Archive for 'Press releases'
Majority of England’s bathing waters meet strict quality standards
A huge majority of England’s bathing waters continue to meet rigorous quality standards, new figures from Defra reveal. Nearly 80 per cent of England’s bathing waters met the tightest guideline standard with close to 98 per cent meeting the European Commission’s minimum water quality threshold in 2011.
Trials show fishermen can drastically reduce discards
The dreadful waste of thousands of tonnes of dead fish being thrown back into the sea every day could be stopped if fishermen are required to count all the fish they catch as part of their quota, pioneering UK trials have shown. Published today, the report shows that fishermen taking part in the UK’s Catch [...]
Sky lanterns cause Bonfire Night nuisance for farm animals
Bonfire Night revellers are being reminded to think about the problems which sky lanterns can cause before using them.
Pick of the crop could earn fewer farm inspections
Farmers with the best track records on environmental protection and animal welfare standards could soon earn the right to operate more freely, Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said today. Unveiling the Government’s interim response to the Farming Regulation Task Force, Mr Paice highlighted a number of areas where the government hopes to reduce regulatory burdens on [...]
Fishermen to join forces to keep their communities afloat
Fishing communities struggling to survive could benefit from a new cooperative scheme to keep England’s inshore fishing fleet afloat. Fishermen are being asked to join forces and take control over how they manage their fishing quotas and market their catches.
Green-fingered students share recipe for success
A bright crop of pupils in Greenwich put on a gardening masterclass for Agriculture Minister Jim Paice today.
Flood risk areas prepared for emergencies says independent report
England and Wales are now better prepared than ever to respond to major flooding, says an independent report published today. 10,000 people took part in Britain’s biggest ever civil emergency exercise, Exercise Watermark, last March to test the country’s response to floods. The Exercise Watermark report published today shows that emergency services in areas at [...]
More choice and lower water bills for businesses
More businesses across England will be able to choose their water supplier in search of a better deal under changes to be introduced shortly by the Environment Minister, Richard Benyon. Currently only businesses who use more than fifty megalitres of water a year, which is equal to 20 Olympic sized swimming pools, can switch from [...]
Jim Paice: exporters must not break animal welfare laws
Transport companies exporting live animals from the Port of Ramsgate have been warned they must put a stop to unnecessary delays, Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said today. In response to recent unacceptable delays at the Port, the Government has written to exporters to warn them of the consequences of not observing the law on animal [...]
£2 million boost to tackle air pollution
The fight against air pollution and the serious health problems it causes has been given a major boost today after an extra £2 million to help councils reduce Nitrogen Dioxide emissions was announced by Environment Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach. 51 councils across England will receive funding for a range of projects designed to reduce [...]