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1200665

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Mink: Coronavirus
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 risks to (a) human and (b) animal health from covid-19 in mink fur farms.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2020 answer text <p>We are monitoring the situation carefully and have been in touch with the Dutch Authorities. The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act was passed in England and Wales in 2000, with Sections 1 to 4 of the Act coming into force on 1 January 2003. Fur Farming was banned in 2002 in Northern Ireland and 2003 in Scotland, although there were no fur farms in either to ban at the time of these acts.</p><p> </p><p>There are no mink farms existing in the UK. The risk to the UK population from these outbreaks is therefore negligible and the Dutch government is taking action on those farms that have been affected.</p><p>Nevertheless, we are keeping a close eye on the findings that mink can effectively maintain the virus which causes COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 12/06/2020 13:31:56 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200667

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Mink: Coronavirus
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 plans to take to protect human and animal health following the publication of findings by the Dutch Government that mink fur farms could act as a long-term reservoir of covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55027
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2020 answer text <p>We are monitoring the situation carefully and have been in touch with the Dutch Authorities. The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act was passed in England and Wales in 2000, with Sections 1 to 4 of the Act coming into force on 1 January 2003. Fur Farming was banned in 2002 in Northern Ireland and 2003 in Scotland, although there were no fur farms in either to ban at the time of these acts.</p><p> </p><p>There are no mink farms existing in the UK. The risk to the UK population from these outbreaks is therefore negligible and the Dutch government is taking action on those farms that have been affected.</p><p>Nevertheless, we are keeping a close eye on the findings that mink can effectively maintain the virus which causes COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 12/06/2020 13:32:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200673

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 long-term effect of the closure order due to the covid-19 outbreak on the viability of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Officials continue to meet weekly with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to provide updates on the reopening position and understand the impact closure is having on zoos, safari parks, aquariums and farm visitor attractions (where these require a zoo licence). We are also taking expert advice from Defra’s Zoos Expert Committee (ZEC), and engaging with some of the largest zoos to discuss additional concerns which are arising including over a longer time frame, and active consideration of these is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>Zoos are eligible to apply for a range of support schemes including the Job Retention Scheme, VAT deferral, Business Rates Relief, the Business Interruption Loan schemes, the option to reclaim the costs of Statutory Sick Pay and grant funding of up to £25,000.</p><p>In addition, the £14 million Zoos Support Fund, which was opened on 4 May to help those zoos, safari parks, aquariums and eligible farm visitor attractions in severe financial distress due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 remains open for applications until 19 July 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 16:04:19 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200674

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 arrangements are for continuing inspections by his Department of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, local authorities are responsible for arranging inspections of activities that require a licence under the Act. This includes zoos, safari parks, aquariums and farm visitor attractions (where the latter exhibit non-domesticated species of animal).</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 10:45:35 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200675

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 additional funding he plans to make available to help ensure the viability of (a) zoos, (b) safari parks, (c) aquariums and (d) farm visitor attractions ordered to close during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>Zoos are eligible to apply for a range of support schemes including the Job Retention Scheme, VAT deferral, Business Rates Relief, the Business Interruption Loan schemes, the option to reclaim the costs of Statutory Sick Pay and grant funding of up to £25,000.</p><p> </p><p>The £14 million Zoos Support Fund, which was opened on 4 May to help those zoos, safari parks, aquariums and eligible farm visitor attractions in severe financial distress due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 remains open for applications until 19 July 2020.</p><p> </p><p>We are engaging with some of the largest zoos to discuss additional concerns which are arising including over a longer time frame, and active consideration of these is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>We are also continuing to engage with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums) to monitor progress and any newly arising issues; and will keep working with the industry to understand their longer-term concerns.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 14:07:08 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1200676

registered interest
date	04/06/2020
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	Tourist Attractions: Coronavirus
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 (a) discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) consultation he undertook with (i) zoos, (ii) safari parks, (ii) aquariums and (iv) farm visitor attractions before the decision was made to legally close such visitor attractions due to the covid-19 outbreak on 1 June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	55031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2020 answer text <p>The Secretary of State holds discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. Officials meet weekly with the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to provide updates on the reopening position, including meeting them on 31 May, along with representatives of the larger charitable zoos, to discuss the Government’s decision to add zoos, safari parks and aquariums to Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020, which came into force on 1 June.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/06/2020 13:54:20 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard