Written questions by Snowden.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many complaints the Rural Payments Agency has received from farmers in the last 12 months; and what the most common issues raised were.

Between 01 June 2024 & 31 May 2025 the Rural Payments Agency, received 363 complaints. The most common issues raised were regarding the application and claims process for the Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes and outstanding payments. During the 2024/25 Financial year 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025 The number of complaints received decreased by 7.7% compared to the previous year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of agri-science on (a) improving soil health and (b) reducing chemical inputs in farming in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

Defra has not made any assessments or carried out any research on soil health or reducing chemical inputs in farming in (i) Fylde constituency or (ii) Lancashire, specifically. Defra understand the importance of soil health and will be developing a soil health indicator which can be applied nationwide to assess soil health. The indicator will assess soil health over time and track changes in the abilities of soils to deliver sustainable food production, carbon storage, reduction in runoff and soil biodiversity. The Department is funding research into exploring the impact of agriculture on soil health and reducing chemical inputs to farming. However, none of these field sites are in Lancashire or the Fylde constituency.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Rural Payments Agency in delivering timely payments to farmers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Rural Payment Agency (RPA) makes payments for schemes and grants against published performance indicators and continues to look at opportunities to issue payments as promptly as possible. Performance in relation to the financial year (1 April to 31 March) is reported each year within the RPA Annual Report and Accounts and will be published next month.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the support provided by the Rural Payments Agency for (a) new and (b) young farmers who apply for funding under new environmental land management schemes.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) administer agreements and issue payments for Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Both a) new and b) young farmers were eligible to apply for agreements under the SFI Expanded Offer, whilst the scheme was open for applications until March 2025. RPA issues a range of supporting communications including online 'how to apply' videos and regularly shares reminders and updates across their channels. Direct communications are issued to agreement holders, and the Rural Payments Helpline is available Monday - Friday.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with farming representative organisations on the (a) efficiency and (b) responsiveness of the Rural Payments Agency.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) meets regularly with a range of farming representative organisations at a strategic and operational level to discuss effectiveness, ideas for improvement and upcoming delivery plans. Meetings take place each month alongside organisations having an open dialogue with the RPA, sharing valuable insight and feedback to help continuously improve their services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of Government-supported agri-science programmes to small and medium-sized farms in (a) Fylde 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. FIP encourages smaller organisations to be involved in the innovation process. Of the 603 organisations that have received funding through the programme to date, 480 have been small or medium in size. In February the Secretary of State announced a further £63 million for competitions starting in 2025/6. This includes the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund with £20.6 million across 2025/6 which is focussed on farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods on farms. ADOPT is aimed at on farm trials which can deliver quick results, with project costs between £50,000 and £100,000. We have funded a support hub, led by ADAS, to encourage famers to collaborate and to increase participation rates. In addition to this we will also pay support grants of £2,500 to allow smaller farming operations to access our grants by covering professional fees related to applications.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support local authorities to (a) monitor and (b) reduce particulate pollution in (i) residential and (ii) agricultural areas in Fylde.

Local authorities review and assess air quality in their areas and publish an annual report on their actions to improve local air quality including local monitoring data which is assessed by Defra. Fylde council have reported continued compliance with the Air Quality Objectives set by central Government and have an Air Quality Strategy in place aimed at further reducing pollution from key sources. Defra supports local authorities through the provision of clear detailed statutory guidance and a helpline provided via contractors. We also host the Air Quality Hub; a resource and knowledge-sharing platform for local authorities. The Government will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet the ambitious Environment Act targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of air pollution in (a) Fylde and (b) other semi-rural areas; and what steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the impact of air pollution on public health.

Local authorities review and assess air quality in their areas and publish an annual report on their actions to improve local air quality including local monitoring data which is assessed by Defra. Fylde council have reported continued compliance with the Air Quality Objectives set by central Government and have an Air Quality Strategy in place aimed at further reducing pollution from key sources. Defra supports local authorities through the provision of clear detailed statutory guidance and a helpline provided via contractors. We also host the Air Quality Hub; a resource and knowledge-sharing platform for local authorities. The Government will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery information to help meet the ambitious Environment Act targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that (a) rural and (b) farming communities receive appropriate tailored mental health services.

Defra’s Mental Health in Agriculture team is working with experts across government and the third sector to improve mental and physical health outcomes for rural and agricultural communities. They are identifying requirements and developing options as to how they can further support DHSC and third sector investment in mental health interventions for those communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55351 on Environmental Stewardship Scheme: Fylde, how many Higher Level Stewardship agreements exist in total.

As of the 11 June 2025 the Rural Payments Agency can confirm there is currently a total of 5,471 Higher-Level Stewardship related Environmental Stewardship agreements.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55351 on Environmental Stewardship Scheme: Fylde, whether any of the Higher Level Stewardship agreements fall within the county of Lancashire.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 9 June 2025, PQ 55343.

Food and Rural Affairs, what metrics his Department uses to assess the effectiveness of routine avian influenza surveillance systems in detecting early outbreaks of H5N1.

Our avian influenza surveillance programmes are line with international standards of best practice and requirements for disease surveillance set out by the World Organisation for Animal Health’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code. In addition to our statutory obligations set out in The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 (as amended). Our avian influenza surveillance is comprised of mandatory reporting of suspicion of avian influenza in kept birds and mammals, targeted avian influenza and testing of found dead wild birds and wild mammals. In addition, targeted serological surveillance for avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry is carried out annually in Great Britain by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as required by The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (England) (No.2) Order 2006 and in line with the sampling guidance in assimilated legislation 2010/367. The serological surveillance is a risk-based, targeted programme which aims to detect low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) in gallinaceous birds (chickens, turkeys, game birds) which could mutate into high pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and HPAI and LPAI in domestic waterfowl which generally don’t show clinical signs of avian influenza. Sampling is required to be undertaken where the prevalence of infected poultry holdings is at least 5% with a 95% confidence interval.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54984 to Government Departments: Catering, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of (a) an annual report and (b) a public tracking system to provide transparency on how much local produce is being procured from (i) Lancashire and (ii) other regions by public sector bodies.

The Government is open to considering all lawful means of achieving its ambition that half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. This could include approaches designed to improve transparency in the way procurement is carried out.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) support and (b) resources for (i) small-scale and (ii) backyard bird keepers to help ensure their compliance with avian influenza surveillance and biosecurity measures.

Supporting bird keepers, the public and conservation bodies to manage and prepare for avian influenza continues to be one of Defra’s main priorities. Defra and the Devolved Governments have several lines of communication to bird keepers and the public. Each administration has a live avian influenza page which is updated regularly with the most recent information. Biosecurity guidance and a biosecurity self-assessment checklist have also been published by each of the UK administrations to assist all bird keepers in instigating and maintaining good biosecurity, including mandatory measures when an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is in force. We also issue national, local and trade press releases to make sure the latest information is communicated through the media. We regularly post the latest advice, key messages, and situational updates on both Defra and APHA social media channels. Through our work with a wide range of industry groups, this vital information is also distributed out to their members. All bird keepers in Great Britain must now register their poultry and other captive birds (with the exception of certain psittacines and passerines), even if only kept as pets. Registered keepers will receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza. The new registration requirements which came into force in Autumn 2024 will enable Government to communicate with bird keepers quickly, to mitigate the risk of further disease spread. In addition, anyone can subscribe to the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) free animal disease alerts service for the latest information on updated risk levels, guidance and new cases in Great Britain regardless of whether they keep birds. Any bird keepers whose premises are directly affected by avian influenza will receive support from the APHA, including compensation for any healthy birds culled by HM Government for disease control purposes. In addition, a range of grants have been made available to poultry keepers through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to improve biosecurity on poultry premises and support the welfare of birds.There are numerous support networks that poultry farmers can contact for help including the rural services helpline. Defra work in partnership with Farming Help organisations to support their work to help the farming community through challenging times.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54984 to Government Departments: Catering, what steps he is taking to provide (a) specific support schemes and (b) funding opportunities to farmers in Fylde and Lancashire to help them meet procurement standards.

Our commitment to farmers and growers remains steadfast, which is why we want our farmers to have the chance to get a fair share of the £5 billion pounds a year spent on public-sector food and catering contracts, including for farmers in Fylde and Lancashire.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help improve communication with (a) bird keepers and (b) the public during avian influenza outbreaks.

Supporting bird keepers, the public and conservation bodies to manage and prepare for avian influenza continues to be one of Defra’s main priorities. Defra and the Devolved Governments have several lines of communication to bird keepers and the public. Each administration has a live avian influenza page which is updated regularly with the most recent information. Biosecurity guidance and a biosecurity self-assessment checklist have also been published by each of the UK administrations to assist all bird keepers in instigating and maintaining good biosecurity, including mandatory measures when an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is in force. We also issue national, local and trade press releases to make sure the latest information is communicated through the media. We regularly post the latest advice, key messages, and situational updates on both Defra and APHA social media channels. Through our work with a wide range of industry groups, this vital information is also distributed out to their members. All bird keepers in Great Britain must now register their poultry and other captive birds (with the exception of certain psittacines and passerines), even if only kept as pets. Registered keepers will receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza. The new registration requirements which came into force in Autumn 2024 will enable Government to communicate with bird keepers quickly, to mitigate the risk of further disease spread. In addition, anyone can subscribe to the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) free animal disease alerts service for the latest information on updated risk levels, guidance and new cases in Great Britain regardless of whether they keep birds. Any bird keepers whose premises are directly affected by avian influenza will receive support from the APHA, including compensation for any healthy birds culled by HM Government for disease control purposes. In addition, a range of grants have been made available to poultry keepers through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to improve biosecurity on poultry premises and support the welfare of birds.There are numerous support networks that poultry farmers can contact for help including the rural services helpline. Defra work in partnership with Farming Help organisations to support their work to help the farming community through challenging times.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 5 June 2025 to Question 56531 on Avian Influenza: Lancashire, whether his Department has modelled the potential impact of a confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire on the economy.

This Government is committed to working closely with industry to anticipate the potential social and economic risk from avian influenza, so that response strategies are as effective as possible. Whilst the economic impact of an outbreak of avian influenza on Flyde and Lancashire has not been specifically assessed at the regional level, the impacts of a reasonable worst-case scenario outbreak of avian influenza were assessed for the National Risk Register published on gov.uk in 2025. These national risks are reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account new developments. In addition, the joint Government and industry avian influenza taskforce has committed to publishing a full report on vaccination strategies in the UK this summer; this will include economic assessments from previous outbreaks, including the 2022 outbreak. Compensation paid for birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control or measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. However, to support improvements and resilience in the poultry sector laying hen housing for health and welfare grants have been made available to poultry keepers in England through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Any commercial egg producer or pullet rearer, who is a registered keeper of 1000 or more birds are eligible to apply for these grants.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 5 June 2025 to Question 56531 on Avian Influenza: Lancashire, whether his Department has provided discretionary financial assistance to poultry producers indirectly affected by avian influenza control measures in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

This Government is committed to working closely with industry to anticipate the potential social and economic risk from avian influenza, so that response strategies are as effective as possible. Whilst the economic impact of an outbreak of avian influenza on Flyde and Lancashire has not been specifically assessed at the regional level, the impacts of a reasonable worst-case scenario outbreak of avian influenza were assessed for the National Risk Register published on gov.uk in 2025. These national risks are reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account new developments. In addition, the joint Government and industry avian influenza taskforce has committed to publishing a full report on vaccination strategies in the UK this summer; this will include economic assessments from previous outbreaks, including the 2022 outbreak. Compensation paid for birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control or measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. However, to support improvements and resilience in the poultry sector laying hen housing for health and welfare grants have been made available to poultry keepers in England through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Any commercial egg producer or pullet rearer, who is a registered keeper of 1000 or more birds are eligible to apply for these grants.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer 5 June 2025 to Question 56531 on Avian Influenza: Lancashire, what steps his Department is taking to help support poultry producers in areas at risk of avian influenza outbreaks that have no confirmed cases.

This Government is committed to working closely with industry to anticipate the potential social and economic risk from avian influenza, so that response strategies are as effective as possible. Whilst the economic impact of an outbreak of avian influenza on Flyde and Lancashire has not been specifically assessed at the regional level, the impacts of a reasonable worst-case scenario outbreak of avian influenza were assessed for the National Risk Register published on gov.uk in 2025. These national risks are reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account new developments. In addition, the joint Government and industry avian influenza taskforce has committed to publishing a full report on vaccination strategies in the UK this summer; this will include economic assessments from previous outbreaks, including the 2022 outbreak. Compensation paid for birds culled by the Government for disease control purposes is designed to promote prompt reporting of suspicion of disease and is only payable for healthy birds as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. There is no compensation available for sick birds or birds that have died. Compensation is not paid for consequential losses, including business interruption caused by control or measures, nor for eggs or poultry meat. However, to support improvements and resilience in the poultry sector laying hen housing for health and welfare grants have been made available to poultry keepers in England through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Any commercial egg producer or pullet rearer, who is a registered keeper of 1000 or more birds are eligible to apply for these grants.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support has been provided to farmers in Fylde constituency under Environmental Land Management schemes since January 2024.

The Government is providing a record level of funding for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes as part of the £5 billion it has secured over the 24/25 and 25/26 financial years for farmers across England, including Fylde. Since 1 January 2024, the Rural Payments Agency has issued payments totalling £2,277,556 to farmers in the Fylde constituency under the ELM schemes.