Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Development of all policies within Defra, including on fisheries, is undertaken holistically. We work across the public sector, private sector and society to make policy that works for citizens, and to help the Government achieve its missions and priorities. This includes collaborating closely across policy areas in Defra (such as fisheries management plans, offshore wind and the Marine Protected Areas programme), as well as with different Government departments and levels of Government, to fully explore linkages with other areas of policy delivery by Defra and beyond.

On 30 August, the Government announced the start of work on a comprehensive new strategy for England, to drive down bovine tuberculosis (TB) rates to save cattle and farmers’ livelihoods and end the badger cull by the end of this parliament. This will be undertaken in co-design with farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists, ensuring the new strategy marks a significant step-change in approach to tackling this devastating disease. By beating the disease we will end any need to cull badgers.

Existing cull processes, set up under the previous administration, will be honoured to ensure clarity for farmers involved in these culls whilst new measures can be rolled out through work on the new strategy. No new intensive or supplementary badger control licences will be issued, with all existing licences issued under these policies ending by January 2026. Any application for a licence received in respect of a TB hotspot in the Low Risk Area, would be processed by Natural England, as the delegated licensing authority, in accordance with the published policy guidance for this licence type, as introduced by the previous government in 2018.

For calendar year 2024 to date, 75% of incident reports received by the Environment Agency (EA) have been assessed within the target time of one hour. All incidents reported to the EA are classified by their risk to the public and environment. The EA cannot report the time taken to respond to individual incidents by locality but plans for future upgrades to systems should enable this.

The EA inspects flood risk assets on a frequency of between six and 60 months, depending on risk. If the EA is alerted to a concern with an asset, an inspection can be undertaken before the due date. If an asset is identified below required condition, it is fixed within 60 days or, if the damage is significant, a more detailed assessment is completed to determine appropriate actions. Where an asset is likely to remain below required condition for more than 60 days, mitigation measures are put in place to ensure the asset can operate until the full repair is complete. If an asset requires urgent repairs and there is an immediate risk, emergency repairs are undertaken.

For zoo animal transfers from Great Britain (GB) to the European Union (EU), export requirements vary and must be agreed on a case-by-case basis with the importing country. On receipt of the requirements, Defra collaborates with officials in the importing country to ensure these are practical before producing an official certificate ensuring safe, compliant trade while safeguarding animal and public health. This minimizes the risk of live animals being delayed or returned at borders due to non-compliance.

Border Control Points capacity at key locations within the EU can affect zoo animal movements, creating challenges for GB zoos participating in international conservation projects. The department engages with stakeholders, including the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and French authorities, to advocate for new border control posts and streamline processes where possible.

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. Disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England, including Hertfordshire where there have been 3 cases to date.

The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements. Some animals were humanely culled to prevent establishment at the outset and infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone have also been humanely culled.

Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3 which are now available for vets to prescribe in England.

Defra and APHA continue surveillance and epidemiological assessments, remaining vigilant for any changes, and are working closely with key industry stakeholders to review how we approach controls for BTV-3 for the coming winter months, in 2025 and beyond.

This Government's commitment to farmers and the vital role they play, remains steadfast. We will never forget that farmers are the beating heart of our great country. It is their hard work that puts food on our tables and stewards our beautiful countryside.

The Government's estimate of the potential economic impact of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) can be found in the published Impact Assessment (IA), and suggests that gross output could be reduced by around 3% for beef and 5% for sheepmeat. Since the FTA came into force on the 31^st May 2023, imports from Australia have not yet reached the levels estimated in the IA. Australia continues to focus on geographically closer markets and used 20% of its sheepmeat quota and 8% of its beef quota in 2023 since the FTA has been in force.

The National Food Crime Unit’s 2024 strategic assessment of food crime concluded it is unlikely that adulterated honey is broadly present on the UK market. All honey on sale must meet the Honey (England) Regulations 2015 which lay down detailed specifications for honey in terms of its composition and quality criteria. The Government keeps its rules under continuous review to ensure they continue to meet their objective and protect consumers.

Honey authenticity analysis is challenging due to natural variations in honey composition and harvesting practices. No single test can definitively determine a honey’s authenticity.

The Government has an active programme of research dedicated to standardising and improving honey authenticity testing, working to support monitoring and enforcement to protect consumers and legitimate businesses. This includes enabling ways to validate testing approaches to assess compliance to ensure they are fit for purpose including use of a weight of evidence approach.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the new Secretary of State’s five core priorities for Defra.

The Government fully supports the important work internal drainage boards (IDBs) do in managing water and flood risk, benefiting communities, businesses and the environment. To support this important work, and in recognition of the significant impact flooding has on farms and rural communities, the Government has announced [Written Ministerial Statement HCWS214] additional financial support for IDBs.

Preventing an outbreak of African swine fever in the UK remains one of Defra’s key biosecurity priorities. UK safeguard measures are in place prohibiting live pigs, wild boar, or pork products from affected European Union (EU) areas from entering Great Britain. Enforcement is carried out by Border Force and Port Health Authority officers at seaports and airports.

Under the enhanced safeguard measures introduced in September, travellers are no longer allowed to bring pork products into Great Britain unless they are produced and packaged to the EU’s commercial standards and weigh no more than two kilograms.

Defra and its agencies continuously review the spread of African swine fever and are ready to introduce further biosecurity restrictions should these be deemed necessary in response to new scientific and risk data. Risk assessments can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

I have discussed the risks that incorrect disposal of waste batteries can have at a senior level with the Environment Agency, including in the context of fires at waste sites.

This Government is investing £2.4 billion over this year and next year to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The list of projects to receive government funding will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.

Protecting both animal and human health is a top priority. Imports from EU zones restricted due to high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cannot meet the necessary animal health requirements, and therefore Import Health Certificates cannot be issued. However, imports from non-restricted areas remain permitted.

The department remains in close contact with EU counterparts to ensure restrictions are science-based and proportionate, with the aim of resuming trade as soon as conditions allow.

If foreign vessels were prohibited from fishing in UK waters without clear evidence of their negative impacts, we could expect reciprocal action to be taken against UK vessels.

For actions relating to the EU, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement sets out very clearly that measures should not be discriminatory.

.

We are, however, taking a broader approach to improving the sustainability of our fisheries through our Marine Protected Area management policy and the introduction of Fisheries Management Plans.

The UK is a leader on efforts to end plastic pollution. We already have a broad range of measures in place domestically that we are using, alongside ongoing industry and private sector engagement, as the basis to drive ambition across the proposed provisions of the UN Plastic Pollution Treaty.  The Treaty is still under negotiation, with the UK committed to playing a leading role at the forthcoming fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee to ensure an effective treaty is agreed.

At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastics Treaty, the UK will align with our domestic policy on any provisions related to chemical recycling, including mass balance.

Therefore, where relevant we will recognise that chemical recycling technologies can offer a complementary route to support the transition towards a circular economy, where mechanical recycling is unfeasible or uneconomic and where this waste may otherwise be incinerated.

There are no proposals in the Treaty on the mass balance approach. Through their recent consultation response following Autumn Budget, His Majesty’s Treasury confirmed acceptance of using a mass balance approach to calculate chemically recycled content in plastic packaging for the purposes of the Plastic Packaging Tax in the UK.

The Government appreciates and values the vital work of the horticulture industry and recognises its role in maintaining a secure food supply.

As part of our mission-driven Government, and in partnership with the sector, Defra is considering how we can achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for the sector, including how to recognise the sector’s diversity and specialist needs.

The Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and legislation is in place which will close it on 31 December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, while protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture.

The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

Country of origin information is required for fresh and frozen meat of beef, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry, as well as uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil, wine and some fish products. The fundamental principles of our food labelling rules are that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable consumers to make informed decisions. Under existing food labelling rules, food that is not of UK origin cannot be labelled in a way, such as with pictures or words, that states or suggests it is of UK origin. This includes the way in which foods are arranged and the setting in which they are displayed.

If processed food products made in the UK provide that origin information to the consumer, the information must also make clear if the primary ingredient is not from the UK e.g. label with 'British cheese made with milk from Ireland’. Shops will often voluntarily label their British cheese, hams and bacon when they are made from British milk and meat, helping shoppers easily identify and buy great British produce.

The Government has no plans to change the legal protections for gull species. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee Seabird Census (2015-2021) and the 2024 Birds of Conservation Concern report indicate substantial population declines due to, for example, avian influenza and prey availability. This includes gull species such as herring and lesser black-backed gulls.

All wild birds in England, including gulls, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In exceptional cases Natural England can issue licences for the management of protected species, including gulls, for certain purposes such as protecting public health and safety or for conservation.

The Government has committed to support farmers through a farming budget of £5 billion over two years, including £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.

We are continuing to phase out delinked payments. Instead, we are targeting additional investments away from direct payments towards the farms least able to adapt, with Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes remaining at the centre of our offer for farmers. Phasing out delinked payments will allow us to focus investment on ELM schemes, which will be funded with £1.8 billion in 2025/26. This funding will deliver improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. It will enable farmers to make their businesses more sustainable and resilient, including those who have been often ignored such as small, grassland, upland and tenant farmers.

We are providing advice via the Resilience Scheme, which can help adaptation by those farms most affected by reducing delinked payments. We will work with the sector to continue to roll out, improve and evolve our ELM schemes, to make them work for farming and nature.

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.

Sunken or stranded boats within Poole Harbour, and pollution arising from them, fall within the responsibility of the Poole Harbour Master’s Office. We encourage the public to report pollution via our incident hotline, by calling 0800 80 70 60 at any time.

The UK is leading action under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. This includes work with contracting parties: to develop a methodology to estimate the quantity, distribution and material composition of these vessels; to collate an inventory of end-of-life vessels; and to develop guidance to support their waste management.

The OSPAR Convention is the Regional Seas Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and, as a Contracting Party, the UK participates in monitoring programmes to assess regional trends in marine litter and implements actions under the Regional Action Plan.

The UK also commissioned Resource Futures to undertake research to inform policy development to discourage abandonment and improve waste management of end-of-life recreational vessels, focused on establishing volume, location and type of materials in the waste stream and understanding current disposal options and barriers in the UK and across the OSPAR Maritime Area.

This research is published online: Marine litter from end of life recreational vessels - ME5247.

a) Applications for new full licences, normal variations and substantial variations:

b) Of those applications, granted licences below:

The table below shows the number of water abstraction licences (temporary, full and transfer) live for all or part of the financial year for each of the last ten financial years.

The Government is committed to playing a leading role at the forthcoming fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee to ensure an effective plastic pollution treaty is agreed which addresses the full lifecycle of plastics.

Funding will be needed from all sources, public and private, to support an effective treaty and should leverage synergies with funding to support other global environmental challenges. The level of funding will depend on the outcomes of negotiations on control measures and the associated assessments of the support required for their implementation.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

For too long, water companies have discharged record levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas.

That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water Bill, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers.

We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector to shape further legislation that will transform how our water system works and clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good.

With respect to the Mole catchment, the Environment Agency has carried out inspections at six sewage treatment works this financial year. Where permit non-compliance has been found, they have worked with Thames Water to ensure most issues are rectified immediately. Outstanding issues remain under investigation and future action will be considered in line with the Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

Defra is responsible for the domestic legislation covering Statutory Nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, whilst Local Authorities environmental health departments are the main enforcers of the Statutory Nuisance regime and associated legislation.

It is Local Authorities, not the Environment Agency, that issue abatement notices if a statutory nuisance is found to have happened; is happening, or will happen in the future.

Below is the number of inspectors the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has in post at Executive Officer (EO) and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grade, along with the number of Senior Executive Officers (SEO) who also support delivery. APHA also has apprentice plant health inspectors.

The numbers are subject to change as APHA has several vacancies which it is recruiting to fill, and has potential new starters who are going through the security checks and onboarding process. They are not included in the figures until they have started working for APHA.

Total - 378

GB plant health services have 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 deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements and ensure minimal trade disruption. Border Control Posts (BCPs) are designed to handle high volumes of imported sanitary and phytosanitary goods with inspectors working shifts to carry out reliable checks which minimise friction on traffic flow. Checks at BCPs are handled by trained staff ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently.

There is no specific policy guidance on metal mine pollution. The Environment Agency (EA) considers the primary risk from abandoned metal mines to be pollution of rivers and estuaries, with around 1,500km of rivers polluted by metals. The government has a long-term statutory target to halve the length of rivers polluted by six target substances from abandoned metal mines by 31 December 2038. The six target substances which pose the greatest threat to, or via the aquatic environment are cadmium, lead, nickel, zinc, copper, and arsenic.

Through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme - a partnership between Defra, the EA and the Coal Authority - government is taking action to develop mine water treatment schemes and diffuse interventions to prevent metals from abandoned metal mines and metal mine waste heaps from entering local river systems.

Where contamination from abandoned metal mines impacts land rather than water then this is covered by the Government’s policy on land contamination including the Land Contamination Risk Management Framework which sets out the approach on how to assess and manage risks from land contamination and the statutory contaminated land regime (Part 2A of the Environment Act 1990, supporting Regulations and Statutory Guidance).

Information on civil servants employed by Defra working overseas and the median salary for overseas posts are available at the following link: https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/data_browser_2024/index.html

Information on the precise location of staff working overseas is not published.

Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This funding will deliver improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. We will work with the sector to continue to roll out, improve and evolve these schemes, to make them work for farming and nature.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities, which is why we set up a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season. Across England, we will invest £2.4 billion over the next two years to improve flood resilience, by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences.

Longer term funding decisions as regards funding for farming and floods will be made at the next Spending Review.

The following table lists the answer:

Health and Safety Executive is currently preparing a UK REACH dossier for a restriction on PFAS in fire-fighting foams (FFFs), which is due to be published for consultation in 2025.

The Government is working together with the devolved Governments to understand the issue, with a view to legislate to ban wet wipes containing plastic across the UK.

Through our regular industry engagement and international learnings from other schemes, there has been a broad consensus that a return to retail approach is the most effective way to launch a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers across the UK and begin to realise its benefits.

However, Defra recognises the broad benefits a digital model could bring and welcome the trials that are being held. I remain encouraged by this and keen to see the testing of the feasibility for introducing a digital solution in the future.

Regarding local authority revenue streams, Defra recognises the concerns expressed by some local authorities over the potential impact of DRS.

Defra officials are in regular contact with local authority representative associations and will continue to assess this important aspect of the deposit return scheme.

Through our regular industry engagement and international learnings from other schemes, there has been a broad consensus that a return to retail approach is the most effective way to launch a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers across the UK and begin to realise its benefits.

However, Defra recognises the broad benefits a digital model could bring and welcome the trials that are being held. I remain encouraged by this and keen to see the testing of the feasibility for introducing a digital solution in the future.

Regarding local authority revenue streams, Defra recognises the concerns expressed by some local authorities over the potential impact of DRS.

Defra officials are in regular contact with local authority representative associations and will continue to assess this important aspect of the deposit return scheme.

Secondary poisoning of buzzards and red kites is often caused by improper use of anticoagulant rodenticides. Deliberate misuse is a criminal offence. Where wild birds of prey are killed illegally the full force of the law will apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect wildlife crimes such as illegal poisoning by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rather than Defra has policy responsibility for rodenticides which are an essential tool in managing the danger and economic costs of rodents spreading diseases, damaging property and disrupting food supplies. Given the potential risks posed to the environment by rodenticides, they are subject to strict regulation.

A stewardship regime has been set up to promote responsible use of rodenticides. For professional users, verification of competence is required at the point of sale to ensure only those who are properly trained can use them. The stewardship regime is currently under review and the outcome is expected in 2025. Furthermore, as of 4 July 2024, it is no longer possible to purchase anticoagulant rodenticides for use outdoors in open areas.

The UK Biodiversity Conference (COP16) was the first opportunity for Parties to take stock of the progress made in implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted at COP15.

Of the 27 important decisions taken at COP16, many provided guidance and support for Parties to help them implement the GBF. These decisions will not require significant changes to our domestic policies but do provide useful additional guidance, which we will consider in greater detail in due course.

We are still considering how to implement the decision adopted on digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources, which agreed the modalities for operationalising the multilateral benefit sharing mechanism for the use of DSI, and invites Parties to put in place measures to incentivise companies to contribute.

Further information on the charge and the operating costs at Sevington will be made available in due course.

It is clear consumers are concerned about their bills. We are therefore continuing to work with water industry to explore options to improve affordability arrangements, including holding the sector accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030.

The Government is also committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers with their water bills. All water companies have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.

Water companies should ensure that their customers know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help.

This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised SuDS (sustainable drainage systems) in new developments.

We need to see SuDS in more developments; to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits and helping to improve water quality. It is also important to ensure that appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.

We believe that these outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available, or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

A final decision on the way forward will be made in the coming months.

It is Ofwat's responsibility, through the price review process, to independently scrutinise company plans and ensure the prices water companies charge customers are fair and proportionate.

The Government is committed to taking action to address water poverty and help vulnerable customers with their water bills. All water companies, including Thames Water, have measures in place for customers who struggle to pay for their water and wastewater services, including measures such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.

Furthermore, we expect companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030 and will work with the sector to ensure appropriate measures are taken to this end.