Contributions
1,165 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDContingencies Fund AdvanceThis Government were elected on a manifesto that committed to setting up a new independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) and to have the “most ambitious environmental…12 May 2021HANSARDFood and Drink Exports to the EUThe European Union has changed some of its export health certificates, particularly for composite goods, from 21 April. We have been working very closely with industry and all…22 Apr 2021HANSARDDog TheftsI recently met the Home Secretary and the Lord Chancellor in March to discuss the important issue of pet theft. As a result of that meeting, officials from across the three…22 Apr 2021HANSARDFood and Drink Exports to the EUWe have indeed taken action right from the moment that there were teething problems in that first week of January as import agents, exporters and border control officials…22 Apr 2021HANSARDDog TheftsThe legislation on increasing the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is nearing its completion. I have a high degree of confidence that we will be able to get it through before…22 Apr 2021HANSARDDog TheftsIt is a different type of offence in that there is emotional stress on the owner of the pet, but there can also be stress and effects on the welfare of the animal. That is why, in…22 Apr 2021HANSARDDog TheftsWe are aware that there are some reports of a significant increase in the incidence of pet theft. A number of organisations say that reports of it are doubling, and the official…22 Apr 2021HANSARDFood and Drink Exports to the EUThe combination of falling demand in the EU due to coronavirus restrictions and the introduction of new procedures at the end of the transition period meant that exports fell…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe are obviously looking at this very carefully through our waste resources strategy and through the provisions in the Environment Bill. We will require local authorities to…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsToday is Earth Day, an initiative that has been running now every year since 1970 and promotes engagement, awareness and individual action for our environment. The Government…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsAs I said earlier, I had meetings in March with both the Home Secretary and the Chancellor on this particular issue. We have set up a pet theft taskforce that is investigating it…22 Apr 2021HANSARDNeonicotinoidsAs I said, these are emergency authorisations that we grant on an annual basis. In the case of this application for the current year, we added additional conditions to those that…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI very much agree with my hon. Friend on this matter. As he will be aware, the Environment Bill introduces the concept of extended producer responsibility, and we are consulting…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI have already acted in this area. The Department has established a taskforce to look at combined sewer overflows, which are one of the key sources of sewage pollution, and we are…22 Apr 2021HANSARDNeonicotinoidsDEFRA applies the precautionary principle in relation to pesticides. We therefore supported a ban in 2018 on the use of neonicotinoids to treat crops. Given what the current…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am not sure that is what my hon. Friend said earlier, but she was making the point that since there is no safe limit of particulate matter and PM 2.5 , what we should be doing…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe Government monitor household spending on food very closely, and we agree that we want to raise earnings among the lowest paid. That is why it has been a long-standing policy…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend makes an important point. Fly-tipping has become a scourge in recent years. It has become a growing problem, with organised gangs behind some of these waste crime…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis is obviously a contentious area. However, energy from waste can be a way of extracting some use from it. It is often preferable to landfill and often has lower carbon…22 Apr 2021HANSARDTopical QuestionsI commend the work that my hon. Friend and those local volunteers are doing. We have our flood resilience forums around the country. The Environment Agency works with local…22 Apr 2021