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1136557

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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	Pollinators: Midlands
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 his Department has taken in the Midlands to support pollinators.
tabling member constituency	Mansfield
tabling member printed	Ben Bradley
uin	272933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2019 answer text <p>The National Pollinator Strategy sets out actions taken across the country to support pollinators, underpinned by partnership delivery at the local level. Grow Wild at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, are working on a range of projects re-creating habitats across the Midlands.</p><p> </p><p>Natural England are working with conservation organisations and landowners on the Back from the Brink programme, a £7.7m partnership funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and others to put over 100 priority species on the road to recovery by 2020. Two Back from the Brink projects are supporting pollinators in the Midlands.</p><p> </p><p>On 28 June, Butterfly Conservation, the project lead, announced that reintroduction work through the ‘Roots of Rockingham’ project in Rockingham Forest, Northamptonshire, has seen the Chequered Skipper become the first previously extinct butterfly to have bred successfully in an English woodland for more than 40 years.</p><p> </p><p>Butterfly Conservation also lead Back from the Brink’s ‘Limestone’s Living Legacies’ project, working with landowners from the Cotswolds to Warmington in the West Midlands to restore and manage a network of limestone grassland sites which will provide suitable habitat to many species of pollinators.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is also supporting the development and testing of pollinator habitat mapping to help voluntary bodies and land managers to create pollinator-friendly landscapes. This includes funding to support Buglife’s ‘B-Lines’ mapping project in the Midlands and other regions.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018, our Bees’ Needs Champions Awards recognised a number of councils and community groups from across the Midlands for their own exemplary work to support pollinators.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/07/2019 09:40:28 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4663 label Biography information for Ben Bradley

1136569

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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	Tree Planting
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 set up tree planting schemes (a) nationally and (b) in Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	272732
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government is committed to planting 11 million trees this Parliament, as well as planting 1 million trees in our towns and cities. Woodland creation is a key element of our 25 Year Environment Plan.</p><p> </p><p>The Government provides national support to landowners to plant trees through Countryside Stewardship, the Woodland Carbon Fund, the High Speed 2 Woodland Fund and the Government’s investment in the Northern Forest. Further, in the Autumn Budget, the Government announced £10m for an Urban Trees Challenge Fund – which is now open for applications - and £50m to help plant new woodlands through the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We supported the planting of 372,000 trees for the administrative areas of Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire from 2010-11 to 2018-19, and look forward to supporting landowners to plant more trees in the coming years.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/07/2019 11:48:23 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1136603

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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: Northumberland
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 is taking to support farmers in Northumberland in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.
tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
uin	272839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Agriculture Bill is part of the Government’s programme of critical legislation to deliver a smooth departure from the EU. We will create an ambitious new system based on paying “public money for public goods” including improving air and water quality and habitats for wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>Due to the environment and cultural and natural heritage of upland areas, fell farmers like those in Northumberland will be well placed to benefit from the new system which will reward farmers for the public value of the goods they provide.</p><p> </p><p>A smooth and gradual seven year transition away from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy will mean that farmers and land managers can plan ahead. The Government has already pledged to continue to support farmers financially by committing the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>As any responsible Government would, we are also preparing for the possibility of no deal, which is why we have contingency plans in place to minimise disruption for the food and farming sector as much as possible.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 10/07/2019 12:41:35 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery

1136717

registered interest
date	03/07/2019
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Overtime
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 amount of unpaid overtime worked by staff in his Department in the last 24 months.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	272751
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Information relating to unpaid overtime worked by staff is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 08/07/2019 16:53:23 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1136213

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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: National Parks
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 plans he has to improve the quality of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in National Parks.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
uin	272121
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>Our 25 Year Environment Plan commits to restoring 75% of our one million hectares of land and freshwater in protected sites to favourable condition including in National Parks.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to provide funding for the positive management of Sites of Special Scientific Interests through our agri-environment schemes. In advance of the introduction of the new Environmental Land Management System, we are using our tests and trials programme as a means to work with farmers, land managers and stakeholders, including the National Parks so that they can contribute to the contents and design of the new system.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 08/07/2019 16:27:37 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1136218

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 inform people entering the UK of the dangers of bringing in meat from areas affected by African swine fever.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra, together with the devolved administrations, pig industry and veterinary bodies, has been working on a communications campaign to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to the UK and what can be done to reduce the risk of entry into the UK pig herd or feral wild boar populations. Messaging has targeted key audiences including transport operators, tourists to specific regions, and other people returning from affected regions. Additionally, we have been speaking to both professional and backyard pig keepers about the dangers and risk of ASF, to encourage best practice and ensure disease prevention.</p><p>We have also run a targeted communication campaign to raise awareness of the particular risks of bringing pork products into the UK from affected areas, including the emphasis on the importance of safely disposing of any unwanted pork products.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:07:54 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136219

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 additional resource has been allocated to UK border force to (a) provide communications to the public on and (b) increase surveillance of imported meat products from areas affected by African swine fever.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Defra is working with Border Force to focus communications on passengers travelling through ports and airports when returning to the UK from the EU and Asia. We are in the process of developing a set of communications that will be distributed across UK ports and airports informing people of the disease risk and asking that they do not bring personal pork imports into the UK. These messages will be communicated through a combination of posters, leaflets, and social media.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency routinely provide UK Border Force with information and risk assessments on countries where there is a heightened risk of animal diseases such as African swine fever. The information is used to target the specially trained sniffer dogs to detect illegally imported meat and high risk products of animal origin. Defra is currently working with UK Border Force to improve this intelligence sharing and targeting.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:16:08 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136220

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	African Swine Fever
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 his Department has made an economic assessment of the potential effect of African Swine Fever being identified in the UK on (a) the public purse and (b) pig producers’ incomes.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government has estimated that the economic effect of a reasonable worst case scenario outbreak of African Swine Fever could cost the UK up to £90 million at 2019 prices. This total estimate includes costs to the industry of up to £85 million, which reflects the lost value of animals from culling, movement bans and trade restrictions, and costs of up to £5 million for the Government for disease control activities.</p><p>While this estimate represents an informed assessment of the potential impact of an outbreak, exact costs would be determined by a large number of factors including geographic location, the husbandry system, epidemiology of the outbreak and whether wildlife was involved.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:06:01 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136221

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Meat: 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, whether the Government has plans to strengthen biosecurity arrangements on imported meat products after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	272189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>Our high biosecurity standards are of critical importance to the UK and we are committed to ensure those standards are maintained when we leave the UK.</p><p> </p><p>As a member of the European Union we share standards of biosecurity with other Member States. This has facilitated the free movement of these goods between member states.</p><p> </p><p>In the short term those standards will not change. Therefore, to ensure minimum disruption at the borders, we will not introduce new import controls on these goods imported from the EU.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure we remain vigilant, we will require advance notification of imports of high-risk food and feed from the EU. This includes products of animal origin and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin. The Food Standards Agency will be in a position to monitor those notifications so that in the event of a food incident occurring involving imported food or feed, it will be able to respond effectively to safeguard public health by swiftly identifying the point of entry to the UK and the spread of a problem. We will also be reviewing our imports regime once we leave the EU.</p><p> </p><p>For imports from countries outside the EU we will maintain the current controls and consignments of animal products will continue to be required to enter at Border Inspection Posts for veterinary checks. Notification will be required using the UK Import of Products, Animals and Food and Feed System. These controls will also apply to products of animal origin that come from outside the EU but travel through the EU before arriving in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 16:05:10 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers

1136228

registered interest
date	02/07/2019
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit
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 preparations his Department is making for the UK leaving the EU without an agreement; and how much funding has been allocated to those preparations.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	272103
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government remains focused on ensuring our smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU, with a deal, as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving without a withdrawal agreement remains the legal default at the end of the extension period, and as a responsible Government we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of no deal for over two years.</p><p> </p><p>In light of the agreed extension to the EU departure date, departments are making pragmatic decisions about the timing and pace at which some of this work is progressing. We continue to prepare for all exit scenarios.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has put in place a range of mitigations to minimise any disruption arising from leaving the EU without a deal. This has included creating six new IT systems, ensuring necessary legislation was passed, and setting up a Business Readiness Directorate to support increased levels of stakeholder engagement.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have also taken extensive steps to provide businesses and citizens with advice and guidance aimed at helping to mitigate the potential impacts of no deal. Where necessary, we will continue to update our advice on gov.uk on how people should prepare.</p><p> </p><p>HM Treasury has allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This funding is to cover all exit scenarios, and is in addition to departmental efforts to reprioritise from business as usual toward preparations for the UK’s departure from the EU.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 10/07/2019 15:57:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake