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 recent assessment her Department has made of changes to soil quality.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is working towards improving soil health across England by measuring and monitoring the national condition of soil. Establishing a baseline is essential for evaluating change and identifying improvements or declines in soil health.
National soil monitoring began in October 2023 under the England Ecosystem Survey, part of the Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme. This five-year survey will provide a baseline of soil health in England, with Analysis Ready Data from earlier years published in December 2025: https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5610689568440320.
This data will feed into a Soil Health Indicator being developed by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. A national soil health baseline will be published by 2030.
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, Further to the DEFRA 2024-25 annual report and accounts, HC 1388, 12 November 2025, p.140, what was the title of the staff member who received the exit package of £300,000 to £350,000; what was the public body; on what date it was approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury; and what was the business case for the level of the exit payment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The exit package relates to Flood Re.
Flood Re is a company limited by guarantee. It does not receive any grant funding from the Government. As such, no Government funding has been spent on exit packages at Flood Re.
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 steps her Department is taking to assist landowners in coordinating and accessing relevant grants and schemes for the long-term moorland restoration required following the Fylingdales Moor fire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) helps farmers navigate the range of grants and schemes to support increased productivity and managing land to benefit the environment and rural areas. Specifically, actions to support moorland restoration sit within the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Natural England and Forestry Commission are providing pre-application advice and supporting customers with applications for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. Where there has been an impact on an existing agreement, then we would advise agreement holders to contact the RPA or Natural England in the first instance.
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 17 September 2025, to Question 76604, on Water Charges: Social Tariffs, whether individual households can opt-out of water companies’ charging trials, or otherwise refuse consent to participate.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Companies can design their charges to provide benefits and incentives in a range of ways. Ofwat regulates charging trials by requiring companies to set fair charges for all customers, and ensure all trials are consistent with good practice principles.
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 17 September 2025, to Question 76604, on Water Charges: Social Tariffs, what is the estimated cost to other customers, (a) in aggregate and (b) cross-subsidy per non-qualifying average household, of the price of social tariffs in each year of the 2025-30 period, (1) across England and (2) across each water company, according information held by (i) his department and (ii) Ofwat.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Companies decide, in consultation with their customers and organisations representing customers, which household customers fund social tariffs and how much they pay.
Several companies have committed to using funds from their own investors, shareholders or parent companies for their social tariffs and other financial support schemes (United Utilities, Dŵr Cymru, Yorkshire Water and SES Water).
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 is the (a) percentage and (b) cash terms increase in the average household water bills, including waste water, of a dwelling in the Thames Water area, in each year from 2025 onwards, for those not on a social tariff, over each year of the regulated period, according to information held by (i) his department and (ii) Ofwat.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This information is available on Ofwat’s website.
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 discussions her Department has had with the (a) Mayor of London, (b) Greater London Authority and (c) Metropolitan Police on the decision to cancel the farmers’ tractor protest in Westminster on 26 November 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is an operational matter for the police. Defra has had no discussions with them about it.
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 steps she is taking to establish a financial support scheme for farmers, graziers and landowners impacted by major wildfires, equivalent to the Farming Recovery Fund available for flood events.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Through the Farming Recovery Fund, this Government provided an exceptional, one-off recovery payment to support farmers affected by Storms Babet, Henk and severe wet weather to help cover the uninsured costs of restoring farmland. The Government recognises the impacts of the changing climate and through the recently published Environmental Improvement Plan has committed to fund research to address the risk of wildfire. This will develop our understanding of actions we can take to naturally reduce the risk of wildfires. The Government is not considering introducing a specific fund targeting damages caused by wildfires at this stage.
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, Further to the DEFRA 2024-25 annual report and accounts, HC 1388, 12 November 2025, p.147, whether Nick Joicey has permanently left her Department as a civil servant.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nick Joicey is currently on secondment from Defra. He remains a Civil Servant and, in line with standard practice, continues to be on Defra's headcount during the period of the secondment.
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 is the estimated amount of average household water and drainage bills, per household which is not receipt of the social tariff, that pays for the cross-subsidy to the social tariff.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Companies decide, in consultation with their customers and organisations representing customers, which household customers fund social tariffs and how much they pay.