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349637

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Seals
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 seals are illegally slaughtered annually in British waters.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	1885
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.</p><p>Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.</p><p>No licences have been issued for the culling of seals in England in the last five years.</p><p>The Government has made no assessment of the number of seals killed off the English coast.</p><p>There is no evidence to suggest that the limited local control of seals permitted in England is having an adverse effect on the conservation status of the UK seal population as a whole.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1884 question first answered 15/06/2015 11:44:51 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

349638

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Seals: Conservation
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 protect the seal population in British waters from illegal slaughter.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	1883
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.</p><p /> <p>Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.</p><p /> <p>No licences have been issued for the culling of seals in England in the last five years.</p><p /> <p>The Act also allows the Secretary of State to provide year round protection in any specified area. Such a ‘Conservation Order’ currently protects grey and common seals on the east coast of England. Given the distribution of seal populations in England, this Order has the net effect of providing year round protection for almost all common seals and the majority of grey seals in England.</p><p /> <p>Fishermen are only permitted to kill or take, without the need for a licence, to protect their fishing equipment or fish therein if the seal is in the vicinity of the equipment at that time.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1946 question first answered 15/06/2015 11:38:57 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

349639

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Seals
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 seals are slaughtered annually in British waters.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	1884
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.</p><p>Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.</p><p>No licences have been issued for the culling of seals in England in the last five years.</p><p>The Government has made no assessment of the number of seals killed off the English coast.</p><p>There is no evidence to suggest that the limited local control of seals permitted in England is having an adverse effect on the conservation status of the UK seal population as a whole.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1885 question first answered 15/06/2015 11:44:51 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

349770

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Seals
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 culling of seals in UK coastal waters.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	1946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.</p><p /> <p>Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.</p><p /> <p>No licences have been issued for the culling of seals in England in the last five years.</p><p /> <p>The Act also allows the Secretary of State to provide year round protection in any specified area. Such a ‘Conservation Order’ currently protects grey and common seals on the east coast of England. Given the distribution of seal populations in England, this Order has the net effect of providing year round protection for almost all common seals and the majority of grey seals in England.</p><p /> <p>Fishermen are only permitted to kill or take, without the need for a licence, to protect their fishing equipment or fish therein if the seal is in the vicinity of the equipment at that time.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1883 question first answered 15/06/2015 11:38:57 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

349771

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Farms: Waste Disposal
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 has taken to prevent slurry being illegally dumped into rivers.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	1947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Water quality is a devolved issue and I can only respond with respect to England.</p><p>Slurry is a highly polluting organic effluent generated by livestock and is strictly controlled through regulations. Illegal dumping of slurry in a river could kill fish and aquatic life and cause bacterial contamination of drinking water supplies.</p><p>Under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, it is an offence to discharge polluting material to a watercourse without a permit. The use of properly constructed and maintained stores greatly reduces the risk of significant pollution events. The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 as amended in 2013 set minimum requirements for the construction of these facilities. The Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2015 prohibit the spreading of slurry where there is a significant risk that it may get into surface water. The Code of Good Agricultural Practice sets out guidance for the management of slurries.</p><p>Details of how to comply with all these regulations are published on GOV.UK.</p><p>The Environment Agency uses data it gathers from its monitoring networks and the evidence it gathers from its catchment walkovers to identify potential risks. It advises operators on managing their effluents safely. Where required, the Environment Agency can also take enforcement action ranging from warning letters through to formal notices and prosecution to bring people back into compliance with the law.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 15/06/2015 14:38:45 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

349781

registered interest
date	10/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Seals
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 require fishermen to be licensed in order to slaughter seals that threaten their fishing stocks.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne East
tabling member printed	Mr Nicholas Brown
uin	1799
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Seal conservation is a devolved issue so I can only respond with respect to England. Approximately 85% of the UK seal population is in Scotland and the Scottish Government has its own legislation concerning the protection of seals.</p><p>Seals in England are primarily protected by the Conservation of Seals Act 1970. Under this Act, it is an offence to take or kill common and grey seals out of season or to use certain methods to kill or take, unless permitted to do so by a licence issued under the Act.</p><p>Fishermen are only permitted to kill or take seals in limited circumstances, without the need for a licence, to protect their fishing equipment or fish therein if the seal is in the vicinity of the equipment at that time.</p><p>The Conservation of Seals Act 1970 strikes a proportionate balance between the conservation and welfare of the seals and the needs of those impacted by individual problem seals. We have no plans to review this legislative protection.</p><p>There is no evidence to suggest that the limited local control of seals permitted in England is having an adverse effect on the conservation status of the UK seal population as a whole.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 15/06/2015 11:26:38 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	523 label Biography information for Mr Nicholas Brown

349190

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Squirrels
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 extend the initiative to reduce grey squirrel numbers in Anglesey to the rest of the UK.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	1772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>Grey squirrel control is a devolved matter so I can only answer according to the policy in England.</p><p>Whilst Defra does not have any eradication plans for grey squirrels in England, we are supporting action to maintain areas of the country which are currently grey squirrel-free and to push surrounding grey populations back where possible. In 2014 the Forestry Commission reviewed our approach to grey squirrels and updated the action plan for grey squirrels in England. The revised action plan includes several measures to assist with control of grey squirrels both in areas where red squirrels have the best chance of surviving and expanding, as well as in woodlands where grey squirrels cause considerable damage.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 15/06/2015 11:22:30 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

349199

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Beaches: 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, what steps she is taking to ensure that beaches are cleaned and cleared of litter, rubbish, debris and discarded household items.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	1715
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>We all want beaches which are clear of litter and rubbish. Local Authorities and other land managers have a duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse: this includes beaches above the high water mark. The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse sets out the standards we expect them to achieve. It recognises that cleaning beaches can present particular challenges because of the terrain, accessibility and the need to be sensitive to habitats.</p><p>Defra works with and supports the work of Keep Britain Tidy, which runs the globally-recognised Blue Flag beach award in England. This year, 61 beaches in England were awarded a Blue Flag, and 111 achieved the new Seaside Award (formerly the Quality Coast Award), with 31 beaches achieving both awards.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 15/06/2015 11:12:33 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

349370

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Ivory
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 legislative proposals her Department plans to bring forward to implement a total ban on ivory sales in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	1580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK has played a leading role in galvanising international action to combat the illegal wildlife trade, and in pressing for a total ban on ivory sales we will work with our international partners and interested parties at home to seek their views about how we best achieve this and over what timeframe.</p><p>The Government is committed to maintaining the current global ban on any new international trade in raw ivory. In addition, the UK does not permit trade in raw ivory tusks of any age and we are pressing for this approach to be taken across the whole of the European Union.</p><p>We also warmly welcome the recent indications from the Government of China that it intends in due course to close its legal domestic market for ivory. This will remove a key driver of the demand which in turn fuels the continued poaching that is currently resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of elephants every year.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1581 1582 question first answered 16/06/2015 09:25:13 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

349371

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Ivory
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 steps she has taken to implement a total ban on ivory sales.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	1581
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK has played a leading role in galvanising international action to combat the illegal wildlife trade, and in pressing for a total ban on ivory sales we will work with our international partners and interested parties at home to seek their views about how we best achieve this and over what timeframe.</p><p>The Government is committed to maintaining the current global ban on any new international trade in raw ivory. In addition, the UK does not permit trade in raw ivory tusks of any age and we are pressing for this approach to be taken across the whole of the European Union.</p><p>We also warmly welcome the recent indications from the Government of China that it intends in due course to close its legal domestic market for ivory. This will remove a key driver of the demand which in turn fuels the continued poaching that is currently resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of elephants every year.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 1580 1582 question first answered 16/06/2015 09:25:13 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith