Every parliamentary written question tabled by Adam Jogee this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 131 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her ministerial colleagues in the Treasury about the adequacy of government funding to support farmers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make representations to the Treasury about the potential merits of raising the threshold at which family farms pay inheritance tax.
Following the reforms to inheritance tax announced at Budget 2024, we have engaged with the farming community and businesses. Having carefully considered this feedback, we are going further to protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that the most valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief. The allowance for 100% rate of relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when it is introduced in April 2026. This means a couple will now be able to pass on up to £5 million tax-free between them, on top of existing allowances such as the nil rate band. Raising the threshold will significantly reduce the number of farms and business owners facing higher inheritance tax bills under the reforms, ensuring only the largest estates are affected. This gets the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support dairy farmers in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The UK dairy sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products, both capitalising on the opportunities and rising to the challenges it has faced in recent years. Following a recent period of enhanced profitability for the UK sector, supply of dairy is currently exceeding demand on both our domestic and wider global markets. This is resulting in reductions to UK farmgate milk prices. Ensuring fairness in supply chains is key for UK dairy farmers and supporting the sustainability of the sector. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which fully came into force on 9 July 2025, improve fairness and transparency, requiring dairy contracts to include clear terms on pricing, termination, and prohibiting unilateral changes. However, these regulations are not intended to set prices.
Food and Rural Affairs, what fiscal steps she plans to take to cut levels of waste crime in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.
In addition to driving forward the policy and regulatory reforms designed to close the loopholes being exploited by criminals, we are also increasing the resources available to the Environment Agency (EA). The EA’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased and includes £15.6 million for waste crime enforcement. This is a more than 50% increase from 2024/25. Overall, the EA has been able to increase its frontline criminal enforcement resource in the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and area environmental crime teams across England by 43 full-time staff.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of waste crime.
The Government has made no recent assessment. The Environmental Services Association estimated in 2021 that waste crime costs the economy in England about £1 billion per year.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Environment Agency's budget.
The Department works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on performance and to closely monitor funding to ensure it can carry out its duties effectively and deliver for the public and the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues about the adequacy of government funding for the Environment Agency.
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues. The Department works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) at every level to closely monitor funding to ensure it can carry out its duties effectively and deliver for the public and the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues about tackling illegal waste sites in a) Staffordshire and b) England.
The Secretary of State meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues and discusses a wide range of issues including tackling illegal waste sites and other kinds of waste crime. I hold similar discussions on a regular basis with the Environment Agency.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider the potential merits of developing a stand alone waste crime strategy.
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; in the new year we will publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. Waste crime threatens this by undermining waste businesses and by taking resources away from that circular economy. The priority is to focus on tangible action to address waste crime, including working with the Environment Agency to drive improvements, swift delivery of our planned reforms and our transition to a circular economy.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to protect food security.
The Food Sector is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are joint Lead Government Departments (LGDs), with Defra leading on supply and the FSA on food safety. We work closely with the Cabinet Office and other LGDs ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to replace the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.
The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. In 2024, the value of UK-grown fruit and vegetables was over £3 billion increasing by 4.5% and 2.1% respectively with the overall fresh fruit and vegetable market valued at approximately £11 billion including exports worth around £170 million contributing significantly to the UK economy. With the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, future support for the sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer. Wider Government support for the sector includes a five-year extension of the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing greater stability for businesses, and a continued easement on import checks for medium-risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement with the EU.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of food security.
The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Defra regularly meets with Cabinet Office, other Government Departments, Devolved Governments on resilience planning, including food security.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the strength of the horticulture sector.
The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. In 2024, the value of UK-grown fruit and vegetables was over £3 billion increasing by 4.5% and 2.1% respectively with the overall fresh fruit and vegetable market valued at approximately £11 billion including exports worth around £170 million contributing significantly to the UK economy. With the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme, future support for the sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer. Wider Government support for the sector includes a five-year extension of the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing greater stability for businesses, and a continued easement on import checks for medium-risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement with the EU.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the resilience of the food system.
The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. The United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security in the UK, fulfilling the duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to present a report on food security to Parliament at least once every three years. The first UKFSR was produced in 2021. The most recent UKFSR was published on 11th December 2024. The UKFSR examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security to present the best available understanding of food security at the time of publication.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the impact of the plastic waste export regime on recycling figures in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.
Waste plastic can generally only be exported from the UK for recycling. Where the UK cannot currently recycle materials economically, including plastic waste collected in Newcastle Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, and the wider country, exports can help ensure those materials are recycled rather than landfilled. No specific assessment has been made of the adequacy of the impact of the plastic waste export regime on recycling figures in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire or England.
Food and Rural Affairs, what fiscal measures her Department has considered to promote domestic recycling in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England.
The provision of funding to Local Authorities to support timely and effective implementation of Simpler Recycling will increase recycling rates by ensuring the same materials can be recycled at home, at work or on the go. We have already provided over £340 million in transitional funding to LAs for weekly food waste collections, and from 2026 onwards, the Local Government Finance Settlement will include funding for local authorities to deliver Simpler Recycling as part of the Collection and Packaging waste reforms. Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) provides funding to Local Authorities across the UK of c. £1.4 billion per annum and will incentivise a more efficient and effective services and higher rates of recycling. The PRN system (Packaging Waste Recycling Note), used by producers to meet legal recycling obligations, provides a mechanism to drive investment by providing revenue to recyclers. My officials are currently considering options to incentivise domestic recycling over export through reforms to the PRN system.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote domestic recycling.
The Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school. Every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only). These reforms will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates, ensuring there is more recycled material in the products we buy, and that the UK recycling industry will grow. By 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for all homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies (a transitional arrangement is where a local authority has agreed a later implementation date set in regulations).
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to help support the work of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme (FiPL) has supported Staffordshire Wildlife Trust through the Cannock Chase National Landscape, with several projects including wetland and river restoration, heathland restoration with volunteer engagement, and support for white clawed crayfish conservation. The EA has long worked closely with the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to help develop and deliver projects to improve rivers and watercourses. The EA supports this work through their Environment Programme. EA funding is helping to deliver projects across the Trent Headwaters, Stafford, and Cannock areas.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the her Department's support for farmers and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Rural Payments Agency since 5 September 2025.
The Government is backing British farming, prioritising investment that supports the Government’s Plan for Change and building on the Secretary of State’s work to reform Defra to drive growth while maintaining a steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery. We are investing more than £2.7bn a year in farming and nature recovery, with funding for the Environmental Land Management Schemes paid to farmers increasing by 150% from £800m in 2023/24 to £2bn by 2028/29. The effectiveness of the RPA is a priority. Since 5 September the RPA has opened the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Scheme and supported the recent announcement regarding extensions to Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements, which the RPA will now operationalise. I have met the interim CEO and the newly appointed permanent CEO of the RPA and will ensure there is regular and effective Ministerial oversight of the Agency’s performance.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of services provided to farmers by the Rural Payments Agency and (b) effectiveness of the work of that agency since 5 September 2025.
Ensuring the adequacy of services provided by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and the effectiveness of the RPA is a priority. Since 5 September the RPA has opened the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier Scheme and supported the recent announcement regarding extensions to Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements, which the RPA will now operationalise. I have met the interim CEO and the newly appointed permanent CEO of the RPA and will ensure there is regular and effective Ministerial oversight of the Agency’s performance.