Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of undiagnosed dementia in (a) Tenbury Wells County Council Division, (b) Worcestershire and (c) England.
Answered by Helen Whately - Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
The information requested is not held. However, the latest dementia diagnosis rate figures reported by NHS Digital are available for January 2023. NHS Digital estimates there are 675,542 people over the age of 65 years old living with dementia in England, of which 417,797 have a recorded dementia diagnosis. NHS Digital also estimates there are 12,119 people over the age of 65 years old living with dementia in the NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrate Care Board, of which 6,290 have a recorded dementia diagnosis. This information is not collected for Tenbury Wells County Council Division.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to increase the resources of the Animal and Plant Health Agency to (a) identify outbreaks of and (b) undertake virus survivability research on avian influenza.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads the Government’s action on animal disease control and during any significant avian influenza outbreak, APHA’s resource capacity and capability are kept under close review. APHA have outbreak response and contingency plans in place, these include measures to contract companies to support eradication and cover such matters as the deployment of non-Government vets and experts in culling and disposal of birds. APHA also works closely with other agencies from within the Defra group to provide additional capacity.
Alongside the Government's continued investment in the Avian Influenza National Reference Laboratory and APHA's Weybridge site, earlier this year an eight-strong consortium 'FluMap' led by APHA and funded by Defra and the Biotechnology and Biosciences Research Council was launched that received £1.5 million in funding to develop new strategies to tackle avian influenza outbreaks.
This year long research project will help build our understanding in a number of key areas, including why the current virus strains have formed larger and longer outbreaks, transmission and infection in different bird populations, the ability for the virus to survive in the environment and the impact environmental persistence may have on transmission to both wild and/or kept birds. The Government is committed to the strongest possible standards of protection against animal diseases. Defra continues to invest in avian influenza research, and we continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to amend the system for compensating businesses affected by avian influenza in the next 12 months.
Answered by Mark Spencer
To help producers deal with the impacts of the UK’s worst ever avian influenza outbreak on 28 October 2022, Defra announced a new package of measures to support domestic producers with the impacts of avian influenza. This included changes to the compensation scheme allowing compensation to be paid to farmers from the outset of planned culling rather than at the end. This will give earlier certainty about entitlement to compensation, better reflect the impact of outbreaks on premises and lead to swifter payments to help stem any cash flow pressures. Compensation is paid for birds culled by HM Government for avian influenza disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. In addition, in consultation with the Food Standards Agency, Defra announced a relaxation to marketing rules to give farmers who rear turkeys and other seasonal poultry products the option to slaughter birds early, to freeze them and then sell them to consumers defrosted between the period 28 November and 31 December 2022. The Welsh Government announced a similar concession on 3 November as did the Scottish Government via legislation on 28 November. This was introduced to help businesses get their birds off the ground early to avoid losing flocks to avian influenza, and to help them plan ahead for Christmas and ensure the supply of turkeys. Defra will continue to review policy options to support the poultry sector.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
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 she has taken to help eradicate bovine tuberculosis; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra is driving forward an ambitious strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England which includes a range of evidence-led interventions to tackle the disease in both cattle and wildlife.
Our comprehensive strategy includes strengthening cattle testing and movement controls, introducing new help for herd owners to improve biosecurity measures on farms and to help manage down the risk of bringing the disease into their herds and supporting the deployment of badger vaccination.
Developing new and better tools is an important part of our programme of work. We continue to fund major research, including on cattle vaccination and improved diagnostics. That funding has already resulted in a major breakthrough by APHA in developing a test that can differentiate TB-infected among vaccinated cattle (a DIVA test). World-leading BCG vaccination trials in cattle began in England and Wales in June 2021. Our aim is to have a deployable TB vaccine for cattle within the next 5 years.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to promote alternative growing media to replace peat in the production of (a) ornamental and (b) edible crops.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Government recognises the progress already made in transitioning to peat-free alternatives. Nevertheless, some sectors within the horticulture industry are encountering particular challenges. Therefore, we consulted industry representatives to develop our planned time limited exemptions for the professional sector.
We are currently co-funding with the horticultural industry monitoring of the composition of growing media (including peat) that is supplied for horticultural use. We are also working with the industry to continue to develop a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media, which allows manufacturers and retailers to make informed choices of growing media inputs to amateur or retail products. Defra will continue to work with the industry to identify blockages and develop solutions to ending the use of peat and peat containing products.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her policy to maintain the 30 March 2022 guidance on the Farming Rules for Water for the next twelve months.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Defra have committed to review the statutory guidance, issued to the Environment Agency on the application of the Farming Rules for Water, by September 2025. This is to ensure that it continues to serve its function and reflect the priorities and best practice of the time.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
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 the simplify the process of reporting fly-tipping incidents.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Fly-tipping incidents should be reported to the relevant local authority. This can be done by visiting the local authority's website. Individuals can find help on identifying the relevant local authority webpage on Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping
There are also several mobile reporting apps available which allows members of the public to report fly-tipping incidents to their local council. We are developing a fly-tipping toolkit in partnership with the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group and an upcoming part of the toolkit will cover the use of new technology to report fly-tipping including how reporting apps can be best utilised by local authorities.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
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 she has made of the effectiveness of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Sustainable Farming Incentive opened for applications in June 2022. To date we have received over 1,700 eligible applications and more than 1,400 agreements are live. We have received positive feedback from farmers about how quick and easy it is to apply for an SFI agreement, that they are paid quarterly and have flexibility to choose how to deliver actions in their agreement.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive is being introduced incrementally between now and 2025, and as the offer is expanded, we expect uptake to accelerate.
We have plans in place to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme as farmers join and the offer is expanded and continue to learn from our SFI Pilot and Environmental Land Management Tests and Trials.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to review rules on the labelling of free range (a) eggs and (b) poultry, in the context of outbreaks of avian influenza.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Egg Marketing Standards provides a 16-week derogation period during which the free-range description can be retained on eggs even if hens have been housed. Defra currently has no plans to review this derogation period
In recognition of the pressures the egg sector is currently facing, Defra has granted a concession which will apply if the housing orders that are currently in place in England exceed the 16-week derogation period. This concession will allow producers and packers, on a one-off basis, the option to use either direct print to pack or an affixed label on free-range boxes. Accompanying clear and transparent point of sale signage should also be in place to ensure consumers are not misled and to avoid undermining consumer confidence in the free-range industry.
Poultry Meat Marketing Regulations provide a 12-week derogation period during which the free-range description can be retained on meat from poultry that has been housed. As most free-range poultry is slaughtered at around 8 weeks, in practice the derogation period of 12 weeks is rarely exceeded. When this does happen then the free-range description cannot be used and the relevant production method must be indicated. There are no plans to review this derogation period
Egg and Poultry Meat Marketing are both devolved policy matters. Any review of, or changes to, these standards outside England is therefore the responsibility for each of the devolved administrations.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure the availability of (a) urea and (b) other fertilisers for domestic food production in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Britain sources both nitrogen-based and non-nitrogen fertiliser from a wide range of countries and produces ammonium nitrate (AN) fertiliser domestically. While global fertiliser prices have risen, the supply chain providing imports of fertiliser to the UK has remained dynamic in sourcing products. CF Fertilisers continues to produce ammonium nitrate fertiliser from its plant at Billingham
We are continuing to monitor the security and stability of fertiliser and other supply chains, and work closely with colleagues across government and devolved administrations as well as industry figures
Defra hosts regular Fertiliser Industry Taskforce meetings with devolved administrations and key industry figures including the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and the Agricultural Industries Confederation
To support farmers the Basic Payment Scheme payment is being made in 2 instalments to give farmers greater financial fluidity. Other actions taken include changes to guidance on farmers using manures, increased grants for farmers and growers, boosting research and development
Indicative data suggest that farmers have made a slight shift to using more urea based fertilisers this year, because of higher AN prices. Urea fertilisers emit greater amount of ammonia, after spreading, than other inorganic fertilisers so care must be taken to optimise application for agronomic and environmental benefit. The Government will monitor the success of industry action on reducing ammonia emissions from use of urea fertilisers and if regulation is needed this is likely to require use of ammonia inhibitors rather than a complete ban on urea
Defra recently laid a Statutory Instrument (SI) to enable continued ammonium nitrate supply and importation, by extending the current provision allowing use of both EU and UK laboratories for Detonation Resistance Testing
Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as National Farmers Union can be found from various public sources. Furthermore, AHDB recently published reports commissioned by Defra, modelling the potential impact on arable and grassland yields of fertiliser price rises, and have also published a new fertiliser price dashboard.