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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 £14.4m 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Minister of State (Department 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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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.
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, when he expects Ofwat's replacement to be in place.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will respond to Sir Jon Cunliffe’s recommendations in full via a White Paper, published for consultation this autumn, and a new water reform bill that we will introduce early this Parliament. This Government has confirmed that it will abolish Ofwat and bring water functions from four different regulators into one – a single regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full.
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 his Department is taking to ensure (a) cross-border coordination and (b) strategic support for (i) species reintroductions, (ii) ecological corridor planning and (iii) access to funding between (A) England and the devolved administrations and (B) mid-Wales and the Welsh Marches.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra has not taken steps on cross-border co-ordination or strategic support for reintroductions between England and the devolved administrations, including mid-Wales and the Welsh Marches.
All reintroductions in England are expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conversations Translocations. The Code states that, while it is specific to England, cross-border co-operation and engagement with relevant authorities and stakeholders is essential where releases occur close to England’s neighbours or involve a reintroduction of a species to Great Britain. We would therefore expect any reintroduction project to carry out cross-border coordination as part of the planning phase of their reintroduction project.
On strategic support for ecological corridors, delivering the Environment Act habitat target will create more ecologically functional, better-connected habitats. Creating and restoring wildlife-rich habitat can help improve habitat connectivity to support larger and more resilient species populations, especially in the context of a changing climate.
The Four Countries’ Biodiversity Group (4CBG) provides a forum to take forward substantive and policy-development issues relating to biodiversity common to all four countries.