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1702295

registered interest
date	18/04/2024
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	Agriculture: Solar Power
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 plans to introduce a national monitoring system to track agricultural land being developed for ground mounted solar.
tabling member constituency	Rutland and Melton
tabling member printed	Alicia Kearns
uin	22659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>As the Prime Minister said at PMQs last week, we must protect our nation’s food security and therefore our most valuable agricultural land.</p><p> </p><p>As per planning policy, local planning authorities should consider all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, when making plans or taking decisions on new development proposals. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality. Planning Practice Guidance also sets out a preference for the use of lower quality agricultural land.</p><p> </p><p>I agree that monitoring of the impacts of solar on agricultural land is important and am in discussions with my counterparts in DLUHC and DESNZ.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/05/2024 15:46:20 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4805 label Biography information for Alicia Kearns

1713197

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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: North of England
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 work with metro mayors on delivering the White Rose forest objectives.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	23247
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, working in partnership with local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities to increase woodland across the region and improve our natural environment. To deliver the objectives of our Community Forests and Woodland Creation Partnerships Defra works with a wide range of stakeholders in local government, the NGO sector and beyond.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 01/05/2024 15:26:46 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1713859

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
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	Plastics: Treaties
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 is participating in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa that began on 23 April 2024.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	23677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>The Department participated in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa. Officials from Defra attended the fourth session of negotiations to develop a global plastics pollution treaty, and I attended the high-level segment hosted by Canada ahead of the start of formal negotiations. The UK’s negotiating mandate covers the relevant policy from across Government departments and we continue to strongly support the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders, including UK businesses, at all stages of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK remains committed to securing an ambitious treaty by the end of 2024 that includes measures to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic. We continue to work closely with other member states and stakeholders at, and beyond, the fourth session of the INC to advance negotiations and pave the way for a historic agreement.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 30/04/2024 16:03:14 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1713178

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Forests: Conservation
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 bring the majority of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites into restoration by 2030.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	23179
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The Keepers of Time policy, updated in 2021, sets out our principles and objectives to protect and improve ancient and native woodland and trees for future generations. Restoring ancient woodlands that are ecologically degraded is a high priority for the Government. This includes restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites by gradually transforming stands from non-native planted species to native species.</p><p> </p><p>We provide support and incentives through Countryside Stewardship and the HS2 Woodland Fund to restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS). We are currently considering how best to support and incentivise PAWS restoration in future environmental land management schemes while making sure they continue to provide owners with income. We support Forestry England to manage ancient woodland sites across the nation’s forests to improve their ecological value and ultimately restore all plantations on ancient woodland sites to resilient native woodland.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 29/04/2024 12:43:47 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1713179

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Forests: Non-native Species
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 plantations on ancient woodland sites have had licences granted for clearfell and replanting with non-native trees in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	23180
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The Forestry Commission is the regulator for the legal felling of trees in England under the provisions in the Forestry Act. Most felling licences issued require felled trees or areas of woodland to be replaced by replanting or allowed to regenerate. The exception to this is a thinning licence, where sufficient woodland cover is retained so as not to require restocking.</p><p> </p><p>When considering a felling licence application the Forestry Commission will judge the proposals against the UK Forestry Standard, the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. This is available on GOV.UK at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-forestry-standard" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-forestry-standard</a>. This standard encompasses the impacts on biodiversity and recognises the importance of priority habitats and species. This is why a felling licence also includes advice and guidance on additional issues a landowner needs to take into account.</p><p> </p><p>The restocking conditions in a felling licence are put in place to help meet the aims of the management of the site through good silvicultural practice. While the Forestry Commission does advise on a suitable species mix there are no provisions in the Forestry Act to mandate the source of trees and whether they are native or non-native.</p><p> </p><p>The guide to Managing England’s woodlands in a climate emergency, advises to manage ancient woodlands in a manner which conserves important biodiversity and heritage features. Greater diversification of species and origin of stands is advised, with a focus on southerly provenances of native species. Due to the unknown nature of acceleration of climate change, management intervention may need to be more frequent in order to preserve these rare habitats effectively. This is available on GOV.UK at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-englands-woodlands-in-a-climate-emergency" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-englands-woodlands-in-a-climate-emergency</a>.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 29/04/2024 12:41:23 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1702523

registered interest
date	19/04/2024
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	Darwin Plus: 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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2024 to Question 21017 on Darwin Plus, if he will provide a breakdown of Darwin Plus fund projects funded since 2019.
tabling member constituency	Suffolk Coastal
tabling member printed	Dr Thérèse Coffey
uin	22727
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2024 answer text <p>Pursuant to the Answer of 18 April to Question 21017, a summary of Darwin Plus projects funded since 2019, broken down by Territory, can be found below. These figures include the latest awards from Rounds 12 of Darwin Plus Main and Fellowships, Round 1 of Darwin Plus Strategic, and Round 3 of Darwin Plus Local.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Overseas Territory</p></td><td><p>Grant Funding from 2019 - 2024</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Anguilla</p></td><td><p>£4,818,639.72</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bermuda</p></td><td><p>£961,876.60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British Antarctic Territory</p></td><td><p>£1,368,375.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British Indian Ocean Territory</p></td><td><p>£1,695,969.14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>British Virgin Islands</p></td><td><p>£4,652,346.29</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cayman Islands</p></td><td><p>£4,152,086.03</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Falkland Islands</p></td><td><p>£3,789,195.36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Gibraltar</p></td><td><p>£319,343.10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Montserrat</p></td><td><p>£2,842,585.69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pitcairn, Henderson, Oeno and Ducie Islands</p></td><td><p>£423,105.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>St Helena, Ascension and Tristan Da Cunha</p></td><td><p>£6,486,241.84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands</p></td><td><p>£5,278,964.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sovereign Base Area of Akrotiri and Dhekelia</p></td><td><p>£1,883,252.50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Turks and Caicos Islands</p></td><td><p>£4,120,137.14</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 26/04/2024 11:30:49 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey

1700428

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of bringing forward (a) legislative proposals to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and (b) other legislative proposals to reclassify catapults as illegal weapons when used to harm wildlife.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	21315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously, including those involving the use of catapults. The Government has no current plans though to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>While the Act does not include catapults in the list of weapons that a person must not use to kill an animal, it is still illegal under this Act to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species. There are a range of offences around deliberate attempts to kill, injure or inflict harm on wildlife under provisions not just in this Act, but also in the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 25/04/2024 09:34:19 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne

1701722

registered interest
date	17/04/2024
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	Swifts: Conservation
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 adequacy of the conservation status of the swift.
tabling member constituency	Camborne and Redruth
tabling member printed	George Eustice
uin	22288
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The UK swift population is estimated at 59,000 pairs (2016) Swift population trends are monitored annually by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which recorded a decline of 62% between 1995 and 2021, and of 40% between 2011 and 2021. Due to the declines recorded by BBS, swifts were added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK in 2021 and are considered ‘Endangered’ at GB level.</p><p>Natural England is currently undertaking a review of the conservation interventions needed to support the recovery of over 100 of our most threatened bird species, including the swift.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 24/04/2024 14:54:10 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	3934 label Biography information for George Eustice

1700361

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Wildlife: Crime
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 have discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on (a) increasing penalties for wildlife crime, (b) widening the range of wildlife crimes which receive notifiable status and (c) incorporating wildlife crime into the Policing Education Qualification Framework.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	21248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously. In 2022 Defra more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from a total of £495,000 over the three previous years to £1.2 million for the three-year period of 2022-25.</p><p> </p><p>Significant sanctions are already available to judges to hand down to those convicted of wildlife crimes - up to an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence. Furthermore, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty – including acts against wildlife - by increasing the maximum penalty for this offence to five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Sentencing those convicted of wildlife crimes is, however, a matter for judges; these decisions are rightly taken independently of Government.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has actively supported stakeholders in making representations to the Home Office regarding the issue of making wildlife crimes notifiable. However, regardless of notifiable status, when it comes to responding to the most prevalent wildlife crimes, Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.</p><p> </p><p>Wildlife crime is not mandated as authorised professional practice and therefore is not a training requirement via the College of Policing. However, the NWCU (funded to a large degree by Defra) currently provides training to police officers across the UK. This training reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in UK wildlife crime priorities and emerging trends. Since November 2022 the NWCU has trained 890 officers and is in the process of building a comprehensive digital training platform for wildlife crime which police officers and police staff will be able to access nationwide. Additionally, the NWCU provides a digital information hub for almost 1000 police staff, with up-to-date guidance on investigating wildlife crime.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 21038 question first answered 24/04/2024 14:49:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne

1700287

registered interest
date	12/04/2024
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	Wildlife: Crime
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 (a) classifying wildlife crimes as either-way offences with a maximum sentence of up to five years imprisonment, (b) giving wildlife crime notifiable status and (c) incorporating wildlife crime into the Policing Education Qualification Framework.
tabling member constituency	Wansbeck
tabling member printed	Ian Lavery
uin	21038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously. In 2022 Defra more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from a total of £495,000 over the three previous years to £1.2 million for the three-year period of 2022-25.</p><p> </p><p>Significant sanctions are already available to judges to hand down to those convicted of wildlife crimes - up to an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence. Furthermore, the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty – including acts against wildlife - by increasing the maximum penalty for this offence to five years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Sentencing those convicted of wildlife crimes is, however, a matter for judges; these decisions are rightly taken independently of Government.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has actively supported stakeholders in making representations to the Home Office regarding the issue of making wildlife crimes notifiable. However, regardless of notifiable status, when it comes to responding to the most prevalent wildlife crimes, Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.</p><p> </p><p>Wildlife crime is not mandated as authorised professional practice and therefore is not a training requirement via the College of Policing. However, the NWCU (funded to a large degree by Defra) currently provides training to police officers across the UK. This training reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in UK wildlife crime priorities and emerging trends. Since November 2022 the NWCU has trained 890 officers and is in the process of building a comprehensive digital training platform for wildlife crime which police officers and police staff will be able to access nationwide. Additionally, the NWCU provides a digital information hub for almost 1000 police staff, with up-to-date guidance on investigating wildlife crime.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 21248 question first answered 24/04/2024 14:49:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4139 label Biography information for Ian Lavery