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1281599

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Dredging: Weaver Vale
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 his Department has made of the potential merits of dredging the River Weaver in the Northwich and Sutton Weaver areas of Weaver Vale constituency.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	145135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Dredging is an important part of the Environment Agency’s (EA) river maintenance regime. The EA will undertake dredging where there is evidence that it will reduce flood risk to local properties cost effectively without increasing flooding downstream.</p><p> </p><p>The River Weaver is a water course modified to act as a navigation and as such the water level is controlled via structures and assets that are owned and operated by the Canal &amp; River Trust. The navigation sections are dredged to maintain standards to allow the draught of vessels.</p><p> </p><p>The EA investigated the potential merits of dredging in 2013 as part of its assessment of options for reducing the risk of flooding in Northwich. The EA looked at different siltation scenarios, including if silt levels and shoals built up, to see what impact there would be on flood risk. The EA concluded that this was not a significant issue in relation to controlling water levels in Northwich, and dredging was not found to be beneficial.</p><p> </p><p>The EA has allocated resource to the future maintenance of the assets – the defence walls and demountable assets – that protect the town from main river flooding. However it has not allocated funding to dredging the River Weaver.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 145136 question first answered 02/02/2021 17:38:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1281606

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Dredging: Weaver Vale
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 his Department has to allocate funding to a regular schedule of dredging for the river Weaver and Dane in Weaver Vale constituency.
tabling member constituency	Weaver Vale
tabling member printed	Mike Amesbury
uin	145136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Dredging is an important part of the Environment Agency’s (EA) river maintenance regime. The EA will undertake dredging where there is evidence that it will reduce flood risk to local properties cost effectively without increasing flooding downstream.</p><p> </p><p>The River Weaver is a water course modified to act as a navigation and as such the water level is controlled via structures and assets that are owned and operated by the Canal &amp; River Trust. The navigation sections are dredged to maintain standards to allow the draught of vessels.</p><p> </p><p>The EA investigated the potential merits of dredging in 2013 as part of its assessment of options for reducing the risk of flooding in Northwich. The EA looked at different siltation scenarios, including if silt levels and shoals built up, to see what impact there would be on flood risk. The EA concluded that this was not a significant issue in relation to controlling water levels in Northwich, and dredging was not found to be beneficial.</p><p> </p><p>The EA has allocated resource to the future maintenance of the assets – the defence walls and demountable assets – that protect the town from main river flooding. However it has not allocated funding to dredging the River Weaver.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 145135 question first answered 02/02/2021 17:38:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4667 label Biography information for Mike Amesbury

1281627

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Fruit and Vegetables: Horticulture
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 promote and support more protected growing of vegetables and salad crops to extend the UK growing season.
tabling member constituency	Wokingham
tabling member printed	John Redwood
uin	144914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2021 answer text <p>We have the ideal climate and landscape to enable us to produce a wide range of fruit, vegetables and salad crops throughout the year. Innovation such as the development of new plant varieties and growing systems has already allowed growers to extend the domestic growing season for products such as strawberries.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to encourage and support our growers to produce more high-quality home-grown fruits and vegetables, ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of top quality and healthy home-grown fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year, all produced to high environmental standards.</p><p> </p><p>Growers of protected and salad crops are currently able to apply for financial support to help them improve their productivity via the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, and looking ahead the Agriculture Act will provide powers to offer financial support to anyone starting, or improving the productivity, of an agricultural or horticultural activity.</p><p> </p><p>Later this year, growers will have the opportunity to apply for support to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure via the new Farming Investment Fund. This will help them to boost their productivity whilst also reducing impact on the environment.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 144915 question first answered 08/02/2021 14:57:29 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

1281628

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Fruit: Horticulture
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 potential to extend the UK fruit growing season; and what support his Department provides to growers to extend their season.
tabling member constituency	Wokingham
tabling member printed	John Redwood
uin	144915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2021 answer text <p>We have the ideal climate and landscape to enable us to produce a wide range of fruit, vegetables and salad crops throughout the year. Innovation such as the development of new plant varieties and growing systems has already allowed growers to extend the domestic growing season for products such as strawberries.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to encourage and support our growers to produce more high-quality home-grown fruits and vegetables, ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of top quality and healthy home-grown fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the year, all produced to high environmental standards.</p><p> </p><p>Growers of protected and salad crops are currently able to apply for financial support to help them improve their productivity via the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, and looking ahead the Agriculture Act will provide powers to offer financial support to anyone starting, or improving the productivity, of an agricultural or horticultural activity.</p><p> </p><p>Later this year, growers will have the opportunity to apply for support to invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure via the new Farming Investment Fund. This will help them to boost their productivity whilst also reducing impact on the environment.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 144914 question first answered 08/02/2021 14:57:29 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

1281647

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Horse Riding: 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 steps his Department has taken to support (a) riding schools and (b) livery yards during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
tabling member printed	Mike Kane
uin	145035
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses that are required to close or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19, protect the NHS and save lives.  The Government is working closely with local authorities in England to ensure that funding can get to the right places as quickly as possible.  Business premises that are required by law to close during the current period of national restrictions since 5th January can access grants of up to £4,500 per 6 weeks of closure (Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)). In addition, each closed business will be eligible for a one-off payment of up to £9,000 to help them through Spring. This is the Closed Business Lockdown Payment.</p><p>Local authorities have been allocated a further £500m in discretionary funding via the Additional Restrictions Grant to support businesses that are significantly impacted by the restrictions even though not required to close.  This is in addition to £1.1bn already allocated in November 2020.  Local authorities have discretion to use this funding to support businesses in the way they see fit.  For example, this could include businesses which supply the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors, or businesses in the events sector or businesses outside the business rates system, which are effectively forced to close such as market traders.</p><p>In addition the British Horse Society has issued advice for equestrian businesses during this time, including setting out loans and grants that businesses may be eligible for (<a href="http://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/coronavirus-covid-19/business-support-resources" target="_blank">www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/coronavirus-covid-19/business-support-resources</a>).</p><p>Whilst riding centres and livery yards are required to close to the general public this does not prevent access to facilities where necessary for animal welfare purposes. Employees may continue to go to work there if they are unable to work from home. Members of the public can continue to visit these establishments if this is where their horse is kept and if this is necessary in order to care for their horse. Further information on this has been distributed to all local authorities via the Office for Product Safety and Standards.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/02/2021 14:31:28 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

1281661

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Supermarkets: 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 discussions his Department has had with the seven participating supermarkets in the priority delivery slots scheme on reducing minimum spends on deliveries for people using those slots so that they are not penalised financially for following official guidance to stay at home.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	144992
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Defra is continuing to hold regular conversations with each of the seven supermarkets participating in the priority access to online deliveries offer: Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. The department uses these meetings as an opportunity to convey any concerns raised by charities or local authorities around topics such as delivery charges and minimum spends. Although Defra cannot legally dictate the delivery costs and minimum spends applied by supermarkets, our regular conversations ensure that supermarkets understand the impact that delivery charges and minimum spends can have in preventing a clinically extremely vulnerable person from being able to access food.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside encouraging supermarkets to seriously consider the impact delivery charges and minimum spends can have on clinically extremely vulnerable people, the department also monitors delivery charges and minimum spends and circulates this information to local authorities to allow them to advise their residents accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/02/2021 12:42:30 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1281669

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Fishing Vessels: Inspections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections his Department conducted on (a) British fishing boats and (b) overseas fishing boats in (i) each month in 2020 and (ii) January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	145144
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2021 answer text <p>During the period 1 January 2020 to 31 January 2021, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) conducted 122 inspections of non-UK vessels at sea and 176 inspections of UK vessels at sea. The following table provides a breakdown of this total per month:</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Month:</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>UK</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Non-UK</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2020</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb 2020</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar 2020</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr 2020</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2020</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun 2020</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul 2020</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug 2020</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep 2020</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2020</p></td><td><p>24</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2020</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec 2020</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2021</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Covid-19 safety measures introduced in response to high rates of infection impacted the ability to conduct physical at sea inspections during January 2021. The larger proportion of at sea inspections on UK vessels in comparison to non-UK vessels during 2020 is also reflective of a safety first, phased-in approach to safety measures, as boarding English speaking vessels was initially deemed easier for implementing and explaining Covid-19 protocols in response to the first national lockdown. However, an increased at sea enforcement presence remained in place throughout 2020 and in January 2021 to deter illegal activity.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/02/2021 13:28:51 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1281675

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Supermarkets: 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 his Department has made an assessment of the potential benefits to the wellbeing and financial security of vulnerable people isolating as a result of the covid-19 outbreak from supermarkets (a) suspending charges for people using priority supermarket delivery slots and (b) reducing minimum spends on deliveries for people using priority supermarket delivery slots.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Hallam
tabling member printed	Olivia Blake
uin	145186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Defra is continuing to hold regular conversations with each of the seven supermarkets participating in the priority access to online deliveries offer: Asda, Iceland, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. The department uses these meetings as an opportunity to convey any concerns raised by charities or local authorities around topics such as delivery charges and minimum spends. Although Defra cannot legally dictate the delivery costs and minimum spends applied by supermarkets, our regular conversations ensure that supermarkets understand the impact that delivery charges and minimum spends can have in preventing a clinically extremely vulnerable person from being able to access food.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside encouraging supermarkets to seriously consider the impact delivery charges and minimum spends can have on clinically extremely vulnerable people, the department also monitors delivery charges and minimum spends and circulates this information to local authorities to allow them to advise their residents accordingly.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 02/02/2021 17:09:08 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4864 label Biography information for Olivia Blake

1281699

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Cheese: UK Trade with EU
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 effect of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the ability of cheesemakers based in Great Britain to sell their products to the EU.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	145039
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2021 answer text <p>No formal impact assessment has been made.</p><p>My department made extensive guidance available and held webinars and meetings with exporters and trade associations to help businesses prepare for the new rules from 01 January. We continue to work closely with traders to support businesses as they adjust to the new arrangements.</p><p>It is vital that traders ensure that their exports have the correct paperwork to comply with new animal and animal product checks when they cross the EU border.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 145040 question first answered 05/02/2021 15:51:04 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1281700

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
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	Cheese: UK Trade with EU
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 number of cheesemakers based in Great Britain that have stopped selling their products to the EU since 1 January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	145040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2021 answer text <p>No formal impact assessment has been made.</p><p>My department made extensive guidance available and held webinars and meetings with exporters and trade associations to help businesses prepare for the new rules from 01 January. We continue to work closely with traders to support businesses as they adjust to the new arrangements.</p><p>It is vital that traders ensure that their exports have the correct paperwork to comply with new animal and animal product checks when they cross the EU border.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 145039 question first answered 05/02/2021 15:51:04 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner