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  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote farm produce made in the UK.

    George Eustice

    The Great British Food Unit brings together experts from across government and celebrates British food, encourages innovation and increases investment and exports by opening new global markets. 2016 is the Year of British Food and is the start of a five-year campaign. An example of recent campaign activity includes Defra jointly hosting a business summit with the Institute of Directors on 5 September. The summit was attended by around 120 representatives from Small and Medium enterprises (SME), including farmers, who attended sessions on how to grow their businesses.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that produce labelling does not suggest that produce not from British farms is from such farms.

    George Eustice

    The Food Information to Consumers Regulation (No 1169/2011) requires labelling to adhere to the principle that the consumer should not be misled. Article 26(2) of the Regulation imposes an obligation on food business operators to include an indication of the country of origin or place of provenance of a food if the failure to give that information might mislead an average consumer taking into account the label as a whole.

    The food business operator is responsible for ensuring that a brand name it uses does not mislead the consumer. It is for the relevant enforcement authorities to assess whether they consider that the use of a brand name is ambiguous or confusing for the consumer on an individual case basis.

  • Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nic Dakin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nic Dakin on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for a further round of Countryside Stewardship schemes in (a) January 2018 and (b) other years.

    George Eustice

    On the 13 August, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that any agri-environment agreements signed or with funding agreements in place before the Autumn Statement will be fully funded, even when those agreements continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU.

    The Government will make a further announcement before the Autumn Statement about arrangements for assessing how guarantees could be given to projects that might be signed after the Autumn Statement, but while we remain a member of the EU.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her policy to retain targets to recycle 50 per cent of waste by 2020 after the UK withdrawals from the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    While we remain in the EU, all rights and obligations associated with our membership will remain in place, including the target to re-use or recycle 50% of our household waste by 2020. Beyond that, the Government remains committed to actions to reduce waste and increase our rates of recycling. In our 2015 Manifesto, we set the goal of being the first generation to leave England’s natural environment in a better state than that in which we found it. This is a big ambition and one to which the Government remains committed.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Justin Tomlinson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Justin Tomlinson on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban the use of microbeads and microplastics in all personal care products, washing powders, household cleaners and industrial blast media.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    On 3 September the Government announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads where these are capable of harming the marine environment. Our plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, for example microfibres, which enter the marine environment.

    Given the trans-boundary nature of marine litter, we will also continue to work with other countries in the Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR) to address marine litter, including microplastics.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies on badger culls of the findings of the research paper, Badgers prefer cattle pasture but avoid cattle: implications for bovine tuberculosis control, published in August 2016.

    George Eustice

    Our comprehensive strategy to eradicate bovine TB includes tighter cattle controls, good biosecurity and badger control in areas where the disease is widespread. This new research, which was funded by Defra, provides further evidence that badgers and cattle contribute to the spread of bovine TB in areas where the disease is rife. Previous research has concluded that TB spreads within and between populations of badgers and cattle and that spread from badgers to cattle is an important cause of herd breakdowns in areas where the disease is widespread. Our strategy does not presume that direct contact between badgers and cattle is the most important route of TB spread between the two species and the new research does not provide evidence against the effectiveness of badger control. Biosecurity guidance promoted by Defra addresses all forms of TB spread and focuses on indirect contact between badgers and cattle in particular, as this type of contact has previously been identified as significant. This new research confirms this.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Lisa Nandy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lisa Nandy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her Department’s policy that the UK should comply with the air pollution limits set out in the EU Industrial Emissions Directive.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government takes air pollution seriously and is committed to improving the UK’s air quality, reducing health impacts, and fulfilling our legal obligations.

    As a full member of the European Union (EU), the UK aims to comply with all the rights and obligations of EU membership, including the air pollution limits set out in the Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to make it his policy that energy from renewable sources will be produced at (a) similar or (b) higher levels to those established by the EU Renewable Energy Directive following UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Mr Nick Hurd

    We are currently progressing in line with the trajectory set out in the Renewable Energy Directive, having met the Directive’s interim targets.

    There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU. Until we have left the EU, the UK will remain a member of the EU with all of the rights and obligations that membership entails.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to maintain air pollution targets set out in the ambient air quality directive following UK withdrawal from the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Air quality has improved significantly in recent decades; we are working at local, national and international levels and will continue to do more.

    The UK has a long commitment to improving the environment even before the EU – the Clean Air Act was introduced in 1956 – and our strong commitment to environmental issues will continue after the UK leaves the EU.

    We are now preparing to negotiate our exit. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone.

    Defra will be working with the Department for Exiting the EU on the UK’s withdrawal and future relationship with the EU, liaising closely with other key Departments on future support for farmers, the food and drink industry and the environment. The Government will work with industry and the public to develop these new arrangements.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on the management and regulation of the UK’s Marine Protected Areas and on Government plans to complete a coherent network of Marine Conservation Zones.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government remains committed to putting in place a well-managed Blue Belt to protect precious marine habitats and species. We are aiming for the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones to be comprehensive and complete our contribution to the ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas in the North East Atlantic. This network plays an important part in helping stem the decline of marine habitats and species and in aiding their recovery. Marine Conservation Zones are provided for through domestic legislation.

    We will be exploring options over the coming months for how best to protect the species and habitats that are found in our European Marine Sites set up under the Habitats and Birds Directives.