Written questions by Dinenage.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 on the number of glue traps.

No formal assessment has been made of the impact of the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 on the number of glue traps. The Act aims to improve animal welfare by reducing the use of glue traps in England. Since 2022, market-leading suppliers have been removing glue traps from sale and promoting more humane alternatives; and since 2024, professional pest controllers have only been able to use glue traps in exceptional circumstances under licence. Defra has confidence that the number of these devices deployed across England has significantly reduced.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect coastal towns from flooding.

This Government is committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood and coastal erosion risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. Delivering on the Plan for Change, the Government is investing at least £10.5 billion by 2035/6 to construct new flood and coastal schemes and repair existing defences. This funding will better protect nearly 900,000 properties. Between April 2024 and March 2026, around £667 million is being invested into protection from sea flooding, tidal flooding and coastal erosion. We delivered 151 schemes in our first year in Government and have redirected £108 million into urgent flood and coastal defence maintenance. The Environment Agency (EA) has a coastal resilience team who operate at a national level. The team are supported by operational coastal specialists located in EA area teams around the coast of England who work closely with coastal local authorities to ensure that coastal flooding and erosion is managed in a coordinated way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress she has made on the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will launch in October 2027 across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Earlier this year we appointed UK DMO as the deposit management organisation for the schemes in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and they are continuing to progress at pace with delivery of the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote domestic recycling.

The Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school.  Every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only). These reforms begun from workplaces on 31 March 2025 (except for micro-firms with less than 10 FTE), will begin from households by 31 March 2026 and micro-firms by 31 March 2027. These reforms will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates. This will support our ambition to recycle 65% of municipal (household-like) waste by 2035, reducing emissions from landfill and waste incineration, decreasing reliance on virgin materials, and supporting the growth of the UK recycling industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the correspondence of 6 July 2025 from The Restart Project’s on (a) product design codes, (b) the right to repair, (c) VAT on repairs, (d) reuse targets and (e) waste reduction.

The Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy. The Circular Economy Taskforce, composed of experts from industry, academia, and civil society, is helping to develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England, which we plan to publish proposals for in due course. The outputs will aim to support economic growth, deliver green jobs, promote efficient and productive use of resources, minimise negative environmental impacts and accelerate to Net Zero. The strategy will be accompanied by a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. The Circular Economy Taskforce will start with six sectors: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. 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. The Circular Economy Taskforce will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy throughout the development of the strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter, published on 19 June 2025.

No assessment has been made of the potential implications for policies of the recommendations made in the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter. The Government is currently considering further actions that can be taken to address the challenges associated with single-use plastic products. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, to reduce the use of unnecessary or harmful single-use plastic products.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to reduce the time taken for the licensing process for marine restoration projects.

Defra officials are working with arms-length bodies to understand whether improvements could be made to the marine licensing regime when considering applications for habitat restoration. This includes reviewing the time taken to grant licences for marine restoration projects to identify any opportunities that may reduce consenting timeframes. The MMO's key performance indicator for new marine licence applications is to determine 90% of applications within 13 weeks. However, some applications, particularly those with significant public interest or complex characteristics, may take longer.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22902 on Flood Control: Finance, when he plans to announce the flood and coastal erosion risk management projects that will receive funding through regional flood and coastal committees in the 2025-26 financial year.

We are investing £2.65 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining and repairing flood defences. We published a full list of over 700 schemes that will receive funding in 2025/26 on Monday 31st March. This includes an additional £140 million to fill funding gaps for 29 flood schemes, to allow them to proceed to construction. As part of this, schemes in Alverstoke and Hill Head to Portsmouth have been allocated £3,588,150 and £778,185 respectively. Further information is available on GOV.UK, at the link below. Programme of flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) schemes - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what changes to legislation the Circular Economy Taskforce is considering to help increase the size of the repair and reuse economy.

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 that detail 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, including legislative changes, right across the economy as we develop the strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing regional Circular Economy Champions to support the Circular Economy Taskforce.

This Government recognises that delivering circular economy principles through local action is key for any Circular Economy Strategy. We believe it is crucial to listen to high-performing and high-ambition local, regional, and combined authorities, as well as private sector bodies, that are already, or could potentially develop and deliver, local circular economy initiatives. As ambitious, impactful, and replicable examples which other local and combined authorities, and/or businesses could adopt, we are engaging with these organisations, together with the Circular Economy Taskforce, as we develop our Circular Economy Strategy for England.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 14034 on Flood Control: Gosport, when her Department plans to confirm the list of projects to receive Government flood resilience funding through the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided to Dame Caroline Dinenage on 19 November 2024. The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 will be consented in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation – in order that allocations are confirmed before the start of the financial year.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 3.82 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, how much of the flood resilience funding will be spent in Gosport constituency.

This Government is investing £2.4 billion over this year and next year to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 October 2024 to question 6040 on Flood Control: Alverstoke, what discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management catch up funding.

Defra Ministers regularly meet with the Environment Agency’s leadership team to discuss delivery of departmental priorities, including the floods investment programme. We have inherited a programme which is behind schedule due to the impacts of inflation, the covid pandemic, and skills and labour shortages. We will therefore be reviewing the programme to ensure flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. Decisions on future spending will be made at the Spending Review later this month.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2024 to Question 5225 on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, whether Ministers have completed the review of final policy positions relating to Simpler Recycling.

The review is still under way however the Department is aware of the urgent need for certainty for stakeholders, and we hope to provide further clarity as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to implement regulations through powers introduced in the Environment Act 2021 to require producers to take responsibility for the waste that arises from their products.

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, which reform the UKs producer responsibility system for packaging, are due to be brought before parliament in autumn this year, with the aim of these regulations coming into force by 1 January 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with Council leaders on the potential merits of allowing local decision makers greater control over the design of local household waste recycling centre services.

No, officials have not had any such discussions. The Environmental Protection Act requires that waste disposal authorities provide places for residents to dispose of household waste. Householders must be allowed to deposit waste deemed to be ‘household waste’ for free. This encourages responsible waste disposal and recycling. Local authorities may otherwise determine how best to deliver a service that meets the needs of their residents.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Alverstoke Coastal Defence Scheme will receive Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management catch up funding.

The Environment Agency has worked with Gosport Borough Council to agree a business case for the Alverstoke Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management scheme. This scheme aims to better protect 99 residential and 9 commercial properties from flooding. The project has received £1 million of Government funding to date with a further £0.2 million yet to be allocated. However, due to inflation in the construction industry and other factors, costs have risen. Currently, the project has a funding gap of £3.6 million. The Environment Agency are working with the Government to reduce partnership funding gaps on schemes that have been impacted by rising costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to announce a further tranche of flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) funding.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Department’s five core priorities. After 14 years of Conservative failure, flood defences have been left in critical condition leaving over 80,000 homes at risk of flooding. To respond to these challenges, the new Labour Government has established a Flood Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the delivery of flood defences, drainage systems, and natural flood management schemes. We will be reviewing the programme with a view to ensuring flood risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future. Decisions on future spending will be made at the Spending Review later this month.