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176981

registered interest
date	02/02/2015
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	Meat: Ritual Slaughter
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the ritual manner of slaughtering animals for kosher and halal meat is in accordance with European Union regulations on animal welfare; and if not, what action they are taking.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL4611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009, on the protection of animals at the time of killing, permits the slaughter of animals in accordance with religious rites. It also contains strict requirements that need to be observed when carrying out such slaughter and allows individual Member States to put in place additional, national rules that provide greater welfare protection. The UK has maintained its long-standing existing national rules on religious slaughter in addition to the European regulation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 05/02/2015 15:38:45 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

176908

registered interest
date	30/01/2015
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	Natural Resources
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 she will make it her policy to implement the Natural Capital Committee's Third Report's (a) recommendations on a 25-year plan to improve and protect natural capital and (b) other recommendations.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Huppert
uin	222825
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government will be providing a response to the Natural Capital Committee’s third State of Natural Capital report in the second half of 2015. Government officials are now analysing the package of recommendations put forward by the Natural Capital Committee so ministers can be comprehensively briefed post-election.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 04/02/2015 13:18:19 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	3931 label Biography information for Dr Julian Huppert

176909

registered interest
date	30/01/2015
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
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 fees her Department has proposed for veterinarians who bid successfully in the tendering process for testing for tuberculosis in cattle.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
uin	222775
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>Details of the fees payable by the successful bidders are subject to commercial confidentiality and not shared. Redacted copies of the awarded contracts will be available on Contracts Finder once these have been awarded. However, within the Invitation to Tender documentation it was clear that Defra was seeking the ability to deliver a consistent quality assured service, which would be important in identifying successful suppliers. Other factors, including the provision of a locally responsive service and the use of small businesses which otherwise support a sustainable livestock farming industry and wider rural economy, would also be important whilst cost would still be a factor. Tenderers were invited to submit tenders for each Geographical Lot based on their fees not exceeding the annual reference value of each the Geographical Lots (2013/14) and, in three Geographical Lots, the estimated value of the Total Reference Value less 10%.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/02/2015 15:24:14 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

176910

registered interest
date	30/01/2015
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
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 she has taken to keep veterinarians informed on the timetable of her Department's tendering process for testing cattle for tuberculosis.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
uin	222776
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>Since the new model for the supply of veterinary services was announced in July 2013, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) (previously the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency) has continuously provided detailed information and progress updates through the APHA website, regular Official Veterinarian (OV) newsletter and in specific letters and briefings sent directly to OVs. This information was also provided to veterinary professional bodies such as the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). APHA provided open fora in both Builth Wells (Wales) and Weybridge (England) in September and October 2013.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An Invitation to Tender was published on 9 July 2014 which included a timetable leading to the announcement on contract awards in January 2015. To further aid potential suppliers, two further clarification days were held in Builth Wells and Weybridge in July and August 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On 6 January 2015, prior to the award of contracts for veterinary services, APHA wrote to the BVA, BCVA and RCVS, to update them on the award process and timescales involved. On 27 January, APHA informed professional bodies and OVs of the award of contracts in Wales and will now work with the contractors to inform veterinarians in Wales of the transitional timetable and arrangements. APHA is not yet in a position to award contracts in England, as this is dependent on the outcome of an ongoing legal process, but has reaffirmed its commitment to providing ongoing information and support to the veterinary profession.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/02/2015 15:20:46 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

176911

registered interest
date	30/01/2015
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
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 reasons are for the time her Department's tendering process has taken for testing cattle for tuberculosis.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
uin	222777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>Defra Network Procurement followed the procurement process defined in the Public Contract Regulations 2006 amended 2009.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To ensure that all tenderers had sufficient knowledge and information relating to the tender, five supplier engagement days were held in both Wales and England for all registered interested parties. These were held in September 2013, April 2014 and May 2014, which helped the Authority to finalise the contract specification.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In response to feedback from the veterinary profession, the tendering period of the procurement was extended from the normal period of 40 days to 60 days. The Invitation to Tender was published on 7 July 2014.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/02/2015 12:59:53 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

176912

registered interest
date	30/01/2015
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
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 timetable her Department has set for the tendering process for testing cattle for tuberculosis.
tabling member constituency	Totnes
tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
uin	222778
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>Defra has signed contracts with the two Delivery Partners for Wales and anticipates these services going live in April 2015. We are currently handling a legal challenge to the award of contracts in England and until such time as this has been resolved no timetable to the commencement of the service for England is available.</p><p> </p><p>Until such time as Defra is able announce details on the commencement of the service for England, the current arrangements for TB testing will continue, where testing is carried out by either an official veterinarian (under the direction of the Animal and Plant Health Agency {APHA}), or a member of APHA staff.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/02/2015 12:52:37 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

176653

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
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	National Parks
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to be able to respond to Natural England's proposals for an extension to the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.
tabling member printed	Lord Smith of Finsbury
uin	HL4562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>A public inquiry into Natural England’s proposals to extend the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks was held in June 2013. The inspector’s report has been submitted to Defra and is now being considered. The Secretary of State will issue her decisions in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord De Mauley question first answered 04/02/2015 13:45:20 answering member 2202 label Biography information for Lord De Mauley
tabling member	186 label Biography information for Lord Smith of Finsbury

176761

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
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	Timber
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 progress she has made on implementing the Government's timber procurement policy for central government departments which requires the purchase of only legally felled and sustainably produced timber and wood products.
tabling member constituency	Tiverton and Honiton
tabling member printed	Neil Parish
uin	222648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government continues to promote and support the Timber Procurement Policy. This includes the provision of practical advice to public sector procurers and suppliers through the Central Point of Expertise on Timber, which provides guidance and information through a helpdesk and regular, targeted workshops. Central Government Departments report on the application of the policy in construction contracts for the purposes of the Greening Government Commitments. Reports are published annually.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra has also contracted the Central Point of Expertise on Timber to conduct a review of the certification schemes that support the Timber Procurement Policy to ensure they are sufficiently robust.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) entered into force in the UK in March 2013. The EUTR prevents the trade of illegally-harvested timber in the EU by laying down obligations on operators who place timber and timber products on the market, and those who subsequently trade in them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency North Cornwall answering member printed Dan Rogerson question first answered 03/02/2015 16:28:34 answering member 1504 label Biography information for Dan Rogerson
tabling member	4072 label Biography information for Neil Parish

176762

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
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: Prices
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 (a) the comparative rate of food price inflation in (i) the UK, (ii) France and (iii) Germany between 2003 and 2015 and (b) the reasons for differences between those inflation rates in that period.
tabling member constituency	Esher and Walton
tabling member printed	Mr Dominic Raab
uin	222657
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>According to Eurostat, between 2003 and 2014 food prices rose by 47% in the UK, 17% in France and 23% in Germany. This reflects how the key drivers (commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices) impact on each market. Over the period the euro appreciated relative to the pound, lowering food inflation for Eurozone countries relative to the UK. In addition, the UK’s competitive domestic market transmits more of the changes in the key drivers to consumers, which can lead to higher inflation when commodity prices and oil prices rise, but keeps prices lower overall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Recent reductions in global commodity prices have been more fully transmitted into retail prices in the UK, at the same time as an appreciation of the pound relative to the euro. Food prices fell by 1.7% in the UK in 2014 compared to 0.6% and 0.8% in France and Germany respectively.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Despite higher inflation in the UK over the period, according to Eurostat food prices in the UK in 2013 (in purchasing power parities) were 7% lower than both France and Germany.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 04/02/2015 16:27:24 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice previous answer version 42056 answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4007 label Biography information for Dominic Raab

176763

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the oral Answer of 29 January 2015, Official Report, column 996, when she plans to publish her Department's estimate of the percentage reduction in badger numbers achieved in both pilot cull areas as a result of last year's cull.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Andrew George
uin	222686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>In West Somerset, the cull company achieved removal of 70% of the estimated starting population of badgers, indicating that industry-led culling can, in the right circumstances, deliver the level of effectiveness required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The results for Gloucestershire show that continued progress is needed taking into account the additional challenges of interference, harassment and criminal damage by activists.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Cull companies were required to provide more detailed information on progress, and based on the information submitted, Natural England were able to build a more accurate assessment of progress. This is described in advice published in August 2014:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-to-be-culled-in-year-2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-to-be-culled-in-year-2</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As licensing authority, Natural England closely monitored the performance of each cull company and the effort being deployed across the cull area at frequent intervals, taking into account the actual circumstances being experienced by the cull companies.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Details of the number of badgers removed during year two of the culls were published on 18 December 2014, and can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-summary-of-badger-control-monitoring-during-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-summary-of-badger-control-monitoring-during-2014</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Defra’s advice to Natural England on setting minimum and maximum number of badgers to be culled in West Somerset and West Gloucestershire in year 2 of the badger culls can be found at the link above. This advice includes a summary of the methods considered by Defra for estimating the badger populations in these areas. The minimum number is intended to correspond to a 70% reduction of the population relative to the initial starting population before the culls started in 2013. The culling objective is for no more than 30% of the starting population to remain on conclusion of the cull.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Based on the population estimation methodology selected, in Gloucestershire, Natural England set a minimum number of 615. At the conclusion of the 2014 cull 274 badgers were removed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Based on the population estimation methodology selected, in Somerset Natural England set a minimum number of 316. At the conclusion of the 2014 cull, 341 badgers were removed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice grouped question UIN 222685 222687 question first answered 05/02/2015 17:21:24 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	227 label Biography information for Andrew George