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1139241

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Construction and Furniture: 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, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to air quality of introducing fire toxicity assessments to fire safety tests of upholstered goods and construction materials.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	277635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is the lead Government department on fire safety regulations and has responsibility for product safety.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Air Quality division has not made any assessment of the potential benefits to air quality of introducing fire toxicity assessments to fire safety tests of upholstered goods and construction materials.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 22/07/2019 14:37:22 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1139268

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Nature 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, pending the roll out of new rules on General Licences, what guidance his Department issues on permitted activities in (a) Special Areas of Conservation and (b) Special Protection Areas.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	277603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>The new General Licences issued by Defra and published on the 14 June provides information and advice in regard to the application of those licences on or within 300 metres of the boundary of protected sites, which include Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas. Underpinning with Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designation provides the key mechanism to manage terrestrial European sites. General guidance on the consenting process for permitted activities on SSSIs is published on Gov.uk:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest</a></p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 29/07/2019 15:51:57 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1139269

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Salmon
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 effect on salmon stocks in English rivers of seals.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	277604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>No formal assessment of the effect of seal activity on Atlantic salmon stocks has been made in English rivers.</p><p> </p><p>Although diet studies suggest that seals typically prey on other fish species, seals are known to consume salmon in estuaries, around nets and river mouths. Predation by seals is controlled by regulations including licensed sustainable culling, as well as non-lethal methods such as sound scaring equipment.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 22/07/2019 12:01:44 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1139270

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Salmon
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 research programmes on the decline of salmon stocks in English rivers his Department is currently allocating funding to.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	277605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra funds research conducted by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Environment Agency to address factors contributing to the decline of salmon in English rivers. Factors, such as water quality, migration barriers, marine survival and exploitation are addressed in Defra’s 5 year Implementation Plan for Salmon Management in England and Wales, conducted by Cefas for the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation. Progress on these plans is reported on annually.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Projects Defra is currently funding include:</p><p>- Anthropogenic Factors – ‘Prioritising the management of salmonid based on the relative impacts of anthropogenic factors’</p><p>- Stock assessment methodology improvement – ‘Genetic sex ratio analysis of salmon smolts and adults’</p><p>- Climate Change – ‘Predicted effects of Climate Change on UK diadromous fish populations’</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 22/07/2019 11:52:49 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1139280

registered interest
date	16/07/2019
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	Deep Sea Mining
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 he has made of the potential environmental effects of deep-sea mining.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	277681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra is investigating the environmental effects of deep-sea mining through a cross-Government working group including Cefas, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The working group is supported by input from the National Oceanography Centre, Natural History Museum and British Geological Survey who are involved in a number of ongoing academic projects considering the impacts of deep sea mining. In addition, FCO and Defra commissioned a workshop in February 2019 which brought together UK universities, industry and consultancies involved in the assessment of deep sea mining activities, to share information, progress and research findings. The outputs of these discussions are being used to inform the UK’s input into the development of regulations, standards and guidelines at the International Seabed Authority.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 29/07/2019 16:38:53 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1138805

registered interest
date	15/07/2019
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	Flowers: 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 his Department is taking to encourage wildflower meadows throughout the country.
tabling member constituency	Wycombe
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
uin	277176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>We are taking action to encourage wildflower meadows by managing designated sites, providing incentives for habitat management and creation, and forging strong partnerships with landowners, communities and conservation bodies.</p><p> </p><p>Our agri-environment schemes provide incentives for creation and management of wildlife-rich habitat, including meadows. Since 2011, we have initiated creation of over 130,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat, including wildflower meadows. Our new Environmental Land Management scheme will reward farmers and land managers for delivering environmental outcomes such as conserving and restoring such habitats.</p><p> </p><p>Our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) provide protection for approximately two thirds of the total extent of 110,000 ha of semi-natural grassland Priority Habitat in England. Natural England’s 2018-19 SSSI designation programme identifies a further 12 sites containing important wildflower-rich grasslands. The 25 Year Environment Plan commits us to restoring 75% of SSSI areas to good condition.</p><p> </p><p>We work with partners to support the recovery of threatened species and their habitats. For example, Natural England are working with landowners and conservation organisations on the Back from the Brink programme including on the ‘Limestone’s Living Legacies’ project, restoring a network of limestone grassland sites in the West Midlands.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 18/07/2019 14:37:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1138806

registered interest
date	15/07/2019
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	Flowers: 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 assessment he has made of the contribution of wildflower meadows to the success of the various bee populations in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Wycombe
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
uin	277177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>Wildflowers provide pollen and nectar resources essential for sustaining wild and honey bees. Wildflower meadows therefore provide vital habitats for bee populations.</p><p> </p><p>Published scientific research has established that range contractions in many of our bee species are linked to the loss of species-rich habitats such as wildflower meadows. It also found that bee populations are more diverse on farms where wildflowers are sown or in landscapes with greater densities of wildflower meadows and other species-rich habitats.</p><p> </p><p>We also know that when we put wildflowers back, bees respond. Landscape-scale studies of wild bumblebee populations in farmed landscapes, led by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and part-funded by Defra, revealed that providing flower-rich habitat enhances the long-term survival of bumblebee families.</p><p> </p><p>Through our programme of agri-environment monitoring, we are currently evaluating how sowing wildflowers on farms is supporting bee populations.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 18/07/2019 16:38:58 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1138807

registered interest
date	15/07/2019
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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
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 he is taking to help farmers tackle the spread of bovine TB.
tabling member constituency	Wycombe
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
uin	277178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>We are pursuing a wide range of interventions as part of the Government’s strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038, including strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, licensing badger control, and promoting biosecurity on farms to help farmers prevent the spread of Bovine TB. Sir Charles Godfray’s independent review (published in November 2018) is an important contribution that will inform next steps in the strategy.</p><p> </p><p>In my Written Ministerial Statement of 20 June 2019, I announced plans to reinforce TB testing in the High Risk Area, invited applications for a third round of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme and confirmed the licensing and authorisation by Natural England of three supplementary badger control areas for 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Our partnerships with other organisations have enabled the development of toolkits that support farmers to understand their role in the prevention and eradication of the disease, including the TB Hub, the iBTB website and the TB Advisory Service.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 18/07/2019 13:12:16 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1138959

registered interest
date	15/07/2019
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	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, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2019 to Question 257548, what further collaboration his Department is planning with (a) the Animal and Plant Health Agency and (b) Border Force following that meeting with the Immigration Minister.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
tabling member printed	Alex Norris
uin	277278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), as an executive agency of Defra, delivers Defra’s animal health and welfare and plant health policy, including in the area of illegal dog imports, which was discussed at the Ministerial meeting in question. APHA and Defra colleagues are in continual communication about how to best shape and deliver this important policy area.</p><p> </p><p>Regarding further collaboration between Defra and Border Force, we are taking forward our work to disrupt illegal imports of dogs as part of a wider refresh of our engagement at points of entry. Specifically, this includes APHA working more closely with Border Force to further improve operational processes at port, as well as exploring options for more mutual sharing of intelligence and intelligence led work.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 18/07/2019 14:44:05 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1138993

registered interest
date	15/07/2019
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	Birds: Pest Control
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 licences his Department has issued to kill (a) cormorants and (b) goosanders in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	277096
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>The numbers of cormorant and goosander licences issued between 2014 and 2019 (to date) by Natural England on behalf of the Secretary of State are given in the table below. Individual licences are licences issued to an individual or angling club/fishery. An area based licence is one licence issued to a primary contact which covers multiple individuals amongst a group of fisheries within a defined catchment or area.</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Species</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2014</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019</strong> <strong>(to date)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cormorant (Individual)</p></td><td><p>409</p></td><td><p>456</p></td><td><p>450</p></td><td><p>435</p></td><td><p>429</p></td><td><p>106</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Goosander (Individual)</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>35</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cormorant only (Area Based Licence)</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Goosander only (Area Based Licence)</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cormorant / Goosander (Area Based Licence)</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 18/07/2019 14:33:27 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching