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1716848

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
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	Farming Recovery Fund: Staffordshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason Staffordshire's eligibiltiy for the Farming Recovery Fund is under review.
tabling member constituency	Tamworth
tabling member printed	Sarah Edwards
uin	25601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>October 2023 to March 2024 was the second wettest 6-month period on record in England, recorded rainfall was nearly 60% above the average of the last decade. The impacts on farm businesses are already evident in some sectors and are likely to extend through the year.</p><p> </p><p>The launch of the Farming Recovery Fund on 9 April captured a first tranche of 9 counties affected by the flooding as a result of Storm Henk. Since then, we have listened and responded to feedback by removing the requirement for land to be within 150 metres of the main river and are committed to reviewing the eligibility to ensure that it best meets the needs for those who were most affected by the persistent wet weather over the winter.</p><p> </p><p>In recognition of the persistent wet weather over the winter, I am in discussion with farmers about what further support is needed. As part of this support, we have provided flexibility to farmers who have not been able to complete their agri-environment scheme requirements in winter or the spring – due to the prolonged wet weather impacts.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/05/2024 14:07:42 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	5001 label Biography information for Sarah Edwards

1716950

registered interest
date	09/05/2024
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: Climate Change
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 impact of climate change on UK food security.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	25519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK has a high degree of food security, built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 73% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the impact of climate change on the food system which is why we are investing in the sustainability and resilience of the domestic sector and are undertaking work to the improve our understanding of the impacts of climate change on the wider food system and the resilience of the wider UK food supply chain. The third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) was published in July 2023, and addresses the 61 risks and opportunities identified in the third Climate Change Risk Assessment. NAP3 includes dedicated responses to risks to domestic agricultural productivity and UK food availability, safety, and quality from climate change overseas.</p><p> </p><p>The Agriculture Act imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to have regard to the need to encourage environmentally sustainable food production. Our farming reforms aim to support a highly productive food producing sector by supporting farmers to manage land in a way that improves food production and is more environmentally sustainable, and by paying farmers to produce public goods such as water quality, biodiversity, animal health and welfare and climate change mitigation, alongside food production.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security, fulfilling the duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to present a report on food security to Parliament at least once every three years. It examines trends relevant to food security to present the best available understanding. The report was last published in December 2021 and will next be published by December 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Earlier this year, the Prime Minister announced that we will introduce an annual Food Security Index to underpin the three-yearly UK Food Security report. This will present the key data and analysis needed to monitor how we are maintaining our current levels of self-sufficiency and overall food security.  We will publish the first draft of the Food Security Index during the second UK Farm to Fork Summit on 14 May 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 14/05/2024 12:40:30 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1716002

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
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, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the deadline for neutering dogs whose owners wish to withdraw a certificate of exemption.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	24990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>For a Certificate of Exemption to remain valid, owners must arrange to have their XL Bully dog neutered and to provide evidence of this to Defra by set deadlines. These deadlines are 30 June 2024 if the dog was 12 months or older on 31 January 2024, 31 December 2024 if the dog was at least 7 months old, but less than 12 months old on 31 January 2024, and 30 June 2025 if the dog was younger than 7 months on 31 January 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Owners who no longer think that their dog is an XL Bully will be able to ask Defra to withdraw their certificate of exemption. Defra will provide more information about how to do this soon.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 13/05/2024 15:52:51 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1716153

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
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	Tree Planting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of trees have been planted in each year since 2015.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	24876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Chesterfield on 2 April 2024 to Question <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-21/19841" target="_blank">19841</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 13/05/2024 11:10:29 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1716159

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Sports
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 requested that water sports (a) training sessions, (b) activities and (c) events were (i) cancelled and (ii) postponed due to unsafe water quality in each year since 2020.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	24985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra is responsible for designating bathing waters in England. As decisions on water sports training sessions, activities and events are managed locally, Defra has not requested that any are cancelled or postponed.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/05/2024 13:55:14 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1716161

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Water: Sports
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water sports (a) training sessions, (b) activities and (c) events have been reported to his Department due to unsafe water quality in each year since 2020.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	24986
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra is responsible for designating bathing waters in England but many water sports training sessions, activities and events will take place outside of these bathing waters. Information on water quality issues affecting local training sessions, activities and events is not routinely reported to Defra. Government is committed to improving water quality through more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement to tackle every source of river and sea pollution.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/05/2024 13:53:26 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1715756

registered interest
date	03/05/2024
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: Finance
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 introduce further funding rounds under the natural flood management programme.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	24779
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>We want to mainstream the use of Natural Flood Management (NFM) and expect the £25 million NFM programme will help inform how we do that. While we do not currently have plans for further rounds, we would encourage applicants to apply for NFM funding as part of our wider £5.6 billion investment in flood and coastal defences.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 14/05/2024 13:51:08 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1715573

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
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	Sewage: Waste Disposal
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of amending water undertakers' licences under the Environment Act 2021 to require those undertakers to accept septic tank waste (a) where there is market failure in the processing of that waste and (b) in other circumstances.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	24692
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>Defra does not have the power to amend water company licence conditions; Ofwat has this power under the Water Industry Act 1991.</p><p> </p><p>In the Plan for Water, the Government has committed to review existing regulatory arrangements and explore funding and other support options for improving septic tank activities. We continue to consider options that mitigate the risks arising from private sewage discharges.</p><p> </p><p>In January 2023, to ease the pressures on the septic tank waste disposal market in Cornwall, the Environment Agency issued a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/storing-and-treating-chemical-toilet-waste-rps-277/storing-and-treating-chemical-toilet-waste-rps-277" target="_blank">regulatory position statement</a> to increase waste storage capacity. This means that tanks can temporarily store more sewage (up to 60 cubic metres) until South West Water has capacity to take it.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Robbie Moore question first answered 08/05/2024 15:50:30 answering member 4861 label Biography information for Robbie Moore
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas

1715584

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
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	BSE: 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, whether his Department has identified the original source of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	24698
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>Classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1986. Scientific opinion is that classical BSE was caused by feeding feedstuffs to cattle that were contaminated with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) agent due to the inclusion of meat and bone meal. Scientific research has not identified any other definite vector of transmission and found no other potential causes, such as exposure to organophosphates. There is no evidence that it ‘spreads’ from animal to animal or between holdings.</p><p> </p><p>As a result of this scientific opinion, a ban on prohibiting the sale, supply and use of feeding stuff incorporating animal protein for feeding to ruminants was put in place in the UK in 1988. Following further scientific advice, in 1996 the ban was extended to prohibit the feeding of mammalian meat and bone meal, or any feeding stuff containing it, to any farmed animals.</p><p> </p><p>From a peak of over 37,000 cases in 1992 in the UK, there have been only 4 cases of the disease confirmed since 2014. This supports the hypothesis that classical BSE is a food-borne disease introduced by the inclusion of animal protein in feed, and that our BSE controls are working. It is still unknown which TSE agent caused the BSE epidemic (e.g. a scrapie agent from sheep or goats or an agent previously unknown in the cattle population that was recycled). Various transmission studies undertaken in GB and other countries failed to reproduce a BSE-like disease with TSE agents isolated from sheep or cattle other than classical BSE.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 08/05/2024 13:19:49 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1715586

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
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	BSE: 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 steps his Department is taking to prepare for another potential outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	24699
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>The measures to be followed in the event of suspicion of BSE are set out in UK legislation, and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (AHPA) are well prepared to carry out the necessary actions. In the rare event that BSE is suspected, whole farm movement restrictions are applied by APHA who then trace cohorts (animals that shared feed with the affected animal during its first year of life) and any of its offspring born in the last two years.</p><p> </p><p>In the event of the suspect case testing positive for BSE, its cohorts and offspring are then humanely culled, samples are taken from the brain stem for testing and the carcases are then destroyed, with the owners of the culled animals receiving compensation. While it not believed that BSE can be transmitted by mother to offspring during pregnancy ('vertical transmission') these animals are culled, along with cohorts, on a precautionary basis.</p><p> </p><p>The APHA also carry out a rolling national feed audit which inspects and takes samples at various stages of the animal feed chain. This includes checks for prohibited processed animal proteins in samples of feeding stuffs intended for farmed animals. If feed is non-compliant, APHA inspectors look at the cause of contamination and make a decision based on the risk. Depending on the severity, feed may have to be removed from the market, and cattle exposed to it may be restricted or killed.</p><p> </p><p>We remain vigilant to the threat posed by BSE and have a comprehensive surveillance programme in place to monitor the level of BSE over time and check on the continued effectiveness of our BSE controls. More detail on this is set out in Defra’s latest TSEs annual report here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monitoring-programme-for-tses-annual-report-2021-and-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/monitoring-programme-for-tses-annual-report-2021-and-2022</a>.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Sir Mark Spencer question first answered 08/05/2024 13:09:23 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan