Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the fur working group established by her Department will consider the potential public health risks associated with overseas fur farming; and when she plans to publish her Department's policy position on the UK fur trade.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra has established a working group on fur, involving both industry experts and those who support restrictions on the trade in fur. The primary focus of the group will be to explore animal welfare concerns relating to the fur trade and the different ways in which they could be addressed. The department will seek appropriate input from relevant experts as needed as part of this.
Along with the previous government’s call for evidence and the Animal Welfare Committee’s opinion on fur, outputs from this working group will be used to inform future policy decisions on this issue.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department last reviewed the 2009 technical advice document on the labelling of produce originating from the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and whether she plans to update the guidance.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK aims to maintain high standards on the information provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. The UK expects food originating from Israeli settlements located in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967 to be accurately labelled to prevent consumers being misled. All food sold on the UK market, including imported food, must comply with food labelling rules.
Defra continues to consider food labelling issues of importance to consumers and businesses, including the provision of guidance, and will provide further updates as this work progresses.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for the implementation of the bovine Tuberculosis eradication strategy for England.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is currently considering the proposals set out in the recommended bovine TB control strategy for England.
The department will continue to work closely with farmers, vets, scientists and industry partners to move swiftly from recommendations to implementation through a series of rolling three to five-year delivery plans.
The first delivery plan will be published in due course and will set out the first timetable for implementation of the strategy's recommendations.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of the establishment of a dedicated Beaver Mitigation Fund to support farmers in managing localised impacts such as flooding.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Support for living alongside beavers is provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the wild release licence application process and the existing management framework laid out in the 5-step beaver management approach. This is be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management actions and capital items.
Defra has committed to developing a long-term development plan for beavers in England to ensure we meet the challenges posed by an expanding beaver population. This work includes an evaluation of the effectiveness of the support for living alongside beavers, especially in instances where damage is recorded.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of agroecology on (a) food security and (b) food prices.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra’s assessment of evidence on agroecological practices, including organic and other environmentally friendly systems, indicates that these approaches can enhance biodiversity and soil and biomass carbon at farm level. However, there are further profitability and food security considerations when balancing the lower yields agroecological practises often deliver versus volatile input costs associated with conventional farming.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce a mechanism to incentivise the creation of river habitat corridors across neighbouring farms to the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Farmers and land managers can already work together to create river habitat corridors across neighbouring farms through Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. Farmers can consider Feasibility Studies to support this.
The scheme already includes actions supporting river and floodplain habitat restoration, including:
These actions restore dynamic river and floodplain habitats, allowing natural movement, seasonal flooding, and reduced erosion and help reconnect rivers and floodplains to help create diverse wetland features that support biodiversity, climate adaptation and natural flood and drought management.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to make long-term funding available to farmers to (a) support them to make space for beavers and (b) improve land-use through beaver presence.
Answered by Mary Creagh
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra recognises the benefits beavers can bring to the environment and is committed to supporting farmers and land managers to live alongside them. Defra is working closely with Natural England, farmers and other stakeholders to develop the long-term management plan for beavers in England.
Support for farmers will be provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the application process and the existing management framework laid out in the 5-step beaver management approach. This will be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management options.
Defra recognises that the management approach and support available for people living alongside beavers will need to develop and adapt to ensure that we continue to meet the challenges posed by an expanding beaver population. As part of this ongoing work, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the support for living alongside beavers, especially in instances where damage is recorded. In this way, we’ll continue to support farmers, landowners and local communities in the long term.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the planned consultation on banning the use of high-concentration carbon dioxide gas stunning for pigs will include a proposed timetable for phasing out that method.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, Defra will consult on banning carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and on possible timescales for phasing out this method. Further details will be set out later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to include decapod crustaceans in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if she will publish a timeline for an announcement on that decision.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. We set out in our Animal Welfare Strategy that we will develop this evidence base through research and continued stakeholder engagement. Defra-commissioned research on how live decapods move from sea to plate is due to finish later this year. In addition, a project on the welfare of decapod crustaceans across the supply chain is included in the Animal Welfare Committee’s current work plan. We will also publish guidance on which methods of killing decapods are compatible with the existing welfare at time of killing legal requirements.
No policy decisions about these animals in relation to the Animal Welfare Act (2006) have been made whilst the evidence base is being built. The Government will keep the legislative position under review, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the working group on fur, announced in the Animal Welfare Strategy, will include virologists and environmental scientists with expertise in the public health and environmental impacts of fur farming.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As set out in the animal welfare strategy, Defra will bring together a working group on fur, with involvement from both industry experts and those who support restrictions on the trade in fur to explore concerns and the different ways in which they could be addressed.
The primary focus of the group will be to explore animal welfare concerns relating to the fur trade. Defra is currently developing arrangements for the working group including its membership. Defra will seek appropriate input from relevant experts as needed as part of this.