Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many fishing vessels are fitted with remote electronic monitoring cameras; what proportion of all fishing vessels this represents; and what, if any, enforcement actions have been taken since their deployment.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The enforcement of fisheries management measures and scientific monitoring of fish stocks are devolved policies. In England, Defra is working on a rolling programme where remote electronic monitoring is phased in across different fisheries in stages.
There is currently one vessel volunteering for the early adopter stage of the large pelagic trawler fishery. Further vessels are taking part in technical trials and scientific research projects. Defra is working to recruit volunteers for further priority fisheries and will work with those volunteers to design and test systems ahead of moving to mandatory requirements.
No enforcement actions have been taken as a result of the deployment of remote electronic monitoring on these vessels. Any infringements seen via remote electronic monitoring will however be acted upon in a proportionate way.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the closure of sandeel fisheries in the English North Sea is permanent.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In March 2024, and following a public consultation, the UK and Scottish Governments closed English waters of the North Sea and all Scottish waters to sandeel fishing. The closure will shield sandeel as an essential food source for commercially valuable fish, threatened seabird populations and for marine mammals. The EU has raised a dispute that the UK’s decision to prohibit fishing for sandeel within UK waters is not compliant with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The Permanent Court of Arbitration found the UK was successful in three of four claims including Scotland successfully defending the permanent closure of fishing for sandeel in Scottish waters. The Arbitration Tribunal determined there was a procedural error in the decision-making process to close English waters to sandeel fishing, in that, the UK did not have sufficient due regard to the EU and the principle of proportionality, as required by the TCA. The Government is presently bringing the UK into compliance with the tribunal’s ruling.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the ruling of the Arbitration Tribunal in The EU v The UK [Permanent Court of Arbitration Case 2024-45], on what date they submitted the measures they have taken to comply with the ruling of the tribunal to the EU.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK is currently taking steps to come into compliance and will be notifying the EU of the measures the UK has taken in due course. As part of the decision-making process, it is important that the UK considers the Tribunal’s ruling and that the policy decision weighs and balances considerations in relation to the adjustment period, and also the outcomes agreed between the EU and UK on 19th May as part of the UK-EU Summit.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted a comparative analysis of the approaches taken by the UK and Scottish Governments on the closure of sandeel fisheries in their respective territorial waters.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is presently considering its response to the Tribunal’s ruling and I cannot therefore comment in detail on the work we are doing to bring the UK into compliance.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the proposed Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area with the European Union will include provisions to restrict or ban the use of added nitrites in processed meats, in the light of scientific evidence linking nitrites to cancer.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As outlined in the 19 May UK-EU Summit common understanding document, an SPS Agreement will cover sanitary and phytosanitary standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, and key marketing standards and compositional standards- as well as pesticides. The details of the Agreement are subject to negotiation, but the Government is committed to high food standards.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many post implementation reviews completed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since October 2024 entailed consultation with external stakeholders.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of 10 June 2025, Defra has completed 42 post implementation reviews since October 2024. Of these, 36 involved consultation and engagement with external stakeholders. Methods included targeted stakeholder surveys, questionnaires, and interviews in addition to evidence gathered in the course of business-as-usual stakeholder engagement and wider policy consultations.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement sustainable draining systems in all new developments to reduce flood risk and enhance biodiversity.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, offer reuse opportunities, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to integrate approaches to adapting to climate change in (1) the Land Use Framework, (2) the Environmental Improvement Plan, (3) the 25-year farming road map, and (4) the food strategy, in line with recommendations made by the Climate Change Committee in the report Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament, published on 30 April.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We welcome the Climate Change Committee's latest report and are carefully considering its recommendations. The Government is required under the Climate Change Act to respond by 15 October that same year. The Government response, led by Defra will include input from 12 departments addressing the 57 sectoral recommendations in the report.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - 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 recommendation from the Climate Change Committee in the report Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament, published on 30 April, to restore coastal marine habitats by regulating bottom trawling and improving protection of marine protected areas.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We welcome the Climate Change Committee's latest report and are carefully considering its recommendations. The Government is required under the Climate Change Act to respond by 15 October that same year. The Government response, led by Defra will include input from 12 departments addressing the 57 sectoral recommendations in the report.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in developing an app to update drivers on which of their consignments has been selected for a physical check under the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
HM Revenue & Customs provides drivers with the Inspection Location Service, which allows drivers access to identify whether their consignments have been selected for an inspection. The portal is linked to the Goods Movement Vehicle Service (GMVS) whereby a driver can enter their Goods Movement Reference, and they will be shown the inspection status for their consignment. If the driver does not use GMVS, Imports of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) will provide an initial risk assessment telling the importer/agent if their consignment needs SPS checks when they submit their import notification. If the consignment does need checks, the importer/agent and haulier will also receive a text and email message two hours before the driver’s estimated time of arrival in GB. The message will conform what the driver needs to do. Additionally, the notifier can check their IPAFFS dashboard for updates on whether their consignment will be checked.