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1139680

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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, Business Management Practices on Farms, England 2016/17, published by his Department in February 2018, what steps he is taking to increase the number of farm businesses that undertake (a) business and (b) land management planning; and what assessment he has made of the effect of new Environmental Land Management system as outlined in the statement of 12 September 2018 on the ability of farmers to produce land management plans.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	278335
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2019 answer text <p>The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will give farmers and land managers incentives to deliver a wide variety of environmental benefits. We are exploring the role of land management plans in the ELM scheme, including through undertaking a number of tests and trials on the use of land management plans.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 02/08/2019 10:25:50 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1139682

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 measures will be included in a future environmental land management scheme as outlined in the policy statement of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food farming and the environment in a green Brexit, to promote farm cluster working and landscape-scale enhancement projects.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	278337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2019 answer text <p>The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will give farmers and land managers incentives to deliver a wide variety of environmental benefits through paying public money for delivering environmental public goods. In developing the ELM scheme we are exploring the role of farm cluster working and landscape scale enhancement, and how to incentivise this to maximise the delivery of environmental benefits.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 31/07/2019 14:45:56 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1139681

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	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 measures will be included in a future environmental land management scheme as outlined in the policy statement of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food farming and the environment in a green Brexit, to ensure all farm businesses can create land management plans and participate in the new payment schemes.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	278336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2019 answer text <p>The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will give farmers and land managers incentives to deliver a wide variety of environmental benefits through paying public money for delivering environmental public goods. In developing ELM, we are exploring how to maximise participation to increase the environmental benefits that are delivered. To support this, we are undertaking a number of tests and trials which include the role of land management plans and expert advice for farmers and land managers.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 02/08/2019 10:07:43 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1139679

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Agriculture: Subsidies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	[Suggested redraft] To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of farms at risk of closing down as a result of a new systems of agricultural payments as outlined in the Government's policy paper of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, what the size of those farms are; and the type of farming undertaken by those farms.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	278334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>In September 2018, alongside the Agriculture Bill and policy statement, the Government published an ‘Analysis of the impacts of removing Direct Payments’. This provided an overview of the potential impacts to different farm types and sizes of moving away from direct payments and introducing a new system of public money for public goods.<del class="ministerial"> It also showed the potential across all sectors for farmers to become more efficient – producing more for less – as a response to any reductions in direct payments.</del></p><p> </p><p><del class="ministerial">Direct payments are untargeted, poor value for money, undermine efficiency and productivity improvements, and limit opportunities for new entrants. They have imposed unnecessary bureaucracy on farmers and can inflate rent prices. Some of our most successful and vibrant food-producing sectors of agriculture have never been subsidised. For example the poultry industry, the pig industry and the horticulture industry.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">Direct payments are arbitrary payments based on land area that tend to favour larger land owners rather than smaller family farming businesses.</ins> In England we will phase out direct payments during an agricultural transition, giving time for farmers to adjust. Phasing out direct payments will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes<ins class="ministerial"> and animal welfare</ins>.<del class="ministerial"> We recognise that some certain sectors are more dependent than others on direct payments but provided that these farmers are delivering public goods, they will be well placed to benefit from the new system.</del></p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 01/08/2019 14:08:07 question first ministerially corrected 13/08/2019 09:11:36 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice previous answer version 131932 answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1139747

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Working Hours
	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 much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	278369
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/07/2019 answer text <p>Information relating to time taken off in lieu by staff is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is committed to the wellbeing of its people and offers a flexible working policy. Employees at grades AA through to grade 6 may operate using flexi time. This allows employees to accumulate credit for time worked beyond their contracted hours. Credited hours may then be taken at a later date, subject to business need. Staff are permitted to build up and carry over 3 days each 4 week period.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 31/07/2019 15:32:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1140011

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Drinking Water
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to introduce free drinking water fountains at (1) airports, (2) railway and bus stations, and (3) major tourist attractions.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Doocey
	uin	HL17246
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>The Government recognises the importance of making drinking water more readily available in public places, as a means of reducing single-use plastic bottles. As laid out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, and Resource and Waste Strategy we are already taking action in this area.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers have supported transport hubs, particularly railway stations and airports, to offer refill points. It is encouraging to see the positive response from Network Rail and rail operators. Around half of the UK's international airports have water fountains enabling customers to refill their own water containers.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is supporting water companies, high street retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs to offer new refill points for people to top-up water bottles for free in every major city and town in England. The water industry is developing a network of refill points through its Refill app, managed by City to Sea. The app signposts to over 20,000 free refill points and is estimated to save over 100 million single use bottles from entering our waste stream by the end of 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 01/08/2019 13:04:07 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4197 label Biography information for Baroness Doocey

1139739

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Livestock: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2019 to Question 259124 on Livestock: Animal Welfare, what plans his Department has to introduce benchmark incentives for farmers to maintain and enhance animal health standards.
	tabling member constituency	Penistone and Stocksbridge
	tabling member printed	Angela Smith
	uin	278450
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>We are working in partnership with representatives of industry and the veterinary profession to establish a range of interventions to reduce the impacts of endemic disease on farm productivity and animal welfare. By working closely with industry we will ensure that actions are effective and will improve the health of livestock nationally. Our discussions are at an early stage. At present, we have no plans to introduce benchmark standards.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 01/08/2019 15:19:13 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	1564 label Biography information for Angela Smith

1140010

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Plastics: Bottles
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, in partnership with relevant businesses, to reduce the use of plastic bottles by tourists.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Doocey
	uin	HL17245
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>Through the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste from all sectors, including the tourism industry.</p><p>We have already made good progress, banning microbeads, removing 15.6 billion plastic bags from circulation with our 5p charge, and committing to restrict the sale and/or distribution of plastic straws, drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds from April 2020.</p><p>Furthermore, the 25 Year Environment Plan announced that water companies have been working to create a network of free water refill points across England. Defra is working with Water UK on this roll-out, which is managed by City to Sea. This Thursday 1 August, locations for the first 50 public drinking water foundations for London were announced, part of a £5 million scheme. In September last year, water companies in England published their plans for reducing single-use plastic bottles in their regions. Ministers have written to many retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs asking them to provide tap water, allowing the public to refill bottles. We are also working across Government, for example with the Department for Transport, to encourage transport premises to extend the provision of free water and to publicise this.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL17244 question first answered 01/08/2019 13:13:12 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4197 label Biography information for Baroness Doocey

1140009

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Plastics: Tourism
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the use of plastic by businesses in the tourism industry.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Doocey
	uin	HL17244
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>Through the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy for England, published in December last year, sets out our plans to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste from all sectors, including the tourism industry.</p><p>We have already made good progress, banning microbeads, removing 15.6 billion plastic bags from circulation with our 5p charge, and committing to restrict the sale and/or distribution of plastic straws, drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds from April 2020.</p><p>Furthermore, the 25 Year Environment Plan announced that water companies have been working to create a network of free water refill points across England. Defra is working with Water UK on this roll-out, which is managed by City to Sea. This Thursday 1 August, locations for the first 50 public drinking water foundations for London were announced, part of a £5 million scheme. In September last year, water companies in England published their plans for reducing single-use plastic bottles in their regions. Ministers have written to many retailers, coffee shops and transport hubs asking them to provide tap water, allowing the public to refill bottles. We are also working across Government, for example with the Department for Transport, to encourage transport premises to extend the provision of free water and to publicise this.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL17245 question first answered 01/08/2019 13:13:12 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4197 label Biography information for Baroness Doocey

1140022

	registered interest
	date	17/07/2019
	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	Water Supply: Chilterns
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk management measures have been put in place to control the spread of contaminants into the mid-Chiltern aquifer since 2011.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL17257
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/08/2019 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) risk-manages the spread of contaminants into the mid-Chiltern groundwater body using the CLR11/Land Contamination Risk Management framework, and the EA’s approach to groundwater protection. The EA agree voluntary remediation statements with relevant parties, and/or serve mandatory remediation notices under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA).</p><p>The EPA also gives the EA the power to enforce and control emissions to groundwater which is part of the Water Framework Directive’s Thames River Basin Management Plan. The plan provides a detailed explanation of the management of both waste water, and pollution from towns, cities and transport. Measures include, but are not limited to:</p><ul><li><p>The EA issues environmental permits to protect the environment from pollutants.</p></li><li><p>They work with the water industry to develop a long-term strategy for sewerage to prevent deterioration of permitted discharges.</p></li><li><p>The EA and the Health and Safety Inspectorate enforce restrictions and bans on the use of certain chemicals.</p></li><li><p>Local Government considers the impact on water quality in all aspects of planning and development.</p></li><li><p>The EA uses anti-pollution works powers under the Water Resources Act 1991 to prevent or clean up small scale pollution, e.g. repairing misconnections.</p></li><li><p>Industry, manufacturing and other business comply with existing regulations, e.g. Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 to make sure that chemicals are properly managed and surface water drainage is properly used and maintained.</p></li><li><p>The EA and Highways England apply the memorandum of understanding agreement covering the strategic road network and remediation of high risk outfalls.</p></li><li><p>The EA and Network Rail operate under the terms of a memorandum of understanding covering contaminated land, water discharge and use of pesticides.</p></li><li><p>The EA and the water industry investigate and deal with misconnections, for example, through the National Misconnections Strategy group and in accordance with Defra’s diffuse urban action plan.</p></li><li><p>Local Government works with industry, manufacturing and other business (Local Enterprise Partnerships), and non-governmental organisations (catchment partnerships and Local Nature Partnerships) to develop joint improvement programmes.</p></li></ul><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 01/08/2019 13:02:30 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb