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Written Question
Pesticides
Tuesday 6th February 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, 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.


Written Question
Horticulture: Peat
Friday 2nd February 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, 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.


Written Question
Food Supply: Vacancies
Monday 22nd January 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, 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.


Written Question
Fishing Vessels: Inspections
Tuesday 5th December 2023

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


Written Question
Fishing Vessels: EU Countries
Tuesday 5th December 2023

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


Written Question
UK Agricultural Partnership
Tuesday 16th May 2023

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.


Written Question
Agriculture: Research
Tuesday 16th May 2023

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 she plans to open the industry-led Research and Development Syndicates for applications.

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

Industry-led Research and Development Syndicates formed part of the first competitions under the Farming Innovation Programme, launched in October 2021.


Written Question
Horticulture
Monday 15th May 2023

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 Government plans to publish the horticulture strategy.

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

The domestic horticulture sector plays an important role in the resilience of our food system as well as an important part of our wider economy. We are delivering for the sector by investing more than £168 million to drive innovation and support food production, and have passed the new Genetic Technology Act to reduce the regulatory burden and unlock the potential of new technologies.

Defra regularly engages with the horticulture industry's representatives and our existing stakeholder forums help inform future policy development and support for the sector.

Later this year, we will respond to the Labour Review and we will consider if a further tailored action plan is required. I look forward to discussing this and other issues at the upcoming Farm to Fork Summit.


Written Question
Horticulture
Monday 15th May 2023

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, what discussions he has had with representatives of the horticulture industry on the development of the Horticulture Strategy.

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

The domestic horticulture sector plays an important role in the resilience of our food system as well as an important part of our wider economy. We are delivering for the sector by investing more than £168 million to drive innovation and support food production, and have passed the new Genetic Technology Act to reduce the regulatory burden and unlock the potential of new technologies.

Defra regularly engages with the horticulture industry's representatives and our existing stakeholder forums help inform future policy development and support for the sector.

Later this year, we will respond to the Labour Review and we will consider if a further tailored action plan is required. I look forward to discussing this and other issues at the upcoming Farm to Fork Summit.


Written Question
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Thursday 2nd February 2023

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 the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many Countryside Stewardship agreements have been made under powers conferred in regulations under Section 98 of the Environmental Protection Act 1995.

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

There are a total 22,671 Countryside Stewardship agreements that have been made under powers conferred in regulations under section 98 of the Environmental Protection Act 1995.