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1309401

registered interest
date	15/04/2021
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	Bread: Marketing
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 his Department is taking to ensure that false marketing of fresh, wholegrain, artisan and sourdough bread will be prohibited by law in order to protect the customer and prevent SME Real Bread bakeries from being undercut by large manufacturers using such descriptors to market fundamentally different products.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	181242
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2021 answer text <p>Consumers are already protected from false and misleading marketing by both general consumer protection law and specifically by food information law. The rules on the provision of food information to consumers, taken together with requirements on the control of additives in food production, ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively in order for consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume.</p><p> </p><p>Bakers, including traditional and artisan bakers of high-quality bread, have the ability to effectively market their products on their own merits and legislation supports such marketing so long as it is not misleading. Any information provided with food, whether in words, pictures or symbols, must not be misleading to consumers.</p><p> </p><p>Officials have had extensive discussions with the Real Bread Campaign over a number of years, have taken their views fully into account and will continue to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 20/04/2021 12:16:32 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1308918

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Horse Racing: Animal Welfare
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 he has had discussions with the British Horseracing Association on when they plan to undertake a consultation on the use of the whip, as recommended in the Horse Welfare Board's five-year Horse Welfare Strategy; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of banning the use of the whip in horseracing.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	181161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>The Horse Welfare Board’s five-year Horse Welfare Strategy (HWS) <em>A life well-lived</em> was published on 20 February 2020. The HWS contains 20 recommendations for improving the welfare of horses bred for racing. The HWS recommends that, as a minimum, the penalties for misuse of the whip need to increase and that the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) should conduct a consultation on the use of the whip. The Strategy also recommends that this consultation should gather views on future restrictions on whip use and on a possible ban. Defra has been informed by the British Horse Racing Authority that the delayed opening of the consultation due to COVID-19 disruption will take place later in 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Defra officials will remain engaged with the BHA on the progress being made with the consultation. I would encourage anyone with evidence that a racehorse has suffered unnecessarily from being whipped to get in touch with the BHA and share their concerns. In the most severe cases of misuse, an individual may be investigated under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, as well as receiving significant sanctions from the sport.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/04/2021 14:58:33 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1308919

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Pigs: Agriculture
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 he is giving to pig farmers who have lost trade as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and African swine fever.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	181162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>This pandemic has had a huge impact on businesses up and down the country</p><p>We are continuing to monitor the pig sector recognising the challenges it has faced as a result of both Covid-19 outbreaks in processing plants and the end of the Transition period. The Secretary of State and I held a roundtable with the pig industry on 9 February to discuss these issues.</p><p>A further roundtable with the retail sector is planned for this week. Approving and maintaining the approvals of UK Food Business Operators (FBOs) for pork exports to China is a decision for the Chinese Authorities but Defra will continue to work closely with UK industry and the British Embassy in Beijing with the aim of securing China’s agreement to reinstate the approval of pork exports from de-listed UK FBOs. The Government has already made available considerable support for businesses impacted by the pandemic. Where appropriate, we would encourage pig farmers to access these funds.</p><p>African swine fever remains one of our key priorities in terms of exotic notifiable diseases. Whilst we have never had an outbreak in the UK, we continue to prepare for this eventuality.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/04/2021 14:56:33 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1308920

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Trapping: Sales
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 a ban on the sale of glue traps.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	181163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>We are aware of the concerns around the use of glue traps, which can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals.</p><p> </p><p>It is an issue we are looking at very closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.</p><p> </p><p>Anyone using glue traps has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 180968 question first answered 19/04/2021 13:06:11 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1309014

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Sewage: Pollution Control
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 he is taking to prevent untreated sewage from entering rivers and seas in the UK; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the penalties for water companies that breach the regulations on discharge.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	181165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>Tackling the harm caused by sewer overflows is a top priority for this Department.</p><p> </p><p>During periods of significant rainfall untreated sewage diluted by rainwater will discharge through storm overflows to avoid streets, premises and sewage treatment plants from being flooded. Water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-2025) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.1 billion. This investment includes undertaking 800 investigations and 798 improvement schemes to provide environmental improvements by reducing spills from frequently spilling overflows.</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that there is more to do to manage sewage pollution. I met water company CEOs and made clear that the volume of sewage discharged into rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced.</p><p>To achieve this, the new Storm Overflows Taskforce - bringing together Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs - has agreed to set a long term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce is now working on plans to start making progress towards that goal, and they have commissioned research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.</p><p>We are introducing new duties requiring the Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and to report progress to Parliament on implementing that plan. We are also introducing duties requiring water companies and the Environment Agency to publish data on storm overflow operations on an annual basis. These legally-binding obligations on water companies and government will reduce pollution in rivers – protecting wildlife and public health.</p><p>Water companies are currently producing for the first time comprehensive Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans to assess the capacity of their wastewater networks. We are also taking key steps through the Environment Bill to require water companies to produce such Plans on a statutory basis. These plans will be another tool to help address the risks that storm overflows pose to the environment.</p><p>The Environment Agency uses a range of enforcement options ranging from warning letters to prosecutions. The Environment Agency has brought 44 prosecutions against water companies in the last five years, securing fines of £34 million. £7.9 million has also been donated to environmental and wildlife trusts organisations in the same period through enforcement undertakings. The Environment Agency will continue to prosecute water companies which fail to uphold the law or cause serious environmental harm.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/04/2021 13:01:05 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1309015

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Trapping
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 his Department has made of the effect of glue traps on (a) bats, (b) other endangered species and (c) animal welfare.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	180968
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>We are aware of the concerns around the use of glue traps, which can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals.</p><p> </p><p>It is an issue we are looking at very closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.</p><p> </p><p>Anyone using glue traps has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow grouped question UIN 181163 question first answered 19/04/2021 13:06:11 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1309021

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Floods: Repairs and Maintenance
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 his Department provides grants to help towards the recovery of a person's home following flooding; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	180916
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>Following severe weather with significant impacts across multiple local authorities the Government can deploy the Flood Recovery Framework (Framework). Run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), there are several Government schemes available for people whose properties have been flooded.</p><p> </p><p>The Framework includes:</p><p> </p><p>o <strong>Community Recovery Grant:</strong> Eligible local authorities will receive funding equivalent to £500 per flooded household.</p><p>o <strong>Business Recovery Grant:</strong> Eligible local authorities will receive £2,500 per eligible small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) which have suffered severe impacts from the floods that cannot be recovered from insurance.</p><p>o <strong>Council Tax Discount:</strong> The Government will reimburse eligible local authorities for the cost of providing residents with 100% council tax relief for a minimum of three months.</p><p>o <strong>Business Rates Relief:</strong> The Government will reimburse eligible local authorities for the cost of providing a minimum of three months of 100% relief from business rates, or longer if the business is unable to resume trading.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In addition, Defra may implement the Property Flood Resilience (PFR) Repair Scheme in exceptional circumstances. This provides flood-hit homes and businesses in eligible district and unitary authorities, to receive a contribution of up to £5,000 towards making properties more resilient against future flooding.</p><p>Both the Framework and PFR Repair Scheme were activated following severe flooding in November 2019 and February 2020. Tewkesbury is eligible for both the Framework and PFR Repair Scheme for both events.</p><p>With localised flooding incidents local authorities are expected to have contingency arrangements in place to respond and support the recovery from within their existing budgets. They have discretionary powers to fund grants, loans or other payments for home improvements. This can include funding for PFR measures.</p><p>The Government has doubled the amount it invests in the flood and coastal defence programme in England to £5.2 billion over six years. This will better protect a further 336,000 properties including homes and non-residential properties such as schools and hospitals. On 1 February 2021, Defra published a Call for Evidence which included looking at potential changes to the funding formula to provide further benefit to frequently flooded communities. It also explored ways to increase the uptake of PFR measures to enable householders and businesses to better prepare for flooding. The Call for Evidence closed in March and the Government is currently considering the responses received.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/04/2021 12:55:32 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

1309128

registered interest
date	14/04/2021
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	Inland Border Facilities: Ashford
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 Environment Agency's impact assessment of the Sevington Inland Border Facility in Ashford, Kent.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	181113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>We do not intend to publish the impact assessment. The Environment Agency has consulted the Department for Transport (DfT) and concluded that disclosure of information relating to the construction, design, layout and operation of the Sevington Inland Border Facility is confidential and would adversely affect both public safety and commercial confidentiality.</p><p> </p><p>The Environment Agency is a statutory consultee for this DfT project and has provided advice relating to the environmental sensitivities, such as flood risk and risk of pollution to surface and groundwater. The Environment Agency’s advice to the DfT was taken into consideration during the development process and the Environment Agency is confident that the site has been designed and is being operated in line with it.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 19/04/2021 12:58:05 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1308476

registered interest
date	13/04/2021
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	Game: Birds
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 bringing forward legislative proposals to ban the use of cages in the breeding of game birds; how many animal welfare inspections of game bird farms in England and Wales were undertaken in (a) 2019 and (b) 2020; how many of those visits resulted in action being taken against the person responsible for a welfare breach; and whether follow up inspections were carried out in those circumstances.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	180659
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to improving our already high standards of animal welfare and are examining the evidence around the use of cages in farming, including their use for breeding pheasants and partridges.</p><p> </p><p>The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes offers additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds as required by the 2006 Act. It recommends that barren cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used and that any system should be appropriately enriched.</p><p> </p><p>The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out targeted inspections on gamebird farms. Advice on compliance is a key component of all APHA inspections.</p><p> </p><p>APHA game bird inspections conducted and action taken:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Inspections</p></td><td><p>District Holdings Inspected</p></td><td><p>Advisory Letter</p></td><td><p>Follow Up Visit</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>4</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/04/2021 15:04:20 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1308568

registered interest
date	13/04/2021
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	Pigeon Racing
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 the proposed date is to reinstate the General Licence for Gatherings to permit the return of pigeon racing.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	180468
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2021 answer text <p>The ban on gatherings for birds remains in place. No date for lifting the ban has yet been set.</p><p> </p><p>The general licence for bird gatherings was suspended on 11 November 2020. This followed the first case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in England in 2020 and the risk assessment which concluded that the likelihood of the presence of infection in wild waterfowl had increased to high and the likelihood that poultry would be exposed to disease to be medium.</p><p> </p><p>The risk assessment also found that the likelihood of disease introduction through gatherings was increased because of the cumulative risk relating to multiple places of origin of the birds attending and that the impact of an introduction of infection to poultry because of gatherings could be very severe. The ban is regularly reviewed, including whether gatherings of bird species of lower risk, such as pigeons, might be permitted before allowing gatherings of higher risk species such as ducks and geese.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 19/04/2021 14:44:54 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris