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 definition her Department will use of a small farm for the purposes of the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will provide more detail on the new SFI offer at the NFU Conference in February ahead of publishing the full scheme details before the first application window opens in June.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment was made by her Department of the recommendations within the Section 19 report regarding flooding in St Ives in 2024 prior to the decision by the Environment Agency to reclassify the locks as Flood defences from navigation assets.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed a range of data and evidence relating to the St Ives Staunch Sluice and Lock, including hydraulic modelling and analysis of recent flood events.
The EA’s assessment has confirmed that St Ives Staunch Sluice provides very limited flood risk benefit but remains important for maintaining navigation water levels. The decision to reclassify St Ives Staunch Sluice’s primary purpose to navigation reflects this evidence and aligns with the EA’s internal asset classification policy.
The EA recognises that this change may cause concern locally, it does not affect the level of flood risk funding the asset is eligible for. It also enables St Ives Sluice to attract additional funding from Navigation which has supported the EA’s ability to progress the moderation case for St. Ives. The community can be assured that the current the condition of the structure does not increase flood risk to homes.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
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 feasibility of using the Water Environment Improvement Fund to maintain the sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Environment Investment Fund (WEIF) is designed to improve the health and resilience of water environments through a partnership-led, catchment-based approach. Its focus is on delivering environmental enhancements, supporting biodiversity, and securing multiple benefits for local communities.
Maintenance of Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets is funded through dedicated flood risk management budgets, prioritised according to asset condition and the level of flood risk benefit provided.
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 she will make an assessment of the potential (a) implications for her policies of routine use of fungicides in the seed supply chain and (b) impact of their use on (i) integrated pest management, (ii) soil health restoration and (iii) pesticide use..
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plant protection products (PPPs – also known as pesticides) may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if they have been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks are not authorised.
Our strict, science-based regulation is supplemented with policies to encourage safe and minimal use. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) lies at the heart of the government’s approach to minimise the environmental impact of PPPs, including fungicides. IPM practices can reduce the risks associated with pesticide use, helping to protect wildlife, and enhance soil and water quality.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Water Restoration Fund will open for new applications in 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Water Restoration Fund, funded by water company fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023, is now delivering on-the-ground improvements for water quality through 51 projects, directly benefitting the communities and the environment which have been harmed by water company rule breaking. The programme runs for 3 years from FY 2025-26 until 2027-28.
At Budget the Government confirmed the next tranche of water company fines money would provide additional funding to support local water improvement projects.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
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 has to establish a public health task force to review the incorporation of public health better into the legislative framework for water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Independent Water Commission was tasked with producing recommendations to fundamentally transform how our water system works and delivered its final report on 21 July 2025.
The Government is considering recommendations, including those on public health to ensure environmental improvement and public health risks are better managed in the water system.
The Government will respond in full via a White Paper, and a new water reform bill will be introduced during this Parliament.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on maintaining the eel pass at St Ives sluice in each year since 2015.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is the asset owner for the St Ives eel pass.
Historically, the EA’s maintenance work has also been combined with routine operational checks to ensure the sluice gates at St Ives function correctly, rather than issuing a separate work order solely for inspecting the eel pass. Operational checks involve activities such as verifying gate movement, mechanical integrity, and overall system performance to maintain safe and reliable operation.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason was the lock structure at St Ives on the River Great Ouse closed in 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
St Ives lock was not subject to closure during 2024.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost is of fixing all sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The gate refurbishment project is currently undergoing phase 1 which includes inspections, surveys and testing to determine all aspects of phase 2 work required.
Asked by: Andrew George (Liberal Democrat - St Ives)
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 ensure that the automatic compensation South West Water has announced for customers affected by Storm Goretti is funded from the company’s profits and reductions in executive bonuses; and whether she will require this compensation funding to be independently audited to ensure full transparency and compliance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Customers affected by Storm Goretti will receive payments under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). These payments come from a company's current operating expenditure and are not paid for through a future increase in customer bills.
The standards, outlined in the GSS, set out a baseline for customer service in the water sector. They include providing timely restoration of water supply following an interruption, responding to written complaints and managing the risk of sewer flooding.
Ofwat has previously published summaries of the GSS framework on its website (see here and here). Companies report on GSS payments in their Annual Performance Reports and submit these figures to Ofwat. These reports are independently audited, and Ofwat uses them to inform its work.