David Chadwick

The UK Government continually assesses the implementation of free trade agreements to maximise their benefit and to support economic growth. The Department is working to ensure the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreements continue to work well for business.

The UK Government assessed the environmental impacts of the UK-Australia FTA and the UK-New Zealand FTA within the independently scrutinised impact assessments which were published in December 2021 and February 2022 respectively when the FTAs were signed. These covered both the economic and environmental impacts.

In addition, the independent Trade Agriculture Commission gave both the UK-Australia FTA and the UK-New Zealand FTA a clean bill of health, concluding both FTAs are consistent with the maintenance of UK statutory protections in relation to animal or plant life or health, animal welfare and environmental protection.

For new free trade agreements (FTAs), the Government publishes impact assessments to support the parliamentary scrutiny process of FTAs. The analysis will include an assessment on the UK's regions and nations as well as UK growth and trade.

Working with industry, the government will continue focusing on markets offering the best export opportunities, and with whom stronger defence, digital and technology relationships support delivery of UK defence objectives, including across Europe. Domestically, the Cabinet Office's recent National Procurement Policy Statement sets out how public procurement can be used to kickstart economic growth, including by encouraging innovation and new technologies in line with the Industrial Strategy.

As part of a defence innovation drive, the government will also look to enhance investment in defence start-ups and scale-up technology and capability, including through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund.

More broadly, the government recognises the defence, digital and technology sector's importance to our economic growth mission which is why they were identified as two of the eight growth-driving sectors in our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025.

The Government aims to respond to any job losses from company distress cases swiftly and coherently, to reduce the local impact and support people back to work.

Through the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), part of the Insolvency Service, employers can access funding for redundancies, if required. For employers who are considering making 20 or more employees redundant at any one site, the RPS also notify the appropriate government departments and agencies, in confidence. This includes Jobcentre Plus and other service providers in their local area who will reach out with offers of assistance during the notification/consultation period.

The Department for Work and Pensions locally deploy the Rapid Response Service to provide support to people affected by redundancy, regardless of whether they are receiving benefits. The aim is to help people into new employment as quickly as possible. The service supports people during their notice period and up to 13 weeks after they leave work.

Additionally, the Welsh Government directly delivers services supporting redundant workers. ReAct Plus is a grant programme, offering tailored support to those trying to re-enter the labour market by removing barriers and providing grant support for vocational training, travel costs and care (including childcare) related to training.

Since 2013 the Groceries Code Adjudicator has not imposed a fine on a retailer for non-compliance.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has a number of levers to deal with non-compliance and resolve disputes. Following an investigation into a regulated retailer which has breached the Code, the Adjudicator can issue recommendations against a retailer, require retailers to publish details of a breach or fine retailers up to 1% of their annual turnover.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is funded by a levy on the fourteen regulated retailers covered by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. It does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. There are currently five employees from the Department for Business and Trade and four employees from other Departments that are seconded to the GCA.

Although the Department of Business and Trade does not directly regulate these sectors, Companies House and the Insolvency Service supply data on UK registered companies to assist law enforcement targeting online fraud and other economic crimes. Furthermore, through the Consumer Protection Partnership, we raise awareness about how to spot, avoid and report scams.

Across Government, the Home Office works with Ofcom to prevent phone number ‘spoofing’, which is the practice of scammers impersonating UK phone numbers to trick people into thinking they are speaking to legitimate businesses.

ETSU-R-97 is the primary guidance used for the assessment of noise from onshore wind turbines across the UK. Government has contracted an external consultancy to update ETSU-R-97 following a 2023 scoping review which recommended targeted updates to ensure the guidance is in line with contemporary evidence and policy, and suitable for modern turbines. Government aims to publish the updated guidance in Spring 2025.

The Government is committed to ensuring that decision makers have access to the best guidance, enabling onshore wind to be built whilst also balancing potential impacts.

The Government has concluded that the ETSU-R-97 guidance should be updated to bring it into line with the most up to date evidence and policy. We aim to publish the updated ETSU-R-97 guidance in Spring 2025. In the meantime, the current ETSU guidance should continue to be applied when assessing wind turbine noise.

The Government does not currently plan to introduce legislative proposals to protect liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) customers from market volatility surcharges or tank removal fees. But we will continue monitoring the market and industry practices to ensure that it is delivering for consumers.

The Government remains committed to ensuring a competitive market protect consumers. Existing consumer protection laws provide safeguards, including the LPG market orders administered by the Competition and Markets Authority. A guide to their operation, including who to complain to, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/liquefied-petroleum-gas-lpg-market-orders-and-calculator.

The number of members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in the constituencies and in Wales is as follows:

(a) Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe constituency - 151

(b) Neath and Swansea East constituency – 172

(c) Aberafan Maesteg constituency – 131

(d) Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare constituency - 376, and

(e) Wales – 4,048.

This information is from the scheme trustees and correct as at 30 October 2024. Some of these scheme members will not yet be in receipt of their pension, but we do not have a breakdown of that information at constituency level.

The Government’s clean energy superpower and growth missions will be enabled by a significant reinforcement of our electricity network, at all levels across the high voltage transmission and lower-voltage distribution networks. This is underway and includes working with Ofgem, the National Energy System Operator and industry to halve the development time for new transmission infrastructure and to reform the grid connections process.

Noise from onshore wind turbines is limited and in most instances well sited onshore wind turbines will not be built in close proximity to dwellings and will therefore have minimal noise impacts. Nevertheless, we recognise that there can be exceptions to the rule, and that noise can be a concern for communities when this is the case. That is why we work closely with acoustic experts and leading scientists to ensure that planning authorities from across the UK have access to the best guidance, so that they can measure and take account of noise emissions when making decisions on onshore wind infrastructure.

Defra’s approach to bluetongue virus (BTV) considers the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice and aims to limit the spread of infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures.

Close collaborative working on bluetongue vaccination with Devolved Governments is facilitated through the bluetongue vaccine task force. The task force was established in April 2024 by Defra as a cross-government and industry task force to progress opportunities for bluetongue vaccination for BTV-3.

Supported by the work of the bluetongue vaccination taskforce, in the absence of UK authorised vaccines for BTV-3 following assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) the Secretary of State in 2024 permitted the use of three unauthorised vaccines for emergency use in line with bluetongue legislation, in the UK subject to licence. A general licence permitting the use of these vaccines in England from 26 September 2024 has been published by Defra. The Welsh Government has also announced plans that a licence for the three BTV-3 vaccines for use in Wales from 1 March 2025 will be made available. Licences for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not currently available, but the use of BTV-3 vaccines in these areas remain under review. We advise animal keepers that are considering using the vaccine to speak to their private vet for advice.

Defra, in conjunction with the VMD will continue to monitor the development and availability of BTV vaccines as they are put forward for market authorisation by vaccine manufacturers.

The UK’s food system is fully integrated across the four nations, though significant elements of food policy are devolved. Our strategy will therefore consider the food system across the whole of the UK, with the UK Government working closely with the Devolved Governments to ensure a coordinated approach, and where possible seek to ensure it complements devolved policy set at a national level.

Defra has already engaged with the Devolved Governments at both a ministerial and senior official level regarding the food strategy. Defra Secretary of State provided an update on the strategy to the EFRA Interministerial Group in January. There is ongoing engagement between officials.

This Government is actively progressing the next steps for the River Wye. This includes building stronger ties and working collaboratively with the Welsh Government, Environment Agency and Natural England, as well as local MPs, farmers, local community groups and eNGOs who have already been doing great work to tackle pollution.

This includes the Wye Nutrient Management Board and the Wye Catchment Partnership, which is made up of cross-border stakeholders in farming and environment. Along with regulators in the area, they are coordinating comprehensive research and are well placed to drive local action in the Wye.

This Government will not be implementing all of the previous Governments ‘River Wye Action Plan’, including a pilot scheme to incinerate poultry manure in the catchment.

We understand poultry incineration already takes place in the catchment, so funding a trial does not represent value for money. We will also not be reappointing a rivers champion. We believe there are excellent local experts who can continue to lead efforts on tackling river pollution and we will be supporting them to drive action forward.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) rather than Defra has responsibility for regulating rodenticides/rat poisons. Given the potential risks posed to the environment by rodenticides, they are subject to strict regulation.

Where wild birds of prey or any non-target species of wildlife are killed illegally by rat poison the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect illegal poisoning by obtaining and disseminating intelligence and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra also provides funding for England’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme which determines the underlying cause of death of wildlife where illegal use of pesticides or rodenticides/rat poison is suspected.

To help ensure that non-target species are not harmed by rat poison, Defra would further advise anyone seeking to lawfully manage rodents to consider the most humane method of control and apply the least severe solution. There are a range of effective, alternative methods for successful rodent management including elimination of harbourage, food and water. The use of spring traps and live capture traps are also inexpensive, reusable and widely available.

Defra regularly meets animal welfare stakeholders to understand issues and trends affecting the sector.

Defra welcomes the support that the animal sector has provided through pet food banks and financial support with veterinary treatment; and the financial support that the Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) provided to its members experiencing financial difficulties due to cost-of-living pressures.

The animal sector offers helpful advice to potential pet owners on the responsibilities that come with pet ownership including free guides on the estimated lifetime costs of owning a pet.

In the UK, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) authorises veterinary medicinal products under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (as amended), with the aim of protecting public health, animal health, the environment, and to promote animal welfare. The VMD carefully balances the benefits of these medicines, including protection of companion animals and humans from parasitic and zoonotic diseases, against potential risks, including environmental impacts, and only authorises products if the benefits outweigh the risks.

We are aware of concerns about flea and tick treatments, particularly fipronil and imidacloprid, contributing to pollution in UK surface waters. Addressing this is a priority, and we have established the cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group to develop strategies to reduce the environmental impact, focusing on reducing the exposure of these substances to watercourses.