Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 22 January 2026 to Question 101774 on DEFRA: Secondment, on what date is the secondment of the Second Permanent Secretary due to end.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The secondment agreement end date is 19 July 2026.
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, whether her Department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.
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 civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Civil servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
In 2024 and 2025, a total of nine civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers on the level of protests outside their members' premises.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy, and people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law. The Public Order Act 1986 grants the police powers to manage protests by imposing conditions on public processions and assemblies to prevent serious disorder, disruption, or intimidation, while balancing the right to peaceful protest. It is for local police forces to determine whether to impose conditions.
The Home Office engages with policing partners and relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on issues relating to public order and protest activity. The policing of protests, including any activity outside commercial premises, is an operational decision for the police who must balance the right to peaceful protest with the rights and safety of others.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why the Consumer Council for Water's (CCW's) annual report and accounts for 2023–24 and 2024–25 have not yet been published; and whether any issues regarding CCW's governance, internal control, regularity, propriety, remuneration, expenses or audit have been raised by the National Audit Office, the council's board or officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The delay on CCW’s annual report and accounts for 2023-24 and 2024-25 is due to an issue requiring clarification regarding charging. CCW are cooperating with the National Audit Office and are working closely to ensure a sign-off on the accounts is completed as soon as possible. CCW has stated they have not gone over budget. Defra regularly carries out performance reviews with CCW, as required by the CCW Framework Document, to ensure CCW is delivering on its objectives and providing value for money, including on complaints handling. Putting customers first is a key pillar of the Government's White Paper and Defra will continue working with CCW to deliver strengthened consumer advocacy.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times, since 5 July 2024, the Government has attended meetings of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group has met 4 times since 5 July 2024. The Group is chaired by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and so the Department has been present at each of the last 4 meetings.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with local authorities, including Somerset Council, on strengthening sentencing to tackle fly tipping in rural areas such as Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.
The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.
Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.
In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.
The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the impact of the current sentencing regime on fly-tipping on rural areas in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.
The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.
Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.
In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.
The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to review the sentencing regime for fly tipping offences.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.
The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.
Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.
In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.
The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.
Asked by: Lord Pack (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 24 March (HL15443), what steps the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has taken in the last year to meet its legal duty to keep under review the question of when uncommenced legislation that falls within its area of responsibility should be brought into force.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department keeps the status of uncommenced legislation falling within its areas of policy responsibility under review and decisions on commencement are taken in the normal course of policy making.