The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment he has made of the performance of programmes in the UK and other EU countries which aim to reduce litter; and if he will make a statement.
Dan Rogerson
The Government has not carried out any comparative assessment of the performance of litter reduction programmes in the UK and the rest of the EU.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Smith on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2014, Official Report, column 211W, on waste disposal: fire, how many of the incidents of fire reported at local authority operated waste management sites in 2012 and 2013 were repeated incidents at the same site.
Dan Rogerson
None of the five incidents of fire at local authority-operated waste management sites were repeated incidents at the same site.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 112W, on alcoholic drinks: counterfeit manufacturing, if he will carry out an assessment of the (a) scale of and (b) effect on public health of counterfeit alcohol in the UK.
Jane Ellison
I have been asked to reply.
There are slightly different issues concerning illicit, i.e. untaxed, smuggled and diverted alcohol, or counterfeit alcohol, i.e. attempting to copy existing well-known brands.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) works in partnership with all United Kingdom local authorities to tackle the production, distribution and sale of illicit alcohol. HM Revenue and Customs also works collaboratively with other UK enforcement agencies to tackle this threat. The Department of Health is concerned with any implications of these issues for alcohol policy.
The feasibility and costs of making any reliable estimates of the illicit and counterfeit alcohol markets would need to be considered. Government has no plans to make such estimates, other than the estimates published by HM Revenue and Customs for the illicit spirits market at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/measuring-tax-gaps
We will jointly keep these issues under review.
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the risk that meat not fit for human consumption could enter the human supply chain; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce such risks.
Jane Ellison
Food businesses have responsibility for producing safe meat. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) makes sure that meat not fit for human consumption does not enter the food chain, through the deployment of staff carrying out official controls or through the work of local authorities nationally. The provision of monitoring, sampling, surveillance and inspection across the links of the food chain are carried out in approved and registered food businesses. The legislation governing the production of meat is set out in various European Union and national regulations.
Key areas of control are:
– enforcement of strict regulatory standards and assessment of records relating to Food Business Operators’ food safety management systems;
– approval and registration of meat premises ensuring that only premises that meet the minimum standards set may operate;
– identification and labelling, animal health, animal welfare and veterinary hygiene activities;
– the enforcement of EU and national rules relating to production and processing of meat , and its storage and distribution is assessed through risk based audits and unannounced inspections;
– a network of veterinary research laboratories following sampling activities to test meat products for veterinary medicine residues, campylobacter etc.;
– close co-operation with the FSA and other Government Agencies on food safety issues;
– reporting of food fraud issues and wider cascade of topical areas of concern for focused attention and actions; and
– reporting of meat rejection results for disease surveillance and assessing the risk with a view to disease eradication and control programmes.
In slaughterhouses, official veterinarians carry out checks on live animals presented for slaughter, with inspectors carrying out post-mortem inspection checks of carcases and offal. In accordance with EU and national legislation, only meat that has passed stringent safety checks by the FSA will be health marked and allowed to enter the food chain.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions on IUU fishing took place at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on 24 March 2014.
George Eustice
The Council of Ministers on 24 March agreed to list Belize, Guinea and Cambodia as non-cooperating third countries, acting insufficiently in fighting against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Under the EU IUU Regulation, any imports into the EU of any fisheries products caught by these flag state vessels will be banned. In addition, Ministers discussed the proposed review of the IUU Regulation and the Commission confirmed its intention to undertake the review next year.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of compliance with the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010; and what assessment he has made of changes in the level of the welfare of greyhounds used for racing since the coming into force of those Regulations.
George Eustice
The Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 is due to be reviewed next year and this will provide us with an opportunity to see how well it has been working. Defra is working with key players in the industry and the welfare sectors to begin the review process.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Dobbin on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Drinking Water Inspectorate has conducted any research into the level of psychotropic drugs in UK drinking water.
Dan Rogerson
The Drinking Water Inspectorate has published the results of a study looking at the risk of pharmaceuticals and health care products in drinking water. This included consideration of commonly used compounds that might be considered to be "psychotropic".
These include carbamezapine (an antiepileptic and mood stabilising medicine) and fluoxetine (antidepressant). Additionally, the study considered the illegal drug cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine (sold as a topical analgaesic). Cocaine and fluoxetine were not detected in any samples. Only minute traces of benzoylecgonine and carbamezapine at levels several orders of magnitude below therapeutic doses were found in a few samples. This study has informed water supply monitoring and risk management by water companies.
The results of the study can be found on the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nick Raynsford on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Thames Water plc on (a) the change in capacity of the sewerage system in London required in consequence of (i) the Mayor of London’s revised draft housing strategy and (ii) the projected change in the population of London by 2050 and (b) the role of the Thames Tideway Tunnel in meeting demand for capacity.
Dan Rogerson
The Government has not held discussions with Thames Water on the details of the Mayor’s revised draft housing strategy or any change in the capacity of London’s sewerage systemrequired as a consequence of it. It is for Thames Water to take population changes into account as part of its business planning for the five-yearly price review process with Ofwat.
However, Defra is working closely with Thames Water on enabling construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel. The Tunnel will significantly reduce pollution in the Tidal Thames caused by sewage overflowing into the River Thames from combined sewage overflows when there is significant rainfall. It will also ensure that London’s Victorian sewerage system, which is currently close to capacity at certain times of day, is able to meet the needs of the predicted increase in population in central London. This is set out in the economic and strategic case for the Tunnel, which can be viewed at the gov.uk website.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has assessed the comparative sustainability of sourced materials and manufacture of smart phones from (a) Apple, (b) Fairphone, (c) Huawei, (d) Lenovo, (e) LG Electornics, (f) Nokia and (g) Samsung in its role in promoting sustainable procurement policies across Government.
Dan Rogerson
Defra has not undertaken a comparative assessment of mobile phones from these manufacturers, and does not provide procurement standards across Government or guidance specific to mobile phones.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graeme Morrice on 2014-04-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has any plans to end the employee trade union membership dues check-off system.
Dan Rogerson
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Leicester South on Thursday, 03 April 2014: Official Report column 765w.
Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department is (a) undertaking or (b) plans to undertake a review of the check-off union subscription provision. [194039]
Dan Rogerson: DEFRA is currently reviewing the provision of check-off for trade union subscriptions.