Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences Natural England has issued for activities which may disturb or kill European protected species in each year since 2010.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that the UK aligns with the package of regulations set out under the EU's smarter rules for safer food proposals after the UK has left the EU.
Sue Hayman: It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. I am sure that hon. Members will remember that last July we had a similar debate in this Chamber, on breed-specific legislation and Staffies. Many of the concerns that have been discussed today were raised then. Following that debate, I am pleased to see such an excellent report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee....
Sue Hayman: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. In an area such as Cumbria, where I live, many visitors are perhaps not used to being with their dogs in the countryside and around sheep. The education aspect of the issue is absolutely critical, because I do not think that those people appreciate the damage that can be done simply by allowing a dog to run amok among a flock of sheep. We really need to...
Sue Hayman: Labour believes that this statutory instrument needs urgent modification to avoid disruption to UK businesses in the event of a no-deal Brexit. It shows insufficient understanding of how chemicals are actually managed in complex supply chains, and is therefore unworkable and will unnecessarily create supply disruption issues for UK businesses. Labour believes that continued participation in...
Sue Hayman: I am afraid that that is not the information I have been given. As I said, the Minister did not rule that out to the Lords Committee, and when I went to Brussels to visit the REACH team, they confirmed that they believed this would be the case. Will the Minister categorically confirm whether these proposals have the potential to lead to further animal testing?
Sue Hayman: I thank my hon. Friend for making that important point, and I will be interested to hear the Minister’s response. If we voted to pass this SI, we would be voting for legislation that is likely to increase animal suffering through duplicate testing. It would also mean that critical decisions on chemicals were made by a body with little experience and layers of accountability and scientific...
Sue Hayman: I completely agree. In fact, representatives of trade unions have made exactly that point to me, and they have deep concerns about this. Companies wanting to transfer their registrations would potentially need customers to make importer registrations. That could lead to serious ramifications down the supply chain and interruptions to the many billions of pounds’ worth of trade between the...
Sue Hayman: Once again, my hon. Friend makes an extremely important point. Of course, we also need to look at the huge costs to companies of these actions. The problems and difficulties that will be caused are not short-term but long-term. Does the Minister acknowledge that a no-deal outcome brings with it huge risks to industry, jobs and our environment? Due to the numerous deficits and risks posed, we...
Sue Hayman: Hon. Members are absolutely right to raise the issue of insect decline, but it is not just about insects. We know there have been huge declines in many birds and mammals, too. I am sure that like myself, Mr Speaker, as a child you enjoyed grubbing around for grass snakes and slowworms.
Sue Hayman: It is now much harder for new generations to do that. How will the draft environment Bill, which has been roundly condemned as toothless, ensure that this appalling ecological meltdown will be properly tackled?
Sue Hayman: That is all very well, but another huge concern are the cuts to Natural England. Grants to Natural England have been cut by nearly half, and we now hear that there may well be further cuts of between £3.5 million and £8 million over the next year. How can that be justified?
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) average and (b) total cost of each consultation exercise launched by (i) his Department and (ii) its executive agencies since 11 June 2017.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications were received from travelling circuses to use wild animals in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019; and (i) how many animals and (ii) of which species were listed in each application.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will bring forward legislative proposals to end the use of wild animals in circuses in England; and what form that legislation will take.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2018 to Question 201663, what further detail has been provided by the ECHA on the intended mechanism by which UK companies can transfer their registrations to EU based entities in order to maintain uninterrupted EU market access.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2019 to Question 211247, which external organisations have been invited to view each Statutory Instrument in draft; and if he will publish the comments that those organisations have made on each instrument.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2019 to Question 211247, whether each Statutory Instrument listed (a) makes policy changes; (b) will lead to a change in operational delivery; (c) will impose additional costs on (i) business, (ii) individuals, or (iii) the public sector; (d) makes changes to primary legislation; (e)...
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has in place to ensure that Highways England takes steps to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide on the strategic road network which exceed statutory limits.
Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps Highways England is taking to reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide on the strategic road network which exceed statutory limits.