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1200673

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 he has made of the long-term effect of the closure order due to the covid-19 outbreak on the viability of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Officials continue to meet weekly with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to provide updates on the reopening position and understand the impact closure is having on zoos, safari parks, aquariums and farm visitor attractions (where these require a zoo licence). We are also taking expert advice from Defra’s Zoos Expert Committee (ZEC), and engaging with some of the largest zoos to discuss additional concerns which are arising including over a longer time frame, and active consideration of these is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>Zoos are eligible to apply for a range of support schemes including the Job Retention Scheme, VAT deferral, Business Rates Relief, the Business Interruption Loan schemes, the option to reclaim the costs of Statutory Sick Pay and grant funding of up to £25,000.</p><p>In addition, the £14 million Zoos Support Fund, which was opened on 4 May to help those zoos, safari parks, aquariums and eligible farm visitor attractions in severe financial distress due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 remains open for applications until 19 July 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 16:04:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200674

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 arrangements are for continuing inspections by his Department of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, local authorities are responsible for arranging inspections of activities that require a licence under the Act. This includes zoos, safari parks, aquariums and farm visitor attractions (where the latter exhibit non-domesticated species of animal).</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 10:45:35 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200675

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 additional funding he plans to make available to help ensure the viability of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions ordered to close during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Zoos are eligible to apply for a range of support schemes including the Job Retention Scheme, VAT deferral, Business Rates Relief, the Business Interruption Loan schemes, the option to reclaim the costs of Statutory Sick Pay and grant funding of up to £25,000.</p><p> </p><p>The £14 million Zoos Support Fund, which was opened on 4 May to help those zoos, safari parks, aquariums and eligible farm visitor attractions in severe financial distress due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 remains open for applications until 19 July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>We are engaging with some of the largest zoos to discuss additional concerns which are arising including over a longer time frame, and active consideration of these is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>We are also continuing to engage with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to monitor progress and any newly arising issues; and will keep working with the industry to understand their longer-term concerns.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 14:07:08 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200676

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 (a) discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) consultation he undertook with (i) zoos, (ii) safari parks, (ii) aquariums and (iv) farm visitor attractions before the decision was made to legally close such visitor attractions due to the covid-19 outbreak on 1 June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The Secretary of State holds discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Officials meet weekly with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to provide updates on the reopening position, including meeting them on 31 May, along with representatives of the larger charitable zoos, to discuss the Government’s decision to add zoos, safari parks and aquariums to Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 1 June.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 13:54:20 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198396

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Fisheries: Coronavirus
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 additional Government resources have been made available to the Marine Management Organisation to enable that organisation to assist the fishing industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52467
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Alongside the £5 million repurposed from existing funds available through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund (MFF), an additional £5 million contribution from HM Treasury was made available to support English fishing and aquaculture businesses. This formed the total £10 million financial support package made available through the Fisheries Response Fund (FRF) and Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme (DSSS) delivered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO reprioritised and temporarily redeployed existing colleagues to rapidly deliver payments to over 1,200 businesses under both funds.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 14:10:49 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198397

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Fisheries: Coronavirus
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 performance indicators are in place to monitor and assess the performance of his Department and its agencies in assisting the English fishing and seafood industries during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Assistance tailored specifically to the English fishing and seafood industries has been provided to during the COVID-19 outbreak through the Fisheries Response Fund and the Direct Seafood Sales Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The objectives of these interventions are to: preserve productive capacity in the seafood sector; ensure firms cope with the short-term shock caused by COVID-19; ensure that fishing, aquaculture and fish processing provide a source of protein; and allow important globalised food supply chains to continue during the outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>Progress toward these objectives will be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively as part of an independent evaluation, which Defra and MMO are commissioning. The evaluation will also assess the performance of Defra and the MMO, and it will be externally peer reviewed before it is published.</p><p> </p><p>As of 2 June, the MMO has made 1,152 payments to the catching sector, amounting to 98% of the 1,175 fishers that have applied to the Fisheries Response Fund. Of the 79 aquaculture businesses invited to apply, 75 have received funds, which is 95% of the total.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has also implemented a variety of non-legislative measures to support the fishing industry. These include new guidance and reduced registration times to support fishermen to sell directly to customers and working with Seafish to enhance the marketing of domestically caught species.</p><p> </p><p>A number of schemes are available to support fisheries and aquaculture businesses and a summary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/an-update-from-tom-mccormack-ceo-marine-management-organisation.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 14:15:16 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198400

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Aquaculture: Coronavirus
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 aquaculture businesses he estimates will receive funding from the Fisheries Response Fund; and what steps his Department will take to assess the effective of that Fund.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Out of 79 aquaculture businesses invited to apply to the Fisheries Response Fund, 75 have received funds. Some are not eligible while others have been asked to provide further information.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the MMO are commissioning an independent evaluation of the fund’s effectiveness.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 13:48:42 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198401

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Fishing Vessels: Coronavirus
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 his Department has made of the number of (a) vessel owners and (b) vessels that will receive funding through the Fisheries Response Fund; and what steps his Department plans to take to assess the effectiveness of that funding support.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>There have been 1,182 vessels identified as eligible for the Fisheries Response Fund (FRF). As of 2 June, 1,175 have applied and 1,152 payments have been made totalling £5.53 million. These payments have been made to 1,042 individuals/businesses. Businesses may claim support for each qualifying vessel they own.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is in the process of commissioning an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the fund.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 14:19:11 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198733

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Food: Coronavirus
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 his Department is taking to monitor movements in food prices during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK food sector has adapted quickly to unprecedented challenges during the Covid-19 outbreak to ensure people have the food and products they need. Defra has been engaged in constant dialogue with food retailers during this time, who are providing regular information on the availability of food in stores. Retailers are working hard to mitigate any disruption to their supply chain that could impact on their costs, to keep customer prices down as far as possible. We are confident about the resilience of the UK food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to monitor food prices through regular ONS reporting. According to the Consumer Price Index including housing costs (CPIH), between March and April, food products that have seen the largest price increase are oils and fats by 4.5%, fish by 2.6% and vegetables by 1.6%. We are also monitoring ONS online prices experimental data which reported that the prices of a set of high-demand food products increased by 1.1% between March and May. This data represents experimental statistics that provide an early indication of prices of a limited set of products, and cannot be directly compared to official national statistics.</p><p> </p><p>It is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices or to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by retailers. However, we continue to monitor prices closely and to work with industry to promote transparency for consumers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 52478 52479 question first answered 09/06/2020 12:56:12 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1198734

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
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	Food: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which food products have seen the largest increases in price during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	52478
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK food sector has adapted quickly to unprecedented challenges during the Covid-19 outbreak to ensure people have the food and products they need. Defra has been engaged in constant dialogue with food retailers during this time, who are providing regular information on the availability of food in stores. Retailers are working hard to mitigate any disruption to their supply chain that could impact on their costs, to keep customer prices down as far as possible. We are confident about the resilience of the UK food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to monitor food prices through regular ONS reporting. According to the Consumer Price Index including housing costs (CPIH), between March and April, food products that have seen the largest price increase are oils and fats by 4.5%, fish by 2.6% and vegetables by 1.6%. We are also monitoring ONS online prices experimental data which reported that the prices of a set of high-demand food products increased by 1.1% between March and May. This data represents experimental statistics that provide an early indication of prices of a limited set of products, and cannot be directly compared to official national statistics.</p><p> </p><p>It is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices or to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by retailers. However, we continue to monitor prices closely and to work with industry to promote transparency for consumers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 52477 52479 question first answered 09/06/2020 12:56:12 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard