Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make Eurostar St Pancras a CITES designated port.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no plans to make Eurostar St Pancras a CITES designated port following a review by UK Border Force that concluded it does not currently have the necessary capacity and infrastructure to undertake CITES checks. This will be kept under review.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many homes (including their gardens) built in the past (1) 5, (2) 10, and (3) 25, years have been subject to weather-related flooding on one or more occasions.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
Defra and the Environment Agency does not hold this data at national level.
Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFA) investigate reports of flooding under Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act.
The Environment Agency’s annual flood and coastal erosion risk management report includes information on significant flooding and coastal events in England. The reports can be found at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are reviewing the case for making the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras a designated point of entry and exit for items affected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The Government has closely considered the case for designating St Pancras as a CITES Point of Entry and Exit (PoE). Given the nature of CITES trade and the demands a PoE would place on the terminal’s resources and facilities, we do not consider it appropriate to designate it at this time. Defra keeps the list of designated PoEs under review and will continue to work closely with Border Force and industry to evaluate and update the PoE list as appropriate.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish guidance on how ports can apply for CITES designated status.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world.
The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year.
Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have held about the designation of new CITES ports in 2021; and which organisations these meetings were with.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world.
The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year.
Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 3 August (HL2199), whether they have yet determined whether it is "feasible to designate Eurostar [a CITES-designated port]"; and what progress they have made so far in achieving this.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We welcome the UN Environment Programme's Emissions Gap Report 2021. As this report makes clear, it is important that each country delivers on their 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions and net zero commitments. The UK’s pledge to cut emissions by at least 68% by 2030 is one of the most ambitious in the world.
The UK has been pressing all leaders to commit to ambitious climate action ahead of COP26 to help keep 1.5°C in reach. We will continue to do this, at COP and throughout our Presidency year.
Domestically, we are taking vital steps through our recently published Net Zero Strategy to play our part. My department has a crucial role to play in helping this government achieve its net zero target. As set out in the Net Zero Strategy, we will support our agriculture and land use sectors to reduce emissions, restore huge swathes of peat, create vast woodlands, and take action to reduce harmful waste and gases. This is central to our ambition to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards making Eurostar a CITES-designated port.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Any specimen covered by CITES controls must be imported or exported through one of the 36 designated land, sea and airports which are all currently operational. The up to date list of the ports is available on the following GOV.UK page: www.gov.uk/guidance/trading-cites-listed-specimens-through-uk-ports-and-airports.
The list of CITES-designated points of entry is kept under review and we are currently working with colleagues in Border Force to determine if it is feasible to designate Eurostar.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Liverpool will be included within the list of ports designated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Liverpool Seaforth port will be designated as a Point of Entry and Exit (PoE) for CITES- listed specimens at the end of the Transition Period.
We will continue to work with port operators, industry and other Government departments such as Border Force, HM Revenue & Customs and Cabinet Office to analyse trade flows and will designate further PoE where this is feasible so as to provide additional routes for traders.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce procedures for the inspection of materials protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora when transporting musical instruments between Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
After the Transition Period, controls implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) will apply to the movement of CITES specimens between Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI). This is as a result of our international obligations under CITES, and the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Such movement between NI and GB will require CITES documentation, for example import and export permits or a Musical Instrument Certificate. All CITES specimens must be moved through a designated point of entry and exit where documentation must be presented for endorsement by Border Force officials. As a result of the NI Protocol, NI will be treated as part of the EU’s customs territory and the permits and checks usually required under CITES will not be required for movements between NI and EU Member States.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the musical instrument certificate application form FED0172 to remove the obligation to provide the owner’s details; and, if so, what procedure will be required to do so.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We do not have immediate plans to amend the musical instrument certificate (MIC) application form to remove the obligation to provide details of the owner of the instrument. However, we will keep this under review and will be discussing the need for additional guidance on how to apply for a MIC with stakeholders from the sector.