Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any guidance or advice for members of the public to deal with foxes that are ill or have mange.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Members of the public are advised not to feed foxes, regardless of whether they are ill, because it can be detrimental for their health and change their natural behaviours, increasing potential for pathogen transmission.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health advise that whilst S. scabiei infestations (which in non-humans is referred to as ‘sarcoptic mange’) is contagious among foxes, there are few confirmed reports of mange being passed to dogs and little evidence to suggest outbreaks amongst domestic pets. The UK Health Security Agency advise that mange transmission between humans and animals has not been reported in the UK.
Animals with sarcoptic mange should be treated by a veterinarian but as foxes are wild animals, no one is responsible for seeking treatment for them and they can be dealt with by local landowners and vets as considered to be appropriate.
However, any suspicion of a notifiable disease such as rabies or influenza of avian origin in mammals must be reported immediately by calling 03000 200 301 in England.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they consider any increase in urban fox populations to constitute a health or environmental risk to the public.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Whilst there may have been an increase in the number of urban areas with resident foxes, we are not aware of an increased health or environmental risk to the public.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has published guidance which indicates that the risk of catching an infection from a fox in the UK is very low and that whilst there may be a health risk if a person comes into direct contact with fox faeces, this can be reduced with appropriate hygiene.
Members of the public are advised not to feed foxes because it can be detrimental for their health and change their natural behaviours, increasing potential for pathogen transmission.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with local authorities about any increase in the number of foxes in London.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not had any discussions with local authorities about the number of foxes in London.
Foxes are not protected for conservation purposes in England, and the owner or occupier of the property can decide whether to control them. Local authorities do not have a statutory responsibility to control them.
In conjunction with Government advice, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health published guidance on the management of urban foxes for the benefit of local authorities, pest controllers and the public as part of their public health and protection resources.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any increase in the number of foxes in London.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not specifically assessed fox numbers in London.
In 2018, Natural England published the “Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals” which included an assessment of the fox population size and status in Britain; this was not specific to London.
In 2018, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) co-authored research which measured fox group density in urban areas, which included London. Whilst this showed a general increase in the number of urban areas with resident foxes, fox density was not specifically higher in London than that of some other cities and no direct analysis has been carried out.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of a connection between poaching and halal butchery.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made no assessment of a connection between poaching and halal butchery.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to save England's chalk streams.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top Government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.
Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector.
Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), over 1000 improvement projects are planned within chalk stream catchments between 2024-2029.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat littering.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Littering is a crime that blights communities and the environment. Local authorities already have a range of powers to tackle littering including the ability to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500. They must spend the income from these penalties on enforcement or clean up.
This Government is committed to delivering the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in October 2027, as agreed with the devolved Governments of the UK, and in accordance with the Joint Policy Statement published in April 2024. It is estimated that DRS could lead to an 85% reduction in litter of in-scope items.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat fly-tipping.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and the environment and dealing with it imposes significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment, and other actions to tackle fly-tipping, in due course.
In the meantime, Defra will continue to chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders such as local authorities, the Environment Agency and National Farmers Union, to promote good practice with regards to tackling fly-tipping, including on private land.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the spread of Asian hornets in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
Defra and the Welsh Government developed the Asian hornet contingency plan (copy attached) in response to the spread of Asian hornet across Europe and the associated impacts reported on honey bees and pollinators. The Contingency Plan details what actions will be taken when incursions of Asian hornet occur with the aim of preventing this species establishing and spreading in the UK.
We have taken contingency action against all credible sightings of Asian hornet that have been reported in the UK since the first occurrence in 2016. Contingency action is delivered on the ground by the National Bee Unit (NBU) – part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency. As of 12th September 2023, the NBU have located 43 Asian hornet nests this year.
Genetic analyses of hornet and nest samples are done to determine relatedness and assess whether Asian hornets are established in England. Evidence from previous years suggested that all 13 Asian hornet nests found in the UK between 2016 and 2022 were separate incursions and there is nothing to suggest that Asian hornets are established in the UK. We have not seen any evidence which demonstrates that Asian hornets discovered in England this year were produced by queens that overwintered. More detailed analysis will be done over winter to assess this.
Raising awareness is a key aspect of the response. We ask anyone who thinks they may have spotted an Asian hornet to report it through the Asian hornet app or online. By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the work of the current members of the Dartmoor National Park Authority.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
We greatly appreciate the time, energy, and commitment that board members bring, and the important work they do in caring for our National Parks. Other than new national appointments to fill upcoming vacancies, we have no immediate plans to change the membership or operation of Dartmoor National Park Authority. Our 2022 consultation on implementing the Landscapes Review sought views on potential changes to National Park Authority boards. We are carefully considering the consultation results and are working to publish a response shortly.