Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the negotiation of a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. We have been clear that the trading relationship can be improved, hence why we are seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement to help boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. It’s too early to discuss specific areas in detail and we will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) airports and (b) ports are announcing the ban on personal imports of (i) meat and (ii) dairy products to travellers from EU countries.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has been engaging with airports, ports and travel operators to communicate the ban on personal imports of meats and dairy products from EU countries, introduced on 12 April 2025.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be paid in instalments.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what tonnage of meat was seized by Dover Port Health Authority between January and March in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Seizure reports provided by Dover Port Health Authority are as follows:
(a)Jan-March 2023: 7.1 tonnes
(b)Jan-March 2024: 16.7 tonnes
(c)Jan-March 2025: 61.1 tonnes
Total is 84.94 tonnes (Rounded to 1 decimal place)
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 will be spent.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The funding for Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 has been allocated. Discussions with Dover Port Health Authority on the detailed use of funding are ongoing.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the funding for the Dover Port Health Authority 2025-26 covers the cost of vets.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The funding allocated to Dover Port Health Authority for 2025-26 does not cover the costs of Official Veterinarians.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a permanent personal imports policy for travellers entering the UK from the EU in the context of African swine fever.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Preventing an outbreak of African swine fever in the UK is one of Defra’s key biosecurity priorities. The department keeps policy on personal imports under constant review and works closely with the devolved Governments on contingency planning and preventing an incursion from possibly infected goods.
We have already strengthened controls on personal imports of pork and pork products from the EU through the measures we introduced in September last year. We are working to develop a long-term policy on personal imports of products of animal origin and animal by-products, taking account of international examples.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Environment Agency on the potential merits of providing financial support to businesses with the cost of the removal of unusable stock, in the context of the withdrawal of the regulatory guidance statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing, RPS248.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We currently have no plans to discuss the potential merits of paying compensation to businesses affected by the withdrawal of the regulatory position statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing.
Withdrawing the RPS means that using shredded waste carpets for equestrian surfacing is not prohibited, but a waste management permit is needed instead. There is no mechanism to compensate businesses affected by the withdrawal of a regulatory position.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Environment Agency on the potential merits of paying compensation to businesses affected by the withdrawal of the regulatory position statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing RPS248.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We currently have no plans to discuss the potential merits of paying compensation to businesses affected by the withdrawal of the regulatory position statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing.
Withdrawing the RPS means that using shredded waste carpets for equestrian surfacing is not prohibited, but a waste management permit is needed instead. There is no mechanism to compensate businesses affected by the withdrawal of a regulatory position.
Asked by: Sarah Bool (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on the adequacy of the length of the notice period for the withdrawal of the regulatory position statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing, RPS248.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There have been no discussions with the Environment Agency about the adequacy of the length of the notice period for the withdrawal of the regulatory position statement entitled Using shredded waste carpet in equestrian surfacing RPS248.