Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution that the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemes will make to delivering (a) the fifth carbon budget, and (b) the objectives of the Government's Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) and the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to the reduction in carbon emissions and delivering against the ambitious environmental goals.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the government will support farmers and land managers to deliver on ambitions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives for the environment and climate.
The SFI will reduce the requirement for fertilisers by incentivising herbal lays or legume mixes. Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are anticipated to provide large carbon sequestration opportunities through tree planting, peatland restoration and agroforestry as well as continuing to offer capital grants that improve slurry storage all of which will deliver for the fifth carbon budget.
The SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are designed to support delivering the goals within the Environmental Improvement Plan. As set out in March 2023, this will include contributions to thriving plants and wildlife, clean air, clean and plentiful water, using resources from nature sustainably, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment.
As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making and how they are delivering against the goals of the Environment Improvement Plan.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the impact of the (1) Sustainable Farming Incentive, (2) Countryside Stewardship, and (3) Landscape Recovery schemes on (a) reductions in carbon emissions, (b) increased species abundance, and (c) the delivery of their commitment to protect 30 per cent of land and sea for nature by 2030.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In the Environmental Improvement Plan (published 31 January 2023) and the Net Zero Growth Plan (published 30 March 2023) the Government has set out how its environment land management schemes will contribute to environmental targets and reducing carbon emissions.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery are key interventions through which the Government will support farmers and land managers to deliver for the environment and to reduce carbon emissions. A detailed programme of monitoring and modelling supports the design of these interventions and their respective contributions to a range of objectives.
It is estimated that across the SFI, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery there will be significant contribution to Defra’s effort share to reduce carbon emissions through agricultural decarbonisation, tree planting, peatland restoration and other on farm changes. These interventions will also support the commitment to create or restore 500,000ha of habitat outside of protected areas to improve species abundance and halt species decline, this includes a commitment to support bespoke species recovery in key sites. Additionally, the interventions will ensure land is delivering for nature and new habitat created will be of sufficient quality to be protected, we have committed to ensuring that sites of special scientific interest are brought up to or remain in favourable condition.
As the environment land management schemes continue to be implemented the Government is undertaking ongoing research and analysis to quantify and refine the impacts these interventions are making.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the risks to animal and public health posed by individuals calling themselves veterinary nurses, despite not being registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons; and what plans they have to make "veterinary nurse" a protected title reserved for those who are properly qualified and regulated.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra are aware of concerns over people without suitable qualifications calling themselves veterinary nurses. There are over 19,000 veterinary nurses registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons with appropriate qualifications, although no assessment has been made about the impact of unqualified persons using this title. The protection of the tile “veterinary nurse” is being considered along with other proposals for veterinary legislative reform.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to discourage the promotion of ear-cropped dogs on social media.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The practice of non-exempted mutilations such as cropping dogs' ears is abhorrent and has rightly been banned in the UK for 15 years.
This Government is committed to eradicating the illegal cropping of dogs ears, not just addressing the practice's promotion on social media. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g. where it is not carried out for medical purposes, including the cropping of a dog's ears. Now that The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 has come into force, anyone convicted of such an offence, faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons in May. The Bill includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. This power will allow us to prioritise the welfare of dogs by prohibiting the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs into Great Britain that have been subject to low welfare practices, such as ear cropping or tail docking, in line with our domestic legislation on these practices.
In August 2021, HM Government launched an 8-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups in order to shape our future policy.
The department maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/.
We have also endorsed The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which was created to combat growing concerns about the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming and exchange and backed a set of Minimum Standards that PAAG developed which several of the UK's largest classified websites have agreed to meet.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the loophole in existing legislation that allows dogs with cropped ears to be imported into the UK.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The practice of non-exempted mutilations such as cropping dogs' ears is abhorrent and has rightly been banned in the UK for 15 years.
This Government is committed to eradicating the illegal cropping of dogs ears, not just addressing the practice's promotion on social media. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g. where it is not carried out for medical purposes, including the cropping of a dog's ears. Now that The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 has come into force, anyone convicted of such an offence, faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons in May. The Bill includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. This power will allow us to prioritise the welfare of dogs by prohibiting the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs into Great Britain that have been subject to low welfare practices, such as ear cropping or tail docking, in line with our domestic legislation on these practices.
In August 2021, HM Government launched an 8-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups in order to shape our future policy.
The department maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/.
We have also endorsed The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which was created to combat growing concerns about the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming and exchange and backed a set of Minimum Standards that PAAG developed which several of the UK's largest classified websites have agreed to meet.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the practice of cropping dogs' ears.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The practice of non-exempted mutilations such as cropping dogs' ears is abhorrent and has rightly been banned in the UK for 15 years.
This Government is committed to eradicating the illegal cropping of dogs ears, not just addressing the practice's promotion on social media. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is already an offence in England and Wales to carry out a non-exempted mutilation e.g. where it is not carried out for medical purposes, including the cropping of a dog's ears. Now that The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 has come into force, anyone convicted of such an offence, faces being sent to prison for up to 5 years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons in May. The Bill includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and on the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. This power will allow us to prioritise the welfare of dogs by prohibiting the importation and non-commercial movement of dogs into Great Britain that have been subject to low welfare practices, such as ear cropping or tail docking, in line with our domestic legislation on these practices.
In August 2021, HM Government launched an 8-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups in order to shape our future policy.
The department maintains a national communications campaign (Petfished) to raise awareness of issues associated with low-welfare and illegal supply of pets. This includes providing clear signposting on where responsible breeders and rehoming centres can be found and encouraging prospective buyers to research the seller thoroughly before they visit and decide to purchase. The campaign provides a list of red flags for buyers to look out for when searching for a pet online. More information can be found here: https://getyourpetsafely.campaign.gov.uk/.
We have also endorsed The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) which was created to combat growing concerns about the irresponsible advertising of pets for sale, rehoming and exchange and backed a set of Minimum Standards that PAAG developed which several of the UK's largest classified websites have agreed to meet.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the (1) import, and (2) sale, of dogs with cropped ears in the UK.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The practice of mutilating dogs’ ears is abhorrent and has rightly been banned in the UK for 15 years.
We already have some of the world’s highest animal welfare standards. The end of the transition period has opened up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We are actively listening to the concerns of stakeholders and the Government is considering options regarding the importation and commercial movements of dogs with cropped ears into Great Britain in line with World Trade Organisation rules.
Importers of animals must adhere to welfare standards as set out in Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and in domestic legislation, The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 (WATEO). This legislation aims to protect the health and welfare of animals during transportation and applies to dogs that are suffering injury as a result of non-exempted mutilations including cropped ears.
The maximum penalty for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal or cropping a dog’s ears in England is six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. However, the Government is committed to increasing the maximum custodial penalty for both of these offences from six months to five years. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Bill, currently before Parliament, which will implement this increase, will continue to receive Government support as it completes its passage through Parliament.
The Government also continues to raise awareness regarding the improper selling of pets by deceitful sellers in the UK and abroad through our ‘Petfished’ campaign. This seeks to educate prospective pet buyers on common tricks and tactics used by deceitful sellers which may result in the purchase of a mistreated or unwell pet, including those that have been subject to cropping. The campaign urges buyers to mitigate risks, for example by buying from trusted sellers such as those under the Kennel Club’s Assured Breeder scheme, viewing puppies with their mothers and siblings, asking questions of the seller and following the Animal Welfare Foundation and RSPCA Puppy Contract to ensure that puppies are in good health when purchased.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the average volume of storm sewage discharge has reduced since the completion of the scheme at the Whitburn long sea outfall in December 2017 compared to the average volume when using the previous system.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Based on the current available data there has been an approximate 37% reduction in spill numbers and a 43% reduction in spill volume since the completion of the enhancement works, against the average for the previous ten year period.
Prior to the completion of the enhancement works at Whitburn long sea outfall, records showed an average of 27 storm sewage discharge ‘spills’ totalling around 660,000 cubic metres each year for the ten year period from 2008 to 2017.
In 2018, the first year of operation for the enhanced system, records show 17 storm sewage discharge ‘spills’ totalling around 380,000 cubic metres.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs next plans to hold discussions with (1) Northumbrian Water, (2) Sunderland City Council, and (3) South Tyneside Council, on further reducing the impact of sewage discharges on beaches at (a) Sunderland, and (b) Whitburn.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The bathing beaches at Sunderland and Whitburn consistently achieve ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ quality under the Bathing Waters Directive. As required environmental standards are being met, the Environment Agency, which acts on behalf of the Government on local environmental planning matters, has no immediate plans to meet with Northumbrian Water or the local authorities about reducing the impact of sewage discharges.
The Environment Agency will continue to monitor bathing water quality and meet regularly with Northumbrian Water to discuss any improvements when they are required. It also gives planning advice to local authorities such as Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council on any matters that concern bathing water quality.
Asked by: Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the volume of storm sewage discharge has been since the completion of the scheme at the Whitburn long sea outfall in each month since December 2017 for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Verified data is provided for the total volume of discharge for each month between January 2018 and December 2019 when discharge events occurred.
Date | Volume of storm sewage discharged (m3 ) |
January 2018 | 10387.50 m3 |
March 2018 | 95323.50 m3 |
April 2018 | 114946.50 m3 |
July 2018 | 46641.00 m3 |
August 2018 | 55095.00 m3 |
September 2018 | 37882.50 m3 |
October 2018 | 16317.00 m3 |
November 2018 | 0 m3 |
December 2018 | 0 m3 |