Aphra Brandreth

Recent regulatory changes seek to ensure that exporters provide and maintain accurate, verifiable data to help combat fraud within the system. This includes ensuring that packaging waste that leaves the UK for recycling reaches its intended destination before PERNs can be issued, helping to drive down fraud in the system.

Changes in the regulations mean that PRN evidence can now only be issued once the material has been confirmed as received by the overseas recycling facility. Before this change evidence could be issued at the point of export. This will increase the accuracy of the data.

Recent regulatory changes seek to ensure that exporters provide and maintain accurate, verifiable data to help combat fraud within the system. This includes ensuring that packaging waste that leaves the UK for recycling reaches its intended destination before PERNs can be issued, helping to drive down fraud in the system.

Changes in the regulations mean that PRN evidence can now only be issued once the material has been confirmed as received by the overseas recycling facility. Before this change evidence could be issued at the point of export. This will increase the accuracy of the data.

The Government is working closely with key trade associations and industry stakeholders to understand the potential impact of delays to the availability of the new PRN digital system, particularly on smaller reprocessors and exporters, and in the plastics and glass recycling sectors. Based on consultation with stakeholders, we have prioritised providing the data that would help them most and support them to continue trading more confidently. The Government committed to keeping affected businesses updated and have issued weekly updates in addition to our helpdesk service. As part of our outreach to businesses, we are encouraging businesses them to share any key feedback and insights on the impact of the delays with us.

The Government will continue to meet with sector bodies and compliance schemes on a weekly basis during February to monitor impacts on businesses and PRN prices.

The Government is working closely with key trade associations and industry stakeholders to understand the potential impact of delays to the availability of the new PRN digital system, particularly on smaller reprocessors and exporters, and in the plastics and glass recycling sectors. Based on consultation with stakeholders, we have prioritised providing the data that would help them most and support them to continue trading more confidently. The Government committed to keeping affected businesses updated and have issued weekly updates in addition to our helpdesk service. As part of our outreach to businesses, we are encouraging businesses them to share any key feedback and insights on the impact of the delays with us.

The Government will continue to meet with sector bodies and compliance schemes on a weekly basis during February to monitor impacts on businesses and PRN prices.

The Government is working closely with key trade associations and industry stakeholders to understand the potential impact of delays to the availability of the new PRN digital system, particularly on smaller reprocessors and exporters, and in the plastics and glass recycling sectors. Based on consultation with stakeholders, we have prioritised providing the data that would help them most and support them to continue trading more confidently. The Government committed to keeping affected businesses updated and have issued weekly updates in addition to our helpdesk service. As part of our outreach to businesses, we are encouraging businesses them to share any key feedback and insights on the impact of the delays with us.

The Government will continue to meet with sector bodies and compliance schemes on a weekly basis during February to monitor impacts on businesses and PRN prices.

The Government is working closely with key trade associations and industry stakeholders to understand the potential impact of delays to the availability of the new PRN digital system, particularly on smaller reprocessors and exporters, and in the plastics and glass recycling sectors. Based on consultation with stakeholders, we have prioritised providing the data that would help them most and support them to continue trading more confidently. The Government committed to keeping affected businesses updated and have issued weekly updates in addition to our helpdesk service. As part of our outreach to businesses, we are encouraging businesses them to share any key feedback and insights on the impact of the delays with us.

The Government will continue to meet with sector bodies and compliance schemes on a weekly basis during February to monitor impacts on businesses and PRN prices.

The PRN/PERN market remains operational. Contracts, sales and payments for PRNs & PERNs remain outside the digital system and operators are able to enter into agreements to contract sales before the PRN/PERN digital functionality is in place.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 a new requirement was introduced mandating all packaging waste recyclers to be registered from 2026.

The Environment Agency and Defra created an interim application system which opened on 1 September 2025 enabling operators to submit Registration and Accreditation applications.  Accredited operators can engage with producers & compliance schemes directly to agree contractual terms for the supply of PRN/PERNs.

We are making good progress on the delivery of capability for accredited operators to be able to record and issue PRN/PERNs in the digital service.

The PRN/PERN market remains operational. Contracts, sales and payments for PRNs & PERNs remain outside the digital system and operators are able to enter into agreements to contract sales before the PRN/PERN digital functionality is in place.

Under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 a new requirement was introduced mandating all packaging waste recyclers to be registered from 2026.

The Environment Agency and Defra created an interim application system which opened on 1 September 2025 enabling operators to submit Registration and Accreditation applications.  Accredited operators can engage with producers & compliance schemes directly to agree contractual terms for the supply of PRN/PERNs.

We are making good progress on the delivery of capability for accredited operators to be able to record and issue PRN/PERNs in the digital service.

The Government will be consulting on further changes to the PRN system shortly, as announced by the Chancellor in the 2025 Budget, and will continue to work closely with affected business to ensure that the measures taken forward support the effective operation of the PRN market.

Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.

Ukrainian imports of poultry and eggs currently constitute a small proportion of the UK’s total imports of these products. We consistently consider the views of industry and impact of imports on the UK market from all countries, including from Ukraine. We will continue to take these views into account as part of our policy development process.

Our current assessment is that the company remains financially stable. The Government has stepped up our preparations and stands ready for all eventualities, including applying for a SAR if that were to become necessary. The Government will continue to work with the economic regulator of the water industry Ofwat to help support a market led solution to the company’s issues of financial resilience and operational delivery, which is in the interests of customers and the environment.

The UK-EU Summit Deal announced on 19 May secures the continuation of current UK-EU fishing access arrangements. This means continued access for UK vessels to EU waters, worth £80m annually, and retention of the quota uplift the UK secured through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. That boost, worth £175m in fishing opportunities in 2025, remains fully in place under the new deal. We have also secured a new SPS Agreement, which could add up to £5.1bn a year to our economy in the long run. The latest fisheries access agreement should therefore not be viewed in isolation. The benefits to the fisheries sector arise not only from the access provisions themselves but also from the SPS Agreement, which will increase opportunities for UK seafood exporters. Taken together, these provisions support growth, stability, and new opportunities for the UK’s fishing industry. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has conducted analysis on the impact of various fishing arrangements to the UK, relative to the years 2021-2025.

Defra remains firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and will continue to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant recently offered funding support to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England, to refurbish or replace existing housing to improve health and welfare, including those transitioning from colony cages to high welfare non-cage systems. Initial applications closed on 18 September 2024, and all applicants have been contacted to notify them of next steps.

The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which the department continues to consider very carefully.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has engaged with key stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare.

The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 47556.

Ofwat is an independent regulator that monitors the financial position of water companies, taking action when companies need to strengthen their long-term financial resilience.

The Secretary of State meets with stakeholders regularly such as Ofwat to discuss a range of issues: Defra: ministerial overseas travel, and meetings - GOV.UK.

Ofwat’s price review process sets limits on what water companies can charge customers, ensuring bills reflect only efficient costs required to deliver services and meet statutory obligations. It does not allow companies to pass on costs incurred outside normal business operations, including those related to financial distress.

In the event of insolvency, Ofwat can initiate a Special Administration Regime to maintain service continuity and protect consumers. Price controls remain in place regardless of ownership changes, safeguarding customers from disproportionate bill increases.

This Government has put down the building blocks to clean up England’s rivers, lakes and seas. We are rebuilding the water network to slash pollution levels, backed by a record £104 billion of investment, which includes over £10 billion to reduce sewage discharges from over 2,500 storm overflows in England.

Over 2025-30, Thames Water are expected to deliver a 29% reduction in spills from storm overflows and reduce pollution incidents by 30%. They are also expected to invest £1.2 billion to prevent harmful nutrients polluting rivers.

As part of the Environment Act 2021, a duty has been created for water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, including Thames Water, to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs).

These plans will help sewerage companies to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network, develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues and bring together key stakeholders including local authorities and industry regulators.

We are introducing root and branch reform so that the water sector works for the British people. Working in partnership with water companies, investors and communities, the Government will introduce a new water reform bill early this Parliament.

Defra Ministers have attended the following:

• Royal Cornwall Show
• Groundswell
• Great Yorkshire Show (in both 2024 and 2025)
• Royal Highland Show
• Royal Norfolk Show

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Following the Spending Review, the Government has confirmed water company fines will be allocated to local environmental projects and programmes to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Over £100 million in fines has been levied against water companies since October 2023, which will be reinvested into local environment projects and programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

More information on this announcement can be found on GOV.UK. A further announcement on the details on the projects and programmes that this funding will go towards will be set out in due course.

Water company fines that accumulated between April 2022 and October 2023 will be invested through the Water Restoration Fund. Up to £11 million of funding was made available on a competitive basis to support a range of water restoration projects to improve the water environment. Successful applicants have been notified, and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Defra ministers regularly visit farms in a range of counties and meet with farmers and the wider industry nearly every week.

Environmental enforcement, including fines, is provided by independent regulators Ofwat and the Environment Agency (EA). Enforcement activity and subsequent fines are affected by a wide variety of factors and the Government does not have a predicted figure for the next 12 months. EA fines are imposed by the courts which apply the Sentencing Council’s Environmental Offences Definite Guideline on a case-by-case basis.

On 19 June 2025, the Government announced that over £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies since October 2023 will be reinvested into projects to clean up our waters which could include local programmes to address pollution and improve water quality.

I refer the honourable member to the answers given on X June 2025 to PQs 61013 and 61014 regarding the potential impact of bluetongue regulations in North Shropshire.

Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and impacts in relation to their national herds, alongside the impacts of controls, and respond accordingly.

Ministers are attending a range of agriculture shows across the UK. Most recently, Ministers have attended the Royal Cornwall Show and the Royal Highland Show.

This Government is proud to have secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion being spent to support farmers over a 2-year period.

Food security requires a long-term picture of resilience to shocks. Over 37,000 businesses are already being supported through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) with their live agreements, with more in other schemes.

We will provide further details about the reformed SFI in summer 2025 which will support farmers, deliver for nature and target public funds fairly and effectively towards our priorities for food, farming and nature.

Defra announced on 11 December 2024 that the full Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme guidance will be published before applications open in summer 2025.

Whilst applications for the SFI24 scheme have closed, the current SFI budget has been successfully allocated. We have large-scale uptake of the scheme, with over 37,000 live SFI agreements which commit money for at least three years, and more than half of all farmed land is now being managed under SFI and other farming schemes. We plan to reopen the SFI applications service once we have a reformed SFI offer in place.

Ongoing schemes are already supporting farm businesses to remain viable as they adjust to the reduction of farm subsidy. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year, and Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025. We continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; and we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcomes.

New figures published recently showed that the proportion of commercial farms with income from agri-environment schemes rose from 49% in 2020/21 to 70% in 2023/24.

Furthermore, funding from the farming budget also supports the provision of advice within the sector. The Farming Advice Service can assist farmers to review what advice and guidance is available to meet their business needs.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in recent years has delivered improvements to accessibility of their services, streamlined application processes and delivered improvements in the issuing of agreements and payment performance and are well placed to continue to deliver the Sustainable Farming Incentive. The RPA continues to engage with farmers, stakeholders, and Defra policy makers, to ensure the right support is provided to help farmers and rural business deliver their outcomes.

A letter from Minister Zeichner was sent to all farm businesses on 12 March advising them of the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applications. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will be writing to farm businesses affected shortly with more information on what this means for them. Staff in the RPA have access to tools and training to help them support vulnerable farmers, including signposting to farming welfare organisations, and content to support their own wellbeing. The agency also engages with a network of supporting organisations across the sector.

The farming blog published on Wednesday 12 March set out Defra’s spend over the next two years (24/25 and 25/26). These are not ring-fenced figures and have the potential to change.

This showed that as of 11 March, £1.05 billion had been paid to farmers or committed for payment through existing agreements or submitted applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

The high uptake of the SFI scheme means it is fully subscribed. The decision to close the scheme to new applications was taken at that point.