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1649902

registered interest
date	04/07/2023
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	UK Internal Trade: 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, whether she plans to take steps to support the suppliers of fresh and frozen products seeking to send their products to Northern Ireland with labelling requirements.
tabling member constituency	East Antrim
tabling member printed	Sammy Wilson
uin	192284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2023 answer text <p>On 9 June UK Government published guidance to support industry to implement the new labelling requirements. We also engage stakeholders regularly to provide further bespoke support. The UK Government will also provide financial support to help businesses with the new labelling requirements for October 2023. Further guidance on this will be provided later in the year.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 07/07/2023 10:10:24 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	1593 label Biography information for Sammy Wilson

1649934

registered interest
date	04/07/2023
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	Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain Independent Review
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 set out the selection process for the (a) Chair and (b) panel for the Independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain.
tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
tabling member printed	Stuart C McDonald
uin	192337
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>The chair and expert panel were directly appointed by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs based on a set of criteria, including their expertise in the food and farming sector. This method of appointment is common practice for independent reviews commissioned by HM Government.</p><p> </p><p>Now that the final report has been published, we will look closely at the findings and set out our response in the Autumn.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 06/07/2023 13:45:33 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4393 label Biography information for Stuart C McDonald

1650024

registered interest
date	04/07/2023
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 Companies: Finance
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 improve the financial stability of the water industry.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Dan Carden
uin	192416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2023 answer text <ul><li>The sector as a whole is financially resilient. Water companies are responsible for ensuring that they remain financially resilient, however, over recent years, as investment requirements have risen, Ofwat has taken further steps to strengthen the financial resilience of companies. This includes increasing its financial monitoring, improving levels of reporting transparency and strengthening the ring-fence licence conditions, which ensure the regulated company maintains sufficient financial and management resources which enable it to carry out its functions in a sustainable manner.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Government and Ofwat take the financial resilience of the water sector very seriously. Government gave new powers to Ofwat through the Environment Act and in March 2023, Ofwat set out new measures to increase financial resilience in the sector. This includes additional powers to stop water companies making dividend payments earlier if the company's financial resilience is at risk.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Ofwat has also strengthened the existing dividend licence condition so that there is an explicit requirement for companies to measure performance by reference to delivery for customers and the environment. Companies will need to demonstrate this in their annual reporting on dividends and dividend decisions.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>In addition, Ofwat has also tightened up the measures around water company executives’ bonuses so that Ofwat will make shareholders pay for bonuses, not the customer, where there is poor performance.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 07/07/2023 10:08:24 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4651 label Biography information for Dan Carden

1650152

registered interest
date	04/07/2023
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	UK Internal Trade: Labelling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the additional costs to UK businesses of the requirement to provide additional labelling on goods to ensure that they are confined to the internal UK market.
tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
uin	HL9056
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2023 answer text <p>We are not currently able to share figures but are working with industry to understand the costs.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 07/07/2023 10:27:21 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1649570

registered interest
date	03/07/2023
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 Protected Areas: Fisheries
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 impact of bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas on biodiveristy in (a) those areas and (b) UK waters.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	192154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided on MPAs therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>We have established a comprehensive network of MPAs covering 40% of our waters, and we are now focusing on making sure they are properly protected. Marine regulators make evidence-based, site by site assessments on the fishing activities that could prevent MPAs from achieving their conservation objectives. Nearly 60% of the 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity. This includes byelaws made last year, which ban bottom towed gear over sensitive features in the first four offshore sites. The Marine Management Organisation consulted earlier this year on similar proposals for a further 13 sites; confirmation of these will be considered shortly. We are aiming to have all MPAs in English waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Marine Strategy Programme of Measures is designed to support UK waters to be clean, safe, healthy, biologically diverse and productive seas. This includes a range of measures to address the pressures faced by benthic habitats including from bottom towed fishing.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 06/07/2023 13:35:40 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1649623

registered interest
date	03/07/2023
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	Deposit Return Schemes: Glass
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 27 June 2023 to Question 190527 on Deposit Return Schemes: Glass, how many representations her Department received from businesses against the inclusion of glass in the deposit return scheme for England and Northern Ireland; and from whom.
tabling member constituency	Devizes
tabling member printed	Danny Kruger
uin	192235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2023 answer text <p>Businesses have been clear that adding glass to a deposit return scheme will add fundamental complexity for our pubs and restaurants, increase burdens on small businesses, whilst creating greater inconvenience for consumers.</p><p> </p><p>Among other considerations, the UK Government took into account strong representations made by relevant businesses, including distillers and the hospitality sector.</p><p> </p><p>Concerns raised included:</p><ul><li>Handling costs and equipment complexity. Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) will need to be emptied more frequently and will carry additional safety risks associated with handling broken glass in retail environments.</li><li>For retailers offering a manual take-back service, glass bottles will require more space to be stored safely which could disproportionately impact on small retailers.</li><li>In addition, points were raised regarding, the weight of glass and the potential for breakages also posing increased inconvenience for consumers.</li></ul><p> </p><p>More broadly, the additional cost and complexity imposed on the scheme if glass were to be included.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 07/07/2023 09:55:59 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4858 label Biography information for Danny Kruger

1649625

registered interest
date	03/07/2023
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	Dairy Products: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June to Question 189224 on Dairy Products, who is conducting the research on food information to consumers; who will be consulted as part of the research; what other issues are part of the research and what are the research objectives; for what reason the research was commissioned; and when she expects the research be (a) completed and (b) published.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	192038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>Following a competitive tender process, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are conducting the research on behalf of Defra, with a consortium of academics and partner agencies.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has set up a steering group made up of representatives from within Defra and other relevant Government departments. Consumers and business will be inputting into this research, along with existing literature.</p><p> </p><p>The research will build on previous research (Defra (2014), Baseline evaluation of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0132, <a href="https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=18705" target="_blank">Science Search (defra.gov.uk)</a> and Defra (2019), Follow Up Study of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0169, <a href="https://randd.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=20049" target="_blank">Science Search (defra.gov.uk)</a>) and investigate to what extent the objectives of the Food Information to Consumers regulations have been achieved, and how key indicators have changed from the baseline and follow up studies. The research will also explore the impacts of recent legislative, societal, and technological changes to food labelling on consumers and industry.</p><p> </p><p>The research is due to be completed by the end of March 2024 and published summer 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 06/07/2023 08:49:05 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

1649674

registered interest
date	03/07/2023
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	Pets: 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 discussions officials in her Department has had with (a) other Government Departments and (ii) third-party stakeholders on policy formation on tackling pet theft.
tabling member constituency	Bosworth
tabling member printed	Dr Luke Evans
uin	192202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2023 answer text <p>In response to concerns about the apparent increase in pet theft since the start of the pandemic the Government set up the Pet Theft Taskforce in May 2021. The Taskforce was a cross-government initiative including Defra, the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office. The Taskforce published their findings in September 2021 with input from animal welfare groups and experts in relevant fields. We are in the process of taking forward the Task Force’s recommendations together with relevant Departments.</p> answering member constituency Copeland answering member printed Trudy Harrison question first answered 07/07/2023 12:21:06 answering member 4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison
tabling member	4781 label Biography information for Dr Luke Evans

1649323

registered interest
date	30/06/2023
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 Animals: Fishing Catches
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 enforce the legal requirement for non-UK-flagged supertrawlers fishing in UK waters to report marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	191906
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>The Government recognises that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by sensitive marine species such as cetaceans, and we remain fully committed to tackling this issue.</p><p> </p><p>The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it a mandatory requirement under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers, including non-UK-flagged large pelagic trawlers, to report any marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The UK notified the European Commission that this requirement would be coming into force and is a licence condition for all vessels fishing in our waters.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 06/07/2023 09:00:57 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1649324

registered interest
date	30/06/2023
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	Fisheries: Monitoring
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 her Department will take steps to introduce remote electronic monitoring of bycatch as part of licensing conditions for supertrawlers to access UK waters.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	191907
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>We will shortly be consulting on proposals to increase the use of remote electronic monitoring on English vessels and in English waters, including on large pelagic trawlers. The Scottish government consulted on similar measures in spring 2022.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 04/07/2023 14:43:53 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith