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 10 June 2025 to Question 57744 on Meat: Smuggling, how much illegally imported meat has been seized under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme since 19 April 2025.

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

We do not hold assured data on the amount of illegally imported meat seized under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme.

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 South East Water on water supply following issues at a treatment works on Saturday 29 November 2025.

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

The Defra Secretary of State and Minister for Floods and Water have had frequent discussions with South East Water’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since 29 November. This includes direct phone calls with the CEO by the Secretary of State and Minister for Floods and Water. The Minister for Floods and Water has also chaired three meetings which have been attended by South East Water’s CEO as well as senior leaders from the Local Councils and the Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Defra officials have held numerous discussions with South East Water CEO and officials, including direct calls with the CEO. They have also participated in Tactical Coordination Groups and Strategic Coordination Groups held by the Kent Local Resilience Forum. These have been attended by South East Water.

Officials from the Drinking Water Inspectorate have also engaged with the company as part of their full investigation into the incident. Further details of which can be found online.

Ministers and Officials will continue to engage extensively with South East Water on this incident until it is resolved.

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 put in contingencies in areas that have sudden water outages.

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

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a supply of wholesome water under the Water Industry Act 1991 and associated water quality regulations. Additionally, the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) requires companies to ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency.

Water companies are also Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have statutory duties to plan for emergencies. As Category Two Responders water companies are members of their Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and work in partnership to understand risk and develop contingencies such as response plans.

Defra has a work programme of strategy, policy, research, operational and regulatory enforcement activity dedicated to improving the resilience of the water sector. This includes the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) who regulate water company performance against SEMD requirements. They have a range of tools to hold companies to account, including serving companies with enforcement orders.

Most sudden water outages are managed at a local level by the affected water company in conjunction with other LRF members as appropriate. However, where the scale or complexity of an incident demands central government co-ordination or support, Defra will provide this to facilitate all relevant parties to work together effectively.

The Independent Water Commission made several recommendations on increasing resilience across the water sector and on strengthening the enforcement powers available to the regulator for SEMD. The Government is preparing to respond to these recommendations and our White Paper will set out more detail on our approach.

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 support the management of Avian Influenza outbreaks in a) Norfolk and b) the UK.

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

Following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry and other captive birds in the UK, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) together with the Devolved Governments and their delivery agencies have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery.

Avian Influenza Prevention Zones (AIPZs) mandating enhanced biosecurity are currently in force across the UK. These apply to all bird keepers whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock. Additional national housing measures are also in force across the whole of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease.

To control and manage outbreaks in Norfolk, APHA has put in place additional biosecurity measures in disease control zones surrounding infected premises. These controls include mandatory housing for all poultry and captive birds which are located in the 3km Protection Zone surrounding an infected premises. Bird keepers can check where disease control zones are in force on our interactive map.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to (a) prevent and (b) reduce the risk of building fires caused by batteries from (i) ebikes and (ii) escooters.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is working closely with representatives and officials from across Government to build an evidence base, share intelligence and develop mitigations to tackle the fire risks linked to lithium-ion batteries, e-bikes and e-scooters.

A key element of this work is raising public awareness of safe use, storage and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters within residential buildings. MHCLG has developed educational resources in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council and local Fire and Rescue Services, as part of its national Fire Kills campaign.

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 with Cabinet colleagues of the effectiveness of the ban on disposable vapes on the outbreak of fires.

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

Selling single-use vapes has been banned since 1^st June 2025 due to the harm that they cause to the environment, with over 5 million of these products being thrown away each week in 2023. This will help to prevent the environmental harms caused by vapes, including the risk of fires. We will continue to monitor the impact and remain engaged with industry to ensure that they have the desired positive environmental impact and will not hesitate to act further to tackle the environmental impact of vapes if needed.

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 UK weather patterns on crop production in 2025.

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

We publish annual harvest estimates. Provisional estimates of cereal and oilseed rape production covering the 2025 harvest in England were published on 9 October 2025: Cereal and oilseed rape production - GOV.UK.

Initial good weather meant that the 2025 harvest progressed quickly, with many growers finishing ahead of a typical year. However, in September, wet weather hindered the ability to harvest remaining crops towards the end of the season, resulting in a mixed picture across the country with considerable variability in yield between regions.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with the National Fire Chiefs Council on the potential risk of wildfires crossing into urban areas.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) on the full range of wildfire risks to strengthen preparedness and improve response, including potential impacts on urban areas. We also continue to work closely with partners across government, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and wider stakeholders, to identify policy options for addressing wildfire risk at the national level.

Since 2024, the Government has funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help stop wildfires setting homes on fire.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), fire and rescue services and local resilience partners to strengthen preparedness and improve response to wildfires. Since 2024, the Government has funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that the planning system should take full account of the full range of potential climate change impacts, and that it should shape places in ways that improve resilience and minimise vulnerability. Such impacts can include wildfires. It requires local plan policies to support appropriate measures to ensure the resilience of communities and infrastructure to climate change impacts, such as providing space for physical protection measures.

The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code emphasise the importance of design in response to environmental change and challenges. It provides guidance for well-designed places that address climate change mitigation and resilience. The department intends to publish updates to the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code in due course, and we are considering the inclusion of further guidance on wildfire risk.

We continue to work closely with partners across government, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the fire sector, and with wider stakeholders to identify policy options for addressing wildfire risk at the national level.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to routine tissue freezing for brain cancer patients in a) Epping Forest and b) England for even access to advanced treatments, diagnostics and research.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.