The Government announced in February that it will extend the dangerous dogs legislation to make it an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control in any place, including all private property.

Under Government plans, dog owners will no longer be immune from prosecution if their dog attacks a person in the home. This change in the law will give protection to the healthcare, postal and utility professionals who visit private properties for work.

The legislative changes being introduced today will extend the law to include all private property. It will mean that owners can be prosecuted if they fail to stop their dogs attacking someone on their own or someone else’s private property. If convicted, they could face an unlimited fine and/or up to two years in jail.  However there will be no protection for trespassers such as burglars who are attacked by a householder’s dog.

Animal Welfare Minister Lord de Mauley said:

“Out of control dogs are just as much a threat on private property as in public places.  We are extending the law so that owners who allow their dogs to be dangerously out of control anywhere can be brought to justice.”

Attacks on guide dogs and other assistance dogs will also be explicitly covered by dangerous dogs legislation for the first time, Lord De Mauley confirmed today.

Under the plans, the owner, or person in charge, of a dog that attacks an assistance dog can be prosecuted.

Lord de Mauley said:

 “The law must recognise the devastating effect that an attack on an assistance dog can have on its owner. In the past, assistance dogs have been harmed so badly by other dogs that their owners have been robbed of their independence and quality of life.”

Legislative changes will make clear the court’s right to take into account the character of the owner as they take action to tackle irresponsible ownership.  When a banned breed is identified, its owners can apply to have it exempted from destruction. In assessing this application, the court will consider the character of the person in charge of the banned breed, as well the temperament and past behaviour of the dog.

The Government is bringing in compulsory microchipping for all dogs from 6 April 2016 to help reunite owners with lost or stolen pets, relieve the burden on animal charities and local authorities and promote responsible dog ownership by improving the traceability of dog and owner.

The changes to attacks on private property and to attacks on assistance dogs apply to England and Wales. The banned breed amendment will apply to the whole of Great Britain.

The Draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill is online here.

The post-holders are the national voice on the Conservation Boards, which have strategic responsibility for conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the AONB.  A Conservation Board’s purposes include increasing public understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area.  A Conservation Board must seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the AONB.

Three new members have been appointed for three-year terms:

• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Val Kirby;
• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Edward Macalister-Smith; and
• Chilterns  Conservation Board – Alison Doggett

Four existing members of the Cotswolds Conservation Board and three existing members of the Chilterns Conservation Board have also been re-appointed for terms ranging from one year to three years:

• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Reverend Jeffrey West;
• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Simon Randall;
• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Jo Burgon;
• Cotswolds Conservation Board – Christine Shine;
• Chilterns Conservation Board – Helen Tuff;
• Chilterns Conservation Board – Simon Mortimer; and
• Chilterns Conservation Board – Heather Barrett-Mold.

Additional information regarding the members listed will be made available on the individual AONB websites via:

http://www.cotswoldsaonb.org.uk/

http://www.chilternsaonb.org/

For information about Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), including appointments, visit:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/protected/nationally/aonb/

Biographical details:

Anthony Hams OBE has a strong background in planning, conservation and sustainable development issues.  He is the current Chair of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Chair of East Midlands Biodiversity Partnership.  He is a former Chair of the Peak District National Park.

David Nicholls has set up a new charity that aims to promote local wildlife and wild places – “NatureSpot”.  He is a Green Officer for Leicestershire County Council and was a former Chief Executive of Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire.  He has a life-long passion for wildlife and the natural environment.

Robin Pellew is a former Chief Executive for National Trust for Scotland and WWF-UK (World Wildlife Fund). Robin is an independent conservation/heritage consultant. He is a Trustee of the Cambridge Preservation Society.

The National Forest Company is a non-departmental public body, established in 1995 to lead the creation of The National Forest in the English Midlands.  To date over eight million trees have been planted which has resulted in woodland cover increasing from six per cent to nearly 19 per cent across the 200 square miles covered by the Forest.

These reappointments have been made in accordance with guidance issued by the Office for the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).  Political activity plays no part in the selection process.

Further information on the National Forest Company may be found at www.nationalforest.org

The latest round of the Darwin Initiative will see a total of £8.7 million committed over the next three years, including £5.5 million to fund 21 new conservation projects in developing countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia.

These projects include working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to improve habitats for birds in Sierra Leone, assisting the World Wildlife Fund  in encouraging communities to conserve their forests in Kenya and providing funding to the University of Oxford to strengthen anti-poaching patrols in Cameroon.

In addition a new ‘Darwin Plus’ fund will see around £2 million dedicated to supporting environmental projects in the UK Overseas Territories over the next two years. Funding for Darwin Plus will come from Defra, FCO and DFID and will go to projects such as eradicating invasive black rats from the British Indian Ocean Territory and developing marine and fisheries management for the Pitcairn Islands.

Announcing the new Darwin grants, Environment Minister Richard Benyon said:

“I am proud of the UK’s continuing commitment to international conservation as some of these countries are home to many plants and animals that are not found anywhere else in the world.

“This Initiative has helped some of the world’s poorest communities protect some of the most important wildlife on the planet.

“Our Overseas Territories are home to a wide variety of important species so I am particularly pleased to announce the first raft of projects to be funded under Darwin Plus, which is focussed on the UK Overseas Territories.”

The Darwin Initiative is also funding three smaller schemes totalling £500k, eleven scoping projects totalling £28k and six Darwin Fellowships totalling £108k.

These include penguin monitoring in the Antarctic, a project to re-introduce black rhino in Uganda, seed conservation in the Caribbean and a rare plant census of St Helena. The in-coming Chairman of the Darwin Initiative Expert Committee, Prof. Stephen Blackmore currently the Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, said:

“The Darwin Initiative is one of the most effective ways of targeting effort towards tackling the threats to biodiversity – on which our planet’s life support systems ultimately depend.

“The latest round of projects shows us how we can work to protect nature: securing healthy, productive ecosystems that continue to provide ecosystem services and preventing a slide into poverty.

“People in some of the world’s poorest communities will benefit from the know-how and expertise of the organisations involved, demonstrating positive action for a better future.”

Stepping down as Chair of the Darwin Expert Committee Professor David Macdonald added:

“I am immensely proud to have had the privilege of Chairing the Darwin Initiative for a decade – it has gone from strength to strength, and is praised from village huts to parliament buildings throughout the world , and with the new union of Defra and Dfid funding the Initiative launches into a new era of even greater impact.”

“It makes a huge contribution to wildlife, and indeed to Britain’s reputation as a force for good in the environment. The current batch of projects is at least as good as they have ever been, so we can look forward to major contributions to the well-being of both nature and people as these new projects take effect.”

More details on the Darwin Initiative can be found at http://darwin.defra.gov.uk

Each session will last one hour and you can send in your questions for our experts using  the hashtag #AskDefra

The dates of the three Twitter Q&A sessions and the themes they will cover are:

Tuesday 9 April 12.30-1.30pm

Nigel Gibbens, UK Chief Veterinary Officer

Themes: History of the disease in England, the impact of bovine TB and the measures used to prevent it’s spread.

Biography

Nigel was appointed in May 2008 following previous experience in the State Veterinary Service and in policy roles on international trade, BSE controls, animal welfare and international relations co-ordination for Defra’s Food and Farming Group as well as Government veterinary services in Belize and Yemen. Nigel worked in private practice in his early career, before joining the UK government services in 1990.

Thursday 18 April 12.30-1.30pm

Glyn Hewinson, Chief Scientist of the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency

Themes: Vaccines for badgers and cattle, research on TB and other measures to reduce the spread of TB amongst cattle

Biography

Glyn Hewinson graduated in microbiology from Bristol University, UK, and obtained a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Oxford, UK. In 1996, he was appointed Head of the TB Research Group at VLA Weybridge, UK. His group was also responsible for the molecular fingerprinting of Mycobacterium bovis isolates for epidemiological purposes. This has resulted in a growing interest in the molecular evolution of M. bovis. Glyn was leader of the M. bovis genome-sequencing project and is a visiting professor at Imperial College, London, UK.

Wednesday 24 April 13.00-14.00pm

Professor Ian Boyd, Defra Chief Scientist

Themes: The science behind the the TB eradication strategy and the badger cull pilots

Biography

Professor Ian Boyd is a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council and is on the Board of Reviewing Editors of Science. Professor Boyd has received numerous honours and awards recognising his contributions to science, including the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London, the Bruce Medal (awarded once every 4 years) for his research in Polar Science and has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland’s National Academy, and is a Fellow of the Society of Biology.

Surveillance cameras will be installed at 75 volunteer farms across South West England for the project run by the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA).

Over a four week period, cameras will count the number of badger visits to farms, and determine what factors encourage badgers to regularly visit farm buildings.

Wildlife Program Team Leader, Dr Gavin Wilson, said:

“Recent research has shown that badger visits to farm buildings are widespread and common, but that some farms are more prone to badger visits than others.

“The purpose of our current project is to try to understand the reasons behind this, and develop a simple method to assess the risk of badger visits to any given farm.

“Ultimately, this is about helping farmers determine what the best bio-security measures are for their individual farms.”

A survey for badger activity will be carried out near the farm buildings and details of farming practices e.g. cattle feeds, local crops, and landscape features will also be recorded.

The research is the second phase of the Farm Assessment Tool project initially launched by Food and Environment Agency (Fera) last year.

Previous Defra funded research confirmed badger visits to farm buildings are common and widespread on cattle farms in South West England, but also that this could be prevented by the adoption of exclusion measures.

These measures include protecting buildings and farm areas susceptible to wildlife visits such as feed stores, by installing secure gates or electric fencing, and securing feed bags and bins.

Farmers who are interested in volunteering for this study should contact the AHVLA on 01453 861400 or wildlife@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk

The recent bad weather has been a severe blow to British farmers making it extremely difficult for farmers to dispose of animal carcases. During these exceptional circumstances farmers will be allowed to bury or burn animals on the farm land.

To support farmers through these difficult times, we’ve relaxed rules on driver hours to allow extra time for essential deliveries of animal feed get through to farms and permitted farmers with red diesel in their tractors to help grit and clear snow from public roads to help communities during the bad weather.

We have also asked the National Fallen Stock Company to consider reduced costs for multiple collections of stock from the same farm.

The post-holders are the national voice on the Authorities, which have strategic responsibility for conservation, recreation, planning, access and resources.

Twelve new members have been appointed for four-year terms:

• Broads Authority – Kelvin Allen and Peter Warner

• Dartmoor – James Kidner and Naomi Oakley

• Exmoor – Linda Blanchard

• New Forest – Philip Marshall, Professor Alex Neill and Judith Webb

• North York Moors – Sarah Oswald and Jeremy Walker

• Peak District – Zahid Hamid

• South Downs – Ian Phillips

Several existing members have also been re-appointed for terms ranging from one year to four years:

• Broads Authority – Sholeh Blane

• Dartmoor – David Lloyd and Ian Mortimer

• Exmoor – Nicholas Holliday

• New Forest – John Pemberton

• Peak District – Suzanne Leckie and Christopher Pennell

• South Downs – Margaret Paren OBE

• Yorkshire Dales – William Weston

Additional information regarding the members listed will be made available on the individual Authority websites via: www.nationalparks.gov.uk/index.htm.

For information about National Park Authorities, including appointments, visit: www.defra.gov.uk/rural/national-parks/.

This call comes as Waterwise launch 365 water saving tips, one for everyday of the year which everyone can get involved in.

Over the coming months Waterwise will be encouraging people to choose their favourite tips with the most popular becoming the Top Ten Water Saving Tips that will be used nationally to promote water efficiency.

This activity all forms part of Defra’s Love Your River initiative which is working in partnership with James Cracknell, the Environment Agency, key environmental organisations and water companies to encourage people to value their local river and make the connection between the water in our rivers and the water we use at home.

Community groups across England already play an important role in caring for our local rivers. From the River Chess chalk stream in Buckinghamshire to the Lyme Brook River in Stoke on Trent, community groups are involved caring for their river and local wildlife. The Love Your River campaign hopes to take it one step further and get everyone involved in protecting their local river.

James Cracknell Love Your River advisor said:

“I have a great passion for rivers. They’ve always been part of my life and career. Being on and around water is hugely relaxing and great for health and wellbeing.

“In the UK we rely on rivers for much of the water we use, so it’s in all our interest to protect and cherish our waterways. Most people won’t miss their local river until it’s gone.

“But it’s not just about cleaning a river at its source, it’s also the decisions we make as individuals in how we use water at home. Even small actions like taking shorter showers or using water butts can make a big difference.”

Water Minister Richard Benyon said:

“Water is not the never-ending commodity that some people see it as and we need to start thinking about using water wisely to protect our local rivers.

“I strongly encourage people to have their say and let Waterwise know what they think are the most practical and best ways to save water and keep our waterways clean.”

Love Your River is not just about educating people about the difficulties that many rivers face. It is also recognises the great work local groups already do to look after their rivers – honouring the community spirit and the inspirational individuals who give up their time and energy to improve their local environment.

For more information on the 365 water saving tips and choosing the top ten water efficiency tips visit www.waterwise.org.uk

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said:

“We know we can’t stop Chalara infecting our ash trees so we have to throw our resources into managing it and slowing the spread. A key part of that strategy will be identifying those trees which have a natural resistance to the disease so that we can re-stock our woodlands in the future.

“This project of monitoring 250,000 young ash trees is unprecedented in its scope. The UK is leading the way internationally on trying to identify resistant strains.

“However this is not the whole story.  In tandem with this project, we are also commissioning research to investigate genetic resistance in a laboratory setting.

“In addition, we’re helping landowners replace their recently planted infected young ash trees with other trees to ensure that we have thriving woodlands for future generations.”

The project, which is believed to be the first of its kind and scale in Europe, will use existing stocks of ash saplings which will be bought by Government and planted in the East and South East of the country.  Defra scientists and the Forestry Commission will work with local landowners to monitor the trees for signs of Chalara, paying particular attention to saplings which show resistance to the disease.

The threat from a range of pests and diseases has increased over the last decade and shows no sign of decelerating.  This is one of the reasons that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has put tree and plant health as one of Defra’s four key priorities, alongside animal health, improving the environment and growing the rural economy.

Work carried out by Cambridge University supported the likelihood from the Autumn that Chalara is an airborne disease which has blown across from the continent.  It therefore concludes that it is impossible to prevent the disease spreading across the country.

However, the impact and spread of Chalara could move slowly over generations with proper management strategies in place.  These include:

• Removal of young infected ash saplings;
• Continuing with the ban on movement of ash trees; and
• Continuing to monitor signs of Chalara in established woods and forests.

That is why from April landowners will be able to apply for grants to plant other trees in areas where they would once have planted ash.  Owners of woodland in areas of the country with lower levels of Chalara will be able to access funding to help them remove any infected ash saplings to help to slow the spread of Chalara and replant with alternative trees.

In the meantime, the process to evaluate the possible usefulness of various chemical treatments against Chalara, submitted by a number of producers, has reached a new stage.  Fourteen of the treatments that have been submitted for scientific analysis are being taken forward for laboratory testing.  These are a mixture of products which may be effective on live trees and those which may be effective on leaf litter.  These products need to be tested to ensure they do not adversely affect other wildlife or human health and investigated as to how they might be used.

The interim Chalara Control Plan was published in December and focussed on:

• reducing the rate of spread;
• developing resistance to the disease in the native UK ash tree population;
• encouraging citizen, landowner and industry engagement and action in tackling the problem; and
• building resilience in the UK woodland and associated industries.

In consultation with the various woodland groups involved in developing it, the new plan has continued the ongoing process of addressing these issues.

This ongoing work is in addition to and complementary to the report from the Plant and Tree Health Independent Task Force, chaired by Professor Chris Gilligan, which is being published later in the Spring. The report will look at tree and plant health overall and make recommendations on how we can best protect our forests and woodlands against a variety of tree pests and diseases.

The £1.5million of money into research for genetic resistance announced today is in addition to the £8 million the Government has already allocated for research into various pests and diseases which could affect our trees.

The management plan can be found here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/2013/03/26/pb13936-chalara-management-plan/