Written questions by Coghlan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that owners of dogs on the Index of Exempted Dogs can maintain the continuous third-party public liability insurance following the withdrawal of the Dogs Trust Companion Club cover on 30 June 2026; what discussions she is having with insurers on alternative provision; and if she will publish guidance on ensuring that responsible owners do not face unintentional non-compliance due to a lack of accessible insurance options.

Defra is working to ensure owners of banned breed dogs can remain compliant with the legal requirement to hold third-party public liability insurance beyond 1 July 2026. Defra has published guidance on the GOV.UK page and contacted all registered owners to inform them that no action is required at this stage. Defra will share further guidance which will be published on GOV.UK in early June.

Food and Rural Affairs, what urgent steps she will take to protect national security further to her Department's publication entitled National security assessment on global ecosystems, updated on 2 February 2026.

On 20 January, the Government published the Nature Security Assessment which examined the potential impacts that may arise from global biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. The assessment reinforces the importance of protecting nature as a foundation of the UK’s security, prosperity and resilience. In response, the Government is already taking action to address the risks identified, including significant investment in nature and forests at home and overseas. This includes meeting the International Climate Finance (ICF) 3 spending target of at least £11.6 billion over the period 2021 to 2026. The Government recognises that food security is national security and is investing £11.8 billion this Parliament to support sustainable domestic farming, alongside action to strengthen supply chain resilience. These measures sit alongside wider domestic action to restore nature, including record levels of tree planting, peatland restoration, improved water quality and stronger protection of the marine environment, forming part of the UK’s broader approach to reducing the security risks associated with biodiversity loss.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with animal welfare groups about the welfare implications of the use of farrowing crates for pigs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 September 2025 to the hon. Member for Ashfield, PQ 73693.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Environment Agency's document entitled National assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk in England 2024, updated on 22 January 2025, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of insurance premiums for (a) households (b) businesses and (c) public buildings following the publication of that document.

Insurers consider a range of factors in setting premiums for insurance policies that include cover against flooding. This will include factors such as previous claims history, as well as future risk of flooding. Insurance companies may use Environment Agency data, alongside their own commercially available modelling to inform their assessment of the risk. The decision to insure a property is a commercial decision made by the insurer. I work closely with the insurance industry, for example, through the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which includes an Action Group focused on improving flood insurance provision and uptake, and the Insurance Roundtables, most recently held on 13 October, where leaders discussed how insurers can support customers to access affordable cover and improve experiences at the point of claim.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the Circular Economy Taskforce helps to encourage people to repair and reuse.

This Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. We have convened the Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising experts from industry, academia, and civil society, to help develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England. 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. 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, if he will ensure that local communities are compensated by water companies for sewage discharges.

Ofwat, the independent economic regulator, sets specific performance targets for companies in the five-yearly price review. Where companies fail to meet these targets, including pollution incidents, they must reimburse customers through lower water bills. Additionally, under new proposals set out by this Government on the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, households and businesses will be entitled to higher payments from water companies when basic services are not met. This includes payments for incidents of internal and external sewer flooding to a customer’s property. In October 2024, the Secretary of State and the Welsh Government launched an Independent Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, into the water sector and its regulation, in what is expected to form the largest review of the industry since privatisation. These wide-ranging recommendations will form the basis of further legislation to attract long-term investment and clean up our waters for good.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) financial, (b) planning and (c) infrastructure support for the (i) development and (ii) improvement of sewage treatment facilities.

Ofwat published their final determinations for Price Review 2024 (the price, investment and service package for water companies in England and Wales) on 19 December, which sets company expenditure and customer bills for 2025-2030. This will deliver substantial, lasting, improvements for customers and the environment through £104 billion of investment in the water sector, including improving over 1700 wastewater treatment works. Government recognises the importance of having a robust drainage and wastewater system both now and for future demand. As part of the Environment Act 2021, water companies in England are required to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a water company intends to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years. These plans will help sewerage companies to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues. It is ultimately water companies’ responsibility to maintain and improve their sewage treatment facilities, as needed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support water regulators in (a) monitoring (i) river and (ii) sea water quality and (b) rectifying low water quality.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. Since 01 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will ensure that every sewage discharge outlet is monitored. Price Review 24 set record levels of investment into the water industry of £104 billion over the next five years and sets out work water companies have to conduct. This includes investing £12 billion to upgrade nearly 3,000 storm overflows in England and Wales, reducing the number of spills from storm overflows and installing water quality monitors to provide further information on the impact of sewage discharges on water quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to help reduce the cost of groceries.

This Government cares deeply about the cost of living and food security; therefore, it closely monitors food prices and the factors impacting them. After a period of high inflation experienced during 2022 and 2023, with a peak at over 19% in March 2023, year-on-year food price inflation (based on ONS CPI data) has been at or below 2% since May 2024. In 2025 food price inflation is expected to remain positive, with current industry forecasts indicating an average rate of 3.4% for 2025. Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers about a number of issues, including to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. However, it is not for HM Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. It is for each individual food retailer to take the commercial decision around which products they sell in their stores. This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Great Britain and Northern Ireland can access nutritious and fairly priced food. To further support struggling families, £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. To support people with the cost of living we are tripling investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, and increasing the National Living Wage, boosting the pay of 3 million workers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department (a) monitors and (b) tracks sewage discharge into (i) rivers and (ii) seas by (A) location and (B) water company.

Since 01 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning (under section 141DA of the Water Industry Act 1991 as inserted by section 81 of the Environment Act 2021). Data must be published in a way that is accessible to the public and in a form that allows the public readily to understand it. This includes providing information on the location and operating water company of each storm overflow. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. This has created an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and to hold water companies to account. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will ensure that every sewage discharge outlet is monitored.

Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department plans to ensure that sewage treatment facilities (a) in Horley and (b) nationally are upgraded according to agreed timescales.

For Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025 – 2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment: £104 billion over the next five years. Ofwat, Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales have developed a new Delivery Monitoring Framework for the delivery period from 2025-30. It will establish a system for tracking and reporting on water company delivery of their WINEP obligations, to report to their customers and regulators on progress. Thames Water will be expected to comply with the 6 monthly reporting requirements. As part of the Environment Act 2021, water companies in England are required to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how a water company intends to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years. These plans will help sewerage companies to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues.