Tag: Kerry McCarthy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020, published in February 2016, what changes are expected in exposure to (a) nitrogen dioxide and (b) PM2.5 by 2017.

Rory Stewart

In December last year Defra published new plans setting out how the UK Government intends to improve air quality and meet the requirements of the ambient air quality Directive for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the shortest possible time. Our ambition, as set out in the plans, is for the UK to have some of the very best air quality in the world. Improving air quality in our towns and cities will reduce exposure for a large number of people and have a positive impact in reducing adverse health effects.

For all UK zones we assess compliance annually for a range of pollutants covered by European air quality directives, including PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. All limit values, other than those for NO2, are currently met. The results are published in the annual Air Pollution in the UK compliance reports, which are made available on the UK-Air website: http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the updated farm animal welfare codes; how (a) much funding and (b) many staff her Department will provide for the update of those codes; and what research her Department plans to undertake related to the update of those codes.

George Eustice

We have the highest standards of animal welfare in the world, and we will be retaining the framework that upholds them. Defra will continue to work with industry to ensure farmers have the guidance they need to help them comply with legislation, and we will consult as and when updates are needed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which categories of recipients of grants awarded by her Department will be covered by the new anti-lobbying clause in Government grant agreements.

George Eustice

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs intends to await further guidance from the Cabinet Office with regards to the implementation of the grants clause following its review of representations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her plans are for assessing the effect of badger culling on the spread of bovine TB among cattle; and who she plans to undertake that assessment.

George Eustice

The Animal and Plant Health Agency continues to assess the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in areas where badger control is licensed.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish her Department’s 25 year plan on food and farming.

George Eustice

Work on the 25 Year Food and Farming Plan is currently on hold following the result of the EU Referendum. We now have an opportunity to consider our long term vision for food and farming outside of the EU. We look forward to continuing to work with a wide range of interests to develop that vision and to work together to deliver it.

It remains essential that the UK has a thriving food and farming industry with high animal welfare and environmental standards, access to international markets and a long term commitment to boosting productivity through innovation and skills. We are now focused on taking forward the actions that support these objectives, and continuing to develop our long term vision, in a different context.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to undertake a national monitoring survey of the pig population for the presence of MRSA.

George Eustice

A UK-wide baseline survey to look for the presence of livestock associated meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in UK pigs was performed in 2008 in line with European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) protocols. At that point, none of the farms tested were found to be positive for MRSA. Since then, the organism has been detected in livestock in the UK. Current advice from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Public Health England (PHE) is that LA-MRSA poses a low risk to human health.

The people that are most likely to become colonised by LA-MRSA are those who work with livestock. Defra is therefore undertaking a study with Public Health England (PHE) to investigate the occurrence of LA-MRSA in veterinarians and livestock workers. The results of this study will be used to inform the need for future surveillance.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department spent on cleaning rivers and waterways in each of the last five years; and what estimate she has made of the level of such funding in each of the next five years.

Rory Stewart

Over the past five years, Defra has made significant investment to protect and improve the water environment through a number of different mechanisms. These include funds for local improvement projects, Countryside Stewardship, Catchment Sensitive Farming, Grant-in-Aid to the Environment Agency (EA), and funding for flood risk alleviation schemes which have wider co-benefits for the water environment.

Defra’s funding is just one contribution. The EA estimates that around £5 billion per year is invested across the public, private and voluntary sectors just to protect our waters from deterioration in the face of challenges of population growth and climate change.

Funding in future years is subject to the Government’s Spending Review.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s priorities are for the next round of negotiations on CAP.

George Eustice

The European Commission’s current focus is on simplification of the CAP. UK Ministers are pressing the Commission and other Member States to be more ambitious in this exercise in order to reduce burdens and costs to farmers and administrators.

Our priorities for the next round of CAP reform were set out in our manifesto. Our aim is to deliver a new agricultural policy which is simpler, which contributes to productivity and growth in the farming industry and which also delivers for the environment and improves animal welfare.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-02-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to monitor the disease status of badgers within cull areas.

George Eustice

Testing of badgers between 1998 and 2005 via the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and Road Traffic Accident surveys provided evidence of the typical prevalence of TB in badgers in areas of high incidence of TB in cattle. TB was found in around one third of all badgers in these areas.

We are considering the case for a cost-effective method of testing badgers within cull areas in order to assess the impact of the current policy on badger TB prevalence.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many apprenticeship starts in the food and farming sector her Department estimates there will be in each of the next five academic years.

George Eustice

We aim to treble the number of apprenticeships started annually in food and farming from about 6,000 now to 18,000 by 2020. Defra will work closely with the Apprenticeship Delivery Board and the National Apprenticeship Service to support employers in the sector to engage successfully with apprenticeships. The introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017 is expected to provide an opportunity for growth in apprenticeships.