Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of changes in farm investment since the Autumn Budget 2024; and if he will provide detailed analysis and findings for (a) the agricultural sector overall and (b) specific farm types including (i) poultry, (ii) dairy, (iii) livestock, (iv) arable, (v) mixed, (vi) hill, (vii) croft, (viii) owner-occupied and (ix) tenanted farms.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data on farm investment income is available in the table 5 series of Farm Accounts in England. These tables only show data for 2022/23 and 2023/24: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/farm-accounts-in-england-data-sets#:~:text=Table%205.

The Farming Business Survey does not have data for Autumn 2024. We are currently collecting the 2024/25 data. Data on farm investment income for 2024/25 will be published in December.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has received from EU member states on conditions for UK participation in the EU's Security Action for Europe defence fund; and whether access to UK fishing waters forms part of those conditions.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This is a critical moment for the security of Europe. We welcome European efforts to increase defence spending, through the ReArm initiative and proposed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism. This must be a whole-of-Europe effort, in alignment with NATO, which remains the cornerstone of European security.

The UK and the EU have agreed an ambitious new Security and Defence Partnership as part of a wider package that delivers for the British people. The Security and Defence Partnership sets the framework for closer defence industrial collaboration, including potential participation in the EU's proposed €150bn Security Action for Europe instrument.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the outcome of his Department's consultation on draft supplementary guidance for assessing the effects of scope 3 emissions on climate from offshore oil and gas projects, which closed on 8 January 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We remain committed to having the supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment guidance in place as soon as possible and are cognisant of its importance for providing certainty to the offshore oil and gas industry. We needed to take the time to analyse the consultation responses thoroughly and to reflect them in the finalised guidance which must be robust. Once the guidance is published, assessments of environmental statements can resume.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on what dates the (a) Cabinet and (b) Cabinet committees have discussed the UK's negotiating position on fishing rights as part of preparations for the EU-UK summit on 19 May 2025; and whether any objections were raised to proposals for a multi-year fishing agreement with the EU.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

As under previous governments, it is a long-established precedent that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees are not shared publicly.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of freezing EU fishing quotas at current levels beyond 2026 on the (a) the economy, (b) UK seafood exports and (c) seafood processing facilities in North East Scotland; whether he has made a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (i) annual and (ii) multi-year fishing agreements with the EU on Scottish coastal communities; and what steps he is taking to maintain market access for Scottish seafood products.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

UK fishing quotas for shared stocks with the EU are set in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). UK shares will gradually increase until 2026, after which further changes are a matter for the TCA Partnership Council. Fishing opportunities available to the UK fleet are agreed in annual negotiations based on advice from the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES). Defra publish a report each year which assesses the year-on-year change in UK fishing opportunities.

The UK has agreed new multiannual fisheries access arrangements with the EU providing certainty for the UK fishing fleet (including those linked to Scottish coastal communities) and unlocking wider benefits to grow the economy. This includes a new SPS agreement that will make it easier to sell British fish to our largest trading partner.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation his Department has undertaken with (a) the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, (b) the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and (c) other fishing industry representatives on the UK's negotiating position on fishing rights ahead of the EU summit on 19 May 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Fisheries Minister meets regularly with representatives from across the UK fishing industry. This includes meeting with both the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations on 26 February 2025 as part of the Seafood Scotland 25th anniversary and the NFFO parliamentary reception. During meetings with these and other fishing industry representatives the implementation of the UK-EU TCA is often discussed, including (but not limited to) the setting of annual fishing opportunities, the work of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries, and the end of the fisheries access adjustment period in 2026.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of fish caught in UK territorial waters was caught by (a) UK vessels and (b) EU vessels in each of the last three years for which data is available; what his Department's policy is on the application of the zonal attachment principle for determining fishing quotas after June 2026; and what estimate he has made of how catch percentages will change.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK does not collect data on catches of fish at a level of detail that allows us to determine the proportion of catch made by UK or EU vessels in UK territorial waters. However, under the TCA, 149, 152, and 152 EU vessels were licensed to fish in the UK 6-12 nautical mile zone at the start of 2023, 2024, and 2025 respectively. This compares to 5,418 registered UK fishing vessels in 2023.

The UK seeks to ensure sustainable exploitation of fisheries through the establishment of comprehensive total allowable catch sharing underpinned by the principle of zonal attachment. UK fishing quotas for shared stocks with the EU are set in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). UK shares will gradually increase until 2026, after which further changes are a matter for the TCA Partnership Council.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to create a dedicated department within the Energy Division of the Hazardous Industries Directorate to take responsibility for battery energy storage system safety.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) deploys its resources to deliver risk based proportionate regulation of workplaces, including battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities. This approach is set out in HSE’s Regulatory approach – (Regulation of health and safety at work) and in HSE's Enforcement Policy Statement (EPS) (Enforcement Policy Statement) . There are no current plans to establish a dedicated department to take responsibility for BESS, however a cross HSE group of inspectors, scientists and policy makers continue to monitor developments in relation to batteries and other new and emerging technologies.

The Health and Safety at Work Act places legal duties on employers to manage risks to employees and anyone else who may be affected. There is a robust regulatory regime in place which addresses the risks associated with battery energy storage systems.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 52787 on Offshore Industry: Carbon Emissions, how many offshore oil and gas projects are awaiting the resumption of environmental impact assessment evaluations.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

There are a variety of factors beyond the publication of the guidance that will influence a developer’s decisions on whether to proceed with a project, so it is therefore difficult to predict the exact number of projects waiting to commence the environmental impact assessment process.

Mauritius Treaty

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Harriet Cross; Douglas McAllister; Susan

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Patricia Ferguson (Chair); Harriet Cross; Douglas McAllister; Susan

Found: Withdrawn after debate_84 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: Withdrawn after debate_84 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: Withdrawn after debate_84 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: Withdrawn after debate_84 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: _NC53 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: Withdrawn after debate_84 Harriet Cross John Cooper John Lamont David Mundell .

Found: Presented by Chris Philp supported by Matt Vickers, Katie Lam, Harriet Cross, Sarah Bool, Nick Timothy