Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government's proposals for a clean air strategy will include (a) a commitment not to exceed World Health Organisation recommended limits on particulate matter and (b) a target to reduce premature deaths caused by air pollution.
Answered by Baroness Coffey
The evidence of health impacts from particulate matter (PM) is particularly strong and the Government is already taking action to reduce emissions of harmful PM. The UK has signed up to ambitious new targets to reduce emissions of PM2.5 as well as four other damaging pollutants (ammonia, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds and sulphur dioxide) by 2020 and 2030. The Government is aiming to cut early deaths from air pollution by half. The Statutory Instrument committing these targets to law was laid on 1 February.
We will publish a Clean Air Strategy, which will set out plans to meet these targets, for consultation in 2018. We are currently calling for evidence on domestic solid fuel use, one of the largest emissions sources of PM. Householders and businesses are being asked for their views on proposals to cut harmful emissions caused by domestic fuel burning.
Defra works closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England to develop a strong evidence base on the health impacts of air pollution and to provide health advice during episodes of elevated air pollution. We are carefully considering public health measures.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information he holds on the number of (a) consignments of dogs exported to Pakistan and (b) dogs within those consignments in each of the last three years.
Answered by George Eustice
In 2015 there were 15 consignments of dogs to Pakistan, with 15 animals exported. In 2016 there were 18 consignments of dogs, with 23 animals exported. In 2017, there were 23 consignments with 26 animals.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, by what criteria requests for access to anonymised track injury and euthanasia data for research purposes will be assessed.
Answered by George Eustice
As set out during Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, the Government expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) to begin publishing from early next year annual aggregate injury and euthanasia statistics from GBGB tracks, and annual summary statistics for the number of GBGB registered greyhounds that leave the sport. The figures will cover the preceding calendar year and, for dogs that leave the sport each year, the details will include by what method. The GBGB will begin publishing both sets of figures by the end of March 2018. Access to anonymized track injury and euthanasia data will be considered by GBGB’s Welfare Standing Committee and Defra for bona fide research purposes.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) by what date he expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain to begin publishing summary statistics for the number of dogs that leave the industry each year and (b) what details those statistics will include.
Answered by George Eustice
As set out during Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, the Government expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) to begin publishing from early next year annual aggregate injury and euthanasia statistics from GBGB tracks, and annual summary statistics for the number of GBGB registered greyhounds that leave the sport. The figures will cover the preceding calendar year and, for dogs that leave the sport each year, the details will include by what method. The GBGB will begin publishing both sets of figures by the end of March 2018. Access to anonymized track injury and euthanasia data will be considered by GBGB’s Welfare Standing Committee and Defra for bona fide research purposes.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) by what date he expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain to begin publishing aggregate injury and euthanasia figures and (b) what period that data will cover.
Answered by George Eustice
As set out during Defra’s Post Implementation Review of the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010, the Government expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) to begin publishing from early next year annual aggregate injury and euthanasia statistics from GBGB tracks, and annual summary statistics for the number of GBGB registered greyhounds that leave the sport. The figures will cover the preceding calendar year and, for dogs that leave the sport each year, the details will include by what method. The GBGB will begin publishing both sets of figures by the end of March 2018. Access to anonymized track injury and euthanasia data will be considered by GBGB’s Welfare Standing Committee and Defra for bona fide research purposes.
Asked by: Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour - Poplar and Limehouse)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the Greyhound Board of Great Britain to fulfil its agreement to develop a Publicly Available Specification for trainers’ kennels and to extend its UK Accreditation Service to include the enforcement of those new standards.
Answered by George Eustice
A Publicly Available Specification (PAS) for greyhound trainers’ residential kennels was published by the British Standards Institution on 12 December 2017. The PAS has been sponsored by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) and has been drafted with input from animal welfare groups, veterinarians, the industry and Defra. GBGB are currently beginning the process of extending their current UK Accreditation Service accreditation to include enforcement of the standards contained in the PAS. This process can take between 12 to 18 months.