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1133850

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Radioactive Waste
	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 environmental effects of the dumping of radioactive waste in Hurd Deep and Atlantic Deep as detailed in the Ministry of Defence archived document entitled British Isles Explosive Dumping Grounds.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
	tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
	uin	267753
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Dumping of radioactive waste (before being banned under the London Convention of 1972 for highly contaminated and in 1993 for low contaminated waste) was subject to approval by the MAFF Approval Committee, whose procedures included careful checks on the containment and transport of the waste. Both the Hurd Deep and Atlantic Deep sites have been subject to monitoring.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Hurd Deep:</strong></p><p> </p><p>From 1946 to 1993, the UK disposed of amounts of both civilian and radioactive waste at sea, in accordance with national policy and legislation, and with later international agreements regulating such disposals. These disposals were seen at the time as routine and uncontroversial.</p><p> </p><p>The total estimated activities in curies (TBq) for these dumpings were: Alpha activity, 400 curies (14.8 TBq); Beta-Gamma activity, 1,200 curies (44.4 TBq). The very low active waste (mainly sludges) dumped into the Hurd Deep was packed in approved light metal drums to permit rapid dispersion of the contents. The UK regularly monitors the Channel Island States and report the results in the annually produced RIFE (Radioactivity in Food and the Environment) report series. These reports can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radioactivity-in-food-and-the-environment-rife-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radioactivity-in-food-and-the-environment-rife-reports</a></p><p> </p><p>In addition, Cefas and the Food Standards Agency have jointly published a peer reviewed paper (MARINE RADIOACTIVITY IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS, 1990 – 2009) which looked further at time trends over around 20 years. UK monitoring shows that there is no evidence for significant releases of radioactivity from the Hurd Deep site and the effects of discharges from local sources have continued to be of negligible radiological significance.</p><p> </p><p><strong>North Atlantic Dump site:</strong></p><p> </p><p>The Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) surveillance of the North-East Atlantic dump site used by OECD/NEA member countries (including the UK) started in 1977 and ended in 1995. In 1985, the OECD/NEA Co-ordinated Research and Environmental Surveillance Programme (CRESP) delivered a report on the dump site. The report concluded that the North-East Atlantic dump site posed negligible human radiological risk although the report noted that in the absence of baseline data on the benthic biology, it was difficult to draw firm conclusions about the environmental impacts. A new report on the dump site conducted by CRESP in 1996 reached the same conclusions.</p><p> </p><p>A summary of the “Historic Dumping of Low-Level Radioactive Waste in the North-East Atlantic” was recently compiled by the Radioactive Substances Committee of OSPAR. OSPAR’s document can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.ospar.org/site/assets/files/1173/factsheet_historic_dumping_final.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.ospar.org/site/assets/files/1173/factsheet_historic_dumping_final.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 28/06/2019 15:32:54 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1133865

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Fisheries: Sustainable Development
	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 ensure that commercial fishing becomes more sustainable (a) in the UK and (b) globally.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	267724
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK Government remains fully committed to sustainable fisheries management and the principle of maximum sustainable yield (MSY). This will not change once we are outside the EU.</p><p> </p><p>In recent years we have successfully introduced a range of selectivity and spatial avoidance measures in our fisheries to help reduce unwanted bycatch and discarding, including cod in the Irish Sea nephrops fishery. In the North Sea, a fleet of vessels participating in an annual scheme to fully document catches have successfully cut their unwanted catch of unmarketable fish, including undersized fish, from their mixed fishery. We also continue to take a strong and principled position on sustainable fishing internationally, including most recently calling for reductions in catches of yellowfin tuna at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, and arguing against an in year increase in the total allowable catch for North East Atlantic mackerel as part of a balanced sustainable approach.</p><p> </p><p>The Fisheries Bill introduced to Parliament in October 2018 provides a framework to enable us to continue to push for more stocks being fished at MSY and delivering our ambition for sustainable fishing in the future. The first clause will enact several sustainability objectives, one of which is to restore fish stocks to levels capable of producing MSY. The Bill provides for a binding duty on the UK and devolved administrations to produce a statutory Joint Fisheries Statement. This statement must include policies for the achievement of the sustainability objectives.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 26/06/2019 13:01:33 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1133868

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Wood-burning Stoves
	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 is reviewing the planning regulations on the installation of wood burning stove chimneys near residential properties as part of the ongoing review into domestic fuel burners.
	tabling member constituency	Cheltenham
	tabling member printed	Alex Chalk
	uin	267761
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>No. The focus is on the fuels used and guidance on how stoves should be best used.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 28/06/2019 15:44:57 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk

1133884

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Air Pollution: Schools
	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 proportion of the air quality grant programme has been allocated to improve air quality around schools since 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Twickenham
	tabling member printed	Sir Vince Cable
	uin	267710
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.</p><p> </p><p>No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/795185/Review_of_interventions_to_improve_air_quality.pdf" target="_blank">Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health</a>. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:</p><p> </p><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p><ul><li>London Borough of Islington Local school focused awareness and engagement campaign (£50,000).</li><li>Sheffield City Council Air Aware communications campaign (engaging local GPs, community groups and schools) (£50,000)</li></ul><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p><ul><li>Blaby District Council Schools and SMEs behavioural change and action plan (£59,000).</li><li>Canterbury City Council Awareness campaign in schools and community on transport and domestic burning stoves (£33,354).</li><li>East Sussex County Council (with West Sussex, Brighton, Chichester, Horsham, Adur, Crawley, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Lewes) Action plan for schools and businesses in AQMAs (£105,900).</li><li>Spelthorne Borough Council (Surrey Air Alliance) Awareness campaign in schools across the county (£145,188).</li></ul><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p><ul><li>Colchester Borough Council Engagement and awareness project throughout the transport network to promote air quality awareness and transport choices in schools (£249,100)</li><li>Hertsmere Borough Council Cleaner Air 4 Hertsmere Schools awareness project to influence travel behaviour (£37,500).</li><li>Islington London Borough Council NO2 indoor study in school to test sensor performance and efficiency of filter systems (£20,000)</li><li>Slough Borough Council Testing of Vaisla sensors around schools to monitor AQ and use data to promote behaviour change (£99,125).</li></ul> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 267708 267709 267711 question first answered 26/06/2019 12:05:29 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	207 label Biography information for Sir Vince Cable

1133885

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Air Pollution: Schools
	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 school children exposed to high levels of air pollution in 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Twickenham
	tabling member printed	Sir Vince Cable
	uin	267711
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2019 answer text <p>The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministers across Government Departments about air pollution and how to reduce it.</p><p> </p><p>No estimate has been made by the Government. Local authorities are best placed to target action to improve local air quality, and are required to review and assess local air quality and to take action where there are high levels of air pollution. They have discretionary powers to restrict car access to schools and enforce anti-idling laws outside schools. In March this year Public Health England published the report <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/795185/Review_of_interventions_to_improve_air_quality.pdf" target="_blank">Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health</a>. This recommended that local authorities, as part of their local Review of interventions to improve outdoor air quality and public health consider a range of interventions to reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools and reduce children’s exposure accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Air Quality Grant Programme provides funding to local authorities for projects in local communities to tackle air pollution and reduce emissions which may include action targeting schools. The Government has awarded over £60 million in funding since the air quality grant started in 1997, including £3 million in 2018/19.</p><p> </p><p>The following air quality grant award money has been allocated specifically to improve air quality around schools since 2017:</p><p> </p><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p><ul><li>London Borough of Islington Local school focused awareness and engagement campaign (£50,000).</li><li>Sheffield City Council Air Aware communications campaign (engaging local GPs, community groups and schools) (£50,000)</li></ul><p><strong>2017/18</strong></p><ul><li>Blaby District Council Schools and SMEs behavioural change and action plan (£59,000).</li><li>Canterbury City Council Awareness campaign in schools and community on transport and domestic burning stoves (£33,354).</li><li>East Sussex County Council (with West Sussex, Brighton, Chichester, Horsham, Adur, Crawley, Mid Sussex, Worthing, Lewes) Action plan for schools and businesses in AQMAs (£105,900).</li><li>Spelthorne Borough Council (Surrey Air Alliance) Awareness campaign in schools across the county (£145,188).</li></ul><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p><ul><li>Colchester Borough Council Engagement and awareness project throughout the transport network to promote air quality awareness and transport choices in schools (£249,100)</li><li>Hertsmere Borough Council Cleaner Air 4 Hertsmere Schools awareness project to influence travel behaviour (£37,500).</li><li>Islington London Borough Council NO2 indoor study in school to test sensor performance and efficiency of filter systems (£20,000)</li><li>Slough Borough Council Testing of Vaisla sensors around schools to monitor AQ and use data to promote behaviour change (£99,125).</li></ul> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 267708 267709 267710 question first answered 26/06/2019 12:05:29 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	207 label Biography information for Sir Vince Cable

1133898

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	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	Animal Welfare: Sentencing
	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 introduce tougher sentences for animal cruelty.
	tabling member constituency	Newport West
	tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
	uin	267787
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>I am pleased to report that the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 26 June. The Bill, when passed, will increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 01/07/2019 13:43:58 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1133582

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Rivers: Microplastics
	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 (a) track and (b) reduce the volume of microplastics in rivers; and whether his Department plans to introduce an independent regulatory body to enforce and monitor the reduction of microplastics in wastewater and rivers.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
	uin	267186
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Defra is working with the Environment Agency, Highways England, academics and the UK water industry to understand the scale of the microplastic pollution problem and to establish detection methods to monitor, characterise and quantify the types of microplastics entering our rivers. There has been substantive research reporting the presence and impacts of microplastics in the marine environment. However, little is known about their sources, release and impact on freshwaters and their ultimate transport to the marine environment. Defra has commissioned evidence reviews to further understand these issues and will use the outcomes from these and other research to develop policy options.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has set a target to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste within the lifetime of the 25 year Environment Plan (by 2042) and set aside £20 million for research and development managed through the Plastics Innovation Fund in March 2018. A further £10 million was committed in the 2018 Autumn Budget for continued/additional plastics research and development along with £10 million to pioneer innovative approaches to boosting recycling and reducing litter.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department does not plan to introduce an independent regulatory body to enforce and monitor the reduction of microplastics in wastewaters and receiving rivers.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 28/06/2019 13:58:05 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

1133641

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960
	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 recent assessment of the adequacy of the powers provided for the Caravan and Motorhome Club under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	267207
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has not made any recent assessment of the adequacy of the powers under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, or of the merits of updating them. We are not undertaking any work to that effect.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 267208 question first answered 28/06/2019 12:29:45 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1133643

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960
	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 an assessment of the potential merits of updating the powers of the Caravan and Motorhome Club under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Arfon
	tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
	uin	267208
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has not made any recent assessment of the adequacy of the powers under the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960, or of the merits of updating them. We are not undertaking any work to that effect.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey grouped question UIN 267207 question first answered 28/06/2019 12:29:45 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

1133659

	registered interest
	date	20/06/2019
	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	Livestock: Animal Welfare
	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 welfare protections will be put in place for caged animals as part of the Agriculture Bill.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
	uin	267190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare and the welfare of our farmed livestock is protected by comprehensive and robust legislation. This is backed up by statutory species specific welfare codes, which encourage high standards of husbandry and which keepers are required by law to have access to and be familiar with. Animal and Plant Health Agency inspectors and local authorities conduct inspections on farms to check that the animal welfare standards are being met.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever the system of production, the most important factor in determining animal welfare is good stockmanship and the correct application of husbandry standards. This reflects the advice of the Farm Animal Welfare Committee.</p><p> </p><p>We have already banned cages or close confinement systems where there is clear scientific evidence that they are detrimental to animal health and welfare. For example, we banned the keeping of calves in veal crates in 1990, the keeping of sows in close confinement stalls in the UK in 1999, and the use of conventional (‘battery’) cages for laying hens in 2012.</p><p> </p><p>The Government will maintain its high regulatory baseline and look to raise standards sustainably over time as new research and evidence emerges. We have been very clear that our departure from the EU will not lead to a lowering of our high animal welfare standards. Our regulatory system will offer the same level of assurance of animal welfare following exit as it does now and we are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward. We have introduced mandatory CCTV in abattoirs and are looking to control exports of live animals for slaughter. On 26 June, the Government introduced a Bill to enable tougher prison sentences for the worst animal abusers. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill means that animal abusers could face up to five years in prison, a significant increase from the current maximum sentence of six months. Courts will be able to take a firmer approach to cases such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, or gross neglect of farm animals.</p><p> </p><p>In England, we intend to use the powers in the Agriculture Bill to develop publicly funded schemes for farmers to deliver animal welfare enhancements beyond our high regulatory baseline that are not sufficiently rewarded by the market, and also want to provide greater transparency and certainty for consumers and for farmers. We will work with industry, retailers, welfare groups and the Farm Animal Welfare Committee to define these enhancements.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 28/06/2019 10:29:47 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick