Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to strengthen the law against hare coursing.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We made it clear in our Action Plan on Animal Welfare that we are determined to do more to crack down on the illegal practice of hare coursing and we have committed to introducing legislation. On 17 June I will be chairing a round table with the police and stakeholders to share our outline proposals and initiate detailed consultations with officials.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 his policy to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers from 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The government plans to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers subject to further evidence and analysis. On timelines for implementation, we want a timetable that is bold but realistic, given our desire to develop and implement an effective, cost-efficient scheme that works coherently across the UK. We will provide further information on this timetable, along with further details of the proposed DRS, in our forthcoming consultation in 2021.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many grazing livestock farms in lowland areas had only (a) sheep and (b) beef cattle, in England in 2019.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
In June 2019, the number of lowland grazing holdings in England with sheep but no beef cattle was 11,766, while the number of holdings with beef cattle but no sheep was 8,553.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 publish the assessment he has made of the effect on dairy producers in the UK of tariffs being charged by the UK and the EU in the event of no agreement being reached in the current negotiations on the future relationship.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Previous studies (e.g. LEI Wageningen Uur, 2016) have indicated that the application of MFN tariffs on trade between the EU and UK would result in an increase in domestic farm gate prices for raw milk.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 feasibility of farmers switching from lamb to beef production.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
In 2019, there were 7,085 grazing livestock farms in lowland areas in England with some amount of beef and sheep on the holding. These businesses have the ability to change the mix of these enterprises within their business.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 Arla on the relocation of its production capacity to the UK in the event of tariffs being charged on dairy products by the UK and the EU.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Secretary of State met the Chief Executive of Arla on 9 October 2019, where the impact of a no deal exit on Arla was discussed.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on support for the bid by the Canal and River Trust for capital funding to enable the development of the Leeds Inland Port and the upgrading of eight locks on the Aire and Calder Navigation.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leeds North West on 22 October 2020, PQ UIN 105528.
[questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-19/105528]
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 as to whether there are sufficient supplies of heat-treated pallets to meet EU regulations covering the transport of products from 1 Jan 2021.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
After the end of the Transition Period, all wood packaging material (WPM) moving between Great Britain (GB) and the EU must be treated and appropriately marked in compliance with international standards (ISPM 15). This is in line with international requirements for trade and is in place to protect both the EU and GB from harmful plant pests and diseases.
Defra has established a strong relationship with the WPM industry. The UK Timber Pallet and Packaging Confederation (TIMCON), the Freight Transport Association , National Association of Pallet Distributors, the European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers (FEFPEB) and the Closed Pallet Pooling Coalition have been working hard with Defra and industry to ensure there are sufficient compliant pallets available for 1 January 2021. This will ensure our biosecurity is maintained and trade continues to flow with as little disruption as possible.
The WPM industry have been working tirelessly to both increase the stock of compliant WPM and to grow our WPM treatment capacity by increasing the number of heat treatment facilities (kilns) and their hours of operation and by simplifying and improving ISPM15 processes to reduce the time needed to treat their WPM. In a recent survey of the industry, 70% of respondents indicated they were confident that they would be fully ready by the end of the Transition Period. TIMCON is also strongly encouraging FEFPEB and EU national associations to engage and support their countries’ WPM industries to increase their own stocks of compliant pallets.
Defra, the Forestry Commission and other relevant plant health authorities are continuing to work closely with the WPM sector to address what further actions they need to take to manage this new requirement by the end of the Transition Period.
As there will be no immediate change to the biosecurity threat of WPM originating from the EU at the end of the Transition Period, GB will maintain its current risk-based checking regime for EU WPM.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice he has issued to food manufacturers on food packaging labelling requirements from 1 Jan 2021 for items (a) exported to the EU and (b) shipped from GB to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Ministers meet regularly with food manufacturers, and representatives of other parts of the supply chain, to discuss preparations for the end of the transition period including for food labelling.
The GOV.UK website provides guidance on these matters and is kept under review and updated as appropriate. Some food labels may need to change after the transition period depending on where the food is marketed and what information is provided on the label.
I can confirm that there will be a period of adjustment for labelling changes required at the end of the transition period. During this period the changes that UK businesses need to make when selling between different markets will be minimised. We are working to determine the appropriate time industry needs to make changes and will provide guidance as soon as we can do so, to ensure that businesses have clarity and certainty.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether new food packaging labelling will be required from 1 Jan 2021 for items (a) exported to the EU and (b) shipped from GB to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Ministers meet regularly with food manufacturers, and representatives of other parts of the supply chain, to discuss preparations for the end of the transition period including for food labelling.
The GOV.UK website provides guidance on these matters and is kept under review and updated as appropriate. Some food labels may need to change after the transition period depending on where the food is marketed and what information is provided on the label.
I can confirm that there will be a period of adjustment for labelling changes required at the end of the transition period. During this period the changes that UK businesses need to make when selling between different markets will be minimised. We are working to determine the appropriate time industry needs to make changes and will provide guidance as soon as we can do so, to ensure that businesses have clarity and certainty.