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, what engagement her Department has had with animal protection organisations on the development of activity regulations under the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023, including the extent to which those organisations’ recommendations have informed policy development.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
The Act grants enforcement powers to Trading Standards in England and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland to monitor compliance of future regulations.
It is important that any regulations are effective and work in practice, and as set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.
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, whether overseas tourism activities involving animals are currently being considered for inclusion within the Activity Regulations under the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
The Act grants enforcement powers to Trading Standards in England and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland to monitor compliance of future regulations.
It is important that any regulations are effective and work in practice, and as set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.
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, what enforcement mechanisms will be used to ensure compliance with the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 once the Activity Regulations are in force.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
The Act grants enforcement powers to Trading Standards in England and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland to monitor compliance of future regulations.
It is important that any regulations are effective and work in practice, and as set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Patrick Spencer (Independent - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of imported agricultural produce on farm-gate prices for British farmers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, Defra will uphold high food and animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production 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 this might have. Where necessary, Defra is prepared to use the full range of powers at its disposal to protect the most sensitive sectors.
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, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the regulation of travel companies advertising overseas animal tourism activities that involve low welfare standards.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on a range of issues.
As set out in the animal welfare strategy, published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
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 help prevent illegal persecution of hen harriers and other birds of prey on land managed for gamebird shooting.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The illegal killing of any wild bird of prey on land managed for gamebird shooting is unacceptable. Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against these birds. Defra supports the work of a national Tactical Delivery Group which brings stakeholders together to tackle such criminality.
Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime and directly assists law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £494,000 for NWCU this year. In 2024, the NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force (HTF) – a partnership designed to help tackle the illegal persecution of hen harriers. Through the HTF, more efficient channels of communication between partners expedites the coordination of effective enforcement responses. The HTF is also using innovative technology such as tracking drones and specialised detection dogs to enhance evidence collection in remote areas.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
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 HCWS1281 on reform to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, what plans she has to regulate veterinary and animal healthcare businesses; how price transparency and consumer protections will be enforced; what progress she has made in responding to the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation into the veterinary sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is currently unable to regulate businesses. Defra’s consultation on reform of this Act, released on 28 January, proposes that all veterinary and animal health businesses (those owned by allied veterinary professionals) be licensed and regulated. This may include policies surrounding price transparency and consumer rights, in line with the outcomes and remedies of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) market investigation into the household pet veterinary sector.
The CMA’s investigation is currently ongoing. Its final report is expected in the spring and Defra shall respond to it within 90 days of its publication.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the annual volume of electronic waste generated by manufacturers withdrawing software support for otherwise functional connected devices; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of applying extended producer responsibility to smart technology.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not collect data relating to the volume of waste generated by devices made redundant due to software upgrades and only holds data relating to the Government’s own Information and Communication Technology devices.
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a Circular Economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition, and will publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. In the development of the Growth Plan, Defra are considering the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluating what interventions may be needed, including any interventions in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) sector.
The WEEE Regulations 2013 are founded on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility and stipulate that all producers of electrical goods, including producers of smart technology, must take responsibility for the products they place on the market when they become waste.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 has assessed the potential implications of levels of workforce availability of sheep shearers on animal welfare.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
With a national flock of around 30m sheep, Defra recognises the good work that British Wool does in delivering training for domestic sheep shearers, the importance that shearing sheep plays in managing the health and welfare of the UK flock, and the continued challenges that the industry faces each year in sourcing sufficient numbers of trained shearers.
We continue to work closely with the industry in addressing these challenges.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed consultation on banning trail hunting will allow submissions on family pets being killed by hunting hounds; and what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on this matter.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation. The department plans to introduce legislation to ban the activity of trail hunting when Parliamentary time allows. Under Section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is an offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control. The owner of any dog that is dangerously out of control may be put in prison for up to 14 years, banned from ever owning a dog and receive an unlimited fine.