Written questions by Ribeiro-Addy.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set a timeline for the phasing out of the use of CO₂ gas chambers for pigs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 May to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell, PQ UIN 613.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of fast growing broiler breeds on welfare conditions.

The welfare implications of fast-growing breeds of meat chickens was considered as part of the Defra funded Systematic Review of Evidence on Livestock Breeding conducted by Queen’s University Belfast. The Government also commissioned the Animal Welfare Committee to conduct a review of livestock breeding and we expect their report to be published this summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the sustainable Chicken Forum.

The Department remains firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to continue working closely with all stakeholders to deliver high standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to review existing animal welfare legislation following the withdrawal by companies from voluntary commitments to improve chicken farming conditions.

As set out in the animal welfare strategy, the Government remains committed to supporting a move away from the use of fast-growing breeds of meat chickens. The Government welcome the fact that those supermarkets who made Better Chicken Commitment pledges have fulfilled them, but it is disappointing to hear of the decision of various restaurant groups to withdraw their commitments to improve animal welfare in this way.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Ofwat’s correspondence to the Business and Trade Committee of 8 September 2025, what assessment her Department has made of Ofwat's conclusion that the Class A creditor consortium (the London & Valley Water consortium) does not fit the definition of the ultimate controller of Thames Water.

The classification of Ultimate Controller is a matter for Ofwat as the independent economic regulator. We are reassured that Ofwat have reviewed the matter and will continue to keep the position of Thames Water’s Ultimate Controllers under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department has in place should Thames Water enter special administration.

The Government will always act in the national interest. While the company is stable, we stand ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a Special Administration Regime if necessary. A Special Administration order is a well-established mechanism to ensure the company continues to operate and customers continue to receive their water and wastewater services. The bar for entering a Special Administration is understandably high.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a licensing system for gamebird shooting to deter raptor persecution.

The Government appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of gamebird shooting and there is evidence to suggest a link between it and raptor persecution. It is vital that wildlife and habitats are protected and that the law is respected by those involved in the activity. While Defra has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of licensing gamebird shooting in England, it will continue to work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between gamebird shooting and conservation.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) confirmed and (b) suspected criminal incidents involving Hen Harriers have been recorded in each of the last five years.

Criminal offences against hen harriers are currently not ‘notifiable’. This means police forces are not required to record and report figures on this type of crime to the Home Office for statistical and monitoring purposes. Defra therefore holds no official statistics on the number of confirmed criminal (or suspected) incidents involving hen harriers from the last five years. Any decision to make such offences notifiable sits with the Home Office rather than Defra.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions have been brought in relation to offences involving the persecution of birds of prey in each of the last five years.

Defra does not hold official data on the number of prosecutions that have been brought in relation to offences involving the persecution of birds of prey. The Ministry of Justice does publish data on prosecutions for a wide range of offences, including offences relating to birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but this is not broken down to a level to identify prosecutions for offences specifically involving birds of prey. Based on data published by the Ministry of Justice, in the last five years there have been 50 prosecutions for offences relating to birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Data relating to specific offences against wild birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 can be sourced using the Outcomes by Offences data tool on the Criminal Justice Statistics website: Criminal justice statistics - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase enforcement action against wildlife crime linked to gamebird shooting.

The Government takes all wildlife crime seriously, including offences linked to gamebird shooting. There are strong penalties in place for offences committed against wild animals. Most of these crimes incur a penalty of an unlimited fine and/or up to a six-month custodial sentence.Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime and directly assists law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing 494,000 for the NWCU this year. In 2024, the NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force (HTF) – a partnership designed to help tackle the illegal persecution of hen harriers, often associated with grouse shooting. Through the HTF, more efficient channels of communication, cooperation, and data sharing between partners such as Natural England, the RSPB, and the NWCU expedites the coordination of an effective enforcement response. The HTF represents a pivotal shift in combating wildlife crime; it is using innovative technology (such as tracking drones and specialised detection dogs) to overcome logistical challenges and enhance evidence collection in remote areas.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce further restrictions on domestic wood burning in urban areas with poor air quality.

Wood burning is a major source of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), especially in urban areas. The Government is currently considering options for reducing the impact of domestic wood burning on people’s health and will consult on measures to reduce emissions from this source.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Mayor of London to reduce air pollution levels in (a) Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency and (b) London.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in air pollution levels in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has carried out a health-impact assessment on the levels of air pollution in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the health impact of air pollution levels in Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency.

Air quality management in London is devolved to the Mayor of London. Officials from Defra maintain regular engagement with the Greater London Authority to discuss and collaborate on air quality initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether systems are in place to (a) record and (b) monitor the (i) tonnage, (ii) quality and (iii) composition of post-consumer textile exports from the UK to Ghana; and what evidence exporters are required to submit on (A) sorting, (B) reuse and (C) disposal practices in destination countries.

Exporters of waste textiles must provide information on where the waste is being exported to, and the operation the waste will be subject to at its final destination. UK legislation requires that those involved in the shipments of textile waste take all necessary steps to ensure that it is managed in an environmentally sound manner throughout its shipment and in its country of destination. Exporters operating in contravention of the requirements of the UK’s legislation can face a two-year jail term and an unlimited fine. The four UK regulators for waste exports conduct proactive, risk based and intelligence-led interventions and compliance activities to prevent illegal waste shipments before they leave the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of post-consumer textiles collected in the UK is (a) processed domestically and (b) exported (i) in total and (ii) of material categorised as unsellable.

While the department does not hold internal estimates on the proportion of post-consumer textiles processed domestically, exported, and respective proportions deemed unsellable, industry partners provide some insight. WRAP estimates that the UK generated approximately 1.453 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles in 2022. Of this,1.032m tonnes (71%) was processed or resold domestically, while 421,000 tonnes (29%) was exported. Of the 1.032m tonnes processed domestically, 276,000 tonnes (26.7%) was estimated to be resold to the UK public, and 759,000 tonnes (73.5%) was estimated to be sent to end of life (percentages do not sum to 100%. This is due to double counting where there is uncertainty). Of the 421,000 tonnes of exported post-consumer textiles, while the proportion categorised as unsellable is not disclosed, 99% were categorised as worn clothing, while 1% was categorised as rags.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Ghanaian (a) government agencies, (b) waste management entities and (c) market associations on the development of Extended Producer Responsibility proposals for textiles.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The Circular Economy Taskforce will initially focus on six sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: textiles; agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; and transport. The Taskforce has been extensively engaging with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved. As we develop the strategy, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and alongside The Circular Economy Taskforce we will assess what interventions may be needed across the textiles sector. The Taskforce will consider evidence across a range of interventions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) compliance measures and (b) enforcement mechanisms he is developing to ensure (i) producer, (ii) sorter and (iii) exporter adherence to the (A) transparency and (B) traceability requirements of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The Circular Economy Taskforce will initially focus on six sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: textiles; agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; and transport. The Taskforce has been extensively engaging with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved. As we develop the strategy, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and alongside The Circular Economy Taskforce we will assess what interventions may be needed across the textiles sector. The Taskforce will consider evidence across a range of interventions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to include digital product passports within the (a) Extended Producer Responsibility framework and (b) Circular Economy Strategy.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. The Circular Economy Taskforce will initially focus on six sectors that have the greatest potential to grow the economy: textiles; agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; and transport. The Taskforce has been extensively engaging with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved. As we develop the strategy, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy, and alongside The Circular Economy Taskforce we will assess what interventions may be needed across the textiles sector. The Taskforce will consider evidence across a range of interventions.