Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the post-implementation review of the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will publish the statutory report into this important regulation (known as the Farming rules for Water) in due course.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 adequacy of the clarity of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 relating to publicly accessible land.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department acknowledges that the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023 contains a number of provisions relevant to the planning, management and use of land, and considers these to be clear in their intended scope and application. Section 245 strengthens the statutory duty on relevant authorities in National Parks and National Landscapes by requiring them to seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing natural beauty when exercising their functions. The Act also supports the safeguarding and integration of walking and cycling networks through the planning system, building on existing policy in the National Planning Policy Framework.
More broadly, the Government has announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, a commitment to publish an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to increase access and engagement with nature. The Green Paper will test a range of policy options and invite views from stakeholders and the public, helping us to gather evidence and test approaches before decisions are made. This consultation will play an important role in shaping the development of future policy in this area.
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 recognition and support they will give to schemes that promote conservation and recovery of threatened native species, including the harvest dormouse, the large heath butterfly and other endangered species.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to delivering our statutory biodiversity targets including supporting the recovery of threatened species such as the harvest dormouse and large heath butterfly. A key delivery programme for threatened species in England is Natural England’s (NE) Species Recovery Programme which, since the early 1990s, has funded targeted action for over 1000 species and prevented the national extinction of at least 35.
From April 2023 to March 2026, the Species Recovery Programme allocated £32.2 million to projects which supported recovery of more than 600 species. In October 2025, NE launched a call for ideas for projects to be funded by the Programme. Shortlisted projects will shortly be invited to apply for funding over the next three years.
Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Emma Reynolds raises South East Water concerns with OfwatJan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £500, October 2025Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £500, October 2025Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £500, October 2025Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £25,000, October 2025Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £25,000, October 2025Jan. 14 2026
Source Page: Defra: spending over £25,000, October 2025