Written questions by Ramsay.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the installation of immobilisation cages for pigs on her Department's consultation entitled Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: mandatory proposals, published on 24 February 2026.

The consultation titled Animal Health and Welfare Pathway: mandatory proposals does not include any requirements related to immobilisation cages for pigs, so the Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential impact.

Food and Rural Affairs, what were the species of the 28 hunting trophies for which import permits were granted by her Department between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026.

The species of the 28 import permits issued under purpose H (- Hunting Trophies) between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026 were as follows:Crocodylus niloticusGiraffa camelopardalisHippopotamus amphibius (x 4)Loxodonta Africana (x 16)Panthera leoUrsus americanus (x 3)Ursus arctos (x 2) It is important to note that a single permit does not necessarily correspond to a single animal; in some cases, multiple CITES permits may be required for an individual animal.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many import permits for hunting trophies have been issued by her Department since July 2024.

Between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026, the Animal and Plant Health Agency issued 28 import permits for hunting trophies under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Trade data up to 2024 is available on the CITES Trade Database.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps to help encourage the egg industry to end the culling of male chicks.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 January 2026 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 105878.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will amend the The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 following the 2024 Post-Implementation Review in order to (a) make the breeding of rabbits a licensable activity, (b) require that all rabbits sold are correctly sexed, (c) provide additional resources to local authorities to strengthen enforcement, and (d) place the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Rabbits on a statutory footing, in line with the regulatory frameworks in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy in December 2025, which committed to continuing to work with the sector to drive up welfare standards and improve compliance with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (LAIA) licensing regime, as well as working with local authorities to ensure consistent and effective enforcement. LAIA already require that anyone in the business of breeding and selling rabbits as pets must obtain a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to restrict the (a) import and (b) sale of animal products produced using methods that would be illegal in the UK as part of the negotiations on the UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 February 2026 to PQ UIN 114509.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to seek exemptions from dynamic alignment on animal welfare in the UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement; and when she next plans to report progress on negotiations to Parliament.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on May 19, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where the UK needs to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards. While those negotiations are ongoing, Defra cannot comment further however parliament will be informed when they are concluded.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the definition of hunting under the Hunting Act 2004.

The Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting, in line with its manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban. All responses to the consultation will be considered carefully.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the penalties under the Hunting Act 2004; and whether the planned consultation on trail hunting will include consideration of Part 2 of that Act.

The Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting, in line with its manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban. All responses to the consultation will be considered carefully.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the consultation on hunting with dogs will accept submissions on potential amendments to Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004.

The Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting, in line with its manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban. All responses to the consultation will be considered carefully.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's red lines are for negotiations on a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement; and what assessment she has made of the the potential merits of retaining the ability to restrict the import and sale of animal products produced using methods that would be illegal in the UK.

Defra is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers. The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward a ban on the use of snare traps.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward policies to ensure all Marine Protected Areas are returned to Good Ecological Status by 2030.

Good Ecological Status is an objective under the Water Framework Directive Regulations and applies specifically to inland, estuarine, and coastal waters up to 1 nautical mile from the coast and so covers only a small part of the entire MPA network. The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone. It sets out how we will deliver on our promise to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas – not just for today, but for generations to come. In the meantime, we continue to work towards our obligation to secure continuous improvement for the water environment. With respect to the wider MPA network in English waters, the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets out a programme of actions to support delivery of the statutory MPA target under the Environment Act. This includes implementing any necessary fisheries bylaws, non‑statutory fisheries measures and management measures for other damaging activities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms she has put in place to (a) monitor cases of Bovine TB in hunting hounds and (b) adherence to (i) meat hygiene rules and (ii) Bovine TB controls in relation to the safe disposal of fallen cattle stock in farms with any involvement with hunting hounds.

Tuberculosis (TB) in dogs caused by the bovine TB bacterium (M. bovis) is extremely rare. Dogs are spill over hosts and are not considered a significant source of infection for cattle, other dogs, or wildlife. There is no evidence that hunting activities contribute to the spread of TB. While there are no monitoring systems specific to hunting hounds, APHA provides guidance and training to fallen stock collectors, and kennels feeding fallen stock, on identifying TB in livestock carcases. In addition, in 2017, Defra strengthened the Animal By Product rules that apply to hunt kennels. Offal from livestock may no longer be fed to hounds, and kennels must carry out additional checks for TB lesions in fallen stock from farms with recent TB breakdowns. A reminder of these requirements was issued to all kennels in 2022. Suspected TB in dogs must be reported immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), including by hunt kennels.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the amount of capital funding needed to ensure the provision of effective water services in each area of England in each year until 2030.

As part of Price Review 24, Ofwat, the independent water regulator, has made a thorough estimate of the amount of capital funding water companies will need to deliver services for the current spending period, to 2029. This assessment includes funding for routine costs and for ongoing improvements required to meet new statutory obligations and environmental standards. Ofwat provides the requested estimate, including a company-by-company breakdown on its website: Final determinations in the 2024 price review - Ofwat.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the contamination of rivers with insecticides applied as flea and tick treatments to dogs and cats.

The Government recognises concerns about the environmental impacts of spot‑on parasiticide treatments for companion animals. Research funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has improved understanding of how key active substances enter the environment, but further evidence is needed to address gaps relating to contamination pathways, behavioural influences and effective monitoring. To strengthen the evidence base, the VMD has launched a national survey to gather information on pet owners’ behaviours, while exposure modelling is also being explored to inform potential future regulatory decisions. In addition, the VMD will undertake a regulatory review of the AVM‑GSL (‘general sales list’) status of companion animal parasiticide products containing fipronil and imidacloprid, with details expected in early 2026. These actions aim to protect animal health while reducing environmental harm. On 14 August 2025, the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Group held its first stakeholder workshop, focusing on educational guidance for pet owners. This guidance is being refined for launch in spring 2026, alongside further measures to promote responsible use.

Food and Rural Affairs, in light of the presence of Avian Influenza, whether she is going to permit the release of pheasants and partridges into the countryside for recreational shooting in 2026.

This will principally depend on the level of risk from Avian Influenza to commercial poultry flocks and to our internationally important bird populations at Special Protection Areas. It is not possible to say at this point in time what the level of disease risk will be during the 2026 release season and therefore what level of release will be permitted.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of a) pheasants and b) partridges that were released for recreational shooting in (i) 2023, (ii) 2024 and (iii) 2025.

The release of pheasant and red legged partridge on or within 500 metres of a European site must be authorised under licence. It is a requirement of such licences to report releases made under their authorisation. Our records show that the following numbers of birds were reported released during the relevant years. PheasantRed-legged partridge2023221,283 reported180,868 reported2024361,053 reported209,030 reported2025108,231 reported so far46,705 reported so far Releases undertaken beyond 500 metres of a European site, do not need to be reported and my Department therefore does not hold the information requested. The number of birds being released has been increasing, and it is currently estimated that between 39 and 57 million pheasants and 8.1 and 13 million partridges are released in the UK, with 85% of these in England. It is thought that releases on or within 500 metres of a European site in England, represent less than 1% of total release activity in the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many outbreaks of Avian Influenza occurred on game farms in 2024.

There were no outbreaks of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) on game farms in England during 2024. There were 17 outbreaks of HPAI in England during 2024 but none of them were on game farms.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many game farms are operational in England and Wales; and how many of them are registered with the Poultry Register.

There is no official definition of a game farm in the UK, and the England and Wales Kept Bird Register only details keepers of bird species that might be released for shooting. The following data was extracted from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s database: ENGLAND WALES Flock SizePremises*BirdsPremises*Birds0-49**1,4309,63210785450-9991,795765,7018636,9601,000-9,9991,8795,671,62077259,84010,000-99,99966518,074,681541,704,480100,0007015,628,8952240,750TOTAL5,83940,150,5293262,242,884 * Indicates the presence of at least one flock of pheasants, partridges or ducks reared for shooting were kept. It will also include ornamental species and keepers that buy in and rear birds. ** Flocks where no usual stock number has also been recorded.