Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will extend the regulation of pharmaceuticals and chemicals to ensure that they are licensed only where they do not have a negative impact on the natural environment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 1 December 2025, Defra published the revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025. The EIP 2025 is the department’s long-term plan for improving the natural environment and enjoyment of it. It includes prioritised delivery actions to minimise environmental risks posed by chemicals. The EIP sets out Defra’s approach to managing chemicals risks.
All authorised veterinary medicines undergo a robust environmental risk assessment under internationally agreed guidelines. Products are approved only where benefits outweigh risks, including environmental impacts. While current frameworks assume negligible exposure for companion animals, emerging evidence is informing international updates, with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate contributing research to inform this process.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will ban the use in veterinary medicine of any active pesticide substance deemed too harmful for use on crops.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government does not currently plan to introduce a blanket ban on veterinary use of active substances restricted in crop protection.
Veterinary medicines and pesticides are regulated under distinct frameworks, reflecting differences in use, exposure and risk.
All veterinary medicines are subject to a robust, science‑based benefit–risk assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and authorised only where benefits outweigh risks, including to the environment.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will take legislative steps to stop nitrates and phosphates entering protected landscapes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, we set out an ambitious target to reduce total nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution from agriculture to the water environment by at least 18% in catchments containing protected sites in unfavourable condition due to nutrient pollution by December 2030.
The government is developing the strongest programme on record for tackling water pollution from agriculture by using all the levers available including a commitment to consolidate the agricultural water regulatory framework into a single, clear and robust regulation and strengthen standards. We also set out plans for consultation on extending environmental permitting to dairy and intensive beef farms.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take legislative steps to ensure that all new washing machines are fitted with a 50-micron microfibre filter by 2030.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises growing concerns around microplastics, including microfibre release from textiles, and is committed to building a strong evidence base to inform effective interventions to protect human health and the environment. It is supporting research and engagement with stakeholders, including on the potential role of technologies such as microfibre filters.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 take legislative steps to ensure that storm overflows cause no environmental harm in protected landscapes by 2035.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water companies must take action to address storm overflow spills. Between 2025 and 2030, over £10bn, a historic amount, is being invested in improving nearly 2,500 storm overflows across England, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for ecological and human health.
To deliver on the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we are expecting £60bn of investment to be delivered across England by 2050, which should ensure that no storm overflow is permitted to operate outside of unusually heavy rainfall or to cause any adverse ecological harm.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will establish a central fund to enable local authorities and the Environment Agency to use their permissive powers to protect legacy coastal landfill sites.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the complexity and challenges posed by legacy coastal landfill sites (also known as historic coastal landfill sites), particularly in the context of coastal erosion and climate change. It commissioned a project to consolidate research and better understand the scale of risks posed by these sites in England. The findings of the national assessment into erosion and flooding risks at these sites will enable the Government to make informed considerations about potential methodologies that local responsible authorities and partners can use to prioritise action. The final report from this will be published shortly.
There are no plans to establish a dedicated central fund to support the use of permissive powers for legacy coastal landfill protection. Local authorities receive revenue funding for local flood and coastal erosion risk management through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 makes available £83.5 billion. This rises to £90.5 billion in 2028/29. Most of local government funding is not ring-fenced, reflecting the principle that local authorities are best placed to determine how to address service pressures in their areas.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 trends in the level of breeding and ownership of brachycephalic animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 trends in the level of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in dogs in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 raise public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies.
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector.
The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices.
Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
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 has identified any crop protection products currently approved in Great Britain but not in the European Union that may be affected by regulatory alignment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK-EU SPS agreement is under negotiation and pesticides regulations are in scope. The Common Understanding sets out that the United Kingdom, acting in respect of Great Britain, will dynamically align with all the relevant European Union rules. My Department’s analysis of divergence between the UK and EU regulatory decisions is ongoing. This has greatly benefited from evidence and insight from business, which is informing the approach to negotiations and implementation.