Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why they are planning to require larger retailers to accept used electrical items for recycling, including products originally bought from other retailers, rather than using existing local authority facilities and specialist scrap metal recycling units.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Large retailers selling electrical products already have an obligation under the UK Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 to take back equipment for recycling, including products originally bought by other retailers, on sale of an equivalent item. The cost of recycling that waste equipment, and the cost of collection and recycling equipment deposited at local authority household waste recycling centres, is met by importers and manufacturers.
With independent research from Material Focus indicating that at least 500,000 tonnes of waste electricals were lost through being thrown away, hoarded, stolen, or illegally exported every year, the government is consulting on proposals to make it easier for householders to responsibly recycle their waste electrical equipment, through whichever route they find most convenient.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Port of Dover's border control point for imports will be located 22 miles away at Sevington, and what assessment they have made of the risks to biosecurity.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We remain committed to delivering the best border in the world. The Border Target Operating Model is key to delivering this, protecting the UK’s biosecurity, and ensuring our trading partners have confidence in our standards. The Government’s intention to consolidate SPS checks at Sevington for the Short Straits is based on the need to both safeguard the UK’s biosecurity and minimise the cost to trade.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to make an "exceptional market conditions" direction under the Agriculture Act 2020, given the disruption being experienced by egg producers and consumers.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Defra has no plans to recommend that a declaration of exceptional market conditions be made for the egg sector under Section 20 of the Agriculture Act 2020. Other sectors have experienced similar problems and supply chains have themselves adjusted to address the challenges related to rising input costs, which the egg sector has started to do.
The UK egg industry operates in an open market and the value of egg commodities, including the farm gate egg price, is established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers. While government may act in exceptional circumstances, we do not set retail food prices nor comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. In the event of exceptional circumstances, the Government has powers in the Agriculture Act 2020 to act to support farmers.
The Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries hosted a roundtable on 6 December 2022 which brought together representatives from across the UK egg supply chain to discuss the challenges the egg industry is facing. The meeting was productive and conducted in a constructive manner with a clear willingness from all parties to address issues affecting the supply chain.
We are keeping the egg situation under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which was set up by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the UK market situation across all key agricultural commodities.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the assessment they have already made on the 16-week grace period for the marketing of free-range eggs in the event of mandatory housing measures imposed by the Chief Veterinary Office, whether they plan to amend existing legislation in this area.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In recognition of the pressures the egg sector is currently facing, particularly rising input costs alongside the impacts of Avian Influenza, Defra has granted a concession which will apply if the housing orders that are currently in place in England exceed the 16-week derogation period. This concession will allow producers and packers, on a one-off basis, the option to use either direct print to pack or an affixed label on free-range boxes. Accompanying clear and transparent point of sale signage should also be in place to ensure consumers are not misled and to avoid undermining consumer confidence in the free-range industry.
We are aware that there are proposals in the EU to amend the derogation period. We are closely following the negotiations on this proposal. We are under no obligation to align with the EU and Defra currently has no plans to amend the 16-week derogation period. We are keen to ensure we retain consumer confidence in our free-range brand and the need therefore to act in the interests of both UK producers and consumers
Egg Marketing Standards are a devolved matter, and so, any review of or changes to the standards would be a matter for each of the administrations in Great Britain.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to negotiations on a trade agreement between the UK and the EU, what assessment they have made of the impact of Rules of Origin requirements on (1) the UK tobacco industry, and (2) finished tobacco products imported into the UK from the EU from 1 January 2021.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
In the event of a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, as with all Free Trade Agreements and all products, the Rules of Origin for finished tobacco products would be specific to that agreement. The exact rules will be discussed and decided through the negotiations, which, in this case, are still ongoing. The UK and EU have held substantial discussions on Rules of Origin and Defra has supported these conversations.