Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
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 made an assessment of the adequacy of the support available for the biopesticide industry.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Biopesticide applicants in the UK are supported via the Biopesticide Scheme. Support provided through the scheme includes dedicated Health & Safety Executive (HSE) biopesticide champions, free pre-submission advice, and capped fees for biopesticide active substance approval.
We are considering where approvals and permissions for biopesticides might be made simpler and faster without compromising the environment or human health standards. This would aim to reduce the burden for manufacturers and bring more biopesticides to the market.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help reduce the transition costs for farmers moving to regenerative agricultural methods.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farming in England is going through the biggest change in a generation. We have listened to the needs of farmers and our approach to working with the farming sector is also changing. We are improving our policies and services to make them more effective, fair, flexible, accessible, and workable for farmers.
Environmental land management is the foundation of our new approach. Our new schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices (such as reducing carbon emissions, creating, and preserving habitat, and making landscape-scale environmental changes) and improvements to animal health and welfare. This is an important step towards achieving important environmental outcomes such as net zero, climate change adaptation, biodiversity, and water quality.
In late June 2022, we launched the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). SFI pays farmers for actions that support food production and can help improve farm productivity and resilience, whilst also protecting and improving the environment.
The SFI scheme contains standards that can support a regenerative approach and are designed so that there are options available for all types of farmers. The standards include:
• hedgerows standard
• integrated pest management standard
• nutrient management standard
• arable and horticultural land standard
• improved grassland standard
• low input grassland standard
We are rolling out the SFI2023 in a controlled way, making sure we offer everyone the right level of support. We invited Basic Payment Scheme eligible farmers to register interest for SFI2023 with the Rural Payments Agency from 30 August 2023. Over 14,000 farmers have done so, representing one in six. This process is already being simplified, with the majority of farmers no longer needing to registrations of interest as of the week commencing 16 October 2023. We started to accept applications from 18 September, and I am pleased to confirm the first payments were made on 17 October 2023.
The Landscape Recovery scheme also supports a regenerative approach to agriculture. It focusses on restoring nature across a wider landscape, bringing together landowners and managers who want to take a more large-scale, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. Round two pilot applications opened on 18 May 2023 and closed on 21 September 2023. Applications were open to any individuals or groups who want to come together on projects of over 500 hectares and public bodies will need to apply in collaboration with other land managers – for example, with neighbouring landowners, farmers, and tenants. Projects involving elements of regenerative farming could apply.
Our Countryside Stewardship scheme includes actions that can form part of a regenerative or restorative farming approach; to improve soil quality, enhance biodiversity, decrease water pollution, and restore, create, and manage habitats.
We are offering farmers and land managers, including those who take a regenerative approach, funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and benefits the environment through the Farming Investment Fund. This offers funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and benefits the environment. This fund provides grants to farmers, foresters, and growers (including contractors to these sectors) so that they can invest in the things they need to improve productivity and enhance the natural environment.
We are also offering support to drive adoption of new innovation by farmers and growers. The Farming Innovation Programme encourages groups of farmers, growers, businesses, and researchers to get involved in collaborative research and development. We believe that by working together, they will be able to solve challenges and exploit opportunities for increasing productivity and environmental sustainability in the agricultural and horticultural sectors in England. Farmers testing out regenerative approaches to agriculture will be able to apply for these grants.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of regenerative agriculture on achieving the Government's climate goals while increasing UK food security; and whether her Department is taking steps to increase the adoption of regenerative farming practices.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farming in England is going through the biggest change in a generation. We have listened to the needs of farmers and our approach to working with the farming sector is also changing. We are improving our policies and services to make them more effective, fair, flexible, accessible, and workable for farmers.
Environmental land management is the foundation of our new approach. Our new schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices (such as reducing carbon emissions, creating, and preserving habitat, and making landscape-scale environmental changes) and improvements to animal health and welfare. This is an important step towards achieving important environmental outcomes such as net zero, climate change adaptation, biodiversity, and water quality.
In late June 2022, we launched the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). SFI pays farmers for actions that support food production and can help improve farm productivity and resilience, whilst also protecting and improving the environment.
The SFI scheme contains standards that can support a regenerative approach and are designed so that there are options available for all types of farmers. The standards include:
• hedgerows standard
• integrated pest management standard
• nutrient management standard
• arable and horticultural land standard
• improved grassland standard
• low input grassland standard
We are rolling out the SFI2023 in a controlled way, making sure we offer everyone the right level of support. We invited Basic Payment Scheme eligible farmers to register interest for SFI2023 with the Rural Payments Agency from 30 August 2023. Over 14,000 farmers have done so, representing one in six. This process is already being simplified, with the majority of farmers no longer needing to registrations of interest as of the week commencing 16 October 2023. We started to accept applications from 18 September, and I am pleased to confirm the first payments were made on 17 October 2023.
The Landscape Recovery scheme also supports a regenerative approach to agriculture. It focusses on restoring nature across a wider landscape, bringing together landowners and managers who want to take a more large-scale, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land. Round two pilot applications opened on 18 May 2023 and closed on 21 September 2023. Applications were open to any individuals or groups who want to come together on projects of over 500 hectares and public bodies will need to apply in collaboration with other land managers – for example, with neighbouring landowners, farmers, and tenants. Projects involving elements of regenerative farming could apply.
Our Countryside Stewardship scheme includes actions that can form part of a regenerative or restorative farming approach; to improve soil quality, enhance biodiversity, decrease water pollution, and restore, create, and manage habitats.
We are offering farmers and land managers, including those who take a regenerative approach, funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and benefits the environment through the Farming Investment Fund. This offers funding for equipment, technology, and infrastructure that improves farm productivity and benefits the environment. This fund provides grants to farmers, foresters, and growers (including contractors to these sectors) so that they can invest in the things they need to improve productivity and enhance the natural environment.
We are also offering support to drive adoption of new innovation by farmers and growers. The Farming Innovation Programme encourages groups of farmers, growers, businesses, and researchers to get involved in collaborative research and development. We believe that by working together, they will be able to solve challenges and exploit opportunities for increasing productivity and environmental sustainability in the agricultural and horticultural sectors in England. Farmers testing out regenerative approaches to agriculture will be able to apply for these grants.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any of the zero emission buses funded by the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) are and (b) will be manufactured outside the UK.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The following table presents information on the number of zero emission buses funded through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme by local transport authority. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change. Where available, information has been provided on the status of the buses and the name of the bus manufacturer has been included.
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 - Volvo. |
Leicester City Council | 114 | 114 | 108 – Wrightbus |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 - Alexander Dennis Ltd 23 - Pelican/Yutong |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 - EvoBus/Mercedes 19 - Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Nottingham City Council | 68 | 24 | 24 - Pelican/Yutong |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 136 | 57 | 57 – Wrightbus |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus |
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to reply to the correspondence of 26 April 2023 from the Rt Hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby on supermarket profits, food security and other issues.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 21 June 2023.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to reply to the correspondence of 24 May 2023 from the Rt. hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby on the time taken to complete full checks on EU SPS imports and on the EU’s Entry/Exit System and Short Strait agrifood flows.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent the hon. Member on 21 June 2023.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to reply to the correspondence of 26 April 2023 from the Rt hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby on Supplementary Estimate 2022/23 and Post-Implementation Reviews.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 21 June 2023.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many breaches of the Heather & Grass Burning Regulations 2021 have required official action, since those regulations came into force.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
To date, we have received 1,584 individual reports of alleged breaches of the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations since the regulations came into force on 1 May 2021.
Of these, 1022 could not be assessed because they included insufficient location information.
490 reports have been assessed by Defra and Natural England. Many of these were established to be duplicates or were established to not amount to offences under the regulations.
A total of 72 reports, related to the current burning season, are currently undergoing assessment by Defra and Natural England.
A small number of reports have progressed to formal investigation with one instance resulting in the issue of a formal warning. It would be inappropriate to comment on the ongoing investigations.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many alleged breaches of the Heather & Grass Burning Regulations 2021 have been reported to Defra, since those regulations came into force.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
To date, we have received 1,584 individual reports of alleged breaches of the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations since the regulations came into force on 1 May 2021.
Of these, 1022 could not be assessed because they included insufficient location information.
490 reports have been assessed by Defra and Natural England. Many of these were established to be duplicates or were established to not amount to offences under the regulations.
A total of 72 reports, related to the current burning season, are currently undergoing assessment by Defra and Natural England.
A small number of reports have progressed to formal investigation with one instance resulting in the issue of a formal warning. It would be inappropriate to comment on the ongoing investigations.
Asked by: Robert Goodwill (Conservative - Scarborough and Whitby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to increase the speed of the UK rollout of zero emission buses.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
We are providing over £525 million dedicated funding for zero emissions buses (ZEBs) this Parliament, though a number of funding schemes:
Funding from other funding schemes, such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS), can also be used by local areas to support the introduction of ZEBs. In addition, the rate at which the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) can be claimed for ZEBs was increased from 6p to 22p per km in April 2022. This supports operators to introduce ZEBs by reducing the overall cost of ownership.
Table 1 below presents the estimated number of zero emission buses that have been funded in England since February 2020. Where available, information has been provided on the status of the buses and the name of the bus manufacturer has been included. The numbers in Table 1 are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore subject to change.
Funding scheme | Funding awarded to | No. Buses | Status | Bus manufacturer |
ZEBRA | Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Kent County Council | 33 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Leicester City Council | 96 | 6 buses on the road 68 buses ordered 22 buses funded | 6 buses on the road supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong 68 buses ordered from Wrightbus Bus manufacturer for 22 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Milton Keynes City Council | 56 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Warrington Borough Council | 120 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Norfolk County Council | 15 | Ordered | Wrightbus |
ZEBRA | North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 34 | Ordered | Wrightbus |
ZEBRA | Blackpool Council | 115 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Nottingham City Council | 78 | 12 ordered. 66 funded. | 12 buses supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong. Bus manufacturer for 66 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | City of York Council | 44 | Ordered | Wrightbus |
ZEBRA | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 111 | 32 buses ordered 79 buses funded. | 32 buses ordered from Wrightbus Bus manufacturer for 79 buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
ZEBRA | Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
All Electric Bus Town or City Scheme | West Midlands Combined Authority | Up to 300 | 130 buses ordered | 130 buses ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Transforming Cities Fund | Leicester City Council | 18 | 18 buses on the road | Supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong |
Transforming Cities Fund | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 20 | Ordered | 20 buses ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Transforming Cities Fund | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 8 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement | Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 50 | Ordered | Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | Brighton & Hove Buses | 20 | Ordered | Wrightbus |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | First West Yorkshire | 9 | On the road | Supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | Go North East | 9 | On the road | Supplied by Pelican & Coach UK and manufactured by Yutong |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | Nottinghamshire County Council | 4 | On the road | Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | Stagecoach Manchester | 32 | On the road | Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | The Big Lemon | 3 | On the road | Supplied by Harris Group and manufactured by Higer |
Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 5 | On the road | Alexander Dennis Ltd |
Local transport authority funding | Surrey County Council | 34 | Funded | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Local transport authority funding | Hertfordshire County Council | 1 | On the road | Switch Mobility |
Local transport authority funding | Transport for London | 600 |
|
|
Total |
| 2,391 |
|
|
Table 2 below presents information on the estimated number of zero emission buses that have been funded in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland since February 2020. The numbers in Table 2 are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore subject to change.
Funding Scheme | Number of Buses |
UK Government funding for Wales through the Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | 68 |
Welsh Government funding | 16 |
Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme | 272 |
Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund | 276 |
Northern Ireland Executive Funding FY 2020-21 | 100 |
Northern Ireland Executive Funding FY 2021-22 | 38 |
Northern Ireland Executive Funding FY 2022-23 | 100 |
Total | 870 |