Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
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 make an assessment of the adequacy of the conservation status of the swift.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK swift population is estimated at 59,000 pairs (2016) Swift population trends are monitored annually by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which recorded a decline of 62% between 1995 and 2021, and of 40% between 2011 and 2021. Due to the declines recorded by BBS, swifts were added to the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK in 2021 and are considered ‘Endangered’ at GB level.
Natural England is currently undertaking a review of the conservation interventions needed to support the recovery of over 100 of our most threatened bird species, including the swift.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
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 2 February 2024 to Question 10078 on Horticulture: Peat, what (a) legal and (b) other advice he has received on the suitability of powers provided by section 53 and schedule 7 of the Environment Act 2021 in providing an appropriate legislative vehicle for restricting the sale of horticultural peat.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 2 February 2024, PQ 10078.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
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 designate the swift under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on birds which are protected by special penalties.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
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 designate the swift as a species of bird which re-uses its nest under Schedule ZA1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will publish the National Action Plan (NAP) for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides in due course. It will set out Defra’s ambition to minimise the risks and impacts of pesticides to human health and the environment and the actions that need to be taken to deliver those goals.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is at the heart of our approach to support sustainable agricultural productivity, and we have not waited for the publication of the NAP to move forward with work to increase its uptake. Farmers can now sign up to paid IPM actions within the SFI scheme, through which they can be paid to complete an IPM assessment and produce an IPM plan; establish and maintain flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips; establish a companion crop and to move towards insecticide-free farming.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
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 steps to restrict the sale of horticultural peat under Section 53 and Schedule 7 of the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government does not believe that this power provides an appropriate vehicle to legislate for a ban on the sale of peat and peat containing products.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to the Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain, published in June 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is currently considering the 10 recommendations from the Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain and intends publishing a Government Response in early 2024.
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times fisheries patrol vessels boarded and inspected UK registered fisheries vessels in each year between 2018 to 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, and each Devolved Administration is responsible for conducting inspections on vessels in their respective zones. Within England, the ten Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities are responsible for compliance and enforcement within inshore waters (0-6 nautical miles (nm)) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for control and enforcement of third country vessels and all UK vessels fishing outside of 6nms. There is no fishing allowed by foreign vessels inside 6nms.
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of EU vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 96
2019: 303
2020: 122
2021: 303
2022: 280
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of UK vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 94
2019: 245
2020: 135
2021: 248
2022: 304
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times fisheries patrol vessels boarded and inspected EU registered fisheries vessels in each year between 2018 and 2022 inclusive.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, and each Devolved Administration is responsible for conducting inspections on vessels in their respective zones. Within England, the ten Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities are responsible for compliance and enforcement within inshore waters (0-6 nautical miles (nm)) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for control and enforcement of third country vessels and all UK vessels fishing outside of 6nms. There is no fishing allowed by foreign vessels inside 6nms.
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of EU vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 96
2019: 303
2020: 122
2021: 303
2022: 280
The number of inspections by MMO patrol vessels of UK vessels at sea in English waters by year are:
2018: 94
2019: 245
2020: 135
2021: 248
2022: 304
Asked by: George Eustice (Conservative - Camborne and Redruth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the UK Agricultural Partnership (a) last met and (b) will meet next.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Agriculture Partnership (UKAP) has already brought together governments and leading experts from across our four nations to discuss the crucial issues of food security, water quality and soil health, at agricultural centres of excellence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The last UKAP event was held in July 2022 at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee.
We intend to hold the next partnership meeting shortly and are currently in discussions with devolved governments regarding the next host.