The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on compensation for farmers of the loss of CAP payments after the UK has withdrawn from the EU.
George Eustice
Decisions on the future of agricultural support will be taken once the new Government is in place. The Government will work with industry and the public to develop the new arrangements.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the closure of the SSI site in Redcar on (a) the natural environment and (b) Teesmouth national nature reserve.
Rory Stewart
Currently, the SSI site is being maintained in a ‘steady state’ which prevents any potential contaminants from entering the natural environment as well as keeping the public safe and the site secure. Teesmouth National Nature Reserve is not directly affected by the closure of the SSI site.
Natural England and the Environment Agency are working together with local business leaders, the Tees Valley Combined Authority and a range of non-government organisations, to explore and identify how existing operations, new economic developments and a series of ambitious environmental enhancements can be taken forward in combination with each other on the estuary. Any future uses of the site would readily be included in this approach.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support beekeepers whose colonies are at risk from notifiable diseases.
George Eustice
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, on 12 July 2016, PQ UIN 41793.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspectors are employed by her Department to monitor the health of bee colonies across the UK.
George Eustice
The National Bee Unit (NBU), part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), currently employs 1 National Bee Inspector, 7 Regional Bee Inspectors and 45 part-time, seasonal Bee Inspectors to monitor honey bee health in England. All Seasonal Bee Inspectors are employed throughout the beekeeping season (April to September) to look for bee pests and diseases and provide training to beekeepers on good husbandry practices. The NBU’s inspectorate carries out a total of over 5,000 apiary inspections each year.
Bee Health is a devolved matter. However, there are currently 10 bee inspectors who are contracted by APHA to carry out bee inspections and training in Wales. They are funded by the Welsh Government.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many beekeepers are registered on BeeBase.
George Eustice
There are currently 38,297 beekeepers registered on the National Bee Unit’s voluntary database BeeBase.
Defra continues to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland, (DAERA) on bee health. This includes previously exploring the option for Northern Ireland’s beekeepers to be able to register on BeeBase. As a devolved matter, the decision to join BeeBase is a matter for each devolved government to make.
Beekeepers in Northern Ireland can benefit from the wealth of information on the public pages of BeeBase which provide advice and guidance on identification of bee pests and diseases and good beekeeping practices to keep their hives healthy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sammy Wilson on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Agriculture Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive on enabling beekeepers in Northern Ireland to be registered on BeeBase.
George Eustice
There are currently 38,297 beekeepers registered on the National Bee Unit’s voluntary database BeeBase.
Defra continues to work closely with colleagues in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland, (DAERA) on bee health. This includes previously exploring the option for Northern Ireland’s beekeepers to be able to register on BeeBase. As a devolved matter, the decision to join BeeBase is a matter for each devolved government to make.
Beekeepers in Northern Ireland can benefit from the wealth of information on the public pages of BeeBase which provide advice and guidance on identification of bee pests and diseases and good beekeeping practices to keep their hives healthy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to protect birds of prey.
Rory Stewart
All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which provides a powerful framework for the conservation of wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. The Government is committed to ensuring the protection afforded to wild birds of prey is effectively enforced. There are strong penalties for offenders, including imprisonment.
Raptor persecution is one of six national wildlife crime priorities and is subject to a prevention, intelligence and enforcement plan.
The National Wildlife Crime Unit, which is part funded by Defra, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey and provides assistance to police forces when required.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will commission a comprehensive assessment of the levels of acetaldehyde that workers are exposed to in the UK chemical industry.
Justin Tomlinson
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no plans to commission an assessment of the levels of acetaldehyde that workers are exposed to in the UK chemical industry.
Acetaldehyde has been assigned a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL). WELs are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, averaged over a specified period of time, referred to as a time-weighted average (TWA). Two time periods are used; long-term (8 hours) and short-term (15 minutes). For acetaldehyde these are concentrations of 37 milligrams per cubic meter (mg.m-3) and 92mg.m-3 respectively.
Substances that have been assigned a WEL are subject to the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). COSHH requires employers to prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances. Under COSHH, control is defined as adequate only if a) the principles of good control practice are applied; b) any WEL is not exceeded; and c) exposure to asthmagens, carcinogens and mutagens are reduced as low as is reasonably practicable. As part of the assessment required under regulation 6 of COSHH, employers should determine their own working practices and in-house standards for control of exposure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to monitor the levels of acetaldehyde that workers are exposed to in the chemical industry; and what steps he is taking to reduce routine exposure to acetaldehyde in that industry.
Justin Tomlinson
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no plans to commission an assessment of the levels of acetaldehyde that workers are exposed to in the UK chemical industry.
Acetaldehyde has been assigned a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL). WELs are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, averaged over a specified period of time, referred to as a time-weighted average (TWA). Two time periods are used; long-term (8 hours) and short-term (15 minutes). For acetaldehyde these are concentrations of 37 milligrams per cubic meter (mg.m-3) and 92mg.m-3 respectively.
Substances that have been assigned a WEL are subject to the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). COSHH requires employers to prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances. Under COSHH, control is defined as adequate only if a) the principles of good control practice are applied; b) any WEL is not exceeded; and c) exposure to asthmagens, carcinogens and mutagens are reduced as low as is reasonably practicable. As part of the assessment required under regulation 6 of COSHH, employers should determine their own working practices and in-house standards for control of exposure.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anna Turley on 2016-07-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the safe levels of acetaldehyde to which workers in the chemical industry can be exposed.
Justin Tomlinson
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no plans to commission an assessment of the levels of acetaldehyde that workers are exposed to in the UK chemical industry.
Acetaldehyde has been assigned a Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL). WELs are concentrations of hazardous substances in the air, averaged over a specified period of time, referred to as a time-weighted average (TWA). Two time periods are used; long-term (8 hours) and short-term (15 minutes). For acetaldehyde these are concentrations of 37 milligrams per cubic meter (mg.m-3) and 92mg.m-3 respectively.
Substances that have been assigned a WEL are subject to the requirements of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH). COSHH requires employers to prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances. Under COSHH, control is defined as adequate only if a) the principles of good control practice are applied; b) any WEL is not exceeded; and c) exposure to asthmagens, carcinogens and mutagens are reduced as low as is reasonably practicable. As part of the assessment required under regulation 6 of COSHH, employers should determine their own working practices and in-house standards for control of exposure.