Lord Teverson

The Government continues to work towards our obligation to restore water bodies to good ecological status and remains committed to securing continuous improvement for the water environment.

The Government has committed in the White Paper to exploring setting new ambitious overarching targets for the water environment. This would enable consistent national oversight and alignment between government, regional water planning, regulators, the water industry and the private sector to better deliver agreed outcomes while maintaining environmental standards.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate continues to contribute to its commitments under the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Roadmap, evidence‑gathering, stakeholder engagement and regulatory review activity relating to fipronil and imidacloprid.

When conducting a user risk assessment, before a veterinary medicine is authorised, both the hazards and the likely exposures to humans, including the children in a household, are considered. Data from both acute and chronic toxicology studies using animal models are used to identify the possible negative reactions that may be seen in humans if exposed. Several exposure scenarios are considered, including reasonable worst-case scenarios, leading to a conservative estimate of the actual risks to those that may come into contact with a veterinary medicine. A hazard may be identified, but if the exposure to the medicines is likely to be low, then this leads to minimal risk to the person. If risks are identified, they are listed on the product information database, alongside advice on how to minimise those risks. VMD collects data on adverse reactions reported to them and to pharmaceutical companies, once a product is on the market, and can update the risk profile and user warnings where these data indicate a concern.

The Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group, supported by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, has put in place a roadmap for reducing exposure of these substances to water courses, with workstreams looking at several complementary activities. These include educating vets and the pet-owning public, investing in research to plug scientific evidence gaps, including routes to the environment and pet owner behavioural change, and reviewing the guidance for environmental risk assessments, which will all contribute to the desired aim.

The adequacy of safety advice provided to users of spot‑on veterinary medicines is assessed as part of the statutory authorisation process for veterinary medicinal products. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) conducts a comprehensive user‑risk assessment in accordance with established international guidance, including the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) guideline on user safety for veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/543/03‑Rev.1) and the CVMP guideline specifically addressing topically administered products (EMA/CVMP/SWP/721059/2014).

These assessments consider both direct and indirect routes of exposure, including contact with treated animals. Where the assessment identifies potential risks, appropriate risk‑mitigation measures are implemented. These are reflected in the product information, including the Summary of Product Characteristics and the package leaflet, and typically comprise clear instructions on correct application, advice to minimise human contact with the application site, and warnings intended to protect vulnerable household members, including children.

The adequacy of this safety advice is kept under continual review through the VMD’s pharmacovigilance system, which monitors reports relating to user safety and allows updates to product information where required. Publicly available assessment reports and product literature can be accessed via the Product Information Database on GOV.UK.

Spot‑on flea and tick treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid remain important for protecting animal and human health. Many of these products are currently classified as AVM‑GSL, meaning they may be supplied without professional advice. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) recognises increasing concerns about the environmental presence of these substances, which have been detected in some UK watercourses at levels above toxicity thresholds for aquatic invertebrates.

The VMD is carrying out a regulatory review of the AVM‑GSL status of products containing fipronil and imidacloprid. Further details on this review will be made available early this year. The review will assess whether requiring professional advice at the point of sale, such as through a minimum NFA‑VPS classification, could support more responsible use and disposal.

The regulatory review will consider all legal distribution channels with any future decisions being transparent, evidence‑based and to maintain animal welfare and access to treatment.

User risk assessments (URAs) are a core element of the authorisation process for veterinary medicinal products, and they include consideration of chronic human exposure in households where pets receive spot‑on treatments. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate conducts URAs in line with established international guidance, including the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) Guideline on user safety for pharmaceutical veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/543/03‑Rev.1) and the CVMP Guideline on user safety of topically administered veterinary medicinal products (EMA/CVMP/SWP/721059/2014).

These assessments follow a stepwise approach: hazard identification (drawing on extensive pharmacological and toxicological datasets, including for vulnerable sub‑populations), exposure assessment (covering short‑term direct and longer‑term indirect exposures), and risk characterisation using appropriate safety thresholds and conservative assumptions. For fipronil, the assessment considers relevant metabolites. Where indicated, risk mitigation measures are applied, such as user safety warnings, child‑resistant closures, and advice to minimise contact with the application site, reflected in the Summary of Product Characteristics and product literature (package leaflet).

We are aware of the concerns raised by farmers and stakeholders regarding farmers whose current Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements expire at the end of the year and are considering how we can support continued delivery of environmental outcomes through environmental land management schemes.

All consignments of honey bee queens imported into Northern Ireland (NI) must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place. When the imports arrive in NI they are cleared by NI officials. Great Britain (GB) officials do not have access to the systems used by NI so we do not have figures for how many queen honeybees have been imported into NI. Once the imports have been cleared by NI officials, the bees can be moved to GB without any further controls so information about the number of queen honeybees moved from NI to GB is not collected.

NI officials have shared intelligence that since 2021 they have received increased numbers of queen honey bee imports into NI while the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit has recorded fewer imports of queen honey bees into GB.

All consignments of honey bee queens imported into Northern Ireland (NI) must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests, including small hive beetle, and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place. Imports into NI are cleared by NI officials.

The UK is leading an action under the second OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. The Government commissioned the environmental consultancy Resource Futures to undertake research on the number of vessels reaching end-of-life and the policy options to reduce the issue of marine litter from abandoned vessels. This research will inform further OSPAR action, including the development of best practice guidance.

End of life recreational vessels are recognised as a source of litter and pollution when abandoned. The UK is leading an action under the second OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter, to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels.

The Government commissioned research on the number of vessels reaching end-of-life and the policy options to reduce the issue of marine litter from abandoned vessels. This work reviewed existing good practices, including the extended producer responsibility scheme in place in France. OSPAR Contracting Parties have agreed to produce best practice guidance to inform regional and national action, based on the research commissioned. This guidance is currently under development.

Defra is taking a phased approach to implementing remote electronic monitoring, working first with volunteers to design and test systems before moving to mandatory implementation.

We are currently evaluating the progress of the project. Once implementation issues have been appropriately addressed, we will issue notification that mandatory requirements will be coming in, with a minimum of 24 months lead in time before mandatory requirements were introduced.

This is to ensure the fishing industry has time to adapt to the change.

The remote electronic monitoring programme is still in the early stages of implementation. An evaluation will assess the effectiveness of the programme as well as how we met our key objectives. At this stage, the programme is too early in its testing to assess the evidence. The evaluation will report regularly throughout the programme, starting autumn 2025.

Defra has carefully considered how to incentivise fishing industry participation in the early adopter phases of the remote electronic monitoring programme. The programme is still in the early stages of implementation; it is therefore too early to draw upon how we can assess the effectiveness of those incentives.

Defra funds remote electronic monitoring equipment and installation for vessels that volunteer to be early adopters. Participation also gives the fishing industry an opportunity to shape the programme alongside resolving potential operational issues as we test them. An additional benefit to industry for early participation is that it may support applications by fishing operators to the Quota Allocation Mechanism, or for sustainability certification.

A volunteer vessel has been secured for the first early adopter project – deploying REM on large pelagic trawlers. This project is now underway. We are in the process of seeking further volunteers for the second early adopter project – deploying remote electronic monitoring on demersal seines (flyseines).

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), acting on behalf of all UK Fisheries Authorities, publishes lists of all UK registered and licensed fishing vessels each month. This includes vessel characteristics and licence information. There is currently no requirement to publish enforcement statistics or details of sanctions relating to non-compliance with fisheries regulations and MMO does not routinely do so. It does, however, share details of specific cases where there may be a wider public interest or where it is considered appropriate to do so, and it continues to engage with the fisheries sector on compliance matters directly, through established groups and networks, and through wider-reaching awareness campaigns.

The UK Government welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency and continues to review the steps we can take to combat illegal fishing. We welcome the ongoing engagement with the organisations who have produced the Charter.

As fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter, each UK Fisheries Administration is responsible for ensuring catches from their waters are reported accurately. In English waters, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) monitors all catches from commercially licensed fishing vessels, for vessels over 10 metres, information is recorded in logbooks whilst English vessels under 10 metres record their catches using a purpose-built mobile app or website. All catch data is submitted to the MMO to provide an accurate picture of how much fish we are taking from our seas. To ensure catch details are accounted for correctly, the MMO regularly conduct inspections of fishing vessels based upon a risk-based intelligence led marine enforcement model.

Defra has been reviewing the operation of the landing obligation as part of wider reforms to discards management in England. In 2025, these reforms include trialling changes to how we account for catches. This work aims to help ensure that catches are recorded and accounted for and contribute to the achievement of the bycatch objective.

There is currently no requirement to publish enforcement statistics relating to non-compliance with fisheries regulations in English waters and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) does not routinely do so. It does, however, share details of specific court cases where there may be a wider public interest or where it is considered appropriate to do so, and it continues to engage with the fisheries sector on compliance matters directly, through established groups and networks, and through wider-reaching awareness campaigns.

The UK Government fully supports the Cape Town Agreement. It is the first global agreement on fishing safety. It provides mandatory minimum standards to safeguard fishers working at sea and deters vessel operators from engaging in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Agreement achieves this by making poor working conditions subject to detention and inspection globally.

We have worked to ensure that the UK can accede to the Cape Town Agreement. Subject to Parliamentary Scrutiny, we will instruct the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to conclude accession. This will be as soon as possible.

The UK Government also welcomes the broad principles underpinning the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. We see considerable merit in its objective of improving transparency and accountability in global fisheries governance and management.

The UK has already implemented many of the policies set out in the Charter. We will continue to keep under active review the steps we can take to combat IUU fishing and will continue to welcome engagement with the organisations which have produced the Charter.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The Strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps that detail the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Defra recognises that reuse and repair are fundamental tenets of any circular economy and will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Strategy.

Delivering the UK’s 30by30 target on land in England will require a strategic approach, to address the scale of action needed, and ensure a diverse and well-connected network of 30by30 areas. Over the coming months, we will be developing a delivery strategy for 30by30, to ensure we make good on this important commitment. This will confirm the key levers that will help us to achieve this target and set out the pathway to 2030. We hope to finalise and publish this strategy this year.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are currently being prepared across England. Each LNRS will agree priorities and propose practical actions in the best locations for nature recovery and wider environmental benefits, such as water quality, flood risk management and climate mitigation. Where appropriate action is then taken, some of these areas could go on to contribute towards 30by30 where landowners/land managers are willing.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and we are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors.

We are considering our approach to improving access to nature and are committed to working with our stakeholders as we develop this thinking. We will provide a further update in due course.

We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.

That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.

The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.

Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.

Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.

We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.

That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.

The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.

Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.

Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.

We will build the housing and infrastructure that Britain desperately needs while protecting the environment.

That is why we are working closely with the sector to make biodiversity net gain work effectively and proportionally, with exemptions in place for any development that would have no or minimal impact on nature.

The list of specified exemptions is narrow and focused and keeps the policy ambitious, while being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local planning authorities.

Officials are monitoring the implementation of biodiversity net gain closely, and regularly meet with those engaging with it across local planning authorities, developers, and the land management sector.

Biodiversity net gain fundamentally changes how developers choose land to build on and how they design sites, and we are pleased to see so many stakeholders embracing this opportunity to deliver much needed development and deliver for the environment.

This Government is committed to nature recovery. Work is underway to develop options for the role marine net gain may play including consideration of timescales for operation of the policy.

The Government has not made a detailed assessment of the costs and benefits of such a scheme but will consider it carefully as it develops its future plans for active travel.