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1173124

registered interest
date	23/01/2020
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in eliminating Japanese knotweed.
tabling member printed	Baroness Wilcox
uin	HL774
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the threats posed by invasive non-native species including Japanese knotweed and has a comprehensive Great Britain Non-native Species Strategy designed to tackle these threats, the first of its kind in Europe.</p><p> </p><p>Local Action Groups, with support from the Government, are actively involved in reducing and eradicating Japanese knotweed. Increasing public awareness of the species and what can be done about it is an important part of tackling the problems caused by Japanese knotweed. To that aim, we launched the first Invasive Species Week in 2015, to bring together a wide range of organisations to raise awareness of invasive non-native species, to highlight work going on to tackle them and to inspire people to get involved and help prevent their spread. Invasive Species Week has gone from strength to strength, with eight administrations taking part in 2019 and 93 events held.</p><p> </p><p>Defra continues to fund a biocontrol programme through the release of a psyllid insect to tackle Japanese knotweed. The Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) is working to establish the highly specific psyllid <em>Aphalara itadori</em> in the UK and a population of climatically suitable psyllids from Japan is being studied in CABI’s quarantine in Surrey. It is hoped this will be the key to unlocking the potential of this agent to reduce the effort and cost of managing Japanese knotweed and its invasive capacity. Research is also underway to evaluate a leaf-spot fungus for use as a mycoherbicide.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed, which can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-japanese-knotweed-from-spreading" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-japanese-knotweed-from-spreading</a></p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 28/01/2020 17:15:32 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	1727 label Biography information for Baroness Wilcox

1172748

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
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
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 potential damage to the environment as a result of the three crop rule leading farmers to cultivate drenched farmland and thereby damage soil structures.
tabling member printed	Lord Carrington
uin	HL679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.</p><p> </p><p>If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for <em>force majeure</em>.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of <em>force majeure</em> are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL680 HL681 question first answered 28/01/2020 14:47:19 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4712 label Biography information for Lord Carrington

1172749

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the weather conditions experienced by farmers this planting season, what plans they have to suspend the three crop rule.
tabling member printed	Lord Carrington
uin	HL680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.</p><p> </p><p>If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for <em>force majeure</em>.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of <em>force majeure</em> are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL679 HL681 question first answered 28/01/2020 14:47:19 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4712 label Biography information for Lord Carrington

1172750

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to accept early Force Majeure claims as a prevention mechanism to ensure that soil structure is not damaged as a result of farmers trying to adhere to the three crop rule.
tabling member printed	Lord Carrington
uin	HL681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.</p><p> </p><p>If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for <em>force majeure</em>.</p><p><em> </em></p><p>We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of <em>force majeure</em> are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble grouped question UIN HL679 HL680 question first answered 28/01/2020 14:47:19 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4712 label Biography information for Lord Carrington

1172760

registered interest
date	22/01/2020
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the (1) effectiveness, and (2) accuracy, of Energy Performance Certificates as applied to domestic dwellings.
tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Whitchurch
uin	HL691
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government launched a Call for Evidence on Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in 2018, which covered questions of both EPC effectiveness and accuracy. We are conducting analysis of the responses and will publish a government response in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Duncan of Springbank question first answered 28/01/2020 15:46:59 answering member 4686 label Biography information for Lord Duncan of Springbank
tabling member	3792 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Whitchurch

1172387

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many soldiers have been recruited to the Army Reserves since January 2019.
tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
uin	HL611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Between 1 January 2019 and 30 September 2019 3,300 people joined the Reserves both trained and untrained. This consists of Army Reservists, sponsored Reserves, and those personnel now serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) who were recruited as Army Reservists.</p><p>Notes:</p><p>Figures have been rounded to 10 for presentational purposes; numbers ending in &quot;5&quot; have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.</p><p>Intake Statistics are published on a quarterly basis by Defence Statistics. These figures are taken from the most recent published figures.</p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 28/01/2020 14:19:57 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

1172396

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current (1) nominal, and (2) actual, strength of the battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
tabling member printed	Lord Campbell of Pittenweem
uin	HL620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The current trained strength of the Royal Regiment of Scotland by battalion as at 1 October 2019 can be found in the attached table, alongside the workforce recruitment.</p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 28/01/2020 14:20:27 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie attachment 1 file name HL620 - Current Trained Strength of Royal Regiment of Scotland by Battalion.docx title Royal Regiment of Scotland
tabling member	627 label Biography information for Lord Campbell of Pittenweem

1172418

registered interest
date	21/01/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Equatorial Guinea concerning the detention of Joaquin Elo Ayeto.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL642
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>​The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea and reports of arbitrary detention. We have no diplomatic mission or resident diplomatic staff in Equatorial Guinea. We use regular visits by our non-resident Ambassador (based in Cameroon) and discussions with the Chargé in London to raise human rights concerns. The British Ambassador raised human rights during his most recent visit in January.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 28/01/2020 12:33:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

1171779

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
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
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to fund the provision of independent advice for farmers in any new agricultural support schemes.
tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
uin	HL541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>Our Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is the cornerstone of our new agricultural policy. Founded on the principle of “public money for public goods”, ELM is intended to provide a powerful vehicle for achieving the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan and commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, while supporting our rural economy. <br></p><p>ELM is looking into several options for sourcing advisors, considering both private and public sector options. The options we are considering allow flexibility to source experienced advisors in the short-term for the National Pilot, whilst building sufficient and high-quality advisor capacity to support the full roll out of ELM. The National Pilot provides an opportunity to co-design with stakeholders and land managers the most appropriate way to provide this capacity and whether it is provided from the public or private sector.</p> answering member printed Lord Gardiner of Kimble question first answered 28/01/2020 14:50:06 answering member 4161 label Biography information for Lord Gardiner of Kimble
tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1171780

registered interest
date	20/01/2020
answering body	Department for Transport
answering dept id	27
answering dept short name	Transport
answering dept sort name	Transport
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to comply with International Maritime Organisation protocols that require ships to purify their ballast water to prevent the arrival of invasive species, including (1) Chinese mitten crabs, (2) Portuguese oysters, and (3) zebra mussels, in ships’ ballast tanks.
tabling member printed	Lord Berkeley
uin	HL542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2020 answer text <p>The Department for Transport is currently developing the UK legislative package to enable the UK to accede to the International Convention on the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments by Summer 2020 with implementing legislation in place by Autumn 2020.</p> answering member printed Baroness Vere of Norbiton question first answered 28/01/2020 14:05:01 answering member 4580 label Biography information for Baroness Vere of Norbiton
tabling member	3526 label Biography information for Lord Berkeley