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1687656

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
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	West Africa: Timber
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the amount of rosewood timber that is exported from West African countries such as Mali, The Gambia and Senegal; what steps they have taken to ban or control within UK markets the sale of products made from West African rosewood; and what steps they have taken to protect endangered wild species, including rosewood in West Africa.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK is currently contributing funding towards a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) study on the conservation and trade in rosewood tree species but does yet not have an assessment of rosewood timber exports. We have robust mechanisms in place through the UK Timber Regulations (UKTR), which prohibit the placing of illegally harvested timber and timber products on the GB market and require operators - those first placing timber products on the market - to exercise due diligence. Those who trade in timber and timber products after they have been placed on the market are required to keep records of who they buy timber products from and any traders they sell them to. This enables timber and timber products to be traced.</p><p> </p><p>The primary objective of the UKTR is to tackle illegal logging and to create a demand for legally harvested timber. Implementing the Regulations enables the protection of forests around the world, supporting the Government’s ambition to lead the world in environmental protection, end extreme poverty, and be at the forefront of action against global climate change.</p><p> </p><p>The requirement to exercise due diligence under UKTR does not apply where a valid CITES permit accompanies the timber.</p><p> </p><p>Rosewood species (Dalbergia and Guibourtia spp.) are listed on the CITES Appendices and so most rosewood timber imports into the UK will need a valid permit. Permit applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the UK CITES Management Authority, which will only issue permits if it has been possible to determine that the specimens to be imported were legally acquired and sustainably harvested.</p><p> </p><p>The Government provides grants to a wide range of stakeholders to contribute to the protection of endangered wild species, including tackling illegal wildlife trade in West Africa, through the Biodiversity Challenge Funds. While these do not address rosewood in West Africa specifically, this has included empowering communities to protect their forests by the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia, and supporting Royal Botanic Gardens Kew to monitor and halt illegal timber trade through DNA barcoding in Gabon and Congo (Brazzaville).</p><p> </p><p>Further information on these examples and other projects supported by the Biodiversity Challenge Funds can be found at the websites of the Darwin Initiative and the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 13/02/2024 11:51:40 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1682796

registered interest
date	17/01/2024
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: Commodities
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that regulated persons in relation to forest risk commodities establish and implement due diligence systems in relation to those commodities, as required under the Environment Act 2021.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government introduced new legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. Recent research estimates that around 70% of global tropical deforestation for commercial agriculture between 2013 and 2019 was conducted in violation of national laws.</p><p> </p><p>The Government announced further details of our Forest Risk Commodities regulations at COP28 in December. The new law will make it illegal for larger organisations, with a global annual turnover of more than £50m, to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Initial secondary legislation will focus on four commodities identified as key drivers of deforestation: cattle products (excluding dairy), cocoa, palm oil and soy.</p><p> </p><p>Organisations in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published.  Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions. The secondary legislation required to operationalise the Environment Act provisions will be laid as soon as parliamentary time allows.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 23/01/2024 15:31:28 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672487

registered interest
date	22/11/2023
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	Fishing Catches: Cetaceans
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government how many cetaceans were caught in UK waters in 2022; and how that number compares to estimates of cetacean bycatch.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL504
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>All cetaceans are fully protected in UK waters under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations. In the UK, it is an offence to deliberately disturb, harm, capture or kill wild cetaceans. We are not aware of any cetaceans being caught illegally in UK waters in 2022.</p><p> </p><p>The UK introduced new rules in 2021 making it mandatory under fishing vessel licence conditions for fishers to report any marine mammal bycatch to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). On the introduction of this requirement, communications were sent out by Defra, the Devolved Administrations and the MMO to ensure that industry understood the new obligations.</p><p> </p><p>This reporting is complemented by a range of other monitoring programmes.</p><p> </p><p>The Government funds the UK Bycatch Monitoring Programme which uses onboard observers to estimate bycatch rates and high-risk gear types. The 2022 annual programme report will be completed and published, once fishing effort figures for 2022 are finalised and can be integrated into bycatch estimates.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, both the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme investigate the causes of death of stranded cetaceans around the UK coast to improve our understanding of, and ability to tackle, key threats like bycatch. CSIP strandings data are published in annual reports. Due to unprecedented events, including the coronavirus pandemic and the UK’s largest ever outbreak of avian influenza, the delivery of project reports has been delayed. The 2022 annual report will be finalised shortly and released in due course, following publication assurance processes.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2020, Defra has also funded Clean Catch UK, a research programme which is developing and trialling a range of bycatch monitoring and mitigation measures. This programme has developed a bycatch self-reporting mobile application and an online ‘Bycatch Mitigation Hub’ with information on different approaches to reduce bycatch.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by cetaceans, and we remain fully committed to tackling this and addressing monitoring gaps. In 2022, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations published the UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative (BMI). This outlines how the UK will achieve its ambitions to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. As a core objective of the BMI, the Government will continue to build on existing monitoring work to improve our understanding of bycatch and entanglement of sensitive marine species.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 29/11/2023 14:44:54 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672488

registered interest
date	22/11/2023
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	Fisheries: Monitoring
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether footage captured through remote electronic monitoring of fishing will be available to the public or just to designated observers; and if just to designated observers, how this will be monitored.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>We do not anticipate making raw footage available to the public. How remote electronic monitoring (REM) data would be reviewed would depend on the data objectives for that fishery. We consulted on the data objectives in our recent consultation on REM in English waters. We are considering responses to this consultation and will publish a response in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 29/11/2023 14:24:45 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672489

registered interest
date	22/11/2023
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	Fisheries: Monitoring
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government why the rollout of remote electronic monitoring of fishing (1) is voluntary, and (2) has been slow; and what consideration they have given (a) to making it mandatory, and (b) to expediting its implementation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL506
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>Our recent consultation on remote electronic monitoring (REM) in English waters proposed a phased approach to the expansion of REM. This would begin with volunteers in priority fisheries and then become mandatory for all vessels in those fisheries. In this consultation we also sought views on the timeline and other implementation issues. We are considering consultation responses and will publish a response in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 29/11/2023 14:02:15 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672490

registered interest
date	22/11/2023
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	Fisheries: Monitoring
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what are their contingency plans in the event that insufficient numbers of fishing vessels volunteer to adopt remote electronic monitoring.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2023 answer text <p>Our current expectation is that we will have sufficient volunteers to expand the use of remote electronic monitoring (REM) in 2024. In our recent consultation on REM in English waters, we proposed the establishment of steering groups. Among other things, these would enable us to develop our approach with stakeholders across relevant fisheries. This could include looking at alternatives if sufficient volunteers were not forthcoming.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 29/11/2023 13:57:29 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1672032

registered interest
date	21/11/2023
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	Pesticides: Environment Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impacts from including saponins, phosphorous peroxide, and other substances which are irritants or otherwise harmful to worms and other soil organisms, in products labelled as "soil conditioners" or "anti-worm caster"; and what guidance they have issued about the legality of doing so.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2023 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. The Environment Agency assesses the presence of many chemicals in the environment, but has very limited data for chemicals in soil and the potential impacts on individual species. Saponins are a very broad and diverse group of compounds with biosurfactant and biopesticide properties and with many applications including some personal care products. The Environment Agency has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System for chemicals of emerging concern to systematically consider this challenge and to integrate horizon scanning with environmental monitoring and international collaboration. Substances can be added for future assessment, depending on the availability of evidence.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government recognises how vital healthy soil is for food production, water regulation, biodiversity, carbon storage and providing diverse habitats and agricultural opportunities. Earthworms are an excellent indicator of soil health, as they are impacted by pH, waterlogging, compaction, tillage, rotation and organic matter management.</p><p> </p><p>Pesticides are strictly regulated because of their potential impacts on human health and the environment (including impacts on earthworms and soil micro-organisms) and, if authorised, are subject to conditions to ensure safe use. For many products, professional use only by properly trained operatives is one of those conditions. There are no plant protection products that are currently authorised for the control of worm casts on turf.</p><p> </p><p>A consultation and call for evidence on a new fertiliser regulatory framework is planned for early 2024. The process of regulation development will be iterative as more research is needed into newer fertiliser types before requirements for these products can be drafted into law. Soil conditioners may be subject to regulation under the future revised framework for fertilisers.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 04/12/2023 17:04:49 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1670097

registered interest
date	14/11/2023
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	Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the combined impacts of microplastics and antimicrobial pollutants in driving antimicrobial resistance emergence in the environment, and what steps they are taking to mitigate these impacts.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2023 answer text <p>Defra, the Environment Agency and the UK Health Security Agency have a joint research programme on antimicrobial resistance in the environment. This includes examination of potential drivers of selection for antimicrobial resistance in environmental organisms. So far, this work has concentrated on the effect of antimicrobials and biocides so has not examined the additional role of microplastics, as this was not identified as likely to have a high impact and therefore be a high priority for the research. However, we continue to consider issues for further investigation as part of our ongoing research where emerging evidence suggests it is needed.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 30/11/2023 15:23:51 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1670098

registered interest
date	14/11/2023
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	Horticulture: Environment Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Benyon on 25 October (HL10678), what steps they intend to take to ensure that the environmental horticulture industry, previously known as “ornamental” horticulture and not including food, receives adequate support and acknowledgement, and is regarded as part of the “green economy” in assessment.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL265
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2023 answer text <p>The Government recognises that the UK’s environmental (or ornamental) horticulture sector plays a crucial role as part of the ‘green economy’ and is aware that the priorities of the sector align with many of the environmental goals in the Environmental Improvement Plan.</p><p> </p><p>Ornamental horticulture is in scope of the majority of competitions in the Farming Innovation Programme. Under this programme we have committed over £80 million to 163 projects. Of that funding, around a quarter (£19 million) is earmarked for projects focusing on horticulture and just under two thirds of that (£12 million) has potential application across both edible and ornamental sectors.</p><p> </p><p>Beyond this, the Tree Production Capital Grant will reopen soon for new funding applications. This grant provides funding to increase domestic production of tree seed and saplings by supporting investments in expansion, automation and mechanisation of facilities and equipment. This will help to improve nursery resilience and sustainability and increase the diversity of tree species produced, as well as the quantity of trees and tree seed coming into the market.</p><p> </p><p>Defra will continue to engage with the ornamental horticulture industry to understand the issues they face.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 22/11/2023 11:56:13 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1670100

registered interest
date	14/11/2023
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	Water: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to water quality, what assessment they have made of whether the replacements to the EU Water Framework Directive will result in the improved monitoring of water quality; whether they intend to create a UK specific Hazardous Watch List; and if so, whether this will consider antimicrobial resistance selection risk of chemicals in aquatic environments, as has been included in recent iterations of the EU Water Framework Directive’s Watch List.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL267
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2023 answer text <p>The Environment Agency (EA) has introduced a new long-term ‘river surveillance network’ monitoring programme for rivers to give a national overview of the state of England’s rivers. It does not replace the Water Framework Directive compliant monitoring which will still continue.</p><p> </p><p>This network is a key part of the ‘Natural Capital and Ecosystems Assessment’ which will provide a statistically robust assessment of the health of the water environment.</p><p> </p><p>The formalisation of a UK-wide Watchlist would be a matter for the UK and Devolved Administrations. In England the EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System for new substances of concern and monitors changes to the EU’s Watch List. The EA also works closely with the devolved agencies to share information and approaches to monitoring programmes for emerging chemicals of concern in the water environment, including pharmaceuticals which might contribute to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).</p><p> </p><p>Further, the UK has set out a 20-year vision for containing and controlling AMR through a One-Health approach. A cross-departmental project called Pathogen Surveillance in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (PATH-SAFE) was established in 2021 to understand how pathogens and AMR are spread in the environment and the agri-food system. This will inform future monitoring of the water environment and commitments within the UK National Action Plan on AMR.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 30/11/2023 15:55:51 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle