Kerry McCarthy

During the UK's COP26 Presidency, the Government launched the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT). The TPT was tasked with developing guidance for good practice transition plans. Their disclosure framework was published in October, and they will consult on detailed sector guidance in November.

As part of implementing the Green Finance Strategy, the Government is planning to consult in due course on how the UK’s largest companies can effectively disclose their transition plans, if they have one.

Additionally, the Net Zero Council, which brings together CEOs from leading companies including Co-op, HSBC, Siemens and Cemex, has developed a framework to help businesses to create tailored sector decarbonisation roadmaps.

The Government takes scheme design into careful consideration. All schemes are designed with reference to the Green Book. The Government takes its Public Sector Equality Duty requirements extremely seriously and has a range of grant schemes that support decarbonisation efforts for citizens across the country. This includes the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, and the £10m Community Energy Fund, which will enable both rural and urban communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.

Industrial carbon capture and storage use will play a crucial role in deep decarbonisation of heavy industries that would otherwise have no alternative to decarbonise, including in the construction sector. CCUS is the only viable solution for addressing process emissions, such as from cement production.

The Hanson Padeswood Cement Works and Buxton Lime Net Zero projects were selected as two of the eight projects to move to negotiations as part of our Track-1 Project Negotiation List.

The Department for Business and Trade is working with the construction sector through the Construction Leadership Council, with a key priority being net zero and biodiversity, to support decarbonisation in the sector.

The Government has committed an additional £6 billion of funding for energy efficiency and clean heat from 2025 to 2028. This provides long-term funding certainty, supports the growth of supply chains, and ensures delivery can scale up over time.

Where there have been insufficient bids for funding allocated to current schemes, the remaining amounts have been reallocated to support wider energy security policy.

The UK ETS Authority stated its intention to align the cap with net zero at scheme launch in 2021, and has consulted extensively since. The “Developing the UK ETS” consultation in 2022 included a range of trajectories for a cap consistent with the UK's climate targets. It received over 114 responses from market participants and relevant stakeholders, and also sought the Climate Change Committee's advice, who published their views within their 2022 Progress Report.

In July the Government published reforms to the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to ensure it supports the delivery of net zero by 2050. These include a 30% reduction of the UK ETS cap, limiting the volume of greenhouse gases covered sectors can emit. As part of the UK ETS Authority, it is not appropriate for the Government to comment on UK ETS prices.

Maintaining international competitiveness for UK businesses is a key objective of the UK ETS and the impacts of UK ETS policy on trade with the EU are monitored closely.

The Department commissioned a research project[1] to improve the completeness and accuracy of greenhouse gas emissions estimates, including methane, from key processes associated with the exploration and production of oil and gas in the UK. The project concluded in 2022 and resulted in significant improvements to the UK’s estimates of these emissions which are now reflected in the UK’s annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory[2].

[1] https://naei.beis.gov.uk/reports/reports?report_id=1115

[2] https://naei.beis.gov.uk/

£1.366 billion was spent on energy efficiency and clean heat in buildings in 2021-22. Figures for 2022-23 have not yet been finalised.

£1.247 billion has been allocated in 2023/24 and £1.469 billion for 2024/25 for energy efficiency and clean heat in buildings.

The Government does not hold this data. North Sea Transition Authority analysis shows that domestically produced gas releases around one quarter the carbon dioxide during the process of extraction, treatment and transportation, when compared to imported liquefied natural gas.

The transition to net zero will provide opportunities to grow the economy and support hundreds of thousands of green, high skilled jobs.

The North Sea Transition Deal is a global exemplar of how government can work with the energy sector to achieve a managed energy transition.

To understand and address workforce demands across the economy, the Green Jobs Delivery Group is focused on creating a Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan, which will be informed by several sectoral assessments on workforce needs. As part of this, skills passporting arrangements for the power and networks sectors is being explored.

The Department does not hold data on the number of green jobs created since July 2023. Over 80,000 green jobs are being supported or are in the pipeline across the UK economy as a result of new government policies and spending since November 2020. Government policy and ambitions will support up to 480,000 jobs in 2030.

In Powering Up Britain, the Government set out additional support for clean technology manufacturing, including:

• Launching the up to £160m Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme to support investment in port infrastructure for floating offshore wind.
• Launching the £30m Heat Pump Investment Accelerator to boost domestic heat pump manufacturing capacity.

These interventions have helped secure opportunities for UK manufacturers. For example, through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme Government supported SeAH Wind’s investment of over £400m to build a world leading monopile foundation manufacturing facility in Teesside, creating up to 800 jobs by 2030.

The Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release network capacity and improve the connections process, which will reduce timescales for all types of connections, including metal recycling yards. Building on this work, the Government and Ofgem will publish a connections action plan in the summer.

Ofgem have also decided that electricity demand customers, such as metal recycling yards, submitting a connection application after 1 April 2023 will no longer be charged for any distribution network reinforcement costs to accommodate their connection, reducing the cost of connecting.

The metals recycling sector can bid into a number of government-funded decarbonisation schemes, including the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, the Programme of Research and Innovation for the UK Steel and Metals sector (PRISM) run by the Materials Processing Institute, and the SUSTAIN Future Manufacturing Research Hub headed by Swansea University.

Businesses can also benefit from exemptions on business rates for investments in green technologies. The Government has announced a new Business Energy Advice Service that will specifically target SMEs. Working with the Energy Efficiency Taskforce, the Government is reviewing what additional support could help businesses to save energy.

The Government recognises that eliminating routine flaring and venting is a priority.

The upstream oil and gas sector contributes approximately 1.6% of UK methane emissions, compared to 30% from waste and 49% from agriculture.

Through the ambitious North Sea Transition Deal, industry has committed to accelerate compliance with the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring 2030 Initiative. Good progress is being made - the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) reported a 50% reduction in flaring since 2018 and a 13% drop last year.

Furthermore, the NSTA expects all new developments to be planned and developed with zero routine flaring and venting.

Methane emissions for each of the last 5 years is set out in the published UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2021] which shows that in 2021 UK methane emissions were 57.0Mt CO2-equivalent, 62% below 1990 levels. The latest projections of UK emissions, provided in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, do not include year-by-year estimates to 2030. The approach to methane reduction set out here and in the UK’s Methane Memorandum is consistent with the Government's commitment under the Global Methane Pledge. The global methane pledge is a global reduction target to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 relative to 2020 levels.

Methane emissions for each of the last 5 years is set out in the published UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory [https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2021] which shows that in 2021 UK methane emissions were 57.0Mt CO2-equivalent, 62% below 1990 levels. The latest projections of UK emissions, provided in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, do not include year-by-year estimates to 2030. The approach to methane reduction set out here and in the UK’s Methane Memorandum is consistent with the Government's commitment under the Global Methane Pledge. The global methane pledge is a global reduction target to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 relative to 2020 levels.

The Domestic and Economic Affairs (Energy, Climate and Net Zero) Cabinet Committee and supporting governance structures provide forums to discuss how different sectors, including agriculture, contribute to our carbon budgets. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is the deputy chair of this Committee, which my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs attends as do I.

A call for evidence on methane suppressing feed products closed in November 2022. The Government will publish further details in the summary of responses later this year.

The Department’s HQ building at 1 Victoria Street, London is supplied by EDF's 'Zero Carbon for Business 100%' tariff. This energy tariff uses a 100% nuclear mix and produces zero carbon emissions.

The Department has 31 solar panels on the roof of its HQ building at 1 Victoria Street, London.

The Department does not have any wind turbines on the building.

The Department contracts with the Government Car Service, which is a division within the Department for Transport, for the provision of two cars.

The vehicle fuel type varies depending on which car has been allocated to cover on a given day. Generally, the cars are electric or hybrid.

The Department uses gas boilers as its primary means of heating for its current HQ building in 1 Victoria Street, London.

The Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery projects which were awarded through Phase 1A and Phase 1B grants have been completed by way of a managed closedown of the projects. All project delivery for Phases 1A and 1B was completed by the end of September 2022.

A three-month extension to the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 1 Funding Period was made available to all Local Authorities, allowing grant spend to be incurred until the end of June 2023, if required, to maximise the outcomes of the scheme by allowing continued delivery of energy efficiency measures to tenants.

For work carried out under Government schemes, installers are required to be TrustMark registered, as well as PAS certified for energy efficiency measures and MCS certified for low carbon heating measures. According to the data held by TrustMark, the number of registered installers eligible to participate on the Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme increased from around 455 when the scheme was first announced in summer 2020 to around 1496 by May 2021. In April 2023, there were 1915 TrustMark businesses across the UK which were certified to PAS or MCS standards.

Wave 1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund will upgrade up to 20,000 social housing properties currently below Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C rating. The latest official statistics published on gov.uk show that, at the end of March, 3,246 homes had been upgraded. There have been delays in lodging and reporting measure installations, which Department officials are working with grant recipients to address.

Wave 1 of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund awarded around £179m of grant funding. Project delivery is progressing well with grant funding expected to be used by 30 June 2023. Grant spend will be confirmed as data becomes available from June onwards as Wave 1 projects complete.

The main delivery challenges that required some Phase 1A delivery and funding to be moved to Phase 1B included the impact of the Covid pandemic on access to tenant properties and the supply chain. Other challenges included shortages of labour and material and price increases.

£131.9 million (65.1%) was spent out of a total of £202.7 million awarded under Phase One of the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme.

As of May 2023, there were no outstanding households awaiting completion of projects under the Green Homes Grant Local Authority Delivery Scheme.

The tenure of the current Climate Change Committee Chair, Lord Deben, will end on the 10 June. The Government has worked with devolved administrations to agree the appointment of an interim Chair who will then take on the role while the appointment of the new permanent Chair is finalised. The timing for the appointment is dependent on the appointment process.

The Chair role is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and both the interim Chair appointment and the recruitment process for a permanent Chair are being conducted in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

The Chair role is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the recruitment process is being conducted in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. The Code prescribes ministers as the appointing authority and says that they should be assisted in their decision-making by an Advisory Assessment Panel. Ministers have not met candidates or potential applicants for this role but, in line with the Code, they have been engaged in the planning process for the appointment and will be a given an opportunity to meet candidates at an appropriate point in the process.

The advertisement for the new Chair of the Climate Change Committee has now closed. The Department received 64 applications.

The role is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the role was advertised in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

The Department’s target for the proportion of waste recycled is 70%, as set out in the Greening Government Commitments. There is no specific target for the proportion of waste to be reused.

The Chair of the Climate Change Committee plays a critical role in steering and developing the overall work of the Committee. Therefore, the quality and diversity of the applications to this role is critical. Close to the application deadline, the Department made the decision to extend the deadline to ensure the highest quality field of applicants.

The role is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and this approach is in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

The Domestic and Economic Affairs (Energy, Climate and Net Zero) Cabinet Committee and supporting governance structures provide forums to discuss how different sectors, including waste, contribute to our carbon budgets. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is the deputy chair of this Committee, which my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs attends.

The Carbon Budgets Delivery Plan sets out expected emissions savings, including from Defra’s commitment to explore policies to achieve the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2028, including consistent collections of recycling. Government’s response to the consultation on this will be published shortly.

The Domestic and Economic Affairs (Energy, Climate and Net Zero) Cabinet Committee and supporting governance structures ensure that there are multiple forums empowered to identify and address the system-wide interdependencies within net zero, and between net zero and other priorities, to keep us on track to meet Carbon Budgets. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero is the deputy chair of this Committee which my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I also attend.

Appendix D of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan published in March this year sets out sectoral summaries of delivery confidence, looking at carbon reduction policies across different sectors of the economy, including Natural Resources (which includes agriculture and land use).

As part of the Powering Up Britain: The Net Zero Growth plan publication, the Government committed to publishing a joint government-industry Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan in the first half of 2024, representing the culmination of several sectoral assessments in the coming 12 months.

Additionally, the Green Jobs Delivery Group co-Chairs will begin publishing biannual progress updates on its work, starting later this year.

The Green Jobs Delivery Group will deliver the recently announced joint government-industry Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan, to be published in 2024. In support, time-limited task and finish groups are being established on themes such as 'nature' and 'local'.

The pilot Power and Networks Working Group published initial actions in the Net Zero Growth Plan, to be followed by a further update in summer 2023, including a sectoral assessment of workforce needs which will serve as a template for other sectors.

The Net Zero and Nature Workforce Action Plan will represent the culmination of these sectoral assessments.

Appendix D of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan published in March this year sets out sectoral summaries of delivery confidence, looking at carbon reduction policies across different sectors of the economy, including Natural Resources (which includes agriculture and land use).

The Government recently published the Powering Up Britain plans that detail how we are encouraging businesses to reduce their energy demand. The Government plans to launch a digital energy advice service for small businesses to provide impartial, trusted advice on improving non-domestic energy efficiency. The Government will also be piloting a new audit and grant scheme this year.

Existing initiatives include exemptions on business rates for green technology, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme providing small businesses grants, and offering industry £500m for energy efficiency and low carbon technologies.

The Green Jobs Delivery Group has met three times. It’s the central forum for continued action on green jobs and skills and is a key component in responding to the skills challenge and transition.

As a result of the current economic context, the group is looking at emerging workforce issues relating to the delivery of net zero and the UK’s environment goals and has formed three ask and finish groups on Power and Networks, Nature Skills, and Local capacity.

The Construction Industry Training Board report estimated that 12,000 workers would need to be trained each year to 2025 to improve the fabric energy efficiency of every building in the country. We are investing in retrofit skills through our £9.2m home decarbonisation skills competition.

At present we do not intend to publish a plan for building retrofit skills. However an area of focus for the new Energy Efficiency Taskforce (EETF) will be to stimulate the supply chain to address and increase investment, reduce skills gaps and accelerate pathways to accreditation. The first meeting of the EETF will be held in March.

The Terms of Reference for the EETF can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-taskforce-terms-of-reference/energy-efficiency-taskforce-terms-of-reference.

The Government announced the appointment of Alison Rose DBE as Co-Chair of the Energy Efficiency Taskforce (EETF) on Monday 20 February. Details of the appointment and terms of reference can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/alison-rose-appointed-to-help-accelerate-energy-efficiency.

The first meeting of the EETF will be held in March. The membership of the EETF steering group will be announced in due course.

The Government has committed to carrying out a review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme by the end of the year to inform decisions on future support after March 2023, with any future support for those deemed eligible commencing on 1st April 2023 without a gap. The findings of the review will be published by the end of the year.

The Government has doubled support to £200 for alternatively fuelled households, in recognition of the pressures caused by rising fuel costs. The Government is committed to delivering this payment to households as soon as possible this Winter. The Government will announce further information on the delivery and timing of these payments in due course.

Through the Forest Agriculture and Commodities Trade Dialogue, (co-chaired by the UK and Indonesia), the UK is working with 28 partner countries to deliver a roadmap for action on sustainable trade while protecting forests. This includes commitments to improve and enhance global Traceability and Transparency T&T) systems that provide the basis for certification schemes and assurance of origin of forest risk commodities. Through this policy discussion FACT governments have collectively agreed, as a first step, to commission research to identify data gaps in T&T systems. This will enable the Government to consider how to support countries and stakeholders to identify and access funding, technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen T&T systems.

The UK Government is tackling unsustainable legal deforestation through two key initiatives:

1. The UK and Indonesia co-chair the Forest Agricultural and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue, working with 28 major producer and consumer governments of forest risk commodities to deliver a roadmap for action, to protect forests and other ecosystems whilst promoting sustainable trade.

The UK and US are convening 13 of the world’s largest agri-commodity trader companies who have committed to developing a roadmap for COP27. This roadmap focuses on accelerated supply chain action, to reduce emissions from land use change, and working with key stakeholders to address the root causes of deforestation.

Around £100m from the BEIS International Climate Finance budget in 2022-23 has been identified to be handed back to HM Treasury.

Around £100m from the BEIS International Climate Finance budget in 2022-23 has been identified to be handed back to HM Treasury.

The Government is continuing to review the latest available evidence to ensure that its target remains aligned with the Paris temperature goal and exploring other ways to strengthen its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

The Government will publish any updates to the NDC ahead of the UN synthesis report deadline on 23 September and urges other parties to do the same.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 15^th March 2022 to Question 135440.

The UK’s Overseas Territories of the Cayman Islands, Falklands and Gibraltar do not have individual targets under the Doha Amendment, but are included in the UK’s target, which the UK is on track to meet.

For reference, territorial greenhouse gas emissions in the base year (1990) and most recent year (2020) for the 3 territories listed are as follows (million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent):

Note that final estimates of emissions reductions under the Doha Amendment would differ slightly from these figures, as the UK has chosen to use 1995 as the base year for fluorinated gases emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. The UK will account for emissions from the land use, land use change and forestry sector in accordance with Kyoto Protocol guidelines. Final figures will be available following the ‘true-up’ process, in which final assessment of compliance with targets under the Doha amendment will take place, likely to be 2023 at the earliest.

The UK ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been extended to the Overseas Territories of Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

The UK ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol has been extended to Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

As of March 2022, the Paris Agreement has not been extended to any of the Overseas Territories. The Government will continue to engage on extension of the UK ratification of the Paris Agreement with those Overseas Territories that are eligible and that formally request it.

BEIS publish National Statistics on UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions annually: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2020. The latest statistics cover emissions from 1990 to 2020 and include estimates of territorial emissions from UK Overseas Territories who are not party to the Paris Agreement but are party to the UNFCCC.

The UK ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been extended to the Overseas Territories of Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

The UK ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol has been extended to Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

As of March 2022, the Paris Agreement has not been extended to any of the Overseas Territories. The Government will continue to engage on extension of the UK ratification of the Paris Agreement with those Overseas Territories that are eligible and that formally request it.

BEIS publish National Statistics on UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions annually: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2020. The latest statistics cover emissions from 1990 to 2020 and include estimates of territorial emissions from UK Overseas Territories who are not party to the Paris Agreement but are party to the UNFCCC.

The UK ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been extended to the Overseas Territories of Bermuda, Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

The UK ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol has been extended to Gibraltar, the Cayman Islands and the Falkland Islands.

As of March 2022, the Paris Agreement has not been extended to any of the Overseas Territories. The Government will continue to engage on extension of the UK ratification of the Paris Agreement with those Overseas Territories that are eligible and that formally request it.

BEIS publish National Statistics on UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions annually: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-national-statistics-1990-to-2020. The latest statistics cover emissions from 1990 to 2020 and include estimates of territorial emissions from UK Overseas Territories who are not party to the Paris Agreement but are party to the UNFCCC.

Nauru has notified the International Seabed Authority of its intention to apply for approval of a plan of work for deep sea mining exploitation under the terms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). We continue to press for the very highest environmental standards to be agreed and activated by the International Seabed Authority. Until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impacts on deep sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations in place, the UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects.

BEIS currently has contracts with the Government Car Service, which is a division within the Department for Transport, for the provision of two cars. The vehicles supplied to BEIS by the Government Car Service are owned and operated by the Department for Transport and are leased by BEIS.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-car-service.

The vehicle fuel type can vary depending on which car has been allocated to cover on that day. Generally, the cars are electric or hybrid.

At Step 4 of the roadmap, which will be no earlier than 21 June, the Government aims to remove limits on weddings, civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations. This will be subject to the outcome of the Social Distancing Review and the Events Research Programme.

There have been no recent discussions. The two licences issued to UK Seabed Resources in 2012 and 2013 are for exploration, and not exploitation (mining) activity. The licences are granted subject to periodic review, and so would not be extended beyond 10 years without a review by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, which is in line with the relevant legislation.

Exploitation is not currently permitted to be conducted, and the International Seabed Authority is still working towards exploitation regulations that would need to be in place. A full Environmental Impact Assessment – subject to public consultation – would be required before any mining could be conducted by UK Seabed Resources or any other operator.

Critical materials, and particularly certain types of minerals and metals, will be vital to delivering the green transition and safeguarding our future economic resilience. Technology-critical minerals and metals are important, and often irreplaceable, in electric vehicle batteries, offshore wind turbines, and other technologies. The World Bank estimates that three billion tonnes of metals and minerals will be needed to decarbonise the global energy system by 2050. The Government will therefore continue to consider possible mechanisms that could support this green transition, including the possible role of deep sea mining.

The UK is a global leader in protecting the seas, the ocean and our marine life - and works with stakeholders in the UK and partners overseas to help achieve these aims. The UK will be an ambitious participant in the Super Year 2021. We continue to nurture and grow the Blue Belt Programme of large marine protected areas around the British Overseas Territories, which amount now to a protected area larger than India. We are about to launch our new £500 million Blue Planet fund to support a broad range of activities to protect and restore precious marine ecosystems. And we have been leading the Global Ocean Alliance of countries committed to protecting at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030.

As a part of our belief in strong multilateral action on the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, we will continue to support the requirement for the highest possible environmental standards for the regulation of any deep sea mining which happens in future in areas beyond national jurisdictions.

The licences issued to UK Seabed Resources Ltd include significant conditions in relation to environmental considerations, including sections on protection of the environment and environmental monitoring & reporting. In addition, the licences are issued in line with prevailing legislation which provides further environmental safeguards.

We can confirm that applicants into the Faraday Battery Challenge’s fourth competition of collaborative research and development funding will be notified by Friday 30^th April 2021. The announcement of the successful projects will follow.

Batteries for electric vehicles are an important part of the Government’s plans for green growth, levelling up across our country and driving emissions to net zero by 2050. The Government is investing £320 million through the Faraday Battery Challenge to put the UK at the global forefront of the design, development, manufacturing, and recycling of electric batteries. This fourth round of innovation funding will continue to support exciting UK businesses in the development of these technologies, generating further jobs and investment in this critical area.

We have commissioned an independent review of the existing literature in relation to deep sea mining, which will seek to include elements such as environmental, economic and societal considerations, and to identify key outstanding questions and evidence gaps.

The terms of reference and a summary of the evidence review will be published in due course.

The names of the external experts who were approached and appointed to participate in the review will be published in due course.

The UK plays a leading role in the development of measures driving emissions reduction in the international aviation and shipping sectors at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) while UK aviation and shipping emissions are covered by our domestic legislation. We are considering all of the CCC’s recommendations, including on International Aviation and Shipping, carefully ahead of setting the sixth carbon budget.

The UK plays a leading role in the development of measures driving emissions reduction in the international aviation and shipping sectors at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) while UK aviation and shipping emissions are covered by our domestic legislation. We are considering all of the CCC’s recommendations, including on International Aviation and Shipping, carefully ahead of setting the sixth carbon budget.

In order to support students that have been most impacted, UKRI has made over £62 million of financial support available, and it is estimated that this funding is available for up to 12,000 students.

UKRI have recently provided an update by UKRI CEO Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser on its decision-making in providing support for the research system. In this, they note that in making these difficult decisions, they have tried to balance the immediate needs of all current students against those of early career researchers, technicians and Principal Investigators, as well as students’ future needs. You can read the full update here.

We are grateful for the steps students have already taken in adapting their projects to continue their research in these circumstances. I meet regularly with Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, to monitor how the pandemic is affecting UKRI-funded PhD students and the wider research system. We will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 and UKRI continues to listen and respond carefully as the situation evolves.

The Government does not hold any data on the proportion of bicycles sold in the UK, which are manufactured in the UK.

In June 2020, the Advanced Propulsion Centre published a report showing there could be up to £12 billion of market opportunities for battery technology by 2025 for UK players:

https://www.apcuk.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/06/APC-Passenger-car-electrification-report-online-v1.pdf.

The Faraday Institution (FI) commissioned a study which showed that by 2040, demand for UK made batteries for the automotive sector will reach 140GWh, or seven 20GWh ‘Gigafactories’. The study can be found here at: https://faraday.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/2040_Gigafactory_Report_FINAL.pdf.

The Government has responded to the FI study by launching the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF). The ATF will provide up to £1 billion to support innovative research and development projects to scale up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells. As part of the ATF, the Government is also calling upon industry to put forward investment proposals for the UK’s first Gigafactory. The programme will provide a focus for investment, promote the UK opportunity and support investors with site selection.

The deadline for implementing the EU Copyright Directive is 7 June 2021. The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on 31 January 2020 and the Brexit transition period will end on 31 December 2020. Therefore, the United Kingdom will not be required to implement the Directive, and the Government has no plans to do so.

Any future changes to the UK copyright framework will be considered as part of the usual domestic policy process.

The deadline for implementing the EU Copyright Directive is 7 June 2021. The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on 31 January 2020 and the Brexit transition period will end on 31 December 2020. Therefore, the United Kingdom will not be required to implement the Directive, and the Government has no plans to do so.

Any future changes to the UK copyright framework will be considered as part of the usual domestic policy process.

The deadline for implementing the EU Copyright Directive is 7 June 2021. The United Kingdom will leave the European Union on 31 January 2020 and the Brexit transition period will end on 31 December 2020. Therefore, the United Kingdom will not be required to implement the Directive, and the Government has no plans to do so.

Any future changes to the UK copyright framework will be considered as part of the usual domestic policy process.

The Corporate Transparency and Register Reform Consultation was launched on the 5th May 2019 and closed on the 5th August 2019. It received a significant number of responses. I plan to publish a response shortly.

Government recognises the significant impact of Covid-19 on young people, particularly the most vulnerable, and on the youth services that support them. A £16.5m Youth Covid-19 Support Fund has been announced which will protect the immediate future of grassroots and national youth organisations across the country.

The funding will be allocated from the Government’s unprecedented £750 million package of support which is benefiting tens of thousands of frontline charities, so they can continue their vital work. More than £60 million of this package has already been provided to organisations working with vulnerable children and young people.

The Youth Investment Fund remains a manifesto commitment for transformative levelling up across the country over the course of the parliament. In the recent announced Spending Review £30m of this was committed as capital investment for 2021-22. This will provide a transformational investment in new and refurbished safe spaces for young people, so they can access support youth workers, and positive activities out of school, including sport and culture. Further details of the timetable for allocation will be announced in due course.

We are in regular contact with colleagues across Government regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the business events industry.

Events businesses can continue to make use of the broader support package available to them. This includes the Bounce Back Loans scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

We recognise that the events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19. We continue to meet with the stakeholders, including through the Visitor Economy Working Group and the Events Industry Senior Leaders Advisory Panel, to discuss the specific issues facing the industry.

This is an independent piece of work requested by the Prime Minister of my hon. Friend, the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger). Mr Kruger and his office led the consultation process and I understand he met with a wide range of stakeholders to inform his recommendations. The Minister for Civil Society met with Mr Kruger bi-weekly to provide feedback on areas relating to the Department’s remit. The report will be published in due course.

This is an independent piece of work requested by the Prime Minister of my hon. Friend, the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger). Mr Kruger and his office led the consultation process and I understand he met with a wide range of stakeholders to inform his recommendations. The Minister for Civil Society met with Mr Kruger bi-weekly to provide feedback on areas relating to the Department’s remit. The report will be published in due course.

This is an independent piece of work requested by the Prime Minister of my hon. Friend, the Member for Devizes (Danny Kruger). Mr Kruger and his office led the consultation process and I understand he met with a wide range of stakeholders to inform his recommendations. The Minister for Civil Society met with Mr Kruger bi-weekly to provide feedback on areas relating to the Department’s remit. The report will be published in due course.

On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors.

We are working closely with DCMS’ Arm’s Length Bodies to develop detailed guidance indicating who can apply for the different elements of this funding. We will publish this guidance as soon as possible in July.

We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the night time industries. On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors including some businesses operating in the night time economy. We will publish detailed guidance on eligibility as soon as possible in July.

Whilst the Cultural Package is extensive, it cannot support every organisation. There are a number of financial packages available to support nightclubs, including business rates relief, grants, and the Bounceback Loan Scheme. Furthermore, on rent liabilities, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced on 19 June 2020 the introduction of a new code of practice for commercial property, and an extension to temporary tenant protections until 30 September 2020.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. As announced on 9 July, from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including tennis courts) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance.

The updated guidance can be found at the GOV.UK website and includes advice for providers of pool, gym and leisure facilities on cleaning, social distancing, and protection for staff to help venues get back up and running safely.

No such assessment has been made. However, we appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’ sectors including the Creative Industries which is why the government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency.

To ensure we are assisting the sectors as effectively as possible, regular ministerially-chaired roundtables are held with business representative organisations as well as trade associations from across the Creative Industries. In addition, officials are in regular contact with stakeholders from these sectors, and we continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading media and Creative Industries.

No such estimate has been made. However, we appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’ sectors including the Creative Industries which is why the government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes new discretionary business grants worth £600m, in addition to any surplus from previous grants that councils have left over, which councils can allocate to businesses that may not have been able to qualify for the initial round of grants.

To ensure we are assisting the sectors as effectively as possible, regular ministerially-chaired roundtables are held with business representative organisations as well as trade associations from across the Creative Industries. In addition, officials are in regular contact with stakeholders from these sectors, and we continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading media and Creative Industries.

Following our formal response to the Select Committee report on ‘Fake News’ and Disinformation in May 2019, we continue to reflect on the Committee’s recommendations in our ongoing work to counter disinformation in all its forms. Disinformation is one of the harms which was proposed to be in scope of the new regulatory framework announced in the Online Harms White Paper. We are currently analysing the responses to the White Paper’s public consultation, and considering the issues raised.

We recognise the impact that a parent going to prison can have on a child’s learning, behaviour, mental health, and wellbeing. This is why statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children is clear that anyone who has concerns about a child’s welfare should make a referral to local authority children’s social care.

The local authority and its social workers have specific roles and responsibilities to lead statutory assessments. Every assessment should reflect children’s needs within their family and community context, including taking account of a parent being in prison. These children’s circumstances vary considerably and therefore local agencies are best placed to determine what support is needed – whether early help, statutory social care services, or support for other needs such as mental health.

Statutory guidance for schools (Keeping Children Safe in Education) is clear that staff should consider the additional needs of children with a family member in prison or who are affected by parental offending. The guidance highlights the risk of poor outcomes including poverty, stigma, isolation, and poor mental health. It signposts staff to the National Information Centre on Children of Offenders website which provides specialist staff advice and resources to support professionals working with offenders’ children and their families, to help mitigate negative consequences for those children.

The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The School Food Standards are in line with current government advice on red and processed meat, encouraging schools to serve it in moderation as a good source of nutrients, including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Work to update the standards was paused during the COVID-19 outbreak. We do however keep this position under review, and are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to carefully consider the National Food Strategy’s recommendations and will respond in full with a White Paper in due course.

The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The School Food Standards are in line with current government advice on red and processed meat, encouraging schools to serve it in moderation as a good source of nutrients, including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Work to update the standards was paused during the COVID-19 outbreak. We do however keep this position under review, and are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to carefully consider the National Food Strategy’s recommendations and will respond in full with a White Paper in due course.

The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The School Food Standards are in line with current government advice on red and processed meat, encouraging schools to serve it in moderation as a good source of nutrients, including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Work to update the standards was paused during the COVID-19 outbreak. We do however keep this position under review, and are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to carefully consider the National Food Strategy’s recommendations and will respond in full with a White Paper in due course.

On 7 May and 6 November 2019 we brought together an advisory group comprising of key stakeholders in the food, nutrition and health sectors who hold a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise in relation to school food. This was to discuss the proposed updates to the standards.

Due to the priority of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and the pressures on schools this presents, and considering the robustness of the existing standards, the government have paused taking further action during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak on updating the School Food Standards. I have also discussed this with the Chief Nutritionist who confirmed that the top priority should be to ensure that schools comply with the current standards fully. Ministers have been clear throughout that schools should continue to ensure that the existing school food standards are fully adhered to across the school day. On 24 March 2021 I wrote to all schools to remind them of their obligations under the standards and encouraging the provision of hot meals where possible.

The guidance entitled ‘Local restriction tiers: what you need to know’ sets out the local restriction tier system in place from Wednesday 2 December and includes what can and cannot be done in each tier.

There are exemptions that apply to all tiers, including for places of worship, that allow childcare, education, or training (meaning education and training provided as part of a formal curriculum) and supervised activities provided for children to operate. This includes wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), groups and activities for under 18s, and children’s playgroups.

Further information on this guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#exemptions.

The land holdings owned by the Church Commissioners have to a large extent been registered with the Land Registry, and information on those holdings is publicly available via the Land Registry.

To compile and publish a digitised map of all land holdings in the manner requested would incur a disproportionate cost to the Church Commissioners.

On Saturday 31 October, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced New National Restrictions from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December to control the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday 4 November, the Department published guidance for education and childcare settings on the impact of these restrictions. The guidance can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020.

Where educational provision is taking place outside of school, this should only operate where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, search for work, attend education or training, or where the provision is used for the purposes of respite care, including for vulnerable children. This includes provision by supplementary schools offering music or performing arts activities for children on a part-time basis.

Out-of-school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a full-time education (which can include supplementary schools, tuition centres, or private tutors) may also continue to operate.

All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes, should close for face to face provision, but can offer remote education for the duration of the New National Restrictions.

We already have very robust school food standards set in legislation, which require school caterers to serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. We are working closely with schools to ensure these are consistently followed.

As schools and their kitchens are now open, healthy and nutritious meals are available for all pupils. We have asked schools to work with their existing suppliers to provide meals or food parcels to pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals where they are self-isolating. LACA and Public Health England have published advice to schools to help them prepare healthy food parcels, which is available here:
https://laca.co.uk/laca-view/free-school-meals-guidance-producing-food-parcels.

Due to the priority of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and considering the robustness of the existing standards, the government has no further plans to update the School Food Standards.

It is vital that children and school staff only get a test if they develop symptoms of COVID-19, with the exception of those who have specifically been asked to do so by a clinician. The test is most effective for those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The latest clinical advice is that testing of individuals without symptoms should be used where clinically appropriate, predominantly for outbreak investigation and infection control. This risk based approach is essential to ensure testing is targeted where it is most effective.

Testing capacity is the highest it has ever been, but there is currently a significant demand for tests. The NHS Test and Trace system must stay focused on testing those with true symptoms of COVID-19.? Anyone who is self isolating as a result of being a close contact of a confirmed case but does not have symptoms should not request a test. This includes if that case was identified in a school or college. All children who are attending an education or childcare setting have access to a test if they display symptoms of COVID-19 and are encouraged to get tested.

In the event that a parent or guardian insisted on a child being at a childcare provider, providers can take the decision to refuse the child if in their reasonable judgement it is necessary to protect their children and staff from infection with COVID-19. Any decision would need to be carefully considered in light of all the circumstances and the public health advice. Children and staff should not attend the setting if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive in the last 10 days.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 23 June 2020 to Question 54195.

We have issued guidance on formal childcare which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

Informal childcare can be provided where the person undertaking the childcare lives as part of the same household as the parents or carers, in line with the government's guidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing) for COVID-19:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing.

The following government guidance on shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable persons should also be taken into consideration:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

Frequently asked questions have also been published on what people can and cannot do during COVID-19:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do.

The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options and to make sure that children receive the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools. We also expect all academies and free schools to comply with the standards and, since 2014, we have made this an explicit requirement in their funding agreements.

Beyond this, we believe that headteachers, school governors and caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, taking into account local circumstances and the needs of their pupils. In doing so, we expect schools to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with particular requirements (for example, to reflect dietary and cultural needs).

As part of our last update to the School Food Standards, we ran a public consultation on the new regulations between 6 March and 16 April 2014. The new standards were tested by 31 schools and 24 caterers from across England, overseen with positive outcomes by a group of school catering experts and nutritionists. These outcomes were fed into the proposed version of the standards that went out for public consultation in March 2014.

We are currently working with Public Health England to update the School Food Standards again in light of refreshed government dietary recommendations. We have an advisory group in place to support us with this work. It is comprised of key stakeholders in the food, nutrition and health sectors who have a high level of knowledge and expertise on school food.

The government encourages all schools to promote healthy eating and to provide tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with the School Food Standards (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made) is mandatory for all maintained schools. We also expect all academies and free schools to comply with the standards and, since 2014, we have made this an explicit requirement in their funding agreements.

The School Food Standards came in to force from January 2015 and have been widely welcomed. As new advice on nutrition and sugar consumption has since been published, the Department for Education, supported by Public Health England, will update the School Food Standards. The update, which will be comprehensive on reducing sugar consumption, will be coupled with detailed guidance to caterers and schools so they are well prepared to adapt to the changes.

Healthy eating is also covered in health education that all schools will have to teach from this year, with voluntary teaching starting from last year. By the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content) and the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals. They should also know the characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other eating or drinking habits (for example, the impact of alcohol on diet or health). By the end of secondary school, pupils should know how to maintain healthy eating and the links between a poor diet and health risks.

We have developed a national scheme to provide supermarket vouchers for children eligible for free school meals who are not attending school. Schools who chose to participate will not have to pay for these vouchers as the costs for this scheme will be picked up centrally by the Department for Education. Schools will have received an email as of Tuesday 31 March which will allow them to access the portal.

Schools are able to order a voucher to the value of £15 each week for every child eligible for benefits related free school meals who is not attending school. This is more generous than the weekly amount provided to schools for provision of free school meals, recognising that families will not buy in bulk and will therefore not be able to achieve the same economies of scale.

Alongside our national approach to supporting free school meal pupils, we are committed to supporting schools and children who also benefit from our breakfast club programme. Our suppliers, Family Action along with Magic Breakfast, are in contact with schools on the programme and, where possible, are working closely with them to reach children who would normally receive a healthy breakfast at school.

Full guidance on the national voucher scheme is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools.

In May 2023, UK Government published a position statement setting out that interoperability of schemes across the UK is critical to avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade. Since then we have been working with Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland on interoperability across the UK.

We are considering what changes are required to the draft legislation in each nation in order to implement interoperability of schemes across the UK. This will need to be completed before we can finalise the drafting and proceed through the legislative process. As this requires additional time to complete, it impacts our original SI timeline.

The next phase of DRS implementation will be finalising the legislation. We intend for this to come into force in summer 2024, and thereafter we will have the powers to appoint the scheme administrator (the Deposit Management Organisation, DMO).

In January 2023, UK Government, Welsh Government, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland published the Government’s response to the 2021 consultation, setting out policy decisions and next steps for introducing the scheme.

We are currently drafting the legislation to enable delivery of DRS, reflecting the positions set out in the consultation response published in January 2023. The legislation then needs to go through the necessary clearances before it can be laid in UK Parliament and the Welsh Senedd. We are aiming to have the regulations in place by summer 2024.

We are considering the implications of issues that have arisen during the course of our review of the consultation responses, not least ensuring the response reflects the current cost of living pressures. Officials are continuing to work on updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services in line with the government’s goal of transitioning to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

In light of this we now plan to publish the Government Response, Summary of Responses, updated policy and supporting guidance later this year.

In 2021, Defra ran a call for evidence to gather data on the potential impacts of different types of labelling reform for animal welfare. We received over 1,600 responses and a summary of these responses is available on GOV.UK. The evidence provided suggested that there is public appetite for improved welfare labelling, however we do not consider the time is right to consult on proposals to reform labelling for animal welfare.

We will continue to work with stakeholders to explore how we can harness the market to improve food information for consumers and raise animal welfare standards.

The Government is aware of nutrient mitigation schemes other than the Natural England-led Nutrient Mitigation Scheme. However, the Government recognises that these schemes have not developed rapidly enough in all of the catchments subject to nutrient neutrality advice to unlock much needed new homes. That is why the Government has tabled amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, alongside a wider environmental package, which will reform the retained EU law which gave rise to this barrier. This will ensure that the small amount of new nutrient outflow from housing is offset, while doing more to recover the condition of protected sites impacted by excess nutrients in water.

DLUHC, Defra, and Natural England will be in touch with local authorities who proposed mitigation schemes for their areas, and Natural England will set out its plans for the new scheme very soon. Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) require sufficient certainty to enable them to grant planning permission for new development relying on nutrient mitigation. The Government recognises that this certainty has not been available in many of the catchments impacted by nutrient neutrality, and this has led to barriers to much needed new homes. This is why we have announced our new approach.

As of 1 September 2023, £10.8 million of the original £30 million intended to pump prime Natural England’s Nutrient Mitigation Scheme has been spent. We also provided £100,000 funding to lead local planning authorities in each of the affected catchments to promote catchment-level working and supporting local responses.

We do not hold data on the level of private funding spent on developing nutrient neutrality. We are doubling the funding available for nutrient reduction schemes to £280m and making clear that we expect contributions from the larger developers. Our plan will ensure that new nutrients from development will still be offset, while shifting our longer-term focus to restoration.

Natural England will now have the funding and certainty to lead this work for the remainder of this decade. We expect them to partner with third parties to deliver nutrient reductions, and associated environmental co-benefits, where this represents good value for money.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Defra and Natural England will be in touch with local authorities who proposed mitigation schemes for their areas, and Natural England will set out its plans for the new scheme very soon.

Nutrient mitigation can provide carbon and biodiversity benefits alongside other wider environmental benefits if the mitigation involves nature-based interventions such as wetlands or other habitat creation. Natural England’s Nutrient Mitigation Scheme will continue to maximise the wider environmental benefits of nutrient mitigation in its new and expanded form; as well as seeking to promote innovative approaches to reducing nutrient pollution.

The impact assessment for water targets under the environment act, published in December 2022, made an assessment of the benefits of reducing external costs to society from a reduction in nutrient pollution.The impact assessment estimated that reducing total nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture by 40% by 2038 would lead to £4.2bn in reduced external costs to society. This accounted for reduced carbon emissions, improved air quality, recreational benefits and reduced water treatment costs. The IA also estimated that reducing phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80% would lead to a £2.1bn reduction in external costs.

Defra’s crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) provide research to develop more productive, sustainable, and resilient crop varieties. These R&D networks have successfully identified genetic traits that have improved crop resilience to climate change, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these into elite crop varieties. The GINs work in partnership with the Met Office, using climate projections to better target crop breeding. Research on crop resilience will accelerate as our Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act unlocks further opportunities.

Through Defra’s £270 million pound Farming Innovation Programme, we recently awarded £11.69m in a ‘climate smart’ farming themed competition to projects investigating novel approaches to growing and managing crops.

We understand the increasing importance of farmers having access to crop varieties that are resistant to climate change and variable weather conditions, to maintain crop quality and yields.

The Precision Breeding Act (2023) is a major step in unlocking growth and innovation in technologies like gene editing and supports Defra’s efforts to reinforce food security in the face of climate change. Through the Act we want to encourage researchers and commercial breeders to be at the forefront of capturing the potential benefits of precision breeding for British farmers and consumers.

Our Genetic Improvement Networks also provide a platform for knowledge exchange for breeders, producers, end users and the research base, and a means for the delivery of scientific knowledge, resources and results to add value to UK crops.

The £270 million Farming Innovation Programme supports industry-led research and development in agriculture and horticulture. All projects support productivity and environmental outcomes that will benefit farmers and growers in England. In our latest ‘climate smart’ farming themed competition, we awarded over £11 million to projects investigating novel approaches to growing and managing crops. Previous competitions have also supported crop-related research.

The Secretary of State has not discussed the Mariana Dam disaster with her Brazilian counterpart.

Following a competitive tender process, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) are conducting the research on behalf of Defra, with a consortium of academics and partner agencies.

Defra has set up a steering group made up of representatives from within Defra and other relevant Government departments. Consumers and business will be inputting into this research, along with existing literature.

The research will build on previous research (Defra (2014), Baseline evaluation of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0132, Science Search (defra.gov.uk) and Defra (2019), Follow Up Study of EU Food Information to Consumers - FA0169, Science Search (defra.gov.uk)) and investigate to what extent the objectives of the Food Information to Consumers regulations have been achieved, and how key indicators have changed from the baseline and follow up studies. The research will also explore the impacts of recent legislative, societal, and technological changes to food labelling on consumers and industry.

The research is due to be completed by the end of March 2024 and published summer 2024.

The labelling of all food and drink products is governed by the law on the provision of food information to consumers as well as various agricultural marketing standards that apply to the production and marketing of particular primary commodities. These require that food information is accurate and that consumers are not misled ensuring that consumers are able to make fully informed decisions about the food that they consume.

The Food Standards and Information Focus Group is a Trading Standards Officer (TSO) led group providing support to local authorities in the area of food standards and information including labelling. Defra and other organisations are also invited to attend. Responsibility for governance and membership of the Group is for the group itself to determine.

The Government is well aware of the importance for consumers in information that is not misleading and enables them to make fully informed decisions. Defra officials have recently commissioned new research on food information to consumers. Among a range of other things, it will explore consumer understanding of terms used to describe foods marketed as plant based alternatives to dairy products.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues.

The Government takes a ‘One Health’ approach to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as set out in the UK National Action Plan on AMR. Officials from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate meet regularly to consider appropriate actions to address AMR across the human and animal health sectors. This has included discussion on the use of antibiotics to prevent disease in farm animals.

Defra is a co-signatory with DHSC of the UK's AMR five-year National Action Plan (2019-2024) and the UK's 20-year Vision to Contain and Control AMR by 2040. Defra leads on the animal, plant and environment elements of the National Action Plan. A key ambition of these strategies is the appropriate use of antibiotics in humans and animals so that they continue to be an effective tool to treat infections when needed. The Government is committed to reducing unnecessary use of antibiotics in animals while safeguarding animal welfare. It has been our position for many years that we do not support the routine or predictable use of antibiotics, including where antibiotics are used to compensate for inadequate farming practices.

To date in the UK, collaborative working between the Government, the veterinary profession and the agriculture sectors to focus on these issues has resulted in our national sales of veterinary antibiotics reducing by 55% since 2014, and in 2021 we recorded the lowest antibiotic use to date. The UK is one of the lowest users of veterinary antibiotics across Europe, with only seven other European countries having sold fewer antibiotics in 2021 (Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia). Changes to the law on veterinary medicines represent one tool which can be used to help effect reductions in antibiotic prescribing in animals. The Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 are currently under review, and the feedback from the recently closed consultation public consultation will be analysed and considered.

The overall impact of trawling on carbon dioxide release remains uncertain. Defra is actively progressing the evidence base to better understand the resilience and recovery of seabed biodiversity and carbon stores in sediments, in response to human pressures and management interventions.

Defra work with a number of experts on climate change, including the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), to understand the impacts of trawling on the seabed and whether carbon disturbance at the seabed leads to greenhouse gas emissions. We plan to release more research outputs relating to seabed carbon, as work continues to progress in this area, helping to develop a stronger understanding of the impacts of bottom-trawling.

The UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership's Evidence Needs Statement, which Defra contributed to as a partner, was published on World Ocean Day (8^th June 2023). It signalled the need for the Blue Carbon community to further the evidence base on the potential impacts of seabed disturbance on carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions (UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership - Evidence Needs Statement (cefas.co.uk)).

The 30by30 target, Target 3 of the Convention on Biological Diversity Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, is a global target to protect 30% of the global ocean and of land by 2030. Nearly 8.3% of the global ocean is now protected. Achieving a global 30by30 target will require an international effort, from all countries and sectors and the UK is leading the way. In England, we have established a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering 40% of our waters, and we are now focusing on making sure they are properly protected.

Marine regulators make evidence-based, site by site assessments on the fishing activities that could prevent MPAs from achieving their conservation objectives. Nearly 60% of the 178 English MPAs are already protected from damaging fishing activity. This includes byelaws made last year, which ban bottom towed gear over sensitive features in the first four offshore sites. The Marine Management Organisation consulted earlier this year on similar proposals for a further 13 sites. We are aiming to have all MPAs in English waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024.

The baseline data for emissions from domestic flights in the 2017 to 2018 financial year will be published in the Greening Government Commitments (GGCs) annual report for 2021 to 2022, which we will publish this year. 2021-25 targets are set against a new baseline year of 2017 to 2018, which more accurately reflects the current government estate and ensures we build on the considerable progress already achieved. The GGCs reporting requirements sets out the process for baseline setting.

Through the Environment Act 2021 we have set a world-leading, legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030. To deliver these targets we will need large-scale habitat restoration and creation and we will also tackle pressures on biodiversity such as inappropriate grazing (which includes both overgrazing and undergrazing). The Biodiversity Targets Detailed Evidence Report assessed grazing as a pressure on natural and semi-natural habitats.

The Environment Agency is currently reviewing and updating the Working with Natural Processes (WWNP) Evidence Directory. This will include key findings from the Natural Environment Research Council natural flood management (NFM) research programme and learning from the EA’s £15 million NFM pilots programme. This is due to be completed by December 2023. The WWNP Evidence Directory explains the effectiveness of a range of different measures from a flood risk and ecosystem services perspective. Findings in the Directory include how reducing practices such as the intensity of livestock grazing, can lead to less surface run-off and more infiltration. Over-grazing can reduce or remove vegetation, reducing surface roughness which negatively impacts upon the slowing of overland water flows. It can also increase soil compaction reducing infiltration. Both of these can contribute to increased flood risk.

The Greening Government Commitments (GGCs) 2020 to 2021 annual report includes data on how much each department recycles. This report was part of the GGCs 2016 to 2020 framework which included a target to increase the proportion of waste recycled for each department.

The GGCs 2021 to 2025 framework includes a target to increase the proportion of waste recycled to at least 70% of overall waste.

With the exception of greenhouse gas emissions, the GGCs targets are aggregate central government targets and not bespoke minimum performance targets for individual departments. This is to allow flexibility for departments to make appropriate improvements to their estates and operations. Recognising that departments and their arms-length bodies carry out a wide variety of functions.

The Greening Government Commitments 2021 to 2025 framework committed departments to eliminating consumer single use plastics (CSUPs) from the central government office estate by 2025. Prior to this, we do not hold any figures and are not able to estimate.

Figures for the 2021 to 2022 financial year onwards will be published in the Greening Government Commitments annual reports, the first of which is due in 2023.

In the Greening Government Commitments 2021 to 2025 framework, government asked departments to report on the introduction and implementation of reuse schemes for the first time. This will allow us to see how they are being implemented across government and how they fit into the waste landscape.

Defra sends around 18.5% of its waste to landfill. A large proportion of this is end-of-life timber from our forestry and national park land holdings (such as gates and fences). This timber is chemically treated, which vastly extends its life but means it can only be landfilled or incinerated. We are working with the affected bodies to move the waste treatment of these items up the waste hierarchy away from landfill.

0.47% of our department’s waste is reused and 33.4% is incinerated, which includes contaminated waste from our laboratories.

The Greening Government Commitments annual report for the 2021 to 2022 financial year is due to be published in 2023.

Under the climate change mitigation Greening Government Commitment (GGC), Government has a sub-target to reduce the emissions from domestic business flights by at least 30% from a 2017 to 2018 baseline, and report the distance travelled by international business flights, with a view to better understanding and reducing related emissions where possible.

The requested information on how many flights were undertaken for the 2016 to 2017 through to the 2020 to 2021 financial years is published in the GGCs Annual Reports for those years. Departments report on their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and the GHG emissions associated with these flights are included, but not dis-aggregated by source, within this reporting.

The GHG emissions figures associated with domestic flights by departments for the 2021 to 2022 financial year will be published in the GGCs Annual Report for 2021 to 2022, due later this year. The data for the 2022 to 2023 financial year will be published in the Annual Report covering 2022 to 2023.

As set out in Mobilising Green Investment: 2023 Green Finance Strategy, we are committed to monitoring annual private finance flows into nature’s recovery in England against our target.

The government has not produced any official estimate of private investment in nature’s recovery for the last five years, as no reliable measures are yet in place. We have also not produced any forecast for such investment for the current or future years.

My department is developing a methodology for tracking private investment in nature’s recovery, informed by research that we commissioned last year.

Government is committed to an increasingly prosperous horticulture sector and as referenced in the answer to Question HL 3858 published on 30 January, we will not be developing a published strategy for the horticulture sector as originally envisaged in the Government Food Strategy. The sector operates in a complex, ever-evolving commercial and political landscape as such we are prioritising policy work that maximises impact through multiple avenues, this includes establishing the seasonal worker visa route, the labour review, automation, the Farming Innovation Programme and the Farming Investment Fund and working across Government on energy support and planning.

The decision to appoint an industry expert on Controlled Environment Horticulture was made by former Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Member for North East Hampshire (Ranil Jayawardena). After further consideration following a change in government it was decided to adopt a different approach and not continue with the appointment.

The public sector procures approximately £5bn of food and catering services annually, with hospitals, prisons, armed forces and central Government departments required to comply with the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF). Defra consulted on updates to the GBSF last year, including proposals to increase the amount of food procured to higher environmental production standards, such as LEAF and organic within the public sector.

We are currently considering how best to update the GBSF to support the transition to a healthier, more sustainable food system. The updated standards will be forward-looking, and we will not be producing a retrospective review of spend over the last 12 months.

We are reviewing the responses received to the public sector food and catering policy consultation. Officials are considering how best to update the current Government buying standards for food and catering services to support the transition to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

We plan to publish the Government Response, Summary of Responses, updated policy and supporting guidance in the summer.

We are reviewing the responses received to the public sector food and catering policy consultation. Officials are considering how best to update the current Government buying standards for food and catering services to support the transition to a healthier, more sustainable food system.

We plan to publish the Government Response, Summary of Responses, updated policy and supporting guidance in the summer.

We consulted on updates to the Government buying standards for food last year and plan to publish the response this summer. The updated standards will continue to encourage the public sector on a journey towards championing healthier, sustainable food, provided by a diverse range of suppliers.

In updating the standards, we must ensure we meet our domestic and international legal obligations, in particular under the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). There is already guidance available to support public sector contracting authorities to set aside contracts for SMEs and by location, for small contracts if they are under the GPA thresholds (thresholds are circa £200K, depending on the specific public sector body).

As per the conditions of the emergency authorisation granted in 2023, the seed treatment is only permitted for use if the predicted virus incidence level is 63% or above, as determined on 1 March 2023 by the Rothamsted YV forecast model. The forecast has been run and predicted a virus incidence of 67.51%. Sugar beet seed may therefore be treated with Cruiser SB and distributed to those growers who ordered it.

Defra commissioned the University of Salford to produce a Procedure for the Assessment of Low Frequency Noise Disturbance. This document, which is available here: https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/493/1/NANR45-procedure_rev1_23_12_2011.pdf is considered the best practice standard for professionals investigating low frequency noise complaints, and we consider that it remains fit for purpose.

Best and Most Versatile Land is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework and Natural England’s guide to assessing development proposals on agricultural land as land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification (and therefore not including 3b).

This information is available in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2020: Annexes (defra.gov.uk) Table A.3.4.24.

Approximately 100,000 hectares of peatland across the UK have been rewetted to date. Further plans for peatland restoration and responsible management were set out in the England Peat Action Plan (May 2021) and Net Zero Strategy (October 2021).

In 2020 just under 36,000 hectares of British crops consisting of wheat and sugar beet were used for biofuels supplied to the British road transport market. This equates to 0.6% of the total arable area of the United Kingdom. However, HM Government does not have data on the land area of peatland used to produce crops for the biofuel market.

Best and most versatile agricultural land (BMVAL) is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework and Natural England’s guide to assessing development proposals on agricultural land as land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification.

Protecting our environment, backing British farmers and delivering long-term energy security with more renewables is at the heart of HM Government’s manifesto.

That’s why we will be looking at the frameworks for regulation, innovation and investment that impact farmers and land managers to make sure that our policies are best placed to boost food production, increase resilience, deliver long-term energy security and protect the environment.

The Forestry Commission publishes a list of Forest Reproductive Material suppliers as required by the Forest Reproductive Material (Great Britain) Regulations 2002. This is available on our GOV.UK site at: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/2195c92a086c4146972848c5190c9647/. This list covers forestry producers and does not represent the whole commercial nursery sector.

Nursery production capacity is commercially sensitive information and for this reason there are no official estimates. However, Confor, a representative body of the timber and forestry industry, has provided estimates for nursery production capacity in 2020. The summary findings of the Confor Nursery Producers Group are available at: https://www.confor.org.uk/media/247662/sftt-ne-nursery-perspective.pdf.

We are analysing the responses received during the recent public sector food and catering policy consultation. We will publish a summary of these responses and the Government response in due course.

The £750 million Nature for Climate Fund will support peat restoration, woodland creation and management until 2025. Nature for Climate Fund deployment in future years is dependent on analysis of previous year’s performance across projects and workstreams.

For 2022/23 alone we have made:

• Over £25 million available through the England Woodland Creation Offer
• £9.4m of additional funding to support tree nurseries, and development of workforce and skills to support the creation of woodland
• £44.5m NCF funding for Woodland Creation Partnerships and Community Forests
• £7.8 million for a new Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund (WCAF) to build Local Authority capacity to plan new woodlands
• £2 million to support DLUHC’s Levelling Up Parks Fund
• £12.8 million available to the Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme.

Funding is agreed parliament to parliament via spending review periods, so beyond 2025 when the Nature for Climate Fund draws to a close, funding is yet to be agreed and determined.

The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund is enabling nature recovery across England, from North Northumberland to the tip of Cornwall. Through this funding, we are supporting 159 projects, ranging from new ‘insect pathways’ in our countryside to tree planting projects in deprived urban areas. These projects include woodland creation, peatland restoration and saltmarsh restoration. Round one of the fund ran between 2020-22 and round two is running between 2021-23.

A number of estuarine and coastal habitat restoration initiatives are also underway. The management of the Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative, amounting to £90k in 2022-23, is funded through the Water Environment Improvement Fund. ReMeMaRe is working to restore our estuarine and coastal habitats to benefit people and nature.

Natural England is leading a four-year £2.5 million EU-funded LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES project running to October 2023, which aims to restore seagrass and maerl habitat in five Special Areas of Conservation.

Finally, we are also working to increase private investment in nature. The £10 million Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund, which runs to March 2024, is also supporting three projects with almost £300,000 of grants, to explore, develop and then test methodologies to measure and verify the carbon storage potential in saltmarsh habitats. This includes a project to develop a Saltmarsh Carbon code from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

Review of the Habitats Regulations was proposed in the Nature Recovery Green Paper. That consultation closed on 11 May and we are now in the process of analysing responses. The Government will publish a formal response in due course.

As set out in the Nature Recovery Green Paper, any review of legislation relating to protected sites will be consistent with the UK’s international commitments.

Forestry England operated two forest nurseries until April 2022, when Wykeham Nursery in Yorkshire was closed. Forestry England now operates a single nursery at Delamere in Cheshire.

The table below contains a breakdown of tree production quantities and staff numbers (full time equivalent) for Forestry England nurseries over the past five growing seasons.

The £750 million Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) will support peat restoration, woodland creation and management until 2025. This currently includes supporting the Woodland Creation Partnerships, Urban Tree Challenge Fund, the Local Authority Treescapes Fund, and the flagship grant scheme the England Woodland Creation Offer.

The NCF is working alongside the Environmental Land Management schemes through its design and pilot stage to ensure a smooth transition of all relevant NCF programmes into the schemes post 2025. The majority of new applications for woodland creation payments from 2025 will be made through the Local Nature Recovery scheme. The Local Nature Recovery design and the approach to payment rates for planting trees will largely mirror those offered by the England Woodland Creation Offer.

The England Trees Action Plan sets out our long-term vision for the treescape in England, including how we will treble tree planting rates supporting the Government's manifesto target of planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year by the end of the Parliament. The £750 million Nature for Climate Fund is the main delivery vehicle, focussed on peat restoration, woodland creation and management.

The Fund is already supporting a series of grants for tree planting and management for 2022/23, including:

- The £8 million Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund which will provide financial support to local authorities to bring in specialist skills and capacity to boost tree planting and woodland creation across England.

- £500,000 this year in support of the collaborative Woodlands for Water project which will increase woodland creation along rivers to deliver biodiversity, water quality improvements and flood risk mitigation.

- More than £3.8 million available through the fourth round of the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

- The Local Authority Treescapes Fund will allocate up to £5.4 million for the planting of up to 650,000 trees in 2022/23.

Additional funding will also shortly be announced for the England Woodland Creation Offer and for Woodland Creation Partnerships. Nature for Climate Fund deployment in future years is dependent on analysis of previous year's performance across projects and workstreams.

The Forestry Commission produces statistics on all new planting of woodland for the UK. These can be found in Forestry Statistics and in Provisional Woodland Statistics: 2021 edition on the Forest Research website. These statistics are reported for each financial year in thousands of hectares. The latest available figures are for 2021-22.

Our plans for the Landscape Recovery pilot have not changed. We have received 51 applications from across England from round one which closed on 24 May.

We will take forward up to 15 pilot projects in this round and we aim to announce the outcome of the selection process later this summer, following assessment of the applications.

We confirmed last week that we will spend up to £50 million from the farming budget on Landscape Recovery projects over the next three years. This intent has not changed. As we transition to our new schemes, we plan to learn as we go and find the best ways to manage the overall farming budget to respond to demand in a way that helps us achieve our intended outcomes. Rather than adopting a fixed and inflexible allocation for funding across our environmental land management schemes, we make sure that we can respond to farmer demand for our schemes while ensuring we remain on track to deliver our policies on food production and protecting nature.

The Government has committed to maintain the farming budget for England at £2.4 billion per year throughout this parliament and this was confirmed again in the recent Spending Review. Future spending allocations beyond the length of this spending review period will be determined at future fiscal events in the usual way.

We published the high-level outcomes expected from the schemes in January 2022. We will keep our aims under review as we develop long-term legally binding targets under the Environment Act and set out the policy pathways to meet them under our update of the Environmental Improvement Plan - due in 2023. As well as updates via the Environmental Improvement Plan, routine monitor and evaluation we have a legal Duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to publish a backward looking report every years. We intend to use that to provide route updates for parliamentarians, farmers and the wider public on how we are performing. We have a further legal duty to publish evaluations of the effectiveness of our financial assistance schemes.

The UK is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of Avian Influenza (AI) with (as of 9 June 2022) 121 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) confirmed in poultry & captive birds (100 cases in England, 5 cases in Wales, 10 cases in Scotland, 6 cases in Northern Ireland). All cases have been confirmed as HPAI H5N1. To date 2.6 million birds have been culled and disposed, a small proportion of overall poultry production (c.20m birds a week). Prior to this the largest number of cases was 26 cases in 2020/2021 and 13 cases in 2016/7.

There is a robust programme of surveillance in poultry and wild birds.

As part of the wild bird surveillance scheme which looks at domestic cases and those notified overseas, as of 9 June 2022, there have been 1,094 findings of avian influenza in wild birds, in 295 locations involving 50 bird species in 77 counties.

Defra’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) disease-free status. Defra’s approach is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain. Swift and humane culling of birds on infected premises coupled with good biosecurity aims to prevent the amplification of avian influenza and subsequent environmental contamination and to reduce the risk of disease spread from infected premises. Current policy is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control. It reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease.

Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. We aim to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment, while protecting public health and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans in place. These include measures to contract companies to support eradication and cover such matters as the deployment of non-Government vets and experts in culling and disposal of birds. APHA also works closely with other agencies to provide additional capacity. APHA is also leading on a cross-government, cross-agency review of lessons to be learned. This will identify what went well and areas where improvements can be made to improve the effectiveness of the response to future outbreaks.

Defra’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health disease-free status. Defra’s approach is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain. Swift and humane culling of kept birds on infected premises coupled with good biosecurity aims to prevent the amplification of avian influenza and subsequent environmental contamination and to reduce the risk of disease spread from infected premises to other poultry or to wild birds. Current policy is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control. It reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports and warden patrols. During the avian influenza 2021/2022 season wild birds from multiple locations across GB have tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1. Findings of HPAI in wild birds in GB are published weekly by APHA and are available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-in-wild-birds

Defra works closely with the UK Health Security Agency and non-governmental organisations with interests in wildlife conservation and wetland management and recognises the importance of One Health approaches in the communication and coordination for preparedness and responses. Defra has a robust programme of avian influenza surveillance in both wild and kept birds and actively promotes the importance of biosecurity measures to reduce spillover and spillback risks between poultry and wild birds.

It is not current policy to cull wild birds, although powers exist to do this. The control of avian influenza infection in wild bird populations is not feasible from a logistical, environmental and biodiversity perspective. Culling of wild migratory bird populations is unlikely to be effective in preventing further spread of avian influenza, and their hunting would likely cause the dispersion of the birds. At present, we cannot foresee circumstances that would lead to a change in this policy, although this position will be assessed as any new evidence emerges.

We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken. Any future decisions on disease control measures will be based on the latest scientific, ornithological and veterinary advice.

Defra is working with Natural England to develop a comprehensive and ambitious English Seabird Conservation Strategy (ESCS). This strategy will provide an assessment of the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose a comprehensive set of actions to address them.

A significant amount of work has already been undertaken on development of the ESCS including a sensitivity review for English seabirds at sea, which will become a vital evidence-base for informing understanding of seabird sensitivities. However, largely as a consequence of COVID-19 impacts, we are now planning to consult with stakeholders on draft outputs during a series of engagement sessions starting in the summer and aim to publish a final ESCS in spring 2023.

Defra’s objective in tackling any outbreak of avian influenza is to eradicate the disease as quickly as possible from the UK poultry and captive-bird population and regain UK World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) disease-free status. Defra’s approach is set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain. Swift and humane culling of birds on infected premises coupled with good biosecurity aims to prevent the amplification of avian influenza and subsequent environmental contamination and to reduce the risk of disease spread from infected premises. Current policy is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control. It reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has a robust programme of wild bird surveillance and engages in year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports and warden patrols. Between 5 October 2021 and 30 May 2022 over 2,570 wild birds have been tested. Of these, 1,085 have tested positive for H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza. There have been findings in 291 different locations in 50 different species in 77 different counties.

For further details of wild bird findings see the report (updated weekly) of findings of HPAI in wild birds in Great Britain and our outbreak assessments.

Avian influenza experts from APHA conduct testing at our national reference laboratory. All diagnostic testing is conducted in line with WOAH standards as set out for Avian Influenza in the OIE Terrestrial Manual. Initial results can be reported within several hours of samples arriving at the reference laboratory.

Dealing with disturbance issues is very site and species specific. Many of the wild bird populations at risk of avian influenza use sites protected for their bird interest in breeding and/or non-breeding seasons (e.g. as Special Protection Areas). Often these sites will already have site managers and wardens responsible for ensuring that disturbance is not a significant issue for the bird features. The Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds makes some recommendations about disturbance in its January 2022 statement.

Our biosecurity guidance and biosecurity self-assessment checklist contain further details of the measures all bird keepers must continue to take to protect their birds from avian influenza. Even when an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is not in force, we recommend keepers continue to follow these biosecurity measures to protect their birds. An AIPZ makes it a legal requirement for bird keepers (whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock) to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to reduce the risk of transmission of avian influenza to poultry and other captive birds from wild birds or any other source.

The UK has robust biosecurity measures in place to prevent avian influenza spreading, and a strong track record of controlling and eliminating outbreaks in the UK. The Government is clear that all operational livestock premises should implement strong biosecurity measures and report suspected disease immediately – and the Government and its delivery agencies continue to work closely with industry to ensure good flock management and husbandry practices are implemented on all farms regardless of size or scale.

We continue to monitor the current situation both in Europe and globally, as well as the effectiveness of any disease control measures taken. Any future decisions on disease control measures will be based upon the latest scientific, ornithological, and veterinary advice.

As part of the Government’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are currently considering a number of improvements that could be made to the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing and have asked the Animal Welfare Committee to update its 2014 Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing this year. Their advice is expected this autumn.

No assessment has been made of the differences in regulation regarding the slaughter of fish and other aquatic animals and terrestrial farmed animals.

Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing requires that farmed fish are spared avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations but does not include any further requirements. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 makes it an offence for any person engaged in the restraint, stunning or killing of an invertebrate to cause avoidable pain, distress or suffering.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28 April and provides legal recognition that animals with a backbone (vertebrates), decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs are sentient beings. This means the Animal Sentience Committee will be able to consider how individual central government policy decision making takes account of the welfare of these creatures and can publish reports on this.

Port Health Authorities (PHAs) are the independent competent authority responsible for checking the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing documentation for containerised imports of fish, working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO has provided the following statistics.

It must be stressed that there are some limitations to this data. Although unlikely, PHAs are able to refuse consignments without involving the MMO. These numbers therefore reflect the data which is held centrally.

Furthermore, PHAs are not required to report their documentary or physical checks to the MMO with the result that not all the relevant data is held centrally. As a result, it is not possible to provide a complete update on the number of specific documentary and physical checks undertaken.

Port Health Authorities (PHAs) are the independent competent authority responsible for checking the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing documentation for containerised imports of fish, working closely with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). The MMO has provided the following statistics.

It must be stressed that there are some limitations to this data. Although unlikely, PHAs are able to refuse consignments without involving the MMO. These numbers therefore reflect the data which is held centrally.

Furthermore, PHAs are not required to report their documentary or physical checks to the MMO with the result that not all the relevant data is held centrally. As a result, it is not possible to provide a complete update on the number of specific documentary and physical checks undertaken.

(a) The Food Strategy White Paper will set out Government's ambition for the food system: to support exceptional British food and drink producers, and to protect and enhance the nation's health and the natural environment for generations to come. We are working closely with other Government Departments to consider the evidence of Henry Dimbleby's independent review, which has made a significant contribution to our work on land use change and land management.

We are working closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the Secretaries of State have regular discussions about a range of issues including land use, planning and food production. Given ongoing wider circumstances we are postponing publication of the Food Strategy until after the pre-election period for the local elections.

b) The Government recognises the importance of food production and has set out a legal obligation to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years, set out in December 2021's first UK Food Security Report. It recognised the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience, and the importance of strong domestic production to our food security. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.

In many parts of England, using land for food and agriculture will not specifically require planning permission. However, our National Planning Policy Framework is clear that food production and farming should be recognised to ensure that sustainable development is achieved, including requiring local authorities to reference the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land. The Framework is also clear that local authorities should encourage efficient use of land and acknowledges the importance of undeveloped land for food production.

Evidence published by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust suggests that tens of thousands of wildfowl die from lead poisoning each year and many more birds, including scavengers and predators such as birds of prey, suffer and die through secondary poisoning.

Further research from the University of Cambridge, published earlier this year, reaffirms that birds of prey such as red kites which scavenge carcasses or eat injured animals with fragments of toxic lead from gun ammunition embedded in their bodies can become poisoned, suffering slow and painful deaths.

The Government supports the principle of further regulation to address the impact of lead ammunition. That is why in spring 2021 Defra asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA) to prepare a UK REACH restriction dossier for lead ammunition. The HSE and the EA are considering the evidence of risk posed by lead in ammunition on human health and the environment and, therefore, the case for introducing a UK REACH restriction on lead in ammunition. This process will take approximately two years (from spring 2021), after which the Secretary of State, with the consent of the Scottish and Welsh Ministers, will make a decision on the basis of this review.

The Data Collection Framework policies place no additional requirements on fisheries administrations for 2022. Further details of the UK’s data collection requirements for fisheries and aquaculture sectors for 2022 can be found in the UK workplan.

The UK does not deploy observers on vessels in UK waters for enforcement purposes. However, fisheries administrations do deploy observers on vessels to collect fisheries dependant data.

As part of our commitment to delivering a world class fisheries management system Defra is developing a set of proposals for expanding the use of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) in English waters. This will include further consultation to determine how these measures will apply to specific vessels and fleet types.

The forthcoming Food Strategy White Paper is a once in a generation opportunity to create a food system that feeds our nation today and protects it for tomorrow. It will build on existing work across Government and identify new opportunities to make the food system healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK. In doing so, it will consider the evidence of Henry Dimbleby’s independent review. Given ongoing wider circumstances we expect to publish the food strategy after the pre-election period for the local elections.

Defra has published a statutory duck welfare code which encourages high standards of husbandry for the keeping and breeding of farmed ducks. We recognise the welfare benefit of providing open water for ducks. However, in a commercial setting the provision of open bathing water for ducks is a difficult issue, as a balance needs to be struck between the welfare needs of the birds and the risks to duck health, hygiene and food safety if ducks are given unlimited access to open bathing water, which can become easily contaminated. Defra's code recommends that ducks should always have easy access to fresh water and that consideration should be given to the provision of water troughs, which are deep enough to allow the ducks to get their heads completely under water.

Local authorities are responsible for enforcement where any non-compliance with the animal welfare in transport rules is found and will take prosecution action when serious welfare issues relating to the transport of live animals are identified. The level of local government undertaking enforcement may vary between areas, based on a locally agreed division of responsibilities between the tiers of local government.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) acts as a national regulator for the welfare of animals in transport rules and is able to take regulatory action following non-compliance by transporters. APHA works closely with its local authority enforcement partners to support enforcement action and prosecution of those involved in breaches of the welfare in transport legislation.

The Welfare at Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 are enforced by Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and local authorities. The FSA has official veterinarians present in slaughterhouses to monitor and enforce animal welfare at slaughter. APHA and local authority inspectors appointed under the regulations are responsible for monitoring and enforcement of requirements outside of a slaughterhouse, such as killing on farm or in a knacker’s yard. The level of local government undertaking enforcement may vary between areas, based on a locally agreed division of responsibilities between the tiers of local government.

Biodiversity loss is a global problem that needs a global solution, and the UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

As part of this framework, the UK will be advocating for ambitious global targets to bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030. This includes targets to ensure at least 30% of the land and of the ocean is protected, ecosystems are restored, species population sizes are recovering, and extinctions are halted by 2050. The UK is calling for this ambitious set of targets to be supported by increased finance for nature from all sources (public and private) and at all levels (domestic and international), and for strengthened reporting and review mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of targets and hold Parties to account to their commitments.

We welcome this report and the fact that it recognises the UK’s global leadership in fighting wildlife and forestry crime. We invited the UN to undertake this analysis and we are proud to be the first G7 country to request this assessment.

There is always more we can do to tackle wildlife crime and we will carefully consider all of the UN’s recommendations – including those relating to raptor persecution - to help us build on the positive progress we have already made. Defra sits on the police-led Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group, which takes forward activities to raise awareness and facilitate intelligence and incident reporting, leading to increased prevention and enforcement activity. The group focuses on ‘hotspot’ areas of the country rather than specific species although it is recognised the five listed from a-e in this question are identified as being of particular concern where raptor persecution is concerned.

This Government takes wildlife crime seriously. Significant sanctions are available to judges to hand down to those convicted of wildlife crimes.  Most wildlife crimes carry up to an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we expect a delay to the planned COP15 dates of 25 April to 8 May. Minister Goldsmith will head the UK delegation, and attendance by other UK Government Ministers will be confirmed when revised dates for COP15 are available.

Defra is the lead department for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Cabinet Office. The core team dedicated to working on CBD in Defra is comprised of 21 staff. This team works closely with teams across Defra and its specialist arm's-length bodies, other Government departments, civil society organisations, and wider society. This includes the support of hundreds of staff in the Government’s wider diplomatic service.

The Faroe Islands are in no doubt as to the UK position on cetacean hunts, which we raise at every relevant opportunity, including in person. Minister Goldsmith wrote to the then Faroese Fisheries Minister on 23^rd September 2021 to express the UK’s opposition on both animal welfare and conservation grounds to the hunt of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that took place on the 12^th September and the continued hunting of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands.

In their response, the Faroese government confirmed that they were launching an evaluation of regulations on the catching of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. While the government welcomed this news, we have advocated to the Faroese government that they expand the scope of the evaluation to incorporate all species of cetacean that are hunted and consider the wider benefits of cetaceans to the ecosystem. I recently reiterated to the new Faroese Fisheries Minister, Árni Skaale, that the UK looks forward to seeing the outcomes of the review.

We will continue to call on all whaling nations, including the Faroe Islands, at every relevant opportunity to cease their whaling activities. Instead, we encourage them to consider the many economic and social benefits that responsible cetacean watching can bring to coastal communities. We also continue to encourage the Faroe Islands to engage in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS).

The Faroe Islands are in no doubt as to the UK position on cetacean hunts, which we raise at every relevant opportunity, including in person. Minister Goldsmith wrote to the then Faroese Fisheries Minister on 23^rd September 2021 to express the UK’s opposition on both animal welfare and conservation grounds to the hunt of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that took place on the 12^th September and the continued hunting of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands.

In their response, the Faroese government confirmed that they were launching an evaluation of regulations on the catching of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. While the government welcomed this news, we have advocated to the Faroese government that they expand the scope of the evaluation to incorporate all species of cetacean that are hunted and consider the wider benefits of cetaceans to the ecosystem. I recently reiterated to the new Faroese Fisheries Minister, Árni Skaale, that the UK looks forward to seeing the outcomes of the review.

We will continue to call on all whaling nations, including the Faroe Islands, at every relevant opportunity to cease their whaling activities. Instead, we encourage them to consider the many economic and social benefits that responsible cetacean watching can bring to coastal communities. We also continue to encourage the Faroe Islands to engage in the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS).

The 15^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity represents an historic opportunity to secure agreement to ambitious global action over the next decade. The UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at COP15. The COP is due to take place in Kunming, China, later this year, though due to the coronavirus pandemic, we expect a delay to the planned dates of 25 April to 8 May. Minister Goldsmith will head the UK delegation.

Defra is the lead department for the Convention on Biological Diversity, working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) and Cabinet Office. A core team is in place in Defra, drawing on expertise across Defra, its specialist arm’s-length bodies, and working with other Government departments, civil society organisations, and society at large. This includes working with the FCDO and our Posts across the diplomatic network, through which we are engaging host governments to support the delivery of our objectives. Nature is one of the key priorities in the UK’s COP26 Presidency, and so the Cabinet Office COP26 Unit is also supporting preparations for COP15 to ensure a successful delivery of our COP26 objectives.

Protein-based crops, such as pulses and legumes, are important to UK farming. They contribute to farm profitability, the food supply chain, and provide sustainable, low carbon, protein in human diets and animal feed. They contribute positively to crop diversification and insect recovery and pollination.

A focus on R&D and innovation, including Defra’s recently launched Farming Innovation Programme will help drive innovation including in pulses, legumes and other crops, to improve productivity and prosperity across sectors - enabling more farmers, growers and agri-food businesses to become involved in and benefit from agricultural research and development. Further R&D funding opportunities in this Programme are due to launch in Spring 2022.

Defra continues to help our food producers and farmers capitalise on the global demand for British food and drink. The Government is expanding our agri-food and drink attaché network to give additional support on the ground, and we are establishing a new Food and Drink Export Council to deliver a dynamic, future-facing strategy for the sector across the whole of the UK. The GREAT campaign has recently undertaken research into the perceptions, awareness and purchase intent of UK food and drink in key international markets - including specific questioning on plant-based foods - to help plan future promotional and export-based activity.

Protein-based crops, such as pulses and legumes, are important to UK farming. They contribute to farm profitability, the food supply chain, and provide sustainable, low carbon, protein in human diets and animal feed. They contribute positively to crop diversification and insect recovery and pollination.

A focus on R&D and innovation, including Defra’s recently launched Farming Innovation Programme will help drive innovation including in pulses, legumes and other crops, to improve productivity and prosperity across sectors - enabling more farmers, growers and agri-food businesses to become involved in and benefit from agricultural research and development. Further R&D funding opportunities in this Programme are due to launch in Spring 2022.

Defra continues to help our food producers and farmers capitalise on the global demand for British food and drink. The Government is expanding our agri-food and drink attaché network to give additional support on the ground, and we are establishing a new Food and Drink Export Council to deliver a dynamic, future-facing strategy for the sector across the whole of the UK. The GREAT campaign has recently undertaken research into the perceptions, awareness and purchase intent of UK food and drink in key international markets - including specific questioning on plant-based foods - to help plan future promotional and export-based activity.

Protein-based crops, such as pulses and legumes, are important to UK farming. They contribute to farm profitability, the food supply chain, and provide sustainable, low carbon, protein in human diets and animal feed. They contribute positively to crop diversification and insect recovery and pollination.

A focus on R&D and innovation, including Defra’s recently launched Farming Innovation Programme will help drive innovation including in pulses, legumes and other crops, to improve productivity and prosperity across sectors - enabling more farmers, growers and agri-food businesses to become involved in and benefit from agricultural research and development. Further R&D funding opportunities in this Programme are due to launch in spring 2022.

Defra continues to help our food producers and farmers capitalise on the global demand for British food and drink. The Government is expanding our agri-food and drink attaché network to give additional support on the ground, and we are establishing a new Food and Drink Export Council to deliver a dynamic, future-facing strategy for the sector across the whole of the UK. The GREAT campaign has recently undertaken research into the perceptions, awareness and purchase intent of UK food and drink in key international markets - including specific questioning on plant-based foods - to help plan future promotional and export-based activity.

The Co-design Steering Group includes representatives of local authorities with council farm estates, new entrant farmers, providers of innovation support for new farmers, cooperative and community land organisations and private landowners.

A full list of membership will be made available to the hon. Member.

Specifically on food, although there are currently no legal requirements to display information stating the carbon emissions of food products, we are keen to work with industry to help reduce environmental impacts across the food system. This includes providing such information clearly to consumers where this is effective, without creating unnecessary burdens, costs or time-lags.

We have worked with The Competition and Markets authority to input into their guidance for businesses when making environmental claims and are liaising with the Environment Agency on their SEEBEYOND project which is looking at the standardisation of metrics in the food and drink sector.

We support the work of WRAP, who convene the Courtauld 2030 voluntary agreement. Courtauld's work includes agreeing a common set of emission factors and reviewing the pathway to robust data for supply chain emissions and governance.

We want to empower consumers with more effective information to help them make healthier, greener, and more sustainable choices in their diet. As part of the Government’s Food Strategy, we are reviewing how food information can be improved so consumers can make more informed decisions whilst maintaining freedom of choice.

Outside of food, within the Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, the government committed to exploring a range of policy options that can increase overall demand for low emissions industrial products, including product labelling.

The Government has committed to developing detailed policy proposals in this area, beginning with a call for evidence, which will be published soon. The call for evidence will investigate a range of issues, including how low emissions products can be defined and the implementation of policy levers such as emissions labelling for industrial products.

The UK Government has introduced world-leading due diligence legislation through the Environment Act to tackle illegal deforestation in UK supply chains. The new law will make it illegal for larger businesses to use key forest risk commodities produced on land illegally occupied or used in their UK commercial activities. The UK Timber Regulations already prohibit the placing on the market of illegally harvested timber or timber products. To avoid overlapping with this regime, timber and timber products are therefore not in scope of the new provisions.

Secondary legislation is needed to set out key details on how the due diligence provisions will be implemented, including which commodities are regulated. Providing these details in secondary legislation allows us to take a phased approach to the introduction of regulations.

The UK Government will launch a consultation shortly to seek evidence and views to inform how the provisions will be implemented, including which agricultural commodities should be introduced through secondary legislation.

In considering priority substances for inclusion in Annex 14 of UK REACH, the Health and Safety Executive does not take into account socio-economic criteria, but does consider evidence on alternative substitutes.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published their draft recommendation of priority substances to be included in Annex 14 of UK REACH (list of substances subject to Authorisation) in August 2021. In recommending these substances, HSE considered evidence that had been submitted to the European Chemicals Agency in relation to tetraethyllead and identified that whilst work is underway to identify alternative substitutes, none are currently available. HSE set out that it may be appropriate to revisit the regulatory approach to tetraethyllead when technical evaluations of potential alternatives are completed. The process for recommending substances for Annex 14 prioritisation is a regular one, so all substances will be reassessed in future prioritisation rounds.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published its draft recommendation of priority substances to be included in Annex 14 of UK REACH (list of substances subject to Authorisation) in August 2021. HSE, working with the Environment Agency, published a summary of the technical rationale it used in recommending these substances. No companies or external organisations made representations to HSE as part of the assessment of which substances to recommend. The draft recommendation is currently subject to public consultation until 30 November 2021.

The Government is in regular contact with the waste sector and local authorities to ensure we have up to date information about current waste collection vehicle staffing levels.

We are aware of some current impacts that heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver shortages are having on local authority bin collections. We continue to work with the Department for Transport and the other departments involved to consider all the available options.

The Government has already taken action on HGV driver shortages, including ramping up vocational test capacity so 3,000 practical tests are available each week. The Government has also confirmed funding of up to £7,000 per apprenticeship for people undertaking lorry driver training, extended driver hours and temporarily eased restrictions on delivery curfews.

The Government is working with industry and supporting job seekers to take roles in the profession. As part of this, there are increased incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice across the economy as we recover from the pandemic. Employers will receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation from 1 April to 30 September 2021.

Across Defra there are 753 electric/plug in hybrid cars of which 367 are fully electric. This represents 17.1% of the car fleet (4,414 total cars). Fully electric is 8.3%.

Organisations included are:

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
• Animal and Plant Health Agency
• Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
• Defra
• Environment Agency
• Marine Management Organisation
• Natural England
• Rural Payments Agency
• Sea Fish Industry Authority

Through involvement in Horizon 2020 projects, European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU) and the Partnership for Chemicals Risk Assessment (PARC), we are engaging in efforts to better understand human exposure to different chemicals and possible linked health effects. This includes EDCs, with phthalates and bisphenol included as priority substances in the first round of the HBM4EU project.

Work is also being carried out by the Environment Agency to understand the presence, use, emissions and sources of several chemicals groups containing recognised EDCs such as phthlates in the UK environment. This will be used to prioritise further assessment, which would include potential effect on wildlife. Last October the Environment Agency published a study of oestrogenic effects in wild fish (roach) in English rivers comparing contemporary and historical impacts.

The identification of intrinsic chemical hazards is already a principal requirement of the classification, labelling and packaging regulation (CLP). The hazard classes in CLP classify physical, health and environmental hazards. Endocrine disrupting properties are not captured by a specific CLP hazard class, however human health endocrine disrupting properties are closely linked to existing CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction) hazard classes.

The hazard classification of a chemical is often used as a starting point for specific controls or protective measures and is the basis for many regulatory and legislative provisions in the risk management of chemicals. Endocrine disrupting properties are specifically taken into account by the regulatory regimes covering the use of pesticides and biocides, where identification of such properties prompts specific control measures.

We will check with the members of the co-design steering group that they are content to be named publicly and we will publish the names in due course.

The membership of the co-design steering group will be published. The co-design steering group consists of representatives of local authorities with council farm estates, new entrant farmers, providers of business support for new farmers, cooperative and community land organisations, and private landowners.

As set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan this Government will provide funding to create lasting opportunities for new entrants to access land, infrastructure and support to establish successful and innovative businesses. These could include support for local authorities to invest in county farms.

The details and eligibility criteria of the new entrant scheme are being developed through a consultative co-design process with stakeholders.

The co-design steering group includes representatives of local authorities with council farm estates, new entrant farmers, providers of innovation support for young farmers, cooperative and community land organisations and private landowners. We are also engaging a wider range of stakeholders to help us design the scheme. We will report more details of the scheme this summer and aim to launch the scheme in 2022.

We are committed to ending the use of peat in horticulture in England and achieving our net zero target. In early February 2021, we held roundtables for groups of stakeholders to discuss potential measures to end the use of horticultural peat. We intend to publish a formal consultation in 2021 on further measures to end its use.

In 2019, peat extraction accounted for an estimated 2.4 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions in the UK, or 0.5% of the UK’s total. For England, the figure is 0.2 million tonnes. All peat extraction in England will cease by 2042 at the latest, in advance of the UK’s target to be net zero by 2050.

The Government recognises the serious and increasing threats currently facing the ocean, and the disproportionate impact this has on the world’s poorest. That is why our manifesto committed to a £500 million Blue Planet Fund to help eligible countries reduce poverty and sustainably manage the ocean.

Beyond public investment, the Government recognises the importance of mobilising private finance to help tackle this issue. Though we have no immediate plans to sign up, we welcome the UN Environment Programme’s work to progress this agenda, including through the Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles.

Middlesex University’s draft report on measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible ownership was submitted to Defra this month (March 2021). The report is currently being peer reviewed and will be finalised in light of peer review comments. Our intention is to publish the final report later this year.

In England funding is available through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund for applications from aquaculture businesses, including those that farm tilapia, looking to make the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more sustainable or to conserve the marine environment, as well as those seeking to adapt their seafood businesses to new trading requirements following EU exit. This funding is delivered by the Marine Management Organisation. Seafood businesses in the rest of the UK should contact their fisheries administrations to see what development support may be available to them.

In addition to this funding, on 9 March the Government opened the Seafood Response Fund which provides a one off grant payment to help businesses cover up to three months of average fixed costs between January and March 2021. This emergency scheme is targeted at catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses. All eligible business will be contacted and invited to apply by the Marine Management Organisation and we expect all payments to be made by 31 March.

We do not have specific organic standards within phase 1 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Pilot. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is intended to be open and accessible to all farmers, and to reward farmers fairly for environmental goods generated across all land types and farm management systems, including organic farms. Throughout the pilot, which we are launching later this year, we will be working with hundreds of farmers to ensure that it works for all farming systems.