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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for opening the next application round for (a) Capital Grants, (b) the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, (c) the Farming Innovation Programme's Farming Futures R&D competition and (d) the Improving Farm Productivity Grant.

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

As of 1 August, strong demand for the Government’s £150 million Capital Grant offer means that all available funds for this round have now been allocated.

We plan to make further improvements to the offer for future rounds. We expect to open a new round for farmers to secure more funding during 2026. Other Countryside Stewardship capital grants which remain open for applications now are Woodland Tree Health grants, Capital grant plans, woodland management plans, Protection and Infrastructure grants and Higher Tier capital grants.

We continue to work to simplify and rationalise our wider capital grant funding from 2026 onwards. We want to ensure our grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature.

We also welcome the announcement within the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy to allocate at least £200 million to the Farming Innovation Programme up to 2030 which will offer continued targeted funding to drive innovation in agriculture.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to include mirror clauses in future trade agreements for agricultural products.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government will continue to seek fair and balanced trade deals which include new export opportunities to grow the UK’s world class agri-food and drinks sector.

We recognise concerns about production methods that are not permitted in the UK. While production practices differ internationally due to climate, disease pressures, and other local factors, we will always consider whether such differences create an unfair advantage and any resulting impacts.

We will always maintain UK levels of statutory protection in relation to human, animal or plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether, as part of Recommendation 2 of the Casey Audit, the Cabinet Office has yet issued a formal instruction or preservation notice requiring the retention of records relevant to child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

In her Audit, Baroness Casey made clear that local authorities, police forces and other relevant agencies should be required not to destroy any relevant records, and we expect this to be the case. The Home Office has made the requirement clear to departments across government with responsibility for relevant agencies. The Terms of Reference for the inquiry, once established and agreed with the Chair, will set the scope of the inquiry in more detail, at which point a more detailed request for the retention of records can be made.

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 modelled the cumulative impact on domestic egg production profits margins of permitting egg imports that do not face equivalent (a) animal welfare and (b) food safety costs.

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

The UK imports a small proportion of its annual supply of eggs, to meet domestic demand. The Government consistently considers the impact of imports on the UK market from all countries.

As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognise concerns about methods of production, such as battery cages, which are not permitted in the UK. While methods vary in line with different climates, diseases, and other contextual reasons, the department will always consider whether overseas producers have an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, the department will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors including permanent quotas, exclusions, and safeguards.

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 impact of permitting eggs imports from barren battery cage systems on the viability of the domestic egg production chain.

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

The UK imports a small proportion of its annual supply of eggs, to meet domestic demand. The Government consistently considers the impact of imports on the UK market from all countries, including on domestic egg production chain. The department will continue to take account of UK imports as part of our continued monitoring of the egg production chain.

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 extending tariff-free access for Ukrainian eggs on the level of domestic food security.

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

Under our Free Trade Agreement with Ukraine, tariffs on all goods are temporarily removed until March 2029, except for poultry and eggs, where the liberalisation is due to end on 31 March 2026.

Ukrainian imports of poultry and eggs currently constitute a small proportion of the UK’s total imports of these products. The Government consistently considers the views of industry and impact of imports on the UK market from all countries, including from Ukraine. The department will continue to take these views into account as part of our policy development process.

Found: Q56 Robbie Moore: Did you seek intelligence from Europol?

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Karen Bradley (Chair); Lewis Atkinson; Mr Paul Kohler; Robbie Moore