Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 support farmers who rely on EU subsidy payments after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Leaving the European Union provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform agriculture. Phasing out Direct Payments in England will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes. We will phase out Direct Payments gradually over a transition period of 7 years. This will give time for farmers to adapt and prepare for the new environmental land management system, which will allow farmers to decide how best they can deliver environmental benefits from their business and their land.
We will pay Direct Payments for the 2019 scheme year on the same basis as for 2018 and plan to allocate the money paid in Direct Payments for 2020 in much the same way that we do now. The Government has also pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of the Parliament, expected in 2022. The figure includes all EU and Exchequer funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2. Furthermore, all Pillar 2 agreements signed by 31 December 2020 will be funded for their lifetime.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made on plans for farming subsidies after Britain leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit’ published in February 2018 set out a clear direction of travel for future farm support in England. This consultation paper proposed a new system of paying farmers and land managers ‘public money for public goods’. The consultation closed in May and we intend to bring forward an Agriculture Bill shortly.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in the devolved administrations on trade deals for the agriculture sector after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Secretary of State is meeting regularly with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, the Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, and the Permanent Secretary in the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, to discuss future agricultural policy and implications for trade.
The devolved administrations will have a direct interest in our future trade agreements, and we will continue to work closely with them to deliver an approach that works for the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding will be put in place to stop the spread of TB in cattle after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government will continue to deliver its manifesto commitment to implement its 25-year strategy to eradicate TB in England. This includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, improving biosecurity on farm and when trading, and badger control in areas where TB is rife. The Government currently spends around £100 million per year controlling TB in England.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 increase consumer awareness of British-sourced and farmed produce and food after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The AHDB promotes British agricultural produce both domestically and overseas. The annual budget of the AHDB is approximately £60 million. We are also working with industry to identify opportunities to open new markets after leaving the EU and to support farm businesses that want to develop brands around food provenance.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 have for improving information on food labelling and origin.
Answered by George Eustice
Mandatory requirements for origin labelling already exist for a number of foods, such as beef, lamb, poultry and pork. Rules on origin labelling are not in place for dairy and processed meat products, such as bacon and burgers, but this is often provided on a voluntary basis. Most dairy and processed meat products are compliant with industry's voluntary principles for origin labelling and we are considering how to build on these voluntary principles. We also have an opportunity on leaving the EU to consider further extensions of mandatory country of origin labelling.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 ensure (a) high welfare standards and (b) access to food and water for tethered animals situated near main highways.
Answered by George Eustice
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to animals or to fail to provide for their welfare. In addition, the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids includes advice on how to tether such animals in order to meet their welfare needs, as required by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. If anyone is concerned about the way a horse is tethered they should report it to the relevant local authority who have powers under the Animal Welfare Act to investigate such matters or to the RSPCA or World Horse Welfare who can also investigate such matters.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 ensure that standards of animal (a) welfare and (b) traceability are maintained when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
Animal welfare and traceability are a priority for this Government and and we have a manifesto commitment to include measures to improve animal welfare in future agriculture policy. We are currently considering the impacts of the decision to leave the EU, including for existing legislation and how appropriate standards are best delivered in the future.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 plans to take to prevent plant and tree diseases being imported into the UK (a) through garden centres and (b) by other routes.
Answered by George Eustice
Upholding plant biosecurity is a key priority for Defra and we have taken a number of measures to reduce the risk of introduction of pests and diseases. Last year, we published a Plant Biosecurity Strategy, which addressed the recommendations of the Tree Health and Plant Expert Biosecurity Taskforce which included strengthening biosecurity to reduce risks at the border. We have also introduced a UK Plant Health Risk Register, an important tool to screen new threats and identify priority actions.
In recognition of the increased risks including from trade globalisation, we have played an active role in the negotiation of a new EU plant health regime, to provide strengthened import checks targeted at the highest risk material and tightened internal controls to minimize risks from material moving within the EU.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on research on non-beak trimmed birds; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is working with the Beak Trimming Action Group, to find ways to manage laying hens without the need to beak trim. As part of this process, Defra has funded a study at the University of Bristol to assess the effectiveness of management strategies in reducing injurious pecking in non-beak trimmed laying hens. A review of all the evidence, including the outcome of the Bristol study, will be carried out later this year.