Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to help farmers diversify their income through nature-based solutions to environmental issues.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to supporting the growth of nature services markets, providing new ways for farmers to diversify revenue and increase business resilience. Opportunities for individual farms vary, depending on their farming system, local demand for nature services, and their appetite for diversification.

This Government does not have a quantified assessment of the cumulative revenue opportunities for carbon and nature markets by 2030 but is acting to increase demand. This includes extending mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, establishing the Nature Restoration Fund, and growing the role of nature-based solutions for the water system through reforms outlined in “A New Vision for Water”.

The Government’s £13m Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund supported more than 130 projects – many involving farmers – to attract private finance. The Government is also working with the British Standards Institution to outline clear standards, so farmers can take up market opportunities with confidence.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the revenue opportunity for the farming community from carbon and nature markets by 2030.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government is committed to supporting the growth of nature services markets, providing new ways for farmers to diversify revenue and increase business resilience. Opportunities for individual farms vary, depending on their farming system, local demand for nature services, and their appetite for diversification.

This Government does not have a quantified assessment of the cumulative revenue opportunities for carbon and nature markets by 2030 but is acting to increase demand. This includes extending mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, establishing the Nature Restoration Fund, and growing the role of nature-based solutions for the water system through reforms outlined in “A New Vision for Water”.

The Government’s £13m Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund supported more than 130 projects – many involving farmers – to attract private finance. The Government is also working with the British Standards Institution to outline clear standards, so farmers can take up market opportunities with confidence.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the "Made in the UK" requirements for single and multi-ingredient produce.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The fundamental principles of our food labelling rules are that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable consumers to make informed decisions.

Country of origin information is required for fresh and frozen meat of beef cattle, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry, as well as uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil, wine and some fish products. It is also required for all prepacked food where its omission would be misleading to consumers. In any case, where an indication of origin or provenance is given, either in words or pictures, this must be accurate.

Under existing rules, any food or food product that is not classed as UK origin cannot be presented (or implied e.g. using a Union flag) as being British. Food products manufactured in the UK are British products, many of which are well known British brands abroad. But if these contain a primary ingredient that is not British, then a British claim can only be made on the label if the label also highlights that the primary ingredient is not British.

Defra officials will continue to review the rules around origin labelling.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the 2030 goal of 50 per cent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest features reaching a favourable condition is sufficiently ambitious.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government considers the interim target for 50% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition by December 2030, to be ambitious and achievable.

The interim target was set following the review of the 2023 Environmental Improvement plan, which looked at the environmental data and indicators and the expected delivery against Environment Act targets.

We considered the scale of action needed to improve the condition of features alongside the ambition for 75% of protected sites to be in favourable condition by 2042. Delivery is supported by improved monitoring, sustainable land management, action to tackle pressures such as pollution, Protected Site Strategies, and the Major Landowners Group.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish an impact assessment of a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement before it is signed.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will prepare a regulatory impact assessment for the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement as part of the normal regulatory process. The assessment will be developed alongside any secondary legislation required to implement the Agreement and will set out the impacts of the resulting legislative changes.

The Government will prepare a regulatory impact assessment for the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement as part of the normal regulatory process. The assessment will be developed alongside any secondary legislation required to implement the Agreement and will set out the impacts of the resulting legislative changes.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Natural England delivers value for money.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Natural England (NE) is an arm's-length body whose expenditure is subject to public accounting and audit arrangements, adhering to the requirements of HMT ‘Managing Public Money’. The National Audit Office also conducts value for money studies across government, including Natural England, which Defra responds to.

The NE Framework Document sets out financial accountabilities and controls and the operational framework between NE and Defra. NE publishes independently audited annual accounts which are laid before Parliament. Defra ensures NE provides value for money by implementing robust accountability including quarterly performance monitoring and Ministerial oversight.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Hayman of Ullock on 1 July (HL Deb col 1066), whether they have asked for an exception carve-out for precision breeding and gene editing in the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement negotiations.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We remain committed to implementing the Precision Breeding Act and enabling the safe development of innovative genetic technologies.

Under the UK‑EU Common Understanding, it is recognised that there will be areas where the UK will retain its own rules. The detail of those is subject to ongoing negotiations, and it would not be appropriate to comment further.