Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, what safeguards will be put in place to ensure that the creation of the third national forest does not adversely affect agricultural land use and food production in the selected region.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions have been taken by the Environment Agency in relation to misclassified waste exports in the last five years.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure companies that have previously committed waste export offences remain subject to enhanced monitoring and compliance checks.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, which National Parks, National Landscapes and Broads will be eligible to receive funding under the Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund; and what criteria will determine eligibility.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support farmers affected by recent extreme high temperatures.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what role the Food Standards Agency is playing in reducing cases of food poisoning linked to contaminated poultry, meat, eggs and dairy products.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria will be used to assess bids from eligible organisations seeking to become the delivery partner for the third new national forest.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential insurance implications of increased flood risk for households and businesses in Fylde constituency.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what timetable has been set for the completion of the review of the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes to travel with pets between Great Britain and the EU on the number pets able to travel to the EU.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to maintain and protect curlews on the Lancashire coast.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the administrative impact of export health certificates on UK food producers.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Environmental Stewardship agreements at protecting wildlife habitats and increasing biodiversity.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of banning on trail hunting on countryside management.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated through the Tree Production Capital Grant in each funding round since the scheme’s inception.

The Tree Production Capital Grant was launched in 2022. The total value of funding allocated through signed grant agreements in each financial year is as follows: 2022/23: £1,509,3742023/24: £2,871,8332024/25: £2,938,3972025/26: £1,953,960Total: £9,273,564

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with stakeholders, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, on proposed changes to the regulation of parasiticides.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and is engaging with stakeholders on the environmental risks of flea and tick treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid. Engagement has included several meetings with individual organisations, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as a PiE stakeholder workshop in Summer 2025 involving veterinary professionals, charities, retailers, industry and academia. The VMD has also launched an eight week Call for Evidence as part of its review of the distribution categories of veterinary medicines containing fipronil or imidacloprid. This open process invites evidence and views from all interested stakeholders to ensure that any future regulatory decisions are informed by robust evidence and consider impacts on animal health and welfare, the environment, pet owners and businesses. No decisions have yet been taken on regulatory changes, and stakeholder engagement will continue as the evidence base is considered.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on coordinating policy relating to the evacuation of pets during international emergencies.

During international emergencies Defra officials work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to coordinate policy and manage live operational issues, including in relation to emergency pet movements.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the written answer of 19 September 25 to question 75415 on XL Bully dogs, what progress has been made on developing a withdrawal scheme for dogs previously exempted as XL Bully type.

The Government 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.The Government 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 information her Department holds on how Ofwat calculates the cap on which water companies can increase water bills for customers.

Ofwat published methodology for calculating the price controls that cap water bill increases. Ofwat sets these caps independently through its five‑year price review, assessing companies’ plans and the efficient costs needed to meet Government‑set service and environmental expectations. Money approved for infrastructure can only be spent on upgrades that benefit customers and the environment, and cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends or executive pay, with requirements for companies to return money to customers if they fail to meet performance commitments. The Government has also secured £104 billion of private investment through Price Review 2024, the largest investment programme in the history of the water sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the the numbers of hen harriers over the last 5 years.

The number of breeding hen harriers is assessed annually by Natural England in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Summaries of these figures are published as blogs via Natural England’s .gov blog page. Assessments of the number of breeding hen harriers from the last four years can be seen below: Nesting attempts per upland area of England Area2022202320242025Bowland18111115North Pennines71142Northumberland9171518Peak District5002Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale101542Total49543439 In 2025, a peer-reviewed paper was published assessing the population trends in hen harriers in the UK and Isle of Man between 2016 and 2023. This included data and co-authorship from Natural England’s hen harrier programme: https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2024.2446373.