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1682976

registered interest
date	17/01/2024
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	Horticulture: Peat
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 press release entitled Sale of horticultural peat to be banned in move to protect England’s precious peatlands, published on 17 August 2022, on what date the commitment to ban the sale of peat for use in the amateur gardening sector will come into effect.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	10077
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2024 answer text <p>In August 2022 we announced that we would ban the sale of peat for use in amateur gardening; we remain committed to this and plan to legislate when Parliamentary time allows. It remains our policy that we intend to legislate to restrict, and ultimately ban, the sale of peat and peat containing products. We have seen a significant reduction in peat use, due to the demand for peat-free growing media from an increasingly environmentally aware public.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 25/01/2024 16:59:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1677027

registered interest
date	11/12/2023
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	Pigs and Poultry: 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, with reference to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 188424 on Animal Welfare, what criteria he is using to determine whether the time is right to consult on the use of (a) crates for farrowing pigs and (b) cages for laying hens.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	6160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>We want our farming sectors to continue to be viable and competitive. There are several economic challenges currently being faced by the pig and poultry sectors, not least costs of feed and energy and the continued threat of avian influenza for laying hens, which is why we took the decision that the time is not right to consult on phasing out cage systems.</p><p> </p><p>The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hens with over 60% of eggs coming from free range production. The UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.</p><p> </p><p>We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our new domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 18/12/2023 13:32:25 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1675486

registered interest
date	05/12/2023
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	Office for Environmental 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, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2023 to Question 3178, for what reason he has not been able to provide a date for when his Department plans to publish the summary of the business case for the Office for Environmental Protection.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	5249
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>Defra intends to publish the Office for Environment Protection summary business case by end of 2023.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/12/2023 18:30:57 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1674164

registered interest
date	29/11/2023
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	Zoonoses: Furs
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 he has had recent discussions with counterparts in (a) Finland and (b) other EU countries on collective action to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases on fur farms.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	4387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government is continuing to build its evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade. We have not had any conversations with Finland or EU countries on zoonotic diseases arising from fur farms.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 07/12/2023 11:28:21 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1673481

registered interest
date	28/11/2023
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	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, for what reason he plans that the public consultation on the definition of irreplaceable habitats and principles for compensation for use in the Biodiversity Net Gain system due to come into force from January 2024 will be launched in the second half of 2024.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	4118
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/12/2023 answer text <p>Biodiversity net gain will become mandatory for most major new development from January 2024, for small sites from April 2024 and for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from 2025. When mandatory biodiversity net gain comes into force, the list of irreplaceable habitat for biodiversity net gain purposes will broadly mirror the existing list within planning policy.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation will launch in the second half of 2024 to allow stakeholders time to adapt to the new mandatory requirement and evidence to be gathered from the early phase of implementation, as well as to allow Defra time to consider the impact of any new list or definition on wider planning policy.</p><p> </p><p>We have published the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-biodiversity-gain-requirements-irreplaceable-habitat-regulations-2024" target="_blank">draft secondary regulations on irreplaceable habitat</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 06/12/2023 15:24:44 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1672609

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
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	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, with reference to the speech entitled Environment Secretary speech on 25 Year Environment Plan progress, published on 19 July 2023, what the geographical location is of the over a quarter of a million hectares of priority habitats that have been created and restored since 2010; what is the type of those habitats; and what proportion of those habitats are in a favourable condition.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	3457
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2023 answer text <p>The figure that over a quarter of a million hectares of priority habitat have been created or restored since 2010 is reflective of action taken towards target 1B (an increase in the overall extent of priority habitats by at least 200,000 ha by 2020) in Biodiversity 2020 (the Government’s biodiversity strategy for England up to 2020, published in 2011). This activity was not recorded in a spatial way, but this is something we are looking to change with reporting towards the Environment Act target to restore or create over 500,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat outside of protected sites by 2042.</p><p> </p><p>In the <a href="https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-environment-policy/consultation-on-environmental-targets/supporting_documents/Biodiversity%20terrestrial%20and%20freshwater%20targets%20%20Detailed%20evidence%20report.pdf#:~:text=The%20Environment%20Act%202021%20mandates%20that%20at%20least,Species%20Extinction%20Risk%2C%20Wider%20Habitats%20and%20Protected%20Sites." target="_blank">evidence report</a> for the Environment Act biodiversity targets, on page 26, we published a breakdown of habitat created and restored between 2011 and 2019. Although this does not cover the whole time period referenced, it is indicative of the general split between habitat types created and restored.</p><p> </p><p>Our best data on the location of priority habitat is the <a href="https://naturalengland-defra.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/Defra::priority-habitat-inventory-central-england/about" target="_blank">Priority Habitat Inventory</a>. This is a spatial data set that shows where priority habitat has been recorded. Habitat must be of a sufficient quality to be considered priority habitat. Habitat is added or removed from the inventory as evidence on gains and losses become available.</p><p> </p><p>Indicator 2a in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/england-biodiversity-indicators" target="_blank">England Biodiversity Indicators</a> provides more information about the condition of priority habitats in England. The indicator outlines the percentage area of priority habitats under several condition categories. Detail on how condition is assessed is given in the background section. The D1 outcome indicator of the 25 Year Environment Plan is undergoing further development and in time will describe the quantity, quality and connectivity of all major habitats across England; priority habitats would be included within this wider picture, although not at a disaggregated level.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/12/2023 16:53:16 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1672610

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
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	Environment Protection: EU Law
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 impact of the provisions in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 on levels of environmental protection.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	3458
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>It has not been necessary to carry out such an assessment. The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 will only remove from the UK statute book pieces of Retained EU Law (REUL) specifically cited in the revocation schedule. These are being removed because they are obsolete, expired, duplicated, no longer relevant to the UK, or have been superseded by new legislation. The Government remains fully committed to upholding environmental standards. Ministers made commitments at all stages of the Bill’s passage not to reduce environmental standards and protections. Since the start of November Ministers have had a legal duty to have due regard to the environmental principles policy statement under the Environment Act 2021 when making policies using the REUL Act’s powers. This Government uses expert advice, including that of many independent experts, when making provisions that relate to the environment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 29/11/2023 16:44:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1672732

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
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	Agriculture: Subsidies
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 guidance on cross compliance updated on 14 February 2023, which (a) cross compliance standards and (b) rules for participants in the Basic Payments Scheme or Countryside Stewardship will cease to have effect in 2024 and are not otherwise provided for in their entirety in English law as of 23 November 2023.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	3459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) cross compliance rules 1, 4, 5 and 7a are not fully replicated in existing domestic legislation as follows.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 1, which requires the maintenance of green cover, non-cultivation of land and spraying of pesticides within two metres of a water course. Domestic legislation, the Farming Rules for Water, however, provides rules preventing the application of manure and fertiliser close to a water course. It also prescribes that farmers must take all reasonable precautions to prevent pollution from cultivation practices, such as spraying pesticides. The use of pesticides is also set out in the Code of Practice for using Plant Protection Products.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 4 and GAEC 5, which require a minimum soil cover and measures to minimise soil erosion. Again, the Farming Rules for Water sets out generalised soil cover and erosion measures where it may prevent agricultural diffuse pollution. There is no reference to mitigation of wind erosion in the Farming Rules for Water. GAEC rules 4 and 5 are not covered elsewhere in domestic legislation.</p><p> </p><p>GAEC 7a, which requires the maintenance of green cover within two metres of the centre of a hedge and the prohibition of cutting a hedge between 1 March and 31 August. Also, the removal of stone walls, earth and stone banks. Defra has recently consulted on new legislation to replace the cross compliance hedgerow protections. As set out in January 2023 Defra plans to pay, as part of Environmental Land Management schemes, for new actions to maintain drystone walls, stone and earth banks in good condition.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 04/12/2023 16:41:19 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1672733

registered interest
date	23/11/2023
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	Biodiversity: Property Development
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will provide specific (a) guidance and (b) resources for local planning authorities to monitor and enforce the Biodiversity Net Gain system that is due to come into force from January 2024.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	3460
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>Government will publish a package of guidance on Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) shortly. This guidance will include advice for landowners, developers, and Local Planning Authorities around their role and responsibilities in delivering mandatory BNG. This guidance will include information on monitoring and enforcing BNG.</p><p> </p><p>Significant biodiversity gains on the development site must be legally secured by planning condition, planning obligation or conservation covenant. Biodiversity net gain sites away from the development site must be legally secured by planning obligation or conservation covenant. Authorities can charge a monitoring fee through section 106 planning obligations, to cover the cost of monitoring and reporting on delivery of that section 106 obligation. Monitoring fees can be used to monitor and report on any type of planning obligation, for the lifetime of that obligation. For gains that are secured with conservation covenants, we expect costs for monitoring and enforcement activities to be reflected in the price of biodiversity units.</p><p> </p><p>The planning enforcement regime will be the principal way of enforcing delivery of BNG.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 29/11/2023 16:38:59 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1672308

registered interest
date	22/11/2023
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	Office for Environmental 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, with reference to the Answer of 18 October 2022 to Question 65693 on the Office for Environmental Protection, when she plans to publish the summary of the business case for the Office for Environmental Protection.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	3178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra will publish a summary of the business case for the Office for Environmental Protection.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 29/11/2023 16:28:37 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas