Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what conditions are necessary to import juvenile trout from fish farms in Northern Ireland for stocking purposes in rivers, lakes or fish farms in i) England or ii) Scotland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Movements into GB from Northern Ireland of live fish (including eggs and gametes) that are susceptible to or vectors for listed aquatic animal diseases must be accompanied by an animal health certificate issued by thecompetent authority in the place of origin. The certificate must confirm that the animals or goods meet the animal health requirements for entry into Great Britain. Certificate GBHC674 sets out the requirements for placing on the market aquaculture animals from Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependences into GB for farming, ornamental use, relaying or depuration, put and take fisheries and other purposes, this includes juvenile trout from fish farms in Northern Ireland moving to fisheries in GB for stocking purposes.
Notification to the relevant Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) (Cefas FHI in England and Wales; Marine Scotland FHI in Scotland) is required at least 24 hours before importing live fish. As required by The Aquatic Animal Health (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 and The Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009 the destination premises must also be authorised by the relevant FHI. Further guidance on movements of fish into Great Britain from Northern Ireland has been published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward reforms to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 opened on 28 January and is due to close on 25 March.
The Government is committed to responding within 12 weeks of a consultation closing.
Defra are looking at bringing in new legislation, when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 merits of amending the closed season for periwinkle gathering in inter-tidal areas in England.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No national assessment has been made of the merits of amending closed seasons for periwinkle gathering.
The management of inshore fisheries in England, including the gathering of periwinkles in inter‑tidal areas, is the responsibility of the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs). IFCAs are committees of local Government. IFCAs have powers to introduce local byelaws, including seasonal restrictions, to ensure the sustainable management of species within their districts.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 has taken in response to recent reports of Blue Tongue Disease being detected in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Disease control is a devolved matter and it is for the Devolved Governments to assess the disease risks and impacts in relation to their national herds, alongside the impacts of controls, and respond accordingly. Defra works closely with the Devolved Governments with the aim of providing, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK.
Following the first suspected bluetongue case in Northern Ireland on 28 November 2025, Defra is working with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to review policy regarding movement of bluetongue susceptible animals between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Farming Profitability Review, which stakeholders in Northern Ireland gave evidence to the Review.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Terms of Reference, Baroness Batters’s Farming Profitability Review is an England-only review. Baroness Batters wrote an open letter to stakeholders and received responses from organisations that represent farmers in Northern Ireland. This included Northern Ireland-specific organisations, and organisations covering the whole of the UK. The department is considering her recommendations carefully.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 4 November 2025 to Question 85623 on Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination, for what reason Northern Ireland was not included in the marketing authorisation.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To maintain Northern Ireland’s full access to the EU’s single market, from 1 January 2026, the movement of veterinary medicines into Northern Ireland must comply with relevant EU rules under the Windsor Framework. This includes the current EU-wide prohibition on the use of the bovine tuberculosis vaccine in cattle.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the cattle vaccine against bovine tuberculosis undergoing Phase 3 trials by the Animal and Plant Health Agency will be available in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The field trials and the cattle vaccine will not be available in Northern Ireland. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are only seeking marketing authorisation in Great Britain at this stage.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 help her counterpart in Northern Ireland tackle Asian hornets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra and staff from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have worked closely with officials from Northern Ireland to help them prepare and publish a contingency plan for action against Asian hornets. A sighting of Asian hornet was reported on 10th October close to Dundonald in Northern Ireland. Inspectors from the APHA National Bee Unit and the APHA Non-Native Species Inspectorate have drawn on their extensive experience and provided support to officials in Northern Ireland about deployment of the contingency plan to find and destroy a nest.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement on food (a) production, (b) supply and (c) security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement has not been signed yet and is a matter for the EU. We do not expect that it will impact UK food production, supply or security.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 has taken to tackle illegal dog fighting in the last two years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Dog fighting is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Defra advises members of the public who have evidence of cruelty to animals to report it to the relevant local authority. They have powers under the 2006 Act to investigate allegations of cruelty, poor welfare, or neglect of animals.
Since The Online Safety Act 2023 came into force in March 2025, social media firms must remove online content facilitating animal torture, including the promotion of, or footage depicting, illegal dog fighting.