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1714622

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
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	Darwin Plus: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to continue financing Darwin Plus at £10 million per year after the current commitment ends in 2025.
tabling member printed	Lord Randall of Uxbridge
uin	HL4173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>Running since 2012, the Darwin Plus programme has invested over £55 million in more than 320 projects across the UK Overseas Territories. The UK Government has recently expanded the Darwin Plus programme to better meet the needs of the UK Overseas Territories. In 2023, Darwin Plus introduced a new local scheme aimed at building capacity, and a new strategic scheme for fostering great innovation, ambition and collaboration in and between territories, both of which are now funding live projects.</p><p> </p><p>Post March 2025, Darwin Plus funding will be subject to outcomes of the next Spending Review.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 08/05/2024 13:47:09 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	209 label Biography information for Lord Randall of Uxbridge

1714675

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
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	Non-native Species
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are monitoring the spread of non-native flatworms in the UK, particularly the New Zealand flatworm; what assessment they have made of any recent increases in the numbers of non-native flatworms in the UK; and what steps they are taking (1) to combat the spread of non-native flatworms, and (2) to advise the public.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL4160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>No recent assessment has been made of the numbers of non-native flatworms in the UK. While some data on New Zealand flatworms (<em>Arthurdendyus triangulates</em>) is collected this is not sufficiently systematic to support a full assessment.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage the public to submit sightings with photographs to iRecord (which can be found at irecord.org.uk) such that the species can be accurately identified. The record is then uploaded to the biological records centre and will improve our understanding of the distribution of the species.</p><p> </p><p>We have developed a <a href="https://www.nonnativespecies.org/biosecurity/pathway-action-plans/horticulture-pap-for-great-britain/" target="_blank">Horticulture Pathway Action Plan</a> (PAP) (copy attached) which aims to prevent and manage the risk posed by species such as the New Zealand flatworm using measures such as raising public awareness, minimizing the contamination of goods, commodities, vehicles and equipment by invasive non-native species, and ensuring appropriate border checks. An action within this document specific to flatworms is to establish a task-and-finish group to review existing guidance and develop new guidance on flatworms. We are due to consult on the PAPs later this year, and following the conclusion of that exercise, the actions such as this one in the PAPs will commence.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Invasive Species Week is coming up and will take place from the 20th to 26th May 2024. This is an annual week of awareness raising and events to help prevent the spread, and reduce the harmful impacts, of invasive non-native plants and animals.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 13:33:21 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon attachment 1 file name HL4160 attachment.pdf title Horticulture Pathway Action Plan
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian

1713990

registered interest
date	25/04/2024
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	Hares: Animal Welfare
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for introducing legislation to introduce a closed season for hares in England, following the publication of DEFRA’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021; and what consultations they have had with stakeholders in that regard.
tabling member printed	Baroness Helic
uin	HL4097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government has no current plans to legislate to introduce a close season for hares in England. The Action Plan for Animal Welfare in 2021 made a commitment to consider such legislation and it remains an option. An industry-led, non-statutory code of practice to protect hares in England is already in place which states that lethal control to prevent damage to crops should only be carried out in the winter months of January and February when vegetation is low and hares are easily visible. These months avoid the main breeding season and thereby reduce risks to dependent young.</p><p>The Government has had no formal consultations with stakeholders on this issue since the publication of the Action Plan for Animal Welfare but we have heard representations from interested parties, both in support of and opposed to a close season for hares.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 02/05/2024 13:58:18 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4331 label Biography information for Baroness Helic

1713734

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	Air Quality Grant Scheme
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact that withdrawing funding for the Air Quality Grant Scheme will have on public health.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4084
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>An impact assessment on public health was not carried out before withdrawing the Air Quality Grant Scheme for 2023-2024. The Minister used his discretion not to fund the Local Air Quality Grant Scheme for the 2023-2024 financial year. He has asked Defra officials to consider the future of the scheme and how it might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality and public health and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 09:15:38 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1713735

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	Air Quality Grant Scheme
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 report by the University of Copenhagen Lifetime exposure to air pollution and academic achievement: A nationwide cohort study in Denmark, published in March, particularly the finding that high levels of air pollution may negatively impact children’s cognitive development; and whether in light of this they will consider reinstating funding for the Air Quality Grant Scheme.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL4085
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government keeps new studies on health impacts of air pollution under review and is advised by the Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).</p><p> </p><p>The Minister used his discretion not to fund the Local Air Quality Grant Scheme for the 2023-2024 financial year. He has asked Defra officials to consider the future of the scheme and how it might be redesigned to better deliver positive outcomes for local air quality and public health and therefore enhanced value for money for taxpayers.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 24/05/2024 09:51:12 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1713738

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
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	Immigration Controls: Borders
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support small businesses in adapting to additional costs for post-Brexit border checks.
tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
uin	HL4088
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>To support SMEs, Defra has identified and issued guidance on a number of facilitations and mitigations to reduce the burden of sanitary and phytosanitary import requirements using groupage.</p><p> </p><p>The Common User Charge is designed to spread the costs to be recovered across the maximum number of imports. This approach distributes the cost across business of all sizes and sectors and provides a high level of predictability on costs for all importers.</p><p> </p><p>The impact of the Common User Charge on businesses, and especially on small businesses, will be kept under monthly and quarterly reviews, with rates reviewed and updated annually.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 13/05/2024 11:25:20 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1713280

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Avian Influenza: Disease Control
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 risk of H5N1 bird flu, following an outbreak in cattle in multiple US states with reports that many cattle are asymptomatic; what monitoring they carry out on (1) cattle, (2) other farm animals, (3) wild mammals, and (4) humans in contact with cattle; and what, if any, additional biosecurity measures are planned or being developed.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4021
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Government is in close contact with counterparts in the United States on the incidents of influenza of avian origin in cattle in the USA. We know that the strain of virus involved has not been detected in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Defra is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Food Standards Agency, the Cabinet Office and with international partners on risk assessments to consider the routes of incursion, animal to animal spread and animal to human spill-over and to review our well-tested surveillance mechanisms and preparedness activities in light of this emerging situation.</p><p> </p><p>In response to the unprecedented global outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in wild and kept birds, the UK's avian influenza national reference laboratory at the Animal and Plant Health Agency Weybridge laboratory has increased its surveillance in both wild birds and wild mammals and genome analysis of the virus itself while keeping a close eye on its spread in global populations of wildlife. In addition, we have published an ‘Influenza A (H5N1) infection in mammals: suspect case definition and diagnostic testing criteria’ on gov.uk to support veterinary professionals and others in knowing when to report suspicion. This case definition will be updated in due course as further information on the emerging situation in cattle in the USA becomes available.</p><p> </p><p>We are monitoring the situation closely but at this time have no reason to suspect the virus is circulating in our cattle, nor is this strain of the virus circulating in Europe. We have had no recent cases of avian influenza in kept birds, or findings of influenza of avian origin in kept or wild mammals, and the risk level from wild birds is low. We have discussed the need for surveillance in wildlife, domestic animals and humans with DHSC and UKHSA and are considering the case for additional surveillance for influenza of avian origin in cattle and how best such animal health surveillance could be undertaken.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 01/05/2024 14:24:52 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1713281

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Soil
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect soil monitoring data will become available from the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment is a new environmental monitoring programme, assessing the state and condition of ecosystems in England and their natural capital. The field data, including soils data, is being collected on a 5-year cycle that runs from 2023/24 to 2027/28. Final statistics and data will be published after 2027/28 when 100% of the data has been collected and there are outline plans to publish interim statistics, mid cycle, once 50% of the field data has been collected.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/05/2024 11:08:06 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1713283

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Agriculture: Land Use
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat is let on annual farm business tenancies; and what steps they are taking to ensure this land is not being farmed in a manner that is accelerating its degradation and threatening future food security.
tabling member printed	The Earl of Caithness
uin	HL4024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>Peat policy is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p> </p><p>Defra does not have any data on the percentage of Grade 1 and 2 lowland peat let on annual farm business tenancies.</p><p> </p><p>In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we said that we are committed to halting the degradation of our lowland peat soils which causes such significant harm to the environment.</p><p> </p><p>We have also agreed to take forward action on all recommendations of the Lowland Agricultural Peat Task Force Chair's report, recognising the vital role that lowland peat soils play in producing food for our nation and supporting our rural economies.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently funding approximately £12.5million on projects on paludiculture, local collaboration, and water management, as first steps towards a more sustainable future for lowland agricultural peat.</p><p> </p><p>We are also developing a new England Peat Map that will help us identify areas for future intervention.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 01/05/2024 11:07:30 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	3310 label Biography information for The Earl of Caithness

1713284

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
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	Seeds
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure there are no delays by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in processing applications for new seed varieties; and when they will determine the causes of the current backlog of applications so that in future new varieties are made available to UK growers in a timely manner.
tabling member printed	The Earl of Caithness
uin	HL4025
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The backlog of applications for variety listing following EU exit has now largely been resolved.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency and Defra are working closely with stakeholders to monitor the processes involved in variety listing and are currently instigating improvements and resilience in the system.</p><p> </p><p>The UK authorities are working together to develop the first UK Plant Variety and Seeds strategy. Following a Call for Ideas and further industry engagement, additional improvements in the plant variety listing process are anticipated.</p> answering member printed Lord Douglas-Miller question first answered 29/04/2024 14:40:41 answering member 5006 label Biography information for Lord Douglas-Miller
tabling member	3310 label Biography information for The Earl of Caithness