Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to review the designated bathing waters framework.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A review of the Bathing Waters Regulations (2013) was undertaken in 2024-25. Following a consultation on potential reforms to the regulations from November-December 2024, the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 came into force on 21 November 2025. Defra will continue to keep the implementation of the regulations under review.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the current status is of work to develop or introduce a recreational water status in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In our response to the consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations at the end of 2024, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the environmental and public health implications of any change.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
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 considering piloting a recreational water status.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In our response to the consultation on amending the Bathing Water 2013 Regulations at the end of 2024, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the environmental and public health implications of any change.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent data the Government holds on the number of horses seized in connection with illegal export or smuggling in the last three years; and what steps are being taken to prevent horse smuggling.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is an offence to export horses from Great Britain for slaughter under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024. Through The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024, we have provided the Animal and Plant Health Agency and local authorities with the powers necessary to act against any non-compliance. We are working closely with industry to explore further measures to strengthen implementation of the ban for horses.
Since the ban came into force in July 2024, we have intercepted one consignment of 20 horses at Dover suspected of being exported for the slaughter market. Regulatory action was taken against the transporter involved and the abandoned horses rehomed by a charity.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Department is considering a mandatory digital equine identification system.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and to improving equine identification and traceability. The Department has no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but Defra officials remain in close contact with industry to look at potential improvements.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
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 plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) support to farmers on water efficiency measures to help protect future food supply.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra works closely with the Environment Agency on water resourcing and smart farming.
The Environment Agency’s recently published National Framework for Water Resources sets out how water efficiency is being promoted in collaboration with farmers and growers. Smart farming makes use of technology to help to make better use of water when it is available and better protect the environment when it is not. By using technology to understand where and when water is needed, to ensure every drop can be made to count.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with farming representatives on the potential impact of water security on domestic food supply.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency’s recently published National Framework for Water Resources sets out the pressures on each of the water using sectors, including the food industry. It sets out how we are engaging with the sector and promotes actions to support the sector as it adapts to growing pressure on water resources. This includes establishing collaborative Water Abstractor Groups, helping to identify options to improve water supply resilience and the promotion of smart farming.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
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 Environment Agency regulation on farm reservoirs, and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that on-farm water storage can be developed (a) effectively and (b) safely to support food production.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Framework for Water Resources sets out the potential scale of action to secure sustainable levels of abstraction.
Many abstraction licences reservoirs are sustainable because they include conditions to protect the water environment. If not, the Environment Agency works collaboratively with abstractors to identify solutions, potentially removing the need for changes to abstraction licences, aiming to work with licence holders to allow adaptative measures to be implemented first where legally possible.
Reservoir safety regulation concerns ensuring reservoirs, their dams and embankments are safe. Government will consult on proposals to reform reservoir safety regulation, including tailoring requirements closer to the level of hazard.
Government supports farmers and growers with a Defra-funded programme of Local Resource Option studies to help them identify, screen and rank options to improve water supply resilience.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on practical support for households affected by flooding.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Improving resilience to flooding is a priority for the government, as it recognises the devastating impact being flooding can have on households. The Government established the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which includes representatives from Local Authorities, in September 2024 to improve national preparedness.
The Floods Resilience Taskforce has delivered a range of work including a review of the Flood Recovery Framework, led by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This means if activated, it will now be easier and quicker for local councils to apply for business and community recovery grants. The Environment Agency has upgraded the ‘Get flood warnings’ service on GOV.UK to make it easier for households prepare for flooding. The new system provides improved mapping and greater choice of the warnings to receive. The Met Office and Environment Agency are also engaging with Local Resilience Forums to build preparedness for flooding during autumn and winter. Defra and the Environment Agency are also working with Local Authorities in Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) to review Multi Agency Flood Plans prepare their local response to flooding.
Asked by: Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour - Suffolk Coastal)
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 adequacy of the availability of qualified engineers to certify the construction of agricultural reservoirs; and what steps her Department is taking to increase capacity in this area.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reservoirs capable of holding over 25,000m3 water above ground level are regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975. Not all agricultural reservoirs will fall into this category. Anyone building one which does must appoint an engineer to oversee the construction. That engineer must be one who has been appointed by Ministers to a relevant panel. They are listed here.
The Department strongly supports the need to boost the supply and capacity of reservoir panel engineers. Defra is working with the devolved governments and Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) to: enhance engineer training and development; improve access to engineers for smaller reservoir owners; reach out to adjacent engineering sectors to boost recruitment; and review the existing panel structure to support engineer career progression. This is part of a wider programme of reservoir safety reform Reservoir Safety Reform Programme | Engage Environment Agency.