Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hen harriers are monitored year-round by Natural England (NE) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. NE staff engage closely with land managers of hen harrier habitat, and in the breeding season support the licenced use of Diversionary Feeding which enables nesting hen harriers to provide sufficient food to their chicks, improving the survival of young harriers while reducing the pressure from hunting on gamebird stock.

Field-based monitoring is underpinned by fitting satellite ‘tags’ to some hen harriers. This provides invaluable insights into their movements and habitat use and flags when and where they might have died, enabling their recovery for postmortem analysis and an enforcement response where illegal persecution may have played a role in the harrier’s death.

Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority. Defra supports the work of a Tactical Delivery Group which brings stakeholders together to tackle such criminality. Defra is also a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). In 2024, the NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force – a partnership designed to help tackle illegal persecution of the species. It uses innovative technology such as drones and specialised detection dogs to enhance evidence collection in remote areas.

Defra has considered the potential impact of the bird shooting industry in a range of ways.

In 2020, Defra considered the ecological impact of gamebird release and commissioned an assessment, as well as identifying evidence gaps for further work. In 2021, Defra launched a three-year Gamebird Research Programme to fill those gaps. Project reports, to be published at https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ will be reviewed and inform future policy.

Since 2021 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has become a threat to our vulnerable bird populations. In 2022, at the request of Defra the Animal and Plant Health Agency assessed the risk of released gamebirds spreading HPAI to wild birds.

In 2023 Defra and Natural England reviewed Schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This lists wild bird species which can be shot during their open season. Natural England recommended greater protection for some of the species to ensure that such shooting is sustainable and does not undermine the conservation status of the species. Defra will consult on proposals shortly.

There is evidence linking gamebird shooting to illegal raptor persecution. Defra funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to assist law enforcers investigating this national wildlife crime priority.

All recipients of Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature Grants must agree outcomes and monitor and report on progress towards them throughout the grant lifecycle. During the application phase, proposed outcomes and the indicators used to measure progress are agreed. These are assessed by an external Expert Committee, which also considers any potential adverse environmental impacts and their corresponding risk mitigations.

An independent evaluation is planned for the programme and will provide further evidence on progress towards agreed outcomes and impact. This process will form the basis for assessing the environmental impact of projects, including the solar‑powered recycling hubs funded under the programme.

All recipients of Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature Grants must agree outcomes and monitor and report on progress towards them throughout the grant lifecycle. During the application phase, proposed outcomes and the indicators used to measure progress are agreed. These are assessed by an external Expert Committee, which also considers any potential adverse environmental impacts and their corresponding risk mitigations.

An independent evaluation is planned for the programme and will provide further evidence on progress towards agreed outcomes and impact. This process will form the basis for assessing the environmental impact of projects, including the solar‑powered recycling hubs funded under the programme.

I recognise the current sharp falls in milk prices is extremely challenging for dairy farmers.

The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 now apply to all contracts, ensuring greater transparency and the resilient dairy supply chain we need for our national food security.

Marine conservation delivers a wide range of benefits. These include reducing global biodiversity loss and preventing ecosystem collapse, systems that are vital for global security and economic growth in the UK and in developing countries. Some of the world’s most biodiverse and vulnerable coastal ecosystems and communities are in developing countries.

The National Security Assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and national security, published in January, highlights how environmental degradation can disrupt food, water, health, and supply chains, and can trigger wider geopolitical instability. These impacts pose significant threats to UK national security and long‑term prosperity.

As set out in Natural England’s evidence review NEER155, protecting and restoring blanket bog supports natural water regulation by increasing water storage, slowing runoff and sustaining baseflows, contributing to improved flood resilience and helping to mitigate drought impacts during prolonged dry periods.

In September 2025, we strengthened protections for upland peat by amending the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to further restrict unnecessary burning on upland deep peat, supporting climate, water resilience and biodiversity objectives.

As set out in Natural England’s evidence review NEER155, protecting and restoring blanket bog supports natural water regulation by increasing water storage, slowing runoff and sustaining baseflows, contributing to improved flood resilience and helping to mitigate drought impacts during prolonged dry periods.

In September 2025, we strengthened protections for upland peat by amending the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to further restrict unnecessary burning on upland deep peat, supporting climate, water resilience and biodiversity objectives.

Defra keeps the impacts of peat extraction for horticulture under review as part of its peatland evidence programme.

Peat extraction in England is estimated to take place over approximately 384 hectares, with associated greenhouse gas emissions estimated to be less than 0.05 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, based on 2023 data. This figure may be an overestimate due to the potential misclassification of some historic extraction sites.

The department recognises that continued peat extraction can damage peatland habitats and disrupt hydrology, with impacts on biodiversity, water quality and flood regulation, and can adversely affect peatland‑dependent species, including endangered plants, invertebrates and bird species, primarily through habitat loss and drying of peat soils. Ending harmful peat extraction, alongside the planned peat restoration programme, contributes to the peatland targets set out in the latest revision of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Defra keeps the impacts of peat extraction for horticulture under review as part of its peatland evidence programme.

Peat extraction in England is estimated to take place over approximately 384 hectares, with associated greenhouse gas emissions estimated to be less than 0.05 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, based on 2023 data. This figure may be an overestimate due to the potential misclassification of some historic extraction sites.

The department recognises that continued peat extraction can damage peatland habitats and disrupt hydrology, with impacts on biodiversity, water quality and flood regulation, and can adversely affect peatland‑dependent species, including endangered plants, invertebrates and bird species, primarily through habitat loss and drying of peat soils. Ending harmful peat extraction, alongside the planned peat restoration programme, contributes to the peatland targets set out in the latest revision of the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Defra does not currently have plans to bring forward legislative proposals to set a target for the reduction of the use of single-use plastic.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy and will publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy.

Defra will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.

Natural England has not enacted any byelaws under section 28R since the provision’s introduction in 2001. A set of Model SSSI Byelaws for this purpose was agreed with Defra in 2020 and was published by Natural England at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/byelaws-for-sssis/.

The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). Progressing this target on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management.

In October 2024 we set out our vision for progressing 30by30 on land in England and the criteria for land and inland water areas which can count towards this target. Our 30by30 Delivery Plan will set out how we will lead, support, and inspire action across England to deliver this vision. We will publish the 30by30 Delivery Plan later this year.

Using the Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media methodology to assess the environmental impact of different types of growing media, it has been shown that all materials have an environmental impact, but for the most part, peat-alternatives have a lower environmental impact.

We have funded research which has demonstrated that peat-alternatives can perform the same or better than peat-based growing media in commercial horticulture and we are continuing to fund the Royal Horticulture Society Transition to Peat-free Fellowship, which has already demonstrated successful peat replacement in commercial horticulture for some of the previously believed more challenging plants, e.g. ericaceous. We will continue to work with the industry to understand barriers to scale up.

Amended section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires local authorities in England to arrange for the separate collection of food waste from all households, at least once a week. All local authorities should provide a food waste service for every household by 31 March 2026, unless they have been given a transitional arrangement where long-term waste disposal (mechanical biological treatment and energy from waste) contracts present a barrier to introducing separate food waste collections. Affected local authorities are listed in the commencement regulations with the date by which they must introduce food waste collections from households. Defra will continue to engage with affected local authorities including on any potential impacts of local government reorganisation.

During the local government reorganisation process, it is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, including waste collection, which remain unchanged until reorganisation is complete. There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which ensure smooth transfer to new unitary councils. These general regulations provide transitional and supplementary arrangements, so that the councils can undertake specific functions to enable a successful move to the single tier of local government.

Natural England has had 12 face to face meetings since 1 January 2024 with Birmingham City Council, with ongoing dialogue in between meetings. Natural England would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon Member and discuss.

The Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature Grants Programme assesses long‑term financial sustainability as part of its highly competitive two‑stage application process. Applicants must set out their methodology, the evidence base for their approach, how the project will be sustained over the long term, including financially, and a clear pathway to delivering outcomes. Applications are assessed at both stages by a panel of experts against published criteria, including financial sustainability and only applicants assessed as having high long‑term financial sustainability are successful.

Natural England has discussed the following options for funding with Birmingham City Council to support biodiversity and pollution reduction; Severn Trent Water’s 5-year funded Asset Management Programme, future utilisation of agri-environment scheme funding, options for council designed and implemented ‘developer funded’ scheme, and the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) Programme.

Our New Vision for Water sets out once‑in‑a‑generation reforms to transform the water system. We will establish a new water regulator to raise trust and accountability, and set up an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman so customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved.

The Government has not made a formal assessment of the total amount of land incorrectly registered as common land. However, the Commons Act 2006 acknowledges that registration errors occurred under the Commons Registration Act 1965, including wrongly drawn boundaries, buildings mistakenly included, and land that did not meet the legal definition of common land. Schedule 2 of the Commons Act 2006 provides mechanisms to correct registration errors, but implementation is limited to specific areas with varying deadlines - applications closed in pioneer areas in December 2020, while deregistration applications in other English areas must be made by 15 March 2027.

User risk assessments (URAs) are a core element of the authorisation process for veterinary medicinal products, and they include consideration of chronic human exposure in households where pets receive spot‑on treatments. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate conducts URAs in line with established international guidance, including the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) Guideline on user safety for pharmaceutical veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/543/03‑Rev.1) and the CVMP Guideline on user safety of topically administered veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/SWP/721059/2014).

These assessments follow a stepwise approach: hazard identification (drawing on extensive pharmacological and toxicological datasets, including for vulnerable sub‑populations), exposure assessment (covering short‑term direct and longer‑term indirect exposures), and risk characterisation using appropriate safety thresholds and conservative assumptions. For fipronil, the assessment considers relevant metabolites. Where indicated, risk mitigation measures are applied, such as user safety warnings, child‑resistant closures, and advice to minimise contact with the application site, reflected in the Summary of Product Characteristics and product literature (package leaflet).

The Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group, supported by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, has put in place a roadmap for reducing exposure of these substances to water courses, with workstreams looking at several complementary activities. These include educating vets and the pet-owning public, investing in research to plug scientific evidence gaps, including routes to the environment and pet owner behavioural change, and reviewing the guidance for environmental risk assessments, which will all contribute to the desired aim.

The adequacy of safety advice provided to users of spot‑on veterinary medicines is assessed as part of the statutory authorisation process for veterinary medicinal products. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) conducts a comprehensive user‑risk assessment in accordance with established international guidance, including the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) guideline on user safety for veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/543/03‑Rev.1) and the CVMP guideline specifically addressing topically administered products (EMA/CVMP/SWP/721059/2014).

These assessments consider both direct and indirect routes of exposure, including contact with treated animals. Where the assessment identifies potential risks, appropriate risk‑mitigation measures are implemented. These are reflected in the product information, including the Summary of Product Characteristics and the package leaflet, and typically comprise clear instructions on correct application, advice to minimise human contact with the application site, and warnings intended to protect vulnerable household members, including children.

The adequacy of this safety advice is kept under continual review through the VMD’s pharmacovigilance system, which monitors reports relating to user safety and allows updates to product information where required. Publicly available assessment reports and product literature can be accessed via the Product Information Database on GOV.UK.

Spot‑on flea and tick treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid remain important for protecting animal and human health. Many of these products are currently classified as AVM‑GSL, meaning they may be supplied without professional advice. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) recognises increasing concerns about the environmental presence of these substances, which have been detected in some UK watercourses at levels above toxicity thresholds for aquatic invertebrates.

The VMD is carrying out a regulatory review of the AVM‑GSL status of products containing fipronil and imidacloprid. Further details on this review will be made available early this year. The review will assess whether requiring professional advice at the point of sale, such as through a minimum NFA‑VPS classification, could support more responsible use and disposal.

The regulatory review will consider all legal distribution channels with any future decisions being transparent, evidence‑based and to maintain animal welfare and access to treatment.

We have a system. Methane-reducing food products, including seaweed, oils and synthetic products such as Bovaer, are a key tool in reducing emissions from agriculture by up to one third. Bovaer is approved for use in 70 countries, including those in the EU, Switzerland, the US, Canada and Australia. We are building the market for safe, effective options and helping farmers to adopt them. Such products are approved by the Food Standards Agency, and that advice has not been changed. Bovaer has been reviewed by 100 peer-reviewed scientific studies.

Local councils are responsible for tackling fly-tipping in their area and have a range of enforcement powers to help them do so. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution action. The Government is taking steps to develop statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to effectively exercise their existing powers. We are also reviewing council powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers, to identify how we could better help them use this tool.

Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group through which we work with a wide range of stakeholders to share good practice on preventing fly-tipping.

In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

The Environment Agency regulates large scale fly-tips that meet the criteria of being over 20 tonnes, consist of hazardous material, or are linked to organised crime. Within the Epping Forest constituency, there are not currently any reports of large-scale fly-tips that meet these criteria. It is worth noting that there are two illegal waste sites where active clearing is currently taking place under the guidance of the Environment Agency.

An appropriate authority will not, under the Marine Works EIA Regulations, be able to defer to another equivalent assessment unless that assessment meets all the requirements of Part 4 of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement. The BBNJ Agreement sets out what should be included in in an assessment including cumulative effects and any transboundary issues.

If the appropriate authority concludes the equivalent assessment does not adequately address the relevant environmental considerations, it must undertake its own environmental impact assessment. This will ensure the relevant impacts are assessed.

Part 4 of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill introduces changes to the marine licensing regime to meet some of the UK’s obligations to the BBNJ Agreement. Fisheries issues are not typically considered within the remit of the marine licensing regime.

Part 4 of the BBNJ Agreement provides that an environmental impact assessment may not be required under the Agreement where the impacts of an activity have been assessed in accordance with the requirements of another relevant body. Such bodies may include, for example, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations. This includes where the regulations or standards arising from the assessment have been designed to prevent, mitigate or manage potential impacts below the threshold for an environmental impact assessment under the Agreement, and those have been complied with.

The Environment Agency has received a total of 3,442 annex VII documents between 28 October to 2 February 2026 relating to the movement of waste tyres from England. 241 of these were considered late as they were received less than the required 3 days before the waste movement. The Environment Agency is now undertaking follow up activities and considering the use of stop notices for non-compliant companies.

Of the 1,891 Annex VII documents received by the Environment Agency regarding the export of waste tyres between 28 October and 15 December 2025, 605 are from sites that have a T8 exemption.

The commitment to review and look to strengthen penalties for cruelty against wildlife - so they are consistent with higher levels of sentencing available for animal welfare offences against pets and livestock - was made in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Any strengthening of penalties for cruelty against wildlife will require primary legislation, and Defra will seek to deliver this change as soon as a suitable primary vehicle is identified. The strategy document itself states there is an aim to achieve the changes and improvements set out within it by no later than 2030.

All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for the high welfare standards we have in this country. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, Defra will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards.

Defra recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, Defra will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, the Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors.

The Environment Agency will publish further information on the enhanced verification checks in Spring 2026.

The decision to defer under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 to an equivalent assessment is communicated to the applicant and the other assessment body. The decision to defer is also recorded and published on the Marine Management Organisation’s public register, enabling public scrutiny.

The BBNJ Agreement provides that public consultation is a requirement of the BBNJ EIA process so any equivalent assessment that is relied upon must also have undertaken necessary public consultation.

All licensing decisions are also placed on the Marine Management Organisation’s public register.

The Government is carefully considering all recommendations of the Nuclear Taskforce’s report and will present a full implementation plan by the end of February. Defra is working with DESNZ and other government departments to set out this plan. We are considering these recommendations in line with our objectives to achieve win-wins for nature and growth, as well as meeting our international obligations.

Coastal erosion risk management is a devolved responsibility; therefore, this response applies only to England.

Between April 2024 and March 2026, around £609 million will be invested in schemes that reduce risk from coastal erosion, sea flooding, and tidal flooding. Approximately £102 million of this is allocated to projects where coastal erosion is the primary risk, £56 million for 2024/2025 and £46 million for 2025/2026. Some projects reduce risk from multiple risk sources, so there may be some projects with coastal benefits that may not be included in these figures.

Further to this, on 28 January, the Government announced £30 million for Coastal Adaptation Pilots which will deliver advanced adaptation actions such as selective property purchases and the development of long-term financing solutions in East Riding of Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The funding will also deliver smaller adaptation actions, such as relocating or adapting community buildings, and early warning systems in other places facing coastal erosion across England.

Water companies are required to submit their storm overflow Event Duration Monitoring return data for 2025 at the end of February 2026.

The Government’s new White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system, including improvements to water quality monitoring. It sets out our commitment to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ and to developing a new strengthened Open Monitoring approach for monitoring wastewater.

The Environment Agency (EA) currently undertakes water quality monitoring at 13,000 locations each year. Water quality monitoring is set to expand significantly by 2030 with the introduction of continuous water quality monitors at 25% of all applicable storm overflows and waste treatment works, and the installation of event duration monitors at 50% of all emergency overflows.

More broadly, the EA is actively exploring the potential for innovation, integration of data collected by other organisations and citizen scientists, and other opportunities to improve water quality monitoring. The EA is planning to integrate new data with its own monitoring to improve its understanding of water quality.

The Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce is exploring measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog.

The taskforce is considering four themes: educating the public on how to stay safe around dogs, training for both dogs and their owners, enforcement, and improving data on dog attacks. Defra looks forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.

Defra greatly values the work of the Animal Sentience Committee in ascertaining whether, in their view, ministers across Government have appropriately considered how policy decisions might affect the welfare of sentient animals.

As required under the Animal Welfare Sentience Act 2022 Defra fulfils its statutory duty by formally responding to those reports that fall within the Department’s remit. Where the Committee makes recommendations, these are considered in future development or implementation of the policy as appropriate.

The team responsible for policies relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion do not align roles to single protected characteristics. As of 31 December 2025, there were six employees (with a full-time equivalent of 6.0) on payroll in this team. The annual salary for the six employees totalled £302,927.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. We continue to engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Governments, to understand different perspectives and ensure we can implement a robust ban.

Baroness Hayman met with a representative of the United States Government in July 2025 to discuss the UK Government’s proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies. There have been no further ministerial‑level discussions with the United States Government on this issue since this meeting.

The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on the maintenance of bridleways in relation to reducing the number of horses using public roads.

Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way, including bridleways, and for ensuring they are kept free from obstructions. They are required to prepare and maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan. These plans include assessments of local network conditions and plans to improve these for all users and are publicly available on local authority websites.

Storm Chandra brought heavy rain to the UK on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 January. This was felt especially by parts of the South and South West previously affected by Storm Ingrid, with the rain falling on already saturated ground, leading to 3 Severe Flood Warnings being issued. Across Somerset, around 50 properties have been reported as flooded, with rivers responding rapidly to recent rainfall and ground conditions remaining saturated. Flood warnings and alerts remain in force, and further rain is expected.

This Government recognises the terrible impact flooding has on householders and businesses, both in terms of physical damage, disruptions to daily activities and impacts on health, including mental health. Those affected should contact their insurance companies as quickly as possible. Affected householders should ask their insurance provider if they will be eligible for Build Back Better within their claim, which can provide for flood resilient repairs over and above the cost for like-for-like reinstatement of actual flood damage that would.

With localised flooding incidents, local authorities have well-established contingency arrangements in place to support their local communities. Local authorities also have discretionary powers to fund grants, loans, or other payments for home improvements. In severe weather events with widespread impacts, local authorities may receive central support to help reopen affected community spaces through the Flood Recovery Framework, however funding is typically deployed where there is large scale and widespread flooding.

Further information can be found here:

• Check your current and long-term risk here Check the long term flood risk for an area in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk);
• Look at the advice on preparing for flooding at Prepare for flooding: Protect yourself from future flooding - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk); and
• Sign up to receive any flood alerts and flood warnings for your local area here Check for flooding in England - GOV.UK (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk)