Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department had a cap for the level of cost increase for Thames Water’s SESRO project above which the project would not have been approved.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to delivering best value for customers through the water infrastructure programme, while supporting growth and ensuring a resilient water supply. The Government’s Water Delivery Taskforce is working across Government, regulators and water industry stakeholders to ensure this.
White Horse Reservoir is subject to ongoing assessment through the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) gated process, which includes further investigations and assessments to inform a development consent application.
Through the development consent process consideration is given to flood and safety management and other regulatory requirements. This sits within the safety framework set out by the Reservoirs Act. All required assessments will be submitted by Thames Water to the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State for consideration.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on survival rates for new trees planted in the Western forest.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Western Forest was launched on 21 March 2025 and is in its first tree-planting season. This runs between October and April. Monitoring will commence after this period. Consistent with Defra’s tree planting grants it will provide annual payments for up to 15 years after planting to support essential maintenance and tree survival. As part of the Trees programme, we will be commissioning research to improve our understanding of the success of survival rates, and the factors influencing successful woodland establishment for newly planted trees.
Asked by: Victoria Atkins (Conservative - Louth and Horncastle)
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 her Department's White Paper entitled A New Vision for Water, published on 20 January 2026, what estimate she has made of the average annual cost of complying with the environmental permit regime for an average cattle farm.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An environmental permit would require regulated businesses to apply measures to reduce pollution. The cost of complying with a permit would depend on which pollution measures they would be required to adopt, which would depend largely on the type of farm and the risk it poses to the environment.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report National security assessment on global ecosystems, published on 20 January, what plans they have to prioritise the protection and restoration of ecosystems, particularly those that support the UK food system.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is taking action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks at home and overseas, investing in forest and ocean protection and supporting the transition to more sustainable food and land use globally.
This includes strengthening supply chain resilience through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy and supporting sustainable agriculture globally through International Climate Finance (ICF) investments. The UK is on track to deliver £11.6 billion in ICF by the end of FY25/26, of which £3 billion should be Nature finance.
The Government has also recently published the revised Environmental Improvement Plan, which will help us to restore nature, improve environmental quality, and protect environmental security. Furthermore, our Food Strategy calls for action that will reduce the impact of our food system on the natural environment and build sustainability and resilience into our food supply chain. Together with our Farming Roadmap and Land Use Framework, we will enhance UK food security by protecting and stabilising food production and supply; and accelerate the green financial transition to drive economic growth at home and abroad.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
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 adequacy of plastic recycling provision in supermarkets including where products are sold in packaging which needs to be recycled in-store.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Simpler Recycling came into force on 31 March 2025 requiring all workplaces in England with more than 10 full-time employees to separate their waste before collection, including any waste produced by employees, customers and visitors. This includes dry recyclable materials (i.e. plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and, separately, food waste. Supermarkets are therefore required to comply and separately collect plastic as well as the other recyclable materials. Defra has not assessed the plastic recycling provision in supermarkets.
Whilst supermarkets collect plastic film on their premises (e.g. plastic bags) this is not currently a requirement. However, additional waste streams that are not included in the Simpler Recycling legislation, may be collected in advance of 31 March 2027 when plastic film collections from all households and workplaces will also become mandatory.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
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 publish a full list of the 151 flood defence schemes cited as delivered in the Government’s first year, including scheme name, location, start date, completion date and capital cost.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
During 24/25 and 25/26, this Government has invested a record £2.65 billion in new flood defences with at least 52,000 properties set to be better protected by March 2026. Between July 2024 and July 2025, this investment funded work to complete 151 flood schemes. A scheme is considered complete when the flood asset will better protect properties from flooding.
The completion of the 151 schemes during this period means more than 24,000 homes and businesses are now better protected.
Of the 151 schemes, 70 were newly constructed flood defences, 58 were significant capital refurbishment/replacement of existing older assets (to either extend the life of the asset or increase the standard of protection it provides) and 23 delivered flood resilience measures to properties.
The 151 schemes include projects in all regions of England. Further details of flood schemes invested in by the Government since 2024 can be found on gov.uk and a list of projects to be funded in 26/27 will be published in March.
Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion in our flood defences until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history – a record investment that is projected to benefit nearly 900,000 properties.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of households protected by the 151 flood defence schemes delivered in the Government’s first year were protected by schemes that commenced before July 2024.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
During 24/25 and 25/26, this Government has invested a record £2.65 billion in new flood defences with at least 52,000 properties set to be better protected by March 2026. Between July 2024 and July 2025, this investment funded work to complete 151 flood schemes. A scheme is considered complete when the flood asset will better protect properties from flooding.
The completion of the 151 schemes during this period means more than 24,000 homes and businesses are now better protected.
Of the 151 schemes, 70 were newly constructed flood defences, 58 were significant capital refurbishment/replacement of existing older assets (to either extend the life of the asset or increase the standard of protection it provides) and 23 delivered flood resilience measures to properties.
The 151 schemes include projects in all regions of England. Further details of flood schemes invested in by the Government since 2024 can be found on gov.uk and a list of projects to be funded in 26/27 will be published in March.
Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion in our flood defences until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history – a record investment that is projected to benefit nearly 900,000 properties.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
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 publish a regional breakdown of the 151 flood defence schemes, including start date, completion date and total project cost for each scheme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
During 24/25 and 25/26, this Government has invested a record £2.65 billion in new flood defences with at least 52,000 properties set to be better protected by March 2026. Between July 2024 and July 2025, this investment funded work to complete 151 flood schemes. A scheme is considered complete when the flood asset will better protect properties from flooding.
The completion of the 151 schemes during this period means more than 24,000 homes and businesses are now better protected.
Of the 151 schemes, 70 were newly constructed flood defences, 58 were significant capital refurbishment/replacement of existing older assets (to either extend the life of the asset or increase the standard of protection it provides) and 23 delivered flood resilience measures to properties.
The 151 schemes include projects in all regions of England. Further details of flood schemes invested in by the Government since 2024 can be found on gov.uk and a list of projects to be funded in 26/27 will be published in March.
Delivering on the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion in our flood defences until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history – a record investment that is projected to benefit nearly 900,000 properties.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's proposed timeline is for banning cages in relation to hens and pigs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The recently published Animal Welfare Strategy sets out that ending the use of cages and crates is a key priority for this Government.
We are currently consulting on a proposed timeline to ban the instalment of new enriched ‘colony’ cages for the keeping of laying hens and any other caged systems used for pullets and breeder layers from 2027 and the use of existing cages from 2032.
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy we will be consulting on pig farrowing crates and a proposed timeline for the transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible or free farrowing.
Asked by: Peter Fortune (Conservative - Bromley and Biggin Hill)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their department spent on X and xAI since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January 2026 to the hon. Member for Windsor, UIN 106863.