Written questions by Dewhirst.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 107385 on Ofwat: Equality, whether Ofwat intends to amend its policy approach; and if she will ask Ofwat to use the Equality Act terminology of sex when referring to protected characteristics.

As previously stated, Ofwat's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy makes reference to "gender" largely in relation to the outcomes of, and insight from, statutory Gender Pay Gap reporting. Ofwat has confirmed that it will amend its EDI strategy to provide further clarity on where commitments and actions relate to the protected characteristic of sex and/or gender or gender reassignment.

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will respond to the consultation entitled F gas Regulation in Great Britain: Reform of the HFC phasedown before Whitsun recess.

Defra is working at pace with the aim of providing more information to industry on the proposed HFC phasedown reform in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for steps following the recent consultation on F gas Regulation in Great Britain.

Defra is working at pace with the aim of providing more information to industry on the proposed HFC phasedown reform in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the consultation on F gas Regulation in Great Britain: Reform of the HFC phasedown.

Defra and DESNZ worked together closely on the proposal set out in the HFC phasedown consultation and continue to do so. This is why the proposal reflects plans for the rollout of heat pumps. Responses to the consultation are still being considered. The consultation asked respondents questions about the assumptions underpinning the proposal and potential impacts of the proposal which could include availability of refrigerants.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration her Department has given to the availability of refrigerant as part of the review of responses to the F gas Regulation in Great Britain: Reform of the HFC phasedown consultation.

Defra and DESNZ worked together closely on the proposal set out in the HFC phasedown consultation and continue to do so. This is why the proposal reflects plans for the rollout of heat pumps. Responses to the consultation are still being considered. The consultation asked respondents questions about the assumptions underpinning the proposal and potential impacts of the proposal which could include availability of refrigerants.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department intends to take steps to support the uptake of industrial hemp farming, in the context of challenges around licensing and investment in the sector.

Defra recognises the valuable addition industrial hemp can provide to farmers when planning their crop rotation. The responsibility for the regulation of industrial hemp and licencing for cannabis cultivation in the UK lies with the Home Office. After further consultation with the industry the Home Office, with support of Defra, has introduced reforms to licensing that make it easier for farmers to cultivate industrial hemp. From January 2025, the rules on ‘site sensitivity’ were removed. Also, the duration of licences granted from January 2026 has been extended from three years to six years, with no additional fees. The Government has also announced its intention to raise the permitted tetrahyrdocannabinol (THC) levels in industrial hemp varieties to 0.3%, with plans in place to amend the relevant legislation needed to bring this into force. Combined, these reforms will enable an expansion of the UK’s hemp growing area, with better alignment of licences with the farming calendar and crop rotation planning, more flexibility in where it can be grown and an increase in the number of varieties growers can use.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many licences for winter burns of vegetation in England have been granted by Defra in the last year; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Scottish Government’s Strategic Action Plan on Wildfires, published on 5 March 2026, in the context of the use of winter burns.

No Heather and Grass Burning Licences have yet been granted in the 2025-2026 burning season. Whilst a number of the applications we have received have been determined, others are still being processed. Both Heather and Grass Burning, and wildfire are devolved matters.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason two pages were redacted in Natural England’s response to EIR2026/00223 on its report on managed burning.

The redactions made to Natural England’s response to EIR2026/00223, were applied because the material contained third-party personal data, which is exempt from disclosure under the Environmental Information Regulations. In addition, some material was outside the scope of the requestor’s EIR enquiry and was removed on that basis. The Department does not consider it necessary to place the requested documents in the Library. The NEER155 evidence review was carried out by Natural England, the Government’s statutory adviser on nature. As the statutory adviser responsible for the review, the tasks associated with carrying out that review including the peer review element were matters for Natural England. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies on the effects of burning on peatlands. The external peer reviewers for NEER155 were leading peatland experts at major universities and other expert institutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will place in the Library Defra-held correspondence and assessments supporting the evidential basis that NEER155 underwent rigorous peer review.

The redactions made to Natural England’s response to EIR2026/00223, were applied because the material contained third-party personal data, which is exempt from disclosure under the Environmental Information Regulations. In addition, some material was outside the scope of the requestor’s EIR enquiry and was removed on that basis. The Department does not consider it necessary to place the requested documents in the Library. The NEER155 evidence review was carried out by Natural England, the Government’s statutory adviser on nature. As the statutory adviser responsible for the review, the tasks associated with carrying out that review including the peer review element were matters for Natural England. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies on the effects of burning on peatlands. The external peer reviewers for NEER155 were leading peatland experts at major universities and other expert institutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the peer review for the Natural England Evidence Review with reference NEER155.

The redactions made to Natural England’s response to EIR2026/00223, were applied because the material contained third-party personal data, which is exempt from disclosure under the Environmental Information Regulations. In addition, some material was outside the scope of the requestor’s EIR enquiry and was removed on that basis. The Department does not consider it necessary to place the requested documents in the Library. The NEER155 evidence review was carried out by Natural England, the Government’s statutory adviser on nature. As the statutory adviser responsible for the review, the tasks associated with carrying out that review including the peer review element were matters for Natural England. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies on the effects of burning on peatlands. The external peer reviewers for NEER155 were leading peatland experts at major universities and other expert institutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the necessary safety measures required for the transition to alternative refrigerants with flammability or toxicity characteristics.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 10 February to the honourable Member for Newbury, PQs 111542 and 111543.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet with manufacturers from the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries to discuss mandatory training on flammable refrigerants as part of the GB F Gas consultation process.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 February 2026 to the honourable Member for Bridlington and The Wolds in PQ UIN 111494.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many responses her Department received to the consultation entitled Amending the hydrofluorocarbon phasedown schedule.

137 responses to the consultation were received. Defra is currently considering their contents.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet with manufacturers from the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries to discuss mandatory training regarding flammable refrigerants as part of the GB F Gas consultation process.

Defra officials meet regularly with representatives of the heating, refrigeration and air conditioning industries, including to discuss the topic of training regarding flammable refrigerants. They have gathered incredibly useful input through such engagement. They would be open to further meetings on this topic.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the International Journal of Wildland Fire's article entitled Assessing soil heating beneath prescribed burns, published on 15 January 2026.

The date and title of the citation provided does not correspond to any article published by the International Journal of Wildland Fire, but research on this topic is reviewed and taken into account in our policy development.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure a regular supply of tomatoes in the UK.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with any potential disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources including strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

There are five current Direct Ministerial Appointees.Julian Sayers is Co-Chair of the Farm Tenancy Forum. He is remunerated at £75 per hour, with a time commitment averaging approximately 2.5 days per quarter. To date, this has amounted to an average of £5,202 per annum. His appointment ends on 11 June 2026.Andrew Morlet is Chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce. He is remunerated at £15,600 per year with a time commitment of one day per week. His appointment is due to end on 3 February 2026. Paul Ekins is Deputy Chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce. He receives £15,600 annually with a time commitment of one day per week. His appointment is due to end on 3 February 2026. Philip Stocker is the Chair of the Dartmoor Land Management Group. He is paid £20,114.88 per annum with a commitment of four days per month. His appointment ends 28 April 2026. Peter Troughton is appointed as a Chequers Trustee. This is an unremunerated position, the time commitment is not specified, and the appointment is due to conclude on 16 August 2027.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the adequacy production standard of eggs imported from Ukraine.

The UK imports a small proportion of its annual supply of eggs, including from Ukraine, to meet domestic demand. We consistently monitor the impact of imports on the UK market. All agri-food products must comply with the UK sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the non-governmental organisations and associations that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature has met, since her appointment to the Department.

I regularly engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Since coming into office my meetings have been declared here: Defra: ministerial overseas travel, and meetings - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of regenerative agriculture.

We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are targeting public money where it delivers most value – supporting nature, because all farms need healthy soils, abundant pollinators, and clean water to produce good food. This includes the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Many SFI actions follow the regenerative farming approach. This includes actions on soil health, integrated pest management, farmland wildlife, hedgerows, buffer strips, agroforestry, precision farming, grassland, and moorland. We will publish information on the next iteration of the scheme in due course.