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1235820

registered interest
date	18/09/2020
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	Forests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the amount of unmanaged woodland and forest.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL8264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/10/2020 answer text <p>59% of woodland in England is managed, and we recognise the need to increase support for management–safeguarding our woods, supporting biodiversity and providing sustainable timber.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to existing grant support for management, the Forestry Commission and Institute of Chartered Foresters are working to improve the quality of woodland management plans.</p><p> </p><p>We are also exploring further ways in which we can drive up the levels of sustainable woodland management in the development of the upcoming England Tree Strategy.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 02/10/2020 14:01:52 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1233555

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
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	Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease 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 the likely perturbation effect on the spread of bovine tuberculosis following the extension of the badger culling programme to Derbyshire, Oxfordshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL8011
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2020 answer text <p>Applicants for a licence to cull badgers to control the spread of bovine TB (bTB) must meet Natural England's strict licensing criteria, which specifically includes measures to guard against the potential risk of perturbation effects as a result of disturbed badger social groups.</p><p> </p><p>The independent, peer-reviewed academic study into the effectiveness of badger culling (Downs et al. (2019) Nature Scientific Reports) which showed a decline in bTB incidence in the first two cull areas of Gloucestershire and Somerset, also showed a lack of evidence of a 'perturbation effect' in these areas, unlike the findings of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial, where culling led to an increase in bTB incidence rates outside of cull areas.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 21/09/2020 15:02:10 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1233557

registered interest
date	10/09/2020
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	Pesticides
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the production and export of pesticides and herbicides which are banned for use in the UK, including (1) paraquat, and (2) 1,3-dichloropropene.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL8013
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2020 answer text <p>On the production of pesticides and herbicides, depending on the amounts produced, the manufacture of paraquat and 1,3 dichlorophene are regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015 (COMAH) which implements an EU directive in this area. The COMAH Regulations will continue to apply to Great Britain after the Transition Period.</p><p> </p><p>The export from the UK of paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene is regulated under Regulation (EU) 649/2012 on the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals, known as the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from the UK must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority.</p><p> </p><p>For the UK the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE). <br></p><p>Paraquat and 1,3-dichloropropene additionally require the explicit consent of the importing country before export can take place. The exchange of information that PIC provides allows the importing countries to make informed decisions on the import of those chemicals and on how to handle and use them safely.</p><p> </p><p>Similar arrangements to PIC will come into force at the end of the Transition Period on 31 December.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 24/09/2020 12:43:33 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1231315

registered interest
date	03/09/2020
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	Packaging: Recycling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all TetraPaks used in the UK are appropriately recycled.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7751
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to increasing the quantity and quality of waste materials that are recycled.</p><p> </p><p>Following support in our 2019 consultation on ‘Consistency in household and business recycling collections in England’, we will introduce legislation through the Environment Bill that will require a core set of recyclable materials (paper and card, plastic, glass, metal, food waste, garden waste) to be collected from households and businesses by all waste collectors in England.</p><p> </p><p>At consultation we also proposed additional materials that could be included into this core set of materials, including food and drink cartons. Food and drink cartons, such as Tetra Pak cartons, are widely collected by local authorities from households across England (60% of authorities offer kerbside collection).</p><p> </p><p>We are currently engaging with the waste sector to develop detailed proposals for collection and recycling of cartons by all local authorities and will consult on these early in 2021.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 17/09/2020 15:11:40 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1231318

registered interest
date	03/09/2020
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	Partridges and Pheasants: Animal Breeding
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to regulate the conditions in which pheasants and red-legged partridges are reared before being released as gamebirds.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2020 answer text <p>We are committed to maintaining our position as world leaders in animal welfare and want to improve and build upon that record, working in partnership with farmers to support healthier, higher welfare animals. We are exploring options with all the industry sectors, including the gamebird industry, to see how welfare standards can be further enhanced and in a way that is sustainable.</p><p> </p><p>The welfare of gamebirds is currently protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering. This is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes, which encourages the adoption of high standards of husbandry.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 17/09/2020 15:24:07 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1230953

registered interest
date	02/09/2020
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	Weedkillers: Health Hazards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of (1) the impact of aminopyralid contamination in compost on gardeners and market gardeners, and (2) the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate enforcement of restrictions on the use of herbicide products containing aminopyralid.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7596
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>There are measures in place to keep aminopyralid out of compost and manures. This is necessary because, as a herbicide, aminopyralid can harm broadleaved plants, leading to stunting and distortion (it is important to note that similar effects can result from nutritional deficiencies or diseases). The use of aminopyralid products is subject to strict conditions of use to ensure that plant material which may contain aminopyralid is not used in compost. These conditions have been in place for over ten years and, as a result, the number of reported incidents has declined to a very low level.</p><p> </p><p>Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors and enforcement officers consider all reported cases of suspected aminopyralid contamination of compost. Decisions on possible compliance and enforcement action are taken on a case-by-case basis. In most cases it is not possible to establish whether or not residues of aminopyralid have damaged plants nor, if so, the source of the residues. HSE maintains close contact with the authorisation holder and continues to keep under review the effectiveness of measures put in place.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 16/09/2020 15:35:47 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1230954

registered interest
date	02/09/2020
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	Urban Areas: Chewing Gum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the environmental, (2) the health, and (3) the visual, impacts of chewing gum being deposited in urban environments; and what steps they are taking to ensure that companies benefiting from its sale are contributing to the cleaning of such gum.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7597
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government has made no specific assessment of the environmental, health and visual impacts of chewing gum being deposited in urban environments.</p><p> </p><p>We believe that businesses should try to reduce the amount of litter their products generate. The Litter Strategy for England, published in 2017, sets out how we intend to work with the relevant industries to tackle certain types of particularly problematic litter, including chewing gum.</p><p> </p><p>Defra chairs the industry-funded Chewing Gum Action Group (CGAG), which brings together the main chewing gum producer, Keep Britain Tidy, local government, the Chartered Institute of Waste Management, the Food and Drink Federation and the devolved administrations. The aim of the CGAG is to find and implement sustainable solutions to stop the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum and focus on changing individual behaviour in the long term. The CGAG has run annual behaviour-change campaigns for over ten years. We remain open to exploring other means of securing contributions from the industry to tackle gum litter.</p><p> </p><p>Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a member of the CGAG, has produced a free to use gum littering toolkit. Local authorities, businesses, transport providers or any other organisation interested in reducing gum littering can access readymade campaigns for free. This toolkit was promoted as part of Defra’s ‘Respect the Outdoors’ campaign that was launched this summer. More information can be found at: <a href="https://tacklegumlittering.co.uk/" target="_blank">https://tacklegumlittering.co.uk/</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 16/09/2020 13:40:35 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1230955

registered interest
date	02/09/2020
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: Sewage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of (1) the impact of spreading human sewage on farmland, and (2) the adequacy of current regulation and enforcement of the use of such sewage.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.</p><p>Sewage sludge spread to land as fertiliser or soil improver can be a valuable source of nutrients. The recycling of sewage sludge to land remains a safe activity, provided it is carried out in accordance with the relevant regulatory controls and good practice guidance is followed.</p><p>Currently, water companies in the UK can spread sewage sludge under either the more commonly used Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations (SUiAR) or the Environmental Permitting Regulations. Since the introduction of the SUiAR regulations in the 1980s, practices and treatment of sludge has changed considerably. To modernise this regime, in March 2020 the Environment Agency published a ‘Sludge Strategy’ which will review the safe use of sewage sludge. This strategy will enable better management of the environmental impacts of land spreading sludge, and modernise the regulatory framework surrounding the treatment, storage and use of sludge. Details on the strategy can be found via this link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use/environment-agency-strategy-for-safe-and-sustainable-sludge-use</a></p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 16/09/2020 13:29:09 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1228271

registered interest
date	29/07/2020
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	Marks and Spencer: Labelling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report National Food Strategy Part One, published in July, what assessment they have made of the remarks by Henry Dimbleby that the packaging of Marks and Spencer Percy Pigs makes "wilfully misleading" health claims.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7503
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/08/2020 answer text <p>I have noted Henry Dimbleby’s comments about M&amp;S’s use of the terms ‘with natural fruit juice’ and ‘no artificial colours or artificial flavourings’ on Percy Pigs. In terms of the application of the present EU law, it is the responsibility of local authority trading standards, who are responsible for enforcing food labelling, who consider the whole label when making a judgement as to whether or not it is misleading.</p><p>These statements do not constitute health claims as defined by current nutrition and health claims legislation. However, Mr Dimbleby’s comments used this product as an example of a wider issue where such claims may in some circumstances be viewed as confusing or misleading, in that they might present otherwise unhealthy food if not consumed according to recommended portion sizes with a degree of wholesomeness.</p><p>At the end of the Transition Period we will be able to determine how food on our shop shelves is labelled. We are committed to undertaking a wide ranging review of food labelling to ensure that consumers can continue to have confidence in the food they buy. We will ensure that in collaboration with DHSC the issues raised by Mr Dimbleby in his National Food Strategy are evaluated, along with the impact of potential policy options, as part of this labelling review.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 17/08/2020 11:43:21 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1226189

registered interest
date	20/07/2020
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	River Wharfe: Swimming
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to be able to respond to the application by river users and residents to turn part of the River Wharfe in Ilkley into a bathing water area; and by what process they are considering that application.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/08/2020 answer text <p>We received an application from the Ilkley Clean River Group in October 2019 for a stretch of the River Wharfe to be designated as a bathing water area. After reviewing further evidence, we are now preparing to proceed to a public consultation. Given the ongoing situation with Covid-19, we will schedule a date to begin the consultation as soon as it is appropriate to do so. This was confirmed by Minister Pow in a letter to the Ilkley Clean River Group on 13 May, following a meeting with Robbie Moore MP to discuss the application.</p><p> </p><p>We have considered the application in line with our usual process for applications for bathing water designation, the details of which are available on the GOV.UK website.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 03/08/2020 11:41:55 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle