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 the transparency data entitled Defra: spending over £25,000, February 2024, published on 13 May 2024, what the purpose of Project Hazel is; and how much his Department has spent on Project Hazel since 2020.

Project Hazel refers to Capita’s share divestment from Fera Science Ltd, a joint venture with Defra. Defra spent £1.57 million on Project Hazel from 2020.