Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1401786

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2022
	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 Act 2020
	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 progress he has made on delivering public payments for public goods since the passing of the Agriculture Act 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	101705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/01/2022 answer text <p>We are working in partnership with farmers to design our three future schemes that reward farmers and land managers for producing public goods: The Sustainable Farming Incentive; Local Nature Recovery; and Landscape Recovery.</p><p> </p><p>The Sustainable Farming Incentive will pay farmers for actions they take, going beyond regulatory requirements, to manage their land in an environmentally sustainable way. In 2021 we launched the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot and received over 900 applications. The first agreements have started and will run until 2024. In 2022 we will start to roll-out the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme and intend to expand the scheme over the next 3 years. In December 2021 we published information on the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme - including indicative standards and payment rates. We are also continuing to develop the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway in partnership with farmers and experts, including surveying 300 farms to understand where animal welfare can be improved on farm. In 2022 we will start to roll-out core elements of the pathway and will launch the Annual Health and Welfare Review.</p><p> </p><p>The Local Nature Recovery scheme will pay for actions that support local nature recovery and deliver local environmental priorities; making sure the right things are delivered in the right places. We are currently developing the scheme and plan to make an early version of the scheme available to a limited number of people in 2023 as part of our plans for testing and rolling out the scheme. We will then roll out the scheme across the whole country by the end of 2024.</p><p> </p><p>Landscape Recovery will support the delivery of landscape and ecosystem recovery through long-term, large-scale projects, including projects to restore wilder landscapes in places where that's appropriate, large-scale tree planting and peatland restoration projects. We will pilot Landscape Recovery between 2022-24 through initiating at least 10 large-scale projects.</p><p> </p><p>We recently published a summary of what we’re learning from our programme of test and trials, where more than 3,000 people are leading projects to test ideas and are being used to develop the schemes.</p><p> </p><p>We have also launched the Farming Innovation Pathways competition for research and development within UK Research and Innovation’s Transforming Food Production programme to develop farm-focused innovations. We increased funding for the programme to £14.5 million due to high demand and quality research projects across farming sectors; projects started from October 2021.</p><p> </p><p>We have in addition:</p><ul><li>Launched the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme of grants.</li><li>Launched the Farming Investment Fund helping farmers invest in technology.</li><li>Begun offering free business planning advice to potentially 10,000 farmers through 19 bodies.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Throughout this time, we have been at the agricultural shows, taking part in Q&amp;A sessions with farmers, and engaging through our regular engagement groups as part of our ongoing dialogue with farmers and other interested parties.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 24/01/2022 15:53:17 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1419031

	registered interest
	date	02/02/2022
	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	Competition and Trade: Regulation
	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 taken steps to review the corpus of retained EU law and other UK regulations for the purposes of (a) identifying potential negative impact on (i) trade and (ii) competition and (b) prioritising for change those for which a potential negative impact is identified; what estimate he has made of the time it will take to complete such a review; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to implement changes identified.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	116911
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2022 answer text <p>The Prime Minister announced on 31 January that the Government is taking steps to ensure that any retained EU law on the UK statute book meets the UK’s priorities for unlocking growth and is tailored to the needs of the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is fully engaged with the Government’s work to amend, replace or repeal all the retained EU law that is not right for the UK. Defra has an important role to play in that process.</p><p> </p><p>Along with other Government departments and the Brexit Opportunities Unit, we are currently taking stock of our retained EU law. We will then publish information on retained EU law, in line with the Government commitment.</p><p> </p><p>This work is planned to support the development of the ‘Brexit Freedoms’ Bill, also announced on 31 January. This bill will mean that retained EU law can be more easily amended or removed.</p><p> </p><p>My department is committed to making the most of our new-found freedoms outside the EU in Defra policy areas. An effective, ambitious programme of regulatory reform is critical to making that happen.</p><p> </p><p>Where suitable and necessary we are prioritising this reform and our legislative plans to deliver this will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 10/02/2022 17:50:38 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1457475

	registered interest
	date	14/04/2022
	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	Paraquat: Parkinson's Disease
	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 the Government has made of the potential role played by paraquat in the cause of Parkinson’s Disease.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	153918
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain if the product has been authorised by our expert regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), following a thorough risk assessment</p><p><br> It has been illegal to sell or use paraquat in the UK since 2007. HSE has therefore not carried out a recent risk assessment.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is aware that several studies have been undertaken investigating associations between exposure to paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. HSE is not aware that a causal link has been demonstrated.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 153919 question first answered 26/04/2022 15:15:50 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1457477

	registered interest
	date	14/04/2022
	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	Paraquat: Parkinson's Disease
	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 potential link between developing Parkinson’s disease and the use of the paraquat pesticide; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	153919
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain if the product has been authorised by our expert regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), following a thorough risk assessment</p><p><br> It has been illegal to sell or use paraquat in the UK since 2007. HSE has therefore not carried out a recent risk assessment.</p><p> </p><p>HSE is aware that several studies have been undertaken investigating associations between exposure to paraquat and Parkinson’s disease. HSE is not aware that a causal link has been demonstrated.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis grouped question UIN 153918 question first answered 26/04/2022 15:15:50 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1138807

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2019
	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	Bovine Tuberculosis: 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 he is taking to help farmers tackle the spread of bovine TB.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	277178
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/07/2019 answer text <p>We are pursuing a wide range of interventions as part of the Government’s strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England by 2038, including strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, licensing badger control, and promoting biosecurity on farms to help farmers prevent the spread of Bovine TB. Sir Charles Godfray’s independent review (published in November 2018) is an important contribution that will inform next steps in the strategy.</p><p> </p><p>In my Written Ministerial Statement of 20 June 2019, I announced plans to reinforce TB testing in the High Risk Area, invited applications for a third round of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme and confirmed the licensing and authorisation by Natural England of three supplementary badger control areas for 2019.</p><p> </p><p>Our partnerships with other organisations have enabled the development of toolkits that support farmers to understand their role in the prevention and eradication of the disease, including the TB Hub, the iBTB website and the TB Advisory Service.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 18/07/2019 13:12:16 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1220932

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	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	Wildlife: Licensing
	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 is taking steps to implement the conclusions of the paper entitled, Wildlife Licencing in England: Chaos, Crisis and Cure, published by the Countryside Alliance, National Gamekeepers’ Association and the Moorland Association on 29 May 2020; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	69528
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The paper calls for a feasibility study into Defra taking back control of individual licensing from Natural England (NE).</p><p> </p><p>Last spring, following a legal challenge by Wild Justice which led NE to revoke three general licences for the lethal control of wild birds, the then Secretary of State decided to take responsibility for granting the relevant general licences under s16(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. He considered it appropriate to take over this function, recognising the scale of interest and concern that had been generated by the decision to revoke. Defra issued new interim general licences on 14 June 2019, and launched a review to inform longer-term licensing arrangements. At the time, wild bird control on and near European sites and lethal control of gulls had to be excluded from those interim licences, and has been regulated since then via individual licence by NE.</p><p> </p><p>I appreciate the frustrations expressed in the report regarding individual licensing, and the Secretary of State is working closely with NE to ensure that these issues are resolved as quickly as possible. NE has received a very high number of applications for control of the two gull species and for control of other species on protected sites. NE has invested in its capacity to address the anticipated increase in licence applications. However, the information provided in a significant number (approximately 90%) of applications has not been sufficient to make informed decisions. The process of requesting and processing outstanding information from applicants has added considerably to the timescale needed to determine licence applications. We would expect this number to decrease in future years as applicants become better acquainted with the level of information required, and as wild bird control on European sites is brought back within the general licence following the review.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and NE are committed to achieving a licensing regime for wild birds which is both robust and workable for users. Our review is seeking to achieve this based on extensive evidence review and consultation with stakeholders.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 14/07/2020 14:57:17 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1249191

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2020
	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	Inland Waterways: Standards
	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 is taking under the Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill to improve the health of (a) rivers and (b) other inland waters.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	112040
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill is a Private Members' Bill sponsored by my Rt Hon Friend the Member for Ludlow. The Government is very supportive of the intentions of the Bill. With regard to measures to improve the health of rivers and other inland waters, the Government remains committed to bringing at least three quarters of our waters to as close as possible to their natural state as soon as is practicable. In support of this, we will be bringing forward a further legally binding target as part of the targets setting processes set out in the Environment Bill.</p><p> </p><p>Sewage management by some water companies and diffuse pollution from agriculture are the two biggest sources of pollution affecting England's water environment. Through regulation, enforcement, financial incentives and educational schemes, we are improving poor farming practices which lead to water pollution. Our new Environmental Land Management scheme will be a critical part of that.</p><p> </p><p>With regard to sewage pollution, water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-2025) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.2 billion. However, I recognise that there is more to do. I met water company CEOs in September and made clear that the volumes of sewage discharged into rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced. To achieve this, I have set up a new Taskforce bringing together the Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs. This Taskforce will set out clear proposals to address the volumes of sewage discharged into our rivers. The Taskforce is also exploring further short-term actions water companies can take to accelerate progress on storm overflows.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/11/2020 15:07:30 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1331840

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2021
	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	Air Conditioning and Heating: Trifluoroacetic Acid
	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 tackle the risk to groundwater and drinking water from trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoroacetate resulting from refrigerants used in air-conditioning and in heat pumps.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	13936
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2021 answer text <p>Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is one of a group of thousands of substances collectively called poly- and per-fluorinated substances (PFAS), which are highly persistent in the environment. As a group they are being considered under a risk management options analysis under UK chemical regulation (UK REACH). The Environment Agency (EA) also considers TFA as part of its priority and early warning system for chemicals.</p><p>We are aware of some concerns raised about TFA and trifluoroacetate in relation to the breakdown of certain refrigerants, in particular hydrofluoro-olefins (HFOs). HFOs are used increasingly as replacements for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) due to their much lower Global Warming Potential.</p><p>HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases and their use is being phased down. Defra is reviewing the legislation covering HFCs to ascertain whether we can go further in support of the UK's net zero target. This will include assessing the adequacy of existing leak prevention, detection and repair measures, as well as the possibility of reducing further the use of HFCs.</p><p>The 2018 UN Montreal Protocol Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) report concluded there was minimal risk to human health or the environment from TFA from HFOs used as refrigerants. However, we continue to monitor the latest scientific assessments and will take on board their conclusions, including as part of our review.</p><p>Activities with the potential to impact upon the quality of groundwater are regulated through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (EPR). The EPR provide for ongoing supervision and control by the EA to ensure that groundwater activities are only permitted to operate where the risks to groundwater are well understood and mitigated. The EA does not currently monitor TFA in groundwater.</p><p> </p><p>Refrigerants used in ground source heat pumps are designed and installed to be contained within closed loop systems having no connection to the surrounding environment. Should any evidence show that systems have leaked, the EA has powers to serve notices requiring remediation of any impacted groundwater, surface water or soils.</p><p> </p><p>Drinking water quality is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>The Drinking Water Regulations require that, in order to be considered “wholesome”, drinking water must not contain any substance at a level which would constitute a potential danger to human health.</p><p> </p><p>The topic of PFAS substances is not new. The Drinking Water Inspectorate has provided guidance to water companies since 2009 and this has recently been updated to reflect current knowledge. The guidance requires water companies to ensure these chemicals are adequately considered in their risk assessments. Should the EA find evidence to suggest that the closed loop systems have leaked, it will inform relevant water companies of any potential risk, and the water companies will consider initiating monitoring for the chemicals at any of their works where appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 18/06/2021 12:31:44 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1338810

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2021
	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	Beverage Containers: Deposit Return Schemes
	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 use the introduction of a UK Deposit Return Scheme to create a world-leading system that (a) covers all materials and (b) ensures higher (i) collection and (ii) recycle rates across all materials.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	20384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to introducing a world leading Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. We expect the introduction of a DRS to deter littering of in-scope containers; increase recycling of in-scope containers; provide higher quality recyclate for reprocessors; and influence consumer behaviours with potential knock-on effects to other environmental activities.</p><p>We have now consulted twice on introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the second consultation, including those on scope and materials, with a view to publishing a government response later this year. An impact assessment for the introduction of the scheme will also be published alongside the Government response.</p><p>In developing proposals, the government have considered the inclusion of cartons in the scheme. However, the recent consultation proposed that cartons would not be captured by DRS and instead could be collected through kerbside collections. Cartons could be included in the core list of materials to be collected in the dry recyclable waste streams, and producers could pay for disposal of the packaging through the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime.</p><p>We continue to assess the implications of which materials are included and excluded from the DRS, including any possible confusion this could cause. This includes drawing on evidence and findings from international DRS schemes to inform the final design and scope of a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p>No specific assessment has been made by the Government on material substitution but it is something we will continue to consider in finalising the DRS scope.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 20385 20386 20387 question first answered 30/06/2021 16:45:20 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1338811

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2021
	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	Beverage Containers: Deposit Return Schemes
	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 environmental benefits of including carton packages in the proposed Deposit Return Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	20385
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to introducing a world leading Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers. We expect the introduction of a DRS to deter littering of in-scope containers; increase recycling of in-scope containers; provide higher quality recyclate for reprocessors; and influence consumer behaviours with potential knock-on effects to other environmental activities.</p><p>We have now consulted twice on introducing a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are analysing the responses to the second consultation, including those on scope and materials, with a view to publishing a government response later this year. An impact assessment for the introduction of the scheme will also be published alongside the Government response.</p><p>In developing proposals, the government have considered the inclusion of cartons in the scheme. However, the recent consultation proposed that cartons would not be captured by DRS and instead could be collected through kerbside collections. Cartons could be included in the core list of materials to be collected in the dry recyclable waste streams, and producers could pay for disposal of the packaging through the reformed packaging producer responsibility regime.</p><p>We continue to assess the implications of which materials are included and excluded from the DRS, including any possible confusion this could cause. This includes drawing on evidence and findings from international DRS schemes to inform the final design and scope of a DRS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.</p><p>No specific assessment has been made by the Government on material substitution but it is something we will continue to consider in finalising the DRS scope.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 20384 20386 20387 question first answered 30/06/2021 16:45:20 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker