Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria his Department use to assess whether to build solar farms on productive farmland.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Planning decisions on solar development are granted by local planning authorities, or, where applications are for developments over 50MW, with the Secretary of State for Energy.
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out clearly that local planning authorities should consider all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, when making plans or taking decisions on new development proposals. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality.
The recently published and updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside, and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services – including the economic and other benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, and of trees and woodland. Where significant development on agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality. The availability of agricultural land used for food production should be considered, alongside the other policies in the Framework, when deciding what sites are most appropriate for development.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 role of regreening urban areas in achieving the UK’s environmental targets.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State is committed to regreening urban areas in achieving the UK’s environmental targets. In January this year Natural England launched a Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework, which it developed in partnership with Defra and other key stakeholders.
The Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 sets out how the GI Framework will be used to track progress in our commitment for everyone to have access to green or blue space within 15 minutes from their front door. Well-designed green infrastructure has an important role to play in urban areas in improving health and wellbeing, air quality, nature recovery and resilience to and mitigation of climate change, as well as growing the natural capital of city-regions. The use of green infrastructure can help to reduce the risk and impact of extreme heat and surface water flooding through street trees and Sustainable Drainage Systems, contributing to our goal of reducing the risk of harm from environmental hazards.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the implications for its policies of the Dispatches programme broadcast on 29 November 2021 entitled, The truth about your chicken; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government’s view is that farms of all sizes have a role to play in UK agriculture and food production. What is important is not the size of the farm but compliance with our robust domestic standards. Well-established enforcement strategies are in place to ensure compliance with animal health and welfare requirements. Stockmanship is key and farmers of meat chickens are required to be competent and trained in the tasks that they perform.
This Government will continue to take steps to regulate farming practices proportionately and effectively, to safeguard animal welfare, reduce the risk of zoonotic disease and reduce risks to human health. We are making improvements to the existing legal framework and enforcement regime to ensure greater compliance and enhance the health and welfare of farmed animals. We are also working in partnership with the livestock sector and a wide range of academics, non-Governmental organisations and other experts to implement the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, supporting continuous improvement in farm animal health and welfare.
The Government has no role to play in setting standards for any independent farm assurance scheme.
Defra is a co-signatory with the Department of Health and Social Care of the UK’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) National Action Plan, and the UK is a global leader on AMR. We do not support the unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals, or farming practices which rely on routine or predictable antibiotic use. However, antibiotics play a role in treating certain animal diseases and are therefore essential to ensure the health and welfare of animals.
Data collected by the British Poultry Council (BPC), which represents 90% of the meat poultry sector, show that antibiotic use in broiler chickens has reduced by 67% since 2014. This has been driven by the BPC’s Antibiotic Stewardship Scheme, which is based on the principle of reducing, refining and replacing the use of antibiotics and promoting best practice at all steps of production.
The goal of reducing antibiotic consumption and improving stewardship is to reduce antibiotic resistance. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has been measuring levels of antibiotic resistance in E. coli in poultry since 2014, and the results show that resistance in broiler chickens has decreased substantially, including to antibiotics that are critically important to human health.
The Government is aware of the contribution of faecal contamination, primarily from poultry manure, to the health of the river Wye. Over 60% of the phosphate load in the Wye Catchment is from diffuse agricultural pollution from livestock manure and nutrients washing into the river during rainfall.
The Government is working closely with local stakeholders to address the Wye’s specific situation, both through supporting the local Nutrient Management Board, as well as working towards strategic solutions for both the short-term unblocking of housing and the long-term improvement of the local environment through a cross-government Taskforce. To support this, there are also a host of national actions coming online to address agricultural pollution, which include:
Red Tractor is an industry-led farm assurance scheme. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment on the implementation of its guidelines or individual cases. Meeting regulatory requirements is a vital component to bringing improvements to the local Wye catchment. If there are concerns that farmers are breaching regulations, they should be reported to the Environment Agency, which will work with local farmers to bring them into compliance.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 decision by Sainsbury’s and other leading supermarkets not to procure meat supplied by JBS SA or its subsidiaries due to allegations of involvement in illegal deforestation of the Amazon and allegations of modern day slavery practices, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to examine Government departments' and agencies' meat supply contracts with that company.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
The public can have confidence that the food provided in the public sector meets the standards expected. The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services set a range of mandatory and best practice standards, including requiring suppliers to meet UK production standards or equivalent.
We want the public sector to lead by example, championing high production standards and sustainable produce. We will soon consult on public sector food and catering policy to ensure it reflects our high ambition for this area. The consultation will seek views on ways to promote local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, open public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses and increase the transparency of food supply chains.
The procurement of food for the public sector remains the responsibility of lead departments for that sector. Lead departments are in regular contact with major suppliers to review their public procurement contracts and ensure they can continue to meet the food standards they are expected to uphold.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 environmental impacts of available alternatives to peat in amateur and professional horticulture.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge on 21 March 2022, PQs 138305, 138306 and 138307.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what alternatives to peat the Government is considering in amateur and professional horticulture in the event of a complete ban in 2024.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge on 21 March 2022, PQs 138305, 138306 and 138307.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the impact of the use of peat to support the growth of plants in amateur and professional horticulture in England and Wales on the environment.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge on 21 March 2022, PQs 138305, 138306 and 138307.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the amount of peat being used in England and Wales in the (a) retail and (b) professional horticulture sector.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge on 21 March 2022, PQs 138305, 138306 and 138307.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK in the context of the public concern in respect of deforestation and that company's policy on that matter.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening supply chains. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilian government and legislators on the progress of legislation in Brazil that affects rates of deforestation. The Government will continue to support action by businesses, civil society, and members of Parliament to help reduce deforestation globally. We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue, working to protect nature and biodiversity and support global climate objectives.
In line with recent calls to halt illegal deforestation including in the Amazon, we are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to help address illegal deforestation across UK supply chains. Close to 90% of deforestation in some of the world’s most important forests is illegal.
We do not currently have plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK. However, our due diligence law will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains, and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
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 research by Chain Reaction Research published on 31 August 2020, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings in that report that 20,296 hectares have been deforested in a sample of JBS’ direct supply chain and 56,421 hectares have been deforested in the indirect supply chain of that company since 2008.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The Government is committed to tackling deforestation and greening supply chains. We maintain a regular dialogue with the Brazilian government and legislators on the progress of legislation in Brazil that affects rates of deforestation. The Government will continue to support action by businesses, civil society, and members of Parliament to help reduce deforestation globally. We are committed to maintaining constructive dialogue, working to protect nature and biodiversity and support global climate objectives.
In line with recent calls to halt illegal deforestation including in the Amazon, we are introducing world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Bill to help address illegal deforestation across UK supply chains. Close to 90% of deforestation in some of the world’s most important forests is illegal.
We do not currently have plans to investigate the practices of JBS in the UK. However, our due diligence law will make it illegal for larger businesses operating in the UK to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used. Businesses in scope will also be required to undertake a due diligence exercise on their supply chains, and to report on this exercise annually. To ensure transparency, information about businesses' due diligence exercises will be published. Businesses in scope that do not comply with these requirements may be subject to fines and other civil sanctions.