Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support or mitigations they are providing to assist businesses in implementing phase three food labelling requirements under the Windsor Framework, in the light of the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has fully considered the impacts on business of phase three labelling requirements, including on costs. Those requirements are considered to be a proportionate and necessary way of enabling smooth movement of food and drink products between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We meet regularly with affected businesses and their representatives in the interests of supporting them in meeting the requirements of the Windsor Framework.
The Government is currently negotiating an UK-EU SPS Agreement, which would remove a broad set of requirements for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Under that agreement the need to label goods as ‘not for EU’ is expected to diminish significantly. Achieving these benefits relies on the UK continuing in the interim to meet its existing commitments under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs incurred by private sector organisations in preparing for the cancelled EU fruit and vegetable import checks under the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Work to bring forward the end to fruit and vegetable easements (i.e. implementing BTOM checks on fruit and veg) paused earlier this year reflecting the decision not to implement the full BTOM check regime in the context of an SPS agreement with the EU. Accordingly, analysis of the business impacts of the BTOM checks on fruit and veg paused earlier this year and finalised cost impacts are not available.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - 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 costs to the private sector of preparing for and complying with the phase three food labelling requirements under the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has fully considered the impacts on business of phase three labelling requirements, including on costs. Those requirements are considered to be a proportionate and necessary way of enabling smooth movement of food and drink products between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. We meet regularly with affected businesses and their representatives in the interests of supporting them in meeting the requirements of the Windsor Framework.
The Government is currently negotiating an UK-EU SPS Agreement, which would remove a broad set of requirements for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. Under that agreement the need to label goods as ‘not for EU’ is expected to diminish significantly. Achieving these benefits relies on the UK continuing in the interim to meet its existing commitments under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the planned Border Target Operating Model checks on imports to Great Britain from the Republic of Ireland via west coast ports will proceed following the proposed UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In light of the plans set out at the UK-EU summit on 19 May, the United Kingdom and devolved governments have decided to pause implementation of further import controls on imports of EU and EFTA live animals, and non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods arriving from Ireland and Northern Ireland. We will keep this pause under review as negotiations progress. We have been clear that compliance with existing Border Target Operating Model controls must continue until further notice because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 20 May (HL7268), what engagement they have had with logistics businesses about the current system that is used to notify drivers of physical checks of their vehicle under the Border Target Operating Model without specifying which consignment is affected.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Border Target Operating model (BTOM) was developed following extensive engagement with businesses (including the logistics sector) across the UK, points of entry, enforcement agencies and with the Scottish and Welsh Governments.
Defra continues to have regular engagement with border stakeholders including the logistics sector, to discuss operational aspects of the BTOM implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the annual cost savings to the food and logistics sectors resulting from the cancellation of new checks on EU fruit and vegetable imports under the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Work to bring forwards the end to fruit and veg easements (i.e., implementing Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) checks on fruit and veg) paused earlier this year. This reflects the decision not to implement the full BTOM check regime in the context of an SPS agreement with the EU. Accordingly, analysis of the business impacts of the BTOM checks on fruit and veg paused earlier this year and finalised cost impacts are not available.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a report on the implementation of the policies set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement, published on 22 November 2022.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The fisheries policy authorities are required to publish a report every three years setting out the extent to which the policies in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS) have been implemented, and the contribution these policies have made towards achieving the Fisheries Act 2020 objectives. The first report must cover the policies implemented in the three-year period following the publication of the JFS on 22 November 2022. We therefore expect to publish the first report in 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the circular economy strategy with reference to environment, agriculture and rural affairs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many fishing vessels are fitted with remote electronic monitoring cameras; what proportion of all fishing vessels this represents; and what, if any, enforcement actions have been taken since their deployment.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The enforcement of fisheries management measures and scientific monitoring of fish stocks are devolved policies. In England, Defra is working on a rolling programme where remote electronic monitoring is phased in across different fisheries in stages.
There is currently one vessel volunteering for the early adopter stage of the large pelagic trawler fishery. Further vessels are taking part in technical trials and scientific research projects. Defra is working to recruit volunteers for further priority fisheries and will work with those volunteers to design and test systems ahead of moving to mandatory requirements.
No enforcement actions have been taken as a result of the deployment of remote electronic monitoring on these vessels. Any infringements seen via remote electronic monitoring will however be acted upon in a proportionate way.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the closure of sandeel fisheries in the English North Sea is permanent.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In March 2024, and following a public consultation, the UK and Scottish Governments closed English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters to sandeel fishing. The closure will shield sandeel as an essential food source for commercially valuable fish, threatened seabird populations and for marine mammals. The EU has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The Permanent Court of Arbitration found the UK was successful in three of four claims including Scotland successfully defending the permanent closure of fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters. The Arbitration Tribunal determined there was a procedural error in the decision-making process to close English waters to sandeel fishing, in that, the UK did not have sufficient due regard to the EU and the principle of proportionality, as required by the TCA. The Government is presently bringing the UK into compliance with the tribunal’s ruling.