Tag: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-23.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to introduce country of origin labels for dairy products in (1) the UK, and (2) across the EU; and if so, when.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government supports the industry voluntary agreement for labelling origin of food, which has resulted in clear and honest origin labelling in the vast majority of dairy products sold in UK shops.

We have also been pushing for improved origin labelling for dairy products in Europe, including a proper consideration of mandatory origin labelling for lightly processed dairy products such as butter, cheese and cream. Many producers and retailers in the UK provide this information voluntarily, reflecting consumer demand and the acceptable cost of such schemes, but consumers can feel misled where this information is not available.

New Implementing Acts on origin labelling of the main ingredients of food where these are different from the place of production of the food itself have recently been proposed by the Commission and the UK will engage with the Commission to ensure that these measures are effective.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-09-06.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that regulations governing the exploitation on a significant scale of shale gas by fracking will be robust and will not permit an unacceptable level of self-regulation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Shale companies need permission from independent expert regulators before any hydraulic fracturing operations can begin:

– A licence for onshore oil and gas exploration is required from the Oil and Gas Authority

– Planning permission is required from the local Mineral Planning Authority

– Permits to operate a site are required from the Environment Agency

– Safety on a drilling site and standards of well construction are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive

– A drilling consent is also required from the Oil and Gas Authority

We are confident that we have a robust regulatory regime in place. The Government will keep the regulatory regime for shale under review as the industry develops to ensure it is proportionate and fit for purpose.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the numbers of medical and diagnostic staff working (1) Monday to Friday, and (2) Saturdays and Sundays.

Lord Prior of Brampton

The Department has not made an assessment of the number of medical and diagnostic staff working Monday to Friday; and Saturdays and Sundays. Information on numbers of staff by day of the week is held by individual trusts.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-09-05.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of rural crime on farmers and other rural businesses.

Baroness Williams of Trafford

The 2015 Commercial Victimisation Survey found that 24 per cent of agriculture, forestry and fishing premises had experienced at least one incident of crime (excluding online crime) a statistically significant fall of six percentage points compared with the 2013 Survey. Vandalism, theft and burglary were the most common crime types experienced by this sector. On average there were 330 incidents of online crime per 1,000 premises in this sector, which is around a third of the incidence rate for ‘traditional’ crimes against this sector. The majority of online crime incidents involved computer viruses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to process the claims under the basic payments scheme of farmers who are still awaiting mapping and registration before the close of the application period this year.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

As of 22 February the Rural Payments Agency had paid just under 71,000 farmers some £1.11 billion and is working hard to pay the remainder promptly. All those farm businesses registered on the Rural Payments service in 2015 remain registered for 2016 though they are advised to check their details and update them where necessary. We will communicate with those with outstanding queries to help them through the 2016 application window which opens in early March 2016 and closes at midnight on 16 May 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which department will lead the Brexit negotiations on food and farming, including negotiations about the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Prime Minister will lead our negotiations for leaving the EU and will be supported on a day-to-day basis by the Department for Exiting the European Union, with Defra leading input on food and farming policy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the average broadband speed in (1) North Yorkshire, and (2) London.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Data published by Ofcom shows that in 2011 the average broadband speed for London was 8.8 Mbit/s, with North Yorkshire averaging 6.6 Mbit/s and that by June 2015 commercial and BDUK programme roll-outs had led to an increase in the average speed to 32.6 Mbit/s for London and 22.5 Mbit/s for North Yorkshire.

This data can be downloaded the attached sheet and here:

http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/broadband/broadband-data-2011/

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their forecast timetable for negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU as regards food and farming.

Lord Bridges of Headley

The Prime Minister has made clear we will trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017. It is in everyone’s interests that we take time to establish a UK approach and clear objectives for negotiations. We have been clear that we will not provide a running commentary that might undermine our negotiating position.

We continue to receive views across the range of the Department’s responsibilities following the outcome of the EU Referendum. Defra will be working on our future policies in this area, liaising closely with other key departments on future support for agriculture, animal welfare, and the food and drink industry. The Government will work with industry and the public to develop these new arrangements.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-02-22.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implications for British farmers of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off in a reformed EU.

Separately, the UK continues to make the case for improvement to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) so that it is simpler and more effective. Reducing the administrative burden of the CAP on farmers is a necessary part of increasing the competitiveness of our food and farming industries.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering on 2016-10-10.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what process they propose for deciding which EU legal instruments on food and farming are maintained, amended or repealed after the UK leaves the EU.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The Government is considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including future arrangements for existing legislation. We look forward to working with the industry, rural communities and the wider public to shape our plans for a future outside the EU.