Written questions by Easton.

Food and Rural Affairs, what response she has given to the US Administration's letter to her Department regarding trophy hunting.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. We continue to engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders, including other Governments, to understand different perspectives and ensure we can implement a robust ban. Baroness Hayman met with a representative of the United States Government in July 2025 to discuss the UK Government’s proposed ban on the import of hunting trophies. There have been no further ministerial‑level discussions with the United States Government on this issue since this meeting.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on proposals to prohibit the import into the UK of hunting trophies; and when she expects to bring forward legislation to implement such a prohibition.

The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the current regulatory framework for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in (a) food and (b) drinking water.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to keep levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food as low as reasonably achievable and is keeping the issue of PFAS under review. Food business operators have a legal responsibility to ensure that any food they place on the market complies with general food law, which states that food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. Where products are found to breach these requirements, local authorities have the power to take enforcement action. The Committee on Toxicity (COT), an advisory body which provides independent scientific advice to the FSA, is currently undertaking an assessment of PFAS. This assessment includes an extensive review of the available data and derivation of updated health-based guidance values where possible. Drinking water quality policy is wholly devolved and the following response is in relation to England only. Defra and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) are working together to consider potential regulatory updates to England’s drinking water quality legislation based on DWI’s recommendations. The DWI have issued guidance to water companies on PFAS. Concentrations of ‘sum of 48 PFAS’ reported as greater than 0.1 micrograms (or 100 nanograms) must be reported to the DWI as a water quality event and all necessary actions to reduce concentrations below this value must be taken. No treated water samples in 2024 were reported in Tier 3 (≥0.1 micrograms/L), supporting the effectiveness of industry mitigation strategies.

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 steps his Department is taking to ensure that the food strategy promotes access to (a) unprocessed and (b) minimally processed foods for (i) children and (ii) low-income families.

The food strategy will identify root causes of key problems such as food poverty and unhealthy diets and articulate the outcomes we want from the food system, enabling the Government, civil society, and the food industry work to shared goals and priorities. Health is one of our four priority areas. A key outcome will be more easily accessible and affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food to tackle diet-related ill health, helping to give children the best start in life and help adults live longer healthier lives, including people on low and middle incomes. Delivering the food strategy means changing the way the food system works for the better and replacing the junk food cycle’ identified by Henry Dimbleby with a ‘good food cycle’. The food strategy is aligned with and supports the Government programme, Plan for Change and Missions. The food sector has a crucial role to play in supporting our health Mission by tackling diet-related ill health and addressing poor diets. The Government respects individual autonomy in making dietary choices and also wants to encourage food manufacturers to provide nutritious, sustainable food options and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their diets, to deliver better health outcomes for consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the growth of the Dartmoor pony population.

To help enable growth, Defra supports the conservation of livestock and equines, including the Dartmoor Pony, by monitoring populations of native breeds, with data published in the annual UK National Breed inventory. Defra also protects eligible native breeds at risk from culling during notifiable disease outbreaks. Defra can utilise the Zootechnical animal breeding legislation to support the recognised breed society to meet the aim of their approved breeding programme. Actions will be available in Countryside Stewardship for grazing with both cattle and ponies. The Dartmoor Pony is listed on the Native Breeds at Risk list so are eligible for payments under the native breeds supplements. Defra have also made it clear within the new offer that ponies are exempt from stock removal requirements, in recognition that removal of ponies from moorland is neither feasible nor desirable in most circumstances. For those with existing Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements and those currently working with Natural England on new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications, the new moorland offer will be subject to monitoring and evaluation, particularly in the first year. Any change in the pony population during this time will be investigated and further mitigations will be explored if necessary. At present Defra are focussed on developing a new and improved SFI offer, more information will be available in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many lorries transporting goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland have been turned away at points of entry in the last 12 months due to (a) incorrect or (b) incomplete paperwork under the provisions of the Windsor Framework.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given the hon. Member for North Down, Alex Easton, on 13 November, PQ UIN 12673.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Extender Producer Responsibility fee structure on the glass packaging industry; and whether he has considered adopting a units-based metric.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) will move the cost of dealing with household packaging waste away from taxpayers and onto the packaging producers (applying the ‘polluter pays principle’). This will give producers responsibility for the costs of the packaging they use throughout its life cycle, encouraging businesses to reduce their use of packaging and use packaging which is easier to recycle and reuse. The Government is not currently considering the adoption of a units-based metric for EPR fees. Extender Producer Responsibility disposal fees for packaging are calculated in £ per tonne of household packaging placed on the market in accordance with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Whilst producers report the packaging they supply on a weight basis, the costs for managing different material types, such as glass, are apportioned according to relevant cost drivers for their collection and management, including the volume of the container in bins and collection vehicles. This ensures the fair apportionment of costs between material types in line with the regulations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to negotiate a veterinary agreement with the European Union to ensure the continued supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland beyond December 2025; and what alternative solutions are being considered to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions.

Maintaining availability of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland after the end of 2025 is a priority. This Government continues to progress work on this issue as quickly as possible and we continue to engage with industry to understand their intentions for supply after the grace period and what alternative products could be available. The Government has seen positive signs that the size of the issue is reducing, as businesses are making changes to their operations. The Veterinary Medicines Working Group, including experts, industry representatives and elected representatives, has also been re-established to advise the Government on this matter. The Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. We will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU and it is too early to comment on what may be in scope of an agreement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect blue carbon habitats from human activities.

In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats. Defra set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps around these important habitats. We are funding a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage and sequestration, the impact of human activities and to model potential management interventions. Initial outputs from this work were published in January 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to increase the use of nature-based solutions to tackle climate change.

Defra has a vital role to play to ensure nature-based solutions are a core part of tackling climate change and averting its impacts. Nature-based solutions deliver multiple benefits for climate, biodiversity and people, and can therefore play a critical role in helping deliver the Government's priorities, such as ensuring nature recovery. Defra’s Secretary of State has made nature recovery one of the five top priorities for the Department. This Government is committed to achieving its tree planting targets and is committed to the legal target to plant 16.5% tree cover by 2050.  We will also restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatland and we are developing delivery mechanisms for peatland restoration. Defra has secured a farm support budget of £2.4 billion for the next financial year. This means we can maintain the momentum of our Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes, which will rise to the highest funding levels ever by 2025/26. Through this investment, we are helping to secure a healthy and resilient future for English farming and restore our natural landscapes for generations to come whilst continuing to support farmers and landowners in their low-carbon, nature friendly practices.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the amount of funding that will be required to meet the UK's potential obligations under the proposed UN global plastics treaty.

The UK is a leader on efforts to end plastic pollution. We already have a broad range of measures in place domestically that we are using, alongside ongoing industry and private sector engagement, as the basis to drive ambition across the proposed provisions of the UN Plastic Pollution Treaty.  The Treaty is still under negotiation, with the UK committed to playing a leading role at the forthcoming fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee to ensure an effective treaty is agreed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on (a) chemical recycling and (b) the mass balance approach at the INC5 negotiations for the UN Global Plastics Treaty.

At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastic Pollution Treaty, the UK will align with our domestic policy on any provisions related to chemical recycling. The UK recognises that chemical recycling technologies can offer a complementary route to support the transition towards a circular economy, where mechanical recycling is unfeasible or uneconomic and where this waste may otherwise be incinerated. Our domestic policy will inform our position on any provisions related to chemical recycling, including the mass balance approach, that are negotiated at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop a new UN Plastics Pollution Treaty.

Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the number of lorries turned away at Northern Ireland ports for carrying cargo incorrectly listed on their manifests.

In line with the commitments we have made, as we move to our new UK internal market system we will ensure that the only checks when goods move within the UK internal market system are those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. But in order not to undermine that approach, as is the case across the UK we do not disclose the specific number or nature of interventions made by UK authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework (Non-Commercial Movement of Pet Animals) Regulations 2024 on freedom of movement for people travelling with pets between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme will significantly reduce the burdens associated with the original Northern Ireland Protocol, and provides a stable and long-term footing for pet travel for those travelling with their pets within the United Kingdom.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will maintain levels of spending under the agriculture budget; and what steps he is taking to ensure that changes in the level of that budget support nature recovery.

The farming budget beyond this year will be part of the Government’s spending review. The Chancellor will set out the Government’s spending plans on 30 October alongside the Budget. The Government is committed to championing farmers while protecting the environment. We said we would provide stability for farmers and we are delivering on this commitment. We will optimise Environmental Land Management schemes so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers - such as small, grassland, upland and tenanted farms - while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the UK's commitments under the United Nations Biodiversity Conference are met ahead of COP16; and what steps his Department is taking to help stop global biodiversity loss.

The Government is committed to delivering for nature, and taking action to meet our Environment Act targets to restore and protect our natural world. We are working towards concluding the review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) by the end of the year. We will publish a summary of findings in early 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP in spring 2025. This will play a role in framing how we will meet our domestic and international targets to help us significantly improve the natural environment in England. The four nations of the UK and the relevant UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies worked together to submit our National Targets to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 1 August, committing us to meeting all 23 of the Global Biodiversity Framework targets at home. We will publish the full UK National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan in due course, detailing further delivery plans and future ambitions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the UK meets its 2030 nature recovery targets; and what steps he is taking to measure progress against those targets.

We know Britain’s nature is in crisis. The State of Nature Report 2023 states that of species found in England, 13% are at risk of extinction from Great Britain. This Government is committed to delivering the species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration targets set under the Environment Act in England. We have wasted no time in launching a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to ensure it fully supports our mission to recover nature. We will publish a summary of findings in early 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP in Spring 2025. The species abundance target indicator measures progress against our species abundance targets and in recent years the declines have shown potential signs of levelling off. We recognise that more needs to be done to put nature firmly on the road to recovery. This is why we have announced a review to transform our water system and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas; and introduced a new deal for farmers to boost food security, restore nature and support economic growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the State of Nature Partnership report entitled State of Nature Report 2023, published in September 2023, what steps he plans to take to (a) prevent further biodiversity loss and (b) support long-term biodiversity recovery.

We know Britain’s nature is in crisis. The State of Nature Report 2023 states that of species found in England, 13% are at risk of extinction from Great Britain. This Government is committed to delivering the species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration targets set under the Environment Act in England. We have wasted no time in launching a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to ensure it fully supports our mission to recover nature. We will publish a summary of findings in early 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP in Spring 2025. The species abundance target indicator measures progress against our species abundance targets and in recent years the declines have shown potential signs of levelling off. We recognise that more needs to be done to put nature firmly on the road to recovery. This is why we have announced a review to transform our water system and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas; and introduced a new deal for farmers to boost food security, restore nature and support economic growth.