Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring free school meals provide (a) sustainable, (b) nutritious and (c) locally sourced food.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The action we are taking to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will ensure that over 500,000 additional children will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.
We are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning. Details of this consultation are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course.
The government remains committed to our ambition that half of all food served in public settings is either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards and we are open to considering all lawful means of achieving this. We are working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the exemption from stunning for religious slaughter on the Food Standards Agency's inspection and enforcement costs.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Food Standards Agency apply animal welfare controls within approved slaughterhouses in England and Wales under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Welsh Government.
We assess the impact of inspection and enforcement requirements on costs as part of the annual process of reviewing the Service Level Agreement. The Agreement applies to all of FSA’s monitoring and enforcement of the relevant animal welfare requirements, and does not consider slaughter without stunning separately.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new school meals guidance encourages use of local suppliers.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.
The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.
We are consulting on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England until 12 June 2026. We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.
The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to answer Written Parliamentary Question UIN 123113.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Written Parliamentary Question UIN 123113 was answered on 16 April 2026.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a national strategy to discourage littering, particularly on roads and pavements.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Overall policy responsibility for litter sits with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which has recently published an updated Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. The Department for Transport supports local authorities and National Highways in tackling litter through a range of existing frameworks and initiatives, including activity focused on encouraging positive behaviour change and the effective use of enforcement powers.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 15 April 2026 to question 125651 on Animal Experiments, which Ministers sit on the Ministerial Board overseeing delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Ministerial Board overseeing delivery of the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy is chaired by Lord Vallance. Its membership includes Baroness Hayman, Parliamentary Under‑Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Lord Hanson, Minister of State at the Home Office.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings on 26 March 2026, PQ UIN 121696.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, and (c) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.
However, Defra is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner. Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Asked by: Kevin McKenna (Labour - Sittingbourne and Sheppey)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of (a) reduce the vehicles that are blocking pavements and (b) unroadworthy vehicles parked for long periods of time in public areas.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Through measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill we will implement the necessary primary legislation to allow local transport authorities to prohibit pavement parking across their areas, putting power in the hands of local leaders. Even in locations where a pavement parking prohibition does not exist, virtually all local authorities (those with designated civil parking enforcement powers) will be granted the power to tackle the worst instances of pavement parking (unnecessary obstruction), through secondary legislation introduced later this year.
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 gives local authorities the power to remove certain abandoned vehicles without notice. The legislation on abandoned vehicles falls within the remit of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Asked by: Sarah Russell (Labour - Congleton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of domestic abuse services in semi-rural areas.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Every victim of violence against women and girls (VAWG), whether in a city or a rural village, should be able to access the help they need. In the 'Freedom from Violence and Abuse’ Strategy, we committed to developing a new cross-government statement on the commissioning of VAWG services. This statement aims to strengthen the quality of commissioning from local commissioners, and it will support local areas to tailor their provision to their local communities, including rural victims.
Last year (2025/26), the Home Office invested over £6m into specialist helplines to support victims of VAWG and we are expanding our investment into the VAWG helplines this financial year. The helplines are accessible across England and Wales and provide advice and support to victims and assist in signposting and referrals to appropriate local services.
Last year, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) commenced a call for evidence across a network of rural stakeholders to inform our understanding of the availability of support services and effective practice to provide support in rural areas. This research will help to confront the disparities in the provision and inform our future work to address the disparities of provision.