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1190472

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	Broadband: Rural Areas
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 she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote rural broadband; and if she will ensure that Downe and Cudham in Orpington constituency and other rural areas that have yet to receive funding for broadband are prioritised.
tabling member constituency	Orpington
tabling member printed	Gareth Bacon
uin	40784
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>We recognise that access to fast and reliable broadband is essential to support economic growth and thriving rural communities. We are working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure rural businesses and communities get the connectivity they need.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is investing record amounts to level up digital infrastructure across the UK. We are already connecting some of the hardest to reach places in the country, including through the Superfast Broadband Programme and £200 million Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme.</p><p> </p><p>The Government wants nationwide coverage of gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible and we are supporting rural areas as a priority. We have committed £5 billion of public funding to close the digital divide and ensure rural areas are not left behind. Further details will be announced in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Defra has also allocated up to £79.5 million of grant funding from the Rural Development Programme for England, targeted at helping to connect businesses with broadband in some of the hardest to reach rural areas.</p><p> </p><p>Those premises that do not have access to 'decent broadband' (10 Megabits per second download speeds) are able to request a Broadband Universal Service Obligation connection.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 05/05/2020 16:24:55 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4798 label Biography information for Gareth Bacon

1190484

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	Supermarkets: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2020 to Question 33719 on Supermarkets: Coronavirus, what steps he is taking to ensure supermarkets improve the accessibility of online shopping for (a) people with disabilities and (b) housebound people.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	40719
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>Supermarkets have been working at pace to expand the total number of delivery and click and collect slots and we are working with major retailers to ensure that they prioritise delivery slots for those who are most vulnerable and at risk. This means that we have shared with supermarkets the details of those who have registered as clinically vulnerable and needing to shield, and who need help accessing food. These details are then processed by supermarkets, who match these names against their own customer databases. They then offer people the option of priority access to online delivery.</p><p>We have also been working quickly to support vulnerable people who do not fall into the shielded definition. This includes all people who are unable to access food and other essential supplies due to a Covid-19 related change in physical and / or financial circumstance. Most supermarkets are offering prioritised delivery or click and collect slots to those they have identified as vulnerable from their customer database (for example by age, shopping habits, previous use of vulnerable customer helplines etc.). We are working closely with retailers and local authorities to stand up a service to allow local authorities to refer vulnerable people to supermarkets for a priority delivery or click and collect slot.</p><p>We are also working with a range of suppliers to make available an increased range of food packages that can be ordered online or over the phone.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/05/2020 16:45:03 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1190490

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	Milk: Competition
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 long-term competition rules derogation for milk processors in non-aligned dairy farms for (a) facilitating trading cooperative and (b) building resilience in the milk processing and supply industry.
tabling member constituency	Bridgwater and West Somerset
tabling member printed	Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger
uin	40513
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>In order to support milk producers, we have temporarily eased some elements of competition law to make it easier for the dairy industry to come together to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency and ensure as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. This approach will allow the market for milk to adjust to the change in demand for milk while allowing production to be restored when shops, restaurants and pubs are able to open again. Exempted activities have been developed in conjunction with the dairy industry.</p><p> </p><p>Beyond this immediate and temporary measure, the Government plans to launch a range of initiatives to improve the position of milk producers. Government is keen to see greater levels of collaboration between producers and will continue to support farmers who want to harness the benefits of working together. Our Agriculture Bill includes powers to introduce a new domestic system for recognising producer organisations, which will be better tailored to the requirements of UK producers.</p><p> </p><p>The Bill also includes powers to introduce and enforce statutory codes of practice to address unfair trading practices which can occur between milk producers and purchasers. We will carry out a full consultation on dairy contracts to take account of the range of stakeholder views and hope to launch the consultation later this year.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/05/2020 13:38:52 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	1396 label Biography information for Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger

1190508

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support has been made available to the food and drink wholesale sector during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Swansea East
tabling member printed	Carolyn Harris
uin	40827
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19. The measures available to food and drink wholesale businesses depend on their size, and include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for furloughing of staff;</li><li>Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan;</li><li>Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan;</li><li>Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility;</li><li>Statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs with fewer than 250 employees;</li><li>Value Added Tax (VAT) deferral to the end of June;</li><li>HMRC Time To Pay Scheme;</li><li>Eviction protection for commercial tenants;</li><li>£10,000 cash grant for all business in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief</li></ul><p> </p><p>From 4 May, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme will be available to small businesses, who will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 with a 100% Government-backed guarantee for lenders.</p><p> </p><p>With counterparts across Whitehall, and through engagement with industry, we are monitoring the potential impacts COVID 19 on the food and drink wholesale sector. We remain committed to working in partnership with industry to respond to these challenges as they evolve.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/05/2020 13:46:41 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4480 label Biography information for Carolyn Harris

1190510

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide financial support to food and drink wholesale businesses that are affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Swansea East
tabling member printed	Carolyn Harris
uin	40830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>The Chancellor of the Exchequer has already set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19. The measures available to food and drink wholesale businesses depend on their size, and include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for furloughing of staff;</li><li>Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan;</li><li>Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan;</li><li>Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility;</li><li>Statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs with fewer than 250 employees;</li><li>Value Added Tax (VAT) deferral to the end of June;</li><li>HMRC Time To Pay Scheme;</li><li>Eviction protection for commercial tenants;</li><li>£10,000 cash grant for all business in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief and Rural Rates Relief</li></ul><p> </p><p>From 4 May, the Bounce Back Loan Scheme will be available to small businesses, who will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 with a 100% Government-backed guarantee for lenders.</p><p> </p><p>With counterparts across Whitehall, and through engagement with industry, we are monitoring the potential impacts COVID 19 on the food and drink wholesale sector. We remain committed to working in partnership with industry to respond to these challenges as they evolve.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/05/2020 13:43:12 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4480 label Biography information for Carolyn Harris

1190661

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	Recreation Spaces: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether businesses that own private fields for use as dog walking areas for the general public are allowed to continue to operate under the guidance on covid-19 announced on 23 March 2019.
tabling member constituency	Ashfield
tabling member printed	Lee Anderson
uin	40766
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s message to the public is clear: stay at home, in order to protect the NHS and save lives. To reduce social contact, the Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close. A full list of those businesses required to close, and exemptions, can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#businesses-and-premises-that-must-remain-closed" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#businesses-and-premises-that-must-remain-closed</a></p><p> </p><p>Dog walking businesses are not explicitly referred to as businesses that are required to close. Indeed, dog walking businesses play a key role in ensuring the welfare of the nation’s pets and can operate within the strict advice on social distancing and hygiene. Businesses that own private fields for dog walking are allowed to continue to operate.</p><p> </p><p>The Canine and Feline Sector Group, which advises both the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England and Defra Ministers, has issued its own guidance to pet businesses on how they can continue to operate under current restrictions and in line with guidance around social distancing and hygiene.</p><p><a href="http://www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Animal%20Business%20Guidance%2007.04.20.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus/SiteAssets/SitePages/Home/CFSG%20Animal%20Business%20Guidance%2007.04.20.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 06/05/2020 15:19:41 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4743 label Biography information for Lee Anderson

1189975

registered interest
date	24/04/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Angling
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 publish the results of the survey conducted in 2016 by his Department and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science on the effect on the economy of recreational angling.
tabling member constituency	North Cornwall
tabling member printed	Scott Mann
uin	39546
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 3 March, PQ UIN 22008. [<a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-02-27/22008" target="_blank">www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-02-27/22008</a>]</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/05/2020 14:34:45 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4496 label Biography information for Scott Mann

1190036

registered interest
date	24/04/2020
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	Agriculture: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support the Government is providing to farmers to ensure they are able to harvest their crops during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	39702
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>The ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak have meant that there will be a shortfall in the numbers of workers who usually travel to the UK from Europe to work during the harvest season, with the demand for workers peaking from late May through the summer. We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months.</p><p> </p><p>Farming leaders have already kick-started a recruitment drive for work on farms. With many British workers furloughed from their jobs, and students having to put their summer plans on hold, the Government is supporting industry efforts to help farmers bring in this year’s harvest, working to build on these numbers.</p><p> </p><p>The majority of roles for the early part of the harvest season have already been filled. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will shortly be launching a public- facing campaign to highlight the roles available from late May onwards and to encourage people to apply. The Government has confirmed that those who have been furloughed from their jobs due to coronavirus, and who are contractually allowed to work for another employer, can take on this seasonal work.</p><p>The Pick for Britain website is a recently launched joint Defra and industry initiative to support this effort. The website will act as a central hub to signpost people to the jobs available and to hold guidance and resources so growers, workers and industry can have a single place to go, available at <a href="https://pickforbritain.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://pickforbritain.org.uk/</a>. The website will also provide links to a wide range of recruitment campaigns organised by labour providers. The Pick for Britain website includes links to the Government's 'Find A Job' website, which will give access to a wide reach of potential applicants. The Find a Job website has more than 1.6 million registered users and is available here: <a href="https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p>Our farmers are doing a fantastic job of feeding the nation during this challenging time. To help our farmers, industry Best Practice Guidance for employers of seasonal agricultural workers to avoid the spread of coronavirus has also now been published, which has been endorsed by Public Health England: <a href="https://ahdb.org.uk/coronavirus/social-distancing-farm-businesses" target="_blank">https://ahdb.org.uk/coronavirus/social-distancing-farm-businesses</a>.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/05/2020 16:12:41 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1190085

registered interest
date	24/04/2020
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Food: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Government-supplied food parcels have been delivered (a) nationally (b) to City of York council in each week since 1 March 2020.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	39588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>(A) Nationally <strong>955,433</strong> food packs had been successfully delivered as of 30<sup>th</sup> April 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Breakdown by weeks is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Week Commencing</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Successful Deliveries</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>23<sup>rd</sup> March</p></td><td><p>4,334</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>30<sup>th</sup> March</p></td><td><p>66,659</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>6<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>141,477</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>13<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>194,391</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>20<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>286,605</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>27<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>261,967</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>(B) In the City of York over <strong>5,231</strong> food packs had been successfully delivered as of the 24<sup>th</sup> April 2020.</p><p> </p><p>Breakdown by week is as follows:</p><p>.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Week Commencing</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Successful Deliveries</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>*6<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>1,266</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>13<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>1,777</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>20<sup>th</sup> April</p></td><td><p>2,188</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>*Different category codes were used for deliveries made prior to 6<sup>th</sup> April, so they have been excluded from the figures above.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 04/05/2020 16:55:21 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1190256

registered interest
date	24/04/2020
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	Milk: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold urgent discussions with with key stakeholders in the diary industry on managing the milk supply chain.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	39795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>Defra is working very closely with both farmer and processor representatives through this period of disruption to manage the impact on the dairy supply chain of Covid-19 including holding a number of roundtable discussions with the sector. Farmers supplying milk to processors that sell into the food service sector have seen a significant reduction in demand and we have taken several steps to support those affected.</p><p>In order to support affected farmers, we have eased some elements of competition law to make it easier for processors to come together to maximise production and processing and storage efficiency until shops, restaurants and pubs are able to open again. This SI was laid before Parliament on 1 May and applies retrospectively from 1 April 2020. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and Dairy UK have agreed to work with farmers and processors to help industry take advantage of these easements. The SI is available at the following link:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/481/contents/made" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/481/contents/made</a></p><p>The Government's Covid-19 Business Interruption Loans scheme is available to the dairy industry and where this is appropriate for this business, I urge farm businesses to access the loans that are available to support them in this difficult period. Defra has held urgent discussions with the major banks to ensure they understand that farmers, milk buyers and milk processors are eligible for this scheme and we are working to increase awareness across the dairy industry. HMT have also now announced the new Bounce Back Loan scheme which will apply to businesses operating in agriculture. This will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee on each loan, to give lenders the confidence they need to support the smallest businesses in the country. We will also cover the first 12 months of interest payments and fees charged to the business by the lender.</p><p>The Government also took a number of early emergency steps to support dairy farmers and the wider sector. These included designating employees in the food sector as key workers and temporarily relaxing the normal rules on drivers' hours, enabling the sector to keep supply chains running, including deliveries from farm gate to processors.</p><p>The existing public intervention scheme for skimmed milk powder and butter continues to be available. This provides a floor price for dairy products, supporting the dairy industry to sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. The European Commission has this week approved the opening of additional measures for private storage aid which UK processors will be able to access should they chose to.</p><p>We will continue to engage closely with farmer and processor representatives to ensure that we support them throughout this challenging period.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/05/2020 16:40:22 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel