Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had, or will have, discussions with the Scottish Government about shared responsibilities for the water quality of the River Tweed.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State for Defra met with ministers from the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and DAERA on 16 September at their Inter-ministerial Group meeting. The group agreed to enhance joint scientific research and local field trials to tackle pollution of culturally and economically important water bodies, which could support efforts to protect and restore the River Tweed.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) European counterparts, and (2) other international partners, about how provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora are being implemented.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Defra officials regularly discuss how the provisions of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are implemented with both European counterparts and other international partners. This includes at regular meetings of the CITES Standing Committee which was last held in November 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following their consultation last year, whether they plan to introduce legislation to protect hedgerows this spring and during the bird breeding season.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
Following overwhelming support to our consultation last summer, which received almost 9,000 responses, on 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have they have made of the number of permissive access footpaths that have been closed to the public since permissive access payments provided through legacy environmental stewardship schemes ceased following the introduction of the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Financial support for the permissive access options within agri-environment schemes was withdrawn by Defra Ministers as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010. Existing agreements under the original Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) and Higher Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) were allowed to run their course to expiry, with final agreements ending by 2021.
Since 2010, agreements providing about 31,000 kilometres of CSS and 27,500 kilometres of HLS permissive linear access paths (footpath, bridleway/cycle routes, reduced mobility access and upgrades to existing paths) have expired along with 5500 ha (CSS) and 4000 ha (HLS) of permissive open access. These 58,500 km of paths and 9,500 ha of open access were present on about 3600 sites. Agreement holders with permissive access options were initially encouraged to continue offering access, if practicable, without payment, but we do not have any record of the extent to which this occurred. During 2021/22 Natural England, on behalf of Defra, will be conducting research to determine what happened to access provision after the end of Stewardship agreements to help inform future public access provision within schemes.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they gave to the provision of financial help to those on low incomes when introducing the 2015 rules following their consultation Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in England.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
A Regulatory Impact Assessment was carried out at the time that the 2015 rules were introduced. While no financial help is available for upgrading or replacing small sewage discharges regulated under General Binding Rules, the Environment Agency will agree a reasonable timescale with the owner where it identifies that improvements are required.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they gave to providing financial help to householders when introducing the 2015 rules following their consultation on Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in England where the discharge facilities were situated within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
A Regulatory Impact Assessment was carried out at the time that the 2015 rules were introduced. While no financial help is available for upgrading or replacing small sewage discharges regulated under General Binding Rules, the Environment Agency will agree a reasonable timescale with the owner where it identifies that improvements are required.
With specific regard to any discharge facilities situated within a Site of Special Scientific Interest, additional regulatory requirements only arise as a direct consequence of that if the discharge in question was first made on or after 1 January 2015.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they currently hold about the number of people on low incomes who are affected by the 2015 rules following their consultation on Reform of the Regulatory System to Control Small Sewage Discharges from Septic Tanks and Small Sewage Treatment Plants in England.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Neither the Environment Agency nor Defra holds any information regarding the number of people on low incomes who rely on non-mains sewerage systems.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to ensure continued access for British citizens to the EU pet passport scheme after Brexit.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The non-commercial movement of cats, dogs and ferrets is covered by the EU Pet Travel Scheme which has three categorisations of third country: unlisted, Part 1 listed and Part 2 listed. Third countries can apply to the European Commission to be listed under the EU Pet Travel Scheme.
The UK submitted its application to allow the UK to become a Part 1 listed third country under Annex II of the EU Pet Travel Regulations to the European Commission in January 2019. Should the UK become a Part 1 listed country, there would be little change to the current arrangements, with only minor changes needed for documentation and, in most cases, no change for owners from what they currently need to do in terms of their animal’s health preparation. It is now for the Commission to consider our application for listed status.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration, if any, they have given to introducing legislation to require wet wipes and similar products to list the proportion of plastics in their composition.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government recognises the importance of introducing requirements to inform and influence consumers on the appropriate use and disposal of products containing plastic. The Resources and Waste Strategy published in December 2018 makes commitments to develop mandatory labelling requirements and this work is underway. This includes wet wipes.
Asked by: Baroness Quin (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held, in conjunction where appropriate with the devolved administrations, with representatives of the UK's sheep farming industry about finding new export opportunities for that industry post-Brexit.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra Ministers and officials have regular meetings with the devolved administrations and with representatives of the UK’s sheep farming industry to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the sheep sector.