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

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she expects further policy measures to be introduced to prevent biodegradable waste from entering landfill.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Reducing the amount of biodegradable waste being sent to landfill has a key part to play in tackling climate change. In February 2025, Defra published a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the near elimination of biodegradable municipal waste to landfill from 2028. We are developing options.

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 ensure that organic farming is appropriately supported within the relaunched Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, in the context of increasing trade balance for organic produce and levels of domestic organic production.

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

We recognise the importance of organic farming. The new SFI offer will continue to support sustainable farming by strengthening the environmental foundations of farm profitability. Healthy soil, clean water and thriving pollinators are essential to our long‑term food security.

Farmers and food businesses will also have a stronger voice through the new Farming and Food Partnership Board, which will focus on removing barriers to investment, improving supply chains and supporting homegrown British produce.

We have worked with Stakeholders to develop more detail on the new SFI offer, which will be announced at the NFU Conference in February, ahead of publishing full scheme details before the first application window opens in June.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is working with other departments to coordinate delivery of the Government’s methane reduction commitments.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are working closely with other departments to coordinate delivery of the Government’s methane reduction commitments. Alongside the Carbon Budget Growth Delivery Plan, we published our Methane Action Plan detailing historic progress on methane abatement and key abating policies, building on the £63 billion announced at the 2025 Spending Review for clean energy, climate and nature.

Through these plans, we are working closely with DESNZ and are exploring ways to reduce livestock emissions including through methane suppressing feed products (MSFPs). Reducing methane emissions in the waste sector is also a key focus. As we move away from the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme, we will work with DESNZ to increase methane capture from landfill gas sites and are exploring a long-term methane capture scheme with a suitable transition plan.

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 improve the safety and availability of public access to waterways for recreation and wellbeing.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. As part of this, Defra has committed in its new Environmental Improvement Plan to create 9 new National River Walks, one in every region of England. The Mersey Valley Way will be the first of those nine new walks.

Public access onto around 3,400 miles of our regulated inland waterways, including several of the larger rivers, is available through the licensing regimes of the navigation authorities that own or manage them. Defra is considering its approach to improving access onto unregulated inland waterways and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. The Environment Agency has published advice on how to stay safe while visiting waterways.

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