Written questions by Morello.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support a global plastics treaty to protect coastal areas.

The Government is committed to reaching agreement on an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025 and will be working closely with countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this. Plastic pollution can negatively impact coastal areas, industries, and ecosystems. The UK is calling for global legally binding rules that will tackle the full life cycle of plastics and promote a circular economy, working to prevent and reduce plastic pollution. We have called for specific measures to address plastic pollution from fishing and aquaculture gear and plastic pellets, two forms of plastic pollution that particularly affect coastal communities and cause harm to coastal ecosystems. Whilst a full assessment of the impacts can only be made once negotiations are complete, global and regional analysis by the OECD suggests an ambitious and effective global plastic pollution treaty could benefit the UK, including coastal areas such as West Dorset, by creating a level playing field for UK businesses and driving a global systems change towards a more circular economy for plastics.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the Global Plastics Treaty supports efforts to protect (a) coastal ecosystems and (b) the tourism economy in West Dorset constituency.

The Government is committed to reaching agreement on an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025 and will be working closely with countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this. Plastic pollution can negatively impact coastal areas, industries, and ecosystems. The UK is calling for global legally binding rules that will tackle the full life cycle of plastics and promote a circular economy, working to prevent and reduce plastic pollution. We have called for specific measures to address plastic pollution from fishing and aquaculture gear and plastic pellets, two forms of plastic pollution that particularly affect coastal communities and cause harm to coastal ecosystems. Whilst a full assessment of the impacts can only be made once negotiations are complete, global and regional analysis by the OECD suggests an ambitious and effective global plastic pollution treaty could benefit the UK, including coastal areas such as West Dorset, by creating a level playing field for UK businesses and driving a global systems change towards a more circular economy for plastics.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a Global Plastics Treaty on (a) coastal communities and (b) West Dorset constituency.

The Government is committed to reaching agreement on an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025 and will be working closely with countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this. Plastic pollution can negatively impact coastal areas, industries, and ecosystems. The UK is calling for global legally binding rules that will tackle the full life cycle of plastics and promote a circular economy, working to prevent and reduce plastic pollution. We have called for specific measures to address plastic pollution from fishing and aquaculture gear and plastic pellets, two forms of plastic pollution that particularly affect coastal communities and cause harm to coastal ecosystems. Whilst a full assessment of the impacts can only be made once negotiations are complete, global and regional analysis by the OECD suggests an ambitious and effective global plastic pollution treaty could benefit the UK, including coastal areas such as West Dorset, by creating a level playing field for UK businesses and driving a global systems change towards a more circular economy for plastics.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered introducing restrictions on the sale of disposable barbecues in areas experiencing prolonged dry weather.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It is a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecute. Research published under the previous Government titled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons - Risks and Mitigation Options - EV04104 considered the risks posed by disposable barbecues but failed to demonstrate a clear net benefit from a total ban. National Landscapes and National Parks also have powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access land. The public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code advises visitors to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed. Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities. Wildfires are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce a national policy on the (a) use and (b) sale of disposable barbecues in relation to increased wildfire risk.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It is a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecute. Research published under the previous Government titled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons - Risks and Mitigation Options - EV04104 considered the risks posed by disposable barbecues but failed to demonstrate a clear net benefit from a total ban. National Landscapes and National Parks also have powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access land. The public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code advises visitors to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed. Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities. Wildfires are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities (a) in West Dorset constituency (b) nationwide to limit the use of disposable barbecues during periods of high wildfire risk.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It is a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecute. Research published under the previous Government titled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons - Risks and Mitigation Options - EV04104 considered the risks posed by disposable barbecues but failed to demonstrate a clear net benefit from a total ban. National Landscapes and National Parks also have powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access land. The public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code advises visitors to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed. Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities. Wildfires are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of banning the use of disposable barbecues during periods of elevated wildfire risk due to dry conditions.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It is a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecute. Research published under the previous Government titled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons - Risks and Mitigation Options - EV04104 considered the risks posed by disposable barbecues but failed to demonstrate a clear net benefit from a total ban. National Landscapes and National Parks also have powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access land. The public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code advises visitors to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed. Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities. Wildfires are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to discourage the use of disposable barbecues in National Landscapes during periods of high fire risk.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques at present. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It would also be a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecuteNational Landscapes and National Parks also have specific powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access landThe public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government departments to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code also advises visitors to the countryside to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed.Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities.Wildfires and fire risk are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with retailers on limiting the sale of disposable barbecues during periods of high fire risk.

The Government has no plans to ban disposable barbeques at present. Local authorities already have powers to apply local bans on council or public land. It would also be a crime to litter a disposable barbecue for which councils have powers to issue fixed penalty notices of up to £500 or prosecuteNational Landscapes and National Parks also have specific powers to regulate and prohibit fires on access landThe public are encouraged to behave responsibly when using products which have a fire risk. We are working across government departments to increase wildfire messaging to the public. The Countryside Code also advises visitors to the countryside to only use barbecues where signs state they are allowed.Voluntary guidelines by the British Retail Consortium encourage retailers to restrict the sale of disposable barbecues during extreme heat events, or when there are increased fire risks, or when asked to by local authorities.Wildfires and fire risk are not in Defra’s remit, but instead fall to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). If you would like further information on wildfires, please reach out to MHCLG.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to meet with local stakeholders to discuss raising the bathing water quality rating at Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach.

Through the PR24 process the Environment Agency (EA) has secured the following work by South West Water to improve the quality at Church Cliff Beach: Uplyme sewage treatment works and Gun Cliff sewage pumping station will be fitted with flow monitoring equipment, Uplyme storm sewage tanks will be improved to reduce stills, the Cobb sewage pumping station will be improved, two combined sewage overflows (CSO) will be investigated and assessed in relation to the possible impact on water quality, five further CSOs will be improved to meet the bathing water standard of no more than 2 spills per bathing season. An investigation will be undertaken to confirm the benefits of these works for Church Cliff beach. Lyme Regis Town Council, working with the EA, has set up a Water Quality Group to oversee improvements in the bathing water quality at Church Cliff beach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Environment Agency on enforcement action relating to pollution affecting Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach.

Through the PR24 process the Environment Agency (EA) has secured the following work by South West Water to improve the quality at Church Cliff Beach: Uplyme sewage treatment works and Gun Cliff sewage pumping station will be fitted with flow monitoring equipment, Uplyme storm sewage tanks will be improved to reduce stills, the Cobb sewage pumping station will be improved, two combined sewage overflows (CSO) will be investigated and assessed in relation to the possible impact on water quality, five further CSOs will be improved to meet the bathing water standard of no more than 2 spills per bathing season. An investigation will be undertaken to confirm the benefits of these works for Church Cliff beach. Lyme Regis Town Council, working with the EA, has set up a Water Quality Group to oversee improvements in the bathing water quality at Church Cliff beach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of water quality at Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach on public health.

Through the PR24 process the Environment Agency (EA) has secured the following work by South West Water to improve the quality at Church Cliff Beach: Uplyme sewage treatment works and Gun Cliff sewage pumping station will be fitted with flow monitoring equipment, Uplyme storm sewage tanks will be improved to reduce stills, the Cobb sewage pumping station will be improved, two combined sewage overflows (CSO) will be investigated and assessed in relation to the possible impact on water quality, five further CSOs will be improved to meet the bathing water standard of no more than 2 spills per bathing season. An investigation will be undertaken to confirm the benefits of these works for Church Cliff beach. Lyme Regis Town Council, working with the EA, has set up a Water Quality Group to oversee improvements in the bathing water quality at Church Cliff beach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the bathing water classification at Lyme Regis Church Cliff Beach.

Through the PR24 process the Environment Agency (EA) has secured the following work by South West Water to improve the quality at Church Cliff Beach: Uplyme sewage treatment works and Gun Cliff sewage pumping station will be fitted with flow monitoring equipment, Uplyme storm sewage tanks will be improved to reduce stills, the Cobb sewage pumping station will be improved, two combined sewage overflows (CSO) will be investigated and assessed in relation to the possible impact on water quality, five further CSOs will be improved to meet the bathing water standard of no more than 2 spills per bathing season. An investigation will be undertaken to confirm the benefits of these works for Church Cliff beach. Lyme Regis Town Council, working with the EA, has set up a Water Quality Group to oversee improvements in the bathing water quality at Church Cliff beach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to strengthen enforcement of border checks to prevent illegal imports of products of animal origin following recent foot and mouth disease outbreaks in (a) Hungary and (b) surrounding countries.

Port health authorities and local authorities are responsible for checks on products of animal origin (POAO) at Border Control Posts (BCPs). Border Force is responsible for conducting checks to detect illegal imports of POAO outside BCPs. Following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Hungary, we advised BCP officials of the immediate suspension of imports from Hungary and Slovakia of untreated POAO from FMD susceptible animals. We also advised Border Force of the ban on personal imports of POAO from FMD susceptible species, from these two countries. Following the subsequent outbreak of FMD in Slovakia, we advised BCP officials of the immediate extension of the above restrictions to Austria. We also advised Border Force of the extension of the personal imports ban to Austria and subsequently to the European Economic Area, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of existing border enforcement measures in preventing the illegal import of products of animal origin linked to foot and mouth disease risks.

Our assessments of the risk of foot and mouth disease incursions, which take account of disease prevention measures including the effectiveness of border controls in preventing illegal imports of products of animal origin, are available here.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of targeted subsidies for small businesses in rural constituencies.

This Government recognises that rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are central to our economy. Over half a million business are registered in rural areas, with SMEs accounting for 99% of registered rural enterprises. The Department for Business and Trade provides a range of existing offers that rural SMEs may wish to access. This includes support via the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, the network of 41 local Growth Hubs across England, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme to help improve leadership and management capabilities. Later this year the Government will publish the SME Strategy Paper. This will set out the Government’s intentions on supporting small businesses across key areas, including thriving high streets, making it easier to secure finance, accessing overseas and domestic markets, encouraging entrepreneurship and building business capabilities, and providing a strong business environment. This will complement the Government’s forthcoming Industrial and Trade Strategies On targeted subsidies, Defra funds capital projects for small businesses and community infrastructure in rural areas through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). The fund will have provided up to £143 million of funding to eligible local authorities between April 2023 and March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with animal rights groups on the (a) import and (b) sale of fur products.

There have been no recent discussions between the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with animal rights groups specifically on the import and sale of fur products. Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The report that they produce will support our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has (a) analysed and (b) commissioned research on the potential long-term health impacts of organophosphate exposure on agricultural workers since 2014.

The Government commissioned a considerable amount of research to investigate whether there is a link between the use of organophosphate sheep dips and chronic ill-health. The outcome of this research was provided to the independent Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment who have published two statements in 2009 and 2014. The independent scientific advice is that the research evidence does not support a link between the use of sheep dips and chronic ill-health. Therefore, it would be unlikely that further public inquiry would reach a different conclusion, making it difficult to justify committing public funds to an inquiry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the budget for nature-friendly farming practices in meeting environmental targets.

In 2025 the Government will publish its review of the 25-year environment improvement plan (EIP), which includes the progress made in achieving the Government's Environment Act targets. The government also publishes annual progress reports setting out delivery towards the EIP. Farming and food security are the foundations of a healthy and resilient economy, local community, and environment. That is why we announced £5 billion for the farming budget over 2024/25 and 2025/26 - the largest ever directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history. In February we committed to a further Capital Grants offer worth £45 million to support nature-friendly farming. There are also over 39,000 live sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which aims for large scale uptake of sustainable farming practices. Defra’s Land management budget will be set for the coming years in the Chancellor’s upcoming spending review. More information on the future budget will be announced in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to increase funding for nature-friendly farming.

We remain committed to investing £5 billion of funding in the farming budget over two years and are on track to do so. This is the highest budget for sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our history. Spending on farming in future financial years will be confirmed as part of the government’s spending review.