Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 are taking to help tackle the discarding in the environment of nitrous oxide canisters.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is an offence to illegally dispose of cannisters. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500.
Guidance to councils and others on the use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences is available at: Litter enforcement powers - when and how to use them - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 help reduce plastic pollution.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have several restrictions on unnecessary single-use plastic products, including a ban on the supply of single-use vapes and a ban on supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic in England, marking a major step forward in tackling the plastic and microplastic pollution that harms our waterways.
The UK is a leading voice in the negotiations for a new international, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution and a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of over 70 countries calling for an ambitious and effective treaty that will end plastic pollution by 2040.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of consignments of products of animal-origin were taken, after being flagged, from Dover to the Border Control Post in Sevington from December 2025 to May 2026.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Checks at the border are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of these controls, detailed operational data on inspections is not routinely published. Data is not held in the form requested. Available data relates to whether vehicles rather than consignments attended Sevington Border Control Post.
However, for the period December 2025 to April 2026 (as May data is not yet available), we can advise that for Port Health 71.7% of vehicles listed on the manifest for CHED-P and CHED-D arrived at the Sevington Border Control Post. The remaining 28.3% did not attend.
Non-attendance is followed up by Ashford Port Health and recorded in PHILIS to establish the reason. Non-attendance does not necessarily indicate non-compliance. For example, consignments may not have been loaded or shipped and therefore did not enter Great Britain, may have travelled under a different vehicle registration, or may have been processed through an alternative point of entry or control point.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of consignments of products of plant-origin were taken, after being flagged, from Dover to the Border Control Post in Sevington from December 2025 to May 2026.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Checks at the border are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of these controls, detailed operational data on inspections is not routinely published. Data is not held in the form requested. Available data relates to whether vehicles rather than consignments attended Sevington Border Control Post.
However, for the period December 2025 to April 2026 (as May data is not yet available), we can advise that for Port Health 71.7% of vehicles listed on the manifest for CHED-P and CHED-D arrived at the Sevington Border Control Post. The remaining 28.3% did not attend.
Non-attendance is followed up by Ashford Port Health and recorded in PHILIS to establish the reason. Non-attendance does not necessarily indicate non-compliance. For example, consignments may not have been loaded or shipped and therefore did not enter Great Britain, may have travelled under a different vehicle registration, or may have been processed through an alternative point of entry or control point.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 (a) prevailing market conditions and (b) trends in the level of input costs for the arable farming sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Defra continues to work closely with all cropping sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.
At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 (a) prevailing market conditions and (b) trends in the level of input costs for the horticultural sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Defra continues to work closely with all cropping sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.
At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 (a) prevailing market conditions and (b) trends in the level of input costs for the fishing industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Defra is actively monitoring prevailing market conditions by assessing factors such as demand for seafood, price movements across key species, and wider supply chain dynamics, including the effects of seasonality and market access on fishers’ returns.
In parallel, Defra is closely monitoring input costs, in particular changes in diesel prices, and the impact these are having on the operational viability of the UK fishing fleet. Defra is working with other Government departments and industry stakeholders to gather evidence on cost pressures and how these vary across different fleet segments and regions.
Our assessment draws on economic data and analysis from Seafish and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), and considers the interaction between market conditions and input costs, including the extent to which rising costs can be absorbed or passed on through the market.
Defra will continue to work closely with stakeholders to understand how these pressures are evolving and to consider what, if any, measures may be appropriate to support the sector.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 trends in the level of a) market conditions and b) input costs for the poultry sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government continues to work closely with all livestock sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.
At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 impact of (a) current market conditions and (b) input costs on the UK beef sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government continues to work closely with all livestock sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.
At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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 impact of (a) current market conditions and (b) input costs on the UK sheep sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government continues to work closely with all livestock sectors as they face higher input costs particularly for fuel, energy, and fertiliser.
At the March 2026 meeting of the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), Defra and the Devolved Governments decided to closely monitor the price and availability of these key inputs in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The UKAMMG monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments including international conflicts and extended unfavourable weather. The Group meets monthly, enabling it to provide forewarning of any atypical market movements.