Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 support (a) wetland restoration, (b) tree planting and (c) other nature-based solutions to mitigate (i) flood and (ii) heat risks.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature-based solutions offer sustainable approaches to environmental challenges, delivering benefits for nature, communities, water security, water quality, and flood resilience, including measures such as tree planting and wetland restoration. The Environment Agency’s (EA) position statement (published in July 2025) reinforces the Government’s commitment to working with natural processes alongside traditional infrastructure. The EA is funding 35 projects to test Natural Flood Management (NFM) approaches, now being mainstreamed through flood funding reform, with a commitment to invest 3% of the programme in NFM, rising to 4%.
The Government has set a legal target to restore or create over 500,000 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitat outside protected sites by 2042 in England. As of March 2026, since 30 January 2023, action to create or restore approximately 8,300 hectares of wetland habitat has been reported to be underway in England.
We are investing £1 billion in tree planting and support to the forestry sector over this parliament including our England Woodland Creation Offer which provides financial support for tree planting, and investing £300m in standalone NFM schemes by 2036.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 ensure that (a) water supply systems and (b) other critical infrastructure are resilient to projected climate impacts.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the Water White Paper, the Government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards, which will be brought forward through the Clean Water Bill announced in the King’s Speech.
These standards will require companies to undertake long-term assessments of their water supply and sewerage assets and systems. Alongside a reformed approach to setting funding and incentives for asset maintenance, these standards will safeguard customer services in the context of a changing climate as well as population growth and other pressures.
Furthermore, a programme of £8 billion has been secured through to 2030 to invest in infrastructure and actions to improve water supply resilience. Major supply infrastructure planned before 2050 includes 10 new reservoirs, 9 water transfer schemes and 2 desalination schemes.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 ensure that Water Company Executive Members do not have salaries and bonuses subsidised by parent companies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is strengthening transparency and accountability in the water sector. Ofwat recently consulted on tightening executive remuneration reporting requirements. Companies are now required to publicly report the total remuneration received by each director and breakdown the different elements of that remuneration, including explanations of what each element of pay relates to, across regulated, group and parent companies. Ofwat will continue to scrutinise executive remuneration arrangements to ensure they are reported transparently. Government expects companies to abide by both the letter and spirit of the bonus rule.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 protect freshwater invertebrates from pesticides used in veterinary tick and flea treatments.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is taking a range of actions to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid being detected in UK waterways.
Through its leadership of the cross‑Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group, the VMD has published a roadmap focusing on improving public awareness and promoting responsible use and disposal of topical flea and tick treatments.
To strengthen the evidence base, the VMD is funding research into environmental exposure pathways and pet owner behaviours and is working with environment agencies to improve monitoring data.
The VMD is also undertaking an evidence‑based review of distribution categories for veterinary medicines containing fipronil or imidacloprid.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of permitting the use of active substances in pesticides that are banned for outdoor agricultural use in veterinary tick and flea treatments.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is taking a range of actions to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid being detected in UK waterways.
Through its leadership of the cross‑Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group, the VMD has published a roadmap focusing on improving public awareness and promoting responsible use and disposal of topical flea and tick treatments.
To strengthen the evidence base, the VMD is funding research into environmental exposure pathways and pet owner behaviours and is working with environment agencies to improve monitoring data.
The VMD is also undertaking an evidence‑based review of distribution categories for veterinary medicines containing fipronil or imidacloprid.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a consultation on ending the routine culling of male chicks through in-ovo sexing is under consideration.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy the Government would like to see an end to the practice of killing day-old chicks and we will be working with the UK egg industry to this end. The Government welcomes industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will commit to developing a roadmap for the transition to in-ovo sexing in the UK egg industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy the Government would like to see an end to the practice of killing day-old chicks and we will be working with the UK egg industry to this end. The Government welcomes industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to publish a formal consultation on how a transition to in-ovo sexing would be implemented.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As stated in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy the Government would like to see an end to the practice of killing day-old chicks and we will be working with the UK egg industry to this end. The Government welcomes industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
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 of the potential impact of climate change on wildlife.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the UK Climate Change Act 2008, the Government must complete a Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme outlining how identified risks will be addressed. The fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment will be published in 2027, informed by the independent assessment and advice provided by the Climate Change Committee. This will include a Technical Report outlining UK climate risks, including risks to terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, marine and soil ecosystems, and a Well-Adapted UK Report that will advise on how to address them.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will develop a strategy (a) to help tackle surface water flooding and (b) ensure water industry regulatory compliance.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has a strategic overview role for all sources of flooding, which includes surface water. This is set out in the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England (FCERM Strategy). The EA has a legal duty to review the current FCERM Strategy in 2026.
Responsibility for surface water flooding is shared across risk management authorities, including lead local flood authorities, water companies and the EA. The Government is supporting this through policy reform, investment and improved coordination. This includes enabling better rainwater management, including sustainable drainage systems, improving data sharing and supporting local strategies where surface water flood risk is greatest. A new three-year £4.2 billion Floods and Coastal Risk Management Investment Programme will also start in April 2026.
The Government is strengthening water industry regulation by increasing scrutiny, identifying failures and providing the intelligence for enforcement and remedial action. The EA is increasing compliance and enforcement activity, supported by additional funding and tougher powers, to ensure water companies meet their environmental obligations.