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Written Question
Fish Farming: Animal Welfare
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will implement the recommendations of the Animal Welfare Committee on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare Committee has updated its 2014 Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing and we are studying the recommendations carefully to determine next steps.


Written Question
Air Pollution: Lancaster
Monday 16th October 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of air quality monitoring in Lancaster.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The Environment Agency manages the UK national air quality monitoring networks on behalf of Defra and the Government. Further information about air quality monitoring can be found here.


Written Question
Water: Drugs
Monday 3rd July 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) testing for levels of (i) tranquillisers, antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs in drinking water and (ii) psychotropic drugs in UK rivers and seawater; and (b) the potential impact of those levels on (i) persons consuming that water and (ii) the wider environment.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Drinking Water Inspectorate commissioned research into pharmaceuticals in drinking water in 2007 (Desk based review of current knowledge on pharmaceuticals in drinking water and estimation of potential levels), which was followed up by a small-scale survey in 2011. Benzoylecogonine, carbamazepine (CBZ), arbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (carbamazepine epoxide; CBZ-EP), ibuprofen and naproxen were detected in drinking water. The Inspectorate commissioned further research in 2014 (Toxicological evaluation of pharmaceuticals in drinking water) which carried out a risk assessment of the pharmaceuticals measured in the previous study. Both concluded that the levels detected in drinking water are not anticipated to pose an appreciable risk to public health.

The Environment Agency does not assess impact of substances grouped by their intended use but considers either the risk of individual substances to the environment or groups of substances with similar environmental impacts, for example endocrine disrupting properties. Data can be found at: Defra Data Services Platform(opens in a new tab).


Written Question
Animal and Plant Health Agency: Lancashire
Wednesday 28th June 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she made of the adequacy of the Animal Plant and Health Agency’s veterinary resources within Lancashire; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

For a current overview of the Animal Plant and Health Agency’s (APHA) veterinary resource, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 June 2023 to the hon. Member for Witney, PQ 189875.

APHA has a team of seven field veterinary posts which provide veterinary resource for Lancashire and West Yorkshire. Recruitment is in progress to fill one vacancy in this team. APHA adopts flexible resourcing at a national level to meet delivery needs and works with veterinary delivery partners when needed to meet fluctuating demands. APHA also offers a free farm animal carcase collection service to most of Lancashire to enable diagnostic post-mortem examinations to be carried out by veterinary pathologists at the APHA laboratory in Penrith or at the University of Liverpool.


Written Question
Beaches: Fleetwood
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the quality of bathing water in Fleetwood.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency samples bathing waters, including Fleetwood, 20 times between May and September. Samples are tested for elevated levels of bacteria (E. Coli) which would indicate a presence of organic pollution such as sewage.

Fleetwood wastewater treatment works (WwTW) serves towns on the Fylde Coast, Lancashire, including Fleetwood. On 11 June 2023 there was a failure of a discharge pipe at Fleetwood WwTW that is now restricting the outlet from the WwTW. As a result, sewage is backing up at the WwTW and in the sewerage network.

In response to the reduction in capacity at the WwTW, and some rainfall, untreated sewage overflowed at various points on the network overnight on 12 and 13 June. This included screened sewage onto the beach at Blackpool. There are eight designated bathing waters that could be impacted in the area, including Fleetwood.

The Environment Agency is the regulator of Fleetwood WwTW and is gathering evidence for any potential compliance or enforcement purposes. The Environment Agency continues to maintain an operational presence in the area and is actively involved in multi-agency liaison and response through the Lancashire Resilience Forum.


Written Question
Sewage: Waste Disposal
Monday 19th June 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with United Utilities on preventing sewage discharge at Fleetwood Wastewater Treatment works.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State and I frequently meet representatives from water companies and the wider water industry to discuss environmental performance. United Utilities are undertaking an urgent repair to a burst pipe at the Fleetwood Wastewater Treatment site. They are working with local teams, including the Environment Agency and local councils to minimise impacts. Defra is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates on progress.


Written Question
Pets: Shops
Thursday 4th May 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

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 a recent assessment of the impact of (a) online competition, (b) rising costs and (c) licensing requirements on pet shops.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations), anyone who is in the business of selling animals as pets needs a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. Online sellers and traditional pet shops are accordingly held to a fair regulatory standard.

The Government has been providing energy cost support to businesses, including pet shops; first through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and now through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS). The EBDS will run until 31 March 2024 for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

My Department is currently conducting a post implementation review of the 2018 Regulations. Among other things, this will assess whether there could be scope for improvements to the regulation of the sale of pets.


Written Question
Pets: Sales
Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to prevent online retailors selling pets in breach of the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, license holders must meet strict license conditions which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse, vary or revoke licences. It is an offence to breach a license condition or carry on a licensable activity without a license and Local authorities are afforded powers to prosecute such cases under the 2018 Regulations. To assist local authorities in their application of the licensing regime, the Government maintains statutory guidance which they must have regard to. This aims to improve consistency in interpretation and application of the licensing regime across England.


Written Question
River Wyre: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances
Tuesday 14th March 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to address the presence of toxic perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in the River Wyre.

Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Environment Agency (EA) is continuing its extensive programme of PFAS monitoring across England including the River Wyre and in surrounding areas.

In the UK REACH Work Programme for 2021-22, Defra asked the Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to examine the risks posed by PFAS and develop a 'Regulatory Management Options Analysis' (RMOA). The RMOA will be published in spring 2023 and will make recommendations for risk management measures, building on the commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan to tackle chemicals of concern. Defra and the Devolved Administrations will carefully consider its recommendations to inform future PFAS policy.

The EA is working with key partners including Defra, the UK Health Security Agency (former Public Health England), the Food Standards Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the HSE to inform local plans.


Written Question
Fish Farming: Animal Welfare
Monday 30th January 2023

Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2022 to Question 40832 on Fish Farming: Animal Welfare, when she expects to receive the advice of the Animal Welfare Committee on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We expect to receive the Animal Welfare Committee’s advice by the end of March this year.