The Government has published a consultation on the next phase of its TB eradication strategy, which has been covered in the Guardian, iNews and on BBC R4 Farming Today.
Bovine tuberculosis is one of the most difficult and intractable animal health challenges that England faces today, causing devastation for farming and rural communities and leading to tens of thousands of cattle being culled each year.
Our strategy to eradicate bovine TB in England is turning the tide on this disease with the lowest number of new bTB breakdowns in nearly twenty years. The latest proposals will ensure this downward trend continues, and all culling decisions taken under the new targeted approach will continue to be led by the very best scientific and epidemiological evidence.
We are proposing that culling should be available in the High Risk Area and Edge Area of England, in areas where there are high levels of infection in cattle, and where evidence suggests badgers are part of the problem in the spread of disease to these herds.
We have always been clear that culling would remain an option where epidemiological assessment indicates that it is needed. This consultation sets out an evolution of our ongoing disease control. We will still cull badgers where there is evidence to do so, and we will move to protect those in areas where we’ve stopped their current role in spreading disease.
We do not aim to remove all badgers in the culls and that is not the aim of this new policy, rather we want to lower the badger population to reduce infection. Measures will remain in place to prevent local extinction of the badger population.
Culling would continue until the disease situation inside the cluster has been deemed to have improved sufficiently, such that it is no longer deemed a cluster, or the prevalence of infection in badgers has been reduced substantially. Badger vaccination would then take place to maintain disease control benefits.
]]>Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
Bovine TB has taken a terrible toll on farmers, leading to the loss of highly prized animals and, in the worst cases, valued herds.There are no easy answers in the battle against TB, but badger culling has proved highly effective and needs to remain a key part of our approach.
Our strategy has led to a significant reduction in this insidious disease, which we will continue to cull in areas where the evidence confirms it is required, as well as making use of vaccinations.
There has been widespread coverage today (12 March), following the launch of a Government consultation looking at ways to make food labelling clearer and fairer. The announcement has been covered across a number of national and trade outlets, including The Mirror, The Independent, The Grocer, HortWeek and Pig World.
The consultation looks at ways we could improve country of origin labelling for certain goods, to make it clearer to consumers where their food has come from. It also sets out proposals to require ‘method of production’ labelling on pork, chicken and eggs. These include a mandatory tiered labelling for both domestic and imported products which would differentiate between those that fall below, meet and exceed baseline UK animal welfare regulations, which are some of the highest in the world.
The proposals aim to improve transparency on food labels, to ensure that farmers and producers of high-quality, high-welfare food are rewarded and helping consumers to make decisions that align with their values.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
This government backs British farmers, who work hard to produce food to world-leading standards and maintain our nation’s food security. British consumers want to buy their produce, but too often products made to lower standards abroad aren’t clearly labelled to tell them apart.
That is why I want to make labelling showing where and how food is produced fairer and easier to understand – empowering consumers to make informed choices and rewarding our British farmers for producing high-quality, high-welfare food.
The consultation will run for eight weeks, closing at 23:45 on 7 May 2024.
]]>There has been widespread coverage, including in the Independent, ITV News, the Evening Standard and others, of today’s announcement on accelerated investment to prevent sewage spills. Following the Secretary of State directing water and sewage companies last December to measurably reduce sewage spills over the next year, water companies have fast-tracked £180 million in investment.
Examples of measures include investment in AI systems to help manage storm loads, the installation of thousands of new in-sewer monitors to check flows and spot blockages early, the recruitment and training of specialist staff, and accelerated wetland construction programmes.
These new funding commitments – which are expected prevent more than 8000 sewage spills – are in addition to water companies’ existing £3.1 billion investment into storm overflow improvements for this price review period (2020-2025), as well as their ongoing annual investment to maintain the performance of the existing network.
The accelerated improvements, which will be delivered by April 2025, support the targets under the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This is driving the largest infrastructure investment in water company history, estimated at £60 billion over the next 25 years.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“The amount of sewage being spilled into our rivers is completely unacceptable and the public rightly expects action. This £180 million of accelerated investment, which will stop more than 8,000 sewage spills over the next year, is a welcome step forward as we continue to push for better performance from water companies and hold them to account.
“This money will mean more cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence, and more specialist staff to detect and reduce spills.
“Today’s announcement builds on significant work by this government to protect and strengthen our waters with increased investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement action.”
]]>We have published an updated figure on the number of XL Bullies that have been registered with a government exemption scheme.
Over 55,000 dogs have now been registered, with full details of ownership provided to enable authorities to keep the public safe. This indicates a high level of compliance with the strict requirements that are now in place for keeping one of these dogs. There has been coverage in The Sun today of the latest figure.
A ban on the breed type came into force on 1 February making it illegal to own an unregistered XL Bully dog. Anyone found in possession of these dangerous dogs and not meeting the strict rules will have their dog seized and faces prosecution and a criminal record.
Owners of XL Bully dogs must have registered their dogs and must comply with strict rules. This includes having them microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled when in public and, to ensure these dogs cannot continue breeding, they must also be neutered. For most dogs, this will be by 30 June, and for dogs under one year old, this should be by the end of 2024.
The Government continues to support the police to make sure the ban is effectively enforced.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
]]>The ban on XL Bullies is now in place meaning it is illegal to own one of these dogs unless it has been registered.
We have delivered our pledge to bring in this important measure to protect public safety, and we expect all XL Bully owners to comply with the strict conditions.
This week, the government announced plans to designate the largest ever number of new bathing water sites to improve water quality across the country.
Subject to a two-week consultation, the Environment Agency will create 27 new designated swimming spots across England. If designated, sites will receive regular water monitoring from the Environment Agency, who will investigate pollution sources and identify steps to be taken in response, which could include actions by water companies, farmers and others.
This consultation will build on recent improvements the government has delivered to the water environment, including a ban on bonuses for water company executives whose firms have committed serious criminal breaches (subject to Ofwat consultation) and quadrupling the Environment Agency’s regulatory capacity.
Water Minister Robbie Moore said:
]]>Many people enjoy spending time in our rivers, lakes, and coastal beaches, and I am very aware of the value they bring in terms of social, health and wellbeing benefits.
I want to continue to improve the quality of our bathing waters, which is why we are taking action across the board to drive up standards and hold water companies to account.
I encourage all local communities and organisations with an interest to take part in this consultation and have their say.
There has been coverage over the weekend (Sunday 25 February) on our consultation on reforming the producer responsibility system for electrical waste.
On 28 December 2023, the UK Government, along with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Governments, launched a consultation aiming to make it easier for households to recycle electrical cords, devices and white goods. Proposals in the consultation included:
An estimated 155,000 tonnes of smaller household electricals such as cables, toasters, kettles and power tools are wrongly thrown in the bin each year.
The proposals will mean consumers will be able to recycle their goods during their weekly shop or without even leaving the house.
Recycling Minister Robbie Moore said:
Every year millions of household electricals across the UK end up in the bin rather than being correctly recycled or reused. This is a sheer waste of our natural resources and has to stop.
We all have a drawer of old tech somewhere that we don’t know what to do with and our proposals will ensure these gadgets are easy to dispose of without the need for a trip to your local tip. Our plans will also drive the move to a more circular economy and create new jobs by making all recycling simpler.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will work closely with manufacturers, major retailers and small and medium enterprises throughout the consultation period to ensure the most efficient and accessible options become a reality.
Increasing the collection and recycling of waste electricals has the potential to drive greater investment in the UK’s treatment and re-use sector, helping to create British jobs and deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.
All consultation responses will be fully considered before we set out the next steps.
]]>There has been widespread coverage of the Prime Minister and Environment Secretary’s announcement on a range of new measures to ensure all farmers and producers are treated fairly Government underlines commitment to British farmers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The new measures announced by the Prime Minister at the NFU Conference on Tuesday Prime Minister's speech to the NFU annual conference: 20 February 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) include the largest ever round of farming grants to boost resilience and productivity, an annual Food Security Index to capture and present the key data to monitor food security, and a yearly Farm to Fork Summit to increase industry collaboration. Further measures include regulations laid this week to ensure fair and transparent contracts for dairy farmers and a further review to improve fairness in the poultry supply chain.
National coverage highlighted the government’s commitment to boost food security, with outlets including BBC News, Sky News, ITV News, the Daily Mail, Financial Times and the Telegraph detailing the £220 million announced by the government for new technology to boost productivity in the agriculture sector. Alongside the commitment to improve food security, The Guardian led with the Prime Minister’s promise to “change the culture” in government around farming. The announcement was also covered in trade publications including Farmers Guardian and Farmers Weekly.
The Prime Minister also took part in an interview with BBC Farming Today, and the Environment Secretary spoke with a number of broadcast outlets including Good Morning Britain, ITV News, Bauer and LBC Radio.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
For generations, farmers have worked day in, day out to put food on our tables and are custodians of our beautiful British countryside. This is why we committed £2.4 billion to support British farming and have invested into the sector to boost agricultural productivity and resilience, increase food security and deliver for the environment, delivering on our plan.
This includes the largest ever package of competitions and grants to foster technology and innovation, bolstered by our increasingly popular farming schemes that support all types and size of farm businesses to produce food sustainably.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:
]]>Maintaining food security and boosting sustainable food production is vital as we see the impacts of more extreme weather and global events, and today’s announcements provide further support for farmers to deliver this while also protecting the environment.
Almost half of farmers across the country are already signed up to our farming schemes and we continue to work closely with farmers to tweak and improve our offer so as many farmers as possible are encouraged to get involved.
There has been widespread media coverage across multiple outlets – including the Times, BBC News and the Telegraph – following today’s announcement (Monday 12 February) that water bosses will be banned from receiving bonuses if a company has committed serious criminal breaches.
Last year 10 water bosses received bonuses, totalling £2.5 million. The ban would apply to all executive board members and Chief Executives and would be expected to come into effect later this year. The ban is subject to an Ofwat consultation, which will be launched shortly and is expected to run for six weeks.
Ofwat’s consultation will define the criteria for a ban, which could include successful prosecution for a Category 1 or 2 pollution incident or where a company has been found guilty of serious management failings. Categories 1 and 2 include the most serious pollution incidents, such as causing significant pollution at a bathing water site or conservation area.
If taken forward, Ofwat would implement the measures by changing the conditions of water company licences. For water companies in England, this would be done using the powers given to the regulator through the Environment Act 2021.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:
“No-one should profit from illegal behaviour and it’s time that water company bosses took responsibility for that.
“Tougher action is needed to address poor performance by water companies, which is why I am pleased Ofwat is going further today on bonus payments. In cases where companies have committed criminal breaches there is no justification whatsoever for paying out bonuses. It needs to stop now.
“I will shortly be setting out more detail on further steps to clean up our waters, including reducing the reliance on water company self-monitoring in order to hold them to account and drive the improvements we all need to see.”
]]>This government firmly backs our farmers. We are ensuring British farming is at the heart of British trade by putting agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate, prioritising new export opportunities, protecting UK food standards and removing market access barriers.
We’ve committed to maintaining the £2.4 billion annual farming budget which will support farmers to produce food profitably and sustainably, while protecting nature and helping to meet our net zero ambitions. Our new schemes offer something for every type of farm, and a crucial part of their development has been to listen to farmers’ feedback.
These schemes gives more money and more choice to farmers, with the biggest update to farming schemes since the start of the agricultural transition. This included an average 10% increase to the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship payment rates, and around 50 new Environmental Land Management actions.
We are pleased that an increasing number of farmers are taking part, with 32,000 Countryside Stewardship agreements for 2023 - a 94% increase since 2020 – and thousands of farmers signing up for the Sustainable Farming Incentive since it opened last year.
We are also looking at ways to further improve fairness in the supply chain and support British farmers and growers, as well as ensuring customers have access to high-quality fresh British products.
As such, we have opened reviews into the food supply chains, to help make sure farmers and growers are paid a fair price for their produce. Reviews have already been conducted into the egg, horticulture, pig and dairy supply chains, with new regulations coming into effect later in 2024.
At the beginning of 2024, we also saw a bout of severe weather and flooding. In response, we quickly opened the Farming Recovery Fund, providing grants of up to £25,000 to farmers affected by flooding. This sits alongside our achievement to protect over 900,000 acres of agricultural land from the impacts of flooding since 2015.
To drive innovation, we have also awarded over £120 million in grant funding to farmers through the Farming Investment Fund and committed £140 million to 179 projects as part of the Farming Innovation Programme. In addition, these funds will support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment.
Further support has also being given to over 17,000 farmers via free business advice through the Farming Resilience Fund as well as our introduction of fully funded annual vet visits on far. This was made possible through the Sustainable Farming Incentive Annual Health and Welfare Review, which is now open to non-BPS registered farmers.
We have also provided more support to tenant farmers; in response to the independent Rock Review, 15% of government response actions have been completed, including launching a Call for Evidence on the proposal for a Tenant Farming Commissioner.
At the end of December 2023, we also introduced legislation which ensured that farmers and growers can continue to use seeds treated with EU-approved pesticides and access more cost-effective pesticides from the EU.
More widely, we are committed to ensuring British farming at the heart of British trade and we are putting agriculture at the forefront of any deals we negotiate. In the same vein, we appointed an additional five agri-food attaches to boost the UK’s agri-food exports, which bring £24 billion to the British economy.
This is all underpinned by our enhancement of the regulatory system – with improved on-farm visits and communications with farmers. Alongside more innovative remote monitoring techniques, this has led to a decrease in financial penalties for minor non-compliances.
]]>Preview Changes (opens in a new tab)
Today there has been media coverage on a Judicial Review by River Action on the Farming Rules for Water (FRfW).
Farming Rules for Water (2018) is one of the frameworks for the Environment Agency’s farming and agriculture regulation and sets out that farmers are responsible for minimising the risk of pollution from applications of nutrients to land and livestock management. The Environment Agency is using funding and regulatory powers to work with farmers to reduce water pollution, ensure they comply with the rules and tackle inadequate infrastructure, poor soil, and nutrient management.
The Environment Agency does not hesitate to take appropriate action, up to and including enforcement, when breaches of regulations are identified. Anyone who has a concern about pollution should notify the Agency immediately using the 24-hour incident hotline: 0800807060.
Last year the Environment Agency carried out more than 4,000 farm inspections across England, including 493 in the Wye catchment. This resulted in more than 5,000 improvement actions across England, and 285 improvement actions in the Wye, being undertaken to improve farm practices. This ranges from improving storage of slurry to better management of nutrients and soils.
There were 11 other prosecutions against farmers last year for causing pollution under the Environment Permitting Regulations.
The Farming Rules for Water are one of many regulatory tools used by the Environment Agency to manage the nutrient load in the Wye Catchment. Furthermore, the impact of farming is not the only source of nutrient levels. Phosphorus has accumulated over a number of years and is affected by climate change, flow levels in the Wye, increased housing development as well as industrial discharges from industry on the Wye.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said:
Since 2021 we have performed more than 7,000 farm inspections and required farmers to carry out over 11,400 improvement actions, including around the River Wye. These range from improving slurry storage to better management of nutrients. Our inspection regime is supported by the use of technology such as satellite images and drone footage.
Anyone caught breaching environmental laws faces enforcement action, up to and including prosecution.
We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
A Defra spokesperson said:
We have set highly ambitious legally binding targets to reduce water pollution from agriculture. We are committed to working with farmers to deliver improvements; this includes conducting more than 4,000 farm inspections in the last financial year to help farmers comply with legal requirements.
We are also supporting farmers to deliver environmental improvements in their local areas through our Environmental Land Management schemes, which includes work to improve water quality, reduce carbon emissions, and create and preserve wildlife habitats.
We are unable to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.
]]>