Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to support the establishment of (a) global and (b) national targets to reduce plastic production under the potential international plastics treaty under negotiation.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the forthcoming round of negotiations in Canada, we will be continuing to support a treaty that will address the full lifecycle of plastic, including restraining and reducing the production and consumption of plastic to sustainable levels, addressing plastic design, and encouraging more reuse and recycling of plastic.
As negotiations are ongoing and this is the first round of negotiations where treaty text will be negotiated, we cannot prejudge what will be agreed. The UK would support an overarching global target where the particular measures to reach the target are nationally determined.
As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of over 60 countries calling for an ambitious and effective treaty, we will continue to participate actively in these negotiations.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the ministerial department figures in his Department's workforce management information data for February and March 2023, for what reason the payroll staff numbers are different between the two months but the payroll staff costs are identical.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
March 2023 payroll costs were not available in time for inclusion in the March 2023 monthly workforce management information update, so February 2023 data was re-used as an estimate to be revised when the data had been received.
Payroll staff costs for March 2023 have now been revised in the Defra workforce management information collection on GOV.UK to reflect the correct payroll staff costs.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department calculated its estimate of the number of dogs which would be affected by a ban on XL Bully dogs.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra calculated its assessment of the number of dogs which would be affected by a ban on XL Bully dogs using evidence and data collated in consultation with key stakeholders.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the ability of the fishing industry to attract seasonal workers.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials and I regularly engage both other departments and the fishing industry, including in Northern Ireland, to understand their labour needs. In March 2023 Defra commissioned a survey to further understand the labour needs of the UK fishing fleet. The Government continues to support the sector to attract the labour it needs, having recently rejected the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that fishing occupations (51190 and 9119) be removed from the new Immigration Salary List. This means that those recruiting workers in these occupations will need to pay £30,960 instead of £38,700 when making use of the Skilled Worker visa.
We note, however, the Migration Advisory Committee’s concerns about exploitation in the fishing industry and the limited evidence of the sector’s efforts to reduce its reliance on immigration. It is important that industry looks to the domestic workforce to fill vacancies. However, the Government recognises that the sector needs further support to address some of these issues. Labour shortages cannot be solved through the immigration system alone and there is regular engagement between departments when developing policy. We will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on plans to tackle labour shortages in the fishing industry.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials and I regularly engage both other departments and the fishing industry, including in Northern Ireland, to understand their labour needs. In March 2023 Defra commissioned a survey to further understand the labour needs of the UK fishing fleet. The Government continues to support the sector to attract the labour it needs, having recently rejected the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that fishing occupations (51190 and 9119) be removed from the new Immigration Salary List. This means that those recruiting workers in these occupations will need to pay £30,960 instead of £38,700 when making use of the Skilled Worker visa.
We note, however, the Migration Advisory Committee’s concerns about exploitation in the fishing industry and the limited evidence of the sector’s efforts to reduce its reliance on immigration. It is important that industry looks to the domestic workforce to fill vacancies. However, the Government recognises that the sector needs further support to address some of these issues. Labour shortages cannot be solved through the immigration system alone and there is regular engagement between departments when developing policy. We will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the labour supply in the fishing industry.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials and I regularly engage both other departments and the fishing industry, including in Northern Ireland, to understand their labour needs. In March 2023 Defra commissioned a survey to further understand the labour needs of the UK fishing fleet. The Government continues to support the sector to attract the labour it needs, having recently rejected the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that fishing occupations (51190 and 9119) be removed from the new Immigration Salary List. This means that those recruiting workers in these occupations will need to pay £30,960 instead of £38,700 when making use of the Skilled Worker visa.
We note, however, the Migration Advisory Committee’s concerns about exploitation in the fishing industry and the limited evidence of the sector’s efforts to reduce its reliance on immigration. It is important that industry looks to the domestic workforce to fill vacancies. However, the Government recognises that the sector needs further support to address some of these issues. Labour shortages cannot be solved through the immigration system alone and there is regular engagement between departments when developing policy. We will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the sustainability of the future water supply.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies, consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Within the plans, water companies consider all options, including demand management and new water resources infrastructure. The draft plans show how the Government’s water demand targets will be met, including reducing leaks, and contain proposals for multiple new water resources infrastructure schemes, such as reservoirs, by 2050.
Further information on the water resources plans can be found in the Environment Agency’s Summary of England’s draft regional and water resources management plan published in March 2024.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of appeals dealt with by local authorities with respect to amending definitive maps of public rights of way in the last 12 months; and whether he is issued recent guidance to local authorities on dealing with such requests.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Planning Inspectorate considers appeals for definitive map modification orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with Schedule 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In 2023-24 the Planning Inspectorate considered 21 appeals with 19 decisions issued.
Guidance on Schedule 14 appeals can be found here. Further guidance for local authorities can be found in Rights of Way Circular 1/09 here.
Asked by: Greg Knight (Conservative - East Yorkshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what rules apply to compensation payments made to farmers affected by flooding from the (a) Farming Recovery Fund and (b) other schemes; and what mechanisms are in place to allow for a review when such payments have been refused.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The following rules apply to farmers eligible for support from the Farming Recovery Fund. Farmers will receive payments for all land parcels which are flooded contiguous to a river with notably high river level gauge readings following Storm Henk during 2 to 12 January 2024. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will determine those farm businesses who are eligible and the amount of funding they could claim. If there are questions, then the farmer should write to the RPA.
More details on the rules and eligibility guidance on implementation of the support available for other schemes activated under the Flood Recovery Framework was sent to Local Authorities, who manage the support provided by the Framework where it has been activated. Further review of the scheme is underway. Support available for farm businesses and residencies includes:
These schemes are run by the relevant Local Authorities and any decisions on appeals should be directed to them to review.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publication of the report on improving sampling and analysis of microplastics in surface waters and sediments.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The report has been published. It can be accessed via Defra’s Science Search web site - Measurement and Characterisation of Microplastics in English River Catchment Waters and Sediments - WT15135 (defra.gov.uk).