Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether sampling of Spanish and French wine has been increased in the light of allegations that cheap Spanish wine is being labelled as French wine.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Wine sampling is conducted by Her Majesty’s Government on a random and risk-led basis. It therefore remains fully adaptable to respond to actual and perceived risks faced by the wine sector and consumers.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the amount of food wasted because consumers equate or confuse best before dates with use by dates.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Research published in 2014 by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) shows that 48% (2.0 million tonnes) of avoidable household food waste arises because the food is not used in time. A date label was mentioned as the trigger for disposal for one third of such instances (around 660,000 tonnes; 16% of all avoidable food waste).
The Food Standards Agency, Defra and WRAP are working to support industry, implementing more changes to help people waste less of the food they buy, through clearer date labelling and more effective storage and freezing advice. Updated industry guidance is expected to be published this year.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to consult on the abolition of, or fundamental change to, best before dates after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We wish to improve consumers’ understanding of the difference between ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ dates as this issue has been identified as a potential source of food waste. The Government’s adviser on food waste, WRAP, has done a lot of work on this issue and improvements have resulted from that work. Consumers need to have the information to help them make the right decisions about the food they buy therefore we have no plans to abolish or make fundamental changes to durability indications.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to (1) require the packaging for wet wipes containing plastic fibres to display a warning that the wipes must not be flushed down toilets, (2) carry out a public awareness campaign regarding the dangers wet wipes with plastic particles pose to the environment, wildlife and public health, and (3) list publicly all the brands which use plastic particles in their wet wipes.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There is currently no plan to consult on banning wet wipes containing plastic fibres, except where those fabrics also contain microbeads.
On 3 September, the Secretary of State announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads which may cause harm to the marine environment. The Government’s plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products, such as domestic and industrial cleaning products, before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, including microfibres, which enter the marine environment.
It is important that people receive the information they need to dispose of the personal and cleaning products they buy in the most appropriate way to minimise their impact on the environment. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities has written to leading manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes and other products that should not be flushed into the sewer system, to encourage them to work closely with the water and sewerage companies on this issue, as well as on the information provided to customers on product packaging. While the packaging of some such products makes clear that they should not be flushed into the sewer system, others do not.
The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities plans to meet with leading manufacturers, retailers and water companies to discuss the matter further.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to consult the public on the case for banning all wet wipes which contain plastic fibres.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There is currently no plan to consult on banning wet wipes containing plastic fibres, except where those fabrics also contain microbeads.
On 3 September, the Secretary of State announced plans to ban the sale and manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products containing microbeads which may cause harm to the marine environment. The Government’s plans will be informed by a formal consultation later this year. At the same time, evidence will be gathered on the extent of the environmental impacts of microbeads found in other products, such as domestic and industrial cleaning products, before considering what more can be done in future to tackle other plastics, including microfibres, which enter the marine environment.
It is important that people receive the information they need to dispose of the personal and cleaning products they buy in the most appropriate way to minimise their impact on the environment. The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities has written to leading manufacturers and retailers of wet wipes and other products that should not be flushed into the sewer system, to encourage them to work closely with the water and sewerage companies on this issue, as well as on the information provided to customers on product packaging. While the packaging of some such products makes clear that they should not be flushed into the sewer system, others do not.
The Minister for the Environment and Rural Life Opportunities plans to meet with leading manufacturers, retailers and water companies to discuss the matter further.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to list all the UK's tree and plant species under threat from pests and diseases found in plants imported to the UK from the EU.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We are committed to doing all we can to prevent plant pests and diseases reaching our borders and to build the resilience of our trees and plants. Our approach, led by the Government Chief Plant Health Officer, involves the systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging risks, which are listed in the Plant Health Risk Register.
There are regulations on importing plants and products from outside the UK where it is known that certain pests or pathogens are present. These are updated regularly, in response to new evidence, such as that published by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation. We are working collaboratively with the EU and broader international community, industry, NGOs, landowners and the public to reduce the risks of pests and diseases entering the country and the impact of newly established pests, including substantial programmes of work on the oak processionary moth and ash dieback.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to draw up a new phytosanitary inspection regime for plants imported from the EU after the UK's withdrawal.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We recognise that the UK’s exit from the EU may have implications for the way in which current UK plant health services operate, including phytosanitary certification on imports, quarantine measures to mitigate the highest risk pests and diseases, and plant passporting.
We are considering the implications and possible options as part of our planning for, and negotiations on, the UK’s exit.
Continuing to deliver a risk-based, proportionate plant health regime that effectively protects the UK from plant pests and diseases, whilst maximising the free movement of goods, remains of the highest priority.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many UK civil servants, and of what grade, who work in units, directorates or sub-departments within DEFRA are charged with EU policy formulation, advising on EU policy or enforcing EU policy.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra is amongst those Government Departments whose work is most closely linked to and impacted by EU activity, legal frameworks and funding. The majority of policy roles within the Department will or are likely to support EU related work to some degree.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they have put in place to ensure that there is proper routine and emergency veterinary treatment for government cats, and any other officially owned animals in government service.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Individuals in each government department are responsible for the care of cats and any other animals residing in their buildings. We are mindful of our duties under the Animal Welfare Act, and this includes the provision of routine and emergency veterinary treatment. While no care or food costs for any animals in government buildings are funded by the public purse, these animals are supported and cared for thanks to voluntary fundraising.
I also refer my noble friend to the answer to him of 16 September 2016 to Question 1605.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have collected on the number of racoon dogs in the UK; whether they have any plans to ban the ownership of racoon dogs outside licensed zoos; and what action they plan to take to exterminate any in the wild.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
No data is collected on the number of raccoon dogs in the UK.
There are currently no plans to ban the ownership of this species inside or outside licensed zoos.
It is currently an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release a raccoon dog, or allow one to escape, into the wild. If an animal were to escape it would first be the responsibility of the owner to recapture the animal. If, however, there was a threat that the species were to become established in the wild, action would be undertaken to capture and remove the animals in accordance with a draft rapid response protocol currently being prepared as part of the GB non-native species strategy.