The Bishop of Exeter received the following written answers on 21st March 2023:
The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of litter on wildlife.
Lord Benyon (Con): There is a systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging plant health risks. This includes consideration of changes which have the potential to affect the risk posed by non-native plant pests and pathogens to UK plants, both cultivated and in the wider environment. Pests and pathogens which are considered to pose a risk are prioritised for action in the UK Plant Health Risk Register. Risks are reviewed monthly by an expert group and Ministers, and prioritised for actions such as contingency plans in the event of an outbreak, pest risk analyses which can look in detail at potential risks associated with climatic factors, surveillance, enhanced inspection, regulation, national measures, import controls, research and awareness raising. Actions and decisions are kept under review and would be reconsidered in light of new information concerning the pest or other factor which would change the risk to GB.
The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the increasing cost of animal feed on meat prices.
Lord Benyon: Animal feed is one of a range of inputs that contribute to the price of meat and meat products. Input costs are dictated by the market and can fluctuate at different times of the year or in response to specific events, as we have seen over the last year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. No single input cost, including on-farm feed costs, would be expected to dictate the price of a particular commodity.
We continue to closely monitor agricultural markets including animal feed prices including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), which was set up by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the UK market situation across all key agricultural commodities. We have also recently increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real-time intelligence.
The Lord Bishop of Exeter asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of global warming on diseases affecting fruit trees in Britain.
Lord Benyon: There is a systematic, proactive screening of potential new and emerging plant health risks. This includes consideration of changes which have the potential to affect the risk posed by non-native plant pests and pathogens to UK plants, both cultivated and in the wider environment. Pests and pathogens which are considered to pose a risk are prioritised for action in the UK Plant Health Risk Register. Risks are reviewed monthly by an expert group and Ministers, and prioritised for actions such as contingency plans in the event of an outbreak, pest risk analyses which can look in detail at potential risks associated with climatic factors, surveillance, enhanced inspection, regulation, national measures, import controls, research and awareness raising. Actions and decisions are kept under review and would be reconsidered in light of new information concerning the pest or other factor which would change the risk to GB.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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