Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve sanitation and animal welfare practises in the sale of live-caught wild mammals to reduce the risk of future outbreaks of zoonoses.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The UK is proud to be at the leading edge of food, health and animal welfare standards. The UK’s policies relating to animal production, as part of our wider sanitary and phytosanitary regime, prioritise animal health and welfare, public health and the environment.
The sale of mammals taken from the wild in Great Britain is covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended) whereby a licence is needed for the sale of certain wildlife species.
There is a regulatory framework which covers the import of animals (including wild animals) to protect public and animal health and animal welfare. This includes rules on the disease status of the country of origin, the approval of the premises of origin and destination, the source of animals and the use of isolation or quarantine before and after arrival. Animal health certificates must accompany all mammals entering Great Britain and these certificates must be signed by an official veterinarian of the competent authority of the country of origin, guaranteeing that the conditions for entry have been met.
There is a regulatory framework which covers our food safety processes to mitigate risks to public health from food borne pathogens from livestock or hunted wild animals. Defra works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and the Food Standards Agency to ensure zoonotic disease risks are identified and managed appropriately.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding the range of vaccinations available to livestock in the UK to reduce the risk of zoonoses transmission.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Defra’s priority is protecting public and animal health from disease and supporting our sustainable food and farming sectors. Vaccinating livestock to reduce the risk of zoonotic disease can be an important tool in achieving those aims.
The UK has a strong track record in developing highly effective veterinary vaccines for diseases such as Clostridial disease, Leptospiroses, E. coli for cattle and pigs, Rinderpest and Foot & Mouth Disease, Coccidiosis in poultry, Salmonella in poultry and a range of vaccines for farmed fish. For infectious agents which are not present in the UK but which could present a risk to public health, Defra works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care to assess the risks through the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group. HAIRS considers the exposure of humans to emerging pathogens through contact and through consumption and provide risk management advice to the chief medical officers and chief veterinary officers of the UK, including on the potential use of vaccines. It is important to note, however, that for several zoonotic diseases present in the UK, vaccination is not always recommended, for example, where they may not be sufficiently effective, are disproportionately costly, are difficult to apply or can have trade implications.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) regulates Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) and assesses applications submitted by the veterinary pharmaceutical industry to authorise and make available good quality, safe and efficacious VMPs, including veterinary vaccines for zoonotic diseases for use by veterinarians in the field to reduce the risk of zoonoses transmission where relevant national disease control programmes allow.
The legislation also allows approval of exceptional Marketing Authorisations to address an urgent situation such as a new disease or where the product is not expected to be sold in vast quantities. Alternatively, where a suitable veterinary vaccine authorised in the UK is not available to treat a disease, a veterinary surgeon may apply to the VMD for a special import certificate, which allows the use of a veterinary vaccine authorised elsewhere in the world; these applications are subject to a risk assessment by the VMD.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 representatives of large supermarkets on preventing rises in food inflation from adversely raising the cost of basic foodstuff compared to luxury ranges.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.
The Government monitors consumer food prices using the Consumer Prices Index including Housing costs (CPIH). Food prices are set individually by businesses. It is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by the companies. The UK Government will continue to work closely with industry to promote transparency for consumers and internationally to promote open markets via the Agricultural Markets Information Systems.
The Government is committed to providing a strong welfare safety net of financial support for those that need it and has put in place measures to support vulnerable and low-income households, including the Household Support Fund to provide £500 million to help vulnerable people with the cost of food, utilities, and wider essentials over the winter months. Consumer food prices depend on a range of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, and Sterling exchange rates. Some of these factors are influenced by our trading arrangements with other countries. Change in food prices is dependent on changes in one or more of these factors.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of recent price rises of food in supermarkets on progress towards implementation of recommendations made in the National Food Strategy July 2021.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government monitors consumer food prices using the Consumer Prices Index (including Housing Costs) CPIH. Food prices are set individually by businesses and it is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.
Henry Dimbleby published his independent food review in July 2021. We are considering the review’s recommendations and will set out our plans shortly in the Government Food Strategy. We are committed to ensuring a healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible food system that levels up our country.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of recent food price rises on the ability of lower-income households to eat a balanced diet including five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government monitors consumer food prices using the Consumer Prices Index including Housing costs (CPIH). Food prices are traditionally impacted by a wide range of domestic and international factors – from local manufacturing costs to global commodity prices. Given strong competition in the UK food retail sector, retailers normally try to absorb short term cost pressures for a period of time. In any given year, food prices tend to go up and down. Food prices are set individually by businesses and it is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies.
In December 2021 we published the first UK Food Security Report which included data on household food security and food prices. This found that over the past ten years vegetables have become cheaper in real terms, whilst fruit costs more in real terms compared with ten years ago.
We have put in place measures to support vulnerable and low-income households, including the £500 million Household Support Fund to help with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials over the coming months.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
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 open the next round of the Green Recovery Challenge Fund for applications.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund (GCRF) formed part of the Government's green economic recovery, jobs and skills package. Through its funding of 159 projects across England, the Fund has supported environmental charities and their partners to recover, restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment. There are no plans at present for future rounds of GRCF.
We are, however, boosting the existing £640 million Nature for Climate Fund with a further £124 million of new money, ensuring total spend of more than £750 million by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management - above and beyond what was promised in the 2019 manifesto.
In addition, we are introducing three schemes that reward farmers and land managers for the delivery of environmental benefits: the Sustainable Farming Incentive; Local Nature Recovery; and Landscape Recovery. These schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices, improving animal health and welfare, reducing carbon emissions, creating and preserving habitat, and making landscape-scale environmental changes. This is an important step towards achieving our 25 Year Environment Plan ambitions and our net zero goal.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect of (a) stockpiling and (b) purchase limits being placed on products by supermarkets on the quantity of food donations to food banks.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government is in regular contact with the food industry on the response to coronavirus, building on our well-established links with the industry to manage disruption. The industry has adapted quickly to what have been unprecedented changes in consumer demands, and food supply into and within the UK is resilient.
To help supermarkets, the Government has already introduced new measures to keep food supply flowing. We have relaxed competition law, issued guidance to local authorities to allow extended delivery hours to supermarkets so that shelves can be filled up more quickly, and have implemented extensions to drivers’ hours.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the findings of OFWAT's recent investigation into whether Southern Water breached its statutory duties and licence obligations, what assessment he has made of the safety of the water supply in Southern Water supplied areas.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Ofwat’s recent investigation related to the release of wastewater to the environment.
Drinking water supplied by Southern Water is safe for consumers. Water companies are required to provide safe, wholesome drinking water. The Drinking Water Inspectorate scrutinises the results of treated water sampling by companies in England and Wales. This amounts to over 4 million sample results, over 230,000 of which are provided by Southern Water.
Water companies are required to take action when there are issues to be addressed. In the event of short term operational issues affecting supplies, there are well practiced procedures in place for protection of consumers. Companies are also required to rectify issues requiring medium to long term mitigation.
Where the Inspectorate is not satisfied with a company’s response, it will take enforcement actions which range from making suggestions and recommendations through to criminal prosecutions. The Environment Agency is responsible for reporting on the quality of water in the environment.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward further legislative proposals to ban the sale of non-sustainable palm oil in the UK.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The UK is determined to make good on commitments to support companies to implement zero-deforestation supply chains, including in respect of palm oil. Through the Amsterdam Declarations and the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, we are working with businesses and other governments to strengthen governance, promote market-based solutions and put in place incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production of palm oil alongside forest protection. While we are not proposing to bring forward a ban, we recognise that more remains to be done and will continue to explore opportunities to improve the sustainability of palm oil production.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward further legislative proposals to ban the sale of non-sustainable palm oil in the UK.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The UK is determined to make good on commitments to support companies to implement zero-deforestation supply chains, including in respect of palm oil. Through the Amsterdam Declarations and the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, we are working with businesses and other governments to strengthen governance, promote market-based solutions and put in place incentives, policies and actions that support sustainable production of palm oil alongside forest protection. While we are not proposing to bring forward a ban, we recognise that more remains to be done and will continue to explore opportunities to improve the sustainability of palm oil production.