We are the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
The UK Government has set numerous goals related to habitat restoration under the Environmental Improvement Plan, much of which of …
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to make provision about the regulation, governance and special administration of water companies.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 24th February 2025 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Make a public animal abuser register & automatically ban ownership
Gov Responded - 19 May 2026 Debated on - 29 Jun 2026Create a public register of all offenders convicted of animal abuse and introduce an automatic, lifetime ban on animal ownership for anyone convicted of animal neglect or abuse. This register should be searchable by vets, breeders, charities and the public to prevent repeat offending.
Hold a referendum to bring the water industry into public ownership
Gov Responded - 23 Apr 2026 Debated on - 14 Sep 2026Hold a binding national referendum on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership. Water is a basic human necessity; we believe our privatised system has failed, so the public should decide who owns and controls it.
Reduce the maximum noise level for consumer fireworks from 120 to 90 decibels
Gov Responded - 7 Nov 2025 Debated on - 19 Jan 2026We think each year, individuals suffer because of loud fireworks. We believe horses, dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife can be terrified by noisy fireworks and many people find them intolerable.
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
The estimated mean annual payment per hectare for live Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 agreements is £224, as of 16th October 2026.
The Government does not hold data on the closure of small abattoirs in England, however the FSA publish monthly data on all abattoirs in England Approved Food Establishments in England and Wales. Despite facing some challenges in recent years, the abattoir network has continued to process high-quality products ensuring the supply of food and maintaining food security. All animal transport must comply fully with legal requirements aimed at protecting welfare, including minimising journey durations where possible and observing rest periods. Defra engages regularly with representatives from the small and medium-sized abattoir sector through formal groups to understand the challenges facing the industry and consider what support may be required.
Through the Sewage Overflow Programme the Environment Agency has required the water company to implement 38 projects to address overflow issues on the Trent.
The budget for new SFI26 agreements is £310 million a year. Nearly all SFI26 agreements will last for three years, meaning the total value of new SFI26 agreements, assuming the full annual budget is spent, would be around £930 million over three years.
Defra is making progress with proposals to include Battery Energy Storage Systems within the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPRs). Officials have met with a range of key stakeholders to define potential thresholds and regulatory requirements. Applications for permits under EPRs are subject to a consultation process.
Defra is working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre and our own industry engagement forums to highlight cyber risks and raise resilience with key providers. This includes working on a range of policy approaches to ensure that significant parts of the wider food sector are aware of cyber security concepts and are taking action to understand and mitigate risks.
The Government is determined to tackle litter and anti-social behaviour that blights our communities. We have strengthened councils’ enforcement powers, increasing the maximum littering fixed penalty from £500 to £750, alongside statutory guidance to support effective enforcement.
The Government is determined to tackle litter and anti-social behaviour that blights our communities. We have strengthened councils’ enforcement powers, increasing the maximum littering fixed penalty from £500 to £750, alongside statutory guidance to support effective enforcement.
The Government is determined to tackle litter and anti-social behaviour that blights our communities. We have strengthened councils’ enforcement powers, increasing the maximum littering fixed penalty from £500 to £750, alongside statutory guidance to support effective enforcement.
There will be future Sustainable Farming Incentive offers and, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050, we plan to make an SFI27 offer available. Following the closure of SFI26 Window 2, we are working with farming representative organisations and the wider sector to consider how we refine the scheme for SFI27. We will share further details as early as possible.
The Government remains firmly committed to maintaining high animal welfare standards across the livestock sector. Farm animals are protected by robust animal health and welfare legislation, and we keep the effectiveness of animal welfare inspection, monitoring and enforcement arrangements under review.
Any potential breaches of animal health and welfare legislation are taken seriously. Defra's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigates allegations of non-compliance, undertakes on-farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation and where necessary, will co-ordinate with enforcement bodies such as local authorities.
The Government remains firmly committed to maintaining high animal welfare standards across the livestock sector. Farm animals are protected by robust animal health and welfare legislation, and we keep the effectiveness of animal welfare inspection, monitoring and enforcement arrangements under review.
Any potential breaches of animal health and welfare legislation are taken seriously. Defra's Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigates allegations of non-compliance, undertakes on-farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation and where necessary, will co-ordinate with enforcement bodies such as local authorities.
Around £3 million of the SFI26 Window 1 budget remained following the closure of that window. This funding was rolled forward into Window 2. The full budget for SFI26 has now been allocated.
We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this Parliament. We are investing more than £2.7bn a year in farming and nature recovery. Overall farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3bn a year for farming schemes. This includes funding for the Environmental Land Management schemes paid to farmers increasing by around 150%, rising from £800m in 2023/24 towards £2bn by 2028/29. There will be future Sustainable Farming Incentive offers and, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050, we plan to make an SFI27 offer available.
Planning guidance currently already requires assessment of reflected sunlight and mitigations to reduce solar glare from surfaces. The statutory nuisance regime covers artificial light emissions.
The UK has a resilient food supply chain, underpinned by diverse sources of supply, strong domestic production and reliable import routes. However, food security cannot be taken for granted. Defra works closely with farmers, the wider food and drink industry, including bottled water producers, and other government departments to identify and manage potential risks to the food system, helping to maintain supplies and support recovery from disruptions. The Food Preparedness Group brings together government, industry and civil society to strengthen preparedness for acute and catastrophic risks to the UK's food supply.
The Poultry Sector Growth Plan is being developed by industry, supported by Government, to identify opportunities for the sector to improve its productivity and profitability sustainably. This plan will comply with key Government policies such as the Animal Welfare Strategy, Farming Roadmap and Environment Improvement Plan 2025.
UK regulations require electric vehicle and battery manufacturers to meet recycling targets at end-of-life. The Government is reviewing batteries legislation and will consult on proposals to achieve more sustainable, safer recycling of battery minerals.
Farmers with expiring Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements may be able to apply for future environmental land management offers, including a planned SFI27 offer, where they meet eligibility criteria. Natural England is contacting Higher-Tier customers whose agreements expire in December 2026 to discuss options, including a new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
The Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury will provide any further information on the funding of the Defence Investment Plan in the normal way.
The joint regulator report gives the public a clearer picture of water company performance and where improvement is needed. The upcoming Water Bill is designed to deliver real-world change by strengthening accountability and oversight so poor performance can be identified early and addressed decisively when water company standards fall short.
For all staff including ministers it was £2,833,345.20 for UK hotels for the 2024-25 financial year.
For all staff including ministers it was £ 635,524.37 for overseas hotels for the 2024-25 financial year.
Water companies report dry day spill data monthly in arrears to the Environment Agency following analysis of detailed storm overflow and rainfall data. The Environment Agency publishes annual Event Duration Monitoring storm overflow data.
Potential permit breaches are investigated according to environmental risk. Enforcement action is taken for significant non-compliance.
I have regular discussions with water companies about the need to reduce leakage and meet their leakage targets, through meetings such as the National Drought Group and the Water Delivery Taskforce.
Local authorities have had the option to charge for a garden waste collection since 1992, as per the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012. Some may choose to charge for such collections due to local circumstances and economic drivers. They have the flexibility to make the best choices to suit local need.
The water industry provides critical services that the public and our economy depend on every day. Our reforms will shift the system to one where assets are properly maintained in order to be more resilient to shocks. Allowed revenues via the PR24 cost change process are scrutinised and approved by Ofwat.
Farmers can apply to the Environment Agency for temporary abstraction flexibilities where environmental impacts can be appropriately managed. The Environment Agency brought forward reservoir refilling for eligible farmers by one month and allows additional abstraction during flood warnings. We are also providing up to £15 million to support investment in on-farm reservoirs.
PackUK is planning to publish a call for evidence to inform future approaches to fee modulation under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging in early 2027. Additionally, a post-implementation review of the scheme will be undertaken by 31st December 2028.
The upcoming Water Bill is designed to deliver real-world change by strengthening accountability and oversight so poor performance can be identified early and addressed decisively when water company standards fall short.
Ofwat will report later this year on its assessment of compliance with the bonus rules for 2025-26 performance-related executive pay. We will not tolerate any attempts to undermine the bonus rules. Ofwat will be reviewing the bonus rules to assess if and how the rules should be tightened.
Poultry litter is an animal by-product. If it cannot be used as fertiliser without impacting on the environment or human health then it becomes waste. The producer or holder of waste has a legal duty to ensure that it is managed and treated in accordance with the appropriate waste legislation. Defra is working closely with the farming industry and the poultry sector on litter management.
The Environment Agency is aware of this potential closure. Its farm inspection regime covers nutrient applications to land, with inspection targets increasing annually.
Defra works closely with all departments to support communities affected by flooding, including the Department for Health and Social Care and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which leads cross-Government flood recovery work.
UK Statistics on Waste (copy attached) shows that 47.6 million tonnes of waste soil was generated by the construction and demolition sectors in 2024 in England. The percentage of total soil is not known.
Waste soil is treated either by depositing onto or into land, backfilling, or other recovery.
Defra supports the sustainable management of soils and minimising unnecessary disposal to landfill, within the existing regulatory framework.
Meat products imported from Great Britain into Northern Ireland are subject to EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) rules under the Windsor Framework. The Framework provides schemes to facilitate and simplify the internal UK movements of SPS goods, including meat products processed in Wales, Scotland or England. Compliance with relevant health certificate conditions and labelling requirements may be needed.
This Government is committed to the full and faithful implementation of the Windsor Framework. Recent progress includes technical changes to strengthen certification controls, issuing new guidance to improve compliance with box-level labelling requirements, and working with individual traders to ensure that only eligible goods are authorised to move under the relevant arrangements.
Defra’s definition of sustainable soil management is published in the glossary of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025. It is described as: practices that maintain or enhance the ecosystem services provided by the soil without impairing the functions enabling those services or being detrimental to other properties of the environment.
This Government routinely reviews its capabilities and governance arrangements to ensure they remain fit for purpose. Defra recently undertook a review to inform the development of future policy on strategic monitoring. As the review supports ongoing policy development and contains commercially sensitive information, this Government does not intend to publish the report.
This Government has committed to making an SFI27 offer available and is currently working with farming representative organisations and the wider sector to consider how the scheme should be refined. As part of this work, Defra is exploring alternatives to a first come, first served application process for SFI in 2027. The department is also considering how to improve the controllability of future offers and how funding can be distributed fairly across the sector. Further details on the SFI27 offer will be announced in due course.
This Government has committed to making an SFI27 offer available and is currently working with farming representative organisations and the wider sector to consider how the scheme should be refined. As part of this work, Defra is exploring alternatives to a first come, first served application process for SFI in 2027. The department is also considering how to improve the controllability of future offers and how funding can be distributed fairly across the sector. Further details on the SFI27 offer will be announced in due course.
The Animal Sentience Committee has statutory powers to produce reports containing its views on whether, or to what extent, this Government has appropriately considered how its policy decisions might affect the welfare of sentient animals. The Committee has not considered Government policy decisions on non-stun slaughter.
The SFI26 application service remained stable throughout Window 2, with service performance within normal operating parameters. Analysis has not identified evidence of a systemic platform-performance issue, although some customers reported difficulties accessing or using the service. The Rural Payments Agency is assessing reports of technical issues from farmers and agents. Ministers extended the technical issue exception group to include certain farmers who reported valid technical issues up to one week after Window 2 closed, including some who had started but not submitted applications.
Natural England is leading the consultation on the first Environmental Delivery Plan and has undertaken any engagement directly related to it.
The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 are managed by Defra, with Natural England acting as a consultee on licence applications. Defra continues to work closely with Fire and Rescue Services, who provide advice on licence applications where appropriate. There are no current plans to review the Regulations.
Farmers with expiring Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements may be able to apply for future environmental land management offers, including a planned SFI27 offer, where they meet eligibility criteria. Natural England is contacting Higher-Tier customers whose agreements expire in December 2026 to discuss options, including renewed agreements.
This Government recognises the important role small abattoirs play within the national food supply chain and remains committed to maintaining a resilient meat processing sector. Abattoirs currently receive support towards Official Control Regulation (OCR) charges through a tiered discount regime, with the smallest operators receiving up to a 90% discount. Following a public consultation between March and June 2026, the FSA Board is considering changes to target support more effectively and reduce regulatory burdens across the sector. Under the proposed approach, the smallest plants would receive a guaranteed 90% discount on OCR charges.
Local authorities play a vital role in animal welfare enforcement and are responsible for determining and allocating resources according to local needs and priorities. Defra is strengthening its understanding of enforcement capacity and capability, including through a new statutory data return covering farming and import-related animal health and welfare services.
Local authorities play a vital role in animal welfare enforcement and are responsible for determining and allocating resources according to local needs and priorities. Defra is strengthening its understanding of enforcement capacity and capability, including through a new statutory data return covering farming and import-related animal health and welfare services.
This is an area where the industry regulates itself. The Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria represents companion-animal cremation and burial businesses and maintains a code of conduct and provides a voice in relation to legislation. The Code of Practice covers handling, storage and cremation/burial procedures and expressly requires pet remains to be handled with care, respect and dignity.
The Government publishes all UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending on a calendar year basis via the Statistics on International Development. The publication reports on total UK ODA by provider and delivery, provides a breakdown of bilateral ODA by country and region, and sets out UK multilateral ODA expenditure. Defra also provides details of its expenditure and activities by financial year in its Annual Report and Accounts. This includes detail of ODA programme outturns. The report for financial year 2025/26 was published on 15 July 2026.