Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support, if any, they are providing to banana producing countries in the Caribbean against the TR4 strain of Fusarium.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HM Government is supporting Overseas Territories in the Caribbean to identify the presence of the TR4 strain of Fusarium. Through services provided by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), four samples were received from the Cayman Islands in March 2021 which all tested negative for the invasive fungus Fusarium oxysporum. This is the only known instance of direct action on Fusarium. FERA is contracted by Defra to identify plant pathogens on endemic plant species in the British Overseas Territories and to provide advice regarding any findings of pathogens.
Through the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill we are supporting our world-leading scientists to use precision breeding technologies, such as gene editing, to develop plants that are more resistant to disease. There is work ongoing to develop banana varieties that are resistant to the TR4 strain of Fusarium.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many international seasonal workers they estimate will be needed for harvesting fruit and vegetables in the UK in 2022.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We estimate between 50,000 to 60,000 seasonal workers are needed annually to bring in the harvest in the UK. From 2022, we envisage that growers will increasingly recruit domestically, including British, EU Settlement Scheme workers and Ukrainians looking for employment in the UK, supported with 30,000 workers from the Seasonal Workers visa route and through increasing automation where possible. As announced in the Food Strategy White Paper, there will also be an additional 8,000 visas available this year for seasonal workers in horticulture.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the punishments available to the courts to deal with (1) fly tipping, and (2) illegal dumping.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Courts have the power to impose unlimited fines, as well as up to five years imprisonment in the most serious cases, for fly-tipping/illegal dumping. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts.
We will be conducting research into the current enforcement regime to understand challenges faced by local authorities and others.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reservoir capacity in (1) England, and (2) each of the nations of the UK, as part of their plan to avert water shortages (a) this summer, and (b) in the years ahead.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Environment Agency monitors water levels across England. At the end of May, across the regions of England, reservoir water levels ranged from 78% of total capacity in north-west England to 94% in east England. Reservoir levels for England were at 85% of total capacity. Most reservoirs are in a normal position for the time of year.
The Environment Agency’s National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, sets out the strategic water needs for England, and all its regions and sectors, up to 2050 and beyond. The Framework sets out how we will reduce demand, halve leakage rates, develop new supply infrastructure such as reservoirs, move water to where it is needed, increase drought resilience of water supplies and reduce the need for drought measures that can harm the environment. In the autumn, water companies will publish their statutory draft water resources management plans that will outline how they will manage their water supplies in the future.
Water policy is a devolved matter.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Natural England recently updated the Countryside Code, following significant stakeholder engagement. It comprises a version aimed at visitors to the countryside (updated April 2021) and a version aimed at land managers with public access on their land (launched February 2022). Monitoring and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the updated Countryside Code has been, and will continue to be, undertaken in several ways.
Natural England has included two questions relating to the Countryside Code in the People and Nature Survey for England since April 2021. This online panel survey, which has Official Statistics status, gathers evidence and trend data through relating to people’s enjoyment, access, understanding of and attitudes to the natural environment, and its contributions to wellbeing. One of these questions collects data on participants’ reported behaviours when visiting the countryside, corresponding to the behaviours included in the Countryside Code. The other question collects data on the extent to which participants have heard of the Countryside Code and follow it. Data is currently available for the period April to December 2021, which includes responses from a nationally representative sample of 18,747 adults in England (see attachment, 'PANS Monthly Countryside Code data for December 2021' (www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-monthly-indicators-for-december-2021-official-statistics)). A detailed analysis of this data will be carried out at the end of a full year’s data collection, during 2022/23.
In addition, Natural England recently delivered two small-scale stakeholder surveys focused on the Countryside Code:
Natural England will use these survey results as a baseline and will run further stakeholder surveys on an annual basis to track change in awareness and utilisation of the Countryside Code, and the impact of the Code on reported behaviours.
Natural England has also delivered internal evaluations of the impact of communication campaigns launched to promote the updated versions of the Countryside Code.
Natural England will commission a more complete evaluation of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code, and recent promotional initiatives, during 2022/23.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to take action on illegal hare coursing.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Measures to address hare coursing were included in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act that gained Royal Assent on 29 April this year. Hare coursing causes considerable distress to farmers, landowners and rural communities, in addition to the suffering it causes animals.
Our new legislation introduces two new criminal offences relating to activity connected with hare coursing and increases the powers of the courts to deal with offenders upon conviction. We have significantly increased the maximum penalties available upon conviction for offences under the existing and new legislation including, for the first time, the possibility of custodial sentences.
These measures will come into force on 1 August this year ahead of the start of the next hare coursing season.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban sky lanterns.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Research from 2013 showed that, whilst the overall environmental impact of sky lanterns was minor, they could pose a significant fire risk. Stakeholders have reported the risks have subsequently risen, and, as a result, we are commissioning new research to understand the risk they pose. This is expected in due course, and will allow for the Government to consider what further action might be justified.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deal with the problems caused by waste plastic silage wrap.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra is working to reduce plastic waste across all sectors – including farming.
With 68% of land in England dedicated to agriculture, we recognise that responsible management of farm plastic waste is essential to protect the wider environment.
Working with the Environment Agency, we are researching ways to drive recycling of agricultural plastics, and better support industry-led recycling initiatives, and expect to publish a report in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Natural England recently updated the Countryside Code, following significant stakeholder engagement. It comprises a version aimed at visitors to the countryside (updated in April 2021) and a version aimed at land managers with public access on their land (launched in February 2022). Monitoring and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the updated Countryside Code has been, and will continue to be, undertaken in several ways.
Natural England has included two questions relating to the Countryside Code in the People and Nature Survey for England since April 2021. This online panel survey, which has Official Statistics status, gathers evidence and trend data through relating to people’s enjoyment, access, understanding of and attitudes to the natural environment, and its contributions to wellbeing. One of these questions collects data on participants’ reported behaviours when visiting the countryside, corresponding to the behaviours included in the Countryside Code. The other question collects data on the extent to which participants have heard of the Countryside Code and follow it. Data is currently available for the period April to December 2021, which includes responses from a nationally representative sample of 18,747 adults in England (see attachment, 'PANS Monthly Countryside Code data for December 2021'). A detailed analysis of this data will be carried out at the end of a full year’s data collection, during 2022/23.
In addition, Natural England recently delivered two small-scale stakeholder surveys focused on the Countryside Code:
Natural England will use the results from these surveys as a baseline and will run further stakeholder surveys on an annual basis to track change in awareness and utilisation of the Countryside Code, and the impact of the Code on reported behaviours.
Natural England has also delivered internal evaluations of the impact of communication campaigns launched to promote the updated versions of the Countryside Code.
Natural England will commission a more complete evaluation of the effectiveness of the Countryside Code, and recent initiatives to promote it, during 2022/23.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any recent assessment of the development of the English sparkling wine industry.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a thriving domestic wine industry, with our sparkling wines standing out as among the best available today. This reputation has been built by our vineyards and winemakers, who recognised the UK climate and its geology as being ideal for the production of high-quality sparkling wine. This potential is stimulating further interest and investment in the sector, which has seen vineyard hectarage increase by a phenomenal 70% in the last five years. We now have approximately 800 vineyards, producing in the region of 10 million bottles a year, enabling our wines to be sold throughout the UK and in at least 30 markets globally.
Working with the reforms that allowed us to remove VI-1 certificates, Officials from the Cabinet Office Brexit Opportunities Unit and Defra are in the process of engaging with stakeholders as part of a deep dive review of the remaining wine sector rules we inherited from the EU. Areas under active consideration for reform include giving wine producers greater scope to develop products for the low and no alcohol sector and removing restrictions on bottle sizes. Defra will announce further details and bring forward regulatory reforms for consultation in due course. We aim to create rules that protect what we have but maximise the Brexit freedoms that allow our domestic wine and viticulture sectors, and our wine trade to innovate and flourish.