Every parliamentary written question tabled by Anna Sabine this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–18 of 18 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for publication of the Green Paper on access to nature.
This Government committed in the 2025 Environmental Improvement Plan to bringing forward an Access to Nature Green Paper. This will provide an opportunity to explore options for improving and expanding access, test potential approaches, and gather robust ...
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a statutory duty on water companies to protect recreational users of waters in the forthcoming Clean Water Bill.
The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system. Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regul...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with stakeholders representing recreational users of water on the proposed Clean Water Bill.
The Government will bring forward legislation through the Clean Water Bill, announced in the King’s Speech on 13 May, to deliver major reforms to the water system. Public health will be at the heart of these reforms, alongside measures to strengthen regul...
Food and Rural Affairs, what information he has reviewed from the International Pernambuco Conservation Initiative and other scientific or industry bodies about sustainable cultivation, reforestation, and traceability schemes.
Defra officials have engaged with a wide range of scientific and industry stakeholders — including some who may be affiliated with IPCI — through meetings, written submissions and open forums, and have reviewed information related to Pernambuco conservation, particularly on traceability. This evidence has informed the UK’s technical understanding and international engagement on this issue.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the level of profits earned by (a) supermarkets and (b) food multinationals in the last five years.
It is not for the Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions taken by businesses. We continue to monitor all key agricultural commodities. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce price controls on food.
It is not for the Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions taken by businesses. We continue to monitor all key agricultural commodities. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussion he has had with the Circular Economy Taskforce on promoting repair and reuse.
This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened a Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. The strategy will map our transition to a circular economy, supported by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. Defra recognises that repair and reuse are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to eliminate waste and promote sustainability through reuse and resource efficiency. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the strategy.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a right of responsible access to the English countryside.
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature, and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders, with further announcements expected in due course. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including: Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all. In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.
Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to increase access to the countryside.
The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature, and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other government departments and key stakeholders, with further announcements expected in due course. In addition, we are already delivering key initiatives aimed at increasing access to green spaces and the countryside, including: Completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which will become the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. With over 2,400 miles of the route now approved and 1,430 miles already open, this will also create 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin.Designating Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route as a National Trail across the north of England.Delivering the £16 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which is designed to make our protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible to all. In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of greater access to the countryside on (a) mental and (b) physical health.
The Government recognises the significant mental and physical health benefits that greater access to the countryside can provide. Spending time in nature is associated with improved mental and physical health, including lowering the risk of obesity and type two diabetes, reducing blood pressure and increasing levels of physical activity. There is also evidence to suggest that nature-based interventions are effective in the treatment and prevention of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety; this was demonstrated in the first phase of our Green Social Prescribing programme, which showed significant increases in participants’ wellbeing scores. These health benefits in turn deliver economic benefit and reduce pressure on the NHS. In 2020, the estimated value of health benefits associated with outdoor recreation in the UK ranged from £6.2 billion to £8.4 billion (ONS, 2022), and it has been estimated that £2.1 billion in health costs could be saved annually if everyone in England had good access to greenspace (Natural England, 2009). In recognition of these benefits, this Government has committed to improving the public’s access to green and blue spaces, including through initiatives such as our National River Walks.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to improve the enforcement of anti-fly tipping rules.
This Government has committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available for fly-tipping which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing of vehicles and prosecution through the courts which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. Sentencing is a matter for the independent courts.We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are considering if further guidance is needed.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many people were prosecuted for illegal fly tipping in 2023-24.
Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions, such as prosecutions, to Defra, which are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. Data for the 2023/24 reporting year will be published on the 26 February 2025.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle fly-tipping in rural areas.
This Government understands the difficulty that fly-tipping poses to all landowners. We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage farmers to implement natural flood management measures.
The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes aim to help the environment while supporting farming and food production. These will include support for farmers and land managers to adopt natural flood management approaches in a way that reduces flood...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect peatlands in Somerset.
In our manifesto we said that we will expand nature-rich habitats such as wetlands and peat bogs. In Somerset we are restoring and improving our peatlands through a number of projects, including the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, Landscape Reco...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage investment in natural capital projects in Frome and East Somerset constituency.
The Environment Agency (EA) is developing an initiative called Heart of Wessex that incorporates large parts of the Frome and East Somerset constituency. It is led by the EA and works across Natural England, The Forestry Commission, local eNGOs and commun...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) apple farmers and (b) cider makers whose crops have been affected by ermine moths in Somerset.
Dessert and culinary apples play an important role in local economies, with the sector worth a combined £188 million in 2023. The Government is committed to championing British farming and, in partnership with the sector, we are considering a number of ways to achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for the sector, including development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to pests such as ermine moths.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of pollution levels in the River Frome.
The Environment Agency (EA) undertake a programme of ecological, water quality and chemical monitoring on the Somerset Frome according to the requirements defined by the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 (WFD). This provides an understanding of the overall Ecological Status of the river. The EA act on the findings of this monitoring, to investigate any failures to meet the status required. The WFD monitoring classification shows the Frome from its source to the confluence with the Maiden Bradley Brook as achieving poor ecological status. The Frome from Maiden Bradley Brook to the River Mells is achieving a moderate ecological status. The reasons for not achieving good ecological status are a mixture of point and diffuse source pollution. This is elevating the nutrient levels in the water which in turn are affecting the plant and algal communities in the river. The results of the Environment Agency’s monitoring work indicate that sources are a mixture of treated sewage discharges from water company assets and from agricultural and land management practices. Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a top government priority. Change has already begun – the Water (Special Measures) Bill, announced during the King’s Speech, delivers on our manifesto commitment to put water companies under special measures by strengthening regulation to clean up our waters. That change will take time. Over the coming weeks and months, the Government will outline further steps to reform the water sector and restore our rivers, lakes and seas to good health.