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1178361

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2020
	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	Pet Travel Scheme
	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 enforcement of the Pet Travel Scheme in 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	1863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the welfare of animals seriously, and that is why we have committed to cracking down on the abhorrent trade of puppy smuggling. We are currently considering the most effective approach to achieve this.</p><p> </p><p>All pet animals entering Great Britain on approved routes under the EU Pet Travel Scheme undergo documentary and identity checks. The checks are performed by ferry, train or airline carriers or agents acting on their behalf. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) undertakes random checks of the pet animals travelling to ensure the carriers are performing checks to the required standard. The APHA also carries out quality assurance checks to ensure that the standard of performance of the carrier and approved checker is maintained.</p><p> </p><p>The APHA continues to work collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel Scheme, disrupt illegal imports and seize non-compliant animals. The numbers of dogs quarantined after being illegally landed in Great Britain between 2016 and 2018 stands at 1,344. This includes those that were imported under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, as well as those imported commercially under the Balai Directive.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 24/02/2020 12:00:49 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1178362

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2020
	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	Dogs: Tagging
	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 effect of the prevalence pet microchip databases on dog owners.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	1864
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2020 answer text <p>Under The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015 all microchip databases are required to meet strict requirements, including having their records linked to each other to enable anyone searching for a microchip entry to know to which database it is registered. Any database found not to be complying with the 2015 Regulation faces a fine of up to £2,500 and having their ability to operate as a microchip database removed. There are currently thirteen compliant databases.</p><p> </p><p>The 2015 Regulations are currently subject to a Post Implementation Review. As part of the review we will look at what effect the prevalence of microchip databases is having on dog owners.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 26/02/2020 16:09:57 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1193073

	registered interest
	date	05/05/2020
	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	Angling: 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, with reference to the covid-19 outbreak, what steps his Department is taking to enable the early resumption of angling.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	43589
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>Every citizen must stay alert to protect the NHS and save lives. From Wednesday 13 May, angling can resume in England, as long as participants are with their household or on their own and follow social distancing guidance.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 12/05/2020 10:55:16 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1196761

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2020
	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	Trees: Railways
	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 English Tree Strategy consultation, what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials from the Department of Transport on trees along railway lines.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	48264
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2020 answer text <p>Defra has been working closely with other departments, including the Department for Transport (DfT), to develop the England Tree Strategy consultation.</p><p> </p><p>The consultation will consider the role that all trees and woodland can play in delivering the 25 Year Environment Plan. In this way it echoes and aligns with DfT’s work to establish a clear position with Network Rail on the role of rail infrastructure in supporting the delivery of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Network Rail is responsible for 20,000km of track and around 6.3 million trees with the potential to support biodiversity around the country. DfT has therefore asked Network Rail to achieve no net loss in biodiversity on its existing lineside estate by 2024 and to achieve biodiversity net gain on each route by 2040.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 27/05/2020 15:30:51 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1201466

	registered interest
	date	08/06/2020
	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	Food: Public Sector
	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 his Department's Food is GREAT campaign, what discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that (a) Government departments and (b) other public bodies prioritise British produce in their purchases.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	55856
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>Defra is having conversations across Government with regard to food procurement policy, and how we can highlight the importance of buying domestic food. We will build on this engagement and review how the public sector, including hospitals, schools and prisons, can benefit from sourcing British produce. At the end of the Transition Period, there will be further scope to prioritise British produce in the public sector.</p><p>The UK's growing reputation for quality food and drink, with high standards of food safety, animal welfare and sustainability is an excellent platform to increase demand for our products still further. Defra's Food is GREAT campaign leverages this growing reputation and helps businesses to succeed in overseas markets by ensuring global recognition of UK excellence in food and drink, whilst encouraging our food and drink companies to export more.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/06/2020 16:02:39 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1201745

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2020
	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	Droughts
	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 level of risk of a hose-pipe ban in summer 2020; and what his policy is on new reservoir provision.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	57081
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has a range of policies in place to mitigate the impacts of drought:</p><p> </p><ul><li>The Environment Agency, which has responsibility for managing water resources and protecting the environment, chairs the National Drought Group (NDG). The NDG consists of representatives from regulators such as Public Health England (PHE), the agricultural sector and water companies. This group ensures that all sectors work together and take action to manage any impacts of dry weather and drought.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Water companies have the legal duty to supply adequate quantities of wholesome water. To fulfil their duties, water companies maintain statutory drought plans, which set out the short-term actions they will take should a drought develop. Water companies’ drought plans are published on their websites.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to a ‘twin track approach’ of managing water demand, including leakage reduction, and increasing supply, including the development of reservoirs.</p><p> </p><p>Water companies have the statutory duty to develop and maintain efficient and economical systems of water service provision which will provide security of supply for customers. Statutory water resources management plans show how companies will meet this duty and manage water supply and demand for at least the next 25 years.</p><p> </p><p>The National Framework for water resources brings together industry, regulators and Government to improve water company planning of water supplies. This includes investigating and developing new supplies such as reservoirs, supported by a £469 million fund for the development of strategic supplies.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 17/06/2020 11:05:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1201990

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2020
	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	Fisheries
	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 is his Department is taking with its international counterparts to prevent over-fishing in the world's oceans by distant water fishing fleets.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	57087
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK is taking firm action on this issue alongside our international counterparts across a wide range of fronts. These include, but are not limited to, playing a leading role in the global fight to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and engaging proactively in the work of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations to ensure more sustainable management of high seas fisheries. We are also advocating for the elimination of incentives and subsidies for fisheries that are detrimental to the conservation of marine biodiversity in the current negotiations at the World Trade Organisation and in the context of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 16/06/2020 14:52:18 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1203899

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2020
	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	Poultry: 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, what the value was of imported chicken to the UK in 2019; and what the top five countries were for imported chicken to this country in that year.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	59371
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>According to the latest HMRC Overseas Trade Statistics, UK imports of chicken in 2019 were worth £1.1 billion.</p><p> </p><p>The top five countries importing chicken into the UK in 2019 were as follows:</p><p> </p><ol><li>Netherlands £470 million</li><li>Poland £250 million</li><li>Germany £80 million</li><li>Irish Republic £80 million</li><li>Belgium £50 million</li></ol> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 18/06/2020 16:39:56 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1237507

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2020
	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	Coronavirus: Laboratories
	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 laboratory capacity his Department and it's Agencies have provided to NHS Test and Trace.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	94999
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2020 answer text <p>Defra’s agencies have significant laboratory capacity and expertise that have been repurposed and provided to NHS Test and Trace.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) temporarily supplied staff and equipment to the Lighthouse laboratories and has a contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to test up to 2000 samples per day. APHA also has a contractually based involvement in a research project called <em>Safe &amp; Certain</em> (DHSC-funded project), coordinated by University of Southampton, which involves direct testing on saliva samples. APHA participated in Phase 1 of the project (July/August 2020) and is now embarking on Phase 2 involving testing of up to 60,000 samples over the next month.</p><p> </p><p>The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Science (Cefas) provided four key pieces of Polymerase Chain Reaction testing equipment to the UK’s mass diagnostics facility in Northern Ireland, and personal protective equipment to NHS facilities in the Dorset region. Cefas has registered details of its remaining capacity through DHSC’s online portal.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency has been working with core Defra and the Joint Biosecurity Centre to trial the use of waste water testing for Covid-19 RNA, to help identify increases in Covid-19 prevalence at population level and help target testing capacity.</p><p>Fera Science Ltd provided critical testing equipment to the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 29/09/2020 11:23:53 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1247221

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2020
	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	Poultry: 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 comparative assessment his Department has made of the welfare standards for the production of chicken in (a) Poland, (b) the Netherlands and (c) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Warley
	tabling member printed	John Spellar
	uin	109156
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>As members of the European Union, Poland and the Netherlands will need to comply with the European regulations concerning animal welfare standards, including Council Directive 2007/43/EC which lays down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production. As we leave the EU, we are committed to maintaining our position as one of the world leaders in animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 09/11/2020 16:04:36 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar