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 global deforestation and desertification on the UK’s national food security, supply chains and food prices.

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

The UK imports 40% of its food and is therefore exposed to supply chain risks such as deforestation and desertification via food security and price impacts associated with food imports.

Defra routinely conducts and updates assessments on a range of threats. HMG pub-lishes assessments in the National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis, includ-ing on biodiversity loss and its interactions with ecosystems, on gov.uk.

The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade and use of deforestation linked products. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee, sponsored by Defra, have created the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator, an indicator which includes analysis of the impact of forest risk commodities in global supply chains. The indicator estimates that UK consumption drove 29,300 hectares of deforestation in 2023.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will review current guidance under the school milk scheme to ensure consistency with NHS Eatwell guidance, which includes fortified dairy alternatives such as plant-based milks as part of a balanced diet.

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

This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.

Milk and relevant dairy products only are eligible under the School Milk Subsidy Scheme. There are no plans to amend the scheme requirements to include non-dairy drinks or associated products.

The Government recognises that some children with clinical and dietary needs are unable to consume milk and expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for those with such specific needs.

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 introduce legislation to prohibit (a) octopus farming in the UK and (b) imports of commercially-farmed octopus.

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

The Government have no current plans to prevent the import of farmed octopus products to the UK. Defra is not aware of any plans to establish octopus farming in the UK. Any such plans would be subject to relevant existing regulatory regimes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits to children’s health and inclusion of expanding the School Milk Scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.

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

This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only.

Defra regularly reviews the administration and outcomes associated with the School Milk Subsidy Scheme, most recently following the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s assessment report of health benefits and risks of consuming plant-based drinks published in July 2025.

Only milk and relevant dairy products are currently eligible for subsidy in the School Milk Subsidy Scheme and there are no plans to extend the scheme to include fortified plant-based alternatives.

The Government recognises that some children with clinical and dietary needs are unable to consume milk and expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for those with specific needs.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure coherence between the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and other Government frameworks, including nutrient profiling, dietary guidance and restrictions on foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

When considering the reforms to the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) announced at Budget 2025, HM Treasury worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care throughout the process, including to consider whether the SDIL minimum sugar content threshold could, and should, align with the nutrient profiling model (NPM). However, it would be complex to align the SDIL, which applies only to drinks and is based on sugar content alone, with the NPM, which determines what are ‘less healthy’ foods and drinks by balancing a range of beneficial and less beneficial nutrients.

The government judges that the new SDIL threshold of 4.5g total sugar per 100ml strikes a fair balance between delivering on the SDIL’s health objectives and supporting producers with the process of reformulation.

Given the government recognises that these reforms ask soft drink producers to adapt and invest in further reformulation, and that certainty is required to support this process, the Chancellor has committed to not make any further changes to the design of the SDIL this Parliament.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he will publish the results of the Department's consultation on the Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets: raising integrity.

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

The Government welcomes the many responses to the Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets consultation. Officials are undertaking analysis of the responses received and the Government intends to publish its response in the first half of this year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental and health impacts of their School Food guidance in the context of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission; and how she plans to respond to the Commission’s Planetary Health Diet recommendations.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating.

We are continuing our work to revise the School Food Standards and are engaging experts across the sector, including academics and nutrition professionals. We are also taking account of the emerging themes from recent research and papers as we progress the review.

We are also working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support on the outcomes of their government Food Strategy. Additionally, schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards

Found: has done some really good work since we came into office, and I pay tribute to my predecessor, Kerry McCarthy

Found: has done some really good work since we came into office, and I pay tribute to my predecessor, Kerry McCarthy