Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to develop a National Food Security Strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food Security is national security which is relevant to all five Government Missions and central to our primary Mission to grow the economy. Boosting Britain’s food security is one of the core priorities of this Government.
We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British Farmers. The only way to do this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside, and nature. We will consider relevant evidence and analysis, including that contained in Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce mandatory food waste reporting as part of his plan to achieve a zero waste economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to setting a clear roadmap to a circular economy – a future where our resources are used as efficiently and productively as possible for as long as possible, and waste is reduced. Preventing food waste will be a key part of this work, and the Department is reviewing a range of issues associated with food waste in the supply chain, including mandatory food waste reporting requirements. These will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 introduce mandatory food waste reporting before the end of 2024.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to setting a clear roadmap to a circular economy – a future where our resources are used as efficiently and productively as possible for as long as possible, and waste is reduced. Preventing food waste will be a key part of this work, and the Department is reviewing a range of issues associated with food waste in the supply chain, including mandatory food waste reporting requirements. These will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 137 of his Department’s annual report and accounts for 2022 to 2023, HC 1872, what the purpose was of the asset under development for the Rural Payments Agency; and for what reasons did it became obsolete before it became operational.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The published text is reproduced below followed by a more detailed explanation.
The Core department has recognised a constructive loss (£2.5 million) relating to a project that was abandoned as no longer required. Defra had been developing the non-current asset for the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), but at some point, this was cancelled while the Assets Under Construction (AUC) was still held in Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) and therefore the AUC became obsolete before it became operational.
The purpose of the asset was an IT system called MS Dax that RPA used for its running costs and HR. The HR functionality included holding staff personal data, booking annual leave for employees and extracting data for the annual leave accrual.
The amount related to enhancement work done for the upgrade to this IT platform, the Microsoft Dynamics Running Costs Solution Release 3 from Release 2.
The reason for the obsolescence was the asset was decommissioned in January 2023 as the RPA took a strategic decision to move the management of RPA’s running costs and HR to the same IT system as other larger Defra bodies.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many flood support officers were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has taken to collect data on reports of incidences of marine life stranding.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
The North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NE IFCA) is working closely with partner agencies to record and verify reports of incidences of marine life strandings with a focus on shellfish within the affected area between Hartlepool and Robin Hoods Bay. Following receipt of a report, Officers will attend to confirm the location of strandings and their extent or composition.
Any reports received are submitted as intelligence reports to the Marine Management Organisation/IFCA national intelligence database from which periodic summary documents are being circulated to the relevant agencies. Furthermore, any reports received by NE IFCA which link to suspected pollution are being shared with the Environment Agency.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the environmental impact of the mass stranding of razor clams along Teesside and North Yorkshire beaches in May and June 2022.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
An investigation was carried out seeking causes of a mass mortality incident of crabs and lobsters off the north-east coast of England between October and December 2021. Local reports of smaller, recent incidents, including stranding of razor clams, are being jointly monitored by agencies at the coast and research is ongoing to understand the impacts on the stocks.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has received increased reports of malnourished marine mammals along the North Sea coast since July 2022.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
Causes of death of stranded marine mammals are monitored and investigated through the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS).
We have not received any reports which suggest an increase in malnourished marine mammals since July 2021. Strandings will continue to be monitored and investigated through the CSIP and SMASS. Annual reports are published and available publicly.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 31 May 2022 to Question 5626 on Food: Supply Chains, what evidence he has received to show that major suppliers can fulfil existent and future public procurement contracts to the public food sectors.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
There are a number of challenges that caterers and suppliers are currently encountering in the wider commercial environment including general inflation, energy price increases, material shortages and supply chain disruption.
The procurement and fulfilment of food for the public sector is the responsibility of lead departments for that sector. The actual procurement of food is fully devolved to schools and academy trusts and NHS Trusts. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence retain responsibility for procurement to facilities management providers.
We will continue to work with these departments regarding any ongoing supply chain issues to gain assurance that any disruption can be accommodated through routine mitigations and further contingency plans.
The Government Commercial Function has provided general guidance on handling inflationary pressures to Contracting Authorities.
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to gather evidence and monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Lead Government departments will be responsible for ensuring that they have sufficient evidence to show that major suppliers can fulfil their public sector food contracts.
The Government published its Food Strategy last week and this sets out a plan to transform our food system to ensure it is fit for the future. To underpin this approach we are launching a consultation on public sector food and catering policy, including updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. Within the consultation, we are proposing that the public sector reports on progress towards meeting an aspiration that 50% of its food expenditure is on food produced locally or to higher environmental production standards.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
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 31 May 2022 to Question 5626 on Food: Supply Chains, what support his Department is providing to the Departments referred to in that Answer to ensure that they are aware of issues relating to the food and drink supply chain; and what support the Government is providing to maintain the food supply chain.
Answered by Victoria Prentis
There are a number of challenges that caterers and suppliers are currently encountering in the wider commercial environment including general inflation, energy price increases, material shortages and supply chain disruption.
The procurement and fulfilment of food for the public sector is the responsibility of lead departments for that sector. The actual procurement of food is fully devolved to schools and academy trusts and NHS Trusts. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence retain responsibility for procurement to facilities management providers.
We will continue to work with these departments regarding any ongoing supply chain issues to gain assurance that any disruption can be accommodated through routine mitigations and further contingency plans.
The Government Commercial Function has provided general guidance on handling inflationary pressures to Contracting Authorities.
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to gather evidence and monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Lead Government departments will be responsible for ensuring that they have sufficient evidence to show that major suppliers can fulfil their public sector food contracts.
The Government published its Food Strategy last week and this sets out a plan to transform our food system to ensure it is fit for the future. To underpin this approach we are launching a consultation on public sector food and catering policy, including updating the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services. Within the consultation, we are proposing that the public sector reports on progress towards meeting an aspiration that 50% of its food expenditure is on food produced locally or to higher environmental production standards.