Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of mountain hares in the UK.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Species conservation is a devolved matter. The latest ‘Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’ estimated the population of mountain hare to be around 2,500 in England.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans Department has to restore (a) peatlands and (b) moorlands.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently allocating £10 million in 2018-2021 for approximately 5,948 hectares of peatland restoration. The Chancellor has announced that peatland restoration will feature as part of the Government’s Nature for Climate fund that will lead to the restoration of 35,000 hectares of peatland over the next five years.
In the 25 Year Environment Plan, we committed to publishing an England Peat Strategy to create and deliver a new ambitious framework for peat restoration in England. We intend to publish it in due course.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support micro-abattoirs.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I recognise the role smaller operators play in meeting the needs of local supply chains and Defra is committed to work across Government to support the whole abattoir sector - including micro abattoirs - to sustain a network of slaughtering provision across the country.
The issues faced by small and micro abattoirs are varied and complex. As such, Defra chairs a Small Abattoir Working Group with representatives from industry and the wider sector to address such challenges.
In relation to micro-abattoirs, the Food Standards Agency are exploring ways in which existing flexibilities in regulations can be best utilised by smaller operators in supporting their operations.
Asked by: Robert Largan (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to plant trees in the Peak District.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, we are investing £5.7 million to support the existing partnership of the Community Forests and the Woodland Trust to accelerate and further develop the Northern Forest. Specifically, our funding will support the planting of 1.8 million new trees by 2022 across the Northern Forest, including in the parts of the Peak District which are located within its boundary, and help the Northern Forest partnership towards their long-term target of 50 million new trees planted over 25 years.
The Government’s support for woodland creation includes the recently launched Woodland Carbon Guarantee, in addition to the existing Countryside Stewardship, Woodland Carbon Fund, Woodland Creation Planning Grant and the Urban Tree Challenge Fund. These grants are available to local authorities, land managers and community led organisations wherever they are in the country. We are working to increase the uptake of grant schemes and strongly encourage eligible organisations to do so.