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437145

registered interest
date	10/12/2015
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	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 estimate she has made of the cost of disallowance penalties relating to the Common Agricultural Policy as a result of the return to paper-assisted digital applications in 2015.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	19642
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>The new Common Agricultural Policy has been widely recognised as being more complex for farmers to understand and harder for Member States to administer. The new schemes have not yet been audited by the European Commission so it is too early to say what the level of any disallowance will be, but complexity tends to increase disallowance risk.</p><br /><p>For the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) sent pre-populated claim forms to farmers and land owners to allow them to submit their applications before the deadline. The RPA provided an unprecedented level of support to farmers and land owners through the Rural Payments Helpline and 50 Drop In Centres that allowed some 88,000 applications to be received within the deadline. ‘Paper-assisted’ means that forms were completed on paper but then entered on to a digital system by RPA staff.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 19643 question first answered 15/12/2015 12:46:06 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

437146

registered interest
date	10/12/2015
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	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 the definition of paper-assisted digital applications is for the Common Agricultural Policy Delivery Programme.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
uin	19643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>The new Common Agricultural Policy has been widely recognised as being more complex for farmers to understand and harder for Member States to administer. The new schemes have not yet been audited by the European Commission so it is too early to say what the level of any disallowance will be, but complexity tends to increase disallowance risk.</p><br /><p>For the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) sent pre-populated claim forms to farmers and land owners to allow them to submit their applications before the deadline. The RPA provided an unprecedented level of support to farmers and land owners through the Rural Payments Helpline and 50 Drop In Centres that allowed some 88,000 applications to be received within the deadline. ‘Paper-assisted’ means that forms were completed on paper but then entered on to a digital system by RPA staff.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 19642 question first answered 15/12/2015 12:46:06 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

436743

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	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 food security planning her Department has undertaken for the UK in times of conflict, crisis and war situations.
tabling member constituency	North Somerset
tabling member printed	Dr Liam Fox
uin	19453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>Food supply in the UK is a critical national infrastructure (CNI) sector and a sector resilience plan is completed annually by Defra as lead Government Department. The plan sets out the background to resilience of the sector, an assessment of risk, and a plan for mitigation action. A summary of the plan is published by the Cabinet Office at</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370156/20141103_Summary_sector_resilience_plan_2014.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370156/20141103_Summary_sector_resilience_plan_2014.pdf</a>.</p><br /><p>Food supply is considered to be resilient because of the size, diversity, and strong contingency planning in the food industry sectors, as demonstrated by the response to potentially disruptive challenges in recent years. There is a clear recognition of the dependency on other critical sectors such as energy, transport, and communications, and Defra works closely with the industry sectors and with other lead Government Departments to mitigate risk.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 14/12/2015 14:43:22 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	223 label Biography information for Sir Liam Fox

436744

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Animals: Sales
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 the animal licensing review will include a review of how to tackle internet sales of rare animals.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	19500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>The proposed review of local authority licensing of animal activities will encompass the Pet Animals Act 1951 which regulates the selling of pet animals, including the sale of animals on-line.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 14/12/2015 14:47:17 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

436746

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Zoonoses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the risk to the UK of (a) rabies, (b) the Echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm and (c) other zoonotic diseases.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	19290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <br /><p>The quantitative rabies risk assessment carried out prior to harmonisation with the EU pet travel rules in 2012 took into account, amongst other things, a number of variables including a doubling in the number of cats and dogs entering the country. Pets entering on a UK pet passport (i.e. returning from an overseas visit) were not included in this analysis as they must be fully protected against rabies before leaving the UK. We are continuing to monitor the factors considered in the risk assessment and are content that the risk remains very low. The risk assessment was published in 2011 and is available here:</p><p><a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.395.143&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf" target="_blank">http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.395.143&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf</a></p><p><br></p><p>In 2010 we carried out an assessment of risk from the tapeworm <em>Echinococcus Multilocularis</em> in readiness for harmonisation and which confirmed continuing risk through the movement of pet dogs. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring</a> As a result, the UK continues to maintain its controls against <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em>. Since 1 January 2012 import controls relating to this tapeworm have been implemented under EU Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1152/2011. This Regulation lays down the tapeworm import conditions which pet dogs must comply with when being moved into the UK from other countries. The European Food Safety Authority is currently assessing how the new regulation has been implemented in the free countries (Ireland, Malta, Finland and the UK) and this includes a new assessment of any change in risk. Experts from the UK as well as other Member States have been part of this working group and the opinion will be published in 2016 prior to the review of the legislation required in December 2016. We are continuing to monitor the factors considered in the risk assessment as we do for any notifiable disease and will take the EFSA opinion into account when it is finalised.</p><br /><p>Officials from the Department work closely with colleagues from public health and food safety to assess the risk posed to people by zoonotic diseases. While a number of mechanisms exist for this purpose depending on the specific disease, the main cross – Government group that identifies and assesses emerging infection risks to human health (non-food borne disease) is the HAIRS (Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance) group which meets on a monthly basis and includes veterinary experts from the APHA:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/human-animal-infections-and-risk-surveillance-group-hairs.%0d" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/human-animal-infections-and-risk-surveillance-group-hairs.</a></p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/12/2015 13:41:44 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

436748

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Pet Travel Scheme
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 bring forward legislative proposals to require enforcers of the Pet Travel Scheme to carry out visual checks on dogs entering the UK.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	19293
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>The UK carries out more checks on pets at the border than most other EU Member States. It is a condition of their approval that the transport companies check 100% of pets declared by their owners for compliance with the EU Pet Travel Scheme. The only way that we are practically able to have a system of checking every declared pet dog entering Great Britain, on an approved route, is by working in partnership with the transport companies.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/12/2015 09:50:59 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

436749

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Animal Welfare: Sentencing
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 review sentencing guidelines for serious animal cruelty offences to ensure that the gravity of offences is adequately reflected.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	19321
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>Guidelines are issued by the independent Sentencing Council. The Council monitor the operation of their guidelines, which ensure that sentences are consistent and proportionate. We understand the Council has no immediate plans to revise the guidelines.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/12/2015 09:45:27 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

436750

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Pet Travel Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Pet Travel Scheme Regulations.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	19378
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>The pets checkers (carriers or agents) which carry out checks to ensure pets animals are compliant with Pet Travel Scheme rules are audited by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the results show that they are performing satisfactorily. In 2014, APHA audited close to 6,000 pets. Of these only 0.9% of the pets were found not to comply with the entry rules. These pets were either detained until their compliance could be established, re-exported or placed into quarantine.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/12/2015 10:01:10 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

436751

registered interest
date	09/12/2015
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	Dogs: Smuggling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the efficacy of existing legislation to stop the illegal importation of puppies into the UK.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	19386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2015 answer text <p>Pet animals, including puppies entering the UK, must comply with the requirements of the Pet Travel Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 576/2013). This is enforced, in Great Britain, by the Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011. Animals, including puppies, entering the UK for sale or rehoming are subject to the provisions of the Council Directive 92/65/EEC (Balai Directive). This is implemented, in Great Britain, by the Trade in Animal and Related Products Regulations 2011.</p><br /><p>Both regulations provide for the Secretary of State to carry out a periodic review. Work on the review of the Trade in Animal and Related Products Regulations 2011 is already underway. The review of the Non Commercial Movement of Pet Animals Order 2011 will commence early next year.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/12/2015 09:36:40 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

436238

registered interest
date	08/12/2015
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	Dogs: Smuggling
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 an assessment of the implications for her policies of the recommendations of the report by the Dogs Trust entitled Puppy Smuggling: The Scandal Continues, published in July 2015.
tabling member constituency	South Down
tabling member printed	Ms Margaret Ritchie
uin	19123
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>The Dogs Trust’s report highlights that responsibility for stopping the illegal movement of puppies begins in the country where they are born. The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has written to the authorities in the countries highlighted in the report to remind them of their duty to ensure that the requirements of the EU pet travel scheme must be fully complied with. This approach has previously resulted in investigations in EU Member States and appropriate action being taken, including the suspension of veterinarians’ licenses. We will continue to alert the authorities in any Member State where we become aware of issues in relation to the operation of the pet travel scheme.</p><p>The UK carries out more checks on pets at the border than most other EU Member States. In order to carry pets, transport companies must be approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency to ensure that they have the necessary facilities and trained staff. It is a condition of approval that the transport company check 100% of those pets declared to them for compliance with the EU pet travel scheme. Stringent penalties are in place where people are found to be breaking the rules. Defra actively shares intelligence it gathers relating to abuse of the pet travel scheme with Local Authorities (who are enforcement bodies) and other EU countries for them to further investigate and take any necessary action.</p><p>The illegal trade is ultimately driven by demand and so we have published guidance on the steps pet owners can take to avoid buying an illegally imported pet. See: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-cat-or-dog" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/buying-a-cat-or-dog</a>. Defra has also worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements.</p><br /> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 14/12/2015 16:53:08 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick