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Written Question
Rivers: Environment Protection
Wednesday 2nd July 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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 plans to take to protect the ecological status chalk streams in legislation.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works.

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution and physical modifications of habitats. Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is part of our overall programme of reforms for the water sector.

Over the next five years water companies will spend more than £2 billion to deliver over 1,000 actions for chalk stream restoration and reduce their abstraction from chalk streams by 126 million litres per day. The Government is investing £1.8 million through the Water Restoration Fund and Water Environment Improvement Fund into chalk stream projects.


Written Question
National Landscapes: Finance
Thursday 5th June 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has provided to Natural England’s National Landscapes programme in each year since 2015.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We are unable to provide detailed information prior to 2022 due to time/cost involved. Limited landscape designation work was delivered and funding for this was from Natural England’s baseline’ settlement.

Defra provided direct funding of £1.1 million per annum for years 2022/23 - 2024/25. As well as the four National Landscape designation cases, this covered wider work on landscape designations and alternatives.

For 2025/26 the direct funding for National Landscape designation work was not continued. Natural England is using baseline budget to fund a reduced programme of landscape designation work.


Written Question
Beef: Origin Marking
Tuesday 3rd June 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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 review the adequacy of his Department's guidance on the (a) labelling and (b) information on country of origin for beef products in (i) food service and (ii) retail.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The UK maintains high standards on the information provided both online and on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.

A range of Defra guidance is available on the Gov.uk platform for both consumers and retailers. This guidance sets out the requirements for general food labelling and specific product labelling, including details on the country of origin for beef and other meats.


Defra guidance on food labelling, including country of origin for beef products, is kept under regular review to ensure it remains accurate, up to date, and in line with current labelling regulations.


Written Question
Beef: USA
Friday 23rd May 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of beef imports from the US that will be (a) carcass and b) valuable cuts following the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests.

This deal has created a reciprocal agreement to lower tariffs for British beef exporters to the US, while acting in the UK’s national interest by ensuring that we uphold our rigorous food standards while protecting our farmers.

The agreement on beef means that around 1.5% of the UK beef market could come from the United States, and the same quantity of British beef can be exported to them.

We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.


Written Question
Agriculture: Subsidies
Wednesday 21st May 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in each year since its inception; and how much and what proportion of that funding was spent.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Prior to 2021 the scheme was EU funded. The Secretary of State did not allocate any direct funding to The Fruit & Vegetable Aid Scheme started in 2021 governed by EU rules before this time. Since then, £117,794,154.23 has been spent

The breakdown of actual UK funding spent on the scheme post EU exit is as follows:

2021 - £39,056,567.83 (£35,999,480.17 England only)

2022 - £40,110,883.98 (£34,460,975.86 England only)

2023 - £38,626,702.42 (£35,393,728.71 England only)

2024 - claims still being assessed.


Written Question
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Wednesday 21st May 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total area of land was in (a) entry-level agreements, (b) mid-tier countryside stewardship agreements, (c) higher tier countryside stewardship agreements and (d) higher-level stewardship schemes in each year since 2022.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Total area of land covered by Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreements:

For Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (hectares), the figures were:

2022 - 453,789

2023 - 513,288

2024 - 603,626

2025 - 574,676

For Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (hectares) the figures were:

2022 - 459,334

2023 - 567,482

2024 - 660,535

2025 - 594,952

For Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were:

2022 - 70,729

2023 - 63,163

2024 - 53,832

2025 - 51,792

For Entry Level plus Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were:

2022 - 975,307

2023 - 851,967

2024 - 683,271

2025 - 633,248

For Organic Entry Level plus Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were:

2022 – 63,240

2023 – 44,548

2024 – 22,874

2025 - 19,736

Please note the following points:

  • Year dates have been taken, as the agreement not being closed as of 01st Jan of each year
  • The sum of each area-based revenue option capped at parcel total area has been used to calculate areas
  • Note also that Rotational Options have not been included for either scheme
  • Different agri-environment schemes and types of agreement can be carried out on the same physical piece of land, so the columns should not be summed
  • These figures are estimates based on the available data
  • The numbers provided here do not match previously published figures from FCP on area under agri-environment schemes in England in 2024, due to slight differences in date and methodology, particularly around rotational options
  • The numbers provided here do not match figures from Agriculture in the UK due to methodological differences.

Written Question
Food Supply: USA
Wednesday 21st May 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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 ensure food security in relation to the ongoing negotiations for the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests.

We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: USA
Wednesday 21st May 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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 represent the interests of farmers in the negotiations for the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests.

We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.


Written Question
Packaging: Recycling
Wednesday 30th April 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

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 plans to take to support brewers meet the costs of the Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging scheme.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). This is a major reform that will be iterated over several years to incentivise packaging producers to reduce their material footprint and use more sustainable packaging.

Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the brewing and hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. Despite considering multiple approaches, a consensus on a single approach that works for all sectors and within the bounds of legal and regulatory requirements, was not reached. We are continuing to engage with sectors on a way forward and on assessing the tonnages of packaging any amendment might affect in the hospitality sector and in other sectors. We are planning next steps as a priority and will share more information soon.


Written Question
Agriculture: Subsidies
Wednesday 30th April 2025

Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applicants there were to the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme in (i) 2023 and (ii) each year since its creation.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme (FVAS) runs from 01 January – 31 December. In relation to the 2023 scheme year, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) received 32 successful applications by recognised Producer Organisations (POs). There were no unsuccessful applications during the same period.

The scheme was first introduced in 1996 and the number of UK-recognised Producer Organisations (POs) has varied overtime, but now there are 32 F&V POs across the UK. Each recognized PO will submit an application for an operational programme (OP) or amendment to that OP each year.