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  • Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Tim Farron – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Farron on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Rural Payments Agency staff have been tasked with responding to telephone enquiries from farmers on the Basic Payments Scheme in each year since 2011-12.

    George Eustice

    All staff in the RPA contact centre deal with external calls covering every part of the agency’s business, including the Basic Payment Scheme introduced in 2015. The contact centre is made up of a core telephony team but additional operational resource is deployed on the telephone lines to meet demand during peak periods. The average number of people, shown in Full Time Equivalents, is given in the table below. Accurate figures before 2013 are not available.

    Year

    FTE

    2013

    64.8

    2014

    81.4

    2015

    131.1
  • 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 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what UK representation there is at the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The UK is represented at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress by various members of the IUCN UK National Committee (IUCN NCUK). The IUCN NCUK is comprised of IUCN members in the United Kingdom and its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and also represents the interests of its Members in the IUCN Pan European region. The Chair and Chief Executive from NCUK are both in attendance at the Congress.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations she has received from scientists and other experts on the use of neonicotinoids and their effect on the bee population.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not received recent expert representations on this issue. However we do consider new studies on neonicotinoids carefully, taking advice from the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides, Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser and experts in the Chemicals Regulation Division within the Health and Safety Executive.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent research her Department has undertaken on the link between neonicotinoids and bee populations.

    George Eustice

    Defra has supported a range of research relevant to improving understanding of the effects of neonicotinoids and other pesticides on bees. Recent work includes the studies: quantifying the exposure of bumblebees to neonicotinoids and mixtures of pesticides (commenced 2013); interpreting pesticide residues in honeybees (published 2015); using radio-frequency identification devices to assess effects of pesticides on foraging bees (commenced 2013); and protection goals for bee colonies (commenced 2015).

  • Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Gregory Campbell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of badgers to be culled in the next 12 months.

    George Eustice

    Advice to Natural England on setting the minimum and maximum numbers of badgers to be removed in licensed badger control areas during 2016 can be found on the gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-to-natural-england-on-setting-minimum-and-maximum-numbers-of-badgers-to-be-controlled-in-2016.

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  • Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Peter Kyle – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Peter Kyle on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release by Natural England of 29 July 2016 to issue a licence permitting the control of up to 10 buzzards, if her Department will take steps to ensure that the granting of such licences does not endanger the buzzard population.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Buzzards are now widespread in England, with over 60,000 pairs in the UK (British Trust for Ornithology). The removal of a small number of birds will have no impact on the national population. Moreover, Natural England would not license any activity that would adversely affect the conservation status of a species.

  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department’s policy is on future funding of the LEADER and Countryside Stewardship schemes; what discussions she has had with her Ministerial colleagues on the funding of those schemes; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Scunthorpe, Nic Dakin, on 8 September 2016, PQ UIN44637. The Government’s announcement ahead of the Autumn Statement will also cover LEADER.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the badger cull.

    George Eustice

    The approach Defra takes to monitoring the effectiveness of the badger control policy, including the Chief Veterinary Officer’s advice, together with value for money analyses can be found on gov.uk.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Nicholas Soames – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what grants her Department has paid to the RSPB in each of the last five years; and for what purpose each such grant was paid.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Grant payments made by core Defra to the RSPB during financial years 2011-12 to 2015-16 are shown the table attached.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-09-06.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to eradicate bovine tuberculosis.

    George Eustice

    Our comprehensive strategy to eradicate bovine tuberculosis includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity on farm and when trading cattle, and badger control in areas where TB is rife.

    We have recently launched a public consultation and a call for views on proposals for additional cattle measures. These proposals follow enhancements made in April 2016, including post-movement testing of cattle entering the Low Risk Area and a more sensitive TB testing regime for infected herds in the High Risk Area. Natural England has this year authorised licensed badger control in ten areas where TB is rife.