Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 requiring water companies to demonstrate efficient land asset management before price increases are approved on customers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water bills are set by Ofwat who consider all aspects of company business planning through their price review process. The Government is preparing to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, including on asset management. Reforms outlined in the government's forthcoming white paper will form the basis of a new water reform bill to be introduced early in this Parliament.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Ofwat records non-operational land assets held by water companies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Information on water companies non-operational land assets is held by water companies themselves.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 the CMA's decision to allow some water companies to increase bills above the rate set by OFWAT on consumers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Redetermination is an independent process, and the decision remains subject to consultation. The CMA will publish their final decision in March 2026.
We expect all water companies to put appropriate support in place for customers struggling to pay their bills and to proactively engage with their customers to ensure they know what support schemes are available and how to use them.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 recent appointments to the Food Strategy Advisory Board on (a) animal welfare, (b) farming practices and (c) farmers in Dorset.
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 the hon. Member for Newton Abbott, Martin Wrigley on 30 October 2025 PQ UIN 82470.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Education to reduce the usage of single-use plastics in (a) early years and (b) childcare settings.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Plastic is a very useful material that can often be the best environmental choice provided it is used and disposed of correctly.
This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives.
We currently have a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, which apply to all, and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions. Materials which can be and will be reused or recycled are a better option.
The Department for Education is committed to reducing plastic waste and single use plastic in educational settings. It provides advice to education settings on legal requirements and alternatives to single use plastic.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 impact of requiring Secretary of State sign-off for the cutting of firebreaks in Sites of Specific Scientific Interest during crisis situations on managing ongoing fires.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Consent for operations such as firebreaks on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will need to be obtained from Natural England. However, when responding to an emergency, it is a “reasonable excuse” under the relevant section (section 28P(4)(b)) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) for a SSSI owner or occupier to undertake operations without seeking section 28E consent. Natural England must be informed of the details of the emergency itself and the operations undertaken as soon as practical after they have been carried out.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether land that is (a) owned by the National Trust and (b) a Site of Specific Scientific Interest requires Secretary of State approval before implementing proactive fire prevention methods.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Consent from the Secretary of State is not required unless the SSSI concerned is also a common, in which case some actions like fencing may require Secretary of State consent as per the Commons Act 2006. The National Trust is an owner/occupier with the same legal rights and responsibilities as other owner/occupiers.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 help ensure that his Department's processes protect (a) sites of specific scientific interest and (b) other areas from wildfires.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to supporting land management practices that restore wider ecosystem health, and these can include measures to increase wildfire resilience.
Natural England work with landowners/managers on a site-by-site basis, and will do so over the long-term, to ensure that measures to restore habitats (including re-wetting to build wildfire resilience) are appropriate to local conditions and site characteristics.
We also support research into the causes and effects of wildfire (including the impacts and responses of habitats/species to fire) and the effectiveness of restoration measures to build wildfire resilience.
We encourage all land managers to develop and adopt good quality wildfire management plans.
Furthermore, we have held workshops with a wide range of land managers to inform the new Heather and Grass Management Code. This is being drafted by Natural England and will set clear standards for managing habitats including moorlands.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 10 June 2025 to Question 56471 on foie gras import controls, if he will publish a timeline for the negotiations of the proposed UK-EU common veterinary agreement; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including provisions that would enable the UK to impose trade restrictions on animal products in future on public morality grounds.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade.
It is too soon to comment on the details of the negotiations. However, animal welfare is a priority for this Government. We are committed to upholding our high animal welfare standards as part of wider trade policy and will use the most appropriate tools to do so.