Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) trends in the level of non-compliant movement of equines with (i) fraudulent and (ii) non-existent documentation and (b) the potential effect on biosecurity and animal welfare of conducting spot checks on equines entering at ports after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency does not hold the information requested because fraudulent or non-compliant movements are not recordable on the TRACES system. It also does not record, in most cases, the ports of departure or entry for equines moving to or from the EU. The information requested is best covered by the local authority and the Intelligence and Regulation Hub.
However, horses with fraudulent or non-existent documentation that are illegally moved would be covered by equine identification legislation in England. The local authorities have a statutory duty to enforce the regulations. Also, there is statutory duty on local authorities to deliver an annual prosecutions return under the Animal Health Act 1981. This information is collated and presented to Parliament at the end of March by APHA and subsequently published (on GOV.UK). This return provides details of expenditure incurred and prosecutions taken under the Act and incidences of disease in imported animals, which details successful prosecutions undertaken by local authorities in England.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System will enable horses to be traced post-import and check-tested.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
If we leave the EU without a deal, horse movements into the UK from countries outside the EU will have to be notified before arrival in the UK using the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS). Those horses will need to enter the UK via an appropriate Border Inspection Post in the UK for checks.
Notifications before arrival will also be required for horses coming into the UK from the EU, with the exception of horses travelling from the Republic of Ireland which will be exempt.
For an initial period, these notifications for horses travelling from the EU will not be raised through IPAFFS. The importer should download and complete a notification form from www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-import-of-animals-and-products-food-feed-notify-authorities
This form should then be sent to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for all imports coming into England, Wales and Scotland, or to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for movements into Northern Ireland.
Those authorities will issue a unique notification number, which is required to complete the health certificate that must accompany consignments. Health certificates are available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-import-health-certificates
APHA and DAERA will, after the arrival of the horses in the UK, carry out risk-based checks at the final point of destination as they do now.
From autumn 2019, notifications will be made using IPAFFS.
Detailed guidance for importers is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/importing-animals-animal-products-and-high-risk-food-and-feed-not-of-animal-origin-after-eu-exit
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Natural England’s initiative to secure voluntary commitments from upland landowners and managers to suspend the rotational burning of blanket bog habitat in England, how many voluntary commitments were (a) requested by Natural England, (b) made without amendment, (c) made with amendment, (d) refused by the rights-holder and (e) are outstanding.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Natural England’s initiative to secure voluntary commitments from upland landowners and managers to suspend the rotational burning of blanket bog habitat in England, what area of deep peat soils is estimated to be located on those estates that have made a voluntary commitment (a) without and (b) with amendment.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Natural England’s initiative to secure voluntary commitments from upland landowners and managers to suspend the rotational burning of blanket bog habitat, what area of deep peat soils is estimated to be located on those estates that have (a) refused to sign and (b) not yet signed a voluntary commitment.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Special Areas of Conservation in England, how many consents or permissions to burn blanket bog Natural England is seeking to (a) modify and (b) revoke in order to end the practice of burning in that globally important habitat.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Special Areas of Conservation in England, how many consents or permissions to burn blanket bog Natural England has successfully (a) revoked and (b) modified to secure the permanent cessation of burning that globally important habitat.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
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 Special Areas of Conservation in England, how many consents or permissions Natural England has issued for the practice of restoration burning; and in which Special Areas of Conservation those consents or permissions have been issued.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
This is a devolved matter and the below relates to England only.
In February 2018, 213 Voluntary Commitments (VCs) were sent out to landowners. 157 VCs were returned signed, 19 returned refused to sign, and 37 are outstanding. By signing a VC, the landowner or manager is agreeing to suspend rotational burning on blanket bog habitat, as opposed to deep peat soils, and to work with Natural England (NE) to develop Long Term Management Plans or equivalent remedies to modify or revoke any consent concerning rotational burning. The VC is the first step towards the cessation of rotational burning on blanket bog.
To date, NE has revoked or modified 124 consents or permissions by developing Long Term Plans or equivalent remedies such as Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Revisions, HLS Extensions or voluntary surrender. In total, NE are working to modify or revoke 402 consents or permissions to rotationally burn on blanket bog habitat designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
NE have issued 6 consents for restoration burning on the following blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation: 2 in the South Pennines SAC and 4 in the North Pennines SAC.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fledged hen harriers there were in 2018; how many of these birds were successfully fitted with tracking devices; and what estimate he has made of the number of birds still being tracked by satellite.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
During 2018 an estimated 34 hen harriers fledged in England. Natural England fixed satellite tags to five of these birds, of which two were still transmitting at the end of January 2019. Including birds tagged in previous years, Natural England is currently tracking four birds.
The RSPB fitted tags to approximately 30 hen harriers across the UK during 2018. As of November 2018, over two thirds of these tags were transmitting.
Asked by: Angela Smith (Liberal Democrat - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to replace (a) EU LIFE funding and (b) EU BEST funding for programmes after 2020.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon, Layla Moran, on 1 February 2019, PQ UIN 213461.