Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the European Commission in the past year to review the implementation of Article 391 of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement on non-regression from levels of environmental protection.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government meets annually with the European Commission, through the Trade Specialised Committee on Level Playing Field for Open and Fair Competition and Sustainable Development, to discuss the implementation of the Level Playing Field chapter of the EU-EK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, within which Article 391 sits. This year’s meeting of the Trade Specialised Committee was held on 15th October.
The Government, along with Devolved Governments and the UK’s environmental governance bodies, also met with the European Commission under Article 395 on 10th February. This article seeks to facilitate cooperation on the effective monitoring and enforcement of environment and climate law, including our TCA commitments.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in implementing the recommendations of the report of the Tree Council Protecting trees of high social, cultural and environmental value published in April, and in developing an action plan for and improving the legal protection of important trees.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are carefully considering expert recommendations laid out in the Tree Council and Forest Research report. It will be important to balance our approach with existing priorities and our statutory obligations.
We recognise the value of our most important trees and consider all ancient and veteran trees to be irreplaceable habitats. The Sycamore Gap sentencing demonstrates that our judicial system takes illegal tree felling seriously.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they intend to publish a land use framework for England, what land uses this will cover, and whether it will be subject to formal consultation.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The way we use and manage our land is already changing in response to pressures like climate change. It is time that government works openly with stakeholders and experts to understand and support the changes needed to keep nature and food production in England resilient.
The Government will do this by taking a collaborative approach to publishing a Land Use Framework for England. The Framework will consider issues such as food security and how we can expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests.
Spatial planning will play an important role in the delivery of the Government’s growth and clean energy missions, and the land use framework will work hand in hand with the Strategic Spatial Energy Plan. The Government will also explore the opportunities for spatial planning to support the delivery of other types of infrastructure.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will, in line with previous commitments, publish a land use framework for England in 2023.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Land Use Framework will be published in due course. The Framework will build on the insight from the House of Lords Land Use in England Committee’s inquiry and support delivery of the full range of Government commitments through multifunctional, resilient and productive landscapes.
Asked by: Baroness Young of Old Scone (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that those veterinary medicines at risk of being discontinued in Northern Ireland will continue to be available after the end of the 'grace period' for implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and what discussions they are holding with the EU in relation to (1) short term, and (2) long term, solutions to the challenges of availability of veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
On 19 December 2022, the European Commission issued an announcement which provides for a three-year extension to the grace period for veterinary medicines until 31 December 2025. These arrangements will mean that the current processes for moving veterinary medicines between Great Britain and Northern Ireland will continue to be administered as they have been up to this point.
We welcome this extension to the veterinary medicine grace period from the Commission and are looking forward to further discussions on veterinary medicines in the New Year. We will continue to work for a long-term, sustainable solution to the supply of veterinary medicines.