Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 protect gene editing provisions in ongoing trade negotiations with the European Union.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the UK-EU Common Understanding, it is recognised that there will be areas where the UK will retain its own rules. The scope and detail of those areas are now part of ongoing negotiations. Throughout this process, we have been clear on the importance of maintaining the UK’s ability to regulate precision breeding in a way that supports innovation, gives farmers access to new tools, and upholds high standards of safety.
We continue to engage closely with stakeholders and devolved administrations to ensure that our approach reflects the best available scientific advice and maintains the UK’s position as a world leader in Agri-tech.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are being taken to ensure that the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act supports research and field trials involving the genetic editing of sugar beet to improve resistance to Virus Yellows disease.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The secondary legislation needed to implement The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 for plants in England commenced on 13 November 2025. This marks a major milestone, enabling research trials to take place and providing a route to market for precision bred products.
Through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), we are funding innovative research projects and earlier this year, the Department announced a £12.5 million competition focused specifically on precision breeding. Previous projects funded under FIP includes a research project by Tropic, British Sugar and the John Innes Centre to develop sugar beets through precision breeding that are resistant against Virus Yellows.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the protection of chalk streams in North West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chalk streams are incredible source of national pride. As one of Britain’s most nature rich habitats, they support some of our rarest wildlife – from chalk salmon to trout, they are home to beloved and endangered species.
The Government recognises the importance of protecting these globally rare habitats.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 implement the Chalk Stream Restoration Implementation Plan.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chalk streams are embedded in our plan to reform the water sector. The Government has announced an ambitious programme of reforms to clean up our rivers, lakes, and seas for good. Our focus is now on delivering this revolution across the entire water sector, ensuring chalk streams, alongside all our rivers, lakes, and seas, benefit from this era of reform.
As such, the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack, which was announced by the previous government, falls short of these wider ambitions and is no longer being taken forward.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the amount that British Wool spent on its overseas operations in the last 12 months.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra does not regularly collect or monitor information on sales or uses of wool; this is managed by British Wool.
British Wool publishes its annual accounts and financial statements on its website, which include information on its operational activities, including any overseas expenditure. These documents are publicly accessible and provide transparency on the organisation’s use of funds.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to (a) review the (i) structure and (ii) market position of British Wool and (b) make an assessment of the effectiveness of the role of British Wool in supporting the incomes of British sheep farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
A new framework document was published in May 2025 and sets out the strategic relationship between Defra, the Devolved Governments, and British Wool. The Framework establishes clear governance arrangements and shared priorities, ensuring British Wool is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of the sector. The framework document was informed by a review of British Wool’s operations, including its structure and market position, conducted jointly by Defra and Devolved Governments, this was published on 15 March 2023.
While the Department is not currently undertaking a separate assessment of British Wool’s effectiveness in supporting farmer incomes, the Framework Document provides a foundation for ongoing collaboration and performance monitoring. Defra remains committed to working with British Wool and industry stakeholders to ensure the organisation continues to deliver value to sheep farmers and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the wool sector.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum price for fleece that covers the cost of animal welfare requirements for sheep farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
British Wool is a public body, responsible for the collection, sale and marketing of wool from across the UK. Sales are conducted by auction throughout the year and reflect global market developments in price and availability. Payments to British Wool’s producer members are calculated at year end once the full value of that member’s clip is known.
Farmers have a duty to care for the animals they keep and sheep shearing in preparation for the summer is key to ensuring welfare and preventing suffering from, for example, heat stress. The Government is already supporting sheep farmers to improve the health and welfare of their flocks. Schemes currently offered by the service and available to sheep farmers include the ‘Get funding to improve animal health and welfare service’ launched in June 2024 as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, the Animal Health and Welfare Review and the Endemic Disease Follow-up. These schemes give eligible livestock keepers access to a series of funded vet visits which include bespoke advice and testing for key endemic diseases and conditions. Funding contributes to the cost of vet time, farmer time and testing. Eligible sheep farmers can claim £436 in the Review, and additional £639 in the Follow-up for a single flock.
Details about this funding can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/funding-to-improve-animal-health-and-welfare-guidance-for-farmers-and-vets. Animal health and welfare is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the Common Market Organisation Regulation for sugar on the UK sugar industry.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government recognises the importance of sugar beet farmers and their vital contribution to UK sugar production. Also, that sugar beet itself, used in crop rotations, is beneficial to soil and crop health and allows arable farms a season of “rest” from cereal production.
We are committed to promoting fairness across the food supply chain. That includes seeing a price agreed for sugar beet that benefits both growers and processors, in the context of the global market. There is a well-established process in place to agree the domestic sugar beet price; designed to be independent between both parties.
While this process has been effective over many years, we continue to keep it and the regulatory framework under review.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 adequacy of the length of time taken by British Wool to provide payments to domestic producers following auctions.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
British Wool is a public body, responsible for the collection, sale and marketing of wool from across the UK. While Defra maintains regular engagement with British Wool and monitors its strategic performance through a framework agreement, the organisation remains operationally independent. As such, Defra makes no assessment on the process by which payments are returned to producers.
Sales are conducted by auction throughout the year and reflect global market developments in price and availability. Payments to British Wool’s producer members are calculated at year end once the full value of that member’s clip is known. Returns are based on the weight and quality of wool delivered and the average value each grade achieved at auction. Payments are available from 1 May at the start of the following clip year and are released automatically when new season wool is delivered or on request from members.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
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 UK-EU Summit - Joint Statement, updated 19 May 2025, when measures on taking pets on holiday to the EU will take effect.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on May 19, 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone to reduce delays and paperwork at the border. Taking pets on holiday into the EU will be easier and cheaper. Instead of getting an animal health certificate each time you travel, you will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU.
Our aim is to start talks straight away and we want to remove barriers as soon as possible.