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 plans they have to address the biosecurity risks arising from (1) the lack of reference to non-pathogenic fungi, or (2) the ability of non-invasive species of fungi to cause extreme environmental harm, in the Environment Improvement Plan 25 biosecurity strategy.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) ensures that nature’s recovery is a key priority, including the conservation and recovery of plants, animals and fungi. It includes prioritised actions to enhance biosecurity and reaffirms our commitment to strategies including the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain and the UK Biological Security Strategy, and highlights some of the ways we will deliver them.
This includes a dedicated programme of risk and horizon scanning, which continuously and proactively assesses emerging threats to plant health and the potential impact on the UK, including from fungi, using the UK Plant Health Risk Register as a screening tool. Where pests and diseases are deemed a significant risk, priority actions are identified and implemented to mitigate such risk, for example through regulation or research and development.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what antimicrobial resistance surveillance is currently conducted on imported foods at the UK border; and how that surveillance aligns with the UK's One Health approach to antimicrobial resistance.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs monitors antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in zoonotic and commensal bacteria from food samples taken from Third Country Imports to the European Union of fresh meat at Northern Ireland’s Points of Entry. This AMR testing is carried out on beef and/or pork and chicken and/or turkey on alternating years. These inspections are carried out in line with and under European Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1729 on the monitoring and reporting of AMR in zoonotic and commensal bacteria, which applies in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
For the rest of the United Kingdom, port health authorities (PHAs) have a statutory obligation to prioritise sampling under official controls which are intended to mitigate known food safety risks. PHAs have their own local sampling plans which will be informed by the UK’s National Monitoring Plan and other intelligence. Currently, it is more practical to sample for AMR screening inland.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently funding two AMR surveys at retail which includes testing foods imported into the United Kingdom. This includes the raw frozen chicken meat survey and the eggshell membrane food supplements survey, which includes supplements imported into the UK.
The Government takes a ‘One-Health’ approach to controlling AMR through the UK’s 2024 to 2029 National Action Plan. The FSA leads on AMR in food and promoting good hygienic practices across the food chain. Surveillance improves our understanding of AMR by measuring, predicting, and understanding how resistant microorganisms spread from animals and agriculture to humans via the food chain. This allows decisions to be based on robust surveillance, scientific research, and datasets. We monitor AMR bacteria found in foods to understand trends over several years and detect emerging new threats to protect the public and future effectiveness of antibiotics both in healthcare and animal welfare.
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 steps they are taking to protect waxcap grasslands; and what steps they have taken toward creating a waxcap grassland habitat of principal importance.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England is undertaking work to map waxcap grasslands and to understand their conservation status. In addition, Natural England is currently reviewing priority habitats, and the potential inclusion of waxcap grasslands within these habitats is being considered as part of the review. Under the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme, waxcap grasslands can be identified as a target feature for funding to prevent agricultural improvement or conversion that may threaten these grasslands.
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, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 26 November 2025 (HL11789), what steps they have taken to communicate the ambition of the International Fungal Conservation Pledge and ensure national alignment with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs' national team, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and devolved government agencies.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Further to those actions set out in our response to PQ UIN HL11789, in September 2025 Defra participated in the launch of the UK Network for Fungal Conservation. The network, which currently includes Defra, NE, JNCC, NIEA and DAERA membership, brings together representatives from statutory bodies, research institutes, conservation NGOs and other fungal conservation professionals to work on fungal conservation across the UK. During the first quarter of 2026, the network will work on a collaborative new strategy and delivery plan for fungal conservation in the UK, enabling its integration with the new global strategy for fungal conservation.
Additionally, and in line with the UK’s commitment to the International Fungal Conservation Pledge, the UK led a proposal at CoP20 (December 2025) to develop a programme of work on how CITES should be applied to fungi in practice. This proposal was adopted by the Parties.
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 steps they are taking to address fungi being a notified feature in 0.3 per cent of SSSIs in England; and whether they will commit the necessary resources for new sites already on Natural England’s SSSI pipeline to be so notified.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
While only a small proportion of existing sites currently have fungi recorded as monitored features, Natural England (NE) continues to improve consistency in how all features are identified and assessed.
As around 8% of England has been designated as SSSI over the past 40 years, NE considers that most suitable areas have already been notified, though further cases may arise as evidence improves and environmental conditions change.
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 whether they plan to update their definition of polypropylene to allow non-black polypropylene plant pots to be classed as green under the Recyclability assessment methodology: assessing materials, updated on 4 September 2025.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
PackUK has received feedback highlighting ongoing challenges with stable market demand, collection, sorting performance, and recyclability for coloured rigid polypropylene. The Recyclability Assessment Methodology is reviewed and updated annually. Officials are currently seeking advice on this issue from the independent RAM Technical Advisory Committee to inform the next iteration of the RAM (2027), due to be published in July 2026.
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 penalties will be imposed on local authorities that do not comply with Simpler Recycling requirements; and when and how they plan to report on rates of compliance.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Public authorities (such as waste collection authorities) are expected to comply with their statutory duties. If they do not comply, they are at risk of judicial review. However, local authorities are independent bodies and are accountable to their electorate rather than to Ministers or Government departments.
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 plans they have, if any, to develop routine antimicrobial resistance surveillance across UK aquaculture sectors.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2022 the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) initiated a collaboration with the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture science (Cefas) with the support of the British Trout Association (BTA), to establish AMR surveillance in bacteria responsible for disease in UK farmed trout. Results from this pilot scheme have been reported in the UK Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance Reports (2023 & 2024). Building on this work the development of a national surveillance programme for AMR in healthy aquatic animals – including finfish and shellfish – is currently under consideration.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has also established the Private Laboratories Initiative (PLI) to strengthen national AMR surveillance by capturing clinical data from private veterinary diagnostic laboratories, which are not currently included in government surveillance programmes. Addressing this surveillance gap will improve our ability to understand of AMR trends and detect emerging threats. This work includes aquaculture, with work underway led by Cefas. Further details can be found in the UK‑VARSS 2024 report (p.169).
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, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 21 January (HL13085), what evidence they received from trading partners to confirm that antimicrobials used for growth promotion have not been used in food-producing animals or animal products exported to Great Britain for human consumption; and whether they will publish examples of that evidence.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra requires all trading partners that export food-producing animals and animal products for human consumption to Great Britain to submit residue control plans each year.
The plans monitor for the presence of pharmacologically active substances, including antimicrobials used for growth promotion. Where non‑compliance is detected, Defra can impose safeguard measures, including compulsory pre‑ or post‑import testing and import bans.
Trading partners must also provide guarantees that antimicrobials intended for growth promotion or yield enhancement have not been used. Although returns are not published, the lists of countries with approved residue control plans can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Israel sprayed glyphosate over areas of south Lebanon; what assessment they have made of the impact of spraying glyphosate on environmental and human health; and whether they have discussed that matter with the government of Israel.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK is concerned by reports that Israel sprayed herbicide over Lebanese territory in early February and that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon operations were impacted by this operation. The UK urges all parties to adhere to the Cessation of Hostilities agreement in place since 2024 and in particular to avoid any threat to civilians or the UN Mission.