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To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Fishery Protection Squadron; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by

Bill Wiggin (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 June 2007

Reference

461 c553W; 139087

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the review of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with regard to the advice offered by the Joint Nature Conservation Council on Schedule 4 to the Act on the list of...

Asked by

David Drew (Labour; Co-operative Party)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

2 March 2005

Reference

431 c1172W; 217220

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on plans to introduce a licensing system for cockling (a) in Morecambe Bay and (b) elsewhere; what assistance her Department is offering to Cumbria police in their efforts to regulate the cockling...

Asked by

Tim Collins (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

6 December 2004

For answer on

15 December 2004

Answered on

15 December 2004

Mr. Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (1) if she will make a statement on plans to introduce a licensing system for cockling (a) in Morecambe Bay and (b) elsewhere; [203797] (2) what assistance her Department is offering to Cumbria police in their efforts to regulate the cockling in Morecambe Bay; [203799] (3) what estimate she has made of the tonnage of immature cockles removed from Morecambe Bay in the past 12 months; and what assessment she has made of (a) the ecological and economic consequences of overfishing of cockles in Morecambe Bay and (b) trends in the (i) number and (ii) point of origin of cocklers operating in Morecambe Bay. [203800] Mr. Bradshaw: Management of local inshore fisheries is the responsibility of Sea Fisheries Committees. North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee (NWNWSFC) is responsible for managing the cockle fishery in Morecambe Bay, and runs a permit scheme for one of the cockle beds within Morecambe Bay. NWNWSFC are currently considering extending this scheme to cover the whole of their district, and the Government are currently considering how we can best support this proposal. NWNWSFC are responsible for enforcing their own byelaws. There have been a number of joint enforcement exercises planned and executed with, among others, the local police, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Inland Revenue, and Immigration Service. Fishing is inherently dangerous. On Morecambe Bay the problem is mainly one of ensuring people in control of commercial cockling have proper regard for their own health and safety and that of their workers, taking account of the Bay's tidal conditions and characteristics. The HSE has drawn up and issued safety guidelines to those involved in the fishery. These provide the basis for inspections on the Bay, and at other tidal areas and estuaries around the British coastline. Since the unfortunate tragedy in February the most relevant local organisations have come together in the "Morecambe Bay Intertidal Shellfisheries Joint Liaison Group" to improve the management of cockling activity on the Bay through exchange of intelligence, and coordinated enforcement activity. NWNWSFC monitor cockle stocks in Morecambe Bay and have powers to introduce appropriate management measures should they consider the pattern of exploitation warrants it. The Morecambe Bay Intertidal Shellfisheries Joint Liaison Group regularly reviews the activities of cocklers in Morecambe Bay and is aware of the numbers involved and, in many cases, there national origin.

Date

15 December 2004

Reference

428 c1098W; 203797;203799;203800

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce a licensing system for cockling (a) in Morecambe Bay and (b) elsewhere; what assistance is being offered by her Department to the Lancashire and Cumbria police in their efforts to police organised...

Asked by

Colin Pickthall (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

18 November 2004

Reference

426 c2002W;426 c2008W; 199151;199154;199169

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to (a) protect and (b) enhance the natural wildlife habitat around the UK rail network.

Asked by

Mohammad Sarwar (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

21 October 2004

Reference

425 c845W; 190630

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Joint Nature Conservancy Council has produced recommendations for (a) the protection and (b) the re-establishment of the red squirrel.

Asked by

Diana Organ (Labour)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

14 October 2004

For answer on

21 October 2004

Answered on

21 October 2004

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Joint Nature Conservancy Council has produced recommendations for (a) the protection and (b) the re- establishment of the red squirrel. [192511] Mr. Bradshaw: The red squirrel is currently protected in the UK by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (and The Wildlife and Countryside (Northern Ireland) Order 1982), amended, most recently, by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW) for England and Wales and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. It is included in both Schedules 5 and 6 making it an offence to kill or injure a red squirrel or disturb its place of rest. In addition to this the red squirrel was identified as a priority species for conservation action by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan process. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, as a member of the UK Red Squirrel Group (UKRSG), has undertaken research into the conservation issues of the red squirrel, and has set out recommended actions and targets in the red squirrel Species Action Plan. The UKRSG has largely focused conservation action for the red squirrel in key woodland sites where they are still present. A prioritisation exercise has identified those sites with suitable red squirrel habitat that can be managed to ensure their continued survival and reduce the influence of factors that may be causing their decline, such as habitat loss and loss of habitat condition, grey squirrel incursion and disease. With regards to the re-establishment of the red squirrel in the UK, there are several issues to be addressed, including the amelioration of the reasons for their decline at different sites. JNCC, and the UKRSG, have produced best practice guidelines on the release of red squirrels, but do not recommend the re-introduction of red squirrels without careful consideration of the site to ensure that it is of suitable habitat to support a red squirrel population and that it can be protected from the above factors.

Date

21 October 2004

Reference

425 c840W; 192511

House

House of Commons

Adjournment debate on habitation of bats in churches

Adjournment debate on habitation of bats in churches.

Lead member

John Greenway

Answering member

Ben Bradshaw

Department

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Adjournment debates

Date

19 October 2004

Reference

425 c865-72

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much Government funding was allocated to the protection and welfare of animals in 2003-04, broken down by budget heading. - Inc table.

Asked by

Andrew Rosindell (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

20 May 2004

Reference

169945; 421 c1109W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support her Department provides to charities working with Britain's wildlife. - Including figures and ref to www.defraweb/environment/eaf/index.htm.

Asked by

Andrew Rosindell (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

11 May 2004

Reference

421 c206W; 169881

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cash value of damage done to growing maize by badgers was in the last year for which figures are available.

Asked by

Owen Paterson (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

26 February 2004

For answer on

17 March 2004

Answered on

17 March 2004

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cash value of damage done to growing maize by badgers was in the last year for which figures are available. [157927] Mr. Bradshaw: There is no national estimate of the financial value of damage done to growing maize by badgers. A survey of badger damage to agricultural properties in England and Wales was conducted in 1997 based on 1,982 farmer questionnaire returns (out of a sample of 3,600 farmers). Crop damage was reported by 21 per cent. of respondents with wheat, forage maize and vines being damaged most frequently. 69 respondents reported badger damage to maize. The mean percentage of maize crops damaged, based on estimates provided by the respondents, was 5 per cent., with a maximum of 20 per cent. Reports of damage to maize were concentrated in August and September. Damage assessments of eight maize fields known to be used by badgers recorded an average of 114 unharvestable maize cobs per hectare. Forage maize crops protected by electric fencing sustained 96 per cent. less damage than unprotected crops (advice on electric fencing is given in the Defra leaflet TAN 15 `Badger problems: use of electric fencing to prevent agricultural damage', which is available from the Defra website at: www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/vertebrates/ leaflets.htm Moore N.P., Whiterow, A., Langton, S.D., Kelly, P.P., Garthwaite, D., Bishop, J.D. and Cheeseman, C.L. (1998) `The Assessment of Badger Damage to Agriculture and Forestry'. Report to MAFF, Project VC 0318 . Moore N.P., Whiterow, A., Kelly, P.F., Garthwaite, D., Bishop, J.D., Langton, S.D. and Cheeseman, C.L. (1999) Survey of badger Meles meles damage to agriculture in England and Wales. Journal of Applied Ecology 36:974-988 Poole, D., McKillop, G.I., Western, G., Hancocks, P., Packer, J. and Coombs, C. (1999) `Effectiveness of an electric fence to reduce badger damage to field crops'. Report to MAFF.

Date

17 March 2004

Reference

157927; 419 c273W;419 c275W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) biosecurity and (b) other mechanisms are available to farmers to prevent badger damage to forage crops.

Asked by

Owen Paterson (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

17 March 2004

Reference

419 c272W;419 c274W; 157856

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on the outcome of the red kite reintroduction programme in England. - Inc figures.

Asked by

James Gray (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

25 February 2004

Reference

418 c428-9W;418 c448-9W; 154714

House

House of Commons

Dept 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 (a) cost and (b) efficacy of English Nature's raptor programmes. - Inc figures.

Asked by

James Gray (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

25 February 2004

Reference

418 c428W;418 c448W; 154725

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of (a) the impact of the UK Raptor Working Group and (b) the health of the raptor population; and what plans she has to reconvene the working group.

Asked by

Andrew George (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

25 February 2004

Reference

155177; 418 c426W;418 c446W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met (a) English Nature and (b) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to discuss hen harriers; what representations she has received from (a) English Nature and (b) the Royal Society for the Protection...

Asked by

James Gray (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

9 February 2004

For answer on

25 February 2004

Answered on

25 February 2004

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she last met (a) English Nature and (b) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to discuss hen harriers; [154719] (2) what representations she has received from (a) English Nature and (b) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on hen harriers; [154720] (3) when she last met the (a) British Association of Shooting and Conservation, (b) the Countryside Alliance, (c) the Game Conservancy Trust and (d) the Moorland Association to discuss hen harriers. [154721] Mr. Bradshaw: With Regards to English Nature there has been no formal meeting to discuss, or specific representations received, on the position of hen harriers in England. However, we have received representations on habitats, including upland heathland, which support hen harrier populations, in relation to the condition of sites of special scientific interest. English Nature has also provided briefing on the establishment and progress of their Hen Harrier Recovery Project. The RSPB met with my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Environment, (Mr Morley), in late 2002 to discuss Hen Harriers. Ministers met with the Game Conservancy Trust in May 2000, after the publication of the Raptor Working Group final report. Discussions focussed on the issues and recommendations surrounding this report. A further meeting is in the process of being arranged, for which the agenda has not yet been determined. I met with BASC in November last year, though we did not discuss hen harriers. I have been invited to meet with the Countryside Alliance. However, due to other pressing diary commitments I have had to decline. This meeting was not to specifically discuss the issue surrounding Hen Harriers. Ministers have not met with the Moorland Association regarding the position of hen harriers in England.

Date

25 February 2004

Reference

418 c421W;418 c441W; 154719;154720;154721

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the criteria are for designating an animal species in the United Kingdom as (a) an endangered and (b) a protected species; under what circumstances an animal previously categorised in the United Kingdom as endangered or protected is...

Asked by

Owen Paterson (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

12 February 2004

Reference

417 c1565-6W; 153956;153957

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what biosecurity measures the Government has in place to protect (a) poultry farmers and (b) consumers from (i) legal and (ii) illegal (A) poultry meat and (B) egg imports from countries in South East Asia which have reported...

Asked by

Andrew George (Liberal Democrat)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

27 January 2004

For answer on

2 February 2004

Answered on

2 February 2004

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what biosecurity measures the Government have in place to protect (a) poultry farmers and (b) consumers from (i) legal and (ii) illegal (A) poultry meat and (B) egg imports from countries in South East Asia which have reported an outbreak of avian influenza. [151963] Mr. Bradshaw :[holding answer 30 January 2004]: Defra issued advice on biosecurity and on health and safety to the farming industry on 5 November 2003. In view of the avian influenza situation, we are writing to all known poultry keepers and to veterinary surgeons to highlight the problem and to reissue the advice. There is no legal trade in poultry meat or eggs from South East Asian countries affected by avian influenza other than from Thailand. Prohibitions have been placed on imports from Thailand of meat, meat products and meat preparations from species susceptible to avian influenza. HM Customs and Excise are responsible for measures to detect and prevent illegal imports into Great Britain of prohibited animal products They have put in place measures to address the possibility of illegally imported products. This included notification to all Customs staff of the new controls prohibiting imports from Thailand and ensuring controls are in place to prevent any trade imports in accordance with the EU Council Directive. The Food standards Agency advice is that eating chicken and eggs is not considered a risk to consumers. This is because the risk to people arises from close contact with live chickens that have the disease, and not through eating chicken or eggs.

Date

2 February 2004

Reference

151963; 417 c619-20W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the criteria are for designating a wild species of animal as protected.

Asked by

Owen Paterson (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Tabled on

13 January 2004

For answer on

21 January 2004

Answered on

21 January 2004

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for designating a wild species of animal as protected. [148656] Mr. Bradshaw: Every five years the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) advises Government on which animals should be legally protected by listing on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. JNCC reported to Government with its recommendations in September 2002, which included full protection for this species. The next stage is for Government to conduct a public consultation based on these recommendations, which will occur in spring 2004. Following this consultation, the Secretary of State will decide on the changes to be made to the schedules and these will be implemented by Statutory Instrument. For a species to be recommended for scheduling one of the eligibility criteria in each of the Sections A to D below should be met: A. Generally, only native (including re-established) taxa are to be considered. Taxa introduced or thought to be introduced to Great Britain by man could be considered exceptionally, with the following provisos. (i) the organism is endangered or extinct in its native range, and (ii) preferably, the natural range reaches the north west coast of Europe (i.e. continental distribution extends to the Atlantic coast of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or Scandinavia; for marine taxa, the distribution includes the north west Atlantic area), and provided that (iii) information suggests that the organism is unlikely to have an adverse impact on important native species or ecosystems. B. The taxon must be either: (i) established in the wild in Great Britain; or (ii) occur as a vagrant in Great Britain and require international protection; or (iii) be believed extinct in Great Britain as a breeding species, but be in the process of re-establishment; or (iv) be believed extinct in Great Britain, but with the possibility that it could become re-established naturally. C. The taxonomic status of the organism must be well authenticated. Taxa below the species level could be considered, providing they are: (i) clearly recognisable (i.e. morphologically distinct), and (ii) geographically or ecologically distinct. D. The taxon must be endangered in Great Britain, or likely to become so unless conservation measures are taken, and/or be subject to an international obligation for protection. One or more of the following may indicate that a taxon is or may become endangered: (i) it is included in a JNCC-approved British Red Data Book as Extinct, Endangered or Vulnerable (or, in Red Lists drawn up using the recently revised IUCN criteria, as Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable)] (ii) it has been well searched for but is known from only a single locality; (iii) it is confined to a particularly threatened habitat. The extent or quality of the habitat is being significantly reduced or is likely to become significantly reduced, thus threatening the survival of the organism; (iv) it is rapidly declining in population, number of localities occupied or range. Indicative would be at least 50 per cent. decline observed, estimated inferred or suspected in the last 20 years, or a decline of at least 50 per cent. projected, inferred or suspected to be likely in the near future. The decline must transcend normal fluctuations; (v) it is endangered, or likely to become endangered through being targeted for exploitation or killing for commercial reasons and/or through being particularly attractive to collectors. International obligations apply to a taxon which is: (vi) naturally resident and listed on Appendices I, II or III of the Bern Convention; Annexes II, IV or V of the EC Habitats and Species Directive; Appendix I of the Bonn Convention (unless derogations are in force); and/or endemic to Great Britain and included in a JNCC-approved British Red List.

Date

21 January 2004

Reference

416 c1234-5W; 148656

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding was available for the (a) protection and (b) promotion of sites of special scientific interest in each of the past three years; and how much will be available for (i) 2003-04 and (ii) 2004-05. - Inc...

Asked by

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

6 January 2004

Reference

145252; 416 c270W

House

House of Commons

Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what effect her decision to remove the reactive culling of badgers from the research programme on the interaction between TB in badgers and TB in cattle will have on the report date. - (Holding answer 1 December 2003).

Asked by

Lord Spicer (Conservative)

Answering body

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Type

Written questions

Status

Answered

Date

2 December 2003

Reference

140459; 415 c27W

House

House of Commons

Librarians' tools

Type

House

Session

Year

Department

Member

Primary member

Answering member

Legislative stage

Legislation

Subject

Publisher