Written questions by Brewer.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 68225, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward further legislative proposals on animal sentience in addition to the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022; and what steps his Department is considering to help increase animal sentience protections.

The Department published the Animal Welfare Strategy on 22 December 2025. The Strategy sets out the priority issues Government will address, focusing on the changes and improvements it aims to achieve by 2030. The Animal Welfare Strategy will deliver further ambitious improvements for sentient animals, including through legislation where necessary. While the Government has no immediate plans to bring forward additional legislation on animal sentience beyond the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, it will keep the legislative framework under review as the Strategy is delivered and consider further action where appropriate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing financial support to homeowners for the treatment or removal of Japanese knotweed; and what consideration her Department has given to the environmental impact of this species.

The treatment or removal of Japanese knotweed is the responsibility of the homeowner and Defra has no plans to offer financial support. Defra has not reviewed its current guidance, as no new evidence has emerged that would make a further review necessary. Existing guidance on preventing spread and treatment — most recently updated in February 2026 — remains in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason her Department is not considering providing financial support to homeowners for the treatment or removal of Japanese knotweed; and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current guidance available to homeowners for managing this species.

The treatment or removal of Japanese knotweed is the responsibility of the homeowner and Defra has no plans to offer financial support. Defra has not reviewed its current guidance, as no new evidence has emerged that would make a further review necessary. Existing guidance on preventing spread and treatment — most recently updated in February 2026 — remains in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, when the consultation on banning trail hunting will begin.

Defra intends to publish the consultation as soon as practicable.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to Question UIN 102267, what progress has been made on the development of the withdrawal scheme for owners wishing to de‑register dogs incorrectly classified as XL Bullies; when her Department expects to publish information on the scheme; and what indicative timeframe has been set for making these details publicly available.

Defra is continuing to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Defra does not have a definitive timeline for when this process will be available. Officials are working diligently to develop the withdrawal scheme as soon as possible and further details will be shared once finalised.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on considering method of production labelling reform as a part of the Government’s wider welfare strategy; and when she expects to publish further details.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Putney, Fleur Anderson, on 29 January 2026, PQ UIN 106592.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pet owners can de-register dogs which were incorrectly registered as XL bullies.

We are currently working to develop a withdrawal scheme so that owners who no longer believe that their dog is an XL Bully can apply to have their certificate of exemption for their dog withdrawn. Information about this process will be available soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support Natural England in their responsibilities in wildfire prevention, including in agreeing land management plans.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is the lead Government department for wildfire. Defra works closely with MHCLG and supports Natural England (NE) to deliver its responsibilities. This includes the recently published Environmental Improvement Plan commitment that by 2030 NE will conduct research on increasing the natural resilience of habitats to wildfires, such as through re-wetting or restoring hydrological function, including case studies of success. An initial scoping review will be reported on in the annual progress report in 2027. This will develop our understanding of actions we can take to naturally reduce the risk of wildfires. Alongside this, Defra supports NE in:Working with partners to improve systems to alert land managers about fire risk and management techniques to improve resilience. This includes through support and membership of the UK Fire Danger Rating System Steering Group.Being represented on a number of local and regional wildfire groups in England which help address wildfire issues.Encouraging landowners/managers to maintain good relations with their local Fire and Rescue Service, including through joint visits to identify risks and familiarise all involved with sites that may be susceptible to wildfire.Advising that landowners complete a wildfire checklist (which can be funded through Countryside Stewardship). Where high vulnerability is identified it is the landowners’ responsibility to consider fire risk assessments and fire response plans.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 77864 on Non-native Species: Weed Control, if she will make it her policy to offer funding to homeowners for the (a) treatment and (b) removal of Japanese knotweed, in the context of (i) obligations under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and (ii) the environmental impact of this species.

Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9, and subject to Section 14, of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which makes it an offence to plant or otherwise cause this species to grow in the wild. There is no explicit obligation upon landowners to manage this species on their property. However, they must prevent it spreading off their property. Defra is not currently considering offering funding for homeowners for the treatment and removal of Japanese knotweed. Guidance remains available for homeowners who do wish to manage Japanese knotweed on their property: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to improve transparency in method-of-production welfare labelling for (a) pork, (b) chicken and (c) eggs.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for York Central, Rachael Maskell, on 8 October 2025, PQ UIN 76016.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Fairer food labelling, which closed on 7 May 2024, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to mandate method-of-production welfare labelling for (a) pork, (b) chicken and (c) eggs.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for York Central, Rachael Maskell, on 8 October 2025, PQ UIN 76016.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to support (a) businesses and (b) individuals in removing (i) Japanese knotweed and (ii) other invasive plant species.

Defra recognises the impacts caused by invasive non-native plant species (INNPs), including Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it an offence to cause Japanese knotweed to grow in the wild. In England, the Government has developed guidance on treating and disposing of Japanese knotweed, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop Japanese knotweed from spreading - GOV.UK. Guidance is also available on treating and disposing other INNPs, which can be found on GOV.UK: How to stop invasive non-native plants from spreading - GOV.UK. In partnership with the Welsh Government and Natural England, Defra is funding the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) to conduct biological control (biocontrol) research into the use of living organisms as a cost and time-effective way of managing INNPs. This research has identified the psyllid (Aphalari itadori) as a biocontrol agent for tackling Japanese knotweed. Further information can be found on CABI’s website: Japanese knotweed - CABI.org. Defra is providing funding for land managers to control and manage INNPs through the Environmental Land Management (ELM) Countryside Stewardship scheme. Further information can be found on GOV.UK: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) wider reform one and (b) other proposed changes to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 on the ecology of bathing waters; and what steps she is taking to help (i) support anglers, (ii) protect aquatic habitats and (iii) encourage payments by water companies for environmental improvements.

Bathing waters are a vital public amenity. This Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it. We have begun policy development and research to determine how best to implement both the wider reforms detailed in the Government’s consultation response published in March 2025. As part of the policy development, we are currently scoping appropriate studies to take into account any potential environmental, societal and access impacts of these reforms. We are keen to work closely with stakeholders as we develop our policy, including groups who represent anglers and other water users. Additionally, PR24 WINEP will be the most ambitious programme yet, with a total expenditure commitment of £22 billion secured under the scheme to fund ‘targeted interventions’ which will lead to improvements in water infrastructure to secure habitats, biodiversity and water quality, including bathing waters.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect hares; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the introduction of a closed season for hare hunting.

This Government recognises the need to protect hares and the importance of tackling rural crimes such as hare coursing. Hare coursing and wider poaching activity is a UK wildlife crime priority, and a national police-led group is in place to help tackle this illegal activity. Defra is providing £424,000 in 2024-2025 for the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which helps prevent and detect crime against hares by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Where a close season for hares is concerned, the Government considers the need for this measure is justified by animal welfare as well as biodiversity and species conservation. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning fewer leverets are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential. Defra Ministers support the ambition to introduce a close season for hares in England and are considering how this can be brought forward.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of catapults on wildlife; and what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that wildlife is not (a) maimed and (b) killed by catapults.

The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously and is aware of the ongoing misuse of catapults against wildlife. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While the Act does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that a person must not use to kill wildlife, it is still illegal under this Act to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species. There are a range of other offences found in further legislation to protect animals from cruelty such as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Significant sanctions are available to judges to hand down to those convicted of crimes under these Acts. The Government is of the view there is already sufficient legislation in place which protects wild animals from targeted use of catapults. Defra therefore has no current plans to take further legislative steps to ensure that wildlife is not (a) maimed and (b) killed by catapults though my officials are holding discussions with Home Office on this issue in an effort to tackle these horrific crimes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using biodigesters to convert waste materials into organic fertilisers.

The Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms require the collection of food waste in England from all workplaces from 31st March 2025, all households by 31st March 2026 and all micro-firms (with fewer than 10 staff) by 31st March 2027. These reforms will increase the quality of materials collected for recycling and make the separate collection of food waste mandatory, ensuring that food waste can be treated through composting and anaerobic digestion (AD) – producing biogas (at AD) and significant greenhouse gas savings rather than sending food waste to landfill. Anaerobic digestion plays an important role in creating a circular economy by displacing fossil-fuel based fertilisers with digestate, an organic fertiliser and by-product of the AD process. In February 2025, Defra and WRAP published the Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis. This provided a forecast of investment opportunities, including the potential to invest in 1.375Mt/pa of anaerobic digestion capacity in England from 2035. The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) provides tariff-support for biomethane produced via anaerobic digestion and injected into the gas grid. The scheme requires 50% of biomethane (by energy content) to be produced from wastes and residues, which is expected to support treatment of increased tonnage of food waste. In February 2024 DESNZ issued a call for evidence (CfE) to assess the barriers to growth in the sector and the options available to address them. DESNZ is considering the responses received and are developing policy options on a future framework that supports growth in the sector while managing environmental risks effectively. Furthermore, as Defra develops the Circular Economy Strategy for England, and the agrifood roadmap therein, we are considering the evidence for interventions right across the economy. That includes exploring the circularity impacts of a wide range of levers, such as how to manage biowaste and the sustainable use of digestate. The Strategy will be published for consultation in the coming autumn.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on animal sentience.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 already recognises vertebrate animals, decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs as sentient beings. The Act created an accountability mechanism which aims to ensure that UK Ministers have due regard to their welfare needs when formulating and implementing government policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure adequate funding for Natural England to protect biodiversity on new housing developments.

For the 2025-2026 financial year, Natural England received a total of £248 million funding from Defra to deliver their strategic aim of recovering nature for growth, health and security. In addition to this the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is due to provide up to £325,000 new funding through the New Homes Accelerator scheme, to help Natural England accelerate the processing of planning applications and secure environmental improvements.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of the (a) fines and (b) other penalties levied on water companies will be used for projects to clean chalk streams.

The Water Restoration Fund, which launched in April 2024, was established to reinvest water company environmental fines and penalties back into projects to improve the water environment. A total of £11 million, based on fines and penalties from April 2022 until October 2023, will be invested into local projects to improve our waterways. Over the next two years, the Water Restoration Fund will invest over £795,000 of water company fines and penalties specifically into chalk streams. Going forwards, this Government has announced that over £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies since October 2023, as well as future fines and penalties, will be reinvested into projects across the country to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.