Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to replace EU LIFE funding for projects such as the Little Tern Recovery Project at Pagham Harbour after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Projects funded under the L’Instrument Financier pour l’Environnement (LIFE) programme have played an important role in helping to implement environment policy in the UK. The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan makes clear that public funding will continue to play an important role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment. Securing a negotiated exit from the EU would ensure that UK organisations could continue to access LIFE funding until the end of 2020. The UK Government has guaranteed to underwrite the funding for agreed LIFE projects led by UK organisations in the event of the funding from the EU stopping in a ‘no deal’ exit. Once the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU are clear, we will decide as part of the next multi-year Spending Review, whether the UK will seek to associate with the LIFE programme as a third country or whether domestic arrangements should be established.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
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 approve the final national call for applications to the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; and whether she has made an assessment of the trends in the time it takes for applications to be assessed and approved by her Department and the Rural Payments Agency.
Answered by George Eustice
My department is aiming to open a new round of national-level Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Growth Programme calls for business development, food processing and tourism infrastructure projects in early November. This will enable all stages of the project application and assessment process to be completed in time for funding to be awarded, in line with the Government’s guarantee to honour all funding commitments signed by the end December 2020.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
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 review his Department's policy on pesticides.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government intends to commence an in-depth review of pesticides policy later this year and will work closely with all interested parties as we develop our policy thinking.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of water security for farmers and growers as a result of the closure of the European Agricultural Fund's Water Resource Management grant.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Defra keeps water security for farmers and growers under review. However, as the Countryside Productivity Water Resource Management offer was a relatively small scheme offering localised support for individual farmers and growers, we have no plans to undertake a detailed assessment of its impact on national water security.
The Government’s abstraction plan sets out how the Environment Agency will develop strong local partnerships with abstractors, including farmers, and catchment groups. The partnerships will work to agree local solutions that improve water security and protect the environment.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote responsible dog ownership near livestock.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra has been working closely with the police and local authorities and provided clear guidance to them on how they can tackle irresponsible dog ownership, including dealing with dog attacks on livestock. This has included promoting the Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs (LEAD) initiative to encourage partnership working between police and local authorities and to address minor incidents involving dogs before they escalate. We have also updated the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs, which encourages owners to keep their dog on a lead around livestock or to avoid such situations, in order to make it more accessible to readers.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which marine life and seabed habitats have been identified for protection in the proposed marine conservation zone at Selsey Bill and the Hounds.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
The features that have been identified for protection at Selsey Bill and the Hounds are:
Bracklesham Bay geological feature
Short-snouted seahorse
Subtidal mixed sediments
Subtidal sand
Peat and clay exposures
High energy infralittoral rock
Moderate energy infralittoral rock
Moderate energy circalittoral rock
Low energy infralittoral rock
Full details regarding the proposed designation of Selsey Bill and the Hounds can be found in the Third Tranche of Marine Conservation Zones consultation. Please see link here:
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/marine/consultation-on-the-third-tranche-of-marine-conser/.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the central equine database in reducing horse abandonment to date.
Answered by George Eustice
The Central Equine Database (CED) was launched on 8 March 2018. At this early stage, data is not available to make a formal assessment of its effectiveness in reducing horse abandonment. Defra laid the Equine Identification (England) Regulations 2018 on 25 June. The regulations provide modern, effective enforcement tools to local authorities that, in combination with the CED and the powers under the Control of Horses Act 2015 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, will help address the problem of horse abandonment.
Furthermore, the regulations require that all equines in England are microchipped by 1 October 2020, except for recognised populations of semi-wild ponies. This will further help local authorities and the police to track down the owners of abandoned horses and make sure appropriate action is taken against them, and ensure their equines are given the care they deserve.
Asked by: Gillian Keegan (Conservative - Chichester)
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 the Home Secretary on the effect of rural crime on farmers.
Answered by George Eustice
We are working closely with the Home Office on a range of issues in relation to rural crime, including waste crime and fly-tipping and issues like sheep worrying and wildlife crime. We both also work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the National Rural Crime Network on these issues.