Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff are employed by the Marine Management Organisation to carry out (a) catch certificate verifications and (b) refusals for seafood consignment imports to the UK; and whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of staffing levels to ensure effective oversight of high-risk seafood imports.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Port Health Authority (PHA) are the competent authorities for the purposes of the Sea Fishing (Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) Order 2009. PHAs are responsible for receiving and checking catch certificates and other supplementary IUU documents that accompany consignments of fishery products at the UK border and have the power to stop and detain consignments for further investigation and refuse imports where necessary. There is a total of 28 PHAs that receive fishery products from the EU and the rest of the world, each of which assess their own resource requirements.
MMO's IUU Team comprises of 10 FTE who provide advice and training to PHAs on the UK’s IUU Regulation for importation and are the conduit for further information needed on an import through formal verification between the PHAs and 3rd country authorities.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to remove regulations 9 and 10 of the National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/129) from schedule 1 of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
I do not intend to remove Regulations 9 and 10 of the National Emissions Ceilings Regulations (NECR), which require preparation of and consultation on a National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP), from schedule 1 of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.
The NAPCP format is long, complicated and duplicative, and does nothing to improve the quality of the air we breathe. Of those who expressed an opinion when we consulted on the NAPCP last year, a majority agreed that the format could be improved, with a consensus that it was too lengthy and technical. With this in mind, we are considering how we can simplify the process to reduce administrative burdens and improve transparency.
All other provisions in the NECR remain unchanged, including the emissions reduction targets and reporting requirements which ensure transparency and allow scrutiny of the UK’s progress towards achieving its emissions targets.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides local authorities on food waste collections; and whether she plans to issue any further guidance.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
We will provide support and advice through statutory and non-statutory guidance and ensure best practice is widely available to assist local authorities.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if their Department will publish an Ethnicity Pay Gap Report for financial year 2023-24 in line with the Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting guidance for employers published on 17 April 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer
We are currently considering the best way to approach Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting in the Civil Service.
Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting is voluntary.
We are working with Civil Service HR colleagues and other Government departments to work through the details of the Ethnicity Pay Gap reporting guidance that was published on 17 April 2023.
In line with Gender Pay Gap Reporting, the Civil Service is looking to develop a consistent methodology to be used in departments to produce the data. The outcomes of this development work will inform whether we are able to publish a report for 2023/2024.
More generally the Civil Service is undertaking extensive work both centrally and within departments to promote diversity across its workplaces, including ethnicity.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her foreign counterparts on strategies to tackle food wastage.
Answered by Rory Stewart
We have had no formal discussions on these matters to date, but they are likely to take place later this year when we expect to see the European Commission’s proposals on the EU circular economy, which are likely to contain food waste provisions. Before then, we shall be responding to the European Commission’s consultations on the circular economy, which will influence these proposals.
Defra officials are also engaged in discussions in various international fora e.g. an EU specific technical working group on food losses and waste, and G20 discussions on how to improve food security as well as reduce food losses and waste globally.