Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to launch the third round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant Scheme.

The Slurry Infrastructure Grant first opened in 2022 and has run for two rounds. The grant supports farmers to build 6-month slurry storage and to cover stores with impermeable covers to reduce ammonia emissions. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2026 grant supports farmers, growers, foresters and contractors to buy equipment and technology that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management. Through the Environmental Improvement Plan, published last year, the Government has committed to work with stakeholders to reduce water pollution and ammonia emissions from farming through streamlined regulation and develop detailed proposals on the extension of environmental permitting for dairy and intensive beef farms for consultation. Improved slurry infrastructure, with appropriate capacity and emission reducing features like covers, is one of the mitigation measures that will be considered as we develop these regulatory proposals, as well as the potential for further financial support.

Food and Rural Affairs, what measures she is taking to support farmers with their applications to the Slurry Infrastructure Grant Scheme.

The Slurry Infrastructure Grant Scheme is supported through a range of measures provided by Defra and the Rural Payments Agency. These include cross-department working with Environment Agency (EA) colleagues to address any issues and proactively working with customers to enable the grant funding agreement to be offered. Further contact is due to commence with all customers who have outstanding applications, to provide an update on progress and discuss any concerns they may have.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications (a) her department has received to the Slurry Infrastructure Grant Scheme Rounds 1 and 2; (b) have been approved to progress; (c) have been submitted, and; (d) have had grant funding agreements offered.

As of 24 April, the Rural Payments Agency has received: 2,087 applications received (a) to the Slurry Infrastructure Grant Scheme Rounds 1 and 2 – Stage 1 1,175 have been approved (b) to progress to Stage 2 441 applications submitted (c) to the 2nd stage Once these checks are passed the applicant is then invited to submit a Full Application – ‘Stage Three’. 259 Full Applications received to date of which 186 have had (d) grant funding agreements offered.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that access to bluefin tuna fishing licences is (a) increased and (b) distributed across inshore fleets, including in coastal communities such as North Cornwall constituency.

In 2026 Defra is making up to 30 licence authorisations available for commercial rod and line fishing for bluefin tuna, double the number in 2025. The fishery is accessed through an application process run by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and is open to applicants with eligible vessels registered in any part of the UK. The application process will be open between 8 April and 30 April 2026. The vessel criteria have been chosen to create opportunities for sustainable inshore fishing across the UK. For bluefin tuna catch and release recreational fisheries (CRRFs), in 2026 Defra is making up to 230 permits available across all UK CRRFs with around 150 of those in English waters. Each Fisheries Administration has the power to open a CRRF in their waters. In England, the MMO will regulate the fishery and ran an application process between 24 March and 13 April 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including Water Hyacinth in the list of Species of Special Concern.

Water hyacinth, along with 65 other non-native species, has been risk assessed and is listed as an invasive non-native species of special concern. The risk assessment for water hyacinth can be found here: https://www.nonnativespecies.org/assets/Uploads/RA_Eichhornia_crassipes_Water_Hyacinthpoc.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing funding to support the installation of sustainable slurry systems on farms.

The Slurry Infrastructure Grant first opened in 2022 and has run for two rounds. The grant supports farmers to build 6-month slurry storage and to cover stores with impermeable covers to reduce ammonia emissions. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2026 grant supports farmers, growers, foresters and contractors to buy equipment and technology that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management. Through the Environmental Improvement Plan, published last year, the Government has committed to work with stakeholders to reduce water pollution and ammonia emissions from farming through streamlined regulation and develop detailed proposals on the extension of environmental permitting for dairy and intensive beef farms for consultation. Slurry covers are one of the mitigation measures that will be considered as we develop these regulatory proposals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will use to evaluate proposals for the nine new propossed national river walks.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department expects to make decisions on the allocation of new national river walk routes following the planned bidding process.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what process her Department will use to invite and assess bids for the proposed new national river walks.

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of slurry storage technologies on reducing agricultural methane emissions.

Defra has assessed slurry storage systems and their ability to reduce agricultural methane emissions, including retrofitted permeable and impermeable covers. These are detailed in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (2025). Available scientific evidence found that the methane reduction potential of slurry storage technologies is variable depending on the technique deployed. Defra is currently reviewing the scientific evidence relating to other slurry storage technologies, including biogas capture.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that details of (a) the geographical location of production and (b) ownership of brands is included on (i) labels and (ii) point of sale materials for (1) beer and (2) other food and drink products.

The UK aims to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for the name and address of the food business operator that is responsible for the food. Food origin information is mandatory for some, but not all foods. It is not required for beer products, but many producers in the UK state where the beer is brewed. If there is a recognised regional style of beer, it may be possible to protect that heritage through the geographical indications scheme. In any case, where an indication of origin or provenance is given on food and drink, either in words or pictures, this must be accurate. The Government has no current plans change country of origin rules. The ownership of brand is not required under food labelling rules.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of Sharp's brewery in Rock, North Cornwall on (a) jobs, (b) the local economy and (c) consumer choice.

Defra has not completed an impact assessment regarding the proposed closure of Sharp’s brewery. Molson Coors are conducting a consultation process on this proposed closure, and no further decisions will be made until this has finished. The department remains in regular contact with Molson Coors on this matter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a geographic indication scheme for beers traditionally brewed in a specific location.

The Government recognises the economic and cultural importance of geographical indications (GIs) and remains committed to ensuring their continued protection. The family of UK produced GIs already includes beer - Kentish Ale, Kentish Strong Ale, and Rutland Bitter, in addition to East Kent Goldings, a variety of hops used in the production of beers and ales. Those are proudly produced to specific recipes and processes in a defined place, and the Government welcome applications for GI protection from producers of other beers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether underspend in the current financial year’s Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier budget will be (a) protected, and (b) carried forward into next year’s allocation.

Defra expects to increase both the numbers of farmers and land managers coming into the scheme and related spend on the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme over the course of the coming year. The scale of ambition for the number of agreements in this first phase remains unchanged. To support this, Defra has been carefully rolling out Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier over the course of 2025 and into 2026. Since January 2025, Natural England and the Forestry Commission have offered pre-application advice to over 2,400 farmers and land managers. The application service opened on 18 September 2025, and so far over 650 sites have been invited to apply. Defra is continuing to work with farmers and land managers to support completion of their pre-application advice and, where agreed, invite them into the service to apply over the coming months.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to confirm the date from which farmers currently in legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements will be able to exit those agreements and enter Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier without repayment.

Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) customers can submit a request to end their existing agreement at any time during the calendar year, but they may need to repay any money received. Defra will work with customers whose HLS agreements will expire over the next 2-3 years to support them to continue management of key habitats and to look at how delivery of these sites can be further enhanced. More details about the further roll out of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) will be confirmed in due course, including which cohorts will be invited into CSHT next.

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is supporting farmers who cannot afford the costs of feasibility studies (e.g. PA2 for a feasibility study) which prevents them from accessing the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer.

Payment for completion of feasibility studies can be claimed as soon as the work has been completed. The PA2 grant funds 100% of the costs of completing the study and so farmers and land managers will receive payments back for all costs incurred.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of payment parity between (a) legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements, and (b) current Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements.

In February last year, Defra recognised that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates had fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Defra invested £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside. Defra raised 157 options by 34.4% of the difference between the HLS rate set out in an agreement holder's document and the equivalent CSHT or Sustainable Farming Incentive action, to bring them more in line with those schemes. This includes equivalent payment rates for agreements above the moorland line.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans adjustments to ensure parity between (a) legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements, and (b) current Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements, for those delivering equivalent environmental outcomes above the moorland line.

In February last year, Defra recognised that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates had fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Defra invested £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside. Defra raised 157 options by 34.4% of the difference between the HLS rate set out in an agreement holder's document and the equivalent CSHT or Sustainable Farming Incentive action, to bring them more in line with those schemes. This includes equivalent payment rates for agreements above the moorland line.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Marine Management Organisation’s statutory guidance document entitled Variation issued: Thursday 01 January 2026, updated on December 29th, 2025, whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment on increasing the bass threshold for (a) rod and line fishing and (b) catch net.

No impact assessments have been produced because catch limits are agreed through UK/EU annual negotiations and limits cover all permitted gears at a coastal state level, as well as across the stock’s natural range.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 2026 bass catch limits on the South West’s inshore fishing fleet.

Sustainable catch limits for European Seabass are set at the UK level through UK/EU annual negotiations within the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). No region-specific assessments are carried out as negotiations set sustainable catch limits at a coastal state level across the stock’s natural range.