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47468

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 increase agricultural exports as part of the export-led recovery.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	195698
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Defra and UKTI with industry are working together to increase exports in the agri-food sector. We launched a refreshed Exports Action Plan last October. It commits us to deliver £500m of value to the UK economy by supporting 1,000 companies by October 2015. Food and drink exports in 2013 reached £18.9bn, against £18.2bn in 2012, and are now 50% higher than 10 years ago. UKTI has established a dedicated team with civil servants and industry experts to improve the value and volume of inward investment and exports in agricultural technology. This team is working with UKTI posts overseas to help UK based agri-technology companies succeed in international markets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 22/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

47561

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 food industry about its compliance with food-related legislation.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Huw Irranca-Davies
uin	195911
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State and I meet regularly with food industry trade associations and with individual food businesses to discuss a wide range of current policy issues. This often includes proposals for changes in food-related legislation and food industry practices, to ensure legislation is fit-for-purpose and regulation is risk-based. Compliance with existing food-related legislation is something the Government expects from all food businesses. Primary responsibility for enforcing compliance with food-related legislation rests with local authority environmental health and trading standards departments, overseen by the Food Standards Agency.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1476 label Biography information for Huw Irranca-Davies

47562

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 make it his policy that householders may choose a conventional or analogue water meter instead of a wireless smart water meter where their water supplier is rolling out water metering; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	195780
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Metering can be a fair way of charging for limited water resources. As circumstances are very different in different regions, the Government does not take a blanket approach to metering policy. In areas of serious water stress where there may not be enough water available to meet demand, a water company can include plans for metering all of their customers in their Water Resources Management Plan. In all other areas, household customers are entitled to have a meter installed free of charge by their water company on request, but cannot be required to have one fitted. Thetype of water meter to fit is a matter for the water company to decide.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 24/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

47563

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 the additional £5 million for tackling waste crime announced in the budget statement will reduce in the planned workforce and associated workload in the enforcement and legal department of the Environment Agency.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	195783
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Defra and the Environment Agency have been working together to ensure that the additional funding is targeted effectively to tackle waste crime. A decision on how the additional £5 million will be spent is subject to Defra Ministerial approval.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Depending on how the £5 million is to be spent, the Environment Agency will review its planning assumptions to determine the impact on its workforce and associated workload</p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

47564

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 194164, how many civil servants in his Department of what grade spent some or all of their time working on the Hunting Act 2004 or matters relating to it in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	195782
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave 7 April 2014, <em>Official Report</em>, column 61W.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

47565

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 Ministers in his Department have had with their counterparts in (a) Malta, (b) Cyprus and (c) Greece about measures to reduce the killing of songbirds.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	195897
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>No discussions have taken place with counterparts in Malta, Cyprus or Greece about measures to reduce the killing of songbirds.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

47566

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 he has made of the value to the economy of venison production and sales in each of the last three years; and what steps he is taking to increase production and sale of venison.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	195898
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The available data on the UK deer farming industry in each of the last three years is shown in the table below :-</p><p><strong> </strong><strong> </strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>UK Farmed Deer Industry </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Value of output of deer (£ million) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3.5</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3.5</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>3.6</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Volume of venison produced (tonnes)</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2,400</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2,400</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2,500</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Farmed deer populations (thousand head) </strong></p></td><td><p><strong>33</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>31</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>32</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Defra co-funded a research project in partnership with industry to determine the effects of packaging and slaughter conditions on venison meat quality, and gain an improved understanding of consumer perceptions of venison to help focus future venison marketing campaigns. More information can be found here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&amp;Module=More&amp;Location=None&amp;Completed=0&amp;ProjectID=13973" target="_blank">http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&amp;Module=More&amp;Location=None&amp;Completed=0&amp;ProjectID=13973</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

47567

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 he has taken to protect each of the 26 species of bee that are under threat in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	195900
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>Conservation of biodiversity is a devolved matter. Action in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>England's biodiversity strategy, <em>Biodiversity 2020, </em>takes an integrated, large-scale approach to biodiversity conservation, exemplified by our Nature Improvement Areas initiative. This approach is designed to meet the habitat needs of many species, including threatened species of bee.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The strategy recognises that there will also be a need to take targeted action for the recovery of certain priority species, including certain bee species, whose conservation is not delivered through wider, habitat-based measures. These species are catered for through Natural England's Species Recovery Programme. The recent reintroduction of the short-haired bumblebee in the South East of England is one such example.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Incentives for farmers and other land managers to conserve and enhance important wildlife habitats, including those for bees, are provided under Environmental Stewardship schemes. Following a review, new payments were introduced from 1 January 2013 to improve habitats and food for pollinators, including bees. These payments provide for the addition of wildflowers to buffer strips and field corners, and the provision of legume-rich and herb-rich swards.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For the future, we are currently considering the scope for further enhancements for bees and other pollinators as part of wider environmental delivery through the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. Over £3.1 billion will be available up to 2020 to protect and enhance biodiversity under the New Environmental Land Management Scheme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra is also developing the National Pollinator Strategy for England to reflect the importance of bees and other insect pollinators to agriculture and biodiversity and in recognition that they face many pressures. A public consultation was launched in March 2014 and the final Strategy will be finalised in summer 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

47568

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 assess the desirability of separating responsibility for food safety policy and responsibility for food standards policy in England between the Food Standards Agency and his Department.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Huw Irranca-Davies
uin	195910
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The Food Standards Authority is responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the UK, and for food law enforcement. Their strategic objective is safer food for the nation in order to protect the consumer.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra is responsible for non-safety related food compositional standards and labelling policy in England. Most of these standards are set under EU legislation considered by EU Agriculture Council and there are synergies with the equivalent standards set through the Common Agricultural Policy. The underlying reason for regulating in these areas is to set internationally recognised standards to facilitate trade and ensure a level playing field for food businesses, whilst protecting consumers against product misdescription. Food composition and standards policy is not generally related to food safety.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1476 label Biography information for Huw Irranca-Davies

47569

registered interest
date	08/04/2014
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
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 his statement of 3 April 2014, Official Report, columns 1034-7, on bovine TB, what the evidential basis is for the statement that about a third of badgers in TB hotspot areas are infected with TB.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Huw Irranca-Davies
uin	195920
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The prevalence of M. bovis in badgers based on post-mortems and a subsequent analysis of the post-mortem protocol following the Randomised Badger Culling Trail (RBCT) showed prevalence of around 33%.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In the long-running study of badgers at Woodchester park TB prevalence in badgers has increased to over 30%.[1]</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In a separate study in Gloucestershire between 35% and 53% of badgers tested positive to a TB test. [2]</p><p> </p><br /><p>[1]Delahay et al. Epidemiol. Infect. (2013), 141, 1445–1456. Long-term temporal trends and estimated transmission rates for Mycobacterium bovis infection in an undisturbed high-density badger (Meles meles) population</p><p> </p><p>[2]Carter SP, et al. (2012) PLoS ONE 7(12): e49833. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049833 BCG Vaccination Reduces Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Vaccinated Badgers and Unvaccinated Badger Cubs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 22/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1476 label Biography information for Huw Irranca-Davies