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1136213

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Sites of Special Scientific Interest: National Parks
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 plans he has to improve the quality of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in National Parks.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	272121
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Our 25 Year Environment Plan commits to restoring 75% of our one million hectares of land and freshwater in protected sites to favourable condition including in National Parks.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to provide funding for the positive management of Sites of Special Scientific Interests through our agri-environment schemes. In advance of the introduction of the new Environmental Land Management System, we are using our tests and trials programme as a means to work with farmers, land managers and stakeholders, including the National Parks so that they can contribute to the contents and design of the new system.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 08/07/2019 16:27:37 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1136218

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 inform people entering the UK of the dangers of bringing in meat from areas affected by African swine fever.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra, together with the devolved administrations, pig industry and veterinary bodies, has been working on a communications campaign to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to the UK and what can be done to reduce the risk of entry into the UK pig herd or feral wild boar populations. Messaging has targeted key audiences including transport operators, tourists to specific regions, and other people returning from affected regions. Additionally, we have been speaking to both professional and backyard pig keepers about the dangers and risk of ASF, to encourage best practice and ensure disease prevention.</p><p>We have also run a targeted communication campaign to raise awareness of the particular risks of bringing pork products into the UK from affected areas, including the emphasis on the importance of safely disposing of any unwanted pork products.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:07:54 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136219

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 resource has been allocated to UK border force to (a) provide communications to the public on and (b) increase surveillance of imported meat products from areas affected by African swine fever.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra is working with Border Force to focus communications on passengers travelling through ports and airports when returning to the UK from the EU and Asia. We are in the process of developing a set of communications that will be distributed across UK ports and airports informing people of the disease risk and asking that they do not bring personal pork imports into the UK. These messages will be communicated through a combination of posters, leaflets, and social media.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency routinely provide UK Border Force with information and risk assessments on countries where there is a heightened risk of animal diseases such as African swine fever. The information is used to target the specially trained sniffer dogs to detect illegally imported meat and high risk products of animal origin. Defra is currently working with UK Border Force to improve this intelligence sharing and targeting.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:16:08 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136220

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 his Department has made an economic assessment of the potential effect of African Swine Fever being identified in the UK on (a) the public purse and (b) pig producers’ incomes.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government has estimated that the economic effect of a reasonable worst case scenario outbreak of African Swine Fever could cost the UK up to £90 million at 2019 prices. This total estimate includes costs to the industry of up to £85 million, which reflects the lost value of animals from culling, movement bans and trade restrictions, and costs of up to £5 million for the Government for disease control activities.</p><p>While this estimate represents an informed assessment of the potential impact of an outbreak, exact costs would be determined by a large number of factors including geographic location, the husbandry system, epidemiology of the outbreak and whether wildlife was involved.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:06:01 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136221

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Meat: Imports
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 Government has plans to strengthen biosecurity arrangements on imported meat products after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Our high biosecurity standards are of critical importance to the UK and we are committed to ensure those standards are maintained when we leave the UK.</p><p> </p><p>As a member of the European Union we share standards of biosecurity with other Member States. This has facilitated the free movement of these goods between member states.</p><p> </p><p>In the short term those standards will not change. Therefore, to ensure minimum disruption at the borders, we will not introduce new import controls on these goods imported from the EU.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure we remain vigilant, we will require advance notification of imports of high-risk food and feed from the EU. This includes products of animal origin and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin. The Food Standards Agency will be in a position to monitor those notifications so that in the event of a food incident occurring involving imported food or feed, it will be able to respond effectively to safeguard public health by swiftly identifying the point of entry to the UK and the spread of a problem. We will also be reviewing our imports regime once we leave the EU.</p><p> </p><p>For imports from countries outside the EU we will maintain the current controls and consignments of animal products will continue to be required to enter at Border Inspection Posts for veterinary checks. Notification will be required using the UK Import of Products, Animals and Food and Feed System. These controls will also apply to products of animal origin that come from outside the EU but travel through the EU before arriving in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:05:10 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136228

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
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 preparations his Department is making for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement; and how much funding has been allocated to those preparations.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	272103
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government remains focused on ensuring our smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU, with a deal, as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving without a withdrawal agreement remains the legal default at the end of the extension period, and as a responsible Government we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of no deal for over two years.</p><p> </p><p>In light of the agreed extension to the EU departure date, departments are making pragmatic decisions about the timing and pace at which some of this work is progressing. We continue to prepare for all exit scenarios.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has put in place a range of mitigations to minimise any disruption arising from leaving the EU without a deal. This has included creating six new IT systems, ensuring necessary legislation was passed, and setting up a Business Readiness Directorate to support increased levels of stakeholder engagement.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have also taken extensive steps to provide businesses and citizens with advice and guidance aimed at helping to mitigate the potential impacts of no deal. Where necessary, we will continue to update our advice on gov.uk on how people should prepare.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury has allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This funding is to cover all exit scenarios, and is in addition to departmental efforts to reprioritise from business as usual toward preparations for the UK’s departure from the EU.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 15:57:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1136251

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Pets: Animal Welfare
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 ensure the maintenance or improvement of animal welfare standards for pets after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	272133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>We have strong animal welfare standards for pets in this country, and have taken recent steps to enhance those protections including banning the third party sale of puppies and kittens, updating the companion animal welfare codes and introducing legislation to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty to 5 years imprisonment. These standards will be maintained when we leave the EU and we will look to strengthen standards further where supported by scientific and veterinary evidence.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:10:33 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1136295

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Incinerators: Health Hazards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page five of the Public Health England position statement on The Impact on Health of Emissions to Air from Municipal Waste Incinerators, what information he holds on the development of work in that area.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	272123
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given on 26 June 2019 to PQ <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons%2Clords&amp;member=252&amp;uin=266068" target="_blank">266068</a>, which details PHE’s research in this area. PHE undertakes various air quality research projects, working with academic partners, to review the evidence for the health effects of air pollutants, regarding the health effects of particulate matter (PM0.1 and PM1).</p><p> </p><p>PHE is a partner in two health protection research units funded by the National Institute for Health Research, whose remit includes air pollution research. These projects can be viewed at the following link: <a href="http://www.hpru-ech.nihr.ac.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.hpru-ech.nihr.ac.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>PHE also draws on scientific studies and reviews published in the peer reviewed literature and by authoritative bodies.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/07/2019 12:41:33 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1136312

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Whales: Japan
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 representations the Government has made to the Government of Japan against its decision to resume commercial whaling.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Mrs Anne Main
uin	272212
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>We are very disappointed with Japan’s decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission and restart commercial whaling. The Prime Minister raised concerns with Prime Minister Abe during his visit to the UK in January. The Secretary of State has written to his Japanese counterpart on this matter. We will continue to work with the Japanese Government to engage with them and raise our concerns at every level, and we urge them to rethink their decision.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 10/07/2019 12:18:25 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	1568 label Biography information for Mrs Anne Main

1136364

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Imports: Environment Protection
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 plans to take to minimise negative ecological effects on carbon-rich, biodiversity-rich ecosystems throughout the world of UK imports of (a) soft commodities including (i) palm oil, (ii) soy, (iii) cocoa, (iv) rubber, (v) beef, and (vi) timber and (b) hard commodities including (A) minerals, (B) oil and gas, and (C) other products of mining; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	272221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our ambition to support and protect the world’s forests, support sustainable agriculture and work towards zero-deforestation supply chains. As part of this plan we are establishing a Global Resource Initiative (GRI) that will identify actions the UK can take across commodity supply chains to improve the sustainability of products and reduce deforestation.</p><p> </p><p>The GRI builds upon the Government’s work convening commodity-specific roundtables on palm oil and soya, two of the largest drivers of deforestation. The Government established the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in 2012 to improve reporting, traceability and understanding of supply chains to ensure continuous improvement and increased use of certified palm oil. The Roundtable’s latest annual report indicates that the UK achieved 75% certified sustainable palm oil in 2017, increasing from 16% in 2010.</p><p> </p><p>Our Resources and Waste Strategy sets out how we will preserve our stock of material resources by minimising waste, promoting resource efficiency and moving towards a circular economy approach, including by providing consumers with better information on the sustainability of their purchases. It also aims to minimise the damage caused to the natural environment by managing waste safely.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 10/07/2019 13:53:20 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas