Tag: Kerry McCarthy

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and manage old landfill sites in coastal areas at risk of being breached by coastal erosion and changes in sea levels and (b) reduce potential future environmental consequences from such erosion.

Rory Stewart

Monitoring and management of old landfill sites including in coastal areas, is a matter for local authorities under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Part 2A of the Act provides for the local authority to carry out remediation itself where there is an unacceptable risk to human health, or the Environment Agency (EA) where there is serious pollution to controlled waters (these include coastal waters and important groundwater sources), and to then recover the costs from those who are considered liable.

The EA is actively researching this area including supporting a research project by Queen Mary’s University to assess the impact of historic Essex coastal landfills on the local environment. The EA hopes the research findings into these historic landfill sites may provide a useful contribution to future shoreline management plans.

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

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s oral statement of 27 June 2016, Official Report, column 23, on the outcome of the EU referendum, which officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be appointed to the new EU Unit.

Mr Oliver Letwin

The new EU unit will bring together officials and policy expertise from across Whitehall. Structures and staffing are being determined.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of requests made to slaughterhouses with CCTV to release their footage for independent review in each of the last five years; and in how many of those cases that footage was released.

Nicola Blackwood

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) Authorised Officers can and do review CCTV footage with the permission of the Food Business Operator (FBO). Where they have grounds to believe an offence has occurred FSA Authorised Officers can seize footage relevant to the offence.

As part of the regular audit and/or inspection process in slaughterhouses an Authorised Officer may ask an FBO for access to CCTV footage. Whilst the outcome of the reviewed footage will be recorded at a local level we do not keep a national log of such requests and therefore the FSA does not hold a record of this information. Similarly, we do not keep a national record of the number of cases where CCTV footage was released.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on measures to improve air quality in each year since 2010-11; how much funding has been allocated to air quality improvement in the 2015-16 financial year; and what estimate she has made of the funding needed until 2020 to bring air pollution levels to within legal limits.

Rory Stewart

The Government has committed over £2 billion since 2011 in measures to improve air quality. As road transport is the dominant source of pollution most of the funding has been allocated from the Department for Transport. Defra’s contribution has taken the form of payments made under the Air Quality Grant Scheme to support local authority action on air pollution. Total payments made under the Scheme in each year are as follows:

2010-11	£2,361,000
2011-12	£3,078,745
2012-13	£3,100,000
2013-14	£1,000,000
2014-15	£1,000,000
2015-16 (allocated)	£500,000

Future funding will depend on the outcome of the current Spending Review.

The government has recently consulted on draft national and local Air Quality Plans for the UK. The finalised plans will be submitted to the European Commission by 31 December.

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 process and timetable is for the European Food Safety Agency’s review of its restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids; and what representations the UK has made on that review.

George Eustice

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) recently completed the data collection phase of its review of restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids. EFSA has now been mandated by the Commission to deliver its conclusions by October 2016. The UK will contribute fully as it progresses. This is an important opportunity to produce an up-to-date assessment of this issue.

In the UK, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are undertaking comprehensive field trials which will help inform the review

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 the cost of the badger cull was in 2015; how much of that cost was for policing that cull; and what proportion of that cost was spent in (a) Somerset, (b) Gloucestershire and (c) Dorset.

George Eustice

Bovine TB is the greatest animal health threat to the UK. Based on current expenditure it will cost the taxpayer £1 billion over the next decade if we do not take rigorous action now. The Government is delivering a comprehensive strategy to eradicate the disease and protect the future of our dairy and beef industries. This includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity, and badger control in areas where TB is rife.

Total Government costs for the 2015 badger culls have not yet been finalised.

Policing costs for 2015, which will be funded by Defra, were as follows:

(a) Avon and Somerset: £555,514

(b) Gloucestershire: £553,005

(c) Dorset: £694,728.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-03-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that the new ship contract agreed for the Pitcairn Islands supply run will include best practice stipulations regarding biosecurity and waste disposal.

James Duddridge

The Pitcairn Island Government is currently in the process of tendering for a new freight and passenger service. We will stress to them the importance of the need for best practice for biosecurity and waste disposal.

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, if she will consult veterinary and animal welfare experts on the planned update of farm animal welfare codes; and if she will publish in draft those updated codes for consultation.

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, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on future funding of research by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs of the introduction of anti-lobbying clauses in government grant arrangements.

George Eustice

The Government is committed to supporting our excellent science and research community. The anti-lobbying clause is mandated by the Cabinet Office so the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be implementing the clause. No detailed assessment has yet been made against the future funding of research following the implementation of the new clause, but the initial belief is that it will have minimal impact. We are continuing to engage with the research community and will outline more detail in due course.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2016-05-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the recommendations of the final report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, published in May 2016, if she will introduce (a) a UK-specific target for the reduction of farm antibiotic use in livestock, (b) restrictions or bans on the use in farming of highly critical antibiotics and (c) improved transparency from food producers on antibiotics used for raising meat.

George Eustice

The UK Government welcomes the report and recommendations from the Independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. A full Government response to the recommendations will be published following purdah.