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1005616

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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 Voles: Conservation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to prevent further decline in the population of water voles in the UK.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL11387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/11/2018 answer text <p>The water vole is a protected species, listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and a species identified as being of principal importance under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. As part of this, the species has a number of priority actions assigned to it, and as this is a devolved matter, the following information refers to actions in England.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England is committed to the actions set out in the Species Action Plan for water voles, alongside partner organisations noted within the plan, and recently published ‘A Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’, which identifies and confirms areas of work where continued resource should be placed to conserve and enhance water vole populations. Natural England is working with Sussex University, Brighton University, the Wildlife Trusts and People’s Trust for Endangered Species to undertake a habitat suitability mapping exercise to maximise conservation gain using a landscape scale approach. Dependent on these findings and the results of another project, with WildCru (Oxford University) and specialist water vole consultants assessing mitigation techniques used in development, Natural England is considering adapting its licensing policies with the aim of maximising conservation gain for the species at a landscape scale.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2010 the Environment Agency has delivered 328 projects that included habitat creation or improvement for the benefit of water voles. It has restored 6,725 hectares and created 6,330 hectares of priority habitat in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The Environment Agency has delivered training to relevant staff across its organisation to raise awareness of water voles and their protection, and screens its activities to ensure water voles and their habitats are protected from damage.</p><p> </p><p>Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide suitable habitat for wildlife including water voles and other small mammals. Scheme options that benefit water voles include buffer strips alongside ponds, ditches, and other watercourses and fencing alongside watercourses to protect bankside vegetation.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Forestry Commission is currently undertaking a flagship project for water voles in Kielder Forest. Having eradicated the mink there, the Forestry Commission is working with the Tyne Rivers Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the University of Aberdeen on the restoration of water voles and their habitats across the North Tyne catchment, and has already released hundreds of water voles into the area.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 21/11/2018 14:15:19 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1005655

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have that the badger cull in Somerset and Gloucestershire has been effective.
tabling member printed	Lord Truscott
uin	HL11426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2018 answer text <p>In September of this year, the Animal and Plant Health Agency published data showing there has been a drop in cattle TB incidence in the first two cull areas, where the number of new confirmed breakdowns has dropped by around 50%. In the Gloucestershire cull area, the incidence of TB has dropped from 10.4% before culling began to 5.6% in the twelve months following the fourth year of culling. In the Somerset cull area, it has dropped from 24% to 12%.</p><p> </p><p>Using the TB incidence measure for this purpose is in line with the reporting of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and National Statistics. It is the best way to monitor the impact of badger control in these areas. These data provide an encouraging sign that the steps we are taking to control the disease are having a positive impact, and are consistent with the effects seen during the Randomised Badger Culling Trial. Further analysis of the data is underway and will be submitted to a scientific journal for publication in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 23/11/2018 10:52:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	3682 label Biography information for Lord Truscott

1005662

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Food
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 the Government plans to take to increase food (a) production and (b) security when the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	190380
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>As we leave the EU we want to support farmers to grow more, sell more and export more great British food. Productivity is the key driver of long-term economic growth and prosperity. Our future agriculture policy will allow farmers to provide a supply of healthy, home-grown produce made to high environmental and animal welfare standards. The future policy will be underpinned by measures to increase productivity and invest in new technology. This will help farmers become more profitable and reduce their environmental footprint. Leaving the EU is an opportunity to boost domestic productivity through research, adoption of best practice, investment in new tools and technologies and adoption of new business models.</p><p>Further preparation for our withdrawal is continuing to be undertaken across the whole of government to consider how we best manage checks and controls in a range of scenarios. We have been very clear that when we leave the EU, we will categorically not dilute our world-leading set of standards on food safety and quality. We are committed to upholding these with robust and independent scientific and technical advice. Any products entering the UK market must meet our high standards of quality and safety.</p><p>The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from third countries. Consumers will continue to have access to a range of different products when we leave the EU.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 15/11/2018 11:05:03 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1005698

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Agricultural Products and Food: Imports
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 is taking to ensure that agricultural products and food produced to lower standards than those of the UK are not imported and do not undermine UK agricultural production.
tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
uin	190414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government shares the public’s high regard for food standards and safety, and we are proud to have some of the highest standards in the world. These high standards, including import requirements, will continue to apply when we leave the EU. Maintaining public confidence in the food we eat is vitally important. We are clear that we will not water down our food standards in pursuit of trade agreements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/11/2018 14:45:21 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1005699

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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: Subsidies
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 a programme of capital grants will be continued and apply throughout the UK to assist farmers in adopting methods of agricultural production that maximise efficiency, environmental responsibility and welfare improvements.
tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
uin	190415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>The Countryside Productivity scheme provides funding, including grants, for projects in England which improve productivity in the farming and forestry sectors. In October this year we committed £30 million for further rounds of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant scheme, which helps farmers buy equipment they need to boost productivity, increase yields, and become more environmentally efficient.</p><p> </p><p>The Agriculture Bill sets out the foundations for the future. It includes provisions which would allow for financial assistance to be given to improve the productivity of agricultural activities. This will allow us to make payments to enable farmers to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure that will help them to improve their productivity. The payments will also help farmers to deliver public goods, such as environmental benefits and animal health and welfare enhancements that are significantly above the regulatory baseline.</p><p> </p><p>We are developing a policy for England. Agriculture is devolved, and so it is for the devolved administrations to determine their own policies and decide how they spend their money.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 20/11/2018 14:41:27 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1005700

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Pet Travel Scheme
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 is taking to ensure that there is adequate veterinary capacity to meet the demand for (a) rabies (i) vaccinations and (ii) testing and (b) the issuing of health certificates for pets travelling to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	190334
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>The Government is working with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) to ensure there is sufficient veterinary capacity in the United Kingdom.</p><p> </p><p>Currently all pet dogs, cat and ferrets leaving the UK for other EU countries are required to have rabies vaccinations, therefore leaving the EU is unlikely to significantly impact on veterinary capacity to carry out vaccinations.</p><p> </p><p>In the unlikely event that the United Kingdom leaves the EU without a deal and the UK is an unlisted third country under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PTS) there would be some additional requirements that veterinarians would need to carry out to so that their clients’ pets could travel to the EU. These would be taking a blood sample for rabies antibody testing at an approved blood testing laboratory. However, provided a pet has an up-to-date rabies vaccination there would be no need to repeat the blood test during the animal’s lifetime. Should the UK become an unlisted third country after leaving the EU there may be an impact on demand for rabies serology tests in UK laboratories. We are preparing for an increase in demand on laboratories for these tests to enable pet owners to continue to visit the EU with their animals under all exit scenarios.</p><p> </p><p>For each trip a pet animal makes from the UK to the EU its owner would need a health certificate. Both the blood sample and health certificate would need to be completed by an Official Veterinarian (OV) authorised to issue pet travel documents. There are currently over 9,600 OVs authorised to issue pet travel documents in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs are responsible for pet travel documentation.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/11/2018 17:59:36 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1005701

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Pet Travel Scheme
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 pet owners will be compensated for following Government advice on preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal by paying for blood titre testing of rabies antibody levels ahead of travelling to the EU after 29 March 2019 in the event that an agreement is then reached.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	190335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>We recognise the uncertainty for owners and vets regarding pet travel requirements after the UK leaves the EU. This is why we have issued practical advice to pet owners. On 6 November Defra issued advice on Pet travel to Europe after the UK leaves the EU, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-after-brexit</a></p><p>This gives advice to pet owners planning to take their pet to any EU country on the rules they would need to follow in the unlikely event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.</p><p>It is important that owners understand any potential changes to pet travel after our departure from the EU to help inform their decision on whether to incur veterinary costs. To make sure a pet is able to travel from the UK to the EU after 29 March 2019 in any scenario, owners should contact their vet at least four months before travelling to get the latest advice.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 15/11/2018 17:58:14 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1005711

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Solid Fuels: Heating
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 he has made a comparative assessment of the heat produced by kiln dried wood and house coal on a domestic fire in his consultation on cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood; and if he will make statement.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	190412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Information provided from Forest Research indicates that wood that has been ‘oven dried’ has a calorific value of 5.3 kWh per kg (this does not vary significantly between tree species). In comparison, house coal has a calorific value of around 8 kWh per kg.</p><p> </p><p>The type of appliance used also affects the amount of heat that can be recovered from a fuel. An efficient, modern, environmentally accredited stove is far more efficient at recovering heat than an open fire.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 20/11/2018 11:25:25 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies

1005727

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Insects: 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, what recent steps he has taken to protect bees and insects.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Mr John Hayes
uin	190347
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>In October the Government announced £50,000 to support two large-scale pollinator projects in Devon and Hampshire and £60,000 of funding to develop and test pollinator habitat mapping and to help voluntary bodies and land managers to create pollinator-friendly landscapes.</p><p> </p><p>We have supported two major events in 2018 to raise awareness of the importance of bees and encourage people to take action. In July, we put on a week-long ‘Bees’ Needs’ event in Carnaby Street (renamed ‘Carnabee’ Street for the week). In November, in collaboration with the Green Flag Award scheme, we organised the Bees’ Needs Champions Awards at Kew Gardens to recognise and celebrate exemplary initiatives undertaken by local authorities, universities, community groups, universities and bee farmers to support bees and other insects.</p><p> </p><p>To improve our understanding of the status of pollinators, we have been funding a new UK-wide Pollinator Monitoring Scheme which will report next year. Following scientific evidence that neonicotinoid pesticides are harmful to bees and other pollinators, all outdoor usage will be withdrawn from 19 December 2018.</p><p> </p><p>To improve honey bee health, we have maintained an extensive programme of advisory visits and training events to improve beekeepers knowledge of bee pests and diseases and good husbandry practices. Early reporting of Asian hornet by beekeepers has been instrumental in enabling us to tackle several outbreaks this year.</p><p> </p><p>These build on the work undertaken, with the invaluable support of a range of partners to the deliver the National Pollinator Strategy for England, published in 2014. Furthermore the Government introduced a Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package to Countryside Stewardship in 2015 to make it easier for farmers to take action to create habitat for pollinators.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 20/11/2018 11:38:33 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1005785

registered interest
date	12/11/2018
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	Sites of Special Scientific Interest
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 plans to take to increase the proportion of sites of specific scientific interest monitored every six years.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
uin	190542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2018 answer text <p>Since 2013 Natural England has adopted a risk based approach to the frequency of monitoring sites, which varies according to a range of factors such as risk to the site and the stability of its ecology.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England continues to support and encourage its partners and major owners of sites of specific scientific interest (SSSI) in the work they do on SSSI monitoring. Natural England is also developing its approach to the monitoring of SSSIs, including use of new technologies such as remote sensing and greater partnership involvement. This work will form part of Natural England’s continued risk based approach to decide how frequently a site should be monitored and is intended to improve efficiency of SSSI monitoring.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 20/11/2018 14:11:02 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds