Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the farming community in achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Environmental land management is the foundation of our new approach. Our recently announced Countryside Stewardship Plus will target actions and payments to maximise delivery against priority environmental outcomes, such as net zero. Landscape Recovery, which will initially focus on biodiversity, water quality and net zero, is for landowners and managers who want to take a more large-scale, long-term approach. We published further information on the growth and rollout of our environmental land management schemes on 26 January, which contains the full range of actions, including those that support net zero.
Together with environmental land management schemes, we have the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which supports farmers to achieve our net zero goals by: incentivising the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock through tackling diseases and improving productivity, supporting the Net Zero Strategy and the 25 Year Environment Plan.
Other farming schemes which support achieving net zero include the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, which provides funding for farmers and other land managers to work in partnership with National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty bodies to deliver projects for climate, nature, people and place.
The Government anticipates our environmental land management scheme, the Farming Innovation Fund and other farming offers will reduce agricultural emissions by up to 6 MtCO2e per annum in Carbon Budget 6 in England.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the avian flu risk presented by the carcasses of shot game birds being dumped in the environment, as occurred in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on or about 25 December 2022.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The events that led to the dead pheasants being found in the river in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty are unknown. However, pheasants which are killed during a game shoot, where the birds are shot with the intention of using them for human consumption and which are then collected would be classified as animal by products. Disposal of animal by products is regulated and dumping such game carcases would be an offence. Anyone concerned about the appropriate disposal of dead animals or non-compliance with avian influenza controls, should contact their local Trading Standards office in the first instance.
Once game birds have been released, they are considered to be wild birds under avian influenza rules. The risk of incursion of highly pathogenic (HPAI) avian influenza H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is currently assessed as very high (i.e. event occurs almost certainly). The risk of wildfowling, driven game shooting and pigeon shooting activities are not considered to significantly increase the risk for long distance dispersal beyond that of routine movement of infected wild birds. Further details on the evidence which supports this risk level can be found in the Animal and Plant Health Agency Rapid Risk Assessment for spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 from wild birds to poultry from the shooting of wild waterfowl and wild game (including formerly captive) birds.
Members of the public should use either the online reporting system to report findings of dead wild birds or call the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). Reports to the Defra Helpline of found dead wild birds are triaged and not all birds will be collected.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Dark Skies entitled Ten Dark Sky policies for the Government, published on 9 December 2020, if he will take steps to implement the policies in that report.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that light pollution may have an impact on people, affecting their health and wellbeing, as well as the environment. We have put in place a range of measures to ensure that light pollution is managed effectively. These include controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime, and improvements in street lighting.
Defra has worked with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure that the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation. The statutory nuisance regime requires that local authorities have a duty to take reasonably practicable steps to investigate complaints of artificial light emitted from premises so as to be prejudicial to human health or a nuisance.
The management of street lighting in England is the responsibility of local highway authorities. Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the public highways in their charge, including street lighting. Central Government has no powers to override local decisions in these matters or intervene in these kinds of local issues.
The Department for Transport recognises that light pollution (and excessive or wasteful use of lighting) can pose some social, economic and environmental problems. We also encourage local authorities to consider best practice when making decisions about lighting on their networks. Advice is available from the UK Lighting Board:https://ukrlg.ciht.org.uk/media/12302/well-lit-highways-24-may-2013-clean.pdf.
Our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have some of the best dark skies, and attained some of the earliest official Dark Skies designations, in Europe. Seven of our parks have secured protected dark sky status, and we are committed to conserving and celebrating this wonderful experience for all.
The Government considers the existing measures are sufficient to manage the problems caused by artificial light and there are no current plans to revise them. Defra also continues to review emerging evidence on the impacts of light pollution on biodiversity.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter sent by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners and the British Beauty Council concerning regulations on non-surgical aesthetic procedures on 26 October 2022.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
A response to the letter was sent on the 17 January 2023.
Asked by: Gary Streeter (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Section 102 of the Environment Act 2021 has applied to National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 1 January 2023; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
Section 102 of the Environment Act 2021, the general duty to conserve and enhance biodiversity, came into force on 1st January 2023 and applies to National Park Authorities and to Local Authorities which host Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty partnerships.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
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 implications for proposal eight of the independent report entitled Landscapes review: final report, published on 27 May 2018, of the decision of the High Court in Darwall and Darwall v Dartmoor National Park Authority of 13 January 2023.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Landscapes Review included proposals to increase engagement with all parts of society, particularly younger and more diverse audiences. Programmes such as Generation Green demonstrate that national-scale partnerships and coordinated collaboration can augment what our lead partners are already doing so well. We are also aiming to establish a new national landscapes partnership that can work with our lead partners to enhance and expand community engagement through national strategic partnerships and collaborative programmes
We are also actively developing opportunities to work across government to strengthen the role that protected landscapes can play in supporting the country’s health, wellbeing, and education.
A number of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are undertaking initiatives to provide opportunities to connect young people with nature.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce restrictions on the use of disposable barbecues in national parks.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are commissioning research to examine the impact that disposable barbecues have on the environment and potential avenues for mitigating significant risks. We expect this research to be completed in the new year, when we will be in a position to consider further action.
Current legislation allows for local authorities to restrict and enforce against the use of disposable barbecues in parks and other public spaces. There are also existing powers in legislation which can be used by authorities to regulate and prohibit the lighting of fires on Access Land in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks.
The Government is working with AONBs, National Park Authorities, and other Government Departments to promote a series of videos containing guidance about travelling to the wider countryside and safely spending time outdoors. This includes an updated Countryside Code, which advises not to light fires and to only have BBQs where signs say you can.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to review the (a) financial and (b) other support available for upland farmers in Areas of Outstanding National Beauty.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have a range of offers available to upland farmers within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). At the moment, farmers can access Countryside Stewardship which offers multi-year payments to maintain and enhance on farm environments. Currently, 75% of priority habitat that is above the moorland line is within such an environmental agreement.
We also have a range of grant offers to upland farms so that they can invest in their productivity. More offers will open shortly, such as those for slurry infrastructure. For farmers in Protected Landscapes in England (including AONBs), the Farming in Protected Landscape programme offers funding to support farm businesses to deliver projects across the four themes of the programme; climate, nature, people and place.
We have worked regularly with a group of stakeholders, including farmers and practitioners, to develop a specific Moorland Standard within the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme. This standard has the sole focus and eligibility on land mapped above the moorland line in the uplands of England. It forms an integral part of the offer for those farming in the uplands alongside the other elements of the scheme they may also be eligible for. This is the first offer that we will build more onto over time.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any of the Investment Zone expressions of interest received include areas at least partially within the boundaries or setting of (a) National Parks and (b) Areas of outstanding natural beauty.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
I refer the Hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 90859 on 28 November 2022.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with which companies his Department has held discussions on private investment in national parks in England in the last 12 months.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
HMG's 25 Year Environment Plan is clear that the right mix of public and private funding and financing for projects that protect and enhance nature will be crucial to the successful delivery of our ambitious environmental policy agenda. As part of the government response to the Landscapes Review (2019), Defra is supporting protected landscapes to build capacity and create a pipeline of investment-ready nature recovery projects in protected landscapes, including through the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund.
DEFRA is working with the national umbrella organisations for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks Partnerships to support their existing collaborations with commercial partners such as Palladium under the Revere initiative.
Alongside this DEFRA is also supporting local farmers through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. This has seen £11m in the first year of the programme invested into protected landscapes in England to support projects delivering for climate, nature, people and place.