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765239

registered interest
date	06/10/2017
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: 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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving enforcement responsibilities from carriers to Government agencies in order to better tackle the illegal importation of puppies via the Pet Travel Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	105701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2017 answer text <p>Defra takes the issue of the illegal importation of puppies and abuse of the pet travel scheme seriously. All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under European Union Pet Travel Scheme are subject to documentary and identity checks. These are performed by carrier’s staff or checkers acting on their behalf. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) train and appoint carriers and pet animal checkers. APHA also undertake random audits to assess the effectiveness of the carriers’ activities. APHA work closely with carriers and their pet animal checkers to address any issues identified and provide additional training as required.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is currently reviewing the operation of the Pet Travel Scheme in England and review includes the pet checking and carrier approval process. As part of the review the Department held a public consultation during the autumn of 2016. We continuing to gather evidence in preparation for putting the review report to independent scrutiny later in the year.</p><p> </p><p>Since December 2015 APHA Port of Dover staff have been working in partnership with transport carriers and the Dogs Trust to identify, seize and quarantine underage puppies illegally transported into the country.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 11/10/2017 14:51:13 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

765240

registered interest
date	06/10/2017
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	Land Drainage
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 has been made in (a) increasing the number and (b) improving the quality of sustainable drainage systems installed.
tabling member constituency	Halifax
tabling member printed	Holly Lynch
uin	105552
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2017 answer text <p>The Government strengthened planning policy in April 2015 to make sure that sustainable drainage systems are provided in all new major developments, unless the developer can demonstrate that they are clearly inappropriate. This is in addition to existing requirements that sustainable drainage systems should be given priority in new developments in flood risk areas. Planning policy supported by guidance contains the necessary levers for local planning authorities to secure high quality sustainable drainage systems.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is leading a review to assess the effectiveness of planning policy in delivering sustainable drainage systems in new developments in England. DCLG will publish the results of the review in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 13/10/2017 15:02:02 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4472 label Biography information for Holly Lynch

765241

registered interest
date	06/10/2017
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	Flood 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 his Department has made of the effectiveness of the natural flood management funding schemes that have been implemented; and whether he plans to increase the budget for such schemes.
tabling member constituency	Halifax
tabling member printed	Holly Lynch
uin	105550
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2017 answer text <p>The Defra funded demonstration pilots at Holnicote (Somerset), Pickering (North Yorkshire) and Upper Derwent (Derbyshire) that ran between 2009-2015, showed that natural flood management approaches can have a positive effect in catchments up to 100km<sup>2</sup>, through a measurable decrease in peak flood flow and height downstream. The pilots also showed that these approaches could be most effective when carefully incorporated alongside more traditional measures in catchments. This autumn, the Environment Agency (EA) is planning to publish an overview of the current evidence for natural flood management approaches in the form of a directory and a series of 65 case studies.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>To build on this emerging evidence, this year, we have allocated £15 million to 58 natural flood management specific projects across England, which will help support communities that are at risk of flooding. The EA is managing the programme, and will monitor their impact. In addition, Defra Grant-in-Aid for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Capital projects are available for any project that meets the objectives of reducing flooding or erosion risk, based on the economic benefits and damages avoided. Payment rates are based on outcomes not methods used, an approach designed to avoid discriminating against any particular approach to reducing risk.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 12/10/2017 12:41:23 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
tabling member	4472 label Biography information for Holly Lynch

765242

registered interest
date	06/10/2017
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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Cybersecurity
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 Answer of 12 September 2017 to Question 8035, on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: cybercrime, whether his Department requires contractors to have obtained a certificate from the Government Cyber Essentials scheme; and how many and what proportion of contractors doing work for his Department have obtained such a certificate.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	105667
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>My Department applies the principles of Procurement Policy Note 09/14 (Cyber Essentials scheme) where relevant, having regard to the circumstances the Cyber Essentials Scheme is designed to cover and the procurement route selected (some of which have comprehensive cyber security obligations built in to the framework).</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/10/2017 16:11:12 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

765243

registered interest
date	06/10/2017
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 the Government is taking to enforce the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hertsmere
tabling member printed	Oliver Dowden
uin	105668
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal or to fail to provide an animal with its welfare needs. The statutory Gamebird code, which was made under the 2006 Act, provides additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds. Failure to follow the code's recommendations can be used in evidence in court to support a welfare prosecution. Inspectors from theAnimal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will refer to the code when they have been asked to inspect a game farm. When required APHA advise farmers on achieving compliance and, if appropriate, legal action will be taken.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 16/10/2017 12:58:18 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
tabling member	4441 label Biography information for Oliver Dowden

764301

registered interest
date	02/10/2017
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	Ofwat: PwC
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to investigate any possible conflicts of interests created by PriceWaterhouseCooper acting as (1) an adviser to Ofwat’s 2014 Price Review, and (2) an auditor to six water companies.
tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
uin	HL1638
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2017 answer text <p>The Government currently has no plans to investigate any possible conflicts of interests in relation to role of Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) as adviser to the 2014 Price Review (PR14).</p><p> </p><p>Following a process of open competition, after which PwC was contracted as their PR14 delivery partner, Ofwat took steps to ensure that any potential conflicts of interest were identified and managed at all stages. The measures taken were over and above PwC’s normal processes to ensure robust ethical walls are in place.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 11/10/2017 12:34:24 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley

764325

registered interest
date	02/10/2017
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 Poverty
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 14 September (HL1284), what assessment they have made of the finding by the Food and Agriculture Organisation showing that 4.2 per cent of households in the UK have experienced severe food insecurity, the second highest rate in Europe, and in particular, the extent to which this is an accurate representation of levels of household food insecurity in the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL1662
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2017 answer text <p>The UK has a high degree of food security, as demonstrated by the 2010 UK Food Security Assessment. It is a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of food security, including household food security. We have just commenced a review of the assessment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), developed by the ‘Voices of the Hungry’ (VoH) project of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), uses the Gallup World Poll to collect data on household food security in up to 150 countries including the UK. The 2017 publication showed that 4.2% of those households surveyed in the UK reported having experienced severe food insecurity compared with 4.5% in the previous data published in 2015. This is self-reported by participants based on their own experience. The measure provides a partial picture of a broader issue.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The ONS Living Costs and Food Survey (LCFS) contains questions about household spend on food, including that of the lowest 20% income households, which has remained stable between 16% and 16.5% for a number of years.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This Government is committed to tackling poverty and disadvantage and delivering real social reform, and we believe that economic growth and employment offer the best route to give people a better future. There are now 954,000 fewer workless households; and 608,000 fewer children in workless households compared with 2010. The employment rate is also at a record high of 75.3%. The number of people in work has risen 379,000 over the last year bringing the total employment level to a record high of 32.14 million. We also provide a strong safety net through the welfare system for those who need extra support.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 16/10/2017 13:15:13 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

760476

registered interest
date	14/09/2017
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	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, or intend to have, with Kew Gardens concerning making available from their plant library those species which have suffered serious loss or destruction in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and Anguilla.
tabling member printed	Lord Blencathra
uin	HL1589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2017 answer text <p>Following the devastating impact of this year’s hurricane season on our Caribbean Overseas Territories, addressing the affected Territories’ immediate humanitarian and security needs is the highest priority for Her Majesty’s Government.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has had preliminary discussions with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew about the Territories’ likely environmental recovery needs.</p><p> </p><p>Once the Territories are in a position to evaluate and address their environmental recovery needs, Defra will discuss with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Territories how Kew’s plant materials, technical assistance and scientific expertise can contribute to the restoration of habitats in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 25/09/2017 15:54:16 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	497 label Biography information for Lord Blencathra

760486

registered interest
date	14/09/2017
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	Cucumbers: Packaging
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether British retailers are required to cover in plastic wrapping cucumbers sold to consumers; and if so, whether that requirement derives from (1) UK law, (2) EU law, (3) a non-legally binding commitment between the Government and retailers, or (4) some other source.
tabling member printed	Lord Hayward
uin	HL1599
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2017 answer text <p>There is no specific requirement to wrap cucumbers in cling film or other wrapping, but food businesses are required to provide food that is both safe and fit to eat. Food businesses do cover cucumbers to improve the shelf life of these products and reduce food waste, as the environmental impact of wasting food is far greater than the packaging containing it.</p><p> </p><p>We have had no discussions with retailers regarding the packaging of cucumbers over the last five years and have no plans to review the practice.</p><p> </p><p>We do not collect data on specific packaging lines and formats and are not aware of any equivalent data relating to cucumber packaging from other Member States.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL1600 HL1601 HL1602 question first answered 28/09/2017 15:20:32 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	863 label Biography information for Lord Hayward

760487

registered interest
date	14/09/2017
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	Cucumbers: Packaging
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the practice of covering in plastic cucumbers sold to consumers.
tabling member printed	Lord Hayward
uin	HL1600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2017 answer text <p>There is no specific requirement to wrap cucumbers in cling film or other wrapping, but food businesses are required to provide food that is both safe and fit to eat. Food businesses do cover cucumbers to improve the shelf life of these products and reduce food waste, as the environmental impact of wasting food is far greater than the packaging containing it.</p><p> </p><p>We have had no discussions with retailers regarding the packaging of cucumbers over the last five years and have no plans to review the practice.</p><p> </p><p>We do not collect data on specific packaging lines and formats and are not aware of any equivalent data relating to cucumber packaging from other Member States.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL1599 HL1601 HL1602 question first answered 28/09/2017 15:20:32 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	863 label Biography information for Lord Hayward