Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish a publicly accessible register of biodiversity net gain credit schemes with information on (a) location, (b) pricing and (c) habitat type to support market functionality and planning decisions.

Statutory credits are a last resort way of achieving BNG. They are different from biodiversity units, which are sold in the offsite market. If developers buy statutory credits, this is because it is not possible to restore habitats on-site or units are not available for purchase in the offsite market. Defra does not intend to maintain a register of schemes in receipt of income from the sale of statutory credits; however the department is required to publish an annual report detailing income received from the sale of Statutory Biodiversity Credits, how that income was spent and (if applicable) the projected biodiversity value of the measures funded by that expenditure. The first annual report is publicly available on gov.uk. Demand for Statutory Biodiversity Credits has been low, suggesting that the offsite units market is working as intended.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the cost of introducing a not for EU labelling scheme for agri-food businesses in Fylde constituency.

Defra has published an impact assessment which sets out the likely costs to businesses. Due to the scope of products that need to be labelled from 1 July, and uncertainty as to the extent to which these products may be removed from sale in Northern Ireland and hence the scale of any requirement in Great Britain, it includes a ‘range’ for the potential cost to businesses. As is set out in the Impact Assessment, the indicative cost to business of applying ‘not for EU’ labelling to a subset of product lines is significantly less than the whole scope and will vary depending on the product. We made the decision to introduce a targeted power, as opposed to a mandatory requirement for all goods, in order to prevent some of these costs to businesses.Moreover, the non-monetised benefits - particularly safeguarding food security in Northern Ireland - will be a crucial part of maintaining a strong economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the cleanliness of beaches in Lancashire.

Responsibility for keeping beaches clear of litter and refuse rests with the landowner or the local council in the case of amenity beaches. The Code of practice on litter and refuse sets out the cleaning standards expected on amenity beaches. Councils have enforcement powers to deter littering including the ability to issue fixed penalty notices (on-the-spot fines) of up to £500. They can also ban items like disposable barbecues from their beaches. We welcome all beach litter collection efforts, such as the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean including in Lancashire this week. The UK Government funds the Marine Conservation Society to record litter from sections of our coast which helps us monitor the levels and trends of plastic pollution across several years. This data is used in combination with other monitoring data to inform our decisions about how to tackle marine litter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of miles of public beaches that were inaccessible due to (a) private ownership and (b) development on 7 July 2025.

Defra does not hold information on the number of miles of public beaches that were inaccessible due to (a) private ownership and (b) development on 7 July 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to the public on rights of access to (a) coastal paths and (b) beaches.

a) Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way and may issue information locally on these. Defra provides information on National Trails including the King Charles III England Coast Path, including which stretches are open to the public. This information can be found on gov.uk. b) Access to beaches can vary depending on who owns the land and how it is managed. Many beaches are open to the public, but some may have restrictions. The Countryside Code also provides guidance for both visitors and landowners when accessing the countryside.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the conservation of native red squirrel populations.

The Government is committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species, including red squirrels, especially through the delivery of our biodiversity targets, which will benefit many of our native species including red squirrels.We know that red squirrel decline is being driven by the squirrel pox virus, habitat availability and competition from non-native grey squirrels. To address these pressures, we are supporting research into grey squirrel fertility and have put management measures in place to control grey squirrels to aid red squirrel conservation.We are considering how to go further to reduce the impacts of grey squirrels on our woodlands and red squirrel populations and shall have an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 60563 on Livestock: Death, what resources his Department has made available to the Animal and Plant Health Agency to monitor compliance with animal welfare standards during periods of extreme heat.

APHA does not receive additional resources to monitor compliance with animal welfare legal requirements during periods of extreme heat. However, the Agency has provided guidance on how to care for animals on farm and in transport in case of extreme weather since 2013; the guidance has been regularly reviewed and updated and it is available on the following page Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather - GOV.UK. In addition, The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) issues guidance to transporters on transporting animals in extreme hot and cold weather. The guidance ensures that transporters consider the particular risks that extreme weather presents to animal welfare and that animals are transported in a way that avoids any pain, suffering or distress. APHA continues to monitor reports of animals being transported in extreme weather conditions. Where incidents of unnecessary suffering caused by transporting animals in extreme weather are identified, APHA will take appropriate regulatory action which may include the suspension of transporter authorisations. The Local Authority will be notified and will consider any appropriate enforcement action.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of veterinarian costs on the number of animals being put down.

Defra does not hold data on the number of animals being euthanised due to veterinary costs. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is conducting a full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services (including costs) for household pets in the UK. The market investigation is expected to conclude in May 2026. Defra cannot comment on an ongoing investigation but looks forward to seeing the recommendations made by the CMA.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 60563 on Livestock: Death, whether his Department plans to review the temperature threshold for transporting farm animals in the context of the frequency of extreme weather events.

It is the responsibility of authorised transporters to ensure that any compromise to animal welfare is minimised during transport and that unnecessary suffering does not occur. Defra has published research detailing adaptations which farms could implement to adapt to the changing climate, including mitigating actions that can be taken when transporting animals. Defra has also commissioned and published research into the welfare outcomes of transporting poultry in temperature-controlled vehicles.Defra guidance recommends that animals should not be transported in temperatures over 30°C and that transporters should consider a number of other factors, including checking the ‘feels like’ temperature for the intended journey if humidity is high.Where incidents of unnecessary suffering caused by transporting animals in extreme weather are identified, APHA will take appropriate regulatory action, which may include the suspension of transporter authorisations, and will work with Local Authorities who are responsible for taking any enforcement action.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2025 to Question 60563 on Livestock: Death, how many breaches of animal welfare regulations during periods of extreme weather have been recorded by the Animal and Plant Health Agency in each of the last five years.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) was made aware that the meat chicken sector experienced high mortality during the heat spell in July 2022. when an estimate of four million meat chickens died of heat stroke during two days of extreme heat. APHA inspectors visited 31 affected premises; in addition to the required regulatory actions, APHA has been liaising with the British Poultry council to raise awareness on the most common findings to allow appropriate contingency actions to be promptly implemented. Inspectors from APHA have been conducting follow-up inspections to monitor compliance on seven premises in 2023 (one disclosed as non-compliant) and ten premises in 2024 (with no non-compliances disclosed). In addition to that, the Agency continue investigating allegations of potential animal welfare breaches however no specific figures are collected to identify the non-compliances specifically related to extreme weather conditions. Where incidents of unnecessary suffering caused on farm or by transporting animals in extreme weather are identified, APHA will take appropriate regulatory action which may include the suspension of transporter authorisations. The Local Authority is notified and supported by APHA in any investigation carried out including those where enforcement actions are deemed necessary.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of climate change on farm animal welfare.

Defra has commissioned, and published, research detailing potential adaptation options which farms could implement in order to adapt to the changing climate, including extreme heat, drought, rainfall and flooding. The analysis included potential adaptation options which would contribute towards the maintenance of animal welfare on-farm, in response to climate events. Research to assess resilience measures that support UK agriculture in adapting to drought, extreme heat, and wildfires - SCF0140Research to assess resilience measures that support UK agriculture in adapting to changing seasonality and extreme rainfall - SCF0141 The Animal Welfare Committee, the expert committee of Defra, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, has also recently begun work on a project to consider how best to safeguard the welfare of poultry from the effect of climate change.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce veterinary costs.

Defra is supportive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducting a full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services (including costs) for household pets in the UK. Defra cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, but we look forward to seeing the outcomes in May 2026 which will assist the work being undertaken to reform the veterinary sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing booking systems at Household Waste Recovery Centres on fly tipping.

This Government has no plans to undertake an assessment of the impact of introducing booking systems at Household Waste Recovery Centres (HWRCs) on fly-tipping.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to police forces on intervening when dogs are reported to be in distress in locked vehicles during hot weather.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act) police officers and local authority inspectors have broad powers to intervene where an animal is in distress, including where they are enclosed in vehicles during hot weather. The powers are explained in the Act and its Explanatory Note.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars during warm weather.

The Government maintains a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which can be found here: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs. The Code summarises important information owners and keepers should consider when caring for their dogs. This includes advice on preventing dogs suffering from heat stress in cars and other enclosed areas on warm days.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) funding and (b) other support his Department gives to seasonal campaigns run by (i) the RSPCA, (ii) the Dogs Trust and (iii) other campaigning organisations to highlight the risks of leaving pets in hot vehicles.

The Government greatly appreciates the work undertaken by the nation’s animal welfare organisations to highlight the risks associated with leaving pets in hot vehicles. The Government regularly engages with animal welfare organisations to discuss their campaigns but does not provide funds.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) condition and (b) ecological quality of woodlands in Fylde constituency.

This Government recognises the importance of woodland management to improve the condition and ecological quality of woodlands. We are helping owners manage their woodlands by providing Countryside Stewardship woodland management planning grants, infrastructure grants, and woodland improvement as well as supplements for deer and grey squirrel impact management. Through the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Funds, grant funding has been made available to stimulate the development and testing of new ideas that can help improve the ecological condition of woodlands. Grants are demand led, and we do not measure uptake at constituency level.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of household pets in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of farm animals in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 May 2025 to the hon. Member for Romford, PQ UIN 48861.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in agri-science to improve farming (a) productivity and (b) sustainability in (i) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Since 2021, the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) has been Defra’s flagship programme for supporting research and innovation in farming in England to help farmers, growers and foresters increase productivity, sustainability and resilience. In February the Secretary of State announced a further £63 million for new competitions starting in 2025/6. Competitions currently open include low emissions farming and precision breeding with up to £12.5 million across each; the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies fund with £20.6 million across 2025/6 which provides farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods on farms; and a £5 million Investor Partnerships programme which will blend government grant money with private investment to bring cutting edge technology to market, giving farmers and food producers faster and more widespread access to state-of-the-art innovations.