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 question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1204528

	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	Highly Protected Marine Areas
	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 plans to designate areas of UK coastal fishing waters as Highly Protected Marine Areas.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	59840
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>We welcome the publication of the review into Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), which was published on 8 June 2020 and is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highly-protected-marine-areas-hpmas-review-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highly-protected-marine-areas-hpmas-review-2019</a>. I am grateful to Richard Benyon and the advisory panel for their work. We will consider Richard Benyon's report and issue a formal response to him in due course, recognising our continued priority to support the cross-Government response to Covid-19. From there on, we have an opportunity to develop a programme of work to bring forward highly protected areas for the first time in English waters. We would of course consult widely with the public and stakeholders, including fishers, before any decision to designate an HPMA.</p><p>A healthy and sustainable fishing industry in the long-term is dependent on a healthy marine environment, and the Fisheries Bill creates a robust framework for managing our fisheries sustainably in the future. The panel has concluded that HPMA can be a valuable tool to help deliver healthy seas. However, we recognise that some members of the fisheries community may be concerned by the impact of the Review’s recommendations on their livelihoods. The report suggests several ways in which government can reduce the impact on the fishing industry, for example by siting protected areas within existing protected areas and be adopting early, continuous engagement with all stakeholders when considering the location for an HPMA. Extensive consultation will take place before any decisions are made.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 24/06/2020 14:12:08 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1220296

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2020
	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	Shopping: Disability
	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 take steps to provide additional support for disabled people during the covid-19 outbreak to ensure that disabled people are able to access a weekly shop for essential items.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	68400
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>We know that a large number of disabled people continue to rely on friends, family and wider community support as they face difficulties accessing food. Where that is not possible, there are a number of options available for people to access support. Individuals can request support from a volunteer via NHS Volunteer Responders, who can shop on their behalf.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to work with local authorities, supermarkets and charities to ensure that vulnerable groups get the support they need to access food and other essential supplies. These organisations are able to sign-post people to commercial food delivery options, help them access priority supermarket delivery slots or refer them to the NHS Volunteer Responder programme.</p><p> </p><p>People who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) can also register for support online or via an automated helpline. As part of the registration process, we have asked individuals to indicate whether they have unmet basic care needs, such as social care and social contact needs. Local authorities are best placed to respond to these needs, and we are sharing data with them to ensure vulnerable individuals get the support they need while shielding.</p><p> </p><p>Where people who are CEV have asked for help accessing food, they have been offered centrally provided food boxes and supermarkets have offered priority delivery slots. Boxes will continue until the end of July and seven supermarkets have confirmed that access to priority supermarket delivery slots will continue beyond the end of July for those already signed up for support.</p><p> </p><p>We have also made available an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. Local authorities are already working hard to support those who are vulnerable and this additional funding will contribute to that work.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/07/2020 09:53:09 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1231494

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2020
	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	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 the timescale is for phasing out badger culling.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	85091
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2020 answer text <p>Bovine TB (bTB) is one of the most difficult and intractable animal health challenges that England faces today. Tackling the reservoir of infection in wildlife, chiefly badgers, is an important element of Defra's bTB eradication strategy for England. Earlier this year, we published our response to the Godfray Review, which sets out the next phase of our strategy to combat bTB. Our response noted that while it is important to retain the ability to introduce new cull zones where epidemiological evidence points to a reservoir of disease in badgers, we envisage that any remaining areas would join the current cull programme in the next few years and that the badger cull phase of the strategy would then wind down by the mid to late 2020s. Culling would, however, remain an option thereafter where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed.</p><p> </p><p>That plan to wind down the current badger culling programme has not changed. As noted in the Government response to the Godfray Review, it is unrealistic to switch immediately to badger vaccination but we are already doing a great deal to make sure the transition happens. In July, we announced that world-leading bTB cattle vaccination trials are set to get underway in England and Wales as a result of a major breakthrough by government scientists. These trials enable work to accelerate towards planned deployment of a cattle vaccine by 2025.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/09/2020 13:10:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1231495

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2020
	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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination
	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 support the development of a vaccine for cattle to prevent the spread of bovine TB.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	85092
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2020 answer text <p>Developing a TB vaccine for cattle is one of the Government’s priorities. A cattle vaccine could be a game-changer in terms of providing a strong additional tool to help eradicate bovine TB.</p><p> </p><p>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 differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (the DIVA skin test).</p><p> </p><p>Like other veterinary medicines, both the Cattle BCG vaccine and the DIVA skin test will need VMD marketing authorisations before they can be deployed.</p><p> </p><p>It is hoped 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.</p><p> </p><p>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> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/09/2020 13:18:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1237665

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2020
	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	Food: Labelling
	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 issue guidance on food and drink labelling to businesses trading in (a) the EU and (b) Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	95169
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2020 answer text <p>Ministers meet regularly with food manufacturers, and representatives of other parts of the supply chain, to discuss preparations for the end of the transition period including for food labelling.</p><p><br> The GOV.UK website provides guidance on these matters and is kept under review and updated as appropriate. EU food labelling requirements are a matter for the EU and the EU has set out its position on how food and drink should be labelled where EU rules apply.</p><p><br> We will provide a period of adjustment for labelling changes required at the end of the transition period, wherever this is possible. During this period the changes that UK businesses need to make when selling between different markets will be minimised. We are working to determine the appropriate time industry needs to make changes and will provide guidance as soon as we can do so, to ensure that businesses have clarity and certainty.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 29/09/2020 16:01:13 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1248882

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2020
	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	Organic Food: Certification
	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 ensure mutual recognition between the UK and EU on organic food certification.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	111587
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government proposed an organics equivalence agreement in its Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) proposals. Organics is currently included in the UK’s proposed CFTA legal text as a technical annex and the negotiations are ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the six UK control bodies have applied to the EU for recognition as equivalent for the purpose of trade. We understand that these applications by the individual organic control bodies are progressing.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure a smooth transition process, we will recognise the EU as equivalent for the purpose of trade in organics until 31 December 2021. This temporary measure will give certainty to the organic sector and it remains our objective to negotiate a durable, long-term organics equivalence agreement with the EU.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/11/2020 11:41:04 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1276324

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Hemp
	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 allowing hemp farming in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	137274
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>Defra will be commissioning a project on the potential use of underutilised, underdeveloped or novel crops, including hemp. We are also considering the role of hemp in the Bioeconomy and the opportunities this presents for UK farmers.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The provision to cultivate (under Home Office Licence) low THC Cannabis (industrial hemp) for seed and fibre production does already exist in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/01/2021 16:08:51 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1278363

	registered interest
	date	19/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Pesticides: Rivers
	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 report entitled Potential role of veterinary flea products in widespread pesticide contamination of English rivers, published in the Science of the Total Environment Journal in January 2021, what steps he is taking to prevent toxic insecticides contaminating rivers across England.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	140231
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2021 answer text <p>Defra, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and the Environment Agency (EA) are working closely together to improve our understanding of the risks posed by chemicals in the water environment and to respond appropriately. This includes EA monitoring of rivers for insecticides and other pesticides to enable us to identify and act upon any emerging issues associated with their use and occurrence in the environment.</p><p> </p><p>Parasiticides are used in veterinary medicines for the treatment of fleas and ticks on cats and dogs. It is possible that following their use, some parasiticides may reach the aquatic environment. However, the environmental exposure assessments conducted for such flea products consider the exposure of the aquatic environment to be acceptably low. Recent research has estimated that the contribution of veterinary medicine parasiticides to the levels of these chemicals of concern in UK waterways to be less than 3% of the total. Such products are accompanied by advice, to users, to keep treated animals out of watercourses for 2 to 4 days after treatment and to avoid washing products off into the sewage system. Therefore, existing steps are taken to reduce the exposure of the environment from parasiticides used to treated animals. We urge people to continue to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the safe use and disposal of all veterinary products, including flea treatment products, and their packaging.</p><p> </p><p>Due to concerns and uncertainties raised by previous research and monitoring data, the VMD commissioned research in 2019 to investigate the potential environmental exposure pathways for flea and tick products. This work aims to assess the significance of their use as veterinary medicines on the aquatic environment. This research is due to be completed in March 2023. In addition, parasiticides may also enter the environment from several other sources such as ant/cockroach/fly bait products, products used in greenhouses, and possibly from products used to protect wool, cotton and synthetic materials. The relevance of these exposure routes is yet to be elucidated.</p><p> </p><p>Pending the findings from this commissioned research, and other available evidence, currently the VMD does not intend to change the existing regulatory controls on veterinary medicines, including the use of flea treatments for pets and the existing risk mitigation warnings, which protect animal health, human health and the environment.</p><p> </p><p>Defra will continue to consider the scientific evidence to inform any policy decisions or other interventions.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 25/01/2021 17:04:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1309762

	registered interest
	date	16/04/2021
	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	Dangerous Dogs
	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 penalties for dog owners whose dog attacks wildlife.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	182076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2021 answer text <p>There are already several potential penalties available to deal with dog owners who do not keep their animals under control.</p><p> </p><p>It is an offence under section 3(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. Under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 a magistrates' court may make any Order they consider appropriate to require an owner to ensure that their dog is kept under proper control. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 also includes specific measures to enable the police and local authorities to tackle irresponsible dog ownership.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has also commissioned research in collaboration with Middlesex University to consider the effectiveness of current dog control measures. The report is currently being peer reviewed and will be finalised in light of peer review comments. Our intention is to publish the final report later this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 21/04/2021 13:53:51 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1311890

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2021
	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	Assistance Animals: Travel
	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 is he taking to remove the internal border for assistance dog owners between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	186197
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>The UK has been formally ‘listed’ as a ‘Part 2’ third country for the purposes of the EU pet travel regulations, which means that new rules apply to pet movements from Great Britain to the EU and also – under the Northern Ireland Protocol – to the non-commercial movements of pets into Northern Ireland. The health and documentary requirements for such pet travel are set out under the EU Pet Travel Regulations; there are no derogations for assistance dogs under these regulations.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to press the European Commission on securing Part 1 listed status and in regaining recognition of our freedom from the tapeworm <em>Echinococcus multilocularis</em>, as achieving these would alleviate some of these new requirements for pet owners and assistance dog users. We meet all the animal health requirements for this, and we have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is engaging with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to explore means to streamline pet travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recognising the high standards of animal health that we share. Current guidance on pet travel to Northern Ireland is available on DAERA’s NIDirect website. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has also written to the European Vice-President seeking to ensure that an agreement can be made to address the barriers imposed on pet travel between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Ireland.</p><p> </p><p>We are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant stakeholders on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the EU and to Northern Ireland. We will continue to work closely with assistance dog organisations to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members on pet travel requirements.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 28/04/2021 13:25:56 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney