Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - 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 impact on animal welfare of the expected closure of some small and medium sized abattoirs as a result of the increases to inspection charges at meat premises for 2026/27 announced by the Food Standards Agency on 27 February.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is not aware of the expected closure of any small or medium‑sized abattoirs as a result of the FSA’s updated inspection charges for 2026/27. We will continue to work with industry as the FSA implements reforms to its system of discounts on charges, on which it launched a 12‑week public consultation on 19 March. Under the proposals, the FSA would be able to target government support more effectively towards smaller abattoirs while minimising barriers to growth and providing better value for public money. More smaller abattoirs would also benefit from the maximum 90% discount on their charges.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the future of small and medium sized abattoirs following the Food Standards Agency's announcement on 27 February of increases to inspection charges at meat premises for 2026/27.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises the important role small and medium sized abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.
Following the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) recent announcement on meat inspection charges for 2026/27, Defra has been engaging closely with the FSA and industry to ensure the implications for smaller plants are fully understood. The Government will continue to work with industry as the FSA implements reforms to its system of discounts on charges following a 12-week public consultation launched on 19 March. Under the proposals, the FSA would be able to target government support more effectively towards smaller abattoirs while minimising barriers to business growth and providing better value for public money. More smaller abattoirs would also benefit from the maximum 90% discount on their charges.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will monitor the impact on abattoirs of the increases to inspection charges at meat premises for 2026/27 announced by the Food Standards Agency on 27 February.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra recognises the important role small and medium sized abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain.
Following the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) recent announcement on meat inspection charges for 2026/27, Defra has been engaging closely with the FSA and industry to ensure the implications for smaller plants are fully understood. The Government will continue to work with industry as the FSA implements reforms to its system of discounts on charges following a 12-week public consultation launched on 19 March. Under the proposals, the FSA would be able to target government support more effectively towards smaller abattoirs while minimising barriers to business growth and providing better value for public money. More smaller abattoirs would also benefit from the maximum 90% discount on their charges.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government what statistics are available comparing prosecution rates for crimes recorded in (1) rural, and (2) urban, locations.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
This Government is committed to protecting our rural communities, as well as tackling crimes that predominantly affect these communities, such as machinery theft. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime.
The CPS provides legal guidance on Rural crime, which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases. They also provide specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.
The CPS does not hold any central record of prosecutions for crimes recorded in either rural or urban areas. In the most recent twelve months (ending March 2025) the CPS completed prosecutions in respect of 449,573 defendants and to identify which of these prosecutions relate to criminal activity in rural or urban locations would require a manual review of each case and this would be at a disproportionate cost.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2025 - 2028 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to provide a dedicated and tailored support for rural communities and those who live and work within them. This strategy is a key step in our mission to deliver safer streets applies to all communities, urban and rural, across the country
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a working relationship between the National Rural Crime Unit and the proposed National Police Service.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The National Police Service will take on the range of operational functions that currently sit with lead forces, coordinated through the NPCC. The Government will work closely with the NPCC on the transition of these functions.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mandate the fitting of engine immobilisers to off-road vehicles prior to sale, under the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have always been committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its aims to tackle the theft and resale of All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs).
The Act gives power for immobilisers to be fit as standard, but significant concerns were raised about the impact on existing Type Approval regulations, which are in place to ensure the safety of new vehicles before sale.
We absolutely cannot compromise vehicle safety and as a result, we will not be including the fitting of immobilisers to new ATVs at this time.
However, we will be introducing secondary legislation in relation to the property marking and the registration of all new ATVs onto a property marking database. Removable GPS units which are particularly vulnerable to theft will also be included within these provisions. This will assist police in identifying the rightful owner if they are recovered and also makes stolen vehicles and equipment harder to sell on, which has a deterrent effect.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) review the investigatory and enforcement responsibilities of, and (2) promote inter-agency co-operation and information sharing between, (a) local authorities, (b) the police, and (c) the Environment Agency in relation to instances of fly-tipping.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC) was launched in January 2020 as a multi-agency taskforce to share intelligence and operational capability and capacity to tackle serious and organised criminality in the waste sector.
It brings together the Environment Agency, HMRC, National Crime Agency, the police, waste regulators from across the UK and other operational partners to share intelligence and tasking to disrupt and prevent serious organised waste crime. JUWC works with local partners operationally as appropriate, including local authorities.
The JUWC published its latest annual review at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - 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 merits of introducing a single national reporting route for instances of fly-tipping.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Individuals can already report illegal waste activity anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online. Local authorities are often best placed to tackle local issues such as fly-tipping, and so any single national reporting route would need to pass reports on to the relevant local authority. Incidents can already be reported to the relevant local authority online. Individuals can get help on identifying the relevant local authority webpage at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any barriers to information sharing in relation to instances of fly-tipping between (1) local authorities, (2) the police, and (3) the Environment Agency, that may arise from current data protection legislation.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is not aware of any barriers to information sharing in relation to instances of fly-tipping between local authorities, the police and the Environment Agency that may arise from current data protection legislation.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to address international competitiveness in the oil refining sector, and to avoid further job losses, following the closure of Grangemouth Refinery and the insolvency of Lindsey Oil Refinery.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The refining sector is a vital part of the UK’s economy, and the Government is determined to work with industry to ensure UK refineries remain internationally competitive. That is why this Government has announced an urgent review of the methodology for the Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme, helping to assess future coverage for the sector.
We have also invested in carbon capture, usage and storage projects and implemented the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate, enabling the refining sector to maximise the opportunities created by the clean energy transition.
My Honourable Friend Minister Shanks met the refinery sector in June to discuss these issues and will continue to engage with the industry to address long-standing issues.