Tag: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 January 2024.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 January 2024.

Environment Secretary announces major updates for farmers, with an increase in funding and reduction in red tape this summer.

The biggest upgrade to the UK’s farming schemes since leaving the European Union has been set out by the Environment Secretary Steve Barclay at the Oxford Farming Conference today (4 January 2024).

The updates include funding uplifts, streamlined application processes, enhanced environmental incentives and support for the roll out of new technology. These will provide further support for British farmers, strengthening supply chains and helping deliver the Government’s commitment to continue to produce at least 60% of the food we eat in the UK.

Under the UK’s agricultural transition, new farming schemes are paying farmers to take actions that boost sustainable food production while delivering positive outcomes for the environment. The schemes are designed to work for all farm types and sizes, with thousands of farmers across England already taking part, and replace the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy which saw 50% of funding go to the largest 10% of landowners.

Speaking at the conference, Steve Barclay reiterated the Government’s support for British farmers and outlined the updated offer for 2024 which has been designed using farmers’ feedback and aims to bring more farmers onboard the schemes and facilitate even greater environmental ambition.

The improvements include:

• A 10% increase in the average value of agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship driven by increased payment rates, with uplifts automatically applied to existing agreements.
• A streamlined single application process for farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier.
• Around 50 new actions that farmers can get paid for across all types of farm businesses, including actions for agroforestry and those driving forward agricultural technology such as robotic mechanical weeding.
• Enhanced payments for ‘creation’ and ‘maintenance’ options to improve the long term incentives for farmers to create habitats and ensure they are rewarded for looking after habitats once they have created them.
• Premium payments for actions with the biggest environmental impact or combinations of actions that deliver benefits at scale, such as £765 per hectare for nesting plots for lapwing, and £1,242 per hectare for connecting river and floodplain habitat.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Farmers do the essential job of keeping Britain fed. That’s why I’ll back British farmers and help support farming businesses.

We have listened to farmers’ feedback and set out the biggest upgrades to our farming schemes since leaving the EU, with more money, more choice and more trust to support domestic food production whilst also protecting the environment.

We’re also making it easier for farmers of every farm type and size to enter the schemes, and I encourage everyone to take a look at how you can join the thousands of other farmers and land managers who are already receiving our backing through the schemes.

Farmers will be able to submit their applications for the 2024 offer from this summer, and the timeline for agreements being offered will be accelerated to help farmers benefit from the changes earlier than in previous years.

The application process will also be simplified in 2024 by enabling farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier through a single application.

Farmers and landowners can be paid for taking a range of actions under the government’s farming schemes, such as actions to improve soil health or providing nesting and foraging habitats for farmland wildlife. The Government has listened to feedback and introduced more ‘maintenance’ actions, alongside improving existing actions, to reward farmers who are already protecting the environment, for example through maintaining grasslands, wetlands and scrub. Farmers will also be paid more for existing actions to maintain habitats, with the price of maintaining species rich grassland, for example, rising from £182 to £646 per hectare.

The offer also includes more actions for shorter length agreements of up to three years to make the schemes more accessible for tenant farmers.

Today’s announcement builds on significant improvements to the farming schemes in 2023, with thousands of farmers already taking part. Around 8,000 farmers to date have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 and there has been a 94% increase in Countryside Stewardship agreements since 2020. This adds to the more than 50 Landscape Recovery projects to deliver large scale environmental benefits around the country.

It comes alongside ongoing support for farmer-led innovation and technology, with the Government committing over £168 million in grant funding to farmers in 2023 to drive innovation, support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment. This includes the Environment Secretary announcing a further £45 million at the Country Land and Business Association conference in November to fund robotic and automatic equipment and invest in research and development.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 January 2024.

Four committee member terms are extended.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 1 January 2024.

From today, households no longer have to pay to get rid of DIY waste at council recycling centres.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 December 2023.

On the eve of New Year reforms for the wine industry, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay today welcomed the scrapping of outdated rules inherited from the EU.

The reforms made possible by leaving the EU will uncork innovation, encourage sustainable practices and reduce burdens for businesses.

In addition to the UK’s longstanding status as a global wine trading hub, with a wine market worth over £10 billion last year, England and Wales have a fast-growing winemaking industry.

Now boasting almost 900 vineyards, hectares under vine in the UK have more than quadrupled since 2000. Viticulture – the cultivation and harvesting of grapes – is now Britain’s fastest-growing agricultural sector, employing around 2,300 people full time with a predicted 50% growth in jobs by 2025.

WineGB also reports 2023 is Great Britain’s largest-ever grape harvest, expected to produce an estimated 20-22m bottles and over 50% bigger on Britain’s previous record year in 2018.

Benefiting from perfect growing conditions in the south of England, English Sparkling Wine has seen a surge in popularity in recent years with 8.3 million bottles produced last year. The home-grown fizz is expected to be a popular choice for Brits to see in the New Year.

From tomorrow (1 January 2024), makers of English Sparkling Wine will no longer have to use mushroom-shaped stoppers and foil covers on bottlenecks, giving producers the choice to opt for simpler packaging to reduce both waste and costs.

Restrictions will also be scrapped on the making and selling of piquette – a lower-alcohol drink dating back to antiquity, made by extracting the remaining goodness from grapes left over after winemaking. This gives producers the option to create new income streams and tap into consumer demand for lower-alcohol drinks.

In a move welcomed by wine traders, the government will also remove the requirement for imported wines to have an importer address on the label, reducing administrative burdens for businesses.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Our departure from the EU gives us the opportunity to review and scrap outdated and burdensome rules that have been holding back our wine sector.

The reforms we’re introducing tomorrow will help our wine producers and traders become more profitable, dynamic, and sustainable – while freeing them from pointless red tape.

Looking ahead to 2024, I’m committed to this government continuing to support our world-class winemakers, vineyards and traders to grow and innovate.

Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB, the trade association for Great British vineyard and wine producers, said:

We welcome the additional choice that comes from this first phase of actions from the wine reform consultation. There will be producers who are keen to take advantage of all and every option to reduce materials on bottles, so we can expect to see fewer foils on sparkling allowing you to celebrate that bit faster, and with an environmental benefit.

We look forward to working with Government and the Defra team on future consultations, and am sure they will be as constructive as those now being implemented.

Earlier this week, the government announced that businesses will be able to sell prepacked still and sparkling wine in 500ml and 200ml sizes as well as a new 568ml ‘pint’ quantity.

The reforms coming into force tomorrow (1 January 2024) follow this year’s Wine: reforms to retained EU law consultation) on the overly complex and bureaucratic existing 400-page rulebook for wine. The changes aim to facilitate international trade and foster domestic innovation and growth.

• The UK wine market was worth over £10 billion in 2022 in off-trade and on-trade sales, and the UK’s developing domestic production sector has attracted significant global investment.
• The UK is a global hub for wine. It is home to a diverse and dynamic wine sector and is the second largest importer of wine in the world by value.
• In 2022, off-trade sales of still, sparkling, and fortified wine via supermarkets, convenience stores, and specialist off-licences in the UK were worth around £7.6 billion, while on-trade sales through hospitality outlets were worth an estimated £3.5 billion.
• The domestic winemaking sector in England and Wales is by comparison very small, but rapidly growing and developing a global reputation for quality. Production reports for 2022 show a 36% increase in production. There has been a 74% growth in hectarage of vines between 2017 and 2022 (from 2257ha to 3928 ha).

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 December 2023.

It is now illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, and abandon these dogs or let them stray.

New restrictions on the XL Bully dogs are now in force (31 December) making it a legal requirement for all XL Bully dogs to be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public. It is also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray from today.

The decision to ban XL Bully dogs was made following a concerning rise in attacks from these dangerous dogs, with 23 people sadly losing their lives after vicious dog attacks in the last three years. XL Bullies have been involved in many of these tragic deaths.

Owners are also being urged to apply to register their current XL Bully dogs, as the Government takes action to safely manage the existing population of the breed. There is only a month left to meet the deadline when the ban comes into force on 1 February.

Owning an unregistered dog after this date will be a criminal offence, with owners who don’t facing a criminal record and an unlimited fine.

Owners who do not want to keep their dogs after this date should take them to a vet to have them put down.

If owners are unsure whether their dog could be classed as an XL Bully, they should check their dog carefully against our guidance and photo examples of XL Bully dogs to help them decide.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

The Prime Minister pledged to take quick and decisive action to protect the public from devastating dog attacks with measures in place by the end of 2023. We have met that pledge – it is now a legal requirement for XL Bully dogs to be muzzled and on a lead in public. It is also now illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray.

All XL Bully owners are expected to comply with the law and we will continue to work closely with the police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare groups, with further restrictions on XL Bully dogs coming into force on 1 February.

The Government has taken a staggered approach to safely manage the existing population of XL Bully dogs, while ultimately banning the breed.

On the 31 October, XL Bully dogs were added to the Dangerous Dogs Act, with owners given two months to prepare for the first stage of the ban.

Since the 31 December [today], it is illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange, abandon or let XL Bully dogs stray. All XL Bully dogs must also be kept on a lead and muzzled when in public.

From 1st February all XL Bully dogs must be registered.

From 30 June, XL Bully dogs over 1 year old must be neutered, this is extended until the 31 December for younger dogs.

Notes to readers:

• Leading animal welfare organisations including Blue Cross, Dogs Trust, PDSA and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home have developed a range of helpful resources and free online learning opportunities to support owners to muzzle train their dogs.
• To register an XL Bully, owners must hold active public liability insurance for their dog, have had their dog microchipped, and pay the application fee. Owners will also be required to provide proof that their dog has been neutered. This will be by 30 June 2024 for most dogs, and by the end of 2024 for dogs under one-year-old on 31 January 2024.
• Owners who no longer wish to keep their dogs and who arrange for a vet to put them down may apply for compensation towards this. Owners and their vets will need to complete a form to make a claim.
• Owners can access the most up-to-date information on what action they need to take and when on this dedicated page, Prepare for the ban on XL Bully dogs – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If the dog is:

• less than one year old on 31 January 2024, it must be neutered and evidence received by 31 December 2024
• more than one year old on 31 January 2024, it must be neutered and evidence received by 30 June 2024
• If your dog is already neutered, a vet must confirm this by:
  • 31 December 2024 for dogs less than one year old on 31 January 2024
  • 30 June 2024 for dogs more than one year old on 31 January 2024

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 30 December 2023.

Every storm overflow across England’s water network is now monitored.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 December 2023.

Government will make it easier for people and businesses to reuse and recycle their old electrical goods.

The Government is set to make it easier for households to recycle electrical cords, devices and white goods under new UK-wide plans announced today (28 December).

Shocking statistics show an estimated 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools are wrongly thrown in the bin each year. UK homes are thought to hoard a further 527 million unwanted electrical items containing valuable materials such as gold, silver and platinum.

The waste generated during the festive period demonstrates the scale of the problem: 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are discarded every year in the UK.

To power the transition to a circular economy, government proposals unveiled today will change how we all dispose of electrical equipment, both large and small, ensuring retailers can turn old goods into new wares.

The move builds on the major steps already taken by the Government this year to clamp down on plastic pollution and clean up our streets.

A range of measures are proposed within the joint UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive consultation for introduction from 2026, including:

• UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households – saving the public from having to trek to distant electrical disposal points. The collections would be financed by producers of electrical items, not the taxpayer, and not necessarily require any further bins.
• Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product.
• Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement.

The proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is set to work closely with manufacturers, major retailers and small and medium enterprises throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and accessible options become a reality.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:

Every year millions of household electricals across the UK end up in the bin rather than being correctly recycled or reused. This is a sheer waste of our natural resources and has to stop.

We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with and our proposals will ensure these gadgets are easy to dispose of without the need for a trip to your local tip. Our plans will also drive the move to a more circular economy and create new jobs by making all recycling simpler.

The changes proposed also ensure suppliers of vapes properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste.

Nearly 5 million vapes are now thrown away every week, the equivalent to eight per second and almost four times higher even than last year. Industry estimates the potential yearly cost of collecting and recycling vapes, which have been incorrectly disposed of, at £200 million.

These measures build on the Prime Minister’s proposals to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, which is part of a separate consultation to create the first smokefree generation and crack down on youth vaping. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment.

Elsewhere, the consultation proposes extending obligations to contribute to the collection of waste electricals and the financing of their recycling and preparation for reuse to online marketplaces such as Amazon. This would ensure that major international suppliers have to comply with the regulations as well – not just British businesses.

A recent study on public attitudes and behaviours found that around 86% of people in the UK think it is worth recycling and taking the time to do it properly. It also showed many are unaware of or have difficulty accessing recycling points for waste electricals.

Around three-quarters of UK adults say they would recycle their electricals at their local supermarket, electrical retailer or charity retailer if it was available to them. More than 77% of householders would view a retailer as more environmentally responsible if they knew they offered an electrical recycling service.

As such, the Government has today launched a 10-week consultation on the proposed improvements to the industry-funded scheme for waste electricals, as committed to in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan earlier this year.

Increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

Rob Sant, Managing Director of AO.com’s electrical recycling operations, said:

We’re the only UK electricals retailer with its own fridge recycling plant, having invested over £20m in our mission to make new appliances out of old ones through our facilities. We recycle a fifth of all the fridges that are thrown away each year and, since we opened it in 2017, we’ve recycled or reused over seven million large appliances.

Being both a retailer and a recycler gives us a unique perspective to input to this consultation on the practicalities for our industry, driving higher standards and making it easier for customers to recycle more electrical waste.

Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, said:

Far too many electronic devices currently end up in the bin, so making it simpler and more convenient for householders to recycle waste electricals at home will undoubtedly play a key role in helping our sector return the valuable and rare materials in these devices back to the circular economy.

On behalf of those operating recycling centres and kerbside collection services, we welcome the opportunity to contribute through consultation and help create an effective system that delivers on its intended outcomes and works, not just for householders, but for obligated producers and retailers too.

Waste electricals and particularly vapes increasingly contain powerful batteries and are now responsible for hundreds of serious fires every year when not recycled responsibly, so we hope that offering convenient and widespread household collection services for these devices will also help reverse the growing trend of battery fires blighting the sector.

The proposed reforms for waste electricals build on the Government’s wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New restrictions on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers came into force on 1 October to help reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.

The Government is also moving forward with the implementation of our deposit return scheme for drinks containers and its extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.

A ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products has already been introduced alongside restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic items like straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds and last year’s world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax. Meanwhile, the single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by more than 97% in the main supermarkets.

We are taking action to conserve our finite resources, establish a more circular economy and protect the environment and human health from the negative impacts of waste.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 28 December 2023.

Government will make it easier for people and businesses to reuse and recycle their old electrical goods.

The Government is set to make it easier for households to recycle electrical cords, devices and white goods under new UK-wide plans announced today (28 December).

Shocking statistics show an estimated 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools are wrongly thrown in the bin each year. UK homes are thought to hoard a further 527 million unwanted electrical items containing valuable materials such as gold, silver and platinum.

The waste generated during the festive period demonstrates the scale of the problem: 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are discarded every year in the UK.

To power the transition to a circular economy, government proposals unveiled today will change how we all dispose of electrical equipment, both large and small, ensuring retailers can turn old goods into new wares.

The move builds on the major steps already taken by the Government this year to clamp down on plastic pollution and clean up our streets.

A range of measures are proposed within the joint UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive consultation for introduction from 2026, including:

• UK-wide collections of waste electricals directly from households – saving the public from having to trek to distant electrical disposal points. The collections would be financed by producers of electrical items, not the taxpayer, and not necessarily require any further bins.
• Large retailers rolling out collection drop points for electrical items in-store, free of charge, without the need to buy a replacement product.
• Retailers and online sellers taking on responsibility for collecting unwanted or broken large electrical items such as fridges or cookers when delivering a replacement.

The proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is set to work closely with manufacturers, major retailers and small and medium enterprises throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and accessible options become a reality.

Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:

Every year millions of household electricals across the UK end up in the bin rather than being correctly recycled or reused. This is a sheer waste of our natural resources and has to stop.

We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with and our proposals will ensure these gadgets are easy to dispose of without the need for a trip to your local tip. Our plans will also drive the move to a more circular economy and create new jobs by making all recycling simpler.

The changes proposed also ensure suppliers of vapes properly finance the cost of their separate collection and treatment when the items become waste.

Nearly 5 million vapes are now thrown away every week, the equivalent to eight per second and almost four times higher even than last year. Industry estimates the potential yearly cost of collecting and recycling vapes, which have been incorrectly disposed of, at £200 million.

These measures build on the Prime Minister’s proposals to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, which is part of a separate consultation to create the first smokefree generation and crack down on youth vaping. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment.

Elsewhere, the consultation proposes extending obligations to contribute to the collection of waste electricals and the financing of their recycling and preparation for reuse to online marketplaces such as Amazon. This would ensure that major international suppliers have to comply with the regulations as well – not just British businesses.

A recent study on public attitudes and behaviours found that around 86% of people in the UK think it is worth recycling and taking the time to do it properly. It also showed many are unaware of or have difficulty accessing recycling points for waste electricals.

Around three-quarters of UK adults say they would recycle their electricals at their local supermarket, electrical retailer or charity retailer if it was available to them. More than 77% of householders would view a retailer as more environmentally responsible if they knew they offered an electrical recycling service.

As such, the Government has today launched a 10-week consultation on the proposed improvements to the industry-funded scheme for waste electricals, as committed to in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan earlier this year.

Increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

Rob Sant, Managing Director of AO.com’s electrical recycling operations, said:

We’re the only UK electricals retailer with its own fridge recycling plant, having invested over £20m in our mission to make new appliances out of old ones through our facilities. We recycle a fifth of all the fridges that are thrown away each year and, since we opened it in 2017, we’ve recycled or reused over seven million large appliances.

Being both a retailer and a recycler gives us a unique perspective to input to this consultation on the practicalities for our industry, driving higher standards and making it easier for customers to recycle more electrical waste.

Jacob Hayler, Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, said:

Far too many electronic devices currently end up in the bin, so making it simpler and more convenient for householders to recycle waste electricals at home will undoubtedly play a key role in helping our sector return the valuable and rare materials in these devices back to the circular economy.

On behalf of those operating recycling centres and kerbside collection services, we welcome the opportunity to contribute through consultation and help create an effective system that delivers on its intended outcomes and works, not just for householders, but for obligated producers and retailers too.

Waste electricals and particularly vapes increasingly contain powerful batteries and are now responsible for hundreds of serious fires every year when not recycled responsibly, so we hope that offering convenient and widespread household collection services for these devices will also help reverse the growing trend of battery fires blighting the sector.

The proposed reforms for waste electricals build on the Government’s wider efforts to increase recycling and reduce waste. New restrictions on single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers came into force on 1 October to help reduce plastic pollution and keep streets clean.

The Government is also moving forward with the implementation of our deposit return scheme for drinks containers and its extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging to boost recycling and clamp down on plastic pollution and litter.

A ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products has already been introduced alongside restrictions on the supply of single-use plastic items like straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds and last year’s world-leading Plastic Packaging Tax. Meanwhile, the single-use plastic carrier bag charge has successfully cut sales by more than 97% in the main supermarkets.

We are taking action to conserve our finite resources, establish a more circular economy and protect the environment and human health from the negative impacts of waste.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 23 December 2023.

Environment Secretary invites people to raise a glass to UK farmers and food producers this Christmas.

As the UK stocks up on groceries ahead of Christmas Day, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay has paid tribute to the British farmers, food producers and retailers supplying our favourite festive fare.

From Scottish salmon and Norfolk turkeys to Yorkshire sprouts and the Kent apples which fill our mince pies, the best of British produce is the trademark of a traditional Christmas dinner.

According to the British Poultry Council, UK households will tuck into a staggering 8-9 million turkeys this Christmas – 90% of which are British.

Data from Kantar shows that two-thirds of the cheese and vegetables bought in the run-up to Christmas last year were British. Brussels sprouts remain a favourite accompaniment, with over 25,000 tonnes of British sprouts bought last year – over a third of which were in the festive season – alongside 3,500 tonnes of cranberry sauce, almost half of which was enjoyed at Christmas.

Meanwhile UK consumers spent £45 million on nearly 19 million Christmas puddings and £132 million on 98 million packs of mince pies last year.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Our farmers and food producers work hard all year round to keep the nation fed – but especially in the run up to Christmas to meet the demand for their top-quality, high-welfare, seasonal produce.

Gathering friends and family round the table to share great food is one of the best things about Christmas, but it’s so important to remember where it all comes from.

This year, I invite everyone to raise a glass to the dedicated farmers and food producers who fill our plates at Christmas.

Jim Bligh, Director of Corporate Affairs and Packaging at the Food and Drink Federation, said:

Food and drink manufacturers are working hard during the festive period and play a crucial role in producing and supplying food and drink so that households can enjoy their Christmas meals with friends and family.

The food and drink industry has many unsung heroes that will be helping to provide the much-loved food we eat at Christmas time, and I wish them all a very Happy Christmas.