Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what standards currently under development the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has discussed with the British Standards Institution.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra sponsors the British Standards Institution’s (BSI) Nature Investment Standards Programme to work with industry to develop a suite of standards to ensure that as they develop, UK nature markets secure positive outcomes for the environment. These standards have been developed using a market-led process with input from market experts, including private companies, and feedback from public consultations.
The standards are designed to drive consistency and integrity across UK nature markets, and Government is putting in place a range of other interventions to stimulate more private investment into nature recovery. At this stage, it has not been possible to attribute specific levels of investment to the standards, so no such assessment has been made. In line with the Magenta book, Defra is evaluating the impact of the standards, including on levels of investment.
On 24 March 2026, following consultations on earlier draft versions, BSI published standards for the Supply of Biodiversity Benefits and the Supply of Nutrient Benefits. These are available, along with all other published standards and those in development, at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-investment-standards/the-bsi-nature-investment-standards (see attached). A draft standard for the Supply of Nature-based Carbon Benefits was published for consultation in summer 2025 and a subsequent version will be published in due course.
Also, in March this year we published a Land Use Framework for England which set a vision for multifunctional land use. To achieve that vision, we recognise that in some circumstances, it may make sense for multiple revenue streams to be combined on the same area of land. We are considering how best to support this vision while maintaining environmental integrity and intend to set out our position later this year as part of the forthcoming response to the recent consultation on Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to respond to calls from more than 100 organisations for a Good Food Bill to help improve access to healthy and affordable food.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and breaking down barriers to opportunity.
We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. We are taking decisive action to drive down poverty by ensuring that over half a million disadvantaged children receive the support they need in school to be healthy, get the most out of their education, and enjoy lifelong success. This action will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets.
The government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Free breakfast clubs remove barriers to opportunity by offering primary school children, no matter their circumstance, a supportive start to the school day.
These meals must be compliant with the School Food Standards. To ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history, we are revising the School Food Standards and are engaging with stakeholders.
Additionally, we are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to add support for the outcomes of their Government Food Strategy.
Asked by: Lord Blencathra (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of (1) sentencing guidelines, and (2) penalties, for offences related to waste crime and illegal waste disposal.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Sentencing guidelines are developed by the Sentencing Council, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The Council has 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 2024, following consultation, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) across the sentence tables included within the guideline, in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/
The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. The Ministry of Justice will work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs following the recent publication of the Waste Crime Action Plan 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.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Governor of the Bank of England on the potential impact of climate and nature-related risks on (a) the economy and (b) financial stability; and what steps her Department is taking to coordinate with the Bank of England in response to those risks.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury has a comprehensive framework for assessing and managing risks to the economic outlook and to financial stability. This includes systematic monitoring through internal risk monitors, risk governance forums, and collaboration with other government departments such as the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in relation to the impacts of climate change and nature related risks.
The Chancellor’s latest remit and recommendations letter to the Financial Policy Committee (FPC) asks the Committee to consider how climate-related risks could affect financial stability over the near and long term, and to continue to assess the materiality of nature-related risks to its primary objective. The remits for the FPC and Prudential Regulation Committee also make clear that they should support the Government’s approach to accelerate the transition to a climate-resilient, nature-positive and net zero economy.
HMT and the Bank of England meet regularly to discuss the financial stability outlook.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional powers, resources and funding her Department plans to provide to local authorities to support enforcement, prevention and community-led initiatives to reduce littering ahead of the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme in 2027.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities already have powers to take enforcement action against littering offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, local authorities may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. Local authorities also have powers to issue a civil penalty to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter has been thrown. This helps them respond to littering incidents when they cannot identify the specific individual who dropped litter from a vehicle.
To support local authorities to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences, which will reduce littering, we have laid new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers. The guidance is available: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be issuing a small grant payment to local authorities in England to support them to familiarise themselves with the Litter Enforcement Guidance.
We have also laid the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance in parliament which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. The guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UK
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that people in Yeovil constituency are aware of the health harms of air pollution.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Clean air is a key part of our shift from ‘sickness to prevention’ in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, which sets out action to further improve the quality of the air we breathe, including in Yeovil.
Alongside the 10-Year Health Plan, the Environmental Improvement Plan published in December 2025 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs outlines commitments to improve the communication of air quality information.
Government action is being informed by the recommendations from the Air Quality Information System review report published in 2025, which specifically considered ways to increase public awareness about air pollution. We are taking steps to update the Daily Air Quality Index webpages, which are accessible to the public, to include more health specific advice and the introduction of an air quality alert system to provide advanced warning of pollution episodes.
We will continue to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to reduce the health harms of air pollution and to help make air quality part of everyday conversations, including in Yeovil.
Asked by: Lord Hart of Tenby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of amending the inspection regime for small and medium sized abattoirs to reduce cost and allow for a reduction in the Food Standards Agency’s inspection charges.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
All approved abattoirs are subject to the same regulatory framework for food safety and animal welfare controls which are set in assimilated European Union law and are currently prescriptive, and divergence could restrict British access to EU and other markets. Previous discussions with the meat industry on a two-tier system for large and small producers concluded that the risk of damaging relationships with international partners, who insist on the application of these regulations as the basis for trade, was too high.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) applies available flexibilities to small abattoir operators where possible, including reduced Official Veterinarian attendance at certain small abattoirs. The FSA has worked with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs on extending these regulatory flexibilities, however, these discussions are now part of wider negotiations on the sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
The FSA review of its charging system has identified the importance of the small abattoir sector, and the FSA Board gave direction for the discount system to be focused on this sector.
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, how much her Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her department has assessed the impact of noise levels from National Highway project’s on community groups.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways is responsible for assessing noise associated with individual road schemes as part of the planning process, alongside managing noise from the Strategic Road Network more generally. The Department sets out its expectations on what National Highways must do to mitigate noise from the Strategic Road Network as part of its Road Investment Strategies, and will shortly be publishing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3).
In the case of transport noise, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for assessing noise across England and conducts noise mapping as part of implementing the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006. National Highways’s noise mitigation work is focused on those areas defined by Defra as Noise Important Areas, within its Noise Action Plans.
Asked by: Olly Glover (Liberal Democrat - Didcot and Wantage)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much it is costing the police to house dogs that have been confiscated under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold data on the total cost to policing for housing dogs confiscated under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
I would refer the hon member to the response previously provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UIN: 74382.