theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Challenger 3 in battlefield configuration has exceeded its maximum weight limit. \p Luke Pollard: The Challenger 3 tank is being designed to meet its weight requirement.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the operational (a) status and (b) readiness is of each Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship. \p Al Carns: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary continues to meet its commitments in supporting the Royal Navy worldwide, including the Carrier Strike Groups current global deployment.

The Royal Navy does not routinely disclose readiness data for individual vessels due to Operational Security.
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Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the personal file (PF44288) relating to Major General JFC Fuller has not been made available by his Department for release to the National Archives. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Under the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Service Records Project approximately 10 million Service records of personnel with a date of birth prior to 1 January 1939, are in the process of being transferred from the MOD to The National Archives for permanent preservation. Service Records pertaining to Officers are yet to be transferred. A copy of Major General JFC Fuller’s Service Record can be requested through the following link:

Get a copy of military records of service: Apply for the records of a deceased serviceperson - GOV.UK
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Archipelago on national security, in the context of trends in the number public officials in Mauritius trained by China. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Rt Hon Member back to the answer I gave her on 22 September in response to Question 75282. Under the terms of the agreement, the UK will exercise all rights and authorities which are required for the long-term, secure and effective operation of the base. The agreement robustly protects the national security of the UK and our allies.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when her Department agreed with Mauritius that the UK would not be entitled to exercise sovereign rights and authorities with respect to Diego Garcia. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Rt Hon Member back to the answer I gave her on 22 September in response to Question 75282. Under the terms of the agreement, the UK will exercise all rights and authorities which are required for the long-term, secure and effective operation of the base. The agreement robustly protects the national security of the UK and our allies.
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Sir Edward Leigh:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Government of Uzbekistan on the (a) treatment of Christians and (b) reports of (i) arbitrary arrests and (ii) forced marriage in that country; and what steps she is taking with international partners to promote religious freedom in that country. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief for all. We highlight this issue at the UN, G7 and as a member of the Article 18 Alliance. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises human rights with the authorities and maintains a dialogue with local human rights groups. In Uzbekistan's most recent UN Universal Periodic Review, the UK raised concerns over freedom of religion or belief amongst other human rights issues. We continue to seek opportunities to raise concerns at the UN and other international fora.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Irish counterpart since 5 September 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign Secretary had an introductory phone call with her Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, on 8 September. They discussed the importance of the UK-Ireland bilateral relationship and agreed on the current positive state of the relationship. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Foreign Secretary and I hosted the Tánaiste at the Berlin Process Foreign Minister's Summit at Hillsborough Castle on 9 October.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help make (a) military, (b) police and (c) healthcare training in the UK more accessible to members of the Overseas Territories. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government is committed to strengthening the resilience and capabilities of the Overseas Territories across defence, policing, and healthcare.

In defence, I recently met members of both the Cayman and Bermuda regiments and observed their training. The Ministry of Defence provides tailored training and capacity-building support to the Overseas Territory Defence Regiments and other agencies, including a permanent staff instructor and short-term training teams delivering specialist instruction in areas such as maritime capability and marine engineering.

We are continuing to work to expand access to UK police training for Overseas Territories police services. This ensures that Overseas Territories benefit from the latest policing standards and expertise, including from the College of Policing. We also support the Overseas Territories through a range of specialist agencies, including the NCA.

In healthcare, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with NHS England and Overseas Territory Chief Medical Officers to facilitate Managed Education Partnerships between NHS Trusts and the Overseas Territories. These partnerships offer access to e-learning resources and opportunities to observe in NHS hospitals. The UK Health Security Agency's Overseas Territories Public Health Programme also provide training, certification, and a range of Continuous Professional Development opportunities in health and public health. Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing, in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), provides structured support in mental health and quality improvement to nurses in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and Saint Helena.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representative of Gibraltar to ensure a future of self-determination. \p Stephen Doughty: I recently had the honour of representing the UK Government at the National Day celebrations in Gibraltar and was able to deliver a letter to the Chief Minister of Gibraltar from the Prime Minister in which he was clear about the UK Government's steadfast commitment to UK sovereignty of Gibraltar, our enduring support for the "double lock", and the principle of self-determination which is central to the UK's enduring relationship with Gibraltar.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Ministers in her Department next plan to meet their Mauritian counterparts. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Rt Hon Member back to the answer I gave her on 22 September in response to Question 75282.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to meet with the Government representatives of (a) Bermuda and (b) St Helena to strengthen dialogue between her Department and the governments of these respective territories. \p Stephen Doughty: I met the Premier and the Governor of Bermuda and other representatives during my visit to Bermuda in September. I look forward to welcoming the elected leaders and representatives of the Overseas Territories to the Joint Ministerial Council in London in November, including representatives of the new Government of St Helena formed following their general election last month. My officials and I continue to work in close partnership with the Governments of Bermuda and St Helena, as with all the Overseas Territories.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with the Government representative of Turks and Caicos to discuss (a) the fatal mass shooting in Turks and Caicos in late July and (b) further domestic security. \p Stephen Doughty: I remain in close contact with the Premier and the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands following the abhorrent shooting in July. Together, we are continuing to invest in improving policing and border security to address complex national security threats and protect the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands. I spoke to the Premier and Governor on 22 September to discuss these issues. The UK has provided over £9 million in security support over the past two years, including coastal surveillance systems, police boats, contracted firearms officers and criminal investigators.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make it her policy to suspend new military export licences to Israel, in the context of the findings of the report by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel entitled Legal analysis of the conduct of Israel in Gaza pursuant to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, published on 16 September 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to question 72500.
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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to reinstate multi-year core funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: In July 2024, this Government reinstated funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and has since committed £27.5 million for 2025/2026 financial year. This funding will provide emergency food, shelter and other support for over 2 million people across the region. Future funding decisions will be taken in due course, and announced in the normal way.
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Richard Burgon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has granted any Special Mission Immunity certificates to any (a) visitor or (b) prospective visitor since 15 August 2025. \p Chris Elmore: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 September 2025 to Question 69421.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposals to harmonise tax rates on gambling on jobs in horse racing. \p Ian Murray: Future proposals on gambling duties are a matter for HMT. Should changes to the tax regime be announced in the Autumn Statement, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HMT, as is standard practice.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage local authorities to support arts and culture. \p Ian Murray: Local arts and culture are vital for community well-being and connection. The Secretary of State regularly discusses arts and culture with Cabinet colleagues.

We have committed an additional £3.4 billion in grant funding to local government by 2028-29, including investment in culture. The department also partnered with MHCLG on the "Pride in Place" strategy. DCMS recently committed £270 million through the Arts Everywhere Fund.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan includes the £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund for six Mayoral Strategic Authorities.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address (a) over-abstraction, (b) phosphorus loading, and (c) urban development pressures on chalk streams. \p Emma Hardy: Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is a core ambition of our overall programme of work to clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.

We are tackling one of the biggest threats to chalk streams by reducing harmful abstraction by an estimated 126 million litres daily by 2030, protecting vital water flows to these fragile ecosystems. In June 2025, the Environment Agency (EA) updated its National Framework for Water Resources, which sets out the importance of chalk streams and how we will include their needs in all water resources planning and decision making.

The government recognises that nutrient pollution is a key pressure affecting chalk streams. Under the Environment Act 2021, we have a legally binding target to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agriculture entering the water environment by 40% by 2038.

With regard to impacts from urban development, the EA is a statutory consultee for planning applications and advise on the potential environmental impacts of a development, including matters relating to water.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Environment Agency increases (a) routine monitoring and (b) inspection of rivers. \p Emma Hardy: The Water (Special Measures) Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Environment Agency (EA) has increased its water quality charges to £149 million from 2025-26, ensuring water companies pay the cost of regulating the sector. These charges include permit charges on water companies for inspections and the new enforcement levy, which will enable EA to recover the costs of their enforcement activity.

The Independent Water Commission has examined how to strengthen the regulation and delivery of water services to better support long-term water security, sustainable growth, and environmental protection. The Former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 33250, what progress her Department has made on joint cross-border research on the River Wye. \p Emma Hardy: Cleaning up the River Wye remains a government priority.

Officials in Defra and the Welsh Government continue to collaborate to roll out the £1 million cross-border River Wye research announced earlier this year. Local stakeholders including local farmers, environmental groups, and citizen scientists, will play a crucial role in gathering evidence and shaping the research. Officials will shortly update stakeholders on next steps and will attend the local Nutrient Management Board in Herefordshire. A research workshop will also shortly take place, where stakeholders can continue to shape research plans and help us gather actionable evidence to tackle pollution in this iconic catchment.
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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on levels of protection for national parks. \p Mary Creagh: Government remains committed to safeguarding our National Parks and National Landscapes and enabling Protected Landscapes organisations to make land greener, wilder, and more accessible to all.
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Mr Alex Barros-Curtis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the revised Environmental Improvement Plan. \p Mary Creagh: The government concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. It is our intention to publish a revised EIP in due course, which will be our long-term plan for improving the natural environment and people’s enjoyment of it.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the costs to her Department of climate-related extreme weather since 1 January 2020. \p Emma Hardy: The third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3), published in 2021 under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, includes a Monetary Valuation of Risks and Opportunities assessment of the current and future costs of climate change to the UK.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft on inland waterways. \p Emma Hardy: The government recognises the importance of providing access to nature and is considering the approach to improving that, including access onto unregulated inland waterways. We are committed to working with stakeholders as this develops, and a further update will be provided in due course.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the adequacy of the water supply to support (a) the East Rail project and (b) housing growth before the completion of the new reservoir in Bedfordshire. \p Emma Hardy: Water companies are responsible for securing public water supplies, including supplies that can accommodate planned growth in water demand from both new housing and infrastructure.

Every five years water companies must prepare a water resources management plan (WRMP), and these plans must be maintained. The WRMP sets out how a company intends to achieve a secure supply of water over the next 25 years. The WRMPs published in 2024 set out how water supplies will be maintained over the coming years through demand management, leakage reduction and enhancing water supplies from river and groundwater sources in the time period before new strategic sources of water such as large reservoirs come online.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to improve air quality monitoring in Manchester Rusholme constituency. \p Emma Hardy: Local authorities are responsible for monitoring and assessing local air quality in their areas.

At a national level, air quality monitoring is undertaken across Greater Manchester at multiple locations, including Salford Eccles, Manchester Picadilly, Tameside A635, Bury Whitefield Roadside, Shaw Crompton Way and Manchester Sharston, measuring either NO2 and/or PM2.5.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the use of petrol leaf blowers in public spaces on (a) noise pollution and (b) air quality. \p Emma Hardy: The Department for Business and Trade is responsible for the legislation covering noise from outdoor equipment which is governed by the Noise Emission in the Environment by Equipment for use Outdoors Regulations 2001 as amended by the Product Safety and Metrology (Amendment) Regulation 2024.
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Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the Air Pollution in the UK 2024 Compliance Assessment Summary report. \p Emma Hardy: Defra’s ‘Air Pollution in the UK report 2024’ which includes the annual assessment of compliance with the Air Quality Standards Regulations, was published on 30 September 2025. The report can be accessed on gov.uk: Air pollution in the UK 2024 - GOV.UK
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve air quality in major cities. \p Emma Hardy: The Government has provided £576 million to support local authorities to improve air quality. The Government is supporting 64 local authorities through the NO2 programme specifically to develop and implement measures to address their Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) exceedances in the shortest possible time. For example, between 2019-2023, in the areas of cities that have a Clean Air Zone, NO2 concentrations have reduced by between 15% and 42% on average.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of water companies' self-monitoring of (a) discharges and (b) pollution incidents. \p Emma Hardy: This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.

The Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Act banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and introduced prison sentences for executives who cover up sewage spills - closing the gaps that have allowed companies to get away with behaviours that are unacceptable.

The Independent Water Commission examined how to strengthen the regulation even further. The former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and Government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to grant the Environment Agency statutory powers to test for (a) E. coli and (b) other harmful pathogens in watercourses. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency (EA) regularly samples and monitors for E.coli and Intestinal enterococci bacteria in watercourses that are officially designated as Bathing Waters. This information is available to the public, via the Swimfo website.

The EA may require water companies to take environmental samples for E. Coli and other faecal indicator organism bacteria during sewage pollution incidents which have potential to impact on bathing waters.

The EA also requires that water companies report faecal indicator concentration downstream of sites permitted to provide disinfection. All sites are required to report on E. Coli. Sites that are designated bathing waters are additionally required to report Intestinal Enterococci (I.E.). The EA reviews this reported data to check disinfection plants are meeting their design objectives.

The Independent Water Commission made a number of recommendations relating to Public Health. The Government will reply to these in their White Paper later this year.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is in place for farmers who are unable to access SFI agreements between the scheme’s closure in March 2025 and the planned re opening in mid 2026. \p Dame Angela Eagle: There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive. As of April 2025, these schemes supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland being managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows being protected and restored.

In the recent spending review, we committed to carrying on the transition towards paying to deliver public goods for the environment. We have allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that will better target SFI in an orderly way towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. Further information about the reformed SFI will be provided shortly.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to resolve delays in payments under the Sustainable Farming Incentive due to designated site complications such as underlying archaeology. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Rural Payments Agency are working at pace with customers to resolve those agreements identified where herbal lays have been applied to land containing historic features which impacted their eligibility.

With over 85% of these payments now been released, we are continuing to work with the affected customers to ensure any remaining payments due are made as soon as possible.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the UK Forestry Standard is being enforced in (a) public and (b) private woodland creation. \p Mary Creagh: The UK Forestry Standard is the technical standard for sustainable forest management across the UK and defines the government requirements for forestry in the UK. When taking decisions on regulatory or grant applications from private landowners, the Forestry Commission assesses all proposals to ensure that they are in line with the UK Forestry Standard. Similarly, Forestry England woodlands are UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) certified by an independent auditor. The UKWAS is based on the UKFS.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that newly created woodlands are (a) ecologically diverse and (b) climate-resilient. \p Mary Creagh: Both the Woodland Creation Planning Grant and England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) enables landowners to design woodlands that fit with their own and Government objectives for woodland creation. EWCO includes maintenance grants for 15 years to ensure successful establishment. The England Woodland Creation Offer has additional contributions for woodlands designed to enhance nature recovery. The Ecological Site Classification tool ensures that the choice of species will be resilient to future climatic conditions of the site. The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) ensures that a new woodland should have no more than 65% of the site planted with 1 species, to ensure a resilient mix. Elements of EWCO (Nature Recovery Additional Contributions) encourage a diverse use of predominately native tree species beyond UKFS requirements.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help restore plantations on ancient woodland sites. \p Mary Creagh: Defra supports private landowners and land managers to restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland (PAWS) with a dedicated supplement in Countryside Stewardship. Defra is also continuing support to Forestry England to restore PAWS on the public forest estate. Forestry England manages around one-third of all PAWS. Today, a quarter of those sites have been restored. Forestry England is now working to double the pace of restoration, supported for the first time this year by direct Defra funding.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to strengthen the accountability of water companies for pollution other than by implementing a (a) self-monitoring and (b) fines system. \p Emma Hardy: This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. The Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies.

The Act has introduced independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish near real-time data (within an hour of a discharge occurring) for all emergency overflows, matching the pre-existing duty and meeting the Government commitment to ensure monitoring of every outlet.

The Act banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and introduced prison sentences for executives who cover up sewage spills - closing the gaps that have allowed companies to get away with behaviours that are unacceptable.

The Independent Water Commission examined how to strengthen the regulation even further. The former Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report and the Government will be taking forward a number of recommendations.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the (a) cost and (b) timeline for the development of grassroots sports facilities. \p Mary Creagh: The Government has recently concluded a consultation on improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for minor, medium and brownfield development. It sought views on a potential partial exemption to BNG for parks, public gardens and playing fields development. Responses are being analysed, and the Government will publish a response to the consultation in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on restoring 280,000 hectares of peatland by 2050. \p Mary Creagh: Restoration activity is delivered through agri-environment schemes and the Nature for Climate Fund. This fund has secured the restoration of approximately 28,000 hectares of peatlands. In the last restoration season (24/25), 5,606 hectares were restored.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Sadik Al-Hassan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to implement an animal welfare labelling scheme to support British farmers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here on GOV.UK.

We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to support (a) businesses and (b) individuals in removing (i) Japanese knotweed and (ii) other invasive plant species. \p Mary Creagh: Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive non-native plant species (INNPs), 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, the Government has developed guidance on treating and disposing of Japanese knotweed, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK. Guidance is also available on treating and disposing other INNPs, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop invasive non-native plants from spreading - GOV.UK.

In partnership with the Welsh Government and Natural England, Defra is funding the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of living organisms as a cost and time-effective way of managing INNPs. This research has identified the psyllid (Aphalari itadori) as a biocontrol agent for tackling Japanese knotweed. Further information can be found on CABI’s website: Japanese knotweed - CABI.org.

Defra is providing funding for land managers to control and manage INNPs through the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further information can be found on GOV.UK: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to extend the ban on water company bonuses to cover payments from offshore companies. \p Emma Hardy: This Government has been clear about our expectations - and those of the public - regarding unwarranted water company bonuses.

Companies should be transparent over the entire remuneration package for executives, so Ofwat can robustly monitor and enforce against its new rule on executive remuneration and assess the rule’s effectiveness ahead of the planned review in 2027.

Should Ofwat find any rule breaches, companies will face enforcement action which can include financial penalties.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on the enforcement of water quality standards in national parks. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency (EA) regulates to protect water quality standards across England, including within national parks. National parks often contain sensitive area designations such as bathing waters, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or protected habitats, which afford higher levels of protection and regulation. Any environmental offences in national parks, such as pollution incidents and breaches of permits or regulations, are investigated and enforcement taken in line with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

Protecting the natural environment remains a priority, and we continue to work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure high standards are upheld.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the regulatory requirements of sewage treatment works that serve fewer than 2,000 people. \p Emma Hardy: Through the recommendations made by the Independent Water Commission, Defra is embarking on a review of regulations as part of the Government’s wider commitment to regulatory reform.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the level of fines that will be levied against water companies in each of the next five years. \p Emma Hardy: It is for the regulators to determine fines against water companies.

In May this year, Ofwat issued a £104.5m fine to Thames Water for breaches of rules relating to the company’s wastewater operations. A payment plan has since been confirmed, with 20% of the fine to be paid by the end of this month.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to provide an alternative source of funding for local environmental projects in the event that fines on water companies are not sufficient to meet the projected expenditure on those projects. \p Emma Hardy: In June, this Government announced that fines and penalties levied against water companies for environmental breaches will be reinvested into future local environmental projects across the country to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. These could include local environmental programmes to address pollution and improve water quality. Further details about the projects and programmes to be funded and whether alternative sources of funding will be required will be confirmed in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to support tenant stock-rearing farmers with the costs of (a) rising feed, (b) energy and (c) national insurance costs. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government’s New Deal for Farmers includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.  We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

With regard to these specific issues:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of (a) the effectiveness of agricultural funding schemes and (b) how they can support food production. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.

We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced later this year.

The Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, provides grants to support industry-led R&D to develop technologies and innovative practices to drive innovation in agriculture and increase productivity, sustainability and resilience in our farming sectors.

We have also protected farmers in trade deals and provided a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker route, giving farms certainty to grow their businesses.

We are using our own purchasing power to back British produce, with an ambition, where possible, for half of food supplied into the public sector to be produced locally or certified to high environmental standards.

We are reforming the planning system to support clean energy projects that align with our Clean Power 2030 ambitions, helping farm businesses to become more profitable and resilient.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure biosolids used as fertiliser do not contain (a) per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and (b) microplastics. \p Emma Hardy: We recognise the need to ensure the safe and sustainable use of sludge in agriculture to help clean up our waterways and promote healthy soil. We will continue to work constructively with stakeholders on our ongoing review of the regulatory framework to ensure it is fit-for-purpose.

The Government has been working with water companies under their Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP), to improve the evidence base on the behaviour and fate of contaminants during treatment processes. CIP phase 4 will include a Groundwater, Soil and Biosolids investigation. This will explore the fate and behaviour of multiple chemical compounds, including PFAS substances and microplastics, to establish whether detected substances may pose a risk to long-term soil health, groundwater quality and the wider environment.

This work will help inform possible and future measures to mitigate contaminants in the environment. We discuss the progress of this work on a frequent basis.

Earlier this year, we published this Option Appraisal for Intentionally Added Microplastics, which provides a welcome addition to our sum of knowledge on the options to protect human health and the UK environment from the risks of microplastics. We are considering the results of this study.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to allocate funding for seafish-related (a) skills and (b) other training for the 2025-26 financial year. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Seafish were eligible to apply for skills and training-related funding through the recently closed Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS). The Marine Management Organisation is currently reviewing and testing eligibility of applications submitted under the scheme. Outcomes of all FaSS applications will be communicated once the assessment process is complete.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-16)

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Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what process her Department uses to reallocate unused licences that allow fishing for bass. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Bass authorisations are administered by the Marine Management Organisation. They are separate to fishing vessel licences and allocated to the vessel with a track record of landing bass between 1 July 2015 to 30 September 2016. Unless approved by MMO to transfer an authorisation to another vessel under specific circumstances, bass authorisations cannot be transferred between individuals. A review of the current bass authorisation system is underway.