Feb. 02 2026
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Source Page: Letter dated 29/01/2026 from Baroness Hayman of Ullock to Baroness Young of Old Scone regarding the Environmental Improvement Plan debate: clarification of the statement regarding the Government's policy on the use of peat in horticulture. 1p.Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the relationship is between domestic food production, including increasing self-sufficiency and food security, and nature recovery schemes.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Restoring nature is not in competition with sustainable food production but is necessary to it. Protecting the environmental foundations of farming is essential to farm profitability, because all farms need healthy soils, abundant pollinators, and clean water to produce good food.
The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. The department is targeting public money where it delivers most value, supporting nature. By investing in nature, Defra is helping secure the foundations of long-term food security.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department is assessing reports of widespread abuses of the de minimis exemption to Biodiversity Net Gain; and whether this exemption is still needed in light of the new exemptions for sites below 0.2 hectares.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A full consultation response and impact assessment to the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will set out whether any changes will be made to the de minimis exemption alongside the introduction of the new 0.2-hectare area exemption.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect people in Stockport from regular flooding.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) carries out routine inspections of all main watercourses across Stockport. The primary purpose of these inspections is to ensure that flood‑risk infrastructure is properly maintained and that any emerging issues are identified at an early stage. Inspectors also monitor anything that could increase flood risk, including fallen trees or debris that may cause blockages.
EA operational teams are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to operate flood defences and respond to incidents. This includes clearing debris from watercourses, supported by remote monitoring through telemetry systems. Across the Stockport constituency, the teams manage and clear a total of three debris screens.
Recent community drop‑ins were held for Stockport residents. The purpose of these was to help residents register for flood warnings so they can better prepare for and respond proactively to potential flooding.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of air pollution on different groups by ethnicity.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
While air pollution impacts many people’s health, the department recognises that these impacts are not felt equally. This is an issue that Defra takes seriously, which is why the Government commissioned the independent Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) to examine the evidence on air pollution disparities across different communities and regions in the UK.
Their report demonstrates spatial differences in pollution emissions and concentrations. There is evidence of higher air pollution concentrations being experienced by certain minority ethnicity groups.
The report provides a number of recommendations to address this complex challenge, which the department is now considering and have fed through to commitments in the NHS 10 Year Plan and the Environmental Improvement Plan.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the practice of animals not being stunned prior to slaughter; and what assessment they have made of meat produced by this method being sold to the general market and exported abroad.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter. However, the Government respects the rights of Jews and Muslims to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs.
Major retailers have sourcing policies requiring that fresh meat comes from animals that have been stunned before slaughter. They may operate limited concessions for halal or kosher food that will be clearly labelled. Stunning before slaughter is also required by some farm assurance schemes, such as Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured.
During the survey week for the 2024 Food Standards Agency Slaughter Sector Survey, 97% of poultry and 85% of red meat animals were stunned before slaughter. The Survey also sets out responses to where the meat was reported to be destined, including whether it was exported.