Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
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 update regulatory requirements to (a) reduce and (b) eliminate the need for animal testing for (i) chemicals and (ii) pesticides where non-animal New Approach Methodologies are available.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent engagement he has had with (a) zoos and (b) aquariums on the inclusion of conservation animal transfers in a future UK-EU veterinary agreement.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have worked closely with zoos and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address challenges related to the movement of animals between the UK and the EU. This includes the availability of Export Health Certificates and to expedite requests for new EHCs, for breeding programmes where welfare concerns may arise.
Our future priority is to secure the long-term UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to reduce trade barriers and enable the safe and efficient movement of zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduce administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
Ministers have actively engaged with the zoo and wildlife sector through multiple visits and discussions to understand it’s challenges and opportunities. This dialogue will continue as we work together to support ongoing improvements.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
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 has taken to ensure that a future UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary veterinary agreement supports the role of (a) zoos and (b) aquariums in international conservation breeding programmes.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
While we continue to work with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges regarding EU trade– such as the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity – our primary focus is on securing a long-term, sustainable solution through the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU.
The SPS Agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduce administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) Health Certification Requirements and (b) other veterinary and customs requirements on the cross-border movement of endangered species between the UK and the EU.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra continues to work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges to the cross-border movement of endangered species, including the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity.
An SPS Agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduces administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
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 25 April 2025 to Question 43103 on Livestock: Moorland, what sources of (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative data his Department considered when setting the tiers of grazing densities in the Low Grazing Moorland options of the Environmental Land Management schemes.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All prospective Environmental Land Management scheme offers have been assessed for their potential impact against a range of environmental and cultural services, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity indicators. These have included qualitative assessments, drawing upon expert opinion and evidence reviews, as well as quantitative assessments, drawing upon published datasets.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
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 Table 10 of the technical annex entitled The combined environmental land management offer, published on 19 March 2024, whether graziers grazing (a) cattle, (b) ponies and (c) native breeds at risk on moorland with a grazing density higher than that of designated low grazing areas due to (i) their geomorphology, (ii) climate and (iii) historic management practices are eligible for payments for actions for moorland and upland peat through the Environmental Land Management scheme.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The publication cited has been superseded by the following:
The moorland offer is designed to help deliver our environmental objectives on moorland whilst supporting sustainable food production. Fundamental to sustainable grazing levels on moorland is the level of grazing pressure on that habitat over time. If this is right, then the grazing by preferential livestock (cattle and ponies) gives additional environmental outcomes.
The cattle and pony grazing supplemental actions in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier are designed to support this and provide tiered payments which reward their level of delivery. They are only eligible with the livestock grazing on moorland actions (UPL1-3) to ensure the benefits of grazing with preferential livestock are not lost. These actions specify a grazing livestock density that cannot be exceeded.
Supplemental actions supporting native breeds as risk on moorland aim to maintain or increase the number of rare native breed grazing livestock. These supplemental actions are only eligible with a base action. In SFI, applicants can choose to undertake a base action which does not limit grazing levels, for example Shepherding livestock on moorland actions (UPL7-UPL10).
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidential basis was used to underpin his Department's policy on Moorland grazing densities (grazing livestock units per hectare).
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environmental Land Management scheme actions were designed and appraised using a variety of qualitative and quantitative data. Geomorphology, climate and historic management practices all combine to make each moorland unique. The offer therefore includes a range of actions that can be selected based on the needs of each moorland. This includes an annual moorland assessment to assess the habitats on each moorland and their condition to inform the choice of grazing actions.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the efficacy of the grazing densities (Livestock Grazing Unit Per Hectare) on the enhancement of Moorland biodiversity was discussed with Natural England's expert Science Advisory Committees before publication.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The actions were developed in liaison with specialists from Arms Lengths Bodies (Natural England, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, Historic England and the Rural Payments Agency) and were assured by Arm’s Lengths Bodies to ensure they are effective in contributing to environmental targets and offer value for money.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data analysis took place before Environmental Land Management scheme Low Grazing densities were published, to measure the difference or similarity in biodiversity enhancement achieved when an identical grazing density (grazing livestock unit per hectare) is applied to Moorland areas in different geographical and climatic regions of England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environmental Land Management scheme actions were designed and appraised using a variety of qualitative and quantitative data. Geomorphology, climate and historic management practices all combine to make each moorland unique. The offer therefore includes a range of actions that can be selected based on the needs of each moorland. This includes an annual moorland assessment to assess the habitats on each moorland and their condition to inform the choice of grazing actions.
Asked by: Steve Race (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation took place before setting the grazing densities (Livestock Grazing Unit Per Hectare) for all tiers of the Moorland Low Grazing Actions in Environmental Land Management schemes.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The actions were developed in consultation with stakeholder organisations from the agricultural and environmental sectors and through workshops with groups of farmers as well as with Arm’s Length Bodies (Natural England, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, Historic England and the Rural Payments Agency).