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786849

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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	Animal Welfare: Sentencing
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 the process will be for animal welfare charities to be consulted on the draft legislation to increase the maximum animal cruelty sentence to five years imprisonment.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Ann Clwyd
uin	112211
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2017 answer text <p>As announced on 30 September, draft legislation to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty to five years will be published for consultation around the turn of the year. We will welcome comments from animal welfare charities who have campaigned for this change.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 21/11/2017 13:35:54 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	553 label Biography information for Ann Clwyd

786850

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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	Sheffield Station: Pollution
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 his Department has made of the levels of pollution in and around Sheffield Midland train station.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Hallam
tabling member printed	Jared O'Mara
uin	112246
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2017 answer text <p>Sheffield City Council has been identified in the UK plan for tackling roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations as a local authority with concentrations of NO2 projected to be persistently in exceedance of the legal limit in locations on the A57, A61 and A630. The Government is working with Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to produce a local air quality plan to reduce these levels of NO2 in the shortest possible time.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Plan also sets out information on annual nitrogen oxide emissions from other transport such as rail. At a national level, emissions from the rail sector are relatively low; however the Government is committed to reducing them further. Recent train operating franchises that the Department for Transport has negotiated include commitments to replace older diesel units with new units compliant with the latest emission standards (through the Non-Road Mobile Machinery Directive) which have become progressively more stringent over time for both NO2 and particulate matter emissions.</p><p> </p><p>You can find Sheffield City Council’s air quality information on its website <a href="https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/pollution-nuisance/air-quality" target="_blank">https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/pollution-nuisance/air-quality</a>.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 17/11/2017 16:59:55 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4661 label Biography information for Jared O'Mara

786851

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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: Animal Breeding
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 he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban purpose-bred pheasants and partridges for the shooting industry.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Hallam
tabling member printed	Jared O'Mara
uin	112392
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2017 answer text <p>The government has no plans to ban the breeding of pheasants and partridges for the shooting industry.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 17/11/2017 17:08:49 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4661 label Biography information for Jared O'Mara

786891

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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	Britvic: Norwich
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 representations he has received from (a) Britvic and (b) recognised trades unions at Britvic on potential job losses at the Norwich site.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	112430
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>Britvic is part of our dynamic and world-class food and drink industry and is investing £240 million in their manufacturing operations in the UK. Officials at Defra have been in contact with Britvic, who have indicated that the proposal to transfer production from their current Norwich site is to consolidate their manufacturing operations.</p><p> </p><p>Britvic is in the process of consulting on the proposals with elected employee representatives and, therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment at this time. We know that this is an uncertain time for Britvic workers affected by the news and we will be working with the company to ensure that employees receive appropriate support.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 112431 question first answered 20/11/2017 11:44:02 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

786892

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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	Britvic
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 discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on operations at Britvic in (a) Norwich and (b) the UK.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	112431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>Britvic is part of our dynamic and world-class food and drink industry and is investing £240 million in their manufacturing operations in the UK. Officials at Defra have been in contact with Britvic, who have indicated that the proposal to transfer production from their current Norwich site is to consolidate their manufacturing operations.</p><p> </p><p>Britvic is in the process of consulting on the proposals with elected employee representatives and, therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment at this time. We know that this is an uncertain time for Britvic workers affected by the news and we will be working with the company to ensure that employees receive appropriate support.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 112430 question first answered 20/11/2017 11:44:02 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

786939

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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: Working Conditions
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 improve the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of staff employed in his Department.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	112406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>In Defra, Wellbeing is covered under a wider safety, health and wellbeing function, recognising the legal obligations to minimise work-related risks to both physical and psychological health. Current focus is on implementing actions under the new Civil Service Priorities for Health and Wellbeing which are to:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Provide visible leadership for health and wellbeing</li><li>Encourage an open dialogue leading to action on mental health</li><li>Promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle</li><li>Promote national wellbeing campaigns</li><li>Support people to stay at work or return to work</li></ol><p> </p><p>Collaborative working across the Defra group is already established between the Safety, Health and Wellbeing team and HR Diversity colleagues on issues such as workplace adjustments and mental health where steps are being taken to improve related services or procedures, employee awareness and line management capability.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has an established wellbeing programme focuses on both physical and mental wellbeing. For example we run an annual health kiosk programme providing access to basic physical health checks such as blood pressure and BMI. We also have an employee led ‘break the stigma’ buddy group, an Employee Assistance programme which includes manager coaching services, and transparency and openness on mental health matters via leadership and employee blogs.</p><p> </p><p>The Permanent Secretary has employee wellbeing as a personal objective and makes a commitment to employee wellbeing whilst signing the Defra H&amp;S Policy annually.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/11/2017 12:00:01 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

786972

registered interest
date	10/11/2017
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: Scotland
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 discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the future of farm subsidies after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
tabling member printed	Andrew Bowie
uin	112257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>The Secretary of State met Fergus Ewing, the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, and Noel Lavery, the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland, on 6 November to discuss future agriculture policy. Ministers have held regular meetings with all devolved administrations over the past year.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/11/2017 11:53:05 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4601 label Biography information for Andrew Bowie

785851

registered interest
date	07/11/2017
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	Bracken
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to achieve a reduction in the amount of open countryside covered by bracken.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL2999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2017 answer text <p>Through our agri-environment schemes we encourage farmers and land managers to look after and manage their local environments. These agreements support a number of management actions, including bracken control. Currently 881 agreements specifically include action that helps control bracken. This covers 16,527 hectares of land.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 20/11/2017 11:24:38 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

785852

registered interest
date	07/11/2017
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	Bracken
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of open countryside in England that was covered by bracken in (1) 1987, (2) 1997, (3) 2007, and (4) 2017; and what assessment they have made of the reasons for any changes in that coverage.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL3000
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2017 answer text <p>The extent of bracken broad habitat in England is estimated as part of the Countryside Survey, which is a survey of land cover across the UK. The survey has been undertaken at intervals since 1978 and provides evidence about the extent and condition or ‘health’ of the UK’s countryside today. The most recent survey was conducted in 2007.</p><p> </p><p>Estimations for the extent of bracken broad habitat in England are available from 1990 onwards and are provided in the table below. Data is not available for all the years referenced in the question. Within the survey, bracken broad habitat is defined as area with 95-100% coverage with bracken plants. Between 1990 and 2007 there was no change in the overall extent of bracken.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table: Estimated area (’000s ha) and percentage of land area of the Bracken Broad Habitat in England from 1990 to 2007<em>. </em></strong><em>Source: Countryside Survey 2007. </em></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong><em> Year</em></strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong><em>1990</em></strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong><em>1998</em></strong></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><strong><em>2007</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>(‘000 ha)</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>% area of England </em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>(‘000 ha)</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>% area of England </em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>(‘000 ha)</em></strong></p></td><td><p><strong><em>% area of England</em></strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong><em>Bracken</em></strong></p></td><td><p><em>93</em></p></td><td><p><em>0.7 </em></p></td><td><p><em>109 </em></p></td><td><p><em>0.8</em></p></td><td><p><em>91 </em></p></td><td><p><em>0.7</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 15/11/2017 13:01:46 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

785858

registered interest
date	07/11/2017
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	Tree Planting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to encourage tree planting in areas that are prone to recurrent flooding.
tabling member printed	Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
uin	HL3006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2017 answer text <p>The Government continues to fund and support research into the utility of trees in flood prevention, for example through the joint Defra/Environment Agency ‘Working with Natural Processes’ research programme, and the Forestry Commission’s Science and Innovation Strategy work.</p><p> </p><p>In July, Defra also announced the allocation of £15 million specifically for natural flood management projects. Several of the 58 projects undertaken within this programme include tree planting amongst their interventions.</p><p> </p><p>Flood risk management is one of the targeting criteria for woodland creation funded through the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Countryside Stewardship also supports the installation of leaky woody dams in new and existing woodland to aid flood mitigation.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, Forest Research, the Forestry Commission’s research agency, is conducting a number of medium and long term projects on this topic, often in partnership with water regulators, universities and end users. These cover process, modelling, economic and mapping studies designed to quantify and demonstrate how woodland can contribute to flood risk management. One flagship project led by Forest Research is the ‘Slowing the Flow’ at Pickering study. This is evaluating how the integrated application of a range of land use and management measures can alleviate flooding, including woodland creation and the use of large woody structures.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 15/11/2017 13:21:47 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4303 label Biography information for Baroness Kennedy of Cradley