Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they assess and determine the financial surplus required to induce farmers to participate in schemes under the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The SFI standards payment rates have been set to balance good value for money for the taxpayer and delivery of ambitious environmental outcomes.
Defra sets payment rates based on the net income the farmer would forgo on their land and the net costs of delivering the action for the average (median) farm eligible for the action, which is the methodology used in our environmental schemes such as Countryside Stewardship. These rates are independently verified by evidence from specialist consultancies.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the (1) installation, (2) sale, and (3) use, of wood-burning stoves in private dwellings, in either (a) rural, or (b) urban, areas.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We currently have no plans to introduce a ban on the installation, sale or use of wood-burning stoves in private dwellings. Woodburning stoves are subject to strict controls in terms of emissions of air pollutants and some households in rural areas rely on the use of these appliances to heat their homes. In Smoke Control Areas woodburning stoves use must comply with the relevant legislation restricting smoke emissions. The recently introduced Environment Act 2021 will make it easier for local authorities to enforce these requirements. Outside of these areas, from 1 January 2022, all new solid fuel burning stoves entering the market must adhere to specific air quality standards and in October 2020 we introduced new legislation to phase out the most polluting fuels used for domestic combustion with most measures coming into force on 1 May 2021.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to respond to the letter from the Master of the Company of Gardeners to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, dated 9 April, about the difficulties experienced by the horticultural industry as a result of the COVID-19 regulations; and what consultation they have conducted into the case for reopening garden centres under conditions which could maintain social distancing.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Government are aware of the challenging position facing the horticulture industry during this period and are grateful for the letter from the Master of the Company of the Gardeners highlighting some of the issues faced by the sector. A response can be expected from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs imminently.
The Government continues to assess the decision on garden centres, but concluded at the last review that it was too early to ease any restrictions on such retail environments. Social distancing requirements will continue to be considered in accordance with this review.
Stores can operate Click and Collect services as long as orders are taken online, by telephone or via post and customers remain outside of the store to collect their goods.
In this situation, as generally, businesses are advised to operate with strict adherence to the social distancing guidelines.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether payments made under the Basic Payment Scheme of the Common Agricultural Policy in respect of harvest 2019 will be set in sterling or in euros.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
This year’s Basic Payment Scheme (BPS 2019) payments for England will continue to be calculated in euros and then converted into sterling unless a farmer has opted to receive a euro payment.
The euro exchange rate used to make payments in sterling will be the average of the European Central Bank rates set over the month of September 2019. This exchange rate will be published on GOV.UK when it is announced.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total taxable income of UK farmers in each of the last ten years; and in each of those years, what were the total payments received by UK farmers from the EU Common Agricultural Policy.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
Defra produces annual estimates of the Total Income from Farming. This is the total profit from all UK farming businesses and measures the return to all entrepreneurs for their management, labour and capital invested. It does not include income to farmers or farming households from non-agricultural activities or sources.
The total profit (Total Income from Farming) is the total net contribution minus depreciation of farm assets, payment of wages, rent, interest and taxes and addition of “subsidies on production”. As this is an aggregate measure of net profit (which is then subject to income tax), we are unable to say how much tax is actually paid as this will depend on how this profit is distributed across farms. Some farms will pay no income tax as their income is below the personal threshold limit, and others will pay tax at the higher rate.
The “subsidies on production” includes payments to farmers from the Basic Payment Scheme, agri-environment schemes, less favoured areas support schemes, and animal disease compensation.
£ billion (current prices) | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
Total income from farming | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
Subsidies on production | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why farmers have been permitted to apply neonicotinoid pesticides to oilseed rape as a spray but not as a seed dressing.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
There are five pesticide active substances that are classed as neonicotinoids. Three of these are subject to EU restrictions which mean that they may not be used on oilseed rape, irrespective of the method of application. The remaining two active substances (acetamiprid and thiacloprid) are not subject to these restrictions and so may be used on oilseed rape. There are UK products which contain these two active substances and are authorised for use on oilseed rape. All of these are formulated as sprays. There is no prohibition preventing acetamiprid and thiacloprid from being formulated as seed treatments for use on oilseed rape. No such products are currently authorised in the UK; if applications were to be received, they would be authorised if they met the normal requirements for safety to people and to the environment.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to make representations to the EU to change existing rules prohibiting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides as a seed dressing.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The Government remains of the view that decisions on the use of neonicotinoids and other pesticides should be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks. Pesticides that carry unacceptable risks to pollinators should not be authorised.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is carrying out a review of the evidence on the effects of neonicotinoids on pollinators, including evidence that has emerged since the current restrictions were put in place. The Commission will then consider whether to propose changes to the existing restrictions. Government experts will participate in the EFSA review and our approach to the subsequent EU negotiations will be based on our view of the evidence.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 10 November (HL3150) about littering, when they expect to (1) start, and (2) complete, the process of seeking the views of local authorities about the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice and exemptions to the keeper's liability, and other details that need to be finalised before they implement section 54 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
As set out in our manifesto, we will review the case for increasing the fines for littering, and will begin a consultation on this later this year. The outcome of this work will inform the potential level of any civil penalty for littering from a vehicle.
We plan to begin working with councils early next year to understand better their current enforcement practices and resources, and the barriers to effective enforcement. This will help us to consider the practicalities of implementation of any new regulatory approach (including any necessary exemptions to keepers' liability). It will also help us to assess the new burdens on councils that would be associated with establishing a new civil penalties regime. Appropriate funding to cover any new burdens would have to be agreed before any regulations can be made.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will publish the scoping study on littering from vehicles legislation, and why such legislation was not implemented nationally in April.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
We expect to publish the study later this month.
Before any regulations to tackle littering from vehicles are implemented, it will be important to get the details right. This will include matters such as the size of the fine, the form and content of the penalty notice, and exceptions to the keeper’s liability (for example if the vehicle has been stolen). We will therefore want to seek Local Authorities’ and others’ views before legislating. Any such regulations must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before coming into effect.
Legislation to enable the seizure of vehicles involved in fly-tipping came into force in April 2015. As set out in our manifesto, we will be giving councils the power to tackle small scale fly-tipping through Penalty Notices, as an alternative to prosecutions, in spring 2016, and we will review the case for increasing fixed penalties for littering.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the results of the scoping study on littering from vehicles; and when they plan to make regulations for littering from vehicles under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The scoping study into the most cost-effective and proportionate means to gather evidence about Local Authority enforcement action against littering from vehicles concluded in March. We are considering the findings and plan to publish the report this autumn along with the Government response to the recent Communities & Local Government Select Committee inquiry into Litter & Fly-tipping.
We fully support action to tackle littering, reflected in our manifesto commitment to review the case for increasing the fines for littering. Equally, the Government is committed to introducing new regulation only where necessary, when it can be proven to be more effective than current or non-regulatory approaches and provided new regulation can be implemented in a way that is proportionate, consistent, transparent and targeted. We must ensure that any new regulations on littering from vehicles are shaped to the needs of Local Authorities, and will deliver a real improvement on the current law.