Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect hares and their young during breeding season by establishing a legally enforceable close season for them.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only, with the potential for relevant policy to extend and apply to Wales.
While the Government has no immediate plan to introduce a close season for hares in England, the policy remains under consideration as part of the Government’s plans to introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take account of the role played by environmental horticulture in their definition of green jobs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The ONS defines green jobs as: "employment in an activity that contributes to protecting or restoring the environment, including those that mitigate or adapt to climate change" (2024, ONS - Experimental estimates of green jobs, UK - Office for National Statistics [see attached]). Given the wide-reaching nature of this definition, any occupations or tasks within environmental horticulture that fall under the definition, including for example tasks related to nature conservation, will therefore be included.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage the setting up of small local abattoirs or the provision of local abattoirs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra recognises the important role a sustainable smaller abattoir network plays in supporting the rural economy and food security.
Defra continues to work closely with the smaller abattoir sector and to provide support and advice to those wishing to establish new abattoirs.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to improve conditions for farm animals being transported for slaughter or further fattening.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is considering its priorities for improving welfare for all animals, including those that are transported to slaughter or further fattening.
We are putting in place regulations to ensure the ban on exports of livestock and horses for slaughter is implemented and enforced effectively. The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024 were laid before Parliament on 12 September, debated and approved in both Houses on 5 November and will come into force on 1 January 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture to include the ornamental sector of horticulture within its remit.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) is an independent industry led organisation. Although ornamental horticulture is not within TIAH’s initial scope, through the Environmental Horticulture Group, they have been working with the sector in areas where there are common issues and working towards longer term inclusion.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to provide longer-term core funding to some research and development institutions for advances in edible and ornamental horticulture.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farming and food production are at the heart of the Government’s agenda and an important part of our mission-driven government approach.
Building on our long-standing R&D investment in crop breeding, in July 2024, Defra awarded a further £15 million over the next five years to fund five crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs). This includes £9 million for horticulture (soft fruit; vegetables; and pulse crops).
The GINs will be delivered by consortia comprised of research institutes and universities; to deliver collaborative R&D to deliver breeding benefits for key UK crops.
For the first time, the GINs will incorporate research into underutilised and novel crops, helping to diversify the resources available to breeders and farmers. It will also harness the latest innovations in crop breeding, including the opportunities offered by the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act, to help farmers and breeders produce stronger, more sustainable and resilient crops for the future.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to develop a National Strategy for Horticulture in England.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate the vital work of the horticulture industry with its potential for growth and recognise that a long-term vision would recognise the specific needs and huge diversity of the sector.
As part of our mission-driven government, and in partnership with the sector, we are considering a number of ways to achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for the sector.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to introduce regulations to ban the use of electronic collars for animals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation and will bring forward plans in due course. The Government is considering available evidence around the use of electronic collars and their effects on the welfare of animals.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to ban the import of trophies taken from endangered species.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The government committed in its manifesto to banning the import of hunting trophies.
Asked by: Baroness Fookes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the horticulture strategy for England as set out in the Government Food Strategy, published on 13 June 2022.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The domestic horticulture sector is crucial to the resilience of our food system as well as an important part of our wider economy and we are committed to supporting it. We are delivering for the sector, investing more than £168 million to drive innovation and support food production, and have passed the new Genetic Technology Act to reduce the regulatory burden and unlock the potential of new technologies. Defra regularly engages with the horticulture industry to understand what support they need to continue to produce great British food.
I discussed this and other issues at the Farm to Fork Summit in No.10. We will build on this and set out an action plan for the horticulture sector in the Autumn, when we will also respond to the Labour Review.