Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of inflation on the adequacy of the funding allocated by the Government in June 2021 to support the development of the Severn Valley Water Management scheme.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Severn Valley Water Management Scheme (SVWMS) is led by the Environment Agency and will represent a major change in the way water is managed, by reducing not only flood risk but also securing water resources for the future, benefitting and improving water quality, natural assets and the environment. The Government is investing over £34 million from the Flood Defence Grant-in-Aid and Economic Recovery Funding for projects in the scheme and the wider Severn catchment.
Higher than expected inflation is causing challenges to the delivery of all infrastructure programmes. Defra and the Environment Agency are currently undertaking an assessment of the potential impact of inflation on the £5.2 billion 2021-2027 capital investment programme for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management. The Environment Agency retains an oversight of the SVWMS project and its expenditure to ensure that it is being undertaken in an effective manner.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 Severn Valley Water Management Plan.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Working closely with partners on both sides of the English/Welsh border, the Environment Agency and the River Severn Partnership has been developing the initial plan for the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. This will make a significant, positive difference to community resilience along the upper Severn.
This initial plan outlines a possible approach to effective water management across the Upper Severn catchment. The funding landscape is complex and Partnership working is critical to confirming the funding and delivery routes for the project, which will determine the final plan.
Over the next 12 months the Environment Agency will be working with partners and engaging with stakeholders and communities in the Upper Severn catchment to discuss this work in more detail.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for International Trade on ensuring parity of (a) animal welfare and (b) environmental standards in food production in future trade deals.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State regularly discusses a range of issues with the Secretary of State for International Trade, including on the UK's approach to different trade negotiations. Discussions cover a range of issues including animal welfare and environmental considerations
Our discussions are grounded in our commitment that the Government will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in our trade deals
Environmental and animal welfare considerations continue to be central to our approach to agricultural trade in line with our manifesto commitment that the UK's high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards will not be compromised by our trade negotiations.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage take-up of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The SFI pays farmers for managing their land sustainably.
We have worked closely with farmers to make sure the scheme is attractive and accessible, grouping actions into simple packages set out as standards.
As we expand the SFI offer by adding additional standards in 2023 and 2024, we expect uptake to accelerate. Increasing the number of standards available will increase the total amount of revenue that farmers can access by applying for multiple SFI standards.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from commercial (a) plant and (b) animal breeds.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises that gene banking is an important tool for the conservation of genetic diversity for plant and animal breeds and engages with breeds societies on this issue.
Defra funds the management of three plant gene banks (the National Fruit Collection (Brogdale, Kent), the Vegetable Collection (University of Warwick) and the Pea Collection (John Innes Centre, Norwich) which conserve and provide access to a variety of plant genetic material. These collections store both wild and commercial varieties which are regularly regenerated where applicable, to ensure the collections remain viable for the future.
Animal gene bank collections currently present in the United Kingdom are the UK National Livestock Gene Bank, run by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST), and the Ovine Semen Archive, run jointly by RBST and the National Sheep Association (NSA). Many breed societies also hold private collections of genetic material. Defra collects and monitors data on animal cryogenic reserves as part of the annually published UK National Breed Inventory.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 resilience of commercial plant and animal species to the risk of novel disease outbreaks.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
By law (REUL for The European Union (EU) Directive 2003/85/EC) animal health-focused exercises of contingency plans need to be undertaken every five years at a cross-department, cross-devolved administration national level and every year/few years at lower regional or limited national levels.
We have a well-established contingency plan for responding to outbreaks of exotic disease in animals Contingency Plan for Exotic Notifiable Diseases of Animals in England (publishing.service.gov.uk). We also have specific control strategies for our highest likelihood threats, such as African Swine fever, Foot and Mouth disease, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Rabies.
The Generic Contingency Plan for Plant Health in England describes how the Plant Health Service in England would manage outbreaks of plant pests. In accordance with retained EU regulation 2016/2031, specific contingency plans are also required for priority plant pests (priority pests are listed here - The Plant Health (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)). These plans detail additional measures to those set out in the generic contingency plan to manage these pests. Our generic contingency plan and pest specific contingency plans (for the priority pests and other high risk pests) are available here - Contingency planning - UK Plant Health Information Portal (defra.gov.uk). EU regulation 2016/2031 also specifies that simulation exercises should be carried out for our priority pests at appropriate intervals.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Global biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Whilst we have no plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting, indefinitely storing and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered animal species, we remain fully committed to ensuring our most vulnerable biodiversity is protected. This includes by working with countries to agree an ambitious Global Biodiversity Framework at the forthcoming Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of Parties (CoP15) being held in December this year.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing more clear country of origin labelling for imported food produce.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food Information to Consumers Regulations apply to all food sold on the UK market, including imported food, and require many foods to declare the origin on the label. This includes where the consumer would be misled if it were not given, and always for specific foods such as: beef; veal; lamb; mutton; pork; goat; poultry; fish; shellfish; wine; olive oil; honey; and most fruits and vegetables. Additionally, there are rules that help prevent the consumer from being misled about the origin of the primary ingredient of the food.
In the Food Strategy which was published earlier this year we committed to exploring whether existing country of origin rules can be strengthened by mandating how and where origin information is displayed. HM Government is committed to tightening up food labelling so that it is easier for consumers to buy British.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 impact of unregulated canine fertility clinics on animal welfare.
Answered by Steve Double
Fertility clinics which offer the diagnosis of diseases, perform tests for diagnostic purposes, or carry out medical or surgical treatment such as artificial insemination on dogs, are subject to the requirements of The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. The 1966 Act prohibits anyone who is not a veterinary surgeon registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) from undertaking any non-exempt procedure. Concerns about a person's legitimacy to practice should be reported to the RCVS as Regulator for the Act.
Those operating canine fertility clinics, and owners using their services, are required under The Animal Welfare Act 2006 to protect the animals involved from harm and to provide for their welfare in line with good practice. A breach of these provisions may lead to imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which provides owners and keepers with general welfare information, including a specific section on how to protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease. That section of the Code of Practice recommends owners seek veterinary advice before breeding their dogs and that owners should take all reasonable steps to ensure that they are able to provide the care required during pregnancy.
Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the 2018 Regulations) anyone in the business of breeding and selling dogs and/or who breeds three or more litters in a 12 month period needs to have a valid licence from their local authority.
Under the 2018 Regulations licencees must achieve and maintain statutory minimum animal welfare standards, linked to the welfare needs of the Animal Welfare Act 2006: Dog breeding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 the potential impact of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill on exports of agricultural products to the EU.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
All goods placed on the EU Single Market must comply with EU legislation. Precision bred products would therefore be able to enter the EU market if they have received an EU GMO authorisation and are marketed as such.
The EU are currently consulting on a new regulatory framework for plants produced by precision breeding technologies and intend to implement this framework by 2023. We will continue to monitor progress of this new framework as this develops.