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 steps the Government is taking to respond to the European Commission’s infraction procedure on the protection of European blanket bogs from burning in northern England; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The UK has responded to the European Commission’s reasoned opinion of April 2017. A short press release on the reasoned opinion is available on the Commission website.
We do not comment on on-going infraction procedures and as such are unable to provide further detail at this time.
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 his Department has made of the effect on game meat producers of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government aims to secure a deep and comprehensive free trade deal with the EU that continues to provide for frictionless, tariff-free trade, supporting the continued success of our agricultural sectors. Our departure from the EU also provides an opportunity for the UK to have an independent trade policy and a new agriculture policy which enables game producers and other sectors to improve their productivity and competitiveness outside of the EU, while also improving our environment. We remain confident in the resilience of our agricultural sectors and their ability to thrive outside of the EU.
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 his Department has made of the level of year-round labour the food and farming sector will require to remain productive and profitable after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is considering the latest data, and working with industry to understand labour demand and supply, including both permanent and seasonal workforce requirements.
It is a key priority of this Government to enable an innovative, productive and competitive food supply chain, which invests in its people and skills.
We have announced that the Government will introduce a new pilot scheme for 2019 and 2020 enabling up to 2500 non-EEA migrant workers to come to the UK to undertake seasonal employment in the edible Horticultural sector.
As the UK prepares to leave the EU, Defra is working closely with the Home Office on the UK’s future immigration policy framework. Defra is also working with industry to raise awareness of the career opportunities within the agriculture and food industry to attract domestic workers, and is exploring the potential for innovation and automation in meeting future food and farming labour demands.
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 the Pet Travel Scheme, when his Department last reviewed the effectiveness of the Animal and Plant Health Agency's Required Method of Operation process with Eurotunnel, P&O, DFDS and other carriers.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Each carrier is subject to an annual liaison visit and a minimum of one additional audit visit to ensure compliance with the agreed procedures set out in the RMOP. Every 2 years the RMOP is formally reviewed and re-approved. It was last reviewed in July 2017.
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 dogs have been imported into the UK via the Pet Travel Scheme in each year since its introduction.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK fully harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme requirements in 2012. Data regarding the number of dogs entering Great Britain under the scheme from 2012-2017 can be found below.
Year | Dogs |
2012 | 139643 |
2013 | 152075 |
2014 | 155444 |
2015 | 164836 |
2016 | 275876 |
2017 | 287016 |
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 dogs have been imported using the Balai Directive in each year since its introduction; and if he will publish the number of dogs imported from each country of origin for each of those same years.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK fully harmonised with the requirements of the Balai Directive for dog movements in 2012. The data for dog imports under the Balai Directive from 2012 to 2017 can be found in the attached Annex.
This data was extracted from the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). In some cases imports are recorded on TRACES as ‘Canis familiaris / Felis catus’, so APHA is unable to distinguish between cat or dog imports. These are included in the table in the column ‘Mixed’.
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 puppies were seized at the ports of (a) Dover and (b) Folkestone and placed in quarantine under the Puppy Pilot scheme in each month between 1 December 2017 and 30 June 2018.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of puppies seized and quarantined at Dover and Folkestone under the Puppy Pilot from 1 December 2017 to 30 June 2018 are as follows:
| Puppies quarantined | |
Month | Dover | Folkestone |
Dec-17 | 20 | 3 |
Jan-18 | 5 | 0 |
Feb-18 | 12 | 0 |
Mar-18 | 5 | 0 |
Apr-18 | 2 | 1 |
May-18 | 5 | 46 |
Jun-18 | 2 | 0 |
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 he plans for semi-wild ponies living in areas that are derogated under the Equine Identification Regulations, and which are micro-chipped and identified by an identification document under article 7 of Commission Regulation 504/2008 or article 13 of Commission Implementing Regulation 2015/262, to be included in the central equine database as eligible for slaughter for human consumption; and when he plans to commence that process.
Answered by George Eustice
The Central Equine Database will include details of all equines with UK passports. Work to include those semi-wild ponies who are subsequently issued with UK passports will commence shortly.
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 his Department has to ensure that payments to farmers currently made under the Basic Payment Scheme will continue to be made once the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
This Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the Parliament, providing much needed certainty to farmers and landowners.
We will pay the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme in England on the same basis as we do now. We then plan to continue Basic Payment Scheme payments during an ‘agricultural transition’ period in England, which will last a number of years. During this ‘agricultural transition’, we propose to reduce these payments in England, starting with those receiving the highest payments and use the funds released to fund the gradual roll out of a new domestic agriculture policy during the agricultural transition period.
We have not yet taken any decisions on the method for reducing payments or how long the transition should be. We welcome views via our consultation document, ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit’, which was launched on 27 February.
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, (a) how many wild animals and (b) of which species are currently licensed in circuses in the UK.
Answered by George Eustice
There are two licensed circuses:
Peter Jolly’s Circus
Camel (Camelus bactrianus) 1
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) 4
Fox (Vulpesvulpes) 1
Racoon (Procyon lotor) 3
Zebra (Equus burchelli chapmani) 3
Zebu (Bos indicus) 1
Blue & Gold Macaw (Ara ararauna) 1
Circus Mondao
Zebra (Equus burchelli chapmani) 1
Camel (Camelus bactrianus) 2
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) 2
Total - 7 species and 19 animals