Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help fashion companies become more sustainable.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government's 2018 Resources & Waste Strategy for England identified textiles as a priority sector for action, due to significant waste and environmental impacts. A key part of the strategy is working with industry to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable.
Our SCAP 2020 programme, delivered by our partner WRAP, supported signatories to reduce their water and carbon footprints per tonne of clothing by 18.2% and 21.6% respectively (between 2012 and 2020).
In 2021 we funded Textiles 2030, a new ambitious programme with signatories representing more than 62% of all clothing placed on the UK market. Targets include a 50% reduction in carbon footprint of new products and 30% reduction in water footprint, both by 2030.
Complementing this, we are considering what framework of policy options could best help reduce textiles and fashion waste, potentially using a range of powers from our landmark Environment Act 2021.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the transparency of internal drainage boards.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Internal drainage boards (IDBs) are independent, locally funded and operated, statutory public bodies, with responsibility for water level management and flood risk in their areas (predominately low-lying areas across England). There are currently 112 IDBs in England.
Each IDB has a management board, overseeing operations, and ensuring good governance arrangements, including management of public finances. The management board is made up of members representing the beneficiaries of the IDBs’ work. The majority of IDBs have their own websites and they are encouraged to make minutes of meetings, financial reports and programmes of their works available to the public.
As independent public bodies, IDBs are accountable to the communities they serve, as well as coming under the remit of the Local Government Ombudsman, the new Office for Environmental Protection, and they must comply with other public body duties e.g. around financial audits and accountancy, under the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Each year these audits are published and we will explore any qualified opinions from an auditor with the Association of Drainage Authorities and the relevant IDBs.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect rural communities from flooding.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government is investing £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027, providing around 2,000 flood defences to better protect communities and properties across England, including those in rural areas, from flooding and coastal erosion.
This is invested where flood risk and the benefits of action are greatest, and this assessment includes economic impacts on agriculture. As a result, at the end of 2021/22 the Environment Agency reported that 28,093 hectares of agricultural land had been better protected.
On 26 July 2022, government announced the creation of a new £100m Frequently Flooded Allowance (FFA) to support communities that have experienced repeated flooding. This seeks to address some of the specific challenges faced by frequently flooded communities, particularly those that are smaller and more isolated or rural and therefore struggle to secure the funding they need to improve their resilience to flooding. We expect to publish more information later this year on the first projects to benefit.
We are also investing £200m for the Flood and Coastal Innovation programme to support local places including coastal and rural communities. This meets key government commitments to develop and test new approaches to tackle the threat of flooding and coastal change.
Farmers and land managers also have an important role to play in reducing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion to both rural and urban areas. Through the new Environmental Land Management schemes, farmers and other land managers will be supported to improve the environment and help manage environmental hazards, such as flood risk.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the Government's approach to combating climate change.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of subjects, including climate. The UK was the first major economy to commit to a legally binding target of achieving net zero by 2050 and we stand fully behind this.
To ensure it is delivered as effectively as possible, the Government has announced an independent review of its approach to meeting its net zero 2050 target to ensure we deliver our legal commitment in a way that is pro-business and pro-growth.
While we accelerate efforts to end our contribution to climate change, we are also continuing to take action to ensure the country is well prepared to face the challenges the changing climate is bringing. Defra is working to develop a third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) that addresses all 61 risks and opportunities identified in its third Climate Change Risk Assessment.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to ensure UK food security in the context of seasonal temporary worker labour shortages.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Overall, the food supply in the United Kingdom is highly resilient and the food industry is well versed in dealing with scenarios that impact food supply. However, Defra is aware of the impact that labour shortages are having on the food supply chain and we continue to work closely with industry to monitor the situation and to help our world-leading farmers and food producers access the labour they need. To inform future decisions on labour across the sector, Defra recently launched an independent review into labour shortages in the food supply chain, and it will report in spring 2023.
The Seasonal Worker visa route was specifically designed to support the UK horticulture sector where growers typically require higher volumes of labour, for relatively short-term periods of time, in line with seasonal production peaks. In recognition of the short-term peak demand for poultry workers in the run up to Christmas, in June 2022 HM Government added these workers to the visa route.
As announced on 24 December last year, the Seasonal Worker visa route will continue to operate until at least the end of 2024. A total of 40,000 visas are available in 2022, of which 2000 are allocated to poultry workers and the rest for horticulture. The new HM Government is carefully considering the position on visa quotas for 2023 and we will say more in due course.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason cats and kittens do not receive the same level of protections afforded to dogs and puppies in the Kept Animals Bill.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons in May 2022 and will progress to Report Stage as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Bill includes a number of reforms that apply to the welfare of cats and kittens.
The Bill includes new restrictions to reduce the number of cats and kittens (as well as dogs and ferrets) that can be moved into Great Britain under the pet travel rules which apply to non-commercial movements. This will prevent unscrupulous traders from exploiting our pet travel rules.
In August 2021, HM Government launched a consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets into Great Britain using powers included in the Bill. The consultation sought views on whether maintaining the existing requirements in relation to cats and kittens was the right approach. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary in due course. We will continue to work closely with external partners prior to the introduction of the secondary legislation, to ensure that our final measures are well considered and led by the latest evidence.
The Bill also introduces a new dog abduction offence and a power to extend the offence to include the abduction of other pet animals, including cats, using secondary legislation.
Our Action Plan on Animal Welfare, published in May 2021, included a number of reforms applicable to cats that do not require primary legislation. For example, we announced in December 2021 that we will introduce compulsory microchipping for all owned cats of 20 weeks and older and we expect to introduce the draft secondary legislation to Parliament by the end of this year.
During the Commons Committee stage of the Bill last year, the regulation of cat breeding was raised as a consideration. We are currently engaging with external partners to collate data and explore future options.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 is taking steps to (a) increase regulation and (b) ensure the (i) safety and (ii) welfare of professional racing horses.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
HM Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare, and we are committed to making the United Kingdom a world leader in the protection of animals. The welfare needs of racehorses, both during their racing lives and afterwards, should be a priority for all involved in the horseracing sector.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), British racing's governing and regulatory body, is responsible for the safety of racehorses at British racecourses. The BHA works alongside the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare to make horseracing as safe as possible.
We encourage anyone with evidence that a racehorse has suffered unnecessarily to get in touch with the BHA and share their concerns. In the most severe cases of misuse, an individual may be investigated under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, as well as receiving significant sanctions from the sport.
HM Government welcomed the creation of the racing industry's Horse Welfare Board (HWB), which was formed in March 2019. The Board includes members from across the racing industry, veterinarians and animal health and welfare experts. The HWB set out a strategic plan to improve the welfare of horses before, during and after their racing careers in its 2020 publication, A Life Well Lived. You can find the publication here: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/press_releases/a-life-well-lived-british-racings-horse-welfare-board-publishes-five-year-welfare-strategy/
My department will continue to meet with the BHA and the HWB to discuss progress on implementing recommendations from the strategy, including the recommendations from the Whip Consultation Report. We will continue to engage with the sector to ensure that the welfare of racehorses remain at the forefront of the BHA's priorities.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the government plans to take to (a) tackle air pollution and (b) find innovative solutions to provide clean air.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Latest published figures show that air pollution has reduced significantly since 2010, with emissions of nitrogen oxides down by 44%, sulphur dioxide down 70% and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) down 18%. However, HM Government absolutely recognises that there is more to do to drive down air pollution and its damaging effects on people's health, the environment, and the economy.
The Clean Air Strategy 2019 sets out HM Government's plans to tackle emissions across all sectors. Through the Environment Act 2021 we have also consulted on two new targets for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) - the pollutant most harmful to human health. This includes an innovative population exposure reduction target which, if achieved, will would on average cut people's exposure to PM 2.5 by over a third by 2040, compared to 2018 levels.
We are driving innovative solutions to tackling improve air quality across a range of sectors:
· We fund local authorities to use innovative solutions to tackle air quality problems in their local areas through our Air Quality Grant scheme. We have more than doubled the funding paid to local authorities through the 21/22 grant scheme to £11.6 million, and we are now assessing bids for the 22/23 round of funding. Since 2010 more than £42 million has been awarded through the scheme, across almost 500 projects.
· In August this year we published our response to our consultation on the UK 'best available techniques' regime, through which we will regulate emissions from larger industry. Our collaborative approach will support business investment, the adoption of new and innovative technologies, and management practices to reduce emissions of air pollutants.
· The Farming Transformation Fund provides investment for innovative farming equipment that increases productivity and improves the environment. It offers grants between £25,000 and £500,000.
· As climate change and air pollution have many of the same contributing emission sources, delivering net zero will likely significantly benefit air quality. HM Government is supporting a range of innovative clean technologies, many of which are being pioneered by businesses based in all corners of the UK.
· We have invested over £2 million in evidence projects to look at the performance of low-cost sensor technologies, including practical trials. This work lays foundations to enable the dependable use of low-cost sensor systems in measuring air pollutant concentrations at finer geographical scales, providing better local forecasts and therefore better information on air quality.
As part of the 2017 NO2 plan, we have also made £883 million available to affected local authorities to deliver cleaner transport and improve air quality.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 extreme weather during summer 2022, what steps his Department is taking to ensure sufficient domestic reserves of water.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Despite the dry summer, water companies in England have assured us that essential water supplies remain resilient across the country. It is their duty to maintain those supplies. Defra Ministers expect water company action in accordance with their pre-agreed drought plans.
HM Government recognises the need to continue to improve the resilience of our water supplies and is committed to a twin track approach to improving water resilience, which is set out in our Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, Written Ministerial Statement on Water Demand and in the 25 Year Environment Plan. This involves investing in new supply infrastructure and action to reduce water company leaks and improve water efficiency.
The National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, sets out the strategic water needs for England to 2050 and beyond. HM Government is requiring water companies to plan to deliver resilience to a one in 500-year drought that is not needing to resort to emergency measures, such as standpipes and rota cuts.
Water companies are also using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the current Price Review period (2019-2024) to progress the infrastructure required. In autumn 2022, water companies will publish their statutory draft Water Resources Management Plans for consultation, which will set out how they will improve drought resilience and secure water supplies in the long term.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on the consultation of Breed Specific Legislation (Dangerous Dogs) Act 1991 to exempt dogs that are adaptable to family and pet life.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Section 1 of The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 prohibits owning or keeping four types of dog: the Pit bull terrier; the Dogo Argentino; the Fila Brasileiro; and the Japanese Tosa.
HM Government firmly believes that these restrictions play an important part in our overall approach towards tackling dangerous dogs. Any changes to current legislation would require careful consideration to ensure that public safety remains at the heart of the regime.
Despite the general prohibitions on these types of dogs, there are already exemptions in place to allow individual prohibited dogs to be kept by their owners (or person for the time being in charge) if a court judges that the dog is not a danger to the public safety.
In its assessment, the court must consider the temperament of the dog and its past behaviour, whether the proposed owner is a fit and proper person, and may consider any other relevant circumstances, such as whether the dog can be kept in a suitable environment. If the court considers these criteria to be met, the dog can be listed on the Index of Exempted Dogs and must be kept under strict conditions, including being on a lead and muzzled in public.
The Dangerous Dogs Exemption Schemes (England and Wales) Order 2015 also established an interim exemption scheme, which allows prohibited dogs to remain with their owners in advance of a court hearing if the police determine that the dog is not likely to pose a threat to public safety in the meantime. The relevant Chief Officer of Police must be satisfied about the dog's temperament, and the suitability of its owner, for it to be placed on the interim exemption scheme.
With regards to rehoming exempted dogs, current legislation only permits transfer of keepership of prohibited dogs where the existing keeper has died or is seriously ill. However, case law has confirmed that a person with a pre-existing relationship with the dog may apply to place it on the Index, even if they are not the owner or most recent keeper.
HM Government must balance the views of those people who want to amend the breed specific legislation with our responsibility to ensure that the public is properly protected from dog attacks. Any changes on rehoming must consider the signals this sends about the acceptability of keeping these types of dogs, which are all kept illegally until they enter the Index of Exempted Dogs.