Written questions by MacDonald.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of safety protocols for beekeeping activity near (a) residential areas and (b) public rights of way.

Defra advises beekeepers that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. It is possible for experienced beekeepers to safely manage bees in a garden area, although usual practice is to site them well away from neighbours and fence colonies in with a hedge or panelled fencing - this encourages bees to fly higher, above the heads of anyone nearby.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has issued guidance to beekeepers on the use of (a) temporary signage and (b) other public warnings during hive inspections in areas accessible to the public.

Beekeepers generally keep their bees on their property and away from areas that are accessible to the public. Defra advises beekeepers that apiaries should be sited away from neighbours, footpaths or public areas to minimise the risk of members of the public being stung. Bees can be encouraged to fly above potential hazard areas by having high walls or hedges around an apiary to minimise interaction between bees and neighbours or farm animals. When Inspectors from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit carry out hive inspections, they follow specific procedures and have a Risk Assessment that provides guidance, considerations, and control measures with regards to public health.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with representatives of the beekeeping sector on improving public safety measures during hive management.

Ensuring public safety is of great importance to Defra and beekeeping groups. Defra and representatives of the beekeeping sector work closely to raise awareness of the safety measures that should be in place during hive management.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on coordinated approaches to monitoring puffin populations.

Defra provides funding through JNCC to the UK-wide Seabird Monitoring Programme (SMP), and the JNCC-led Seabirds Count census which provide UK-wide monitoring for seabirds, including puffins. The results are publicly available and will inform future conservation actions. The most recent Seabirds Count census (2023) counted 474,679 pairs of puffins. Where comparable data were available, they indicated declines of 23% since 2000, reinforcing the importance of collaboration on seabird conservation. The devolved Governments are implementing their respective seabird conservation strategies, so we continue to work together to coordinate action and data sharing.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK’s ban on importing ivory on (a) historically and (b) artistically significant ivory.

The Ivory Act 2018 bans dealing in ivory, including imports to and exports from the UK for the purposes of dealing. The Act includes an exemption to the ban for pre-1918 items of outstandingly high artistic, cultural or historical value. An exemption certificate must be issued before an item can be legally dealt under this exemption. Since the Act came into force in 2022, 346 applications for exemption certificates have been submitted and 284 exemption certificates have been issued.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into mountain hare conservation.

Nature conservation in the UK is mainly a devolved responsibility. We are therefore not currently funding any UK-wide research into mountain hare conservation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the conservation of mountain hare in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

We have not held discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the conservation of mountain hare specifically in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. Nature conservation is mainly a devolved responsibility and the conservation of mountain hare in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on conservation of otters in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

We have not held discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the conservation of otters specifically in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. Nature conservation is mainly a devolved responsibility and the conservation of otters in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support otter conservation.

This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. Later this year we will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan which will set out how we will meet our ambitious Environment Act targets. These include legally binding biodiversity targets on species abundance, species extinction, and habitat creation and restoration, which will support many of our priority species including otter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the conservation of mountain hares.

This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature. We will deliver for nature by taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, working in partnership with civil society, communities and businesses to restore and protect our natural world. Later this year we will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan which will set out how we will meet our ambitious Environment Act targets. Defra Ministers support the ambition to introduce a close season for hares in England. England and Wales stand out as being among the few European countries not to have a close season for their resident hares. A close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures to control the spread of Japanese knotweed.

Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed, as well as how to treat and dispose of it, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK. Recognising the limitations of manual removal Defra, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Natural England, is funding scientists at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of naturally occurring, living organisms to tackle Japanese knotweed and other invasive, non-native plants. Biocontrol could provide a more cost- and time-effective way of managing these invasive plants. This research has identified the psyllid (a sap-sucking insect), Aphalari itadori, as a biological control agent for tackling Japanese Knotweed. Information about the research can be found on CABI's website. Defra is providing funding for land managers to control and manage Japanese knotweed and other invasive plant species through the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further information can be found on GOV.UK: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions - GOV.UK. Defra is not providing specific support or ring-fenced funding to Local Authorities for Japanese Knotweed control. Local Authorities decide their priorities for widespread invasive species management locally.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in (a) managing and (b) eradicating Japanese knotweed.

Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed, as well as how to treat and dispose of it, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK. Recognising the limitations of manual removal Defra, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Natural England, is funding scientists at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of naturally occurring, living organisms to tackle Japanese knotweed and other invasive, non-native plants. Biocontrol could provide a more cost- and time-effective way of managing these invasive plants. This research has identified the psyllid (a sap-sucking insect), Aphalari itadori, as a biological control agent for tackling Japanese Knotweed. Information about the research can be found on CABI's website. Defra is providing funding for land managers to control and manage Japanese knotweed and other invasive plant species through the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further information can be found on GOV.UK: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions - GOV.UK. Defra is not providing specific support or ring-fenced funding to Local Authorities for Japanese Knotweed control. Local Authorities decide their priorities for widespread invasive species management locally.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the inclusion of species-rich meadows in the list of irreplaceable habitats in Scotland.

Planning is a devolved matter. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied, including policy on the protection of irreplaceable habitat.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on measures to protect otter populations.

We have not held discussions with the devolved Governments about measures to protect otter populations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on protecting mountain hare populations.

We have not held discussions with the devolved Governments about protecting mountain hare populations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into otter conservation.

Nature conservation in the UK is mainly a devolved responsibility. We are therefore not currently funding any UK-wide research into otter conservation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support landowners in (a) managing and (b) eradicating Japanese knotweed.

Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive species, including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England Government has developed guidance on how to prevent the spread of Japanese knotweed, as well as how to treat and dispose of it, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK. Recognising the limitations of manual removal Defra, in partnership with the Welsh Government and Natural England, is funding scientists at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of naturally occurring, living organisms to tackle Japanese knotweed and other invasive, non-native plants. Biocontrol could provide a more cost- and time-effective way of managing these invasive plants. This research has identified the psyllid (a sap-sucking insect), Aphalari itadori, as a biological control agent for tackling Japanese Knotweed. Information about the research can be found on CABI's website. Defra is providing funding for land managers to control and manage Japanese knotweed and other invasive plant species through the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further information can be found on GOV.UK: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions - GOV.UK. Defra is not providing specific support or ring-fenced funding to Local Authorities for Japanese Knotweed control. Local Authorities decide their priorities for widespread invasive species management locally.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the levels of protection for species-rich meadows in devolved Administrations on UK-wide nature recovery objectives.

As responsibility for the conservation of habitats is a devolved matter Defra continues to be guided by co-ordination and expert advice from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the UK wide Statutory adviser on Nature. The primary mechanism for assessing the state of change to species rich grasslands across the UK is through reporting obligations under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 and related regulations covering Scotland and NI. The next round of reporting under this legislation is currently being undertaken by each country due for publication in 2026. JNCC are providing the co-ordination to maintain sufficient consistency in each country report to facilitate cross UK integration and comparison, enabling the countries to gain insight on effectiveness of country level policies. The previous report (2019) is available through the JNCC website.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support cooperation with devolved Administrations on the protection of irreplaceable habitats.

Planning is a devolved matter. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied, including policy on the protection of irreplaceable habitat.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with relevant wildlife conservation organisations on the impact of stoats on ground-nesting birds in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

This is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Scottish Government.