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 funding under the (a) Landscape Recovery and (b) Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme has been received by farms smaller than 200 acres.

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

The Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme does not directly award funding to participant land managers. Rather, the scheme awards funding to Projects, when in their development phase, and to a Single Legal Entity when they are in their implementation phase. This funding is then disbursed as per their project plans. The two pilot rounds of LR has seen in excess of 1400 land managers participating in LR projects with a range of holding sizes, with some choosing to enter whole farms into the project and others entering only part of their holdings. It should be noted that due to the dynamic nature of development proposals, this participation figure is subject to change.

The Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that: protects, restores, or enhances the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change.

The table below shows the total value claimed under the CSHT scheme and the percentage paid to farm businesses which were 200 Acre and under.

** This includes woodland management and woodland creation plans and is based on land recorded as linked in the Rural Payments Portal.

To Note -The New improved CSHT opened in September 2025 and is being rolled out by invitation only - no annual payments will be due until the payment window opens in December 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on digitising the catch certificate scheme.

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

UK catch certificates for export are already available digitally through the Fish Export Service.

Catch certificates the Government receive from third countries are generally paper-based documents. The Government will consider any opportunities to move to a more digital-based system as they arise.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on aligning the Fish Export Service with the EU CATCH system.

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

Following the entry into force of the EU’s new CATCH system on 10 January, we have successfully updated the UK’s Fish Exports Service to allow UK exporters to generate compliant documentation. UK Government has engaged extensively with both UK industry and the EU Commission and continues to support industry to adjust to the new requirements, ensuring the smooth flow of trade.

We are working to integrate the UK's Fish Export Service with the EU's CATCH platform to facilitate the automatic digital transfer of information. This will remove the need for manual entry of information, ensuring UK seafood exports remain competitive.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including wraparound extensions within permitted development rights for householders.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government continues to keep permitted development rights under review.

117th anniversary of the West Stanley Pit Disaster

Found: Somerton) Terry Jermy (Labour; South West Norfolk) Jayne Kirkham (Labour; Truro and Falmouth) Josh Newbury

Found: present: Mr Alistair Carmichael (Chair); Charlie Dewhirst; Sarah Dyke; Terry Jermy; Jayne Kirkham; Josh Newbury