Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 merits of strengthening waste regulations (a) for the list of approved destinations of and (b) on the environmental standards for aluminium scrap exports on (i) encouraging domestic recycling and (ii) reducing carbon leakage.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s scrap aluminium and how they can complement domestic recycling efforts.
Overseas facilities receiving UK waste must be operated in accordance with standards that are broadly equivalent to those established in UK legislation. We work with the UK regulators to ensure the proper enforcement of our rules and regulations.
Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in aluminium processing, whilst realising our environmental objectives.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 plans to reform the (a) Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) and (b) Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note (PERN) system to (i) address market imbalances that disadvantage UK recyclers, (ii) reduce the price disparity between PRNs and PERNs, (iii) strengthen oversight of overseas export destinations and (iv) support domestic recycling infrastructure.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Yes, we have been working closely with relevant stakeholders to identify and prioritise options to reform the PRN system, including levelling the playing field between UK reprocessors and exporters, and increasing transparency in the system. We plan to consult on these shortly.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 support farmers to strengthen the resilience of domestic food supply chains.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Resilient domestic production for a secure supply of healthier food is one of the 10 priority outcomes that the Government announced in the Good Food Cycle in July 2025. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise across the whole of the food supply chain. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 introduce in-ovo sexing technology to end the routine culling of day-old male chicks in the UK egg industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.
In its 2024 ‘Opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries’, the Animal Welfare Committee considered a range of technologies that could help end the routine culling of male chicks by identifying or determining the sex of chick embryos before hatching. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of these technologies, and we welcome the UK egg industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with farmers to help improve the resilience of domestic food supply chains.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.
As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.
We've allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 include primates in the scope of the proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is continuing to engage with relevant stakeholders to help determine the most appropriate scope for the ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. Species of conservation concern are listed primarily on Appendices I and II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) according to the level of threat international trade has on their conservation status. This includes a large number of primate species.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to reform the (a) Packaging Recovery Note and (b) Packaging Waste Export Recycling Note system to (i) reduce price disparities, (ii) strengthen oversight of overseas export destinations and (iii) support domestic recycling infrastructure.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We meet regularly with industry stakeholders and will examine options to reform the Packaging Waste Recycling Note (PRN/PERN) system, which will include proposals intended to support the UK recycling sector.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on tackling plastic pollution; and what steps he is taking through international forums to promote global action to (a) reduce plastic waste and (b) support sustainable alternatives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plastic pollution is a global crisis that no country can solve alone. The UK has played an active role in pushing for an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty.
In June 2025 I met with a range of influential countries in the margins of the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice to discuss global action. Over 90 countries, including the UK, endorsed the 'Nice Wake-up Call' calling for an ambitious global treaty to end plastic pollution.
I also attended the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee took place from 5-14 August in Geneva. The UK worked hard to progress negotiations, working closely with our partners to push for effective global measures on plastic products, including ensuring that any alternatives are sustainable. We are disappointed that no agreement was reached.
The Government remains steadfast in our commitment to continue working to secure an effective global treaty on plastic pollution which protects the environment and paves the way to a circular economy.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) puppy and (b) kitten smuggling into the UK under existing pet travel rules.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Due to the illegal nature of this activity, we cannot know the true extent of puppy and kitten smuggling operations. The Animal and Plant Health Agency plays a critical role in monitoring and intercepting animals that do not meet legal importation standards including those that are underage.
As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. That is why we are supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through the House of Lords as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Sarah Hall (Labour (Co-op) - Warrington South)
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 (a) uphold and (b) improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds; and in what way his Department engages with organisations involved in their (i) care and (ii) oversight.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run.
In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) has also undertaken a number of welfare reforms to improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds, including publishing a long term, national welfare strategy – ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’. The Greyhound Forum, of which Defra officials and GBGB are members, also regularly discusses possible improvements that would ensure or improve welfare standards for racing greyhounds.
The Government is monitoring GBGB’s progress in delivering ‘A Good Life for Every Greyhound’ strategy and should further measures be required the Government will consider options which are targeted, effective, and proportionate.