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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to provide Port Health Authorities with statutory powers to (a) stop, (b) search and (c) seize illegal meat imports.

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

The Trade in Animals and Related Products Regulations 2011 already give port health authorities in England, search and seize powers in relation to animal products. Defra is considering the recommendations in this area in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling and will respond shortly.

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 improve public awareness of the rules on importing products of animal origin; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the models used in New Zealand.

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

Defra is mindful of international examples, such as models used in New Zealand, when considering approaches for improving public awareness of rules for importing products of animal origin. Defra has worked in partnership with other Government departments, ports, airports and international travel operators to improve public awareness of the rules. Defra has issued public communications about the rules via press release, social media and GOV.UK, and published posters for operational partners to display.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing national taskforce to tackle illegal imports of (a) meat and (b) animal products.

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

Defra is considering this recommendation in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling.

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 increase public awareness of the steps people whose homes are at risk of flooding should take to help mitigate that risk.

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

We welcome the publication of the Environmental Audit Committee's ‘Flood resilience in England’ report on 13 October. The department is considering its recommendations, including a national audit of flood resilience assets and on increasing public awareness of both flood risk and public bodies’ statutory duties.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a national audit of flood resilience assets.

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

We welcome the publication of the Environmental Audit Committee's ‘Flood resilience in England’ report on 13 October. The department is considering its recommendations, including a national audit of flood resilience assets and on increasing public awareness of both flood risk and public bodies’ statutory duties.

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 increase public awareness of the statutory duties of public bodies with relation to flooding.

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

We welcome the publication of the Environmental Audit Committee's ‘Flood resilience in England’ report on 13 October. The department is considering its recommendations, including a national audit of flood resilience assets and on increasing public awareness of both flood risk and public bodies’ statutory duties.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the (a) Property Flood Resilience Scheme and (b) Flood Re in supporting people affected by flooding.

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

From April 2024 to March 2025, around 350 properties were better protected by Property Flood Resilience measures under the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Investment Programme.

Flood Re supported over 346,000 household policies in 2024/25, with 650,000 properties benefitting since launch. Flood Re’s second Quinquennial Review, published July 2024, recommends measures to improve efficiency and support transition to a risk-reflective insurance market by 2039. These will be considered by the Secretary of State.

Last month, I met senior insurance leaders to explore industry support for customers, ensuring access to affordable coverage and fair claims, especially for households at high flood risk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a statutory duty for fire and rescue services to respond to flooding.

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

The Government is currently assessing the basis for a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) in England to respond to flooding. This includes consideration of dedicated funding for training, equipment, and operational planning.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Border Force publishes quarterly data on seizures of products of animal origin.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish quarterly transparency data on seizures of products of animal origin (POAO).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) fines and (b) prosecutions have resulted from the illegal importation of products of animal origin in each of the last three years.

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

Defra does not hold this information.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether protocols are in place to ensure that victims of crimes are contacted if the perpetrator is mistakenly released from prison.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme is a service for the victims of offenders who are convicted of a specified violent, sexual or terrorism offence and are sentenced to twelve months’ or more imprisonment. Victims who decide to receive the service are allocated a Victim Liaison Officer who will keep the victim updated on key stages throughout the sentence, including if the offender is released from prison in error and when the offender is returned to custody. In emergency situations, the Police may contact the victim directly.

Through the Victim and Courts Bill, we will be updating the legislative framework that establishes the Victim Contact Scheme to bring victims currently served by different post-conviction communication schemes into the Victim Contact Scheme and provide a new route for other victims to request information via a dedicated helpline.