Tag: Huw Irranca-Davies

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on poultry treated with hyper-chlorinated water entering the UK food chain; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    This issue has yet to be discussed in detail within the framework of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership TTIP negotiations and is unlikely to be until the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) delivers an opinion on the public health, safety and environmental impact of this treatment process. The Government will consider its position when the EFSA opinion becomes available.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on meat treated with antibiotics as growth promoters entering the UK food chain; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in the EU since 2006. Third countries permitted to export to the EU are required to have equivalent standards, therefore meat from those countries entering the EU should not contain residues of these substances.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on meat and dairy products derived from cloned animals in the UK food-chain; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    The Government believes that the existing EU Novel Food controls on the use of cloned material already ensure adequate protection of Community consumers. The scientific advice we have makes clear that meat and milk from clones or their progeny is just as safe as that produced by more traditional methods. We do not therefore see the need for any further controls at this point.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-06-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the regulatory impact of the changes to the CAP on farmers.

    George Eustice

    I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 23 June 2014. Official report: column 63W.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-07-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s position is in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations on pork and other meats treated with lactic acid and other organic washes entering the UK food-chain; and if she will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    This issue has yet to be discussed in detail within the framework of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. The Government will consider its negotiation position based on a range of factors including the environmental impact and public health benefit of such anti-microbial treatments that can reduce potential for foodborne illness.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will assess the desirability of separating responsibility for food safety policy and responsibility for food standards policy in England between the Food Standards Agency and his Department.

    George Eustice

    The Food Standards Authority is responsible for food safety and food hygiene across the UK, and for food law enforcement. Their strategic objective is safer food for the nation in order to protect the consumer.

    Defra is responsible for non-safety related food compositional standards and labelling policy in England. Most of these standards are set under EU legislation considered by EU Agriculture Council and there are synergies with the equivalent standards set through the Common Agricultural Policy. The underlying reason for regulating in these areas is to set internationally recognised standards to facilitate trade and ensure a level playing field for food businesses, whilst protecting consumers against product misdescription. Food composition and standards policy is not generally related to food safety.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to his statement of 3 April 2014, Official Report, columns 1034-7, on bovine TB, what the evidential basis is for the statement that about a third of badgers in TB hotspot areas are infected with TB.

    George Eustice

    The prevalence of M. bovis in badgers based on post-mortems and a subsequent analysis of the post-mortem protocol following the Randomised Badger Culling Trail (RBCT) showed prevalence of around 33%.

    In the long-running study of badgers at Woodchester park TB prevalence in badgers has increased to over 30%.[1]

    In a separate study in Gloucestershire between 35% and 53% of badgers tested positive to a TB test. [2]

    [1]Delahay et al. Epidemiol. Infect. (2013), 141, 1445–1456. Long-term temporal trends and estimated transmission rates for Mycobacterium bovis infection in an undisturbed high-density badger (Meles meles) population

    [2]Carter SP, et al. (2012) PLoS ONE 7(12): e49833. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049833 BCG Vaccination Reduces Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Vaccinated Badgers and Unvaccinated Badger Cubs.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of consumer confidence in the authenticity of British food.

    George Eustice

    Defra has not recently carried out its own assessment of consumer confidence in the authenticity of British food. However in 2013 consumer research carried out by both IGD and Mintel showed an increase in consumer trust in British food.

    The IGD ShopperVista survey carried out in March 2013 found that shoppers are now nearly one and a half times more likely to buy British food than they were six years ago, with younger shoppers and families driving this growth. The Mintel report on Consumer Trust in Food, published in June 2013, found that the factor most encouraging consumer trust in food was the use of British ingredients (48%), with product origin on packaging also seen as a key factor (43%).

    The Government is committed to clear and consistent labelling to help consumers make informed decisions about the food that they buy. On 13 December 2013, the European Commission adopted an Implementing Regulation setting out the detailed rules for mandatory country of origin labelling for fresh and frozen, unprocessed, pre-packed pork, poultry, sheep and goat meat. The rules come into force on 1 April 2015. Defra is reviewing with the UK food industry the current industry principles for meat labelled as ‘British’, with a view to re-launching and reinforcing them alongside the new European mandatory labelling requirement.

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many representations he has received opposing the removal of customer access phones from Jobcentre Plus offices; which Jobcentre Plus offices serving constituents of Ogmore constituency have been affected by the removal of customer access phones from such offices; and how many people in Ogmore constituency are being serviced by each such Jobcentre Plus office.

    Esther McVey

    The Department has received a number of representations on the removal of Customer Access Phones. The Department operates an Operational Stakeholder Engagement Forum, made up of charities, community organisations and customer representative groups, and this issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Forum in May.

    Jobcentres provide face to face support for claimants. Following the removal of Customer Access Phones, claimants who require access to a phone in connection with their benefit or job search will still be given controlled access to a telephone in a Jobcentre.

    Ogmore constituents are served by several Jobcentres as the Jobcentre network does not reflect constituency boundaries. A summary follows by Jobcentre in the constituency:

    Bridgend Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones have not yet been removed.

    Maesteg Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones were withdrawn, replaced by a new assisted service of face to face support in 2014.

    Llantrisant Jobcentre

    Customer Access Phones were withdrawn, replaced by a new assisted service of face to face support in 2014.

    Porth Jobcentre

    One Customer Access Phone is currently available; three were withdrawn between November 2013 and January 2014, because of falling demand.

    Jobcentre boundaries do not match constituency boundaries so we can only provide a breakdown for Ogmore in total, these follow below:

    · Total JSA claimants (March 2014): 1,559

    (Source: ONS claimant count with rates and proportions)

    · Total claimants (Working-age client group – key benefit claimants (August 2013)): 10,510

    (Source: DWP benefit claimants – working age client group)

  • Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Huw Irranca-Davies – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Huw Irranca-Davies on 2014-04-30.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2014, Official Report, column 37W, on rural areas: broadband, what the latest figures are for how much funding is for projects (a) granted, (b) under pre-contract approval and (c) still under consideration for funding.

    Dan Rogerson

    The current breakdown of funding to date that has arisen from the Rural Community Broadband Fund is as follows:

    a) Projects granted (contracted and in delivery) total: £0.459 million;

    b) Projects with pre-contract approval total: £0.634 million; and

    c) Projects under consideration total: £14.0 million.

    Until contracted, all costs are estimated and subject to revision.