Every parliamentary written question tabled by Blake Stephenson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 61–80 of 142 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether his Department has had discussions with local authorities on the new flood zone mapping.
The Environment Agency has regular discussions with Lead Local Flood Authorities and Local Planning Authorities both nationally and locally, including before and after publication of the new flood and coastal erosion risk information.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether he has had discussions with the insurance sector on properties now classified as being in flood zone (a) two and (b) three.
The department regularly engages with the insurance industry, including bilaterally with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). Engagement includes representation from the sector on the Flood Resilience Taskforce and an Insurance Roundtable hosted by me in September 2024. The Environment Agency (EA) also has regular discussions with the insurance industry as part of its engagement on flood and coastal erosion risk management, including on the new flood and coastal erosion risk information. It is important to note that insurance companies make decisions on premium prices based on their own assessment of the risk, using commercially available risk analysis models and are not mandated to use EA models.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses in Bedfordshire now classified as being in flood zone (a) 2 or (b) 3.
The number of properties in Bedfordshire classed within Flood Zone 2 is approximately 8200. The number of properties in Bedfordshire classed within Flood Zone 3 is approximately 3500.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, new national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, if he will write to home owners now classified as being in flood zone (a) 2 and (b) 3.
The Environment Agency (EA) provides a free service which allows homeowners to check and understand the flood risk around their properties and the actions they can do to reduce their risk. The EA also shares updated information about the risk of flooding at community engagement events.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, what steps he is taking to support home owners now classified as being in flood zone (a) 2 and (b) 3.
This Government will maintain the highest levels of flood protection while taking decisive action to fix our broken planning system and deliver 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change. The Flood Zones in the Flood Map for Planning are aimed at planners and developers making decisions about the location and design of new development. By publishing the new flood and coastal erosion risk information in March 2025 the Environment Agency have ensured these decisions are based on the best available evidence. This Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over two years (2024/25 and 2025/26) for the construction of new flood schemes, and the maintenance and repair of existing ones. The Flood Zones in the Flood Map for Planning are aimed at planners and developers making decisions about the location and design of new development. By publishing the new flood and coastal erosion risk information in March 2025 the Environment Agency have ensured these decisions are based on the best available evidence. The Environment Agency also provides the Check for flooding service, giving information on flood alerts and warnings as well as a 5-day forecast. Its flood warning system directly alerts 1.6 million properties in England who are registered to receive flood warnings. In addition it provides advice on what can be done to reduce the impacts of a flood, including preparing personal flood plans, adapting a home or business and getting insurance.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to implement recommendation 23 of the report entitled Delivering economic growth and nature recovery: an independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape, published on 2 April 2025.
The Government has welcomed the publication of Dan Corry’s review of Defra’s regulatory landscape and confirmed that it is actively considering all 29 recommendations. The Government also confirmed that work is already underway on nine key measures with the greatest impact for growth and nature recovery, which are being fast-tracked.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing new flood mitigations in Maulden, Bedfordshire.
The Environment Agency (EA) recognises the impact of the flooding that residents of Maulden experienced following the severe weather events of 2024. Following events such as these, the immediate focus moves to recovery; Risk Management Authorities in the area have been and continue to work hard to progress this work. Central Bedfordshire Council are leading flood risk studies in Maulden and nearby in Clophill to identify potential options to reduce flood risk in the future. These studies are being funded by the local Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and are expected to complete this financial year. Whilst this work progresses, the EA and Central Bedfordshire Council, alongside other partners have worked to implement additional maintenance works in Maulden aimed at improving local flood resilience and the EA has offered support to the local Flood Action Group.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to funding to Natural England for national landscapes on important (a) habitats and (b) wildlife.
For the 2024-2025 financial year Natural England received a total of £237 million funding from Defra in their Delegated Authority Document, and for 2025-2026 this figure is £248 million.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of beekeeping practices on global food security.
Beekeepers are encouraged to adopt good beekeeping practices and there are also worldwide policies on controlling pests and diseases in honeybees. These actions will help to ensure healthy sustainable populations of honeybees which will support food production by contributing to insect pollination of crops.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to continue approving permits for British trophy hunters who shoot Cheetahs to bring the trophies back to the UK.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), an executive agency of Defra, is responsible for issuing import permits for hunting trophies. APHA will continue to issue import permits only when the strict criteria set out in the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations are satisfied, including that the import does not have a detrimental impact on the conservation status of a species. This Government has also committed to a ban on the import of hunting trophies of species of conservation concern in its manifesto and will deliver on this. DEFRA is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders in order to decide on the most effective approach.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the number of houses at risk of (a) surface water and (b) all other flooding in (i) the UK and (ii) the G7 in the last 10 years.
Flood risk management is a devolved matter. In England, the Environment Agency’s latest National Flood Risk Assessment published in 2024 estimates that around 6.3 million properties are in areas at risk of flooding from one or a combination of sources: rivers, the sea, and surface water. Around 4.6 million properties are in areas at risk of surface water flooding, of which 1.1 million properties are in areas at high risk. Around 2.4 million properties are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, of which 367,900 properties are in areas at high risk. Some properties are at risk from more than one source of floods. The data from the latest National Flood Risk Assessment is not directly comparable with previous assessments due to changes in modelling methodologies. There are different approaches in defining and managing flood risk, and in recording residential and non-residential developments between nations.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's case study entitled Mental health costs of flooding, published on 4 April 2025, whether his Department plans to commission further research on that topic.
The Environment Agency’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Mental health costs of flooding case study builds on previous mental health and flooding work. New research into the mental health impacts for those living in areas at risk of coastal erosion is also underway. The Environment Agency has updated its advice for those at risk of flooding based on the research. This showed that mental health impacts are reduced if people have a flood plan and are prepared for flooding. The Environment Agency is working with the UK Health Security Agency on their mental health guidance for the public, and front line responders, who support those who have experienced flooding.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's case study entitled Mental health costs of flooding, published on 4 April 2025, whether the prices used are for 2025.
The Mental health costs of flooding and erosion case study found the mental health losses per adult per flood event to be £1,878 per adult per flood for shallow floods (less than 30cm of water in a home). This increases to £4,136 per adult per flood for deeper, more severe floods (when water is over 1 metre deep). These values are the same as those available in the supplementary guidance Mental health costs of flooding and erosion. The mental health cost values in the case study are at 2018 prices, the same as the underlying guidance.
Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 42689 on Environment Protection: Planning, if he will publish the stakeholders with which his Department has consulted.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 31 March 2025, UIN 42689. We have no plans to publish the recommendations or stakeholders engaged.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the definition of honey included in the 2015 Honey England Regulations.
The Honey (England) Regulations 2015 lay down detailed specifications for honey in terms of its composition and quality criteria. One of the aims of these is to protect the use of the reserved description “honey” by setting a minimum expected compositional standard for our market, in order to protect consumers, instil consumer confidence that the honey is what it says it is, create a level playing field for industry, and prevent misleading and fraudulent practices on our market. Defra periodically reviews food compositional standards legislation to ensure regulations remain fit for purpose. A post-implementation review of the Honey (England) Regulations 2015 in 2021 found that the policy objectives stated in the regulations have been fully realised. As a result of the review, the definition of honey as a reserved description, the description of different types of honey, and the listing of its minimum compositional standards have remained in place.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of honeybees in April (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
There is currently no compulsory registration system for bees and beekeeping in the UK, so it is difficult to provide exact figures for honey bee populations. Beekeepers are however encouraged to voluntarily register on the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) BeeBase website where they can record their details. The figures from BeeBase can be used to provide a useful indication of the number of managed colonies in the UK. An Annual Hive Count is carried out where beekeepers are asked to update their BeeBase records. Information about numbers and location of hives is important for Bee Inspectors in terms of preparing and planning for outbreaks of disease and exotic pests.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to make businesses aware of the ban on unlicensed use of glue traps in the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022.
The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 bans glue trap use in England in all but the most exceptional, licensable circumstances. It came into force in 2024. Nothing in the law prevents sale of glue traps in England. However, only pest controllers with a licence can legally use them for rodent control. Widespread media coverage in 2022 and 2024 alerted businesses to the change in legislation in England and on-going stakeholder engagement has helped ensure pest controllers acting for businesses are cognisant of the situation. The British Independent Retailers Association has also published advice for retailers to prevent glue traps from being sold for illegal use and we know of market-leading suppliers and retailers having withdrawn them from sale.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled England’s non-woodland trees freely mapped for first time, published on 5 April 2025, whether his Department plans to use this mapping to identify trees which are not currently protected by tree protection orders.
The Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme’s Trees outside Woodlands (ToW) map identifies the location, distribution and cover of trees, small groups of trees and small woodlands (less than 0.5 hectares) in England, and enables citizens, communities and local authorities to identify trees outside woodland in their local area for the first time. Local authorities hold information on the Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) in their area and can choose how this information is disseminated, of which some choose to do so through mapping. Members of the public can contact their local authority to check the TPOs in their local area. Local authorities are responsible for TPOs and may use the ToW map as a tool to cross-reference with their records.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the number of houses built on functional floodplains in (a) the UK and (b) the G7 in the last decade.
The Government has committed to ensure we are building more high-quality, well-designed and sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery. Flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits. There are different approaches in defining and managing flood risk and floodplains, and in recording residential and non-residential developments between nations.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing mandatory nature reporting on nature.
The government is committed to deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, to restore and protect our natural world. Annual Progress reports on the Environmental Improvement Plan and the Outcome Indicator Framework assess progress towards achieving Environment Act targets and whether the natural environment has, or particular aspects of it have, improved during the reporting period.The 25 Year Environment Plan Outcome Indicator Framework (link: Outcome Indicator Framework for the 25 Year Environment Plan) collectively describes environmental changes as related to the 10 goals of government’s Environmental Improvement Plan. The Outcome Indicator Framework was first published in 2019 and is updated on a yearly basis showing the changes and trends over time.