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1460202

registered interest
date	25/04/2022
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	Soil
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their Soil Health Action Plan for England.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7914
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation. <ins class="ministerial">Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</ins></p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 28/04/2022 11:38:03 question first ministerially corrected 28/04/2022 11:44:50 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park previous answer version 67690 answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1460203

registered interest
date	25/04/2022
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: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) adjust dietary guidelines, and (2) act to (a) halt, or (b) reverse, the decline in micronutrients in British vegetable and fruit supplies, as reported in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, published on 15 October 2021.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7915
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s advice in the Eatwell Guide provides advice on how to have a healthier and more sustainable diet. It recommends food that is high in fibre, fruit and vegetables. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to shift towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle, whilst maintaining people’s freedom of choice, including their diet. We recognise more people are choosing vegan and vegetarian options and we are working to support these sustainable food choices.</p><p> </p><p>We have the ideal climate which together with highly responsive and versatile growers, the use of innovative best practice and new technologies, enables us to grow a huge range of top quality and nutritious fruit and vegetables in this country. We will continue to support our growers to produce more high-quality fruit and vegetables that is both healthy and sustainable and encourage the use of the latest precision breeding technologies which will ensure that our fresh produce is not only nutritious, but beneficial to the environment, more resilient to climate change, and resistant to disease and pests.</p><p> </p><p>Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve these important UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. These long-term programmes - valued at around £1M per year - have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also developing traits to improve the nutritional quality of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 28/04/2022 10:08:23 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1457019

registered interest
date	07/04/2022
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	Plastics: Packaging
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the discovery of microplastics in the lungs and blood of living people, what plans they have to accelerate the phase-out of single-use plastic packaging and containers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2022 answer text <p>This government has taken decisive action to tackle plastic pollution. Our plastic packaging tax is driving demand for recycled plastic, whilst our planned deposit return scheme will significantly increase recycling of plastic bottles, and cut littering. On single-use plastics, we have already introduced the carrier bag charge, which has cut single-use plastic bags in large supermarkets by 95%, restricted single-use plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, and banned microbeads in rinse-off personal care products. We recently consulted on going further still, and banning single-use plastic plates and cutlery as well as expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drink containers.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 26/04/2022 12:18:04 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1455631

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
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	Birds of Prey: Poisoning
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take any action regarding the discontinuation of the Dorset Police investigation into the poisoning of a white-tailed eagle in the county; and what steps they plan to take to protect white-tailed eagles and other domestic and wild animals from similar poisoning incidents.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/04/2022 answer text <p>Enforcement of wildlife offences is an operational matter for the police and it is not for the Government to comment on individual police investigations. However, where any protected birds are killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. We have significant sanctions for this type of wildlife crime in place which includes an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence.</p><p>The Government supports the White-Tailed Eagle reintroduction project and hopes this extraordinary bird thrives in England as it has in parts of Scotland.</p><p>The Government takes all wildlife crime seriously. To address concerns about the illegal killing of birds of prey, senior government and enforcement officers have identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. Defra continues to be fully involved with the police-led national Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group and Natural England continues to work closely with wildlife crime officers. Defra has also more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from £165,000 per year to over £1.2 million over the next three years to target wildlife crime priorities including raptor persecution. The NWCU monitors and gathers intelligence on wildlife crime and aids police forces in their investigations when required.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 12/04/2022 12:36:05 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1453808

registered interest
date	23/03/2022
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	Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
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 level of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination of agricultural land.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL7252
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>There is no formal Government assessment of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural land in England. The Environment Agency has undertaken some analysis of PFAS in soils as part of a work programme to examine the impacts of land spreading in England. Perfluorooctanoic acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, two PFAS substances which are designated Persistent Organic Pollutants, were tested in 96 soil samples collected from fields across England. None were present.</p><p> </p><p>Defra and the Environment Agency, working closely with other regulators, have set up a coordinated programme of work on PFAS to develop our management approach. This initiative will help to assess levels occurring in the environment, their sources, and the potential risks, to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. As part of the new UK REACH Work Programme, Defra has asked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a Regulatory Management Options Analysis.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 06/04/2022 14:59:02 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1439481

registered interest
date	09/03/2022
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	Grouse Moors: Controlled Burning
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 press release by the RSPB RSPB records peatland fires on grouse moors in supposedly protected areas, published on 9 March; and in particular the finding that 82 per cent of reported fires on what is believed to be peatland were on supposedly protected landscapes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL6787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>Anyone wishing to burn vegetation on deep peat (peat that is deeper than 40cms), within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and either a Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area needs a licence, granted by the Secretary of State.</p><p>We have published <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-licence-to-burn-on-deep-peat-within-a-protected-site/privacy-notice-applications-for-a-licence-under-the-heather-and-grass-etc-burning-england-regulations-2007-and-2021" target="_blank">guidance</a> to support the Regulations, which sets out the very limited circumstances where burning on deep peat will be seen as a permissible activity and a legitimate land management practice, conducted in the right place for the right reasons.</p><p>Where an organisation or member of the public believes that burning has been carried out illegally and notifies Natural England, its Enforcement Team will check the locations against records of protected sites and environmental data and carry out investigatory site visits as required. Supported by Defra, Natural England investigates cases where a breach of consent or regulation is suspected according to their published compliance and enforcement position.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 23/03/2022 17:06:12 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1433452

registered interest
date	21/02/2022
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	Paraquat: Exports
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 global number of (1) deaths, and (2) injuries, caused by UK exports of the banned herbicide paraquat to countries where its use remains legal; what assessment they made of the environmental impact of such exports; and what consideration they have given to restricting exports of pesticides that are banned in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL6216
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2022 answer text <p>We take our trade and international obligations for human health and the environment seriously and continue to monitor action in other countries and learn from their experiences.</p><p>The export of paraquat from Great Britain (GB) is regulated under the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulatory regime for the export and import of certain hazardous chemicals. Companies intending to export any of these chemicals from the GB must notify the importing country via the exporter’s Designated National Authority. For GB, the Designated National Authority is The Health and Safety Executive (HSE).</p><p>Paraquat additionally requires 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. This process is kept under review.</p><p>We believe it is essential that the use of actives that are known to be hazardous to human health or the environment should be subject to scientific risk assessment, mitigation and regulatory protections. That is why we support notification of the export of Paraquat under GB PIC and support its listing under the Rotterdam convention. ​</p><p>Additionally, the UK is committed to working internationally including through the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and United Nations Environment Assembly to support other nations to safely manage pesticides. We also believe in evidence-based international policy-making through the use of scientific committees, such as the Chemical Review Committee, and strengthening of the international ‘science - policy interface’ for chemicals and pesticides to support global decision-making.</p><p>We are progressing projects assessing the impacts of pesticides, including Paraquat, on human health and the environment in developing countries. We will continue to support developing countries to use pest management techniques which are most beneficial for them based on evidence and the expressed desires of the countries.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 07/03/2022 16:09:57 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1421084

registered interest
date	08/02/2022
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	Marine Environment: North Yorkshire
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 31 January (HL5420), and further to the research by Tim Deere-Jones reported in the Guardian article 'Study links crab deaths and dog illness to dredging for Teesside freeport', published on 7 February, what further assessment they plan to make of a potential link between the mass loss of sea-life around the North Yorkshire coast and reports of the ill-health of dogs which have walked in the sea and on the seashore.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL6071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2022 answer text <p>Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have been in touch with the University of Liverpool Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) which has been investigating the increase in reports of vomiting and diarrhoea (V&amp;D) in dogs in the Northeast of England. Investigations continue, but so far SAVSNET has reported a seasonal increase across England in V&amp;D commonly seen each year in dogs, with an exceptional peak in NE Yorkshire. There is some positive association with canine enteric coronavirus and no link to walking on the beach for the majority of cases. While it cannot definitively point to a common cause, SAVSNET does suggest this is a transmissible infection rather than contact with the beach area or sea water. Canine enteric coronavirus is an alpha-coronavirus and is not related to beta-coronavirus which causes COVID-19.</p><p> </p><p>The dogs recover after a few days, although some may require supportive care from their vet.</p><p> </p><p>SAVSNET stated on 3 February: “Between 29<sup>th</sup> and 31<sup>st</sup> January 2022 we had details of 208 cases submitted by vets and owners. The most common clinical signs reported were inappetence, and vomiting and diarrhoea both without blood. The majority (79%) of dogs had NOT visited the beach prior to becoming ill and many cases were reported inland (away from the coast). The vast majority of cases (94%) had been vaccinated in the last three years. The majority (56) of the 88 owners who had more than one dog reported that other dogs in the household had also shown similar signs possibly suggesting in infectious cause. The majority of dogs seem to recover within 7-14 days, although over 60% required treatment of some form. No underlying cause was reported and so the aetiology of this outbreak is still unknown.”</p><p> </p><p>SAVSNET is continuing with its investigation and we continue to keep this under consideration.</p> answering member printed Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park question first answered 22/02/2022 13:27:35 answering member 4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1419969

registered interest
date	04/02/2022
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	Pheasants: Import Controls
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what extra controls they have placed on the (1) import, and (2) release, of pheasants in light of the high levels of avian flu in Europe; and what assessment they have made of the impact on pheasant releases on the (a) prevalence, and (b) spread, of the disease in the UK.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5961
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2022 answer text <p>Poultry and poultry products, which include chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeon (bred for meat), partridge, quail, guinea fowl and pheasants, cannot be imported into the UK from within avian influenza disease control zones in European Union (EU) Member States. With regards to imports from non-EU Third Countries, the UK trade rules approve only a very limited number of countries outside the EU for import into the UK. All live poultry and poultry related products must be certified as disease free and therefore suitable for trade.</p><p> </p><p>Effective animal disease control is one of Defra’s key priorities and all disease control and prevention measures including those applied to game birds are made on the basis of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-europe" target="_blank">risk assessments</a> containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. Kept game birds cannot be moved on or off a premises in a disease control zone except under licence and the release of game birds is not permitted within any avian influenza disease control zone. Outside of disease control zones, game birds can be released into the wild, and game birds that have already been released are classified as wild birds and the person who released the game birds is no longer classed as the ‘keeper’ of the birds.</p><p> </p><p>Defra works closely with the Game Farmers Association and other game shooting, research and game conservation bodies to provide <a href="https://www.gfa.org.uk/user_files/uploads/Bird_Flu_and_Gamebirds%20-%2018%20Nov%202021.pdf" target="_blank">advice</a> on how game farmers can maintain good biosecurity at their premises and reduce the risk of the spread of avian influenza.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, in order to inform risk assessments and understand how avian influenza is distributed geographically and in different types of bird, including released game birds, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) engages in year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds in Great Britain submitted via public reports and warden patrols. Findings from this surveillance have included pheasants during the 2020/2021 outbreak and the risk of incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in wild birds is currently assessed as very high (with low uncertainty) for England and high (with high uncertainty) for Wales and Scotland. With regards to game bird releases, these are completed in earlier autumn typically prior to the high-risk period for avian influenza. The risk associated with gamebird activities which occur during the higher risk period for avian influenza, including shooting and gathering up of gamebirds (which occur overwinter and in the spring respectively) have been assessed by APHA and are used to inform decisions regarding control measures. The risk assessments are published and available on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-europe" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Contact either directly or indirectly with infected wild birds is the principal route of spread of avian influenza and the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 across Great Britain is currently assessed as medium (with low uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied, but high (with low uncertainty) where there are substantial biosecurity breaches or poor biosecurity. If, however, stringent biosecurity is in place the risk would be low for these premises.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 18/02/2022 14:47:33 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1418468

registered interest
date	31/01/2022
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing a legal definition of (1) sourdough bread, and (2) other sourdough products.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL5781
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2022 answer text <p>Defra alongside the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland, DHSC, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments are currently conducting 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 to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. As part of this, the working group is exploring the use of the term &quot;sourdough&quot;, to assess whether providing a definition of sourdough in any legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations would be beneficial to protect consumers.</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 and as part of the Government's Food Strategy, we are reviewing how food information, including labelling, can be improved. 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.</p><p>Bakers, including those producing sourdough products, can effectively market their products on their own merits within the rules as they stand, and legislation supports such marketing so long as it is not misleading. While discussions around the term &quot;sourdough&quot; are still ongoing, legislative intervention is just one option and should be restricted to areas where there is clear market failure. The Government is supportive of non-regulatory measures and encourages further work on the draft industry code of practice which could help achieve a better mutual understanding in this area.</p> answering member printed Lord Benyon question first answered 14/02/2022 14:38:44 answering member 1547 label Biography information for Lord Benyon
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle