Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the proposed geographical indication for English Whisky; and what her Department's planned timetable is for completing its work on this.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers are considering all the evidence gathered during the statutory assessment process before making a decision. We aim to announce our decision on the application shortly.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the financial impact of Extended Producer Responsibility on pubs.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Government published an updated assessment in October 2024 of the impact of introducing Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR) when the regulations were laid before Parliament. The assessment considered impacts on packaging producers as a whole, including wider economic impacts, but did not estimate impacts on individual sectors such as pubs.
The Government continues to engage with stakeholders as the scheme is implemented, including trade associations representing pubs and the wider hospitality sector.
A full post-implementation review will be published by December 2028.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains her policy to introduce regulations that would exempt development sites measuring 0.2 hectares or less from the mandatory requirement to deliver a minimum 10 per cent Biodiversity Net Gain on 31st July 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh
As announced on 15th April 2026 in the Government’s response to the consultation on Improving Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for minor, medium and brownfield development, government will introduce a new 0.2 hectare area based exemption so that developments under this size threshold will not be subject to BNG.
Defra will bring forward secondary legislation in due course.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 operational feasibility of retailers providing battery takeback services, particularly where products are sold through physical and online channels.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Under current producer responsibility legislation for batteries in Great Britain, retailers of portable batteries must already offer takeback services for waste portable batteries if they sell or supply 32kg or more of portable batteries per year. Retailers must have a collection point at their place of business; this applies to products sold in store and online.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory alignment with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain and will formally consult on proposals in due course. The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 the EU’s 2027 requirement that portable batteries in electronic appliances must be removable and replaceable by the end-user using commonly available tools on the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act.
Answered by Mary Creagh
No assessment has been made on the potential impact of the EU Batteries Regulation on the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act. We will continue to work with DHSC to identify any emerging impacts.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory alignment with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain and will formally consult on proposals in due course. The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 merits of regulatory divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the EUBR's sustainability and hardware requirements; and what steps she is taking to ensure that such divergence does not create new non-tariff barriers for trade within the UK internal market.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra commissioned a research project to inform our ongoing assessment on the impacts of regulatory divergence between Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland on the EU Batteries Regulation.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory alignment with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in GB and will formally consult on proposals in due course. The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to businesses managing dual compliance requirements.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra is working closely with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Office for Product Safety and Standards to develop new guidance relating to compliance with the EU Batteries Regulation in Northern Ireland. Webpages are kept up to date with the latest available guidance and information.
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory alignment with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain and will formally consult on proposals in due course. The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to (a) decide and (b) publicise that decision on harmonisation with the EU Regulation 2023/1542 on batteries.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, my officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore the impacts of regulatory alignment with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain and will formally consult on proposals in due course. The EU Batteries Regulation applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish an answer to Question 118227, tabled on 5 March 2026, on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
An answer to Question 118227 was published on 16 April 2026.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 101774 on DEFRA: Secondment, on what date is the secondment of the Second Permanent Secretary due to end.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The secondment agreement end date is 19 July 2026.