Every parliamentary written question tabled by Dave Robertson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–3 of 3 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the dairy industry.
I recognise the current sharp falls in milk prices is extremely challenging for dairy farmers. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024 now apply to all contracts, ensuring greater transparency and the resilient dairy supply chain we need for our national food security.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the budget allocation for the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge for the financial year 2025-26 is included within the £500 million uplift for agricultural spending for the same period; and how much was spent from the agricultural budget for farms in Lichfield constituency in the last three years.
The Spending Review confirmed Defra’s budget for 2024-25 and 2025-26. The settlement provides £5 billion total departmental expenditure limit over two years (2024-25 and 2025-26) to support the transition towards a more productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector in England, ensuring food security. It also confirms £208 million funding across 2024-25 and 2025-26 to support the transformation of the Government’s biosecurity facilities at Weybridge. More detailed budgets will be set following the department’s business planning exercise. The department does not hold constituency level spending information for the farming budget.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle dog attacks; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reintroducing dog licences, in the context of recent increases in the number of dog attacks.
Defra is working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to help prevent dog attacks by encouraging responsible dog ownership, making sure dog control issues are addressed before they escalate and that the full force of the law is applied. We have no plans currently to reintroduce a mandatory dog licence. The old licensing system was repealed by the Local Government Act 1988 because it cost more to administer than the revenue it generated. The old licensing system was in effect an ownership registration scheme. Now that microchipping is mandatory, this is no longer necessary.