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426372

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2015
	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	Pollinators
	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 she has made of the effectiveness of the National Pollinator Strategy since its publication in November 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	902034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2015 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We have established a programme of research to accurately assess our effectiveness, including a national framework for monitoring of pollinators. Over half of mid–tier applications to Countryside Stewardship contain the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package. Monitoring and evaluation of the scheme makes provisions for assessing the impact on pollinators. The Implementation Plan sets out details on progress with the Strategy and will be published shortly.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We have established a programme of research to accurately assess the effectiveness of our pollinator strategy. Over half of mid-tier applications to the new Countryside Stewardship scheme contain the Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package.</ins></p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 05/11/2015 16:57:06 question first ministerially corrected 05/11/2015 18:03:06 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice previous answer version 27965 answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1195535

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2020
	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	Wildlife: Smuggling
	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 reports he has received on the increase in (a) the international trade in tigers and tiger body parts and (b) captive breeding of wild animals; and what steps he is taking to ban trophy imports to the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	46605
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which places strict controls on international trade in tigers. We are aware of concerns raised in relation to the illegal trade in tigers and tiger farms and remain fully committed to working with our international partners, including through CITES, to ensure strong protection is in place and to bring an end to the illegal trade in wildlife.</p><p> </p><p>A consultation on controls on the import and export of hunting trophies to and from the UK was undertaken between 2 November 2019 and 25 February 2020. The outcome of the consultation, and the accompanying call for evidence, will inform our next steps and we are continuing to work on this important area.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 21/05/2020 15:21:47 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

521186

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2016
	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: Smuggling
	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 status is of the draft Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations; and when those regulations are expected to be adopted into UK law.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	38171
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/05/2016 answer text <p>Following consultation on proposals to update and consolidate the existing legislation on the control of trade in endangered species last year, work to finalise a new regulation is nearing completion. The aim remains for the new regulation to come into force as soon as possible, in the second half of this year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 31/05/2016 10:16:57 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

797469

	registered interest
	date	29/11/2017
	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: Smuggling
	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 steps his Department has taken to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	116432
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/12/2017 answer text <p>Combatting the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a priority for the UK government. This is why we are investing £26 million globally, and working with international partners, to tackle the systemic issues driving IWT. This includes funding initiatives directly and through Defra’s IWT Challenge Fund to reduce demand, strengthen enforcement, ensure effective legal frameworks and develop sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by IWT.</p><p> </p><p>The UK government is committed to taking action as part of global efforts to assure the future of elephants. That is why we are currently consulting on proposals to ban all UK sales of ivory which contribute directly or indirectly to the poaching of elephants.</p><p> </p><p>Following the success of the inaugural international conference on IWT in London in 2014, and subsequent successful conferences in Kasane in 2015 and Hanoi in 2016, the UK will bring global leaders back to London in October 2018 for a fourth high-level international meeting. This meeting will ensure that IWT stays at the top of the political agenda and that all participants deliver on the commitments they have made.</p> answering member constituency Suffolk Coastal answering member printed Dr Thérèse Coffey question first answered 06/12/2017 09:54:51 answering member 4098 label Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1543989

	registered interest
	date	21/11/2022
	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	Water Companies: Fines
	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 merits of investing fines given to water companies in improving waterways.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	92161
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2022 answer text <p>On Wednesday 30<sup>th</sup> November we announced we will be channelling money from water company fines into schemes to improve the environment. The announcement is available on gov.uk at the webpage here:</p><p><a href="https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fnews%2Fwater-company-fines-to-be-channelled-into-environmental-improvements&amp;data=05%7C01%7Cpqteam%40defra.gov.uk%7Cbb732ac0ff064d7bcdde08dad4589cca%7C770a245002274c6290c74e38537f1102%7C0%7C0%7C638055774291251696%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=QaXsypjvfkUp%2FptNp7wOf3nuDszZXl856CCXopBg9Z4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/water-company-fines-to-be-channelled-into-environmental-improvements</a></p><p> </p><p>Under our new plans, money from fines handed out to water companies that pollute our rivers and seas will be re-invested in schemes that benefit our natural environment.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2015, the Environment Agency has concluded 56 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies securing fines of over £141 million.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 08/12/2022 14:54:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1173858

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2020
	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	Waste Disposal: 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, what steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) organised waste crime and (b) fly-tipping.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	8995
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>Waste crime damages the environment, is a blight on local communities and the Government is committed to tackling this criminal activity. We have given the Environment Agency (EA) an extra £60 million to tackle waste crime since 2014 and have also made a range of legislative changes. In addition, the Resource and Waste Strategy sets out an ambitious package of further reforms to modernise the way waste is regulated, clamping down on illegal operators and improving performance across the sector. Some of these commitments are being taken forward in the Environment Bill, including measures to further strengthen EA powers when dealing with criminal operators.</p><p> </p><p>The new Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), a taskforce dedicated to tackling serious and organised criminality in the waste sector was launched last month. The JUWC will tackle criminal activity including the large-scale illegal dumping, or false labelling of waste so it can be exported abroad to unsuspecting countries. It brings together the EA, the National Crime Agency, the police, HMRC, Natural Resources Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in a concerted UK-wide effort to share intelligence and resources to tackle crime which costs the economy at least £600 million every year.</p><p> </p><p>Fly-tipping is unacceptable whether it occurs on public or private land and tackling this crime is a priority for the Government. In recent years we have bolstered local authorities’ powers to tackle fly-tipping. As well as enhanced powers to search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, we have given them the power to issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) of up to £400 for fly-tipping offences, including to those caught fly-tipping and householders who pass their waste to a fly-tipper. FPNs provide local authorities with an efficient mechanism to hold fly-tipping perpetrators to account without having to go to court, which can be a time consuming, resource-intensive and expensive process.</p><p> </p><p>If a prosecution is taken, then a fly-tipper can receive a fine of up to £50,000, or 12 months imprisonment if convicted in a Magistrates' Court. The offence can attract an unlimited fine and up to 5 years imprisonment if convicted in a Crown Court. Defra has worked with the Sentencing Council to amend sentencing guidance for magistrates to ensure that they are aware of local fixed penalty levels for these offences, but will continue this work to help to secure tougher penalties in line with our manifesto commitment.</p><p> </p><p>We have also committed to the development of a fly-tipping toolkit, hosted by the National Fly Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG). This will be a web-based tool to help local authorities and others work in partnership to tackle fly-tipping. It will cover, for example, the use of new technology to report fly-tipping, sharing of intelligence within and between partnerships, dealing with unauthorised encampments and promoting the duty of care to individuals and businesses. The Government is also consulting at the moment about strengthening police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments. The NFTPG has also published a Fly-tipping Partnership Framework outlining best practice for the prevention, reporting, investigation and clearance of fly-tipping and a series of fly-tipping prevention guides for householders, businesses and landowners.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 04/02/2020 17:23:33 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1673198

	registered interest
	date	27/11/2023
	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	Veterinary Medicine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to (a) publish the results of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations consultation and (b) introduce revised regulations.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	3772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>Veterinary medicines play a vital role in protecting our animals’ health and welfare. Defra is updating the Veterinary Medicines Regulations in respect of Great Britain, to ensure the Regulations continue to be fit for purpose, and we consulted on these changes earlier this year. We are finalising the response to the consultation, where we will set out the changes we are taking forward. We are aware that there is significant interest in our proposed changes and we are taking our time to make sure we get it right. We will then seek to introduce the revised Regulations as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency Sherwood answering member printed Mark Spencer grouped question UIN 3960 question first answered 04/12/2023 17:09:11 answering member 4055 label Biography information for Sir Mark Spencer
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

423813

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2015
	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
	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 trees the Government plans to plant during the current Parliament; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	13489
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2015 answer text <p>A total of £31m per year of new Rural Development Programme funding will be spent on forestry, with £13m being spent on woodland management and £18m on new planting. By investing in woodlands, Countryside Stewardship will help us fulfil the Government’s manifesto commitment to plant another 11 million trees by supporting the creation of around 24,711 acres of new woodland.</p><p>I will keep the House updated on our progress.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 02/11/2015 09:51:15 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

1379531

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2021
	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	Trapping
	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 effectiveness of snare traps; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	76640
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>While some people consider snares to be an inhumane and unnecessary means of trapping wild animals, others maintain they are an essential tool in controlling foxes and rabbits.</p><p> </p><p>There is a code of practice for the use of snares to control foxes in England which sets out clear principles for the legal and humane use of snares, using evidence from snare-use research to improve their deployment and design. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 also prohibits the use of self-locking snares and the setting of any type of snare in places where they are likely to catch certain non-target animals such as badgers. It also requires snares to be inspected on a daily basis.</p><p> </p><p>However, when used improperly, snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals including pet cats and dogs. The use of snares is therefore an issue we are looking at closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.</p><p> </p><p>Through the Government’s Animal Action for Welfare Plan, published in May of this year, we are looking at whether changes need to be made to reflect concerns raised.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 10/12/2021 14:52:44 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

480634

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2016
	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	Trapping
	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 she has made of the effect on animal welfare of the use of glue traps.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	31762
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2016 answer text <p>The Animal Welfare Act 2006 provides protection for animals caught in traps. All traps, including glue traps, must be inspected at regular intervals and trapped animals dealt with appropriately to ensure they do not suffer unnecessarily.</p> answering member constituency Camborne and Redruth answering member printed George Eustice question first answered 23/03/2016 11:07:48 answering member 3934 label Biography information for George Eustice
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith