Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has (a) made a comparative assessment of and (b) sought advice on the reasons for why the area burnt by wildfires in the UK increased last year with global trends towards a reduction.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government is working rapidly to evaluate the impact of the 2026 wildfires and assess the causes of the wildfires. The extreme drought and heat experienced this year are clear contributing factors in most regions of England. But it is critical that this assessment considers the diverse English landscape and the different causes of, for example, heathland fire in the East of England compared to moorland fires in the North West of England.
The evaluation of wildfires and assessment of causes takes account of the impacts of climate change and includes a comparison with other countries. This work will inform a Wildfire Action Plan.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of peat destroyed by the 2025 wildfires.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is protecting peat from wildfire through peatland restoration and is committed to restoring 280,000 hectares of peatland by 2050. Figures for the scale of wildfires on peat and the amount peat destroyed are not yet available. Work is underway to evaluate the impact of the 2025 wildfires on peatlands.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
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 biosecurity risk of illegal meat seized in the first four months of 2025; and whether any of this meat tested positive for (a) African Swine Fever and (b) other notifiable diseases.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Protecting UK biosecurity remains paramount, and this Government will do whatever it takes to protect farmers.
Defra does not require port health authorities to routinely test or analyse samples of illegally imported meat seized at the UK border for notifiable animal diseases, including African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease. Negative results would not guarantee the absence of risk. That is why illegal meat imports, intercepted by Border Force and local authorities are all safely disposed in accordance with animal by-products rules.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency publishes assessments of the potential risk of animal disease incursions via animals and animal products, including illegal meat imports on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to implement effective oversight of biosecurity border controls.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Secretary of State for the Home Department does not oversee import controls for biosecurity, but Border Force is responsible for identifying and seizing illegally imported illegal animals, illegal animal products, illegal plants and plant products in some scenarios.
Defra and the Home Office are in active dialogue around practical improvements, including at a recent ministerial bilateral meeting and at meetings of the Goods Border Small Ministerial Group.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement measures have been implemented at Dover since September 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority (PHA) to improve the interception of illegal products of animal origin entering England via the port of Dover. Enforcement measures implemented at Dover since September 2024 have included seizure and destruction, and these are implemented by Border Force and Dover PHA. To enable this operational activity by Dover PHA, Defra has provided over ÂŁ14.4m provided since October 2022.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring adequate veterinary staffing at ports.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Home Office is not responsible for veterinary staffing at ports and therefore the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this. Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority to improve the interception of illegal meat entering England, this includes considering capacity and capabilities.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many lorries of perishable goods have been refused entry into Europe at the French border under the sanitary and phytosanitary arrangements in the last year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Data on UK consignments refused entry at French Border Control Posts is generated and owned by the competent authorities in France, who are responsible for any publication or wider disclosure.
We recognise that some GB exporters have seen an increase in rejections over the past year, reflecting the EU’s decision to reinforce sanitary and phytosanitary controls on commodities entering the EU. Our priority is to ensure that UK goods exported to the EU meet all relevant EU SPS requirements, and we continue to support businesses in doing so.
The UK has begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement to make agrifood trade cheaper and easier for producers and retailers.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether negotiations on a Common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Area with the EU has begun.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The UK is ready to move forward quickly to implement the outcomes agreed at the UK-EU summit.
We are already in discussions in some areas – Security Action for Europe (SAFE), Erasmus, Electricity linking - and in others (Sanitary and Phytosanitary / Emissions Trading Scheme) the EU is agreeing to their mandates. We stand ready to start talks as soon as those mandates are agreed.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the effectiveness of the Small Producer Exemption under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh
To ensure the effectiveness of the small producer exemption under the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme, we will keep these thresholds under review, noting that any changes, such as raising the exemption threshold, would impact on disposal fees and recycling obligations for those producers who remain obligated. We will conduct a proactive review of this after two years, allowing time to assess the impact of the scheme and ensure that it remains fair, proportionate, and effective in driving environmental outcomes without placing undue burden on small businesses.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the final report of the Independent Water Commission, published on 21 July 2025, what progress he has made on implementing the recommendations of that report.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is immediately taking forward a number of Sir Jon’s recommendations. We will establish a new statutory water ombudsman, end operator self-monitoring and introduce Open Monitoring.
Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions to form a single new regulator, which will include a regional element to ensure greater local involvement in water planning. Until the new regulator is fully established, existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions.
The Government will clarify its expectations through a Strategic Policy Statement and ministerial direction, expected to be published later this year. The full response to Sir Jon’s recommendations will be set out in a White Paper for consultation this autumn and a new water reform bill to be introduced early this Parliament.