Every parliamentary written question tabled by Anna Gelderd this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 61–77 of 77 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prepare for the UK-China Environment Dialogue in 2025.
Defra is working with China’s Ministry of Ecology and the Environment to agree the timing and scope of an Environmental Dialogue, in line with our commitment to do so within 12 months of the signing of the Environment Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties in October 2024.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on the implementation of 10 Point Plan for financing biodiversity; and if he plans to publish an update on implementation before the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30) in November 2025.
The 10 Point Plan (10PP) for Financing Biodiversity was launched in December 2022 by the former government and preceded agreement of the comprehensive Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). This government is committed to delivering on all the KMGBF targets, including those related to the mobilisation of finance for biodiversity. Most recently at the 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD CoP16) we published the Biodiversity Trends Dashboard to help track progress towards meeting nature finance targets. We expect to update this prior to UNFCCC COP30. We also secured the new Cali Fund which will help ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic information derived from nature - directly supporting Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The UK government also co-sponsored the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits (IAPB), alongside France, helping to deliver a Framework for High Integrity Biodiversity Credit Markets. Our seventh UK national report under the CBD will provide an update on our progress in delivering the KMGBF targets. This is due by February 2026.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the European Chemical Agency's decision to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
We actively monitor measures being considered in other jurisdictions to inform possible approaches in the UK, including the European Chemical Agency’s proposals for PFAS restrictions. The Health and Safety Executive is due to publish its dossier investigating whether to restrict the use, manufacture and sale of PFAS in fire fighting foams soon, for a six-month consultation. This dossier has included extensive analysis of risks and hazards of PFAS that are relevant to other uses and sets a firm foundation for further investigation of PFAS risks in Great Britain. Other work is continuing across Government to help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future measures.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the level of global deforestation on economic growth in the UK in the next five years.
The Government has no plans to assess how global deforestation specifically will affect the UK’s economic growth over the next five years. However, economic growth will be considered along with other factors in shaping our policy on deforestation. We are currently reviewing how to address deforestation in UK supply chains and will outline our approach in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of veterans working in (a) conservation and (b) land management; and whether he plans to support (a) training and (b) mentoring initiatives for those sectors.
Defra encourages veterans to apply for vacancies across multiple sectors, which are advertised on Civil Service Jobs. Defra is a participant of the Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme. All employees, including veterans, have access to a broad learning and development offer and mentoring initiatives. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 April to Question 44868.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest on the UK economy.
From our modelling we know that the UK consumption of agricultural commodities was associated with 35,600 hectares of deforestation worldwide in 2022 and 12.7 million tonnes of associated carbon emissions. The UK is estimated to have been the 15th largest driver of deforestation that year. The UK Government places an economic cost of £260 per tonne of carbon emitted, and the value of ecosystem services that forests provide are estimated to range from £9,000-£22,000 per hectare depending on whether they are tropical, which would include the Amazon, or temperate.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK imports of commodities on the financial value of deforested land.
From our modelling we know that the UK consumption of agricultural commodities was associated with 35,600 hectares of deforestation worldwide in 2022 and 12.7 million tonnes of associated carbon emissions. The UK is estimated to have been the 15th largest driver of deforestation that year. The UK Government places an economic cost of £260 per tonne of carbon emitted, and the value of ecosystem services that forests provide are estimated to range from £9,000-£22,000 per hectare depending on whether they are tropical, which would include the Amazon, or temperate.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the impact of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances in the marine environment.
The UK Government is working closely with domestic regulators and key stakeholders to improve wider understanding and approach to managing the risks from PFAS. This includes working with the Environment Agency (EA) to assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources, and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches. My department has asked the Health and Safety Executive to consider a UK REACH Restriction on PFAS in firefighting foams, and a proposal is due to be published soon. Internationally, PFAS were added to the OSPAR List of Chemicals for Priority Action in 2023. This list identifies substances considered to be a threat to the marine environment and the actions that OSPAR Contracting Parties (including the UK) should take to minimise those threats.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2024 to Question 3449 on Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances, when he plans to set out his plans for addressing Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances; and whether he plans to consider this as part of the review of the Environmental Improvement Plan.
The revised Environmental Improvement Plan, which will be introduced in 2025, will set out the Government’s approach to managing PFAS.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to further restrict the use of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances where there are clear alternatives.
Following the publication of a Regulatory Management Options Analysis (RMOA) on PFAS in April 2023, my department asked the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to investigate whether to restrict PFAS in firefighting foams under the UK REACH (Restriction, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals) regime. HSE’s restriction dossier is due to be published for consultation in Spring 2025. Alongside this, my department is also considering further measures on PFAS.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of wild beaver releases on the (a) economy and (b) environment.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Yes, Natural England have conducted assessments on the impact of beavers on the environment. This has primarily been done through the River Otter Beaver Trial and an evidence review of the interactions between beavers and the natural and human environments, published in 2021. The government recognises that beavers can bring many benefits for the environment, including boosting biodiversity, creating and restoring wetland habitats, and reducing downstream flooding. The Government has not directly assessed the impact of beaver wild release on the economy. However, applications for beaver wild release licences must consider the socio-economic effect of their project, including conducting a risk assessment. Licences will only be granted for projects which are economically feasible and there are clear benefits for nature, people and the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has set a timeline for the approval of wild release licences for beavers in England.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. On 28 February 2025, Defra announced its new approach to beavers, including opening a licensing scheme for beaver wild release. Applicants must first submit an Expression of Interest, which will be assessed by Natural England (NE). Projects likely to meet the licensing criteria will be invited to make a full application. NE aim to assess Expressions of Interest within 45 working days. Full application assessments are likely to take a minimum of four months. All applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and assessment may take longer for complex projects or if there is high demand.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making Cornwall a priority location for a wild beaver release.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way. Any wild beaver reintroductions in Cornwall must therefore meet the criteria.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of beaver reintroductions on flood resilience in areas where they have been trialled.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Yes, the Government has assessed the impact of reintroducing beavers on flood resilience. This includes an evidence review of the impacts of beavers on the natural and human environment in England, which shows beavers can reduce the risk of flooding. Beavers can bring a range of benefits including contributing to flood risk mitigation, by using their dams and creating complex wetland habitats to slow the flow of water and to store water (a form of natural flood management). Appropriately managing the reintroduction of beavers in England helps to mitigate the impact they can have. Building on the approach that we have already developed for wild release and management; we will collaboratively develop a management plan for the long-term reintroduction and recovery of beaver populations in England.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the timeline for implementing marine net gain.
Defra is assessing the role that marine net gain may play in nature recovery including consideration of timescales for operation of the policy.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure food and allergy labelling laws are updated to provide clearer and accurate information for consumers.
Consumers receiving accurate information about the food they eat is of upmost importance, however any new legislation needs to be carefully considered, taking into account the views of all stakeholders and the balance of costs and benefits, which will take some time The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has policy responsibility for food safety, including food allergen labelling, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and are working to improve the availability and accuracy of allergen information for non-prepacked foods, which includes foods made to order in restaurants In December 2023, the FSA Board agreed that businesses selling non-prepacked foods, such as cafes and restaurants, should provide allergen information to consumers in writing and this should be supported by a conversation. Following the Board’s decision, FSA officials are working to assess the impact of different legislative options for improving the provision of allergen information for non-prepacked foods. Defra officials are being kept closely informed on the progress of this work. In parallel, taking the steer from the Board, the FSA has created best practice guidance for businesses to provide written information and support this with a conversation, which has just been through a public consultation. This guidance along with tools to assist businesses in following it will be published in the next few days.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential merits of mandating swift bricks in new property developments.
Natural England has identified that the lack of nest sites is one of the pressures on species including the swift. Therefore, provision of swift bricks may aid recovery alongside other actions, such as to increase food resources. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published a revised National Planning Policy Framework in December. This expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support species like swifts, such as swift bricks. Defra policy officials are continuing to work with MHCLG colleagues to consider what action may be appropriate to drive up rates of swift brick installation in new build properties.