Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 19 November 2025, (b) 15 December 2025 and (c) 6 January 2026 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A reply is being prepared and will be issued to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) per-consignment fees and (b) inspection charges on the retail price of sanitary and phytosanitary goods imported from the European Union.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), imported consignments of products of animal origin (POAO), and plant and plant products (P&PP), are subject to per-consignment requirements including health certification, pre-notification and inspection fees.
We estimate the measures introduced through the BTOM would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2 percentage points in total over a 3-year period.
We do not hold sufficiently robust data at a commodity level to disaggregate this figure further.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agricultural businesses in (a) West Sussex, (b) East Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove received Sustainable Farming Incentive grants in 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of the 1st of January 2025, there were 32,200 Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements in England. This was made up of 25,300 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive 23 and 6,900 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer. This includes agreements for agricultural businesses in West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the number of agricultural businesses that have been affected by the suspension of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in (a) West Sussex, (b) East Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Scheme, the Rural Payments Agency re-opened the SFI 2024 offer to eligible farmers who had started but not submitted an application as at 11 March 2025, and those who were eligible under one of three exception groups.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 18 March 2025 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
A reply to the hon. Member was sent on 24 June 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
All staff working for the department and its arm’s length bodies are entitled to paternity leave, subject to qualifying service, which varies between organisations.
Some staff could qualify for statutory paternity leave on their first day of service with their department because they already have qualifying service with another Civil Service organisation, or because their organisation offers it on day 1.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to Question 25350 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Paternity Leave, tabled on 21 January 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
A response to Question 25350 is being prepared and will be provided as soon as possible. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the potential impact of the Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024 to (a) porridge oats, (b) pork rind-based snacks and (c) roast potatoes on the food and drink industry.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is delivering on its manifesto commitment to ban junk food advertising to children by introducing the Advertising (Less Healthy Food Definitions and Exemptions) Regulations 2024. This was agreed in the usual way across the Government through proper development and consultation processes. As the lead department, DHSC has published an impact assessment including costs to business, and published guidance for industry on the food and drink categories in scope of the restrictions.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of future water supply shortages in West Sussex.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a supply of wholesome water under the Water Industry Act 1991 and associated water quality regulations. Companies must ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency and are required to plan to provide alternative supplies in the event of a loss of normal supply. As set out in Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) 2022, in the event of an unavoidable failure of piped supply, water companies must ensure that a minimum supply is provided by alternative means. The Drinking Water Inspectorate lead on assurance and enforcement of SEMD.
Water companies have statutory requirements to consult, publish and maintain Water Resources Management Plans, which set out how they will provide secure water supplies for at least twenty-five years into the future. We expect Southern Water to consult on a revised draft plan later this month. The draft plan will be assessed by water regulators, including the Environment Agency and Ofwat to ensure Southern Water make appropriate improvements.
Subject to an eight-week consultation on changes to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, Government proposals will increase – and in most cases double – reimbursement which water company customers are entitled to when key standards are not met by water companies, including in incidents of supply interruption.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 September 2020 to Question 89904, when the Government plans to respond to the Independent Review of Landscapes; and what steps he is taking to achieve the recommendation of a night under the stars in a national landscape for every child as part of that response.
Answered by Rebecca Pow
The independent Review of Protected Landscapes, led by Julian Glover, set out a compelling vision for more beautiful, more biodiverse and more accessible National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Government welcomes this ambition and is committed to increasing opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the benefits of spending meaningful time in our national landscapes in England. We are carefully considering the recommendations and working with partner organisations to inform and develop our response to the review, which we will publish in due course.
The £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund, which launched in September 2020, will kickstart a programme of nature-based projects to restore nature, tackle climate change and connect people with the natural environment. Some of these projects will help deliver on Glover recommendations, such as the proposal to give every child a night under the stars in a national landscape.