Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animals were (a) slaughtered for food consumption and (b) then tested for the presence of lead in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021, (iv) 2022, (v) 2023 and (vi) 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A summary of the number of animals slaughtered for food consumption and number of animals tested for lead can be found in the table on the following page.
For information, the majority of these data are available through the Defra Food and Farming statistics and the VMD also publishes the results of annual residues monitoring on an annual basis on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 assess lead levels in food produced near to abandoned lead mining sites.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Lead is naturally present in the environment, making it impossible to eliminate completely from food. Maximum levels are set to be as low as reasonably achievable, and enforcement action can be taken if food safety concerns arise whether or not maximum levels are specified.
Risk-based checks on lead in food by food businesses and local authorities ensure food safety. Lead is also included under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate surveillance plan. The Animal and Plant Health Agency investigates farms where animals may have been exposed to lead, providing advice to farmers as well as a reminder of their responsibilities to protect the food chain and comply with maximum levels.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 potential impact of intensive animal farming on (a) water ways and (b) agricultural land.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Agriculture and rural land management is one of the greatest pressures on the water environment, impacting 45% of water bodies in England.
We recognise intensive farming is not without risk. Intensive pig and poultry farms above specified size thresholds must hold an Environmental Permit requiring operators to adopt best available techniques to reduce pollution. Regulations, including the Farming Rules for Water, set the standards farmers must meet in order prevent and mitigate pollution risks. The EA works with farmers through advice-led enforcement to improve compliance. They have conducted over 4,800 inspections in the last fiscal year (2023/24) and over 2,300 in the first half of the current fiscal year (2024/25). These inspections are targeted to areas of the greatest risk, including the catchments of protected sites.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the use of AI in farming.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognised AI as an opportunity of a generation in its response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan. The application of AI in agriculture will help to inform farmers’ decision making, automate operations and reduce costs for a more productive, profitable and resilient farming sector. Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme will support this through the development of agri-tech innovation, including AI, machine learning and data management applications.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 has commissioned recent research on the potential impact of the use of lead shot on the environment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In Spring 2021, Defra asked the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA) to prepare a UK REACH restriction dossier for lead ammunition, including lead shot, in all habitats. The HSE and the EA have considered the evidence of risk posed by lead in ammunition on human health and the environment, as well as the socioeconomic impact that would result from introducing further restrictions on lead in ammunition. They also considered the effectiveness, practicality, monitorability and enforceability of the potential restriction.
The HSE has now formed a final Opinion on their restriction proposal for lead in ammunition, informed by information from public consultations, as well as independent scientific advice. Now Defra has received HSE’s final Opinion on the proposed restriction, we are assessing the proposals, and a decision will follow. This decision will be taken with consent from the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on phasing out lead ammunition for gamebird shooting.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has now published a final Opinion on their restriction proposal for lead in ammunition, informed by information from public consultations, as well as independent scientific advice. Now Defra has received HSE’s final Opinion on their proposed restriction, we are assessing their proposals, and a decision will follow. This decision will be taken with consent from the Devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 tackle toxic lead pipes in housing in (a) England, (b) East Anglia and (c) South West Norfolk.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Lead pipes have not been permitted since 1970, but they may be present in older properties.
To reduce the risk of lead leaching into water, this Government expects water companies to treat the water. Any failure of the lead standard is investigated thoroughly.
In Defra’s Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, we supported action by the water industry to trial approaches to reduce exposure to lead which have been agreed in water companies’ business plans for 2025-2030. Two Green Recovery projects, approved by Ofwat, are also trialling replacement of customer supply pipes made of lead.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 to (a) monitor and (b) stop lead contamination in the food supply chain.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra monitors concentrations of ten heavy metals, including lead, in naturally-growing mosses as part of the European Moss Survey, which takes place every five years. The moss data provide a cost-effective measure of pollution deposition from the atmosphere which complements conventional precipitation analysis.
The latest report for the 2020-2022 survey is publicly available here. It shows that lead deposition has declined since 1990.
The UK Heavy Metals Network forms the basis of the UK’s compliance monitoring for the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010), which covers lead, arsenic, cadmium, nickel and mercury. Lead in the PM10 fraction of air (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm or less) is measured at 26 sites. The UK has been compliant with applicable limit values in legislation for ambient lead in air for over 20 years.
Further details are publicly available here: Air Pollution in the UK report – Defra, UK.
Treated sewage sludge (commonly called biosolids) can be beneficially spread to agricultural land under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations (SUiAR).
Details are publicly available here.
In England the Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing the SUiAR, which are supported by a sewage sludge in agriculture code of practice.
Details are publicly available here.
The SUiAR provides controls that protect the environment and human health when these organic materials are spread to agricultural land. Provided the use of sewage sludge is carried out in accordance with the relevant regulatory controls and good practice guidance is followed, the recycling of sewage sludge to land is an allowable activity.
The SUiAR require that sludge shall be used in such a way that the quality of the soil and of the surface and ground water is not impaired. A person using sludge has to ensure they can meet this requirement of the SUiAR. The requirement is applicable to all relevant contaminants which could, when sludge is used, cause the quality of the soil and of surface and ground water to be impaired. Lead is a contaminant that can be present in sludge and which is specifically listed in both the SUiAR and its supporting sewage sludge in agriculture code of practice.
Emissions of lead from industrial installations in England are subject to stringent emission limits and monitoring requirements under The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 water companies on the replacement of water pipes to households in which lead has been found in the water supply in (a) England, (b) East Anglia and (c) South West Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Lead pipes have not been permitted since 1970, but they may be present in older properties.
To reduce the risk of lead leaching into water, water companies treat the water with orthophosphate which reduces the problem significantly. Any failure of the lead standard of 10 micrograms per litre is investigated thoroughly by water companies with resamples being taken. Failures of the standard are generally caused by internal lead pipework and fittings which are the responsibility of the owner.
In Defra’s Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, we supported action by the water industry to trial approaches to reduce exposure to lead which have been agreed in water companies’ business plans for 2025-2030. Two Green Recovery projects, approved by Ofwat, are also trialling replacement of customer supply pipes made of lead.
On public drinking water – the Drinking Water Inspectorate are the body who provide the independent assurance that public drinking water supplies are safe.
Drinking water for the human consumer remains safe as it is tested and appropriately treated before distribution to the tap, so the human health risk from drinking water remains very low.
Asked by: Terry Jermy (Labour - South West Norfolk)
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 that water companies assess the levels of lead in domestic drinking water supplies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Lead pipes have not been permitted since 1970, but they may be present in older properties.
To reduce the risk of lead leaching into water, water companies treat the water with orthophosphate which reduces the problem significantly. Any failure of the lead standard of 10 micrograms per litre is investigated thoroughly by water companies with resamples being taken. Failures of the standard are generally caused by internal lead pipework and fittings which are the responsibility of the owner.
In Defra’s Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat, we supported action by the water industry to trial approaches to reduce exposure to lead which have been agreed in water companies’ business plans for 2025-2030. Two Green Recovery projects, approved by Ofwat, are also trialling replacement of customer supply pipes made of lead.
On public drinking water – the Drinking Water Inspectorate are the body who provide the independent assurance that public drinking water supplies are safe.
Drinking water for the human consumer remains safe as it is tested and appropriately treated before distribution to the tap, so the human health risk from drinking water remains very low.