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1462702

registered interest
date	12/05/2022
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	Farms: Inspections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many extra inspections, prosecutions and convictions have been conducted under the Farming Rules for Water, and other matters, since the appointment of 50 extra Environment Agency Inspectors, comparing the period before and after their appointment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2022 answer text <p>Recruiting 50 new Agricultural Regulatory Inspections Officers has allowed the Environment Agency (EA) to significantly increase its inspections from around 300 per annum to 1805 in financial year 2021-22.</p><p>From April 2021 to date the EA has issued 3186 environmental improvement actions to farmers to bring them into compliance with regulations and prevent pollution. The EA has verified that 871 of these actions have been completed and it will continue to follow up the others to conclusion. Some actions on farms, such as building a new slurry store, take more time to complete due to raising finance, planning considerations and availability of contractors.</p><p>The new officers have not taken any prosecutions yet and have not applied any Civil Sanctions to Farming Rules for Water Offences. Except in cases of significant pollution, the EA starts the regulatory journey with advice, following up with more formal enforcement if that advice is not acted on.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 27/05/2022 10:34:07 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1462703

registered interest
date	12/05/2022
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: Environmental Impact Assessment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been made under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) in each year since the enactment of the regulation; how many breaches of the regulations have been identified and prosecuted; and what assessment has been made of the area of land where changes have been made to land use without permission.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>Screening applications received 2006–2021 = 3227</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Applications Received</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2006</p></td><td><p>133</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007</p></td><td><p>132</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>101</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>87</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>203</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>271</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>301</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>324</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>365</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>347</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>300</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>193</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>168</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>116</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>111</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Screening applications rejected 2006–2021 = 251</p><p>Screening applications withdrawn 2006–2021 = 77</p><p>Screening application decisions issued 2006-2021 = 2899</p><p> </p><p>Consent applications received 2006–2021 = 13</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Consent Applications</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Breaches of the regulations 2006–2021 = 63</p><p>During the period 2006–2021 in total there were 63 enforcement cases, covering over 362 hectares of land. Natural England (NE) has issued 17 restoration notices and accepted 32 voluntary enforcement undertakings to remediate and make good the environmental damage caused to over 270 hectares of land by breach of the Regulations. Warning letters highlighting technical or minor breaches, when serving civil sanctions would be disproportionate, were issued to offenders for breaches to raise awareness of the legislation and achieve future compliance.</p><p>Two prosecutions relating to breaches of the regulations have been successfully brought:</p><ul><li>Devon (June 2021) – relating to damage to Mesolithic and Neolithic historic environment features. The land manager was successfully prosecuted for failing to comply with a Stop Notice requiring the cessation of damaging works and was fined £7,500 and costs of £24,000.</li></ul><ul><li>Cumbria (March 2014) - relating to damage to semi-natural lowland grassland. The landowner was successfully prosecuted for failing to comply with remediation notice to remove artificial drainage pipes and was fined £2,500 and costs of £10,000 plus £250 victim surcharge.</li></ul><p>No assessment has been made, by NE, of the area of land where changes have been made to land use without permission.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 06/06/2022 13:06:09 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1462705

registered interest
date	12/05/2022
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: Pollution Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards offering 100 per cent coverage for the Catchment Sensitive Farming programme across all farms in England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2022 answer text <p>The expansion of Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) to 100% coverage of England was agreed in March 2021 to provide advice and support for farmers and land managers to take action for water, air and flood management priorities. Over the past 12 months CSF has expanded to cover priority areas of England (86% coverage) including the recruitment of new Natural England farm advisers, with plans in place to extend CSF coverage to 100% of England by April 2023.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 26/05/2022 16:21:38 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1462706

registered interest
date	12/05/2022
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: Pollution
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government why different advice is being provided for new homes construction in the Wye, Lugg and Usk catchments between Natural Resources Wales and Natural England with regard to nutrient neutrality of foul water.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL191
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2022 answer text <p>In Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) acts as the Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation. Natural England works closely with NRW on environmental issues but it remains NRW's responsibility to provide relevant advice in Wales. Whilst the present advice in England and Wales is tailored to the relevant local circumstances, as appropriate, NRW is currently in the process of updating its advice.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 27/05/2022 10:42:57 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1460202

registered interest
date	25/04/2022
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	Soil
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their Soil Health Action Plan for England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation. <ins class="ministerial">Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 28/04/2022 11:38:03 question first ministerially corrected 28/04/2022 11:44:50 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park previous answer version 67690 answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1460203

registered interest
date	25/04/2022
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	Food: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) adjust dietary guidelines, and (2) act to (a) halt, or (b) reverse, the decline in micronutrients in British vegetable and fruit supplies, as reported in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, published on 15 October 2021.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s advice in the Eatwell Guide provides advice on how to have a healthier and more sustainable diet. It recommends food that is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to shift towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, whilst maintaining people’s freedom of choice, including their diet. We recognise more people are choosing vegan and vegetarian options and we are working to support these sustainable food choices.</p><p> </p><p>We have the ideal climate which together with highly responsive and versatile growers, the use of innovative best practice and new technologies, enables us to grow a huge range of top quality and nutritious fruit and vegetables in this country. We will continue to support our growers to produce more high-quality fruit and vegetables that is both healthy and sustainable and encourage the use of the latest precision breeding technologies which will ensure that our fresh produce is not only nutritious, but beneficial to the environment, more resilient to climate change, and resistant to disease and pests.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve these important UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. These long-term programmes - valued at around £1M per year - have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also developing traits to improve the nutritional quality of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 28/04/2022 10:08:23 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1457019

registered interest
date	07/04/2022
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	Plastics: Packaging
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the discovery of microplastics in the lungs and blood of living people, what plans they have to accelerate the phase-out of single-use plastic packaging and containers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>This government has taken decisive action to tackle plastic pollution. Our plastic packaging tax is driving demand for recycled plastic, whilst our planned deposit return scheme will significantly increase recycling of plastic bottles, and cut littering. On single-use plastics, we have already introduced the carrier bag charge, which has cut single-use plastic bags in large supermarkets by 95%, restricted single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, and banned microbeads in rinse-off personal care products. We recently consulted on going further still, and banning single-use plastic plates and cutlery as well as expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drink containers.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 26/04/2022 12:18:04 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1455631

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
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	Birds of Prey: Poisoning
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take any action regarding the discontinuation of the Dorset Police investigation into the poisoning of a white-tailed eagle in the county; and what steps they plan to take to protect white-tailed eagles and other domestic and wild animals from similar poisoning incidents.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2022 answer text <p>Enforcement of wildlife offences is an operational matter for the police and it is not for the Government to comment on individual police investigations. However, where any protected birds are killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. We have significant sanctions for this type of wildlife crime in place which includes an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence.</p><p>The Government supports the White-Tailed Eagle reintroduction project and hopes this extraordinary bird thrives in England as it has in parts of Scotland.</p><p>The Government takes all wildlife crime seriously. To address concerns about the illegal killing of birds of prey, senior government and enforcement officers have identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. Defra continues to be fully involved with the police-led national Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group and Natural England continues to work closely with wildlife crime officers. Defra has also more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from £165,000 per year to over £1.2 million over the next three years to target wildlife crime priorities including raptor persecution. The NWCU monitors and gathers intelligence on wildlife crime and aids police forces in their investigations when required.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 12/04/2022 12:36:05 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453808

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of agricultural land.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7252
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>There is no formal Government assessment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural land in England. The Environment Agency has undertaken some analysis of PFAS in soils as part of a work programme to examine the impacts of land spreading in England. Perfluorooctanoic acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, two PFAS substances which are designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, were tested in 96 soil samples collected from fields across England. None were present.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the Environment Agency, working closely with other regulators, have set up a coordinated programme of work on PFAS to develop our management approach. This initiative will help to assess levels occurring in the environment, their sources, and the potential risks, to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. As part of the new UK REACH Work Programme, Defra has asked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a Regulatory Management Options Analysis.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/04/2022 14:59:02 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1439481

registered interest
date	09/03/2022
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	Grouse Moors: Controlled Burning
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the press release by the RSPB RSPB records peatland fires on grouse moors in supposedly protected areas, published on 9 March; and in particular the finding that 82 per cent of reported fires on what is believed to be peatland were on supposedly protected landscapes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL6787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>Anyone wishing to burn vegetation on deep peat (peat that is deeper than 40cms), within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and either a Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area needs a licence, granted by the Secretary of State.</p><p>We have published <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-licence-to-burn-on-deep-peat-within-a-protected-site/privacy-notice-applications-for-a-licence-under-the-heather-and-grass-etc-burning-england-regulations-2007-and-2021" target="_blank">guidance</a> to support the Regulations, which sets out the very limited circumstances where burning on deep peat will be seen as a permissible activity and a legitimate land management practice, conducted in the right place for the right reasons.</p><p>Where an organisation or member of the public believes that burning has been carried out illegally and notifies Natural England, its Enforcement Team will check the locations against records of protected sites and environmental data and carry out investigatory site visits as required. Supported by Defra, Natural England investigates cases where a breach of consent or regulation is suspected according to their published compliance and enforcement position.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 23/03/2022 17:06:12 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle