Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to enhance monitoring of wildlife exposure to (a) rodenticides and (b) other toxic substances; and whether he plans to allocate additional resources to improve (i) reporting and (ii) response mechanisms in relation to wildlife affected by those substances.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is investing in enhancing England's capability to monitor for and report on exposure to wildlife of: anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs); legacy contaminants such as metals; and persistent bio-accumulative and toxic chemicals. This has been partly achieved through funding of the “interim H4: Exposure and Adverse Effects of Chemicals on Wildlife in the Environment” indicator under the 25 Year Environment Plan, and Environment Improvement Plan.
From a terrestrial perspective, Natural England is a partner and co-funder of the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme (PBMS), hosted at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Through collaboration with PBMS, Natural England has delivered an annual report on Red Kite exposure to SGARs. Through work with other partners, it has been developing and expanding its work to monitor exposure and adverse effects of chemicals in the terrestrial environment.
Defra also provides funding for England’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme which determines the underlying cause of death in wildlife where approved use, misuse or illegal use of pesticides or rodenticides is suspected; and the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect wildlife crimes involving illegal use of such substances.
In each case, budgets for 2025-2026 and beyond have not yet been set.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote (a) safer and (b) environmentally friendly pest control alternatives to rodenticide for (i) residential and (ii) commercial use.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for approving biocidal products such as rodenticides. To ensure that the risks associated with professional use of anticoagulant rodenticides could be properly managed, the UK Government worked with industry stakeholders and a stewardship regime was developed by the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK (CRRU) to promote responsible use.
This regime is overseen by a Government Oversight Group (GOG), chaired by HSE. The stewardship regime is currently under review and the outcome is expected in 2025.
CRRU’s Code of Best Practice promotes a ‘risk hierarchy’ when deciding on a rodent control strategy and this aligns with Defra’s previously published view that anyone seeking to manage wildlife should consider the most humane method of control and apply the least severe solution to control problem animals.
CRRU advise there are a range of effective methods for successful rodent management including elimination of harbourage, food and water; and certain forms of trapping. Many methods of rodent control, such as spring traps and live capture and release traps, are inexpensive, reusable and widely available to both the general public and professional pest controllers, whether acting in a residential or commercial setting.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will he make an assessment of the potential impact of the import of (a) soy, (b) palm oil, (c) cocoa and (d) other products on the UK's contribution to tropical deforestation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK consumption of soy, palm oil, cocoa, coffee, rubber and cattle products was associated with 15,363 hectares of deforestation in 2021 of which 11,201 was tropical deforestation. These commodities are estimated to account for 55% of the UK’s tropical and non-tropical deforestation footprint.
This Government recognises the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. We will set out our approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will publish its planned timescale for implementing Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) in new developments.
We need to see SuDS in more developments; to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits and helping to improve water quality. It is also important to ensure that appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.
We believe that these outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available, or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
A final decision on the way forward will be made in the coming months.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support the conservation of endemic tree species.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Genetic conservation is critical to maintaining the genetic pool of England’s native and endemic tree species. This diversity is important for evolutionary adaptation to environmental change.
The Millennium Seed Bank, managed by Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, safeguards seed from the majority of UK endemic tree species, including all those that reliably produce viable seed. Further collecting is ongoing, with seed and data available to support research, conservation and reintroduction work.
Forestry England’s arboreta also currently support ex situ and in situ conservation of endemics from many countries. Alongside this, in September, Westonbirt National Arboretum launched the Global Conservation Consortium for Whitebeams, Rowans, and Service Trees, with initial focus on threatened UK and Irish species.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) funding and (b) other support his Department is providing to farmers to transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in (i) East, (b) South West and (c) South East of England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has committed to support farmers through a farming budget of £5 billion over two years, including £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes in 2025/26. This funding will deliver improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience.
Environmental Land Management schemes will remain at the centre of our offer for farmers, with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery all continuing. These offer funding streams for farmers to make their businesses more sustainable and resilient, including those who have been often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenant farmers.
We will work with the sector to continue to roll out, improve and evolve these schemes, to make them work for farming and nature.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 2.3.2 of the report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture, published on 4 September 2024, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendation that on trade rules the Commission should ensure (a) coherence between EU animal welfare standards and (b) that the EU livestock production model and EU Animal Welfare legislation are not undermined.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Strategic Dialogue of the Future of EU Agriculture provided a mechanism for EU stakeholders to make suggestions to the European Commission to help inform its work shaping its Vision for Agriculture and Food. As this report represents those stakeholder recommendations to the commission, it is too early to say what potential implications it may have on current or future Government policies. This will depend on the positions developed by the Commission in response to the report.
The UK and EU have shared ambitions and challenges in our agricultural sectors, including supporting farmers in the context of climate and food security demands, strengthening the position of farmers in supply chains, and exploring innovation and Agri-Tech to support production.
The President of the European Commission and the Prime Minister have agreed to strengthen the relationship between the EU and UK. The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. The Government has already committed to seek to negotiate a veterinary/sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has for the (a) protection and (b) conservation of hedgehogs following the change to their conservation status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no plans to provide additional legal protection to the hedgehog in England. While we are concerned about hedgehogs, there is no evidence to suggest legal protection will address the main causes of decline namely habitat loss, pesticide use and road traffic accidents.
However, the Government remains committed to restoring nature and we have wasted no time in announcing a rapid review of the Environment Improvement Plan to deliver on our legally binding environment targets, including reversing declines in our native species, such as hedgehog.
Measures such as Countryside Stewardship, Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme, Biodiversity Net Gain and Local Nature Recovery Strategies will drive the creation and restoration of habitats, particularly hedgerows, that will benefit the conservation and recovery of hedgehogs as well as a range of other species.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of availability of veterinary surgeons; and what steps his Department is taking to help increase the capacity of veterinary surgeons.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We appreciate the incredibly valuable work completed by veterinary surgeons and recognise their essential role in achieving our ambitious goals of upholding high standards of animal welfare, supporting trade, and safeguarding public health and food security. The Government acknowledges the high demand for veterinary services and is working collaboratively across departments and with the profession to explore additional measures that will ensure sufficient staffing levels to support and sustain the sector effectively.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government on the potential impact of light pollution on animal populations; and what steps he is taking to reduce light pollution in (a) urban, (b) suburban and (c) rural areas.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not had direct discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government about the potential impact of light pollution on animal populations. Defra will continue to work closely with researchers, non-governmental organisations and across the Government to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution and will continue to address key threats to biodiversity. For example, our Pollinator Action Plan includes an action to keep potential and emerging threats such as light pollution under review.
Government policy is to encourage good design, planning policies and decisions to limit the impact of pollution from artificial light. In particular, lighting schemes for developments in protected areas of dark sky or intrinsically dark landscapes should be carefully assessed on their necessity and degree.
The Government believes that any mitigating actions to reduce light pollution in urban, suburban and rural areas are best taken by local authorities as these are best dealt with at a local level.