Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1669174

registered interest
date	10/11/2023
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	Urban Areas: Carbon Emissions
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 she has had recent discussions with the UN Environment Programme on which UK cities have expressed an interest in the Cool Coalition’s Nature for Cool Cities Challenge.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	1333
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2023 answer text <p>The former Secretary of State had not held any recent discussions with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on the Cool Coalition’s Nature for Cool Cities Challenge. However, the UK is actively involved in many of the UN Environment Programme's workstreams and has a strong relationship with the organisation. I look forward to building on this relationship and continuing to support the vital work of UNEP in the coming months.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 20/11/2023 14:28:01 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1669286

registered interest
date	10/11/2023
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	Sugar Beet
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 her Department is taking to help support sugar beet growers.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	1290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2023 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared.</p><p> </p><p>We know that control of aphids and yellow virus, along with weather related problems - such as dry springs affecting crop establishment and wet conditions during the campaign harvests – can create issues for beet growers.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s reach and engagement with the agri-food sector is extensive and well-established. This includes regular contact with producers and processors in the UK sugar industry which ensures a strong two-way dialogue at both a ministerial and official level.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group, launched in January 2021, also monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, and trade enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.</p><p> </p><p>These allow Government to collect both data and industry intelligence on the agricultural sectors, including sugar, to understand any challenges being faced. We do not consider there is a case for support at this time but will keep the situation under review.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 15/11/2023 16:58:25 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1668895

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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	Heat Pumps: 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 (a) environmental and (b) biodiversity impact assessment she has made of the production of ground source heat pump technology.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	1183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>Where the Environment Agency has a regulatory role, particularly open-source heat pumps, they have commenced research to better understand the environmental and biodiversity impacts. This is being done to ensure regulatory duties are being conducted in a way that encourages the installation of low carbon technology, whilst ensuring the wider environment is protected.</p><p> </p><p>An assessment of demand for refrigerant gas in the future rollout of heat pumps will be included in the consultation on proposals to amend the Regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases (the F-gas Regulation).</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 21/12/2023 17:09:59 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1668918

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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	Game: Birds
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 the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 202935 on Game: Birds, how many of those applications did Natural England recommend approving.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	1065
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2023 answer text <p>With reference to the Answer of 23 October 2023 to Question 202935 on Game Birds, Natural England recommended approving 69 of those licence applications.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 16/11/2023 16:54:44 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1668951

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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	Sugar Beet: Prices
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 discussions she has had with (a) British Sugar and (b) the National Farmers Union on the 2024/25 sugar beet price negotiations.
tabling member constituency	North West Norfolk
tabling member printed	James Wild
uin	1257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra has had discussion with all parties. The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain, with risk and reward being properly shared. That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market.</p><p> </p><p>There is a well-established process in place to agree the sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties, with Government only acting as final arbitrator at the end of the process should no agreement be reached. It is very important that all parties involved now continue to follow that process and reach a mutually acceptable outcome.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 14/11/2023 11:12:24 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4787 label Biography information for James Wild

1668954

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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: Hunting
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 potential merits of a ban on trail hunting on land owned by her Department.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
tabling member printed	Alex Norris
uin	1229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2023 answer text <p>Since the introduction of the Act, many hunt organisations across the country have worked hard to adapt their activities towards trail hunting, which is intended to retain important traditions as part of the fabric of rural life without harming wildlife. The Government takes wildlife crime seriously. In 2022, Defra more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit from a total of £495,000 over the three previous years to £1.2 million for the three-year period of 2022-25. The Government will not amend the Hunting Act.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 27/11/2023 10:45:29 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1668956

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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	Hunting: Foxes
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 she has made a recent assessment of the impact of the Hunting Act 2004 on levels of fox hunting.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
tabling member printed	Alex Norris
uin	1230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra does not hold this data. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 20/11/2023 14:18:26 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1669080

registered interest
date	09/11/2023
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: Theft
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 data their Department holds on the (a) number and (b) total cost of replacing (i) laptops, (ii) mobile phones, (iii) memory sticks and (iv) external hard drives that have been (A) lost and (B) stolen in the last year.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	1225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>(a) The following table includes the number of lost or stolen devices in the last year (October 2022 to October 2023) from core Defra. Defra’s recording system has only recently started to differentiate between lost and stolen devices. Therefore, these numbers for the last full year have been amalgamated.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Items</p></td><td><p>Number</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Laptops</p></td><td><p>37</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Phones</p></td><td><p>93</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other assets (memory sticks and other External storages)</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>132</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>All departmental IT is fully security encrypted. The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries. Any mobile device reported as lost is immediately and remotely deactivated and the contents deleted.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.</p><p> </p><p>(b) Replacement costs are not broken down for core Defra and its Arm’s Length Bodies. As such, the replacement costs for core Defra only are not held centrally and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 11/12/2023 11:45:35 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1668353

registered interest
date	08/11/2023
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: Civil Servants
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 Cabinet Office statistics on Permanent and temporary civil servants by sex, age band and department: 2023, published on 31 October 2023, how many permanent civil servants excluding agencies worked for her Department on 31 March (a) 2011, (b) 2016 and (c) 2020.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2023 answer text <p>Headcount of civil servants who worked for the Department on 31 March of 2011, 2016 and 2020 can be found in the ONS Public Sector Employment Publication,</p><p>a) <a href="https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20150905000144mp_/http:/www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pse/public-sector-employment/q1-2011/stb-q1-2011.pdf" target="_blank">March 2011, table 8</a></p><p>b) <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable/march2016/psereferencetablesmarch2016.xls" target="_blank">March 2016, table 8</a></p><p>c) <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/publicsectoremploymentreferencetable/march2020/datasets.xlsx" target="_blank">March 2020, table 8</a></p><p> </p><p>On 2 October 2023, the Chancellor announced an immediate cap on civil servant headcount across Whitehall to stop any further expansion, increase efficiencies and boost productivity.</p><p> </p><p>The Civil Service grew in size to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the illegal war in Ukraine, but it is right that we reduce the size of the Civil Service over time as we drive up productivity and deliver efficiencies.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 23/11/2023 15:56:29 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1668466

registered interest
date	08/11/2023
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	Squirrels: 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, what steps she is taking steps to control the number of grey squirrels; whether she is using technology to (a) assess and (b) control the numbers of grey squirrels; and whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on implementing a UK-wide strategy on the control of grey squirrels.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	956
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>The management of grey squirrel populations is a devolved matter.</p><p> </p><p>In England, Defra is committed to doing more to tackle the impact of grey squirrels by updating the Grey Squirrel Action Plan. The Grey Squirrel Management Action Plan for Wales and the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project include similar management objectives. A refreshed GB Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy was published this year, setting out the high-level vision and key actions for invasive species management in England, Scotland, and Wales. The Forestry Commission works informally with colleagues in Natural Resources Wales and Welsh government to facilitate a common approach where possible.</p><p> </p><p>Defra contributes funding to innovative fertility control research led by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the UK Squirrel Accord, a UK-wide partnership that includes the Welsh and Scottish governments as well as Defra. If successful, this novel management method will complement the actions set out at the level of individual governments, such as maintaining the grey squirrel eradication that partners have carried out on Anglesey.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/11/2023 16:01:21 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie