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101853

registered interest
date	30/10/2014
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: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she next plans to meet farming organisations in Northern Ireland.
tabling member constituency	North Antrim
tabling member printed	Ian Paisley
uin	212547
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>We work closely with farming organisations across the UK and look forward to meeting representatives in due course.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 03/11/2014 17:20:53 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	4129 label Biography information for Ian Paisley

101549

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
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	Solar Power: Agriculture
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 her Department's press release of 19 October 2014 entitled Subsidies for solar farms to be cut to help safeguard farmland, whether her Department holds evidence that shows that solar farms compromise the success of the UK agriculture industry.
tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
uin	212382
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>Solar farms significantly compromise agricultural production on the land that they occupy because they deprive crops of light, make access for machinery difficult and make it harder to keep the land in a productive condition.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 03/11/2014 16:58:33 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

101385

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
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	Japanese Knotweed
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 assess and mitigate the effect of Japanese knotweed.
tabling member constituency	South Down
tabling member printed	Ms Margaret Ritchie
uin	212225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>It is well known that Japanese knotweed can have ecological impacts related to the alteration of habitat structure and biological communities, and can also pose some structural, management and access concerns if left uncontrolled. The plant is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to allow the plant to escape or cause it to grow in the wild. When disposing of contaminated soil from development sites it is a legal requirement that the spoil must be disposed of as controlled waste.</p><p>Since 2011, Defra has provided grant aid to several local action groups throughout England to reduce or eradicate invasive non-native species, including Japanese knotweed in local areas.</p><p>Additionally, Defra has funded rigorous laboratory testing to identify a possible biocontrol agent to control the plant and has identified the psyllid, <em>Aphalara itadori.</em> A closely monitored licensed trial release programme has been undertaken since 2010 to assess the impact of this psyllid, although no significant and sustainable impacts have yet been seen because only small populations of the psyllid have survived. This year the project has conducted caged field trials releasing larger numbers to establish higher population densities and we are awaiting the results.</p><p>The recent provision of Community Protection Notices, provided for in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, are now available for use by local authorities to control or prevent the growth of Japanese knotweed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 03/11/2014 16:30:01 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4130 label Biography information for Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick

101386

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
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	Countryside
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 have discussions with the National Gamekeepers Association, the Countryside Alliance and the Land Access and Recreation Association on the protection of moorland and peat bogs where fishing takes place.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	212273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>We would be happy to consider holding such discussions upon receipt of further information from the Member for Strangford about these issues.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 03/11/2014 17:16:53 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

101118

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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	Solar Power
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 estimate she has made of the number of solar farms in the UK that include livestock grazing; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Sunderland Central
tabling member printed	Julie Elliott
uin	211998
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>We estimate that there are currently around 250 solar farms in the UK, and with numerous others in the planning system, we estimate there will be over 1000 by the end of the decade. This would remove a large amount of farmland from agricultural production. While some developers claim as part of their planning applications that they intend to graze livestock under solar panels, in practice many are reluctant to allow livestock to be co-located with expensive capital equipment. Land covered by solar panels can no longer have agricultural production as the primary activity on it and is therefore not eligible for the BPS payments.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 30/10/2014 17:30:51 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4127 label Biography information for Julie Elliott

101119

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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	Private Finance Initiative
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 private finance initiative projects her Department contracted for in each year from 1997 to 2010.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	212097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Department entered into one private finance initiative (PFI) project in February 2001.</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 03/11/2014 16:12:35 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101121

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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	White Fish: 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, if she will take unilateral steps to manage bass stocks in UK waters until EU agreement is reached; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
uin	212128
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The UK Government are continuing to push for effective EU-wide conservation measures that will ensure the stock recovers and becomes sustainable by working with the Commission and interested Member States. We expect EU bass management proposals to be agreed before the end of the year, to apply in 2015.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 03/11/2014 15:47:07 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

101122

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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	Environmental Protection: EU Action
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 information her Department holds on which EU member states are leading on the EU Make It Work initiative; which industries are providing input; what the timetable is for public consultation; and what the objectives of the UK are in relation to that initiative.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	212067
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text <p>The Netherlands, UK and Germany have established the Make it Work initiative to promote a European dialogue on improving EU environmental legislation.</p><p>The UK’s ambition, shared by others involved, is to make it easier for business and others to comply with environmental requirements whilst continuing to maintain environmental protections. The aim is to establish a network of Member States committed to supporting actions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of EU environmental legislation through sharing best practice and investigating opportunities for simplification. In addition the initiative will seek to establish an expert group to exchange views on improving the quality and coherence of the EU environmental acquis as a whole and develop guiding principles for “smart” EU environmental legislation both generally and on specific topics.</p><p>The following EU Member States attended one or both of the workshops that have been held so far: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. In addition, there have been contacts with others such as France. The European Commission and the European Union Network for the Implementation of Environmental Law (IMPEL) were also represented.</p><p>There have been some informal discussions with stakeholders but formal input has not been sought from business or other stakeholders though it is planned to do this in future.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 03/11/2014 17:09:12 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

101123

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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
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 prospects of the Government seeking a more advantageous arrangement for cane sugar refiners in its negotiations with the EU.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	212112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>During negotiations of the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy last year, which led to the agreement to end sugar beet production quotas in 2017, the UK pushed for the full liberalisation of the sugar regime in order to allow the sugar cane refiners to compete with the beet producers on an equal footing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Disappointingly, there was insufficient support from other Member States to secure the necessary changes as part of that exercise. However, we remain committed to working with the European Commission to address this issue through forthcoming EU trade agreements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 30/10/2014 15:37:24 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

101547

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
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	Flood 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 recent steps she has taken to promote flood defences.
tabling member constituency	Esher and Walton
tabling member printed	Mr Dominic Raab
uin	905750
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/10/2014 answer text <p>We are spending more than £3.2 billion over period of this parliament, compared to £2.7 billion in the previous five years. By March 2015, we will have improved the level of protection to more than 165,000 households.</p><p>We have also improved the funding approach to encourage others to invest in flood defences, so even more schemes can be delivered.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 30/10/2014 17:49:17 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	4007 label Biography information for Dominic Raab