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  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of people who have undertaken (a) training and (b) refresher training approved by her Department on humane shooting of badgers in each of the last three years.

    George Eustice

    1. Natural England does not hold figures for the number of operators who have been trained to undertake licensed action but does know how many are trained and are licensed. Industry organisations are responsible for running the training courses and Natural England only holds the number of trained operators who were put forward by the control companies, and subsequently become authorised to undertake licensed action. For 2016, over the 10 licensed areas, 1446 operators are authorised to carry out badger culling (latest figures: 17/10/16).

    2. Natural England does not hold figures for the number of operators who attended refresher training. All operators who have been licensed in a previous year to undertake controlled shooting of badgers and who wish to be licensed again for the current year must attend refresher training. Industry organisations are responsible for undertaking refresher training. Natural England holds confirmation that each of these operators has attended refresher training.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many operators have been licenced to carry out badger culling; and how many such licence applications have been refused since the badger cull began.

    George Eustice

    For 2016 over the 10 licensed areas, 1446 operators are authorised to carry out badger culling, (latest figures: 17/10/16).

    The control companies submit details of those operators they wish to put forward to become authorised to undertake licensed action, (each operator does not submit an individual licence application). Natural England has not refused to authorise any operator where the relevant details were submitted; i.e. confirmation of attending and passing the relevant training or refresher courses and valid Firearms Certificate or Shotgun Certificate details.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with suppliers other than Statens Serum Institut to procure the BCG vaccine.

    George Eustice

    My officials have had initial discussions with other potential suppliers of BCG vaccine about the possibility of future supply

  • Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Caroline Lucas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Caroline Lucas on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential environmental benefits of a tax on disposable coffee cups.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    Major coffee chains already have a financial obligation to recover and recycle a proportion of the packaging they place on the market, including disposable coffee cups, as they are captured under the Packaging Waste Regulations. The industry is also taking further, voluntary action aimed at significantly increasing paper cup recycling rates by 2020.

    We will be consulting widely on our plans for resources, waste and recycling in developing our 25 Year Environment Plan.

  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to review regulations on food and drink packaging after the UK leaves the EU.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    The Government is developing its 25 Year Environment Plan, part of which will consider our regulations for resources, waste and recycling.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what methods are used to deliver her Department’s approved training on the humane shooting of badgers.

    George Eustice

    The training course on humane shooting of badgers consists of (a) a class room theory session, followed by a written theory test; and (b) Marksmanship Competency Assessment including a rifle test. Both parts of the training course are carried out by the industry organisations. However Government (Natural England) is responsible for approving the content of the training course and auditing the course tutors and course organisation.

  • Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Derek Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Derek Thomas on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the illegal killing of hen harriers.

    Dr Thérèse Coffey

    All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with strong penalties for committing offences against birds of prey and other wildlife.

    The Government takes wildlife crime very seriously and raptor persecution is a UK wildlife crime priority and has a delivery group led by a senior police officer to consider what action should be taken, and develop a plan to prevent crime, gather intelligence on offences and enforce against it. It focuses on the golden eagle, goshawk, hen harrier, peregrine, red kite and white tailed eagle.

    The National Wildlife Crime Unit, which Defra funds jointly with the Home Office, monitors and gathers intelligence on illegal activities affecting birds of prey and provides assistance to police forces when required.

    The Government has also published the Hen Harrier Action Plan, setting out proposals to increase hen harrier populations in England and includes measures to stop illegal persecution. A copy of the plan can be accessed at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/491818/hen-harrier-action-plan-england-2016.pdf.

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  • Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Grant Shapps – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grant Shapps on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to change its policy on the use of genetically modified organisms in farming after the UK leaves the EU.

    George Eustice

    As part of the preparations for EU exit, the Government is considering possible future arrangements for the regulation of genetically modified organisms. The Government’s general view remains that policy and regulation in this area should be science-based and proportionate.

  • 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 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential UK liability for EU disallowance penalties in relation to late payment by the Rural Payments Agency of Basic Payments in the 2015-16 CAP round.

    George Eustice

    Following the announcement made by the European Commission on 8 June, the UK will not be subject to late-payment penalties in relation to 2015 Basic Payment Scheme payments made by the Rural Payments Agency during the period 1 July to 15 October 2016.

  • Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Paul Flynn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2016-10-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she estimates that the BCG vaccine will be available to resume the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme; and what plans her Department has in place to procure BCG for this purpose.

    George Eustice

    We have no firm date for resumption of supply of the authorised product from the manufacturer, with whom my officials and Public Health England (PHE) are in contact. PHE and Defra officials visited the production facility in September.