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 steps she is taking to ensure that nature recovery projects support (a) biodiversity and (b) community wellbeing in Essex.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Essex is particularly rich in nature, from ancient woodland to nature-rich farmland to wild coastal marshes. Seven National Nature Reserves and numerous designated sites provide statutory protection that underpins rich biodiversity.
Essex County Council, as one of 48 Responsible Authorities supported by Natural England, was one of the first areas to publish its Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) earlier this year. The Essex LNRS sets out local priorities for nature's recovery and identifies where action could best be taken to achieve those priorities. It aims to target investment to restoring and connecting habitats, and integrate nature into planning. It will guide coordinated action not just for nature, but for flood resilience, climate adaptation and urban greenspace to build better places for people.
The Essex coast is internationally important for birdlife, rare plants, insects and marine wildlife. The vast majority of this long coast is protected for its special value for nature under a range of different statutory designations.
In the Blackwater estuary a Natural Flood Management Project delivered by Harwich Haven, Essex Wildlife Trust and the RSPB is using dredged material as bunds to protect homes from coastal erosion while providing new habitat for birds.
Transforming the Thames is a partnership of industry, government, nature groups and landowners, working to restore the fragmented and damaged wildlife habitats of the wider Thames Estuary.
The City of Southend-on-Sea along with regional partners, is working with local communities across Thurrock to develop Nature Based Solutions to drought, flooding and coastal erosion: Catchment to Coast.
This is just a small selection of initiatives which are strengthening Essex’s natural environment while creating healthier, and more resilient communities.
Asked by: Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat - Newton Abbot)
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 recent appointments to the Food Strategy Advisory Board on (a) farmers and (b) animal welfare in Devon.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Members of the Food Strategy Advisory Board are senior leaders, appointed for their individual experience and leadership to ensure a broad range of expertise and perspectives across the food system. They do not represent their business interests, specific sectors or geographic areas. The Board’s role is to provide independent advice to support the development of the food strategy. As such, the impact of appointments is considered in terms of the collective insight they bring to national food policy, rather than on specific stakeholder groups or regions.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in her Department is made by a British manufacturer.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra purchases crockery and tableware through a contract let under the previous Public Contracting Regulations 2015. We cannot confirm the proportion made by a British manufacturer, as this was not stipulated in the contract but it could be in future contracts.
The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts.
The new Procurement Act creates a simpler and more transparent system that will support British businesses bidding for work.
The Act also allows contracting authorities to set standards that recognise the quality and standard of UK businesses and products.
Alongside this, the National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider this Government’s Industrial strategy and the sectors vital to our economic growth.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 tackle the sources of littering in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local councils are responsible for keeping public land clear of litter and refuse and are best placed to respond to littering problems, in a way that is tailored to the community in which they occur. They have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal, including fixed penalty notices of up to £500 and prosecution action which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2500.
The Pride in Place Strategy sets out how Government will support local action by bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises.
The Countryside Code makes clear visitors’ responsibilities in protecting the environment when accessing the outdoors. It includes the important headline message “Take your litter home – leave no trace of your visit”. The team at Natural England continue to work with partners to help amplify the messaging, including Keep Britain Tidy and National Highways.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with local councils on improving street cleanliness.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I have not had any recent discussions with local councils on street cleanliness.
My officials chair the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which they engage with a wide range of interested parties such as local councils, National Farmers Union and others, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping.
Local councils are responsible for keeping streets clear of litter and refuse. The Pride in Place Strategy sets out how Government will support local action by bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises.
This Government also remains focused on delivering a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers due to go live in October 2027. Single-use drinks containers are some of the UK’s most commonly littered items. It is expected that providing a financial incentive for people to return their drinks containers through the Deposit Return Scheme will drastically reduce the amount of litter.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to produce a National Bluetongue Strategy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Disease control is a devolved matter. Defra works closely with the Devolved Governments to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK.
The disease control measures we deploy for incidents of bluetongue in Great Britain are set out in the ‘GB Bluetongue Virus Disease Control Strategy’.
Defra’s bluetongue disease control measures aim to limit the spread of BTV infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of slowing the spread of bluetongue and minimising the cost of any outbreak both to Government and farmers. Our control framework, which was developed with a wide range of sector representatives, recognises that BTV control via movement restrictions was not a long-term solution, noting keepers and businesses can be affected not only by the impacts of disease on animals, but by disease control measures as well.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 ensure that all police forces have access to adequate (a) training and (b) resources to (i) identity, (ii) record and (iii) investigate wildlife crime.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). In 2025/26, it is providing £424,000 to the Unit. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Last year, the NWCU assisted every single police force in the UK. The NWCU also provides training to police officers across the UK which reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in wildlife crime policing. This is open to UK police forces and, as an example, all English police forces had at least one officer trained on an NWCU module in 2023/24.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Naturewatch Foundation's report entitled Policing Wildlife Crime: Make Wildlife Count, published on 9 September 2025, what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of wildlife crimes which result in no further action.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver their ‘Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy 2025-2029’. This is published by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), accessed here:
The Home Office, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, directly funds the NWCU. The NWCU assists police forces and other law enforcement agencies in investigating wildlife crime.
The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of wildlife crime offences, and their investigative outcomes, recorded by the police in England and Wales, on a quarterly basis. The latest information, to the year ending March 2025, is available here:
Information to the year ending June 2025 will be published on 23 October.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential benefit to children of having access to (a) green spaces, (b) blue spaces and (c) other types of nature as part of their education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department knows that a connection with nature is vital for young people, not only for their mental and physical health but in developing a deeper understanding of the important role nature plays in the protection of our planet.
There is a growing body of evidence showing a link between greener school settings and a range of benefits for children, including improved learning outcomes, behaviour, concentration, and engagement (Public Health England, 2020). Officials work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England to gain insight into children’s access to nature. The department has been working with the University of Oxford on research to assess the impact of nature-based programmes delivered through secondary schools.
The National Education Nature Park, a key initiative of the department’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, empowers children and young people across England to benefit from connecting with nature regardless of their background or where they live. It brings learning to life and develops essential skills for the future.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on integrating nature risks into broader security and risk planning.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Nature risks are recognised in the Government’s National Security Strategy 2025: Security for the British People in a Dangerous World. Its implementation will ensure these risks inform security and risk planning across Government.
Together with my Cabinet colleagues the Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, and Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband, I was pleased to attend the recent Countdown to COP30: mobilising action for climate and nature event hosted by the Natural History Museum. My ministerial team and I look forward to continuing cross- government discussions as we prepare for the 30th United Nations climate change conference in Bélem, Brazil.