theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to create any new national parks. \p Mary Creagh: Following the previous Government’s announcement on 29 November 2023, Natural England have undertaken early exploratory work to consider possible approaches to the designation of a new National Park in England.

It is important to note that there is no formal application process for National Park or National Landscape (AONB) designation. Natural England takes an evidence-led approach, guided by government policy steers, and any future search will be England-wide.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to involve communities and stakeholders in the development of a new Clean Air Strategy; and what his planned timetable is for completing the strategy. \p Emma Hardy: The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them.

The Government launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment, including for air quality. The Government concluded the review of the EIP at the end of last year and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders, communities and interested parties in meetings to develop a strategy to clean up our air and reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure food and allergy labelling laws are updated to provide clearer and accurate information for consumers. \p Daniel Zeichner: Consumers receiving accurate information about the food they eat is of upmost importance, however any new legislation needs to be carefully considered, taking into account the views of all stakeholders and the balance of costs and benefits, which will take some time

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has policy responsibility for food safety, including food allergen labelling, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are working to improve the availability and accuracy of allergen information for non-prepacked foods, which includes foods made to order in restaurants

In December 2023, the FSA Board agreed that businesses selling non-prepacked foods, such as cafes and restaurants, should provide allergen information to consumers in writing and this should be supported by a conversation. Following the Board’s decision, FSA officials are working to assess the impact of different legislative options for improving the provision of allergen information for non-prepacked foods. Defra officials are being kept closely informed on the progress of this work.   In parallel, taking the steer from the Board, the FSA has created best practice guidance for businesses to provide written information and support this with a conversation, which has just been through a public consultation. This guidance along with tools to assist businesses in following it will be published in the next few days.
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Linsey Farnsworth:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there is an adequate number of trained and skilled staff conducting checks on flowers and plants at UK border posts. \p Daniel Zeichner: Checks at Border Control Posts are handled by trained staff working to standard operating procedures, ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently. APHA’s plant health import inspection process is accredited to the ISO 17020 Inspection Standard which is subject to external audits from the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS).

Inspectors are rigorously trained and are equipped to ensure SPS goods are handled safely and with care.

GB plant health services have significantly increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and ensure minimal trade disruption.
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Chris Ward:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing Clean Air Zones in cities across England. \p Emma Hardy: The evidence shows that Clean Air Zones are effective in reducing air pollution and Defra publish ‘Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans’ annual reports which cover this in detail. Other measures can also be effective, and Local authorities are best placed to determine the best route for reducing nitrogen dioxide in their cities. The Government is committed to working with them as they deliver legally binding obligations to improve the air we breathe. There are no plans to extend clean air zones to other cities.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how funding from the farming innovation programme will be allocated among different agri-technology research and development projects. \p Daniel Zeichner: Applicants to the Farming Innovation Programme are assessed by the Programme’s delivery partner, Innovate UK, on how they address a particular challenge identified by industry (for industry-led partnership competitions) or by Defra (for thematic competitions) following submission of their application. We seek a balanced portfolio approach, which means that funding can be allocated in a way to benefit all farming sectors, while projects are assessed on their individual merit.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to provide an annual assessment of the UK’s progress towards climate and nature targets. \p Mary Creagh: This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. In January 2025 we committed to publishing an annual climate and nature statement to parliament and the country.

In terms of frameworks already in place, under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Climate Change Committee provide an annual assessment on the UK government's progress towards meeting carbon budgets and a biennial assessment of progress to adapt to climate change. We are expecting the next progress reports in spring 2025 and the government will lay its responses in Parliament by 15 October 2025.

In accordance with the statutory requirements for progress reports under the Environment Act 2021, the Secretary of State must prepare annual reports on the implementation of the current environmental improvement plan. The next report covering the period to March 2025 is due to be published and laid in Parliament by July 2025.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Ofwat on ensuring that any fines placed on water companies are not passed onto customers in the form of higher bills. \p Emma Hardy: The cost burden for water company fines is borne by their shareholders, not by customers.

Ofwat have been clear that when financial penalties are imposed on water companies, customers should not bear the costs and water companies cannot surcharge their customers to recover the funds.

During its first week in office, the Government announced that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers.
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Robbie Moore:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how he allocated funding previously allocated to the Air Quality Funding Scheme for 2024. \p Emma Hardy: The Local Air Quality Grant was withdrawn by the previous Air Quality Minister – the hon. Member for Keighley and Ilkley.

The funding was allocated to be spent during the 23/24 financial year so was not at the disposal of the new Air Quality Minister for the current financial year.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Havant Thicket Reservoir is one of the nine new reservoirs referenced in the press release entitled Reeves: I am going further and faster to kick start the economy, published on 28 January 2025. \p Emma Hardy: The Havant Thicket Reservoir was not one of the nine new reservoirs referenced in the press release.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take through the Environmental Improvement Plan to consider the potential impact of air pollution on public health. \p Emma Hardy: The Government has recently concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23). As you can easily see, we published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings  on 30 January 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP later this year. The revised EIP will include a series of interventions to reduce emissions of air pollutants so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.
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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on (a) reducing regional and (b) achieving international commitments to reduce air pollution. \p Emma Hardy: The United Kingdom is playing an active role in engagement with European counterparts and other countries in reducing air pollution.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 25593 on Wood-burning stoves: air pollution, what assessment his Department has (a) made and (b) commissioned of the impact of the burning of household rubbish in the gardens of residential properties on air pollution. \p Emma Hardy: No assessment has been made of the impact of burning household waste in gardens as there is legislation and guidance to prevent fires causing pollution or a nuisance.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to farmers on steps to mitigate risks associated with smart meter failures. \p Daniel Zeichner: We are not aware of any particular problems with the reliability of smart meters on farms, nor of them impacting the operation of automatic livestock feeders. Any customer experiencing issues with their smart meter should contact their energy supplier for further guidance.

Smart meters enable accurate billing by automatically recording consumers’ energy use in every half-hour period, allowing suppliers to bill based on consumers’ actual rather than estimated usage. They are replacing analogue gas and electricity meters as part of the national infrastructure upgrade needed to achieve the Government’s mission to build a flexible and decarbonised power system by 2030.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new GIS flood mapping on housebuilders' ability to secure affordable insurance for new homes. \p Emma Hardy: Flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. The Government has committed to ensure we are building more high-quality, well-designed and sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits.

The Environment Agency maps show the risk of flooding to areas of land although cannot assess specific risk to individual properties. They do not show where has or has not flooded before.

On the 25 March 2025, the Environment Agency intends to publish updated flood zone data on the ‘Flood map for planning’ which will support developers and planners to find the data they need to undertake flood risk assessments.

Many insurance companies use their own flood risk maps and data, alongside a combination of risk information, to determine insurance premiums.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the progress of industry and businesses in developing cost-effective microplastic filter solutions for washing machines. \p Emma Hardy: Defra officials gratefully received information which the honourable member kindly provided in her recent letter to me. The information was reported by a washing machine filter technology group describing solutions to tackling microplastics and microfibres as a product of washing textiles and clothing. Officials are currently assessing the details.

The Government is concerned about the risks microplastics in our water environment may pose to public health and to the environment. Defra is working with water companies to investigate microplastics detected during wastewater treatment and their potential to enter the receiving aquatic environment.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme on the hospitality sector. \p Mary Creagh: In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

The Government has been engaging extensively with stakeholders from various sectors, including the hospitality sector, to continue to develop our understanding of the impacts of this policy. Feedback has been factored into the work on setting illustrative base fees as well as in considering where the legislation could be amended, both in a planned amending SI and for any future changes.

The Government will continue to monitor the impact of implementing the pEPR scheme on the packaging market.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has put a contingency plan in place in the event that Thames Water becomes financially unsustainable. \p Emma Hardy: The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation with Thames Water, and Ofwat continues to engage with Thames Water to support it in improving its resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations.

The company remains stable. However, we do want to provide reassurance that we are prepared for a range of scenarios across our regulated industries – including water – as any responsible Government should be.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to trial Avian Flu vaccinations in poultry farms in Devon. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra have established a cross-government and industry taskforce to explore potential for use of vaccination as a preventive measure for avian influenza. In conjunction with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), Defra will continue to monitor the development and availability of vaccines for their utility in preventing and responding to avian influenza outbreaks as they are put forward for market authorisation by vaccine manufacturers.

A clinical trial to examine under field conditions the safety and/or efficacy of a veterinary vaccine, when conducted in Great Britain and/or Northern Ireland requires an Animal Test Certificate (ATC). Applications to carry out a clinical trial for avian influenza vaccination must be made to the VMD who will conduct an assessment based on the information provided and consider the application in consultation with Defra.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the temporary closure of capital grants within the Sustainable Farming Incentive on (a) the Great Big Dorset Hedge project and (b) other community-led environmental initiatives. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra paused the standalone Capital Grant scheme, which includes grants to plant hedgerows, due to unprecedented demand. Defra announced on 24 February that all applications submitted before the scheme paused to new applications will be processed and funding will be granted to eligible applicants, including those who want to plant hedgerows. Defra does not intend to assess the impact of the temporary pause as this was a short period to re-assess the affordability of the scheme.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to implement alternative mechanisms to help support farmers with (a) hedgerow planting and (b) restoration projects following the suspension of capital grants under the Sustainable Farming Incentive. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra announced on 24 February that the standalone Capital Grant scheme will re-open in the summer. The Capital Grant scheme will continue to offer funding to support hedgerow planting and restoration projects. In addition, Defra offers a range of other grants to support capital works which benefit the environment which are open now.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to prohibit water companies from passing on any fines to customers via increasing their water bills. \p Emma Hardy: Ofwat are clear that when financial penalties are imposed on water companies, customers should not bear the costs and water companies cannot surcharge their customers to recover the funds.

Building on this, during its first week in office, the government announced that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department provides for large-scale farms transitioning to agroecological approaches. \p Daniel Zeichner: Agroecological practices promote sustainable and resilient approaches to farming. This aligns with the goals of the government’s Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which will fund improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. We consider much of the funding under our ELM schemes as supporting agroecological practices.

As announced in October 2024, Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. ELM remains at the centre of our offer for farmers and will be funded by the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history of £1.8 billion. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help encourage the adoption of agroforestry systems where crops are planted among trees to help improve (a) biodiversity and (b) resilience. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra recognises that agroforestry provides an important opportunity to increase the number of trees on farms, providing many environmental benefits, while maintaining agricultural production. The key steps the Government is taking are:

Schemes are being rolled out in a controlled manner. Due to demand some Capital Grants are temporarily paused and expected to reopen in summer 2025.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department offers young individuals seeking to start their own farming enterprises. \p Daniel Zeichner: Attracting bright new talent into land-based careers and having a skilled workforce in place is vital for the future of UK food and farming.

Defra works closely with The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH) which is encouraging young people and new entrants into farming in its capacity as an industry led professional body for the farming industry. This includes leading a cross-industry initiative to address common negative misconceptions about the sector and providing free TIAH membership for students. TIAH is also developing online capabilities to support matching mentees with mentors, and those looking for land with those who wish to provide access to land.

Furthermore, the Government has launched Skills England to ensure there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need. It will work with its partners to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of mixing farming practices that integrate livestock and crop production to improve soil health. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra has made several assessments via R&D addressing the effectiveness of mixing farming practices which integrate livestock and crop production to improve soil health, focussing on comparing integrated crop and livestock systems with conventional cropping systems. Some of this ongoing research is delivered collaboratively via EU programmes, which also address circularity in mixed systems and have an emphasis on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the adoption of hydroponic systems among traditional farmers. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government is committed to supporting farmers in adopting innovative technologies to improve productivity and sustainability. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Techniques (ADOPT) Fund, which will open for applications in the spring, provides funding for on-farm trials of new technologies and techniques. This may include trials exploring the application of hydroponics in various farming environments.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned research into the scalability of vertical farming practices. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government recognises that vertical farming (as part of Controlled Environment Horticulture) is a highly productive and valuable component of our wider agricultural system. As part of our mission-driven government, we are now considering how we can achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for all our farming sectors, including horticulture.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to collaborate with educational institutions to provide apprenticeship opportunities in the agricultural sector. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Department for Education (DfE) works closely with education providers and key partners such as Landex, the membership body for land-based education providers, to understand the challenges in delivering agricultural education and what support is needed to ensure everyone has access to high quality skills training.

There are 39 apprenticeships available for delivery in agriculture, environmental and animal care. To support more apprenticeship opportunities for young people the DfE provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan or who have been in local authority care.

We are working with industry and DfE to understand how the agricultural and horticultural sectors can make better use of the available apprenticeship system.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the expansion of domestic manufacturing of (a) tractors, (b) combine harvesters and (c) precision agriculture technology. \p Daniel Zeichner: Domestic adoption of precision farming technologies including, for example, tractor mounted drills, inter row hoes and weeders and camera guided spot sprayers, has been supported by the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF), that provides grants towards the cost of innovative equipment that is commercially available. A round of FETF will open to farmers across England in Spring 2025.

Through the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund we are also providing grants for farmer-led demonstration trials of newly emerging technologies, so farmers may have greater confidence to invest in further advances to improve productivity and profitability.

A range of measures is being considered through the development of the Government’s Industrial Strategy to benefit UK technology and equipment manufacturers and deliver growth.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing (a) fiscal and (b) regulatory incentives to (i) support UK-based agricultural machinery manufacturers and (ii) reduce reliance on imported agricultural equipment. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Farming Innovation Programme funds research and innovation to offer new technology, equipment and practices that will support development of UK businesses and deliver solutions for farmers. Further grants like the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF) have helped ensure these UK-developed technologies can be adopted to support UK agriculture.

We continue to work with industry to explore and enhance the full range of levers available to support UK agri-innovation and technology growth.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the long-term strategic investment required to support flood mitigation along the Severn Estuary. \p Emma Hardy: We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. We will work to improve resilience and preparation across central government and local authorities to better protect communities across the UK.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting communities across the country, including from coastal erosion, as we adapt to climate change

Regional Flood and Coastal Committees play a key role in bringing these schemes together, making local choices and agreeing the final programmes in their areas.

The Environment Agency is undertaking computer based hydraulic modelling of the Severn Estuary to understand current and future flood risk. Using this information, improvements to existing flood schemes and construction of new flood schemes can then be planned in accordance with Government policy.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of aligning the controls on shotguns with that of other firearms on financial costs to farm businesses. \p Daniel Zeichner: The consultation on the recommendation made to the Home Office on aligning the controls on shotguns with other firearms, as set out in the Government response to the consultation, “Firearms Licensing: a consultation on recommendations for changes made to the Home Office” and published on 13 February, will be published later this year. The necessary impact assessments will be published with that consultation.
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Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of not extending the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme on producers in England and Wales. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and, in England, legislation is in place to close the scheme to English Producer Organisations on 31 December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of harmful pesticides on the number of bees in Hertfordshire. \p Emma Hardy: Defra has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of pesticides on Hertfordshire’s bee population.

Defra funds a monitoring programme providing information about the concentrations of different pesticides in honey collected from beehives across England, and the subsequent risk to honeybees.

Defra partly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS) which generates systematic data on the abundance of bees and other flower-visiting insects at a national scale. Data from PoMS insect surveys contributes to providing an invaluable resource from which to measure trends in pollinator populations and target conservation efforts.

England biodiversity indicators provide data about the relative abundance of wild bees.

These schemes collect data from around the country and have been designed to ensure regional representation, but do not allow assessment of the impact of pesticides on bee populations locally.

Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees.

Use of the neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB is not allowed on sugar beet in England in 2025 as an application for its emergency use was not approved. This decision underlines the Government’s commitment to protecting pollinators and the wider environment.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will take steps to provide additional (a) funding and (b) other support to free range poultry farmers affected by Avian flu. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK poultry sector is highly resilient, adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the war in Ukraine and Avian Influenza outbreaks.

In Autumn 2024 Defra announced a package of measures to help poultry farmers to deal with the impact of Avian Influenza outbreaks and to provide certainty and stability to the sector. This included:

We continue to work closely with the poultry and egg sectors and to monitor these markets for any supply issues and impacts to producers that arise as a result of Avian Influenza outbreaks.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding opportunities his Department offers farmers to introduce precision agriculture tools. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government is committed to supporting farmers in adopting innovative technologies to improve productivity and sustainability. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Techniques (ADOPT) Fund, which will open for applications in the spring, provides funding for on-farm trials of new technologies and techniques. This can include precision agriculture tools [such as GPS-guided machinery, variable-rate application systems, and remote sensing technology].

In addition, the forthcoming round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF), to launch in Spring 2025, will support the uptake of innovative technology and equipment that is commercially available. The scheme will be open to farmers across England and a list of eligible equipment will be published within the scheme guidance ahead of its launch.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made as assessment of the potential impact of RNA pesticides on the bee population. \p Emma Hardy: Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of RNA pesticides on the bee population. At present, there are no RNA interference plant protection products (PPPs) authorised for use in GB.

Should anyone wish to market an RNA interference PPP for professional use in GB, they must first submit an application to the independent regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who would complete a thorough risk assessment before making a decision on authorisation. Any application would need to meet the data requirements outlined in GB’s PPP regulations (more information can be found on HSE’s website: Data Requirements Introduction and Index).

All active substances and commercial products must show no unacceptable effects on people or wildlife. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees; if this is failed, then no authorisation is given.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of recent developments in Russia's war in Ukraine on food security in the UK. \p Daniel Zeichner: British reliance on food supplies from Ukraine is currently low. Defra actively monitors risks to UK food security on an ongoing basis. The UK Food Security Report, which was published in December, examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security to present a full and impartial analysis of UK food security.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 27227 on Shellfish: Animal Welfare, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including all animals recognised as sentient beings in the Animal Welfare Act 2006. \p Daniel Zeichner: Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 27227, no policy decisions about these animals in relation to the Animal Welfare Act (2006) have been made whilst the evidence-base is being built.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8712 on Animal Welfare, what steps he plans to take to help improve animal welfare. \p Daniel Zeichner: This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. In our manifesto we laid out that we will ban trail hunting, ban the importation of hunting trophies, end puppy smuggling and farming and ban the use of snare traps.

The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, in the context of proposed changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief. \p Daniel Zeichner: We are clear that the vast majority of those claiming Agricultural and Business Property Relief will not be affected by our reforms. Three quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most people pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach, which means farmers in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency and across the country will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done, while we fix the public services we all rely on.

Further support for farmers was revealed by the Secretary of State at February 2025’s NFU conference. This includes a £110 million investment in innovation, equipment, and technology, an increase in Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates, an extension of the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme for another year until March 2026, an update on the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway’s coverage, and announcements on the reopening of the Capital Grants scheme and on the roll out the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme.

The Secretary of State also announced an extension of the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years and new requirements for Government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products that local farms and producers are well placed to serve, and reiterated the Government’s commitment to uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals

This will all support farmers in the Aldrige-Brownhills constituency and across the country in delivering public goods for the environment and a profitable farming sector and unlocking rural growth.
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Wera Hobhouse:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent priority habitat grasslands from being destroyed by being entered into the Sustainable Farming Incentive herbal ley action (CSAM3) in future years. \p Daniel Zeichner: The published Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) CSAM3 herbal ley guidance protects priority habitat grassland by explicitly stating that the only eligible land types are arable, temporary grassland and improved permanent grassland. It also notes that Priority Habitats are protected by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Agriculture) Regulations, and that permission would be needed from Natural England before undertaking any activities which ‘increase the productivity of 2 hectares or more of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas – such as ploughing, applying fertilisers, sowing seed, converting grassland to arable, and clearing scrub or vegetation’.

We estimate that 202ha (0.15%) of species-rich priority habitat grassland and 720ha (0.91%) of good quality semi-improved grassland have herbal leys somewhere within the land parcels. There is some uncertainty in this estimate as it will depend at more detailed scale whether a portion of a land parcel contains priority grassland. Implementing herbal leys on part of a land parcel which is not priority habitat could be done without damaging a different part of the same land parcel which is priority habitat grassland. Where the existing priority habitat sward contains the mix of species required for a herbal ley it is entirely possible the existing management is continuing, avoiding any damage to the priority habitat.

We continue to monitor the situation while developing improved guidance for where and how to implement herbal leys, as well as signposting to more appropriate SFI actions for grasslands with potential to become species rich.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on permitting a vaccine for Bluetongue; and what discussions he has had with devolved Administrations on ensuring that vaccine is available across the United Kingdom. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra’s approach to bluetongue virus (BTV) considers the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice and aims to limit the spread of infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures.

Close collaborative working on bluetongue vaccination with Devolved Governments is facilitated through the bluetongue vaccine task force. The task force was established in April 2024 by Defra as a cross-government and industry task force to progress opportunities for bluetongue vaccination for BTV-3.

Supported by the work of the bluetongue vaccination taskforce, in the absence of UK authorised vaccines for BTV-3 following assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) the Secretary of State in 2024 permitted the use of three unauthorised vaccines for emergency use in line with bluetongue legislation, in the UK subject to licence. A general licence permitting the use of these vaccines in England from 26 September 2024 has been published by Defra. The Welsh Government has also announced plans that a licence for the three BTV-3 vaccines for use in Wales from 1 March 2025 will be made available. Licences for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not currently available, but the use of BTV-3 vaccines in these areas remain under review. We advise animal keepers that are considering using the vaccine to speak to their private vet for advice.

Defra, in conjunction with the VMD will continue to monitor the development and availability of BTV vaccines as they are put forward for market authorisation by vaccine manufacturers.