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1203119

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2020
	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	Nature Conservation: Crime
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how wildlife crime, including the illegal killing of raptors and illegal use of traps and snares, has been affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is aware of suggestions that there has been an increase in reports of wildlife crime, in particular associated with raptor persecution, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Raptor persecution is one of the UK's six wildlife crime priorities and we understand a number of criminal investigations are ongoing. However, it is not possible to confirm on available data whether there has been an increase in the incidents of wildlife crime, increased reporting, or a combination of both.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 25/06/2020 16:13:00 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1204215

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	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	Biodiversity
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace the Joint Nature Conservation Committee's UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework: Revised Implementation Plan before that plan expires.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5745
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>Biodiversity is a devolved matter in the UK, and each country has its own national biodiversity plan or strategy. The UK framework was established by the UK Government and Devolved Administrations to identify joint actions to complement country implementation, for example on reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), evidence collation and sharing of best practice.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework and its implementation plan are reviewed regularly by the four UK countries, alongside the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. It is our intention to continue working together to develop a new UK Biodiversity Framework and associated implementation plan, on which discussions are underway.</p><p> </p><p>Our intention is also that the new Biodiversity Framework will set out shared priorities and areas for collaboration across the UK, primarily as a collective response to the post-2020 global framework of goals and targets, expected to be agreed at the CBD’s Fifteenth Conference of the Parties, COP15.</p><p> </p><p>We had envisaged that publication of a new UK Framework would follow COP15, originally scheduled for October 2020, and therefore lead on directly from the existing implementation plan. As COP15 has been delayed to 2021 in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we will ensure that our collaborative momentum continues, including to consider a further revised plan until the new global framework is announced.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 30/06/2020 15:16:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1176697

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2020
	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	Cultural Heritage: Environment Protection
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to including the historic environment in the scope of future Environmental Improvement Plans.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL540
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2020 answer text <p>The 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) commits the Government to safeguarding and enhancing the beauty of our natural scenery and improving its environmental value, while being sensitive to considerations of its heritage. We will continue this approach to improving the natural environment, both identifying the mutually positive impacts on the natural and historic environments our policies can have, as well as identifying potential trade-offs between them. Under the Environment Bill, to be reintroduced shortly, the 25YEP will be adopted as the first statutory Environment Improvement Plan.</p><p>The Agriculture Bill, recently laid before Parliament, will enable the Government to develop our ambitious new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme. Our scheme is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM will provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25YEP and commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while supporting our rural economy. Through the scheme, land managers will be paid to deliver public goods set out in the 25YEP, including beauty, heritage and engagement with the environment.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 03/02/2020 16:36:06 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1200270

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2020
	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	Water Supply
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government, following reports that Wolverhampton and Shropshire face failure of their water supplies, what steps they are taking to reduce demand and leakage, and to secure supplies, both in the short term in response to dry weather and high usage reportedly due to lockdown, and in the longer term.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5160
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The current water supply issues in Wolverhampton and Shropshire are due to constraints in Severn Trent Water's distribution network, and not a lack of available water. Severn Trent Water has responded to the issue by asking customers to use water wisely to reduce demand. The CEO of Severn Trent Water attended the National Drought Group chaired by the Environment Agency on 5 June 2020 to discuss the current risks and approaches to the dry weather and water demand management.</p><p> </p><p>If the company has issues with available water resources it will activate its statutory Drought Plan to manage the situation. In the long term, the water company will need to assess how it manages its supply and demand, including proactively reducing leakage and managing demand through its statutory Water Resources Management Plan. In addition, through its business plan that it submits to Ofwat it will need to assess whether it has the correct infrastructure to cope with future demands from customers.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 17/06/2020 13:14:00 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1462703

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2022
	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: Environmental Impact Assessment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been made under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) in each year since the enactment of the regulation; how many breaches of the regulations have been identified and prosecuted; and what assessment has been made of the area of land where changes have been made to land use without permission.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL188
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>Screening applications received 2006–2021 = 3227</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Applications Received</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>133</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>132</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>101</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>87</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>203</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>271</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>301</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>324</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>365</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>347</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>193</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>168</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>116</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>111</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Screening applications rejected 2006–2021 = 251</p><p>Screening applications withdrawn 2006–2021 = 77</p><p>Screening application decisions issued 2006-2021 = 2899</p><p> </p><p>Consent applications received 2006–2021 = 13</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Consent Applications</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Breaches of the regulations 2006–2021 = 63</p><p>During the period 2006–2021 in total there were 63 enforcement cases, covering over 362 hectares of land. Natural England (NE) has issued 17 restoration notices and accepted 32 voluntary enforcement undertakings to remediate and make good the environmental damage caused to over 270 hectares of land by breach of the Regulations. Warning letters highlighting technical or minor breaches, when serving civil sanctions would be disproportionate, were issued to offenders for breaches to raise awareness of the legislation and achieve future compliance.</p><p>Two prosecutions relating to breaches of the regulations have been successfully brought:</p><ul><li>Devon (June 2021) – relating to damage to Mesolithic and Neolithic historic environment features. The land manager was successfully prosecuted for failing to comply with a Stop Notice requiring the cessation of damaging works and was fined £7,500 and costs of £24,000.</li></ul><ul><li>Cumbria (March 2014) - relating to damage to semi-natural lowland grassland. The landowner was successfully prosecuted for failing to comply with remediation notice to remove artificial drainage pipes and was fined £2,500 and costs of £10,000 plus £250 victim surcharge.</li></ul><p>No assessment has been made, by NE, of the area of land where changes have been made to land use without permission.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 06/06/2022 13:06:09 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1462702

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2022
	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	Farms: Inspections
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many extra inspections, prosecutions and convictions have been conducted under the Farming Rules for Water, and other matters, since the appointment of 50 extra Environment Agency Inspectors, comparing the period before and after their appointment.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL187
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2022 answer text <p>Recruiting 50 new Agricultural Regulatory Inspections Officers has allowed the Environment Agency (EA) to significantly increase its inspections from around 300 per annum to 1805 in financial year 2021-22.</p><p>From April 2021 to date the EA has issued 3186 environmental improvement actions to farmers to bring them into compliance with regulations and prevent pollution. The EA has verified that 871 of these actions have been completed and it will continue to follow up the others to conclusion. Some actions on farms, such as building a new slurry store, take more time to complete due to raising finance, planning considerations and availability of contractors.</p><p>The new officers have not taken any prosecutions yet and have not applied any Civil Sanctions to Farming Rules for Water Offences. Except in cases of significant pollution, the EA starts the regulatory journey with advice, following up with more formal enforcement if that advice is not acted on.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 27/05/2022 10:34:07 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1222166

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2020
	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	Starlings: Pest Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences have been issued by Natural England for the killing of starlings in each year since 2000; and how many starlings they estimate have been killed under such licences in each year since 2000.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL6603
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>Records show that Natural England (NE) has issued 122 licences for the control of starlings since 2007. Licence returns indicate that 2,918 birds have been killed during this period, although the actual number will be higher as not all licensees have submitted returns. We do not have earlier data since NE was vested in 2006.</p><p> </p><p>The following table presents the licensing information available for each year from 2007. To note, NE underwent a system change in 2013 meaning that return information for that year is not available.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Licences issued</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Numbers of starlings killed (Based on return data)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>190</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>456</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>200</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>393</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>417</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>739</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>No returns received</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>123</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>152</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>142</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>49</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>Information not yet available</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>Information not yet available</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 22/07/2020 13:39:47 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1205361

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2020
	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	Peatlands: Fires
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many peatland burning incidents have occurred in the 2019-20 burning season on (1) blanket bog and (2) other upland habitats.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. We are currently looking at how legislation could achieve this and considering next steps. Real progress is being made in promoting sustainable alternatives. We have urged landowners to adopt these and continue to work with them constructively.</p><p> </p><p>Burning on moorland may be carried out between 1 October and 15 April. No data is collected on the number of management fires that take place on blanket bog or other upland habitats. Natural England (NE) has recorded nine wildfires on upland sites during the 2019-20 burning season. Five of these affected blanket bog.</p><p> </p><p>Voluntary Commitments to suspend burning were signed by 159 land managers (as of 24 September 2018). Of a total of 402 consents to burn, 187 have either expired or been surrendered since that time, equating to 47% of all consents.</p><p> </p><p>NE does not monitor compliance with these Voluntary Commitments.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park grouped question UIN HL5888 question first answered 02/07/2020 15:22:30 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1205362

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2020
	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	Peatlands: Controlled Burning
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many voluntary agreements to end the burning of peatland are still in place; and what is the level of compliance with these agreements.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL5888
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government has always been clear of the need to phase out burning of protected blanket bog to conserve these vulnerable habitats. We are currently looking at how legislation could achieve this and considering next steps. Real progress is being made in promoting sustainable alternatives. We have urged landowners to adopt these and continue to work with them constructively.</p><p> </p><p>Burning on moorland may be carried out between 1 October and 15 April. No data is collected on the number of management fires that take place on blanket bog or other upland habitats. Natural England (NE) has recorded nine wildfires on upland sites during the 2019-20 burning season. Five of these affected blanket bog.</p><p> </p><p>Voluntary Commitments to suspend burning were signed by 159 land managers (as of 24 September 2018). Of a total of 402 consents to burn, 187 have either expired or been surrendered since that time, equating to 47% of all consents.</p><p> </p><p>NE does not monitor compliance with these Voluntary Commitments.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park grouped question UIN HL5887 question first answered 02/07/2020 15:22:30 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1485940

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2022
	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	Antimicrobials: Pollution Control
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) monitoring, and (2) mitigation, strategies they have put in place for environmental pollution by (a) metal nanoparticles, and (b) the bacteria resistant to these antimicrobial metal nanoparticles.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL1417
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2022 answer text <p>Whilst the Environment Agency (EA) does not have environmental monitoring in place specifically targeting metal nanoparticles, it is keeping a watching brief on innovative monitoring approaches and environmental effects. Although the science associated with environmental analysis for nanoparticles (and their associated effects) is in development, the EA has considered a number of nanoparticles through its Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS). To date, the EA has considered titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, cerium dioxide, copper oxide and copper carbonate nanoparticles through PEWS.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 25/07/2022 09:40:55 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle