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1196966

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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: Prices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	Whether he plans to provide support to the devolved Administrations to help local (a) dairy and (b) beef producers that are facing reductions in farmgate prices.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	Carla Lockhart
uin	902735
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and so will be for the Northern Ireland Executive to decide what support they provide to their sectors. I meet with Minister Poots regularly and we are working closely to share information and intentions to help develop coherent approaches, for example, a UK-wide campaign has recently been launched to encourage consumers to increase dairy purchases.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/05/2020 17:11:26 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4857 label Biography information for Carla Lockhart

1196967

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Farming: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to support the dairy industry during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Morecambe and Lunesdale
tabling member printed	David Morris
uin	902736
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>Dairy farmers are crucial in ensuring that food supplies remain resilient during this difficult period. In addition to the various HM Treasury COVID-19 support packages, Defra has introduced specific measures to support the dairy industry during the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly those impacted by the loss of the food service sector. These include a dairy support scheme, easements to competition law, support for an AHDB milk promotion campaign and the opening of various intervention and storage aid schemes.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/05/2020 17:12:07 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4135 label Biography information for David Morris

1196968

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Supply: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to maintain food supplies for vulnerable people during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Wirral West
tabling member printed	Margaret Greenwood
uin	902737
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>Shielded individuals can opt to receive deliveries of food and essential supplies if they are without a support network of friends and family while self-isolating at home.</p><p>We have been working with food retailers, delivery organisations and volunteer groups to help support the non-shielded vulnerable, who are avoiding going to the shops if possible. A range of options are available for those people, including asking for an NHS Volunteer Responder to do their shopping for them – 100,000 people have had help with community tasks like shopping from NHS responders so far. Many charities and community organisations are also providing voluntary shop and drop services, as are neighbours and other community volunteers. If the situation is urgent, local authorities can also offer support and services, and we are working with them to help make sure that they have a range of ways to help those who contact them.</p><p>We are also working to help those having difficulty affording food. The Government has announced up to £16 million to provide food for those who are struggling as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The programme will provide millions of meals over the next 12 weeks and be delivered through charities including FareShare and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). At least 5,000 frontline charities in England will benefit, including refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services. It will cover rural areas as well as cities, targeting those who are struggling to get food.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 902741 902759 question first answered 19/05/2020 17:15:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4400 label Biography information for Margaret Greenwood

1196969

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Supply: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to maintain food supplies for vulnerable people during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	902741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>Shielded individuals can opt to receive deliveries of food and essential supplies if they are without a support network of friends and family while self-isolating at home.</p><p>We have been working with food retailers, delivery organisations and volunteer groups to help support the non-shielded vulnerable, who are avoiding going to the shops if possible. A range of options are available for those people, including asking for an NHS Volunteer Responder to do their shopping for them – 100,000 people have had help with community tasks like shopping from NHS responders so far. Many charities and community organisations are also providing voluntary shop and drop services, as are neighbours and other community volunteers. If the situation is urgent, local authorities can also offer support and services, and we are working with them to help make sure that they have a range of ways to help those who contact them.</p><p>We are also working to help those having difficulty affording food. The Government has announced up to £16 million to provide food for those who are struggling as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The programme will provide millions of meals over the next 12 weeks and be delivered through charities including FareShare and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). At least 5,000 frontline charities in England will benefit, including refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services. It will cover rural areas as well as cities, targeting those who are struggling to get food.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 902737 902759 question first answered 19/05/2020 17:15:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1196970

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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	Farmers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to support farmers during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	South Basildon and East Thurrock
tabling member printed	Stephen Metcalfe
uin	902745
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>Defra took early steps to support farmers, by designating them as key workers and temporarily relaxing drivers’ hours rules. We have worked with banks to help farmers access financial support measures outline by the Chancellor, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. <br> <br>We have supported dairy farmers by announcing a fund in England to help those affected by the loss of the food service sector. We have also temporarily relaxed competition law rules. We are working with AHDB and Diary UK, who have launched a new £1 million campaign to drive consumption of milk. A similar campaign is promoting beef. We are also ensuring that farmers and growers are able to recruit the workers that they require as we approach the busy harvest months.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/05/2020 17:10:25 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4092 label Biography information for Stephen Metcalfe

1196971

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Supply: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to maintain food supplies for vulnerable people during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	902759
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>Shielded individuals can opt to receive deliveries of food and essential supplies if they are without a support network of friends and family while self-isolating at home.</p><p>We have been working with food retailers, delivery organisations and volunteer groups to help support the non-shielded vulnerable, who are avoiding going to the shops if possible. A range of options are available for those people, including asking for an NHS Volunteer Responder to do their shopping for them – 100,000 people have had help with community tasks like shopping from NHS responders so far. Many charities and community organisations are also providing voluntary shop and drop services, as are neighbours and other community volunteers. If the situation is urgent, local authorities can also offer support and services, and we are working with them to help make sure that they have a range of ways to help those who contact them.</p><p>We are also working to help those having difficulty affording food. The Government has announced up to £16 million to provide food for those who are struggling as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The programme will provide millions of meals over the next 12 weeks and be delivered through charities including FareShare and WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). At least 5,000 frontline charities in England will benefit, including refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services. It will cover rural areas as well as cities, targeting those who are struggling to get food.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 902737 902741 question first answered 19/05/2020 17:15:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1197002

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Poverty
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 has he had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that local authorities have adequate resources to tackle food poverty.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	49055
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government have been working together closely on issues relating to food accessibility and affordability. Local authorities and their local partners have worked extremely hard to help people with urgent needs. They are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities. The Government has agreed to provide £1.6 billion of additional funding to local authorities to help them to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, including supporting those who need help to access food. The Government is also supporting local authorities in identifying at-risk groups, signposting and matching needs to services, engaging volunteers and supporting the voluntary and community sector.</p><p> </p><p>In direct response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Department for Work and Pensions has increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by over £1,000 a year for this financial year, benefiting over 4 million households, and increased Local Housing Allowance rates - putting an average of £600 into people's pockets. Taken together, these measures provide over £6.5 billion of additional support through the welfare system for people affected by Covid-19.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also announced further support of up to £16 million to provide food for those who are struggling as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. The programme will provide millions of meals over the next 12 weeks and be delivered through charities including FareShare and the Waste and Resources Action Programme. At least 5,000 frontline charities in England will benefit, including refuges, homeless shelters and rehabilitation services. It will cover rural areas as well as cities, targeting those who are struggling to get food.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 08:16:27 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1197046

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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	Inland Waterways: Coronavirus
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 waterways businesses will be eligible for the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund; and what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on that eligibility.
tabling member constituency	Blackpool North and Cleveleys
tabling member printed	Paul Maynard
uin	48963
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published detailed guidance for local authorities on the administration of the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund. The grant funding is specifically for small businesses that for whatever reason do not qualify for other COVID-19 support schemes. The guidance also sets out that the eligibility criteria for qualifying small businesses is not exhaustive, but is intended to illustrate for local authorities which types of business the Government considers should be a priority for the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities are encouraged to use this when deciding whether particular situations are broadly similar in nature to the examples given in the guidance and therefore eligible for grants, and to exercise their local knowledge and discretion to decide which cases to support, taking account of their relevance to the local economy. Waterways businesses are free to apply for grant funding.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 02/06/2020 10:56:34 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard

1197098

registered interest
date	19/05/2020
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 Farming: Coronavirus
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 he has made of the adequacy of Government support for the dairy industry during the covid-19 lockdown.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	49104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government has continued to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain throughout this difficult period to assess the challenges facing the industry and to ensure that appropriate financial support is provided. The vast majority of Britain’s dairy farmers continue to supply their contracts at or around the usual price. Approximately 5% of total milk production, however, goes to the service trade. A small proportion of farmers supplying milk to processors that sell into the food service sector have seen a reduction in demand with the closure of food service. A small proportion of suppliers have therefore seen a reduction in demand. We have provided a range of support to help these affected farmers.</p><p> </p><p>At the outset of the pandemic, the Government announced a number of emergency measures to support farmers, processors and retailers. These include designating the food sector as critical to the response, with people working in the production, processing, sale, distribution or delivery of food categorised as key workers, and granting derogations on drivers’ hours limitations.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, to support milk producers, the Government announced on 17 April a temporary easing of some elements of competition law to make it easier for the dairy industry to come together to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency and to ensure that as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. This Statutory Instrument was laid on 1 May and applies retrospectively from 1 April.</p><p> </p><p>On 6 May we announced a new scheme specifically to provide support to eligible dairy farmers in England who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May because of coronavirus disruptions. This will provide farmers with funding of up to £10,000 each to cover 70% of their lost income during the qualifying period, enabling them to continue to operate and to sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the devolved administrations are also jointly contributing towards financing the new £1 million campaign by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Dairy UK to drive an increase in the consumption of milk. Running over 12 weeks, the campaign is highlighting the role that milk plays in supporting moments of personal connection during times of crisis.</p><p> </p><p>Our Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme is available to farmers, milk buyers and processors. Responding to industry feedback on this scheme, Defra held urgent discussions with the major banks to ensure they understand that farmers, milk buyers and milk processors are eligible. In addition, the new Bounce Back Loan scheme, which applies to businesses operating in agriculture, ensures that the smallest businesses can access loans up to £50,000. To give lenders the confidence they need, we have provided them with a 100% guarantee on each loan and will cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees.</p><p> </p><p>Public intervention for skimmed milk powder (SMP) and butter continues to be available in the UK. Alongside this we have also ensured the availability to UK dairy processors of private storage aid for cheese, butter and SMP. These measures will help to underpin prices, providing a floor in the market by reducing the volume of product coming on to the market.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to engage with the dairy industry throughout this period of disruption to monitor the impact of the range of financial and other measures we have implemented, ensuring that the sector continues to have the support that it needs.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/06/2020 08:36:58 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1196521

registered interest
date	18/05/2020
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: 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, with reference to the Agriculture Bill, what criteria his Department will use to determine a public good that is eligible for financial assistance; and whether stakeholders will be able to propose schemes to be considered as a public good.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	48568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/06/2020 answer text <p>The Agriculture Bill gives the Secretary of State powers to provide financial assistance for particular listed purposes, including: managing land or water to protect or improve the environment; protecting or improving the health and welfare of livestock; supporting public access to and enjoyment of the countryside, farmland or woodland; protecting or improving the health of plants; and protecting or improving the quality of soil. Funding such purposes will enable the delivery of a number of Defra’s future policies, including the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, which will be the cornerstone of our future agricultural policy.</p><p> </p><p>Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero emissions. Land managers will be paid for delivering the following public goods set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan:</p><p> </p><ul><li>clean air</li><li>clean and plentiful water</li><li>thriving plants and wildlife</li><li>protection from and mitigation of environmental hazards</li><li>beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment</li><li>mitigation of and adaptation to climate change</li></ul><p> </p><p>We are working closely with a range of environmental and agricultural stakeholders to collaboratively design the new scheme so that it is fit for purpose. We are currently running a programme of Tests and Trials, the priorities for which are the building blocks we will need for the National Pilot. The National Pilot will provide a critical opportunity to test and refine the scheme design prior to full rollout of the ELM scheme across England.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working closely with stakeholders to inform the design of other future financial assistance schemes which we intend to introduce using the financial assistance powers during the seven-year agricultural transition period from 2021 to 2028.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/06/2020 13:01:35 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts