Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
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 prohibit bottom-towed fishing gear in all 41 Marine Protected Areas.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation on the latest round of proposed fisheries byelaws, which proposes further restrictions on bottom trawling in 41 of England’s offshore Marine Protected Areas, closed on 29 September. The Marine Management Organisation is now carefully considering all responses received, and decisions will be made in due course.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) Ofwat and (b) Thames Water on the potential merits of issuing penalties to Thames Water for alleged breaches of its license agreement in the context of its investment grade credit ratings.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The enforcement of licence conditions is a matter for Ofwat as the independent economic regulator. To remedy its licence breach in losing its investment grade credit ratings in 2024, Ofwat has confirmed it accepted an enforcement undertaking from Thames Water in August 2024 (Ofwat confirms actions for Thames Water following investment credit rating downgrade - Ofwat). These commitments will remain in place until the company regains two investment grade credit ratings.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 assessments he has made of the potential impact of the proposed joined‑up local planning measures on the prevention of surface‑to‑foul water misconnections in new housing developments.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the White Paper Defra has committed to delivering an enhanced, better joined up regional water planning function.
This will enable a more holistic, coordinated approach to water environment and supply planning which supports delivery of national strategic objectives such as the economic growth mission, housing building targets and nature recovery, whilst enabling regional and local priorities to be realised.
Defra is engaging a range of stakeholders to understand what works well, and where there are challenges with water sector planning, within the current river basin planning system. This engagement is helping us test emerging thinking, identifying opportunities to strengthen planning and delivery and ensure policy development is informed by practical experience as well as evidence and analysis.
Property owners are legally responsible for resolving misconnected pipework on their property; public misconnections are the responsibility of water companies.
Should misconnections not be resolved, the responsible party can be prosecuted; in some cases, local authorities and water companies can access private property to fix misconnections and then recover their costs from the owner.
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, if she plans to publish the Transition Plan on a sitting day of the House this year.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Transition Plan will be published in 2026. It will set clear direction on priorities, sequencing, and engagement, giving the sector confidence as reforms begin and ahead of the introduction of an upcoming water bill.
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, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of false applications for the de minimis exemption on delays within the planning system.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A full consultation response and impact assessment to the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will set out whether any changes will be made to the de minimis exemption alongside the introduction of the new 0.2-hectare area exemption.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which farming areas in West Worcestershire constituency would qualify for the Farming in Protected Landscapes Fund.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farming in Protected Landscape programme funds projects in National Parks and National Landscapes. The programme is also open to farmers and land managers on land outside these protected landscapes where projects benefit these areas. In the West Worcestershire constituency, these areas include parts of the Malvern Hills and Cotswolds National Landscapes.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 review the prohibition on exhibiting Psittaciformes alongside (a) canaries and (b) finches at licensed bird gatherings; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting mixed‑species events.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
In England the general licence for gatherings of Psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons permits a gathering including a mix of these types of birds. Defra can also exercise discretion to permit gatherings by granting specific licences for mixed species from other orders of bird such as Passeriformes (e.g. canaries and finches). For each application for a licence to hold a gathering, an individual risk assessment will be completed, and mitigating conditions will be set out in the licence.
It is therefore possible, subject to licence, to hold mixed-species exhibitions of Psittaciformes alongside canaries and finches.
Asked by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which animal products will be included in the exploration of method-of-production labelling outlined in the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Putney, Fleur Anderson, on 26 January 2026, PQ UIN 106592.
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, whether the Government response to the Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation will set out plans for addressing concerns regarding misapplication of the de minimis exemption.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A full consultation response and impact assessment to the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will set out whether any changes will be made to the de minimis exemption alongside the introduction of the new 0.2-hectare area exemption.
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, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of misapplication of the de minimis exemption on the rollout of biodiversity net gain obligations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A full consultation response and impact assessment to the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will set out whether any changes will be made to the de minimis exemption alongside the introduction of the new 0.2-hectare area exemption.