Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 agroecology on (a) food security and (b) food prices.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s assessment of evidence on agroecological practices, including organic and other environmentally friendly systems, indicates that these approaches can enhance biodiversity and soil and biomass carbon at farm level. However, there are further profitability and food security considerations when balancing the lower yields agroecological practises often deliver versus volatile input costs associated with conventional farming.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 introduce a mechanism to incentivise the creation of river habitat corridors across neighbouring farms to the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Farmers and land managers can already work together to create river habitat corridors across neighbouring farms through Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. Farmers can consider Feasibility Studies to support this.
The scheme already includes actions supporting river and floodplain habitat restoration, including:
These actions restore dynamic river and floodplain habitats, allowing natural movement, seasonal flooding, and reduced erosion and help reconnect rivers and floodplains to help create diverse wetland features that support biodiversity, climate adaptation and natural flood and drought management.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 make long-term funding available to farmers to (a) support them to make space for beavers and (b) improve land-use through beaver presence.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
Defra recognises the benefits beavers can bring to the environment and is committed to supporting farmers and land managers to live alongside them. Defra is working closely with Natural England, farmers and other stakeholders to develop the long-term management plan for beavers in England.
Support for farmers will be provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the application process and the existing management framework laid out in the 5-step beaver management approach. This will be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management options.
Defra recognises that the management approach and support available for people living alongside beavers will need to develop and adapt to ensure that we continue to meet the challenges posed by an expanding beaver population. As part of this ongoing work, we will evaluate the effectiveness of the support for living alongside beavers, especially in instances where damage is recorded. In this way, we’ll continue to support farmers, landowners and local communities in the long term.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the planned consultation on banning the use of high-concentration carbon dioxide gas stunning for pigs will include a proposed timetable for phasing out that method.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, Defra will consult on banning carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and on possible timescales for phasing out this method. Further details will be set out later this year.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 make it her policy to include decapod crustaceans in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if she will publish a timeline for an announcement on that decision.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. We set out in our Animal Welfare Strategy that we will develop this evidence base through research and continued stakeholder engagement. Defra-commissioned research on how live decapods move from sea to plate is due to finish later this year. In addition, a project on the welfare of decapod crustaceans across the supply chain is included in the Animal Welfare Committee’s current work plan. We will also publish guidance on which methods of killing decapods are compatible with the existing welfare at time of killing legal requirements.
No policy decisions about these animals in relation to the Animal Welfare Act (2006) have been made whilst the evidence base is being built. The Government will keep the legislative position under review, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the working group on fur, announced in the Animal Welfare Strategy, will include virologists and environmental scientists with expertise in the public health and environmental impacts of fur farming.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the animal welfare strategy, Defra will bring together a working group on fur, with involvement from both industry experts and those who support restrictions on the trade in fur to explore concerns and the different ways in which they could be addressed.
The primary focus of the group will be to explore animal welfare concerns relating to the fur trade. Defra is currently developing arrangements for the working group including its membership. Defra will seek appropriate input from relevant experts as needed as part of this.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 requiring remote electronic monitoring systems on all pelagic freezer trawlers of 100 meters or more operating in English waters, including EU-flagged vessels.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has laid out plans to implement REM in five priority fisheries in English waters, including pelagic trawls, over 24m, operating in English waters. This fishery includes pelagic freezer trawlers over 100m.
The fisheries were selected via an evidence review. The pelagic fishery was selected as a priority fishery for REM, based on an assessment of:
Once REM becomes a statutory requirement, all vessels, including EU-flagged vessels, active in the fishery will be required to have REM on board.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what safeguards will be included in the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to ensure the UK maintains the ability to set animal welfare standards unilaterally, for example to ban the import of animal fur products.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon Member to the reply previously given to her on 4 March 2026 to PQ UIN 115407.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions there have been with EU negotiators about what falls within scope of the term agri-food product for the purposes of the UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement; and whether animal fur will be excluded from scope.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on May 19, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards. While those negotiations are ongoing, Defra cannot comment further however parliament will be informed when they are concluded.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
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 the Seafish, Shellfish Association of Great Britain and the Crab and Lobster Management Group on the adequacy of the Codes of Practice for the Welfare of Crabs, Lobsters, Crawfish and Nephrops in helping to ensure the improvement of animal welfare standards.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting animal welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. As part of this, the Department has engaged with key stakeholders, such as the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, regarding current industry practices and standards.