Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that local authorities have the resources to enforce the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered by David Rutley
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, local authorities, in common with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the police, have powers of entry to inspect complaints of suspected animal cruelty and take out prosecutions where necessary. Local authorities are able to make decisions based on local needs and the arrangements that work best for them, and it is for local authorities to determine how to prioritise their resources. The Government is investing in Britain’s future, and this year’s local government finance settlement includes extra funding for local services. Local authorities will have access to £46.4 billion this financial year (2019/20) to meet the needs of their residents. This is a cash increase of 2.8% and a real terms increase which will strengthen services and support for local communities.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the European Commission to tackle illegal seabass fishing activity from commercial fixed netters.
Answered by George Eustice
Under recovery measures for the bass stock, there is a general prohibition in EU legislation on fishing for bass, with a number of specific derogations allowing for limited bass landings from directed and by-catch fisheries. The current derogation for fixed gillnetters provides for a 1.2 tonne annual limit per vessel to allow for unavoidable by-catches of bass. This limit means landings of UK gillnetting bass catches are over 70% lower than pre-recovery measures levels.
I am aware of concerns being raised about targeting of bass under that unavoidable by-catch provision and at this year’s Fisheries Council on 17-18 December, we will be considering new management measures relating to seabass, including new proposals from the European Commission in relation to commercial fixed gillnets.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the operation of the UK-EU medical devices supply chain of the ongoing use of cobalt in UK-manufactured medical devices in the event that the UK is no longer subject to EU REACH regulations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
To provide continuity for businesses in a no deal scenario, the EU Withdrawal Act copies EU legislation into UK law, including REACH, as far as possible. This means that the requirements established through these regulations will continue to apply in the UK. This includes retaining all exemptions that remain applicable, including chemicals used in medical products or equipment. By doing this we would minimise disruption to the supply in chemicals.
While it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of negotiations regarding the Future Economic Partnership, we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in chemicals regulation in the best interests of both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has plans to provide funding from the public purse to provide farmers with payments for fulfilling their legal duties to keep paths on their land clear after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In England, the cornerstone of future agriculture policy will be the payment of public money for environmental public goods. The Agriculture Bill includes public access in the list of purposes that the Secretary of State may pay for in the future. Paths that provide access to farmers’ land enable people to access and spend time in the natural environment. Infrastructure is required for recreational walking, cycling and horse-riding and providing access to greenspace and countryside for disabled people. This is important for maintaining and improving physical and mental health and wellbeing and therefore provides public benefits.
There are a number of requirements relating to Public Rights of Way that are currently set out in legislation across the UK. We expect land managers to comply with these regulatory obligations, irrespective of whether financial assistance is to be received or not. As we leave the EU we will be assessing how best to deliver outcomes, including through regulation, enforcement and incentives.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many members of staff have left his Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.
Answered by George Eustice
Since January 2015, 1070 staff on the payroll have left Defra. Of those, the recorded number of staff that have left the department in the same period, where non-UK EU nationality is known, is 36.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to improve measures to prevent the illegal importation of underage puppies after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
While the United Kingdom remains in the European Union we remain signed up to the Pet Travel Scheme and the rules by which dogs and puppies are imported into the United Kingdom.
Since December 2015 the Animal and Plant Health Agency teams have been working in partnership with the Dogs Trust, Kent County Council and Kent Police on a pilot to identify and seize non-compliant dogs at Dover and Folkestone. To date over 600 dogs have been seized the majority being under the minimum age permitted to enter the UK.
Leaving the EU provides us with an opportunity to develop gold standard policies on animal welfare. We are determined to get a good EU exit deal for Britain and we have been absolutely clear we will maintain and enhance our world-leading animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2017 to Question 1761, when he plans to launch a consultation on further UK restrictions on the sale of ivory.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Bringing an end to elephant poaching is a priority for this government. We are currently considering next steps and will set these out in due course.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2017 to Question 1556, how many people have received the maximum six months imprisonment for the most serious cases of animal cruelty in each of the last five years.
Answered by George Eustice
The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody for the maximum penalty for offences under Sections 4 to 8 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in England and Wales, from 2012 to 2016, can be viewed in the table below.
Defendants sentenced to the maximum penalty (1) for offences under selected sections of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, England and Wales, 2012 to 2016 (2)(3) | |||||
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Section of Act | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
5 | - | - | - | - | - |
6 | - | - | - | - | - |
7 | - | - | - | - | - |
8 | - | - | - | - | - |
'-' = Nil | |||||
(1) Six months imprisonment | |||||
(2) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | |||||
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. | |||||
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans for steps taken to meet the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive to continue after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In the Queen’s speech 2017 it was announced that a Bill will be introduced to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act. The Bill is to provide certainty for individuals and businesses on leaving the EU by converting current EU law, including that transposing the Water Framework Directive, into UK law. This will ensure a smooth and orderly transition as well as retaining legislation that protects our environment.
We remain fully committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to be the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than we found it.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of rivers in England and Wales meeting the 2027 EU Water Framework Directive deadline for good ecological status; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive within the UK is a devolved matter.
Updated River Basin Management Plans published in 2016 provide the framework for protecting and improving the water environment, and focus on the improvements for the period 2016 to 2021. The plans for England confirm over £3billion of investment by 2021, leading to improvements in at least 680 water bodies, including an overall target to enhance at least 8000 km of waters by 2021. The plans will be reviewed and updated in 2021 taking account of progress that has been made and the best evidence then on what can be achieved by 2027.