Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (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 resilience of the supply chain for imports of fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Domestic food production, coupled with international trade, gives us national resilience. When it comes to food we can produce here, we are 74% self-sufficient. Our aim is to broadly maintain the current level of food that we produce domestically and boost production in sectors where there are the biggest opportunities. Defra has a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption, should it occur.
Some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown. However, with the exception of one retailer, these limits have now been removed, reflecting that fact that supply is returning to normal levels.
Recognising the importance of food security, in the Agriculture Act 2020, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work. Defra publishes annual statistics on horticulture, including some self-sufficiency statistics here: Latest horticulture statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what checks are carried out on the labelling of meat products at the time of (1) production, (2) processing, (3) distribution, and (4) retail, in England.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is the responsibility of a food business to ensure that labelling on food is accurate, clear and complies with the relevant legislation.
Establishments producing meat products require to be approved in accordance with Retained Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004, unless a relevant exemption applies. Part of this approval requirement is to apply an ID mark to all approvable meat products leaving the establishment. Meat product manufacturers may be approved by the FSA or the local authority. Local authority approved establishments will be inspected regularly in accordance with a risk-based frequency. At the time of inspection, local authority officers will make checks to ensure the ID mark is being applied to all approvable products leaving the establishment, that it contains the approval number issued to the establishment and that it is in the format prescribed by the legislation. The ID mark provides traceability and is applied to packaging intended for the final consumer and retail sale. Retail food outlets are required to register with and be inspected by local authorities. Local authorities will inspect retailers regularly, in accordance with a risk-based frequency. As part of these checks, they will examine items displayed for sale and in the case of meat products, they will ensure an ID mark is displayed.
Meat is also subject to the overarching food labelling rules which covers all foods and which are enforceable from the moment a food is placed on the market. While food is subject to these regulations it is the responsibility of a food authority, usually the Trading Standards Office attached to a local authority, to enforce these laws. This is done through a range of enforcement activities including both proactive, risk-led inspection activity and reactive enforcement following intelligence. Effective routine sampling is an essential part of local authority activity, with the Food Law Code of Practice and the Food Safety Act 1990 providing a framework to support sampling activity in addition to any enforcement action. Food samples submitted for analysis will also have a label check carried out which involves visually checking their labels against the mandatory requirements set out in the legislation.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (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 recent shortages of certain foodstuffs; and what steps they will take to ensure fairness in the contractual relationship between UK fruit and vegetable growers and their supermarket outlets.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
In recent weeks some supermarkets applied item limits to a small number of fruit and vegetables due to poor weather affecting the harvest in Spain and North Africa, where a high proportion of produce consumed in UK at this time of year is grown. Defra is closely monitoring markets and supply chains to explore the factors that have contributed to ongoing supply chain pressures and is considering how the Government and industry can work together to mitigate them, in the short and longer term. In the meantime Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods affected to ensure we have the latest available data.
We continue to keep the market situation under review through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, which monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade and recent developments. Defra has requested weekly data from supermarkets on supplies of the foods to ensure we have the latest available data. Defra’s view is that the most effective response to food supply disruption is industry-led, with appropriate support and enablement from HM Government.
It is not for HM Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. The supply of food is dependent on a combination of factors and supermarkets have worked with their suppliers to ensure availability.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current level of UK self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK production to supply ratio for fresh fruit was 15% in 2021. For fresh vegetables, the ratio was 57%.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (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 level of pollution caused by surface water runoff from highways into the sewers; and what plans they have to hold the highways authorities responsible for the pollution caused in this way and to eliminate the contribution of these sewage overflows in future.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have not made an assessment of surface water runoff from highways into sewers. The amount of surface water entering our combined sewers network is dependent on the spread and intensity of rainfall. This is incredibly variable and therefore it is not possible to determine the relative contribution towards pollution from storm overflows from highway drains alone. As outlined in the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan HM Government will work with water companies and relevant stakeholders to better manage rainwater and assess the role of highway drainage as a rainwater drainage system.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend farm tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government recognises that farming is a long-term business, and we are keen to explore ways to encourage more landlords and tenants to consider longer-term tenancy agreements while retaining the flexibility that Farm Business Tenancies currently provide. We are currently reviewing the Rock Review recommendations on encouraging longer-term tenancies in more detail and will respond later this year. There is also a role for industry leadership and best practice guidance setting out the options and benefits for tenants and landlords of longer-term agreements.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG) will report on farm tenancy agreements.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG) is a valuable advisory body with an interest in all issues relating to agricultural tenancies. When required, the Group provides the Government and industry with advice, information, guidance and evidence on agricultural tenancies. TRIG is a valuable forum to discuss current agriculture tenancy and associated issues and when appropriate engages and seeks advice from other experts within the industry. For example, TRIG has recently published industry-led guidance on tree planting and agricultural tenancies and a code of good practice for projects, schemes or works that require landlord consent. While TRIG has no immediate plans to provide a report on farm tenancy agreements, the Government will continue to discuss farm tenancy issues with TRIG on an ongoing basis.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (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 requirements placed on the movement of horses between the UK and France; and what progress they have made on negotiating a tripartite agreement for the free movement of horses between Ireland, France and the UK.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following the departure of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) the requirements for exporting equines to the EU are decided by the European Commission, and the UK is now treated as a third country. Whilst the biosecurity status of the UK has not changed since leaving the EU, equines are now subject to requirements for certain health tests before travel and pre-export residence and isolation periods. Equines must have an Export Health Certificate signed off by an Official Veterinarian. Equines must enter the EU and Northern Ireland through Border Control Posts where they are subject to 100% documentary, physical and ID checks. Prior to EU membership, there was a Tripartite Agreement (TPA) between Ireland, France and the UK for certain equines moving between the three nations. When the UK joined the EU, the EU agreed a continuation of the TPA as part of our membership agreement, as a derogation. When the UK left the EU and became a third country, the TPA ceased.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how tenant farms will benefit under the Environmental Land Management Schemes.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As we said in response to Baroness McIntosh of Pickering’s question HL4012 on 30 December 2022, we are designing the schemes to be simple, flexible, fair and accessible to as many types of farmers and land managers as possible, including tenant farmers. We are aiming to remove barriers to tenants entering schemes where possible, and have done this already in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Landscape Recovery schemes. Ensuring tenants can benefit from the scheme is one of our design criteria for evolving the existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme. We will say more about how tenants can benefit from the evolved Countryside Stewardship scheme in due course.
Like all farmers, tenant farmers in SFI will benefit from the new payment of £20/hectare for the first 50 hectares, in addition to the payments farmers will receive for delivering SFI standards, to cover the costs of taking part in this scheme. Tenant farmers will also benefit from the updated payment rates for CS for ongoing activities, and for one-off grants for new agreements. The median increase to the value of a CS agreement will be about 10%.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many farms were in tenanted occupation in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Statistical estimates of the number of commercial agricultural holdings in England in each of the last five years are shown in the table below, split by tenure type (solely owned, solely rented or mixed).
Commercial holdings are those registered with the Rural Payments Agency for payments or livestock purposes and with significant levels of farming activity (as recorded in responses to the Defra June Survey of Agriculture or the Cattle Tracing System). Holdings are only included if they have more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.
Number of commercial holdings in England by tenure type
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (c) | 2021 |
| |
Solely owned | 56,446 | 54,495 | 54,923 | 55,750 | : | 57,081 |
| |
Solely rented | 14,125 | 14,536 | 14,630 | 14,527 | : | 14,562 |
| |
Mixed tenure (a) | 35,249 | 35,954 | 35,625 | 34,777 | : | 32,371 |
| |
Tenure not declared (b) | 1,033 | 940 | 857 | 1,046 | : | 1,206 |
| |
Total | 106,853 | 105,925 | 106,035 | 106,100 | 107,079 | 105,220 |
| |
: represents data that are not available or have not been collected. | ||||||||
(a) Mixed tenure - includes farms with land both rented and owned. | ||||||||
(b) Tenure not declared - a very small number of holdings provide farmed areas but no detail on ownership. Assumption of tenure cannot be made. | ||||||||
(c) It was not possible to run a full-scale June Survey in 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak. A small-scale survey was run instead to allow us to produce national estimates of key crop areas and livestock populations. As a result, detailed breakdowns are not available | ||||||||
A longer data series is available for England at Agricultural land ownership in England (www.gov.uk).