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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

1669151

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	Poultry: Avian Influenza
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what compensation is available to traditional free range turkey farmers who slaughter on farm for birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process at the time bird flu is detected.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
uin	HL190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>Compensation, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981, is paid for healthy birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes. No compensation is available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is also not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat that needs to be disposed of to prevent further disease spread. Any meat or birds that have been slaughtered and are hanging as part of the maturation process on an infected premises will be subject to risk assessment. If it is considered to present a risk of disease spread, the meat or birds will need to be biosecurely disposed of without compensation.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/11/2023 11:47:08 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4935 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich

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

1668596

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	Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership: Pesticides
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 her Department had with the Department for Business and Trade during the negotiation of accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; and what assessment her Department has made of the (a) implications for her policies and (b) potential impact on exports of differing standards of pesticide use in states party to that Agreement.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>The Department for Environment, Food &amp; Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) officials worked closely together to deliver the successful negotiation of the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).</p><p> </p><p>The Impact Assessment relating to the UK’s accession to the CPTPP agreement is available here: <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fcptpp-impact-assessment&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7C6a4424a1d8a448d2594808dbe1dc637f%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638352108901721812%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=uEWSSOpWQSsW%2FSAsdRezHw2hPAuK6DvwDY4%2FVmi0HXQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cptpp-impact-assessment</a>. It sets out the Government’s assessment of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the agreement.</p><p> </p><p>The independent Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) will also produce a report by 30 November on whether the UK’s accession to the CPTPP agreement is consistent with the maintenance of statutory protections in relation to animal and plant health and life, animal welfare and the environment. Informed by the TAC’s conclusions and advice from the Food Standard Agency and Food Standards Scotland, the Government will then lay its own report under section 42 of the Agriculture Act 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the Hon. Member asks about the potential impact on exports to the UK of differing standards of pesticide use in states party to the CPTPP Agreement. The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. Decisions on these standards will remain a matter for the UK and will be made separately from any trade agreements.  Nothing in the CPTPP agreement creates new permissions for imports. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 14/11/2023 11:09:22 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1668683

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	Export Health Certificates
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how they will work with trading partners to ensure that the capacity and availability of certifiers for export health certificates are sufficient to prevent any barrier to trade.
tabling member printed	Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick
uin	HL134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2023 answer text <p>The UK Government is working closely with EU member states and the European Commission to ensure that there is sufficient certifier capacity for implementation of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). Our evidence suggests that member states will be ready with the necessary certifier capacity in place. We remain in contact with the European Commission to discuss and review the availability of EU certifiers to exporters, as it is the responsibility of the exporter to identify a certifying officer in the EU.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, under the BTOM’s risk-based approach most imports of animal and plant products will not require health certification. Where certification is needed, it will be simplified and digitised.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 13/11/2023 13:55:55 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

1667486

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
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	Marine Management Organisation: Conditions of Employment
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 Civil Service employees from core departments retained continuity of employment for contractual purposes when they transferred from working for their previous department to work for the Marine Management Organisation in 2009.
tabling member constituency	Brent North
tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
uin	14
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>Continuous statutory service would be transferred as per the protocols. However, Defra does not keep information on staff who have transferred under Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)/ Cabinet Office Statement of Practice. All data becomes owned by the organisation that the work moves to, as the staff are theirs as if they had always been their staff.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 14/11/2023 16:30:09 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

1667487

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
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	Marine Management Organisation: Secondment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, under which staff-transfer protocol employees of core civil service Departments were transferred to the Marine Management Organisation in 2009; and whether this protocol has been applied to other employee transfers.
tabling member constituency	Brent North
tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
uin	15
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra follows the correct protocols for each staff transfer as set out in the <a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F5a79b86540f0b642860da3ad%2Fstaff_transfers_145.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7Ccorporatepqs%40defra.gov.uk%7C94e59467e6664a5c5d5e08dbe438458a%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638354702561563039%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=nVb4Q%2BuJCFNnPSi2Ho5zRDl%2F782qvKprTRkkf%2BoiwmQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Statement of Practice</a>.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 14/11/2023 16:26:36 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner

1667497

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
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	Water Supply: New Forest
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 she will (a) take steps with stakeholders to understand the (i) circumstances which led to Southern Water cutting off water supplies to households in the Waterside area of New Forest East constituency during the evening of Thursday 2 November 2023, (ii) reasons for which the water supply was not resumed until the morning of Sunday 5 November and (iii) reasons for the lack of advance warning to customers, (b) make an assessment of the adequacy of support given by Southern Water to vulnerable customers whose water had been cut off and (c) make it her policy to require water companies to increase their resilience levels to ensure they can deliver water to customers during periods of similarly heavy rainfall in the future.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Sir Julian Lewis
uin	1
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2023 answer text <p>On 2 November, the effects of Storm Ciaran were seen at Testwood Water Treatment Works in Hampshire. The heavy rainfall and consequent flooding impacted water quality, which meant that it was not possible for the Treatment Works to effectively treat the volume of water needed to maintain supplies. This included to properties in the Waterside area of the New Forest. Southern Water attempted to minimise the impact but as soon as it become apparent that supply would be affected, notifications were provided to customers, through their website and social media.</p><p>Once flooding reduced, Southern Water increased supplies slowly to safeguard safety and drinking water quality standards. Customers had water supply restored gradually over the course of Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 November. Arrangements were put in place to support those customers off supply, including the opening of three bottled water stations, and regular deliveries to vulnerable customers.</p><p>Throughout the water supply outage, my officials engaged closely with Southern Water to ensure steps were taken to resolve the incident as soon as possible. I was regularly briefed on the emerging situation and ensured that Southern Water was supporting customers in the impacted area, particularly those who are vulnerable.</p><p>And on 8 November, I met with Lawrence Gosden, CEO Southern Water, to consider what lessons could be learned from this water supply incident and the actions Southern Water are taking avoid future interruptions at Testwood Water Treatment Works. The company is also providing a detailed report to the Drinking Water Inspectorate, who will carry out a full assessment on the event.</p><p>Ensuring a plentiful supply of water is a government priority with our Plan for Water, published in April 2023, setting out how we will enhance water supply infrastructure and improve resilience to drought as well as managing water demand. Earlier this year, regional water resources groups and water companies, including Southern Water, consulted on their draft Water Resource Management Plans. Within their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and water resources infrastructure for at least the next 25 years.</p><p>Water companies are also using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the current Price Review period (2020-2025) to investigate strategic water resources options, that are required to improve the resilience of England’s water supplies. Ofwat also recently announced that water companies are bringing forward £2.2 billion for new water infrastructure delivery, over the next two years, with £350 million worth of investment in water resilience schemes.</p><p>Where a company does not meet their performance expectations, Ofwat, the independent water regulator, will take decisive regulatory action. For example, due to underperformance in 2022-23 across several areas, including on supply interruptions and customer satisfaction, draft decisions by Ofwat will mean Southern will return over £42 million to its customers in the 2024-25 financial year.</p><p>Government and regulators will continue to closely monitor Southern Water’s Performance and will not hesitate to hold them to account if they fall short.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/11/2023 14:23:59 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1667522

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
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	Sewage: Waste Disposal
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 introduce legislation to require water companies to report annually on the number of animals killed as a result of raw sewage discharges.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	221
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2023 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>We do not have plans to introduce legislation that will require this of water companies. However, this Government is clear that the volume of sewage being discharged into our waters is unacceptable. That is why our Plan for Water sets out more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement to tackle pollution and clean up our water.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this, our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan sets clear and specific targets for water companies, regulators and the Government, to work towards the long-term ambition of eliminating ecological harm from storm overflows. This will protect biodiversity at both a local and national scale.</p><p> </p><p>We have also set a world-leading, legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. This target will drive wide-ranging actions to deliver nature recovery.</p><p> </p><p>We know that to meet our targets we will need large-scale habitat restoration, creation and improved connectivity; to tackle pressures on species including pollution, unsustainable use of resources and climate change; and targeted action to recover specific species.</p><p> </p><p>Action to restore or create freshwater habitats will support species in our indicator that live in and rely on lakes and rivers such as kingfishers, silver bream, perch, and minnow.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/11/2023 15:38:12 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1667533

registered interest
date	07/11/2023
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	Animal Welfare: Labelling
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 Summary of Responses to the Call for Evidence on Labelling for Animal Welfare, published by her Department in August 2022, whether she plans to take steps to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce labelling for animal welfare.
tabling member constituency	Stockton South
tabling member printed	Matt Vickers
uin	605
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra’s Call for Evidence on Labelling for Animal Welfare gathered data on the impacts of different types of labelling reforms. Based on the information gathered, we will continue to work with stakeholders to explore how we can harness the market to improve food information for consumers. We will continue to gather evidence on the impacts of a wide range of market interventions, as well as how they could align with wider labelling proposals such as eco-labelling.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 14/11/2023 10:58:43 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4844 label Biography information for Matt Vickers