Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the document entitled The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of agri-tech on economic growth in rural areas.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers and officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) worked closely with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) to develop the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, such as on the inclusion of agri-tech to support growth of the agri-tech sector and its impact in rural areas. Ministers and officials within Defra will continue to liaise on implementation of commitments within the plan, and more broadly on agri-tech. Agri-tech sector growth will help to diversify rural economies, reduce regional inequalities and support food security. Agri-tech businesses are located across the country and growth will also enable new high skilled jobs to be created in rural areas.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that fire safety testing requirements for domestic furniture do not hinder product recyclability or circular economy goals; and what consideration they have made of the introduction of an extended producer responsibility scheme to support the safe disposal of items containing persistent organic pollutants.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government plans to reform the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 to maintain a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants as set out in the policy paper, ‘The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture’, published on January 22, 2025.
Officials in the Office for Product Safety and Standards, within the Department for Business and Trade, that are leading the ongoing review of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, are working closely with Defra officials to ensure that consideration is being given to the Government’s commitment to reduce waste by moving to a circular economy.
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we will publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. We are considering the evidence for sector-specific interventions from right across the economy, including extended producer responsibility schemes.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the detailed criteria his Department uses to calculate avian flu compensation payments for industrial poultry units.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Compensation paid for birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) makes its assessment of the disease status of the birds based on clinical inspection and veterinary judgment. The amount of compensation is established by APHA using the relevant valuation rate card (or for specialist stock by a specialist valuer). The valuation rate cards are updated by APHA five times per year (in January, March, June, September and November) to ensure rates are in line with average market values for the types of birds.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 56077 on Farmer: Mental Health, what findings have been identified through the Farmer Opinion Tracker on mental health challenges; and how these findings are informing agricultural policy development.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We listen to what farmers are telling us, reporting in our statistical series the strength of sentiment through both numbers and from the open response questions. Findings, alongside our engagement with farmers at shows and events and with representative bodies, including farming welfare charities, all contribute to a better understanding of the issues farmers are facing and how the delivery of schemes and other interventions can impact not just on businesses but also on farmers’ own personal resilience and mental health.
In the Farmer Opinion Tracker, we hear views from farmers across a range of issues relating to farming and we recognise that confidence remains low. Findings can be found on GOV.YK by searching ‘Farming Opinion Tracker’.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) strengthen national food security and (b) increase levels of domestic food production.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.
The Government’s commitment to farming and food security remains steadfast which is why the government is investing £2.7 billion a year into sustainable food production and nature’s recovery, with funding for our Environmental Land Management schemes increasing by 150%.
Work is underway to develop an ambitious new food strategy to set the food system up for long term success. The strategy will deliver wide ranging improvements to ensure it is able to feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals.
We work closely with the Cabinet Office and other Lead Government Departments ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.
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 has he made of the potential impact of the reclassification of the St Ives Staunch as a navigation, rather than a flooding, asset on the risk of flooding from the River Great Ouse in Huntingdon constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) have assessed a range of data and evidence linked to the St Ives Staunch Sluice. This has included hydraulic modelling and real-world data from flood events. The evidence shows that the asset provides very limited flood risk benefit but is important for maintaining water levels for navigation. The change in the primary purpose of the asset reflects this information.
The EA will carry out works to the asset to support Navigation in the area, within the next two years. They have also committed to providing regular updates to keep the community informed.
The reclassification has no impact on the amount of flood risk funding that the asset is eligible for, and the community can be reassured that the current condition of the asset does not have a significant impact on the risk of property flooding.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of smoke emissions from Battery Energy Storage Systems fires on (a) the environment and (b) public health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government agrees with the need to have robust measures in place to manage the risks associated with facilities that use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries. DEFRA will consult shortly on including grid-scale BESS as an activity within environmental permitting to manage the environmental and public health risks from fires at BESS sites.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on coordinated approaches to monitoring badger populations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chief Veterinary Officers from all four devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, along with policy officials, meet routinely to discuss shared priorities. This includes the TB Liaison Group, which provides a platform for coordination and updates on policy developments, such as monitoring badger populations. The latest badger population survey began in England in February 2025, and findings from such initiatives will be shared across administrations.
Asked by: Lord Freyberg (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health and environmental impacts of brominated and organophosphate flame retardants used in upholstered furniture; and whether they intend to update the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 to reduce reliance on such chemicals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency has just published a flame retardant scoping review, which identifies flame retardant substances that are present on, or relevant to the GB market, including brominated and organophosphate flame retardants used in upholstered furniture. The review carried out a preliminary assessment of their potential impacts on the environment and an initial screen for human health effects (when exposed via the environment).
As set out in the policy paper, ‘The fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture’, published on 22 January 2025, the Government plans to reform the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 to maintain a high level of fire safety while facilitating a reduction in the use of chemical flame retardants.