Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Animal Welfare Strategy consultation on dog breeding will include (a) brachycephalic dogs and (b) extreme conformities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve the health and welfare of breeding dogs and their puppies. This will include proposals to improve the health and welfare standards which all licensed breeders must meet. The consultation is expected to consider a range of welfare issues, including those associated with brachycephalic dogs and extreme conformations. The Government will continue to engage with stakeholders as this develops.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to address noise pollution, reduce noise poverty and the harm to physical and mental health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and minimise disruption to people’s quality of life. Defra manages noise through the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006.
The Regulations require noise mapping and the adoption of Noise Action Plans based upon this mapping. The Action Plans identify ‘Important Areas’, where the 1% of the population affected by the highest noise levels is located. The latest round of mapping is complete, with Noise Action Plans due to be published later in 2026.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to implement the recommendations of the 2023 House of Lords report on noise.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to ensuring that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and minimise disruption to people’s quality of life. Defra manages noise through the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006.
The Regulations require noise mapping and the adoption of Noise Action Plans based upon this mapping. The Action Plans identify ‘Important Areas’, where the 1% of the population affected by the highest noise levels is located. The latest round of mapping is complete, with Noise Action Plans due to be published later in 2026.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether mandatory testing of seized illegal meat imports includes testing for infectious agents such as foot-and-mouth disease, African swine fever, and antimicrobial resistance genes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not test seized illegal meat imports for infectious agents. Border Force and local authorities seize illegal meat imports, which must be safely disposed of in accordance with animal by-products rules.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
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 have discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on adding chalk streams to the list of irreplaceable habitats in the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chalk streams are a large source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature-rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife.
During the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill last year, the Government committed to consulting on National Planning Policy Framework to give explicit recognition to chalk streams in the new suite of planning policies for decision making and seek to ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value. Also, Local Nature Recovery Strategies statutory guidance will be amended to encourage chalk streams to feature prominently.
The Government has has also set out clearer expectations for development proposals to assess and mitigate adverse impacts to water quality on these sensitive waterbodies.
The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will accept the recommendations from the Farming Profitability Review in full.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas.
This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government plans to publish its response to the Farming Profitability Review.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas.
This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
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 commit to publishing Minette Batters’ farming profitability review in full.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has worked with Baroness Minette Batters on a Farming Profitability Review to help farm businesses grow and contribute to the economy. The department is grateful for her hard work to finalise this review and Defra is carefully looking at the 57 recommendations. The Farming Profitability Review (FPR) will be published in December, ahead of Christmas.
This review will feed into Defra’s wider work on the Farming Roadmap and the Land Use Framework, both due next year. Together, these will set out the Government’s long-term vision for agriculture and provide farmers with the certainty they need to plan for the future.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
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 23 October 2025 to Question 80723 on Stray Dogs, with which stakeholders her Department has met.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department regularly meets key stakeholders to discuss issues affecting animal welfare. This includes the Canine and Feline Sector Group, a coalition of organisations from the animal welfare, veterinary, and pet industry sectors which includes the RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
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 (a) potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of and (b) effectiveness of the response from local authorities in tackling stray dogs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government regularly meets with stakeholders to understand the issues and trends affecting the sector. This includes the impact of the rising cost of living on pet owners and welfare organisations, as well as issues local authorities may face in meeting their obligations related to stray dogs under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.