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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of industrial livestock farming in the UK on (a) climate change, (b) deforestation of the Amazon and (c) national food security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government promotes efficient, competitive farming, but does not seek to favour large, or small-scale farming operations, which each have a role to play in promoting sustainable UK agriculture and supporting our national food security. We need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers and food producers. As part of the Government’s international and domestic commitments, Defra produces an annual inventory of UK agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including those from the rearing of livestock. We are committed to addressing how UK consumption of forest risk commodities drives deforestation in key ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest. This work includes consideration of the role of imported commodities such as soy and palm oil that are used in feed for UK livestock farming.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her department has made of the number and scope of regulations in which there has been (a) active and (b) passive divergence between UK and European Union sanitary and phytosanitary rules; and whether her Department intends to prevent further divergence while EU-UK negotiations on a common sanitary and phytosanitary area are in progress.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
When it has been deemed appropriate for GB policy to actively diverge from EU regulations, steps have always been taken to consider how a change could impact businesses looking to sell into UK, NI and EU markets, and if they will be required to adhere to different regulations and systems for each.
The Government has begun negotiations with the EU on the SPS agreement. It is too early to assess the nature of the workloads which will result should an agreement be reached, but it is expected to be substantial.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the source of large quantities of waste dumped by the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire; what assessment they have made of systematic waste disposal issues; and what plans they have for clean-up of the waste, and to what timescale.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has declared this case as a critical incident and is leading the multi-agency emergency response with the local police, fire services and Oxfordshire County Council following several lines of inquiry. Specialist officers are investigating the site so that the individuals responsible are caught, prosecuted, and made to pay for the damage including the clear up. We cannot commit to a timescale at this stage. While this investigation takes place the EA is taking robust steps to prevent contamination of the River Cherwell.
Separate to the incident in Oxfordshire the Government is making policy and regulatory reforms to close loopholes exploited by criminals - fundamentally reforming the waste carriers, brokers and dealers system, tightening waste permit exemptions and introducing digital waste tracking.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
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 to support Natural England in their responsibilities in wildfire prevention, including in agreeing land management plans.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the lead Government department for wildfire. Defra works closely with MHCLG and supports Natural England (NE) to deliver its responsibilities.
This includes the recently published Environmental Improvement Plan commitment that by 2030 NE will conduct research on increasing the natural resilience of habitats to wildfires, such as through re-wetting or restoring hydrological function, including case studies of success. An initial scoping review will be reported on in the annual progress report in 2027. This will develop our understanding of actions we can take to naturally reduce the risk of wildfires.
Alongside this, Defra supports NE in:
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the 3 Highly Protected Marine Areas that were designated in 2023 will be implemented.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Management Organisation has consulted on proposed byelaws to prohibit all commercial and recreational fishing within the three HPMAs and to prohibit anchoring within Allonby Bay HPMA. Decisions on these proposed HPMA byelaws will be taken in due course and any further management measures for the designated HPMAs will be introduced as necessary.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of pets by type that were placed with animal shelters as a result of (a) pet ownership affordability and (b) tenancy restrictions in each of the past three years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department does not hold information on the number of pets placed with animal shelters as a result of the affordability of pet ownership or tenancy restrictions. This information may be collected by individual animal welfare organisations.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 make an assessment of the potential impact of farmers and gamekeepers on fighting wildfires.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) are the lead Department for wildfire. I refer you to their response of 21 November 2025 to PQ UIN 90164.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
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 potential impact of the proposed changes to the Protection of Badgers Act on shooting badgers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
These amendments standardise licences for development purposes under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 with those for other species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, 2017. This is intended to facilitate strategic-level Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) as provided for in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
We are legislating that licences issued under the Act to derogate from the protection afforded to badgers will be subject to strict tests required by the Bern Convention, which set a high bar. For licences under the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), against an EDP for badgers, an overall improvement in the conservation status of badgers will be required. Killing badgers would remain exceptional and only permissible under strict conditions, such as disease control, and would not become routine for development purposes.
A specific assessment of the potential impact on shooting badgers has not been undertaken as the impact of these provisions will depend on practical application by Natural England through EDPs or individual licences.
Asked by: Lloyd Hatton (Labour - South Dorset)
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 plans to expand the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 to apply to all recreational water users.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment, and so it is critical that appropriate regulations meet the needs of water users and those involved with managing bathing water sites. In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites. The Government response to the consultation, published in March 2025, outlined that a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with this proposal and many offered suggestions of what water users should be included. The Department is now exploring how evidence to support the delivery of these wider reforms, including expanding the definition of a bather might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 will extend the definition of bathers to include other water user types in the context of the Bathing Waters Regulations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment, and so it is critical that appropriate regulations meet the needs of water users and those involved with managing bathing water sites. In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites. The Government response to the consultation, published in March 2025, outlined that a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with this proposal and many offered suggestions of what water users should be included. The Department is now exploring how evidence to support the delivery of these wider reforms, including expanding the definition of a bather might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.