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 steps the Environment Agency is taking to enforce waterway maintenance responsibilities by riparian owners in Huntingdonshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In Huntingdonshire, the Environment Agency (EA) has undertaken targeted enforcement across Brampton Brook, Alconbury Brook, Ellington Brook and St Ives to encourage voluntary compliance and to inform and educate landowners on riparian responsibilities.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, the EA visited 35 properties on Brampton Brook to address vegetation overgrowth, waste, fallen trees and unpermitted structures. All necessary actions were completed by landowners, and no further action was required.
Where maintenance presents a flood‑risk concern and voluntary action is not taken, the EA can issue a formal Section 25 Enforcement Notice requiring the owner to complete specific maintenance works. Failure to comply is an offence, and the EA may undertake the work itself and recover costs from the landowner.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with retailers and animal welfare organisations on introducing method of production labelling on domestic and imported animal products.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department engaged with a range of animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of the animal welfare strategy, which was published in December 2025.
As set out in the strategy, Defra is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.
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 steps she is taking with Ofwat to help ensure transparent pricing practices from water companies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last week the Government published its Water White Paper which commits to measures to increase the transparency of pricing practices including reviewing tariff structures and enabling smart metering. Alongside this, Government will create a stable, predictable regulatory environment that lowers financing costs, streamlining planning and regulation to cut overheads, and enabling more efficient solutions, such as smart metering.
Water companies have committed to rolling out smart meters across 50% of homes and businesses by 2030. Government is working with Ofwat to ensure, via a Smart Metering Delivery Board, that customers get transparent information from meters on how they are being charged.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, when she anticipates the new Water Ombudsman will become operational.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To rebuild consumer trust in the water sector, it is vital customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved. The Government will therefore establish an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman which is approved and overseen by the regulator, in line with approaches used in other sectors.
We will establish the Ombudsman at the earliest opportunity. The Government will publish a Transition Plan later this year, setting out a roadmap to guide the sector from today’s system to the future model.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation, published on 19 January 2026, what improvements to water infrastructure will be made in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency as a result of her Water White Paper.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s New Vision for Water sets out measures to bring forward a shift towards proactive maintenance of water company assets, and tougher oversight and stronger accountability for water companies to deliver.
This includes providing the new, integrated water regulator with a new Chief Engineer and dedicated supervisory teams for each water company, which will guide companies to focus on fixing crumbling pipes and treatment works and increase grip over water company delivery.
There are several improvements planned for water infrastructure in the Basildon and Thurrock areas, as part of £104 billion of investment across the country to fund essential infrastructure over five years. Further information on Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) actions for water companies to deliver within the 2025-2030 period is available for the public here: Price Review 2024 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) App. This can be filtered to show the Basildon and Thurrock areas.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - 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, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled ‘Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation’ published on 19 January 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of her Water White Paper on household bills once implemented.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Managing cost of living pressures is a priority. These reforms build on safeguards for households, including by strengthening the Guaranteed Standards Scheme and reforming the WaterSure support scheme. Affordability must be at the core of any future investment plans. The Government will be doing an impact assessment for the water reform bill which will cover the costs and benefits of reforms.
The reforms are ultimately designed to support growth, reduce bill volatility, and keep costs fair for customers in the long-term.
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, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 will take to improving the health of farmed fish during production; and if she will give consideration to increasing spacing to reduce the risk of disease transmission between fish.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) are responsible for the delivery of aquatic animal health controls in England and Wales. The FHI maintains a comprehensive programme of inspections to assess farmed fish health, designed to prevent the introduction and spread of the most serious listed and emerging diseases, and ensure that all aquaculture production businesses operate under approved biosecurity plans. These plans must take account of the potential for infectious disease transmission to wild aquatic animals and set out measures to minimise that risk.
The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy for England set out that we will commission the Animal Welfare Committee’s advice on the welfare of farmed fish prior to slaughter. Amongst other things this project will consider the effects of stocking densities. The Animal Welfare Strategy also commits to introduce humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish into legislation, subject to consultation.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk to non-farmed animals of disease transmission from the nearby presence of a fish farm.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s disease control measures seek to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) are responsible for the delivery of aquatic animal health controls in England and Wales. The FHI maintains a comprehensive programme of inspections to assess farmed fish health, designed to prevent the introduction and spread of the most serious listed and emerging diseases, and ensure that all aquaculture production businesses operate under approved biosecurity plans. These plans must take account of the potential for infectious disease transmission to wild aquatic animals and set out measures to minimise that risk.
The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy for England set out that we will commission the Animal Welfare Committee’s advice on the welfare of farmed fish prior to slaughter. Amongst other things this project will consider the effects of stocking densities. The Animal Welfare Strategy also commits to introduce humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish into legislation, subject to consultation.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 time is for staff working in the Forestry Commission to be reimbursed for the purchase of equipment, including Personal Protective Equipment, who do not have access to a Government Procurement Card.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Most purchases of equipment, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), are not paid for by individual employees. The Forestry Commission has existing PPE supply contracts that allow staff to order what they need, with costs invoiced directly to the organisation. New suppliers have been added to our systems where they have been identified. When bespoke or urgent PPE is required, nominated staff can still use a Government Procurement Card (GPC).
If an employee without a GPC pays for essential time-critical PPE themselves, reimbursement times vary across the Commission depending on local systems. However, any expense claim that meets policy requirements, has the correct approvals, and includes receipts is processed either twice weekly or three times per month, depending on the business area payment system. A cash advance option is also available for staff who need or prefer upfront support for work-related expenses. Additional contracts to cover other small-scale purchases are currently being developed.