow up Conference in Kasane in March this year and will be providing support to Vietnam to host a third illegal wildlife trade conference, due to take place in 2016. The UK also co-sponsored the first UN resolution on illegal wildlife trade, which passed in July.</p><p>We have also committed £13 million to support projects around the world to tackle illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening law enforcement and developing sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by illegal wildlife trade, primarily through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. A second round of the Challenge Fund was launched on 5 August.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><br></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 10/09/2015 15:35:40 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

416815

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Hunting
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 her Department is taking to prevent the illegal hunting of mammals with dogs in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	8431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2015 answer text <p>Hunting is devolved in Scotland. The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 bans hunting with dogs in Scotland.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In England and Wales, the Hunting Act 2004 bans all hunting of wild mammals with dogs, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions set out in Schedule 1 to the Act.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Home Office has the lead departmental responsibility for the enforcement of the Hunting Act 2004. Anyone who believes an offence is taking place, or has taken place, under the Act should report the matter to the Police, who are the law enforcement authority and deal with complaints of illegal hunting.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/09/2015 16:49:37 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor