Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1178965

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2020
	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	High Speed 2 Line: Forests
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect ancient woodlands that will be affected by the HS2 development.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	18877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>HS2 is an exceptionally important infrastructure project, and there are significant compensation packages in place to mitigate for the unavoidable loss of 39.2 hectares resulting from HS2.</p><p>HS2 is using a combination of approaches to compensate for the ancient woodlands lost during construction, including soil translocation from affected ancient woodlands to other woodlands to improve their biodiversity, restoring existing ancient woodland and planting new woodland.</p><p>The HS2 Woodland Fund is the compensation strategy for ancient woodland loss, with £5 million provided for HS2 Phase 1. This has been made available to fund projects that will help support woodland creation, as well as restore and enhance woodland on private land or in partnership with multiple landowners. This fund is overseen by the Forestry Commission. £1.6 million of this fund has already been committed, supporting around 121 hectares of new native woodland creation and the restoration of 174 hectares of plantations within ancient woodland sites. £2 million more has been provisionally allocated for Phase 2a.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 03/03/2020 15:26:01 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

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

1229074

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	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: 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 plans his Department has to work with third sector organisations to allow people with disabilities to self-certify as vulnerable to access donations of food and other essentials.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82495
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government has worked closely with the third sector to identify others outside of the shielded definition who may also need support in getting essential food supplies including speaking to volunteer groups, food bank organisations and redistribution charities to understand what can be done to help. We maintain regular contact with representatives across the food supply chain and civil society to ensure there is sufficient support available for those who have to stay at home, including people with disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>We know the difficulties that disabled people currently face in accessing food and are taking steps to support them. We know that a large number of vulnerable people continue to rely on friends, family and wider community support. Where that is not possible, we are working with major third sector organisations to refer vulnerable people on to a variety of tailored services including facilitating access to priority supermarket delivery slots.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 07/09/2020 12:36:55 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1232782

	registered interest
	date	09/09/2020
	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	Animal Products: Imports
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to ban the import of hunting trophies.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	87687
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government committed in its manifesto to introduce a ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered species. The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the publication of the Government response to the recent consultation and call for evidence on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies. We will set out our plans for action on this important area as soon as it is practical to do so.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 14/09/2020 15:21:33 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1238714

	registered interest
	date	29/09/2020
	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	Air Pollution
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to align the UK's target for PM2.5 with the World Health Organisation's guideline amount.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	97045
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2020 answer text <p>In July 2019, the Government published a report assessing the progress that will be made towards World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines under a range of scenarios. The report concluded that while significant progress would be made by achieving existing 2030 emissions ceilings, additional action would be required in large urban areas such as London to achieve the current WHO guideline level. The analysis did not outline a pathway to achieve the WHO guideline level for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) across the country and did not take into account full economic viability and practical deliverability.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill, which will be introduced shortly, will establish a legally binding duty to set a target for PM2.5, demonstrating our commitment to action on the air pollutant that has the most significant impact on human health. We are committed to setting ambitious targets and following an evidence-based process, seeking advice from a range of experts, in addition to giving consideration to the WHO’s air quality guidelines. We are already working with independent experts and engaging with stakeholders on how we will approach setting these targets.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/10/2020 12:12:15 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1247813

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2020
	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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
	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 merits of phasing out badger culling and introducing a cattle vaccine to prevent the spread of bovine TB.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	110260
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2020 answer text <p>On 5 March 2020, the Government published its response to Professor Sir Charles Godfray’s 2018 review of England’s bovine TB eradication strategy, setting out the priorities for the next phase of the strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Developing a TB vaccine for cattle is one of our priorities. A cattle vaccine could be a game-changer in terms of providing a strong additional tool to help eradicate bovine TB. In July 2020, we announced that the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) had granted permission for field trials of both the candidate Cattle BCG vaccine and the candidate skin test to detect infected animals among vaccinated animals (the DIVA skin test). Like other veterinary medicines, both the Cattle BCG vaccine and the DIVA skin test will need VMD marketing authorisations before they can be deployed. We hope that field trials will provide the evidence required for future marketing authorisations and for the DIVA skin test to be internationally recognised. The aim is to start field trials in 2021 and complete them in 2024. Provided the field trials go as hoped, and VMD considers the marketing authorisation applications satisfactory with respect to quality, safety and efficacy, the timeline envisages those authorisations being granted in 2025.</p><p> </p><p>We also set out in the Government response plans to evolve the wildlife control policy, with increased support for badger vaccination following the widespread deployment of effective, industry-led intensive badger culls. We envisage that the widespread badger culling policy will begin to be phased out and gradually replaced by Government supported badger vaccination and surveillance. Culling of badgers in specific areas will remain an option where the epidemiological assessment indicates it is needed.</p><p> </p><p>There is no single measure for tackling bovine TB and that is why we continue to pursue a suite of interventions to eradicate the disease in England.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/11/2020 13:32:50 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1258436

	registered interest
	date	04/12/2020
	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	Recreation Spaces
	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 merits of introducing legally binding targets on widespread access to nature and green space.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	125314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/12/2020 answer text <p>Defra is currently undertaking a number of measures to improve widespread access to nature and green space. The 25 Year Environment Plan sets out our comprehensive and long-term approach to protecting and enhancing our natural landscapes in England for the next generation and to helping people improve their health and wellbeing by using green spaces. There is lots of work already ongoing to deliver on this approach, such as the National Framework of Green Infrastructure Standards for England, the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, the Green Social Prescribing Project, the Children and Nature Programme, the financial provisions of the Agriculture Act 2020 through the Environmental Land Management scheme, the England Coast Path and a new northern National Trail based on Wainwright’s Coast to Coast Walk.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Bill will give the Secretary of State the power to set long-term, legally binding environmental targets across the breadth of the natural environment. It will specifically require the government to set at least one target each in four priority areas: air quality, biodiversity, water, and waste reduction and resource efficiency. The power to set targets will not be limited to these four priority areas. Long-term targets could be set in respect of any matter which relates to the natural environment, or people’s enjoyment of it, to drive significant improvement of the environment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 09/12/2020 17:38:18 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1289033

	registered interest
	date	23/02/2021
	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	Watersure
	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 merits of including (a) people in receipt of attendance allowance and (b) additional benefit recipients in the qualification criteria for the WaterSure Scheme, as outlined in the Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	157314
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2021 answer text <p>To be eligible for WaterSure, customers must be in receipt of means tested benefits, which provides an appropriate measure for assessing income, and have either three or more children under 19 or a medical condition requiring the extra use of water.</p><p> </p><p>Attendance Allowance is not included as an eligible benefit as it is a non means-tested benefit. Without an income-related criterion, those who are able to afford their water bill may receive financial support funded by other lower income households.</p><p> </p><p>Since the introduction of WaterSure, the legislation has been updated to add and remove benefits, making sure that WaterSure continues to support those most in need of assistance. The Government does not intend to change the eligibility criteria for WaterSure at this time.</p><p> </p><p>Water companies also offer social tariffs, payment breaks, payment matching, debt advice and referral arrangements, and some have independent charitable trusts that make awards to help customers in times of need. The eligibility criteria for social tariffs is not set by the Government, allowing water companies to address the local and regional needs of their customers.</p><p> </p><p>We have asked the independent Consumer Council for Water to undertake a review of existing financial support schemes to ensure consumers who struggle with their water bills can get the support they need. The review will be published this spring.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/03/2021 16:49:29 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1289943

	registered interest
	date	25/02/2021
	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	Hunting: Foxes
	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 bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Hunting Act 2004 to prohibit trail hunt organisers from (a) organising trail hunts in close proximity to areas of high density fox populations and (b) using animal-based scents to set trail hunts.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	159045
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2021 answer text <p>This government will not amend the Hunting Act 2004 and therefore we have not made any assessment of any potential amendments.</p><p> </p><p>The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing. The full details of the Hunting Act 2004 exemptions are available online at: <a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/37/schedule/1" target="_blank">www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/37/schedule/1</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 02/03/2021 15:35:02 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1300143

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2021
	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	Hedgehogs: Conservation
	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 protect the UK's hedgehog population.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	164645
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The Environment Bill contains measures that will help improve the status of threatened species, including by setting at least one biodiversity target in law, as well as strengthening the biodiversity duty on public authorities to take action to conserve and enhance biodiversity.</p><p>We are also taking action, through our net gain provisions in the Bill, to support the role of new development in helping protect and create the habitat that our native species, including hedgehogs, need to thrive.</p><p>We are working with stakeholders and end users to determine the specific actions that will be paid for under our new schemes that reward environmental land management. We will set out more details on this later this year. The Agricultural Transition Plan set out examples of the types of actions that we envisage paying for under the schemes, including creating, managing and restoring habitats such as woodland, heathland and species-rich grassland, which could all benefit species such as hedgehog.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/03/2021 13:02:35 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1300144

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2021
	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	Food: Production
	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 has taken to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions from food production in the run up to COP26.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	164646
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2021 answer text <p>Sustainable agriculture and land use are critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement. The 2019 IPCC land-use report set out the critical role that sustainable land use must play in climate mitigation and building resilience. The COP26 Nature Campaign aims to raise the profile of this agenda, building on the Just Rural Transition launched at the UN Climate Action Summit and providing a platform to highlight actions that leading countries are taking to deliver change.</p><p> </p><p>Reaching our Net Zero target is one of this Government's top priorities. We know that this will be a challenge, requiring action across the economy. It will mean changes to the way land is managed to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. We will support the sector to make these changes through the schemes set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan.</p><p> </p><p>The Agricultural Transition Plan published on 30 November 2020 outlined how the Government will support farmers and land managers by investing the money freed up from phasing out direct payments to pay for improvements to the environment, improve animal health and welfare and reduce carbon emissions. Simultaneously, we need to protect and increase our carbon stores, increasing afforestation and peat restoration rates across England, whilst supporting the adaptiveness and resilience of these ecosystems to risks which may arise under a changing climate. Our new environmental land management schemes will help deliver on this and include the Sustainable Farming Incentive, a universal scheme open to all farmers, which will support sustainable approaches to farm husbandry to deliver for the environment, such as actions to improve soil health and water quality, enhance hedgerows and promote integrated pest management.</p><p> </p><p>We will also take steps to reduce emissions through our animal health and welfare schemes and transitional support schemes. For example, we will support action to identify and eliminate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea, which raises greenhouse gas emissions from cattle. And we will provide grants towards the cost of equipment, technology and infrastructure that will improve farmers’ efficiency, benefiting the environment. These could include precision agriculture and low-emission nutrient application equipment.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 17/03/2021 12:16:47 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1304008

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2021
	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	Genetically Modified Organisms
	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 has taken to assess the negative effects of gene editing on (a) agricultural and food systems and (b) agroecological and organic farmers.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	171735
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>Gene Editing (GE) describes a range of technologies that can achieve genetic changes of the type that are selected for in traditional breeding, such as insertions, deletions and, occasionally, translocations of genetic material.</p><p>Defra's 10-week consultation of the regulation of genetic technologies sought views and evidence on GE including its application in a wide range of farming and agri-food systems, and the use of GE to produce genetic changes which could have been introduced by traditional breeding. The consultation included questions on the health and environmental impacts of these technologies and we have asked independent scientific experts for advice on any safety issues raised. The consultation ended on 17 March and a Government response will be published within three months of it closing.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 23/03/2021 16:32:39 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1308062

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2021
	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	Beverage Containers: Deposit Return Schemes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will assess the potential merits of implementing a deposit return scheme that includes containers of all sizes earlier than 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	179615
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2021 answer text <p>The Government committed, in its 2019 manifesto, to introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle drinks containers.</p><p> </p><p>On 24 March we published our second consultation on implementing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. Further details of the proposed deposit return scheme, including the size of drinks containers being considered as part of the scope of the scheme, are presented in this second consultation.</p><p> </p><p>Timelines have been reviewed to ensure we allow sufficient time for the roll out and implementation of a complex policy, and we therefore propose to implement the scheme in 2024, with views on this being taken in the consultation.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 20/04/2021 13:07:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1310607

	registered interest
	date	20/04/2021
	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	Rivers: Sewage
	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 discussions he has had with water companies on the discharging of raw sewage into English rivers.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	184560
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2021 answer text <p>Tackling the harm caused by sewer overflows is a top priority for this department.</p><p> </p><p>To achieve this, the new Storm Overflows Taskforce - bringing together Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs - has agreed to set a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce is meeting regularly and working on plans to start making progress towards that goal, and they have commissioned research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.</p><p> </p><p>We are also introducing new duties that will require the Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and to report progress to Parliament on implementing that plan. We are also introducing duties requiring water companies and the Environment Agency to publish data on storm overflow operations on an annual basis. These legally binding obligations on water companies and Government will reduce pollution in rivers, protecting wildlife and public health.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Secretary and the Environment Agency Chair have met with underperforming water companies to discuss how Government and industry can work together to drive better environmental performance. The Environment Secretary has set out clear expectations for water companies to improve their environmental performance in the future. I have also met water company CEOs and made clear that the volume of sewage discharged into rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced.</p><p> </p><p>Water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-25) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.1 billion. This investment includes undertaking 800 investigations and 798 improvement schemes to provide environmental improvements by reducing spills from frequently spilling overflows.</p><p> </p><p>With regards to penalties and enforcement, the Environment Agency currently regulates water companies in their operation of storm overflows to ensure they only discharge under strict permitted conditions. Where discharges occur outside of these conditions, the Environment Agency investigates and takes appropriate action, which includes enforcement action if necessary.</p><p> </p><p>Environment Agency action has resulted in 48 prosecutions against water companies in the last six years, securing fines of £35 million. £10.4 million has also been donated to environmental and wildlife trusts organisations in the same period through enforcement undertakings, a voluntary agreement which will include a donation to environmental charities to restore any harm done. The Environment Agency will continue to take enforcement action against water companies which fail to uphold the law or cause serious environmental harm.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/04/2021 13:44:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1315166

	registered interest
	date	17/05/2021
	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	Pets: Registration
	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 (a) ensure that the running of pet registration databases is fully accountable to pet owners and (b) create a Government-run pet registration database.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	2465
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2021 answer text <p>Under the Microchipping of Dogs Regulations 2015, it is compulsory for owners to microchip their dogs and their details must be recorded on a compliant database. The Regulations set out conditions which microchip databases must meet to be compliant. There are 16 compliant microchip databases, which are listed on gov.uk.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently carrying out a post-implementation review of the Regulations, which will be published later this year. It will consider how the current database system is working in practice and will identify whether improvements are required.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 20/05/2021 15:35:22 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1314006

	registered interest
	date	12/05/2021
	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	Pigs: 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 plans his Department has to increase animal welfare standards for the pig farming industry.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	891
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2021 answer text <p>The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare. As referenced in the recently published Action Plan for Animal Welfare we are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward and are currently examining the evidence around the use of cages for farm animals.</p><p>We introduced a new pig welfare code of practice, which came into force in March last year, and this provides guidance to keepers and farmers on legal requirements and encourages high standards of husbandry. The pig code states that the aim is for farrowing crates to no longer be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets. We are continuing to discuss and work with the industry on this issue.</p><p>We are co-designing an Animal Health and Welfare Pathway with industry, to promote the production of healthier, higher-welfare animals at a level beyond compliance with current regulations, underpinning our high international reputation for health and welfare and future increases to regulatory standards.</p><p>We are committed to maintaining our position as world leaders in animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 21/05/2021 13:42:24 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1316880

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2021
	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	Dogs: 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 the steps the Government is taking to implement the ban on ear cropping dogs in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	4718
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2021 answer text <p>Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is currently an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g. where it is not carried out for medical purposes, including the cropping of a dog’s ears. The procedure is considered unnecessary and compromises the animal’s welfare. Once the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 comes into force on the 29 June 2021, anyone convicted of such an offence faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.</p><p> </p><p>This strengthened penalty sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will enable our courts to take a firmer approach to cases of illegally cropping a dog’s ears and other forms of cruelty such as dog fighting, abuse of puppies and kittens, or gross neglect of farm animals.</p><p> </p><p>On 12 May 2021 the Government published its Action Plan for Animal Welfare. This is a wide-reaching and ambitious plan to set out our current and future work on animal welfare. The Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling and one of our key reforms in the plan is to end the abhorrent, cruel practice of puppy smuggling and low-welfare pet imports. We are planning to bring in powers that will allow us to prohibit the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs into Great Britain that have been subject to low welfare practices, such as ear cropping, in line with our domestic legislation on these practices.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 28/05/2021 13:23:05 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1337959

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2021
	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	Game: 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 steps his Department is taking to ban cages for breeding (a) partridges, (b) pheasants and (c) other game birds.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	17861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to maintaining our position as world leaders in farm animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals. As referenced in the recently published Action Plan for Animal Welfare we are actively exploring options for strengthening the UK system moving forward and are examining the evidence around the use of cages in farming, including their use for breeding and rearing of gamebirds.</p><p> </p><p>The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes offers additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds as required by the 2006 Act. It recommends that barren cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used and that any system should be appropriately enriched.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out targeted inspections on gamebird farms. Appropriate action is taken against anyone who breaks the law.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 25/06/2021 13:30:40 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1359567

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2021
	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	Hunting Act 2004
	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 merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to amend the Hunting Act 2004 to prevent dogs from (a) seeking out, (b) injuring and (c) killing wild mammals.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	56640
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p>The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act, and completely bans hare coursing. The Government does not therefore see the need to review the Hunting Act 2004.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 20/10/2021 12:15:52 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1467228

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2022
	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	Clothing and Textiles
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take to (a) reduce textiles waste in the UK, (b) improve the environmental sustainability of materials and production processes used in the production of textiles sold in the UK, (c) tackle exploitative labour practices used in the supply chains of textiles sold in the UK, (d) tackle lack of access to clothing in the context of the rise in the cost of living and (e) support consumers to make sustainable clothing choices.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	11882
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s Resources &amp; Waste Strategy for England identified textiles as a priority sector for action. We fund Textiles 2030, a voluntary partnership with industry to reduce the environmental impact of textiles, with signatories covering over 62% of all clothing put on the UK market. This programme is underpinned by ambitious science-based targets, including halving the carbon footprint of new products and reducing the water footprint by 30%, both by 2030.</p><p>Our landmark Environment Act 2021 provides general powers to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, design standards and require information on the resource efficiency of products, which will enable us to act more effectively</p><p>With those powers in mind, we are considering what wider framework of policy measures could best help reduce the environmental footprint of fashion and building our evidence base. This could include options to reduce waste through increased producer responsibility for goods at end of life, measures to drive increased reuse and longevity of garments as well as better product design and information standards to support consumers to make the most environmentally friendly choice.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 08/06/2022 10:50:22 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1540764

	registered interest
	date	08/11/2022
	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	Marine Protected Areas: Fisheries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to adjust commercial fishing licences for 2023 to stop industrial fishing in Marine Protected Areas, in the context of declines in fish populations.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	82459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2022 answer text <p>Management measures in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are introduced on a site-by-site basis to ensure that measures can be tailored to meet the conservation objectives of each site and without unnecessarily restricting fishing activity. We are aiming to have all English MPAs protected from damaging fishing activity by the end of 2024, and have recently consulted on candidate Highly Protected Marine Areas. As set out in the Fisheries Act 2020, FMPs will also be important tools to deliver sustainable and well managed fisheries around the UK, that meet our national and international commitments.</p><p>HM Government is reviewing its policy on industrial fishing, and we will continue to engage with stakeholders about our future approach over the next few months, particularly towards industrial fishing of sandeel and Norway pout within our waters. The UK advocates an approach towards setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) which is founded on the best available scientific advice and that will maintain or rebuild sustainable fish stocks and fisheries.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer question first answered 15/11/2022 12:38:55 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1545880

	registered interest
	date	28/11/2022
	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	Hedges and Ditches
	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 Committee on Climate Change's report entitled Net Zero - The UK's contribution to stopping global warming, published May 2019, and research by CPRE on increasing the hedgerow network by 40 per cent by 2050; whether the Government plans to set a target on hedgerow planting.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	97663
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/12/2022 answer text <p>Hedgerows make a valuable contribution to climate change, our countryside, nature and much more and we are already investing heavily in this crucial habitat. Through Countryside Stewardship up to 2022, there were over 11,000 live agreements that included hedgerow management covering 58,000 kilometres of hedgerow. There are also over 4,000 km of new hedges planted through the scheme. Defra will encourage and support increased hedgerows through our environmental land management schemes, including providing funding through the Sustainable Farming Incentive which we intend to roll out next year.</p> answering member constituency Copeland answering member printed Trudy Harrison question first answered 06/12/2022 17:55:38 answering member 4593 label Biography information for Trudy Harrison
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1656935

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2023
	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	Climate Change: Inland Waterways
	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 she has made of the potential impact of climate change on (a) inland waterways and (b) the costs of maintaining inland waterways.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	197225
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2023 answer text <p>Ministers do not have a role in operational matters on inland waterways, which rests with the navigation authorities that own and manage them. This includes having appropriate maintenance programmes in place to ensure public safety and resilience of their assets and infrastructure against the effects of climate change. Under the upcoming fourth round of climate adaptation reporting (ARP4), introduced under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government will invite the Canal and River Trust (C&amp;RT) and the Environment Agency to report on their canal and river activities.</p><p> </p><p>On 10 July the Government announced a very substantial grant of over £400 million new funding for the C&amp;RT between 2027 and 2037. This is a significant sum of money and a sign of the importance that we place on our inland waterways. It will provide the C&amp;RT with certainty about the level of Government grant funding for its future business planning and continue to support the C&amp;RT to maintain its canal network.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 21/09/2023 12:56:59 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1088467

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	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	Shellfish: 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, whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) the sentience of decapod crustaceans and (b) their capability to feel pain; whether decapod crustaceans are included in the definition of animal in the draft sentience Bill; and when he plans to publish the Farm Animal Welfare Council investigation into decapod crustacean sentience.
	tabling member constituency	Makerfield
	tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
	uin	231995
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2019 answer text <p>The Government is aware of research in relation to the sentience of decapod crustaceans and their ability to feel pain. We are continuing to engage with stakeholders to further refine the Government’s proposals on animal sentience, including which animals are covered by those proposals. The Farm Animal Welfare Committee’s advice on the definition of sentience will be published soon.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 21/03/2019 17:42:23 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1196140

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2020
	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: 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 estimate he has made of the number of people identified as being clinically extremely vulnerable to covid-19 who have registered (a) to indicate that they require support getting the food and/or other essentials they need and (b) but do not require support; and how many of those vulnerable people are receiving food and basic supplies through (i) supermarket deliveries, (ii) Government or local authority food parcels and (iii) other support.
	tabling member constituency	Makerfield
	tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
	uin	47265
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2020 answer text <p>The shielding programme was put in place to protect clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people – those who have been advised by the NHS not to leave their homes, because they are at a high risk of developing complications from coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Overall 2.2 million individuals have been identified as needing to shield. Of this group, approximately 350,000 have registered a need for essential supplies making the individual eligible for a priority slot for a supermarket delivery or food boxes, which they may cancel at any time.</p><p>In total over 2 million food boxes have been successfully delivered to CEV individuals since March. We are continuing to work with supermarkets to increase delivery capacity.</p><p>We do not hold centrally information on deliveries of food parcels by local authorities, total number of individuals benefiting from supermarket deliveries, or other support received by CEV individuals.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 26/05/2020 14:51:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue