Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the UK’s reliance on food imports in the context of increasing climate-driven supply shocks.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Food Security Report, published by Defra every three years and last published in 2024, sets out an analysis of statistics relating to food security, serving as an evidence base to inform government policy and public understanding. It tracks trends in domestic production, import reliance, inflation, and supply chain shocks.
The UK has a resilient food system, producing around 65% of all food consumed here. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
In most scenarios, the UK’s ability to access supply from diverse sources is vital to its resilience.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
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 considered the role of legislation such as a Good Food Bill in improving the resilience of the UK food system to climate change.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working across Government and the food system to drive the Good Food Cycle outcomes, and other Government priorities, over this Parliament. This includes taking action to support the resilience of the UK food system to climate change, by implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.
Transforming the food system is a long-term programme of work. The Government needs to use all available tools in a balanced, evidence-led way that avoids unintended consequences for industry and the consumer. Legislation will play a role in some areas, but the Government has not yet made a decision on the need for a dedicated Food Bill.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the resilience of food supply chains to extreme weather events overseas.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK food supply chain is underpinned by diverse sources, robust domestic production and reliable import routes. Diversity remains a core strength, supporting response to disruptions, such as extreme weather events overseas, without significant impact on national food security.
Whilst the UK currently has a high degree of food security, it cannot be taken for granted.
Ongoing research through the Defra-funded Food, Farming and Natural Environment programme with the Met Office Hadley Centre will strengthen the evidence on adaptation options. It will also identify and evaluate key adaptation measures to improve the resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to set targets for improving the climate resilience of the UK food system.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food production faces pressing and increasing risks from climate change and nature loss. Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens.
The National Adaptation Programme sets out the actions that government and others will take to adapt to the impacts of climate change across all sectors in England, including the food supply and farming sector. The Government has committed to explore how stronger adaptation objectives can be set to improve preparedness for the impacts of climate change. This will support an ambitious and impactful fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the Horticulture Sector Growth Plan.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the first meeting of the Farming and Food Partnership Board in March, work to prepare a Sector Growth Plan for the horticulture sector is now underway. This reflects its vital role in boosting domestic production, driving growth and strengthening national food security.
Meetings with horticulture sector experts have commenced to shape an industry-led, sector-owned plan that brings together government and industry expertise.
This plan will identify key industry challenges and where the biggest opportunities lie to boost productivity and profitability, while cutting environmental impact and improving animal welfare, all grounded in market realities and government priorities.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on food prices.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, DBT, DWP and DHSC to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living.
Defra is implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040", what plans he has to mandate that industrial plants and data centres make their surplus heat available for district heating networks.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Heat Network zoning equips communities and local government with the tools to accelerate the development of low carbon heat networks and ensure that more homes and businesses can have access to greener, cheaper heat.
Through heat network zoning, certain types of buildings and heat sources can be required to connect to a network within a prescribed timeframe. This will allow for large-scale strategic heat networks to be built in towns and cities across the country.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE: Heat Networks report entitled Clean Heat 2040 report, whether he plans to rebalance energy policy costs for heat networks away from electricity bills.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises that high electricity prices are a significant pressure on industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We are continuing to develop further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas, and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses and organisations.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040" what assessment his Department has made of the case for extending to heat networks the same long-term revenue support mechanisms that are already provided to nuclear power and carbon capture projects.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises the conclusion of the report that electricity prices are a significant pressure on the heat network industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We intend to consult on options to reduce costs, provide longer-term certainty and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses including heat networks.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the level of savings to NHS services in Norfolk from VCSE sector programmes.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department has not made a central estimate of the level of savings to National Health Services in Norfolk specifically arising from programmes delivered by the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.
VCSE organisations play an important role in supporting prevention, early intervention, and community-based care, which can help improve outcomes for patients and reduce pressure on statutory services.