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  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq to ensure that the residents of Camp Liberty are protected from attacks and receive supplies of food, fuel and medicine.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We strongly condemn the shameful attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on Thursday 29 October. Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad raised the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office on Friday 30 October and made clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

    In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi government doing everything possible to ensure the safety and well being of the residents of Camp Liberty. We support the UN’s calls for more to be done to protect the residents.

  • The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The Lord Bishop of St Albans – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the recent missile attacks on Camp Liberty in Iraq.

    Baroness Anelay of St Johns

    We strongly condemn the shameful attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on Thursday 29 October. Officials from our Embassy in Baghdad raised the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office on Friday 30 October and made clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident and ensuring that all those responsible are brought to justice.

    It is not clear at this stage who carried out the attack. Iraqi militia, the al-Mukhtar Army, has claimed responsibility, but we are unable to verify this claim.

    In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our Statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi government doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty. We support UN calls for more to be done to protect the residents.

  • Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2015-11-02.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to review the Teratology Society recommendation regarding mandating folic acid fortification in Europe.

    Lord Prior of Brampton

    We have not formally reviewed the 2015 Obeid paper but officials are aware of its conclusions which are in line with information already considered by Ministers.

    The recommendation in the Teratology Society in essence repeats current advice on folic acid supplements. There are no plans to review this advice.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assistance her Department is providing to the agronomic sector in the UK to reduce (a) carbon emissions and (b) water use; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    Agriculture produces relatively small amounts of carbon dioxide emissions with this gas accounting for around 10% of emissions from the industry sector. The major greenhouse gasses (GHG) produced by agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide. Defra has engaged with the agriculture industry in England to help develop an industry led approach, the Green House Gas Action Plan, which includes farming sector roadmaps for reducing GHG emissions. We will be reviewing progress on the action plan with the industry next year.

    The Government is investing £160 million in the UK Agri-Tech Strategy to help take our world class agricultural research to the farm. £60 million of Government and industry funding has already been committed to projects which aim to make farming more productive, resilient and sustainable.

    Rural Development Programme (RDPE) funded capital grants are available for reservoirs to improve security of water supplies for agriculture (including horticulture) and reduce pressure on summer water flows in the environment Capital grants to improve efficiency of water application to reduce water use are also available.

    Applications are also being processed for Countryside Productivity scheme capital funding for precision farming equipment to improve the accuracy of field operations and application of fertilisers and sprays, which can achieve savings of (typically) 5% plus in fuel, fertilisers and sprays with consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the productivity of UK farmland; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    Defra produces a number of statistics on UK agricultural productivity and these are published on the GOV.UK website.

    The land productivity index (calculated as total agricultural output divided by the amount of land in agricultural production) shows:

    2009

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013

    2014

    Productivity by land

    98.1

    100.0

    103.8

    99.2

    100.7

    107.7

    Index base year = 2010

    Care needs to be taken in interpreting this measure, as agricultural output is determined by a number of inputs, both within farmers’ control (eg. labour) and outside their control (eg. weather).

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote wildlife-friendly farming practices.

    George Eustice

    Agri-environment schemes play a major role in the conservation of wildlife in England. More than £900 million will be available for Countryside Stewardship for 2014 to 2020.

    Biodiversity is one of the main objectives of Countryside Stewardship. The Wild Pollinator and Farm Wildlife Package options within the scheme will be of particular benefit to wild pollinators, farmland birds and other species. The package will play a key role in supporting Defra’s National Pollinator Strategy.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to control the population of grey squirrels; and if she will hold discussions with shooting organisations on their potential role in such control.

    Rory Stewart

    In December 2014 Defra and the Forestry Commission published an updated grey squirrel action plan for England. This reaffirms the Government’s commitment to working with land owners and other organisations as part of a reinforced package of measures to support targeted grey squirrel control. The action plan includes:

    • Additional measures in forestry options of Countryside Stewardship for land managers to control grey squirrels (not just in red squirrel areas but in woodlands where squirrels are a threat to management plan objectives).
    • Plans for a national squirrel partnership to help local groups outside of grant schemes.
    • Support for research and evidence (for example squirrel pox vaccine and fertility control work).
    • Taking action on its land holding (the public forest estate).

    Defra is also one of 32 signatories to the UK Squirrel Accord, which aims to bring a concerted and coordinated approach to securing the future of our red squirrels and woodlands, and to controlling the introduced grey squirrel. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is also a signatory and a meeting of all the signatories is planned for 10 November.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on the foraging of food in natural habitats.

    Rory Stewart

    Species targeted for wild food foraging are generally common and widespread. These species that are deemed at risk are protected by the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

    Guidelines on the picking of edible fungi can be accessed at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Eng_NF_FungiCode.pdf/$file/Eng_NF_FungiCode.pdf

    Any proposals for wild food foraging on sites of special scientific interest in England would require consent from Natural England.

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  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of Larsen trap tampering there have been in each of the last five years.

    Rory Stewart

    Defra does not collect data relating to the interference with traps, including Larsen traps.

  • Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Daniel Zeichner – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Zeichner on 2015-10-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.

    Rory Stewart

    The European Commission is running a REFIT Fitness Check of the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives. This is an evidence-based assessment of the Directives’ effectiveness and efficiency.

    Defra supports the Fitness Check as a normal part of good policymaking and is fully engaged with the review. Our contribution to the evidence gathering process is available online here:

    http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/fitness_check/evidence_gathering/index_en.htm.

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