Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 help improve public confidence in the water sector.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our New Vision for Water sets out once‑in‑a‑generation reforms to transform the water system. We will establish a new water regulator to raise trust and accountability, and set up an independent, impartial and accredited Ombudsman so customers have assurance their complaints will be resolved.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available to small and medium-sized growers to develop direct-to-consumer sales models.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers often face power imbalances within the supply chain and can feel they have little influence on commercial negotiations. Powers in the Agriculture Act have been used to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers. These regulations could mandate that contracts include certain information (e.g. termination clauses, duration, pricing information) and set parameters around these details. Defra will continue to work closely with all relevant industry stakeholders on the best way to achieve this.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 is taking steps to support grower-led supply chains.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers often face power imbalances within the supply chain and can feel they have little influence on commercial negotiations. Powers in the Agriculture Act have been used to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers. These regulations could mandate that contracts include certain information (e.g. termination clauses, duration, pricing information) and set parameters around these details. Defra will continue to work closely with all relevant industry stakeholders on the best way to achieve this.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 support grower-led supply chains in (a) rural areas and (b) West Dorset constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers often face power imbalances within the supply chain and can feel they have little influence on commercial negotiations. Powers in the Agriculture Act have been used to introduce ‘Fair Dealings’ Regulations, applying to businesses when purchasing agricultural products from farmers. These regulations could mandate that contracts include certain information (e.g. termination clauses, duration, pricing information) and set parameters around these details. Defra will continue to work closely with all relevant industry stakeholders on the best way to achieve this.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the payment values and maximum eligible land areas will be for the Sustainable Farming Incentive options retained for 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government recognises the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) must work alongside food production, not displace it. So, the department will limit how much land can be put into certain actions and review payment rates for others. These changes will make funding go further, allowing more people to benefit from agreements.
Defra is considering an agreement value cap for the new SFI offer, and this will be tested with stakeholders before we confirm further details in due course. Alongside this, the Government will set clear budgets for each application window and provide regular updates so that farmers can see when a window is approaching full subscription. The Government will confirm the budgets for each window ahead of the first application window opening in June.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to increase urban and peri-urban horticulture.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
The Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December, describes the actions we will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 impact of taking steps to help support the expansion of urban and peri-urban food growing on the environment, public health and communities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
Defra’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, describes the actions the department will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects in West Dorset that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas, and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 is taking steps to support urban and peri-urban horticulture projects in West Dorset constituency and other rural areas.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
Defra’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, describes the actions the department will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects in West Dorset that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas, and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 reduce reliance on imported fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to our horticulture sector and its role in providing fresh home-grown produce that helps to feed the nation.
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered as part of Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. The new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
27% of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grant awards to date, over £41 million, has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector, offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants, and we have committed to allocating at least £200 million to FIP through to 2030.
Wider Government support includes: the five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses and extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production to improve food security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to our horticulture sector and its role in providing fresh home-grown produce that helps to feed the nation.
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered as part of Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. The new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
27% of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grant awards to date, over £41 million, has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector, offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants, and we have committed to allocating at least £200 million to FIP through to 2030.
Wider Government support includes: the five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses and extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.