The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which Department will have lead responsibility for the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.
Margot James
The implementation of the UK’s national action plan on business and human rights is jointly led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on a potential establishment of a no-fly zone over parts of Syria.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As he made clear during the House of Commons Emergency debate on the situation in Aleppo on 11 October, the Foreign Secretary has every sympathy with the idea of no-fly zones and the motives behind them. The situation in Syria is appalling and we are working with international partners on ways to help alleviate the suffering of the people there, particularly those in besieged areas such as Aleppo. We continue work to identify what more the international community can do. The practicalities of any form of no-fly zone, or safe zone need to be considered very carefully and in close consultation with our partners. History shows these are not simple tasks, especially in intense conflict. In fact, there is a risk that safe zones can themselves become targets. Any party seeking to establish a safe area would need to ensure that it could be kept safe. We would need to understand fully the consequences, including the fact that we should not commit to maintain such a zone unless we were prepared to shoot down planes or helicopters that violated the zone.
Our priority continues to be the protection of civilians in Syria. We continue to use our voice in the UN and elsewhere to keep the focus on what is happening, to call for the Cessation of Hostilities to be restored, full humanitarian access, to allow the resumption of a political process. Political transition away from Asad is the only long-term solution.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the recording of food crime as an identifiable category of crime in police databases.
Jane Ellison
I regularly attend the Inter Ministerial Group on food crime, which includes representation from the Home Office.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-01-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the implications of the proposed extension of the Business Impact Target as set out in the Enterprise Bill for the work of (a) the Environment Agency, (b) the Forestry Commission, (c) the Marine Management Organisation, (d) Natural England, (e) the Water Services Regulation Authority and (f) the Farriers Registration Council; and what such discussions she has had on (i) the Food Standards Agency, (ii) the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority and (iii) the Groceries Code Adjudicator insofar as those bodies relate to her Department’s responsibilities.
George Eustice
My Rt. Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, will shortly issue a public consultation seeking views on the statutory regulators proposed to be brought within scope of the Business Impact Target, with a view to introducing the necessary secondary legislation.
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, pursuant to her Written Ministerial Statement of 17 December 2015, Bovine TB, HC 45409, when her Department plans to introduce statutory post-movement TB testing for cattle entering the low-risk area.
George Eustice
The legislation that will introduce statutory post-movement TB testing for cattle entering the low-risk area is expected to come into force on the next common commencement date, 6 April 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the proportion of rivers, lakes, coastal and ground waters in the UK that (a) are compliant with the EU Water Framework Directive and (b) will be so compliant by 2020; and when she expects all UK waters to achieve good status.
Rory Stewart
The principle environmental objective of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is to protect and enhance all bodies of surface and groundwater so as to prevent deterioration, with the aim of achieving good status for all water bodies by December 2015. The WFD provides exemptions which allow the deadline to be extended to 2021 or 2027 and, in some cases, a less stringent objective to be set, for reasons of disproportionate cost or technical feasibility.
Implementation of the WFD in the UK is a devolved matter. In England, 19% of water bodies are currently good status or better, 22% are predicted to achieve good status or better by 2021, and 75% of all water bodies have an objective of good or better status.
The breakdown by water category is detailed in the table below.
|
% water bodies at good or better now |
% water bodies predicted to be achieve good by 2021 |
% water bodies with an objective of good or better |
||||
|
Rivers |
17 |
20 |
74 |
|||
|
Lakes |
16 |
19 |
80 |
|||
|
Coastal |
44 |
48 |
71 |
|||
|
Transitional (estuarine) |
21 |
25 |
58 |
|||
|
Groundwater |
42 |
48 |
72 |
|||
|
All waters |
19 |
22 |
75 |
|||
“
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-11.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to maintain the statutory status of all the farm animal welfare codes.
George Eustice
The Government intends to retain statutory farm animal welfare codes.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-04-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department’s 25-year food and farming plan will contribute to delivering the Government’s emissions reduction plan.
George Eustice
The Food and Farming Plan will explore the role of technology in reducing emissions through improved feed efficiency, among other issues. It will also set out how we will work with industry to deliver emissions reductions across the rest of the food chain, including supporting the Courtauld 2025 objective of reducing food and drink emissions by 20% between 2015 and 2025.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on (a) European Commission and Parliament proposals to reduce the routine overuse of antibiotics in farming and (b) proposals for (i) an EU-wide ban on the routine use of antibiotics in groups of food-producing animals where no disease has been diagnosed in any of the animals and (ii) restrictions on metaphylactic use.
George Eustice
The objective of the review of EU legislation on veterinary medicines and medicated feeds includes tackling the threat of antibiotic resistance. The government supports measures that will provide a framework for reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock, including restrictions on preventative use.
When one or more animals have been exposed to a bacterial disease threat and could be sub-clinically infected, the metaphylactic use of antibiotics may be essential to maintain health and welfare.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-09-02.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Government did not meet the deadline for implementing the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards; who the Government consulted on its decision to delay that implementation; and whether the Government requested permission from the EU to extend that deadline.
Dr Thérèse Coffey
The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) applies to a limited number of species in the UK (stoat, badger, otter, beaver and pine marten).
Of these, the stoat is the only species for which lethal traps are used in the UK. Defra has been working with trap testing facilities to test the humaneness of spring trap designs that can replace traps currently in use. Testing to date has not identified a suitable alternative design that meets AIHTS standards.
Defra aims to implement the AIHTS as soon as is practically possible, but to use a permitted transition provision to allow delayed implementation of the agreement for stoats whilst a suitable compliant design is identified.