Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any cross-departmental work is being undertaken to (a) assess and (b) address the environmental impact of illegally imported disposable vapes.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Single-use vapes have been banned in the UK since 1 June 2025, we are continuing to monitor the impact of the ban, including the illicit market. In March 2025, the Government announced a £10 million funding boost to trading standards to tackle illicit vapes, including those that are single-use, to ensure that the ban is successfully enforced.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the cross-breeding of exotic cats with domestic cat breeds.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government welcomes the Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on the welfare implications of current and emergent feline breeding practices which included their research into the management and welfare of hybrid breeding. We are carefully considering the Committee’s recommendations.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to meet with animal welfare organisations to discuss tackling the illegal (a) breeding and (b) sale of hybrid cats.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department is kept up to date with developments in cat welfare through regular engagements with key sector organisations.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Monkeys will be included in the government's proposed hunting trophy ban.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders to help determine the most appropriate scope for the ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern are listed primarily on Appendices I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) according to the level of threat international trade has on their conservation status. This includes a large number of primate species.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 set out the scope the proposed ban on trophy hunting imports.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders to help determine the most appropriate scope of a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern are listed on the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) according to the level of threat international trade has on their conservation status.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 take legislative steps to introduce an immediate moratorium on import permits for hunting trophies of cheetahs.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The government committed to a ban on the import of hunting trophies of endangered animals in its manifesto and will deliver on this. Defra is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders in order to decide on the most effective approach.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 potential impact of including school milk cartons in the Extended Producer Responsibility obligations on (a) Government and (b) school spending.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I am responding to these PQs as the Minister who is responsible for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR). In autumn last year my department published an assessment of the impacts of implementing pEPR, including on inflation, when the regulations were laid in parliament, however, this impact assessment does not include an assessment of the impact on specific sectors/products. The governments of the four nations of the United Kingdom will monitor the effectiveness and impact of the regulations and will amend them when and where appropriate.
I will politely decline the meeting as I am aware of the issues around the definition of household packaging and its impact across a number of sectors. However my officials, who have been working with stakeholders on assessing the possibility of amending the household packaging definition, would be happy to meet representative of the milk supply chain.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 meet with representatives of the school milk supply chain to discuss the classification of school milk as a household waste.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I am responding to these PQs as the Minister who is responsible for Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR). In autumn last year my department published an assessment of the impacts of implementing pEPR, including on inflation, when the regulations were laid in parliament, however, this impact assessment does not include an assessment of the impact on specific sectors/products. The governments of the four nations of the United Kingdom will monitor the effectiveness and impact of the regulations and will amend them when and where appropriate.
I will politely decline the meeting as I am aware of the issues around the definition of household packaging and its impact across a number of sectors. However my officials, who have been working with stakeholders on assessing the possibility of amending the household packaging definition, would be happy to meet representative of the milk supply chain.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timescale for introducing legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to PQ 591.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timescale for publishing a response to the consultation entitled the Fur market in Great Britain, published on 31 May 2021.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 July 2024 to the Rt Hon Member for Islington North, PQ 592.