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 his Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No money has been spent by Defra on social media influencers since July 2024.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of exempting small urban (a) sites and (b) schemes under a certain threshold from biodiversity net gain obligations to prevent reductions in SME housing capacity.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on the delivery of small-scale (a) industrial and (b) commercial projects.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain on the proportion of homes delivered by SME developers in urban areas; and what steps she is taking to ensure such schemes remain viable.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
Asked by: Sarah Edwards (Labour - Tamworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain related delays on SME development finance costs.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 28 May 2025, the government published a consultation on improving the implementation of biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. It can be found on gov.uk here. The consultation closed on 24 July 2025 and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the responses received.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of microplastics on health outcomes.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has conducted research to understand if there are potential health risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. This was part of the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health.
The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment. The most recent statement was published in 2024 and is available at the following link:
https://cot.food.gov.uk/M-statementsandpositionpapers#microplastics
In 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research project to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. This project reviewed the emissions from microplastics, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. Earlier this year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published the Option Appraisal for Intentionally Added Microplastics, which provides a welcome addition to our knowledge on the options to protect human health and the United Kingdom’s environment from the risks of microplastics. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the results of this study, which is available at the following link:
https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21802
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 59984 on Fire Prevention, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the response to wildfires during summer 2025.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Each fire and rescue authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in its local area (including wildfire), through the Community Risk Management Plan (CRMP) - having regard to the views of other key local responders.
As the lead government department for wildfire, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular engagement with other government departments including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cabinet Office on this national risk. This is alongside the department’s work with national bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations.
Since 2024 the Government has funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the steps necessary to protect communities from any potential increase in the likelihood of wildfires taking place in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England as a result of a warming planet.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that the impact of climate change is likely to increase and intensify fire incidents in England and Wales - further impacting fire and rescue service’s (FRS) resources, capacity, and strategical response.
As the lead government department for wildfire, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) maintains regular engagement with other government departments including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Cabinet Office on this national risk. This is alongside the department’s work with national bodies including the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to monitor and review sector led improvements and mitigations.
Since 2024 we have also funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to the wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Emma Reynolds MP participated in any meetings with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on the impact of inheritance tax changes on farmers since 1 July 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury Ministers take part in internal and external meetings routinely on a range of subjects relating to the department’s responsibilities and their specific portfolios.
As the Minister responsible for the UK tax system, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury’s portfolio of responsibilities includes inheritance tax. My rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs has not been the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. She was Parliamentary Secretary at HM Treasury and the Department of Work and Pensions from 9 July 2024 to 14 January 2025. She was Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 14 January 2025 to 5 September 2025.
Asked by: Lord Birt (Crossbench - 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 Hayman of Ullock on 23 July (HL9314), whether they will answer the question put, namely whether Natural England will provide financial compensation to cover the sunk costs of groups whose proposals for National Landscape status or extension of this status were under consideration, but where Natural England has announced it will now cease work on their bids.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England is not required to provide compensation in this instance.