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1720003

registered interest
date	22/05/2024
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	Water Supply: Devon
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent parasitic outbreak in drinking water in Devon, what assessment they have made of (1) the proposed compensation for affected consumers, and (2) the impact on consumer confidence.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4881
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Guaranteed Standards Scheme sets minimum statutory standards of service for customers of water and sewerage companies, and where a company fails to meet any of these standards it is required to make a specified payment to the affected customer. Several companies also offer enhanced Customer Services Promises in addition to the statutory requirements, including compensation payments for additional standards.</p><p> </p><p>In relation to the incident in Devon, the Secretary of State appreciated the considerable concern and disruption to the local community. He raised those concerns directly with the Chief Executive. South West Water increased its standard payment within its Customer Service Promise for a boil water notice to £115. Some customers will receive £265 which represents financial compensation equivalent to over 50% of South West Water’s average annual bill per household, according to Ofwat’s bill estimates.</p><p> </p><p>Excellent customer experience is important to maintain consumer trust and confidence in the water sector. We expect water companies to take that seriously, to respond to events appropriately in a timely manner and to deliver better services to their customers.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 13:30:57 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1718616

registered interest
date	15/05/2024
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to strengthen the resilience of the UK's food supply chain, and (2) to enhance food security, in the face of external disruptions and challenges.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain and is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption.</p><p> </p><p>Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 73% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years.</p><p> </p><p>UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.</p><p> </p><p>Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was produced in 2021 and the next will be published by December 2024. This report serves as an evidence base for policy work.</p><p> </p><p>Starting this year, the government is also strengthening our food security monitoring by introducing the annual Food Security Index in addition to the three-yearly UKFSR.</p><p> </p><p>Published to coincide with the second UK Farm to Fork Summit on 14 May 2024, the 2024 Food Security Index sets out how Government will track UK-wide food security on an annual basis, monitoring domestic food production, land use, input costs, and farmer productivity.</p><p> </p><p>The Index looks at shorter-term trends that change year on year, complementing the UKFSR’s comprehensive assessment and attention to longer-term trends. The 2024 Index shows that the UK farming sector is at its most productive since records began.</p><p> </p><p>A further package of measures to support farmers and grow the UK’s farming and food sector was announced by the government at the Farm to Fork Summit on 14th May 2024.</p><p> </p><p>This includes a <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fa-blueprint-to-grow-the-uk-fruit-and-vegetable-sector&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Ca6bcce62eca54b98c7e208dc75998dde%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638514549574220446%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=EPMGmy06utGwoW2ak97LftPPf0kq62W6%2FnmT7isxfXs%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">new Blueprint for Growing the UK Fruit and Vegetable Sector</a> (see attached), setting out how industry and government can work together to increase domestic production and drive investment into this valuable sector. The plan involves ensuring the sector has access to affordable and sustainable energy and water, cutting planning red tape to make it easier and quicker to build glasshouses, and looking to double to £80 million the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses when compared to the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme which will be replaced from 2026 onwards.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 20/05/2024 14:32:21 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller attachment 1 file name HL4718 - A blueprint to grow the UK fruit and vegetable sector.pdf title blueprint - growing UK fruit and vegetable sector
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1716674

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
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: Food Supply
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to a recent poll conducted by the National Farmers Union which showed that business confidence among farmers is at its lowest since 2010, what steps they are taking to support the agricultural sector to ensure food security.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>Food security is more important than ever – which is why we need to back British farmers to keep putting food on our tables while protecting the environment.</p><p> </p><p>That is why we are supporting farmers with £2.4 billion of annual spending. This includes an increase in payment rates, with the average value of a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agreement increasing by 10%. Around 50 new paid-for actions will also be added to the SFI and Countryside Stewardship (CS) schemes from summer 2024, giving farmers more choice with an offer for all farm types and locations.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, at the NFU Conference this February, the Prime Minister announced more funding for farmers. This included the doubling of the SFI Management Payment, which supports many farmers to participate in the SFI scheme, and the planned launch of the biggest ever package of grants this year to boost productivity and resilience. This grants package, which will total £427 million, includes funding for the Improving Farming Productivity scheme to invest in things like robotics and barn-top solar; funding for a new round of the Farming Equipment and Technology fund, worth £70m; and targeted schemes to support farmers in improving the viability of their businesses, delivering environmental outcomes and supporting sustainable food production.</p><p> </p><p>Our plan will mean farmers always come first – with fair prices for goods, less bureaucracy and more funding as we continue to protect our food security. On May 14, the Prime Minister hosted the second annual Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street, focused on how the Government will support domestic food production, boost innovation, support the sector to reach its economic potential and recruit the next generation of farming leaders. The Summit also saw publication of the first draft Food Security Index, setting out key data and trends to allow government and industry to monitor domestic food production, land use, input costs and farmer productivity on an annual basis.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 23/05/2024 09:55:54 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1715734

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
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	Veterinary Medicine: Northern Ireland
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had, or intend to have, discussions with the EU regarding the implementation of a post-Brexit agreement on the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4366
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to securing a long-term sustainable solution ahead of December 2025 that will properly support the flow of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland from Great Britain on an enduring basis. We are determined to safeguard the supply of veterinary medicines, and we will pursue technical discussions with the EU to find a solution that removes barriers to supply; in return we are willing to provide assurances and safeguards to the EU. The Veterinary Medicines Working Group, including experts, industry representatives and elected representatives, will report back to Government on steps needed to secure supplies for the long term.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 13/05/2024 11:25:58 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1713738

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	Immigration Controls: Borders
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support small businesses in adapting to additional costs for post-Brexit border checks.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4088
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>To support SMEs, Defra has identified and issued guidance on a number of facilitations and mitigations to reduce the burden of sanitary and phytosanitary import requirements using groupage.</p><p> </p><p>The Common User Charge is designed to spread the costs to be recovered across the maximum number of imports. This approach distributes the cost across business of all sizes and sectors and provides a high level of predictability on costs for all importers.</p><p> </p><p>The impact of the Common User Charge on businesses, and especially on small businesses, will be kept under monthly and quarterly reviews, with rates reviewed and updated annually.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 13/05/2024 11:25:20 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1699253

registered interest
date	26/03/2024
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: UK Trade with EU
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following concerns raised by farmers regarding changes to the standard of food imports, what steps they are taking to address the impact of post-Brexit trade deals on British farmers.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL3643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2024 answer text <p>All food and drink products imported into the UK, including those from countries we have trade agreements with, must comply with the UK’s import requirements and standards. The independent Trade and Agriculture Commission concluded that our Free Trade Agreements with Australia, New Zealand and CPTPP are consistent with the maintenance of UK statutory protections in relation to animal and plant health, animal welfare and the environment.</p><p>Supporting UK food and agriculture is an integral part of the UK’s trade strategy. The Prime Minister made this clear at the Farm to Fork Summit in May 2023 and in his open letter to farmers. This letter, alongside the 2022 National Food Strategy, sets out the principles that guide our approach to agriculture and trade. We are putting farmers at the heart of British trade by delivering new export opportunities, protecting our sensitive sectors and our high food safety standards, upholding UK production standards and removing market access barriers.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 12/04/2024 10:02:43 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1696359

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
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	Water Companies: Billing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that water companies plan to raise customer bills by up to 70 per cent over the next five years, what assessment they have made of the impact of those rises on (1) household budgets, (2) consumer spending, and (3) overall economic stability; and what steps they are taking to mitigate any such challenges.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL3305
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2024 answer text <p>The public have made it clear clean and plentiful water supply and environmental protection is a priority. New infrastructure will need to be paid for, and while water companies can attract private investment, this will also need to come from customer bills. There is a balance to be struck in terms of priorities – ensuring there is prioritised spending on infrastructure to reduce environmental harm and secure supplies for the future without unduly hitting billpayers with a big rise.</p><p> </p><p>All water companies submitted their proposed business plans for Price Review 2024 to Ofwat in October 2023, which set out planned investment and proposed bill increases for 2025-2030. These are now undergoing scrutiny by the independent regulator Ofwat to ensure they meet the targets for environmental improvements and other obligations, whilst also offering value for money for consumers. As such, current reports of increases to bills over the next five years are not yet confirmed. Increases will be confirmed after Ofwat’s final determinations are published later this year, and new price controls will then come into force from 1st April 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We are committed to a water sector that delivers for customers, the environment and wider society, and recognise that some households may struggle to pay their water bill in full. All water companies offer reduced bills for eligible customers via the WaterSure scheme and social tariffs as well as a range of other financial support measures. We are continuing to work with industry to explore options to improve existing social tariff arrangements.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 02/04/2024 14:49:47 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1695571

registered interest
date	12/03/2024
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	Import Controls: Small Businesses
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address challenges faced by small businesses and importers due to the introduction of new border checks and paperwork requirements post-Brexit.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL3221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) sets out our new global regime of border controls that makes better use of technology and data to reduce friction and the cost of border controls for businesses and consumers when compared to the proposed July 2022 regime. It will create a radically simpler yet secure experience for traders moving goods across the UK border.</p><p> </p><p>After engaging with stakeholders and considering the implementation challenges they raised, alongside the need to manage biosecurity risks, we have adapted the timeline we originally published in the draft version of the BTOM to give businesses and their supply-chains more time to prepare. Many goods, including more than 60% of animal product consignments, are now deemed low risk and either not controlled at all or only subject to pre-notification, and medium risk goods are subject to fewer physical checks than the EU’s regime.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has also introduced several facilitations for groupage movements, as well as developing our Certification Logistics Pilot. Those facilitations include: relaxed official sealing requirements for animal products; greater flexibility in transporting groupage loads; elimination of 'Either/Or' sections in health certificates; the use of schedules allowing greater number of similar animal products under a single export health certificate, and greater flexibilities in the pre-notification and import declaration processes.</p><p> </p><p>All businesses will also benefit from the Single Trade Window, a simple service gateway that serves as a single point of interaction between businesses and UK border processes, submitting information to the Government only once and in only one place ensuring administration costs are kept to a minimum.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 26/03/2024 13:47:21 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1691877

registered interest
date	26/02/2024
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 Products and Meat Products: UK Internal Trade
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of proposed 'Not for EU' labels on meat and dairy products on (1) food costs, and (2) exports.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL2767
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>The “not for EU” labelling requirement came into force for meat and some dairy products moving under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme in October 2023. Defra provided a transitional labelling fund of £50 million to support compliance with the scheme. There has been no evidence of impact on food costs or exports.</p><p> </p><p>In line with the commitments set out in the February 2023 and February 2024 Government Command Papers, the Government will bring forward legislation for this labelling requirement to be expanded GB wide for relevant products from October 2024. A six-week consultation on the implementation of this policy was launched on 2 February. We welcome responses from businesses that supply the UK market and export, which will inform our ongoing considerations of the final details of the policy, including any possible exemptions.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 11/03/2024 16:04:35 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1691297

registered interest
date	22/02/2024
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: Nature Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that fishing rights and conservation efforts comply with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL2715
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK and EU are required under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to cooperate with a view to ensuring that fishing activities for shared stocks are environmentally sustainable in the long term and contribute to achieving economic and social benefits. The UK complies with the requirements of the TCA and ensures that all of the actions taken are in accordance with those requirements. This includes meeting on an annual basis to set the total allowable catch for shared stocks, based on the best available scientific advice, including advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas on maximum sustainable yield. The UK derives its annual quota based on shares agreed within the TCA. Since 2021, four sets of these annual consultations have been held with the EU under the TCA.</p><p> </p><p>It is for the UK to decide which fisheries management measures are applicable in UK waters, and this is done in line with UK domestic obligations including those under the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement, having regard to the objectives and principles outlined in the TCA Article 494. The Specialised Committee on Fisheries, established under the TCA, has met seven times, and provides a joint forum for cooperation between the UK and EU on fisheries issues, helping ensure that conservation efforts comply with, and support the shared objectives of, the TCA.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 29/02/2024 14:43:39 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick