Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the effectiveness of enforcement of wildlife crimes as part of plans to a) review and b) strengthen penalties for cruelty against wildlife.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics).
Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider i) increasing the number of wildlife crimes which are notifiable and ii) improving the consistency of the recording of wildlife crime by police forces.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics).
Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of existing penalties on preventing cruelty against wildlife.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics).
Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.
Asked by: Laura Kyrke-Smith (Labour - Aylesbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ratify the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the response given to question 109027 on 5 February.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 peatland protection on (a) flood resilience and (b) drought mitigation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in Natural England’s evidence review NEER155, protecting and restoring blanket bog supports natural water regulation by increasing water storage, slowing runoff and sustaining baseflows, contributing to improved flood resilience and helping to mitigate drought impacts during prolonged dry periods.
In September 2025, we strengthened protections for upland peat by amending the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to further restrict unnecessary burning on upland deep peat, supporting climate, water resilience and biodiversity objectives.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to protect peatland habitats.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in Natural England’s evidence review NEER155, protecting and restoring blanket bog supports natural water regulation by increasing water storage, slowing runoff and sustaining baseflows, contributing to improved flood resilience and helping to mitigate drought impacts during prolonged dry periods.
In September 2025, we strengthened protections for upland peat by amending the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to further restrict unnecessary burning on upland deep peat, supporting climate, water resilience and biodiversity objectives.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration her Department gives to the statutory conservation and education requirements that zoological institutions must meet when deciding business rates policy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, Government has already acted to limit increases in bills, announcing a support package worth £4.3 billion package at the Budget.
The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. This includes zoos and aquariums with rateable values below £500,000 that are open to members of the public. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties.
Further details on what is meant by “visiting members of the public” can be found online here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
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 the 30 by 30 on land in England nature recovery target is met.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). Progressing this target on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management.
In October 2024 we set out our vision for progressing 30by30 on land in England and the criteria for land and inland water areas which can count towards this target. Our 30by30 Delivery Plan will set out how we will lead, support, and inspire action across England to deliver this vision. We will publish the 30by30 Delivery Plan later this year.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Natural England has enacted byelaws under Section 28R of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 for the (a) protection and (b) management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England has not enacted any byelaws under section 28R since the provision’s introduction in 2001. A set of Model SSSI Byelaws for this purpose was agreed with Defra in 2020 and was published by Natural England at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/byelaws-for-sssis/.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 her Department’s press release entitled UK leads global efforts to help communities save the ocean and beat poverty, published on 26 January 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of funding overseas marine conservation through the Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature Grants Programme on UK taxpayers.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Marine conservation delivers a wide range of benefits. These include reducing global biodiversity loss and preventing ecosystem collapse, systems that are vital for global security and economic growth in the UK and in developing countries. Some of the world’s most biodiverse and vulnerable coastal ecosystems and communities are in developing countries.
The National Security Assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and national security, published in January, highlights how environmental degradation can disrupt food, water, health, and supply chains, and can trigger wider geopolitical instability. These impacts pose significant threats to UK national security and long‑term prosperity.