Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her department expects to be able to publish the fully updated data and mapping for Agricultural Land Classifications in England.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A new predictive Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map for England has been created to replace the existing 1960s provisional ALC map. The 1960s provisional ALC map does not show ALC Grade 3 subdivision into subgrade 3a and 3b and reflects a superseded ALC methodology.
The Predictive ALC map was announced on the 18 March 2026 in the publication of the Land Use Framework (LUF).
This Predictive ALC map reflects the currently available soil and ALC data, prepared in line with the ALC methodology published in the 2025 Defra and Welsh Government Joint Report (JP069) Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales: Guidelines for grading the quality of agricultural land - JP069.
The Predictive ALC map, technical annex and mapping layer will be published this Spring. The final publication sits with Defra.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to meet the nature targets set out in the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is clear that nature and development can go hand in hand.
The Land Use Framework shows we have enough land to achieve our priorities if we make better decisions about how we use it. We can restore nature and meet our housing and clean energy targets.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
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 implications for her policies of the attendance of terrier handlers at trail hunting events with dogs and tools capable of digging out foxes; and whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to deter such activity.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting, in line with its manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and Defra intends to consult this year on how to deliver a ban.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
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 implications for his policies of the Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, published by her Department on 20 January, 2026l; and what cross departmental steps she is taking in response.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Nature security assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning. It complements the UK’s National Security Strategy, National Risk Register and Chronic Risk Analysis.
Nature underpins our security, prosperity, and resilience. Climate and nature loss act as risk multipliers, increasing pressures on food systems, water security and geopolitical stability. Understanding these risks strengthens our ability to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate future challenges.
Defra, along with other Government Departments, is already taking steps to address the potential risks identified in the report.
Internationally, the UK is investing in forest and ocean protection. The UK is on track to invest £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance from 2021 to 2026, including £3 billion for vital habitats such as tropical rainforests, marine habitats and to support indigenous communities.
The UK is also taking action domestically: tree planting in England is at its highest rate in over twenty years; we are restoring peatlands, improving water quality, protecting pollinators, and have introduced landmark legislation to safeguard our marine environment.
We are strengthening supply chain resilience through the Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy and supporting food security by backing British farmers through new technology, streamlined regulation, and nature-friendly farming schemes that reward sustainable production.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has completed the global ecosystem assessment of the potential impact of tropical rainforest loss on food security and food prices in the UK.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security was published on GOV.UK on 20 January.
The Assessment forms part of wider efforts to strengthen resilience to chronic environmental risks, alongside the National Security Strategy (2025), National Risk Register, and Chronic Risks Analysis (2025).
The Government routinely assesses environmental and security risks to ensure decisions are based on the best available science. Understanding these risks strengthens our ability to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate future challenges.
The Government recognises that food security is national security and we remain one of the most food-secure nations in the world. As the UK Food Security Report 2024 notes, while our production and trade remain stable, nature loss, water insecurity and climate change remain pressing risks to long-term resilience. That is why the Government is strengthening our systems now to ensure households remain protected and the economy stays strong, while helping nature to recover and thrive.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether there is a delay in publishing the global ecosystem assessment.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security was published on GOV.UK on 20 January.
This assessment forms part of routine cross-government resilience planning and aligns with the UK’s National Security Strategy.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential costs to the Treasury of remediating high-risk PFAS contamination sites where the polluter pays principle cannot be applied in full.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency has undertaken preliminary appraisal of potential PFAS remediation costs. A 2023 report indicates remediation could be significant at some legacy sites, though actual costs would depend on site specific factors. The polluter pays principle remains the primary mechanism to limit public expenditure. Actions in the PFAS Plan will improve understanding of contamination and future cost estimates.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential long-term costs to the NHS of the public's exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026, which sets out our approach towards protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS. Our approach is science-based and evidence-led. This should ensure that effective and proportionate regulation is prioritised and implemented to address risks in a balanced way.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
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 implications for her policies of trends in the number of verifications of catch certificates accompanying seafood imports undertaken by UK authorities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and the Marine Management Organisation work closely with Devolved Governments, Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities to ensure illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing documentary checks are completed at the border and appropriate verifications are conducted on seafood imports to the UK . Verifications, defined under Article 17 of the UK's IUU Regulation, are formal checks beyond standard documentary reviews. Competent Authorities conduct risk-based checks, and if concerns arise, the MMO may hold consignments and carry out verifications.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute environmental crimes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Environmental crimes and prosecutions are generally undertaken by the Environment Agency (EA) as the Environmental Regulator and not by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS does prosecute some particular environmental crimes, for the police's National Wildlife Crime Unit, such as in relation to poaching and even CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Where appropriate, and where there is linked offending, the EA can coordinate investigations into suspected environmental offending with other bodies, including the police.