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1487672

registered interest
date	08/07/2022
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: Sewage
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 impact of increased releases of raw sewage into waterways on animal farming, in light of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci being found in more than 10 per cent of supermarket pork products.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>The Government has made improving water quality a priority. The Environment Act has placed our ambition on a statutory footing, setting a duty for water companies to achieve a progressive reduction in the adverse impacts of discharges from storm overflows. Our Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan will be published in September and will set out the targets water companies will be required to meet to achieve this.</p><p> </p><p>Currently, no assessment has been undertaken on sewage discharges on animal farming more generally. Pharmaceuticals may enter the environment during the manufacture and disposal of pharmaceutical products, or as they pass through humans and animals into wastewater treatment networks or the wider environment.</p><p> </p><p>There is much to be done to improve our understanding of the impacts that pharmaceuticals have on the environment, but some are known to cause adverse impacts on aquatic life and contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency (EA) and Defra has worked with Water UK on the Chemicals Investigation Programme to investigate the fate and travel of antimicrobial resistance through waste water treatment works, and are advocating more work via the 2024 price review.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 21/07/2022 16:14:05 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1485940

registered interest
date	04/07/2022
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	Antimicrobials: Pollution Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) monitoring, and (2) mitigation, strategies they have put in place for environmental pollution by (a) metal nanoparticles, and (b) the bacteria resistant to these antimicrobial metal nanoparticles.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2022 answer text <p>Whilst the Environment Agency (EA) does not have environmental monitoring in place specifically targeting metal nanoparticles, it is keeping a watching brief on innovative monitoring approaches and environmental effects. Although the science associated with environmental analysis for nanoparticles (and their associated effects) is in development, the EA has considered a number of nanoparticles through its Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS). To date, the EA has considered titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, cerium dioxide, copper oxide and copper carbonate nanoparticles through PEWS.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 25/07/2022 09:40:55 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1485941

registered interest
date	04/07/2022
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	Biocidal Products: Pollution Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of environmental pollution from biocides in personal care products, such as (1) benzalkonium chloride in soaps, or (2) chlorhexidine in mouthwashes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2022 answer text <p>These have not currently been identified as chemicals of concern for the Environment Agency (EA)’s monitoring. The EA operates a Prioritisation and Early Warning System for chemicals of emerging concern and will consider these substances under that system.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 21/07/2022 11:23:10 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1471556

registered interest
date	20/06/2022
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	Bread and Flour: Regulation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which of the issues raised by the Real Bread Campaign in their submission to DEFRA, published in September 2021, ahead of the first meeting of the Bread and Flour Technical Working Group, will be included in the forthcoming public consultation and review of the Bread and Flour Regulations.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1074
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2022 answer text <p>Defra, alongside the Department of Health and Social Care, the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, have been conducting jointly a review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1998 to ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and support UK industry while protecting consumers. To assist the review, Defra convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders including the Real Bread Campaign, to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. We are now preparing to consult jointly on proposals to update the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998. The consultation is subject to a cross-government agreement process in England and ministerial agreement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is therefore not possible to say definitively what will be included in the consultation, but we hope to be able to publish proposals shortly.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 04/07/2022 16:50:19 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1466546

registered interest
date	26/05/2022
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	Food: Pesticides
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) reduce, or (2) end, the exposure of UK consumers to pesticides in food.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL566
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2022 answer text <p>The UK is a world leader in developing greener farming practices and upholds the highest standards of environmental and health protection. Our pesticides regulations set strict controls on the amounts of pesticide residues that are permitted in food to ensure the safety of consumers.</p><p><br> In Great Britain, regulations require the setting of a maximum residue level (MRL), which is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue in or on food or feed that is legally tolerated. We have an ongoing monitoring programme to ensure that food complies with the statutory MRLs allowed. MRLs are always set below, and usually well below, the level considered to be safe for consumers.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides, due to be published later this year, will set out proposals to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment. In parallel, we are progressing existing policies and work areas to reduce pesticide use, such as our plan for the introduction of the Integrated Pest Management standard into the Sustainable Farming Incentives scheme in 2023.</p><p><br></p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 20/06/2022 11:47:56 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1466547

registered interest
date	26/05/2022
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	Bread: Food Composition
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 survey by Opinium, conducted on 13–17 May, which found that 61 per cent of respondents said they were "not totally confident of what goes into most supermarket loaves"; what steps they intend to take in response; and what plans they have to improve the health benefits of bread.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL567
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2022 answer text <p>It is essential that consumers have trust in the food they eat, and we recognise the importance of accurate labelling and quality standards for foods, including bread.</p><p> </p><p>The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. Existing food labelling rules and other requirements on the control of additives in food production ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively to enable consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume. The Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Food Strategy White Paper, which we expect to publish soon, will set out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency</p><p> </p><p>Bread sold on the domestic market must also comply with The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 which sets out specific composition and labelling requirements. There is an ongoing review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 which will include a public consultation on policy proposals where members of the public will be able to express their views. Part of the consultation will look at the implementation of government plans to introduce folic acid fortification to flour. This policy aims to improve public health benefits of bread and other flour containing products by helping to reduce the number of cases of Neural Tube Defects in foetuses.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/06/2022 11:11:47 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1466549

registered interest
date	26/05/2022
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	Food: Waste
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 environmental advantages that could be attained by the introduction to England of regulations similar to the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, which require that some food businesses take steps to present their food waste for separate collection.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2022 answer text <p>The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, require some Scottish businesses to have separate food waste collections. The Government’s proposed reforms, set out in the Environment Act, go further, requiring all English non-household municipal premises that produce food waste to have it collected separately. We conducted a recent consultation on consistent collections to consider the implementation of this measure, the results of which will be published in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 13/06/2022 15:51:11 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

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