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1387936

registered interest
date	14/12/2021
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
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 antimicrobials in personal care products on increasing antimicrobial resistance in (1) waterways, and (2) soils; and what plans they have, if any, to reduce these impacts.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4926
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/12/2021 answer text <p>The Government takes antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment seriously, as set out through the cross-Government 20-year vision for AMR and the five-year National Action Plan, which has specific and ambitious commitments. Our aim is to minimise the potential threat of AMR from the dispersal of the drivers for resistance in the environment.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency (EA) has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to ensure consideration of the potential risks of emerging chemicals including to surface waters (both freshwater and saline waters), groundwater and soils. The system allows the EA to sift and to screen any chemical substance nominated using, where available, hazard data and environmental monitoring data to prioritise whether a substance may be a possible chemical of concern in England.</p><p> </p><p>The EA has considered some personal care products as part of PEWS, however, only a sub-set of personal care products have antimicrobial properties. To date the EA has conducted screening on two personal care products with antimicrobial properties to understand the risk that they pose to the environment, but not specifically for the risk that their presence may pose to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The substances in the two personal care products included copper oxide and copper carbonate nanoparticles, and triclosan. The EA takes this information to inform its future work or the work of its partners.</p><p> </p><p>In broader work related to AMR in waterways and soil, the EA and Defra are running a new cross-departmental project called PATH-SAFE which contains a workstream focussed on AMR surveillance in two river catchments. This will strengthen our understanding of AMR in the environment, including the relative importance of different sources, transmission routes and, what the implications are for people, animals, food and ecosystems. The EA sludge strategy which is due to be implemented in 2023 will also consider the impacts of antimicrobial resistance and chemicals on soil health and quality.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/12/2021 10:43:32 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1385967

registered interest
date	07/12/2021
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	Environment: Crime
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 decision by the Parliament of Belgium to create an offence of ecocide; and what plans they have to introduce legislation to make ecocide an offence in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL4751
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2021 answer text <p>We do not currently have plans to introduce such a law in the UK, but we have strengthened regulations in England in recent months to protect the environment. These are enforced by a variety of regulators including the newly-established Office of Environmental Protection, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the Forestry Commission, the Marine Management Organisation, Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, local authorities and Defra itself. Many of these regulators are able to seek criminal convictions to punish significant or persistent environmental offending and to create a deterrent against future non-compliance. They also have access to a broader suite of civil sanctions for many of the offences they are responsible for enforcing.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 21/12/2021 16:53:04 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1354403

registered interest
date	09/09/2021
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	Deep Sea Mining
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what position they took on motion 69 at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s World Conservation Congress relating to the protection of deep-ocean ecosystems, biodiversity, and a moratorium on seabed mining; and for what reason they adopted that position.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>At the IUCN World Conservation Congress, the UK abstained from voting on the motion for a moratorium on deep-sea mining because it did not fully align with UK policy.</p><p> </p><p>However, there is no deep-sea mining currently happening in areas beyond national jurisdictions, there are no exploitation licences for deep-sea mining, and no exploitation regulations have yet been agreed. In addition, the UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place.</p><p> </p><p>Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), it is the role of the ISA to regulate and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area for the benefit of mankind as a whole. In so doing, the ISA has the duty to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed activities.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has a strong and respected voice in these international negotiations and the UK position emphasises the need to ensure that the highest possible environmental standards are met in the development of this new industry. We judge that engaging fully with these negotiations is the most effective way for the UK to work with others so that no deep-sea mining takes place in the absence of strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards. This includes requiring that Regional Environmental Management Plans are adopted for each region before any exploitation licence can even be considered, as well as the adoption of strong and enforceable environmental Standards and Guidelines.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 23/09/2021 15:44:04 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1347596

registered interest
date	15/07/2021
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	Environment Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to The Independent on 14 July that they hoped to use the Environment Bill “to seek powers to ensure information about environmental impacts, such as carbon emissions, is provided with certain products”, whether they can (1) provide details of the means by which they plan to do this, and (2) list the products to which they expect to apply the powers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL2054
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2021 answer text <p>In accordance with our Resources and Waste Strategy, the powers being sought through our Environment Bill will allow the Government to ensure consumers are provided with clear, consistent and trustworthy information, enabling them to make more sustainable purchasing decisions and helping shift the market towards more resource efficient products. These information-sharing requirements may focus on durability, reparability and recyclability, and there is scope to include other criteria where appropriate, such as embodied carbon or water usage during production. They could take a number of different forms such as consumer information rating schemes, or labels specifying that a product meets a certain environmental standard.</p><p> </p><p>We are working on developing a plan for making use of these powers, and will take on board responses to our recent consultation on the Waste Prevention Programme for England – towards a resource efficient economy. In parallel, as outlined in the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is preparing to launch a Call for Evidence on low carbon industrial products. The response to the Call for Evidence will be used to develop proposals for new policies to grow the market for these products, including a new labelling system for intermediary industrial products reflecting their impact on the environment.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 29/07/2021 15:11:43 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1343218

registered interest
date	01/07/2021
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	Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given, if any, to signing the Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Nitrogen Management.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1625
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that reactive nitrogen has damaging impacts on habitats, water and air quality and contributes to climate change.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is committed to tackling nitrogen and has a variety of regulations, incentive schemes and advice in place to help reduce the sources and impact of nitrogen pollution.</p><p> </p><p>For example, the UK has adopted legally binding targets to reduce emissions of two nitrogen-containing air pollutants - ammonia and nitrogen oxides. The Clean Air Strategy sets out comprehensive action to control emissions of these pollutants which is expected to reduce damaging deposition of reactive forms of nitrogen by 17% over England’s protected priority sensitive habitats by 2030.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has been engaging with the International Nitrogen Management System and has been working at a regional level with the Government of Sri Lanka on the issue of nitrogen management. The Government will continue to monitor progress on the Colombo Declaration as this initiative develops.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 15/07/2021 16:09:14 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1340311

registered interest
date	25/06/2021
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	Bees: Disease Control
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the transmission of disease through (1) imported, or (2) internally traded, bumblebees and bumblebee hives.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL1416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to preventing pests and<strong> </strong>diseases reaching our borders. We are promoting biosecurity internationally, at UK borders and inland.</p><p> </p><p>Imports of bumblebees are only accepted from approved countries. Consignments must be produced in a controlled environment which is supervised by the competent authority in the exporting country. They must be checked before dispatch. They are accompanied by health certificates that guarantee the bees are free from notifiable pests and diseases. The bees may be subject to checks at destination (for EU bees) or at a border control point (for bumblebees from other countries).</p><p> </p><p>There are no restrictions on movements of bumblebees from one area of GB to another.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 09/07/2021 12:58:05 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1330988

registered interest
date	08/06/2021
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	Land: Contamination
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports of the contamination of land on two dairy farms in Cumbria after the application of liquid fertiliser, what assessment they have made of the frequency of such incidences of contamination; and what plans they have to take regulatory action to prevent further such contaminations.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2021 answer text <p>An Environment Agency (EA) investigation into the matter is currently ongoing and has included analysis of water samples. Enquiries remain ongoing on what appears to be a localised incident involving a specific liquid that was used as a fertiliser. From the information that was reported in January 2021, it is the EA’s understanding that the last known application of the fertiliser was in March 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 22/06/2021 16:53:49 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1328372

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
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	Insecticides
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make the possession of carbofuran illegal.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2021 answer text <p>Carbofuran is a pesticide and pesticides can only be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used if they are authorised. Authorisation is only granted if the product will not harm people and poses no unacceptable risks to the environment. These are regularly reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet current standards.</p><p> </p><p>Authorisation for carbofuran was revoked in 1999 in the UK. All products containing carbofuran were therefore effectively banned after the final expiry date for storage and use on 31 December 2001.</p><p> </p><p>The advertisement, sale, supply, storage or use of any plant protection product, including carbofuran, which does not have a valid authorisation is therefore illegal. Anyone who advertises, sells, supplies, stores or uses any pesticide product containing carbofuran will be committing an offence and may be liable to an unlimited fine.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 08/06/2021 15:25:23 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1311216

registered interest
date	21/04/2021
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	Trees
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 report by the Woodland Trust State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021, published on 14 April; and what steps they are taking to ensure that there is sufficient UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown trees to meet demand.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL15130
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The Government welcomes the State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021 report which is the first to present important facts and trends focusing predominantly on native woods and trees, and trees in towns and cities within the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We are working to increase tree production in our domestic nursery sector. This will build on current facilities and explore innovative ideas and technologies to improve production capacity. This is necessary to create a resilient, healthy, and genetically diverse planting stock, which is ready for our future climate. We have taken a number of steps to ensure domestically sourced and grown trees meet demand:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Supporting activities to enhance production, processing and supply of UK tree seeds from a wider range of species and provenances.</li><li>Transforming Forestry England seed processing and nursery facilities, at the same time providing capital grants to allow private nurseries to enhance productivity.</li><li>Working with the industry to increase the uptake of the ‘Plant Healthy’ assurance scheme which helps improve biosecurity and reduce the risk of planting unhealthy stock.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Over the last three years, 100 percent of trees planted by Forestry England are UK grown, meaning all trees supplied to Natural Resources Wales and Forestry and Land Scotland are UK grown.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 29/04/2021 11:42:25 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1311217

registered interest
date	21/04/2021
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: Forests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Woodland Trust State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021, published on 14 April, what plans they have to promote agroforestry, particularly the growing of fruit and nut crops; what assessment they have made of the impact of such promotion on (1) the level of food security, (2) the quality of diets, (3) fodder crops for animals, (4) the diversion to animals of food that could be eaten by humans, and (5) the use of anthelmintics.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL15131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>Agroforestry has a significant role in helping the Government commitment to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025, in line with the annual rate recommended by the Committee on Climate Change in 2019 to help us meet net zero. We know our mechanisms for woodland creation must be more wide reaching and bold. This requires a transformative change for government and the sector. That is why the Nature for Climate Fund announced in the March 2020 Budget provides significant funding for tree planting, including agroforestry systems. The Committee on Climate Change has also recommended agroforestry on 10% of arable and grassland by 2050 to contribute to net zero emissions targets.</p><p> </p><p>We know that agroforestry systems can play an important role in addressing some of the key issues of climate and land use change in England, through the wide range of ecosystem services it provides.</p><ul><li>Providing food, fuel, fodder, timber, shade</li><li>Regulating soil, water, air quality and sequester carbon</li><li>Improving animal health and welfare</li><li>Supporting biodiversity and habitat creation</li></ul> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 29/04/2021 11:42:05 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle