Written questions by Morello.

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, 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 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, 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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.

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, 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 he has made of the potential impact of sewage discharge into (a) rivers and (b) coastal waters on public health in West Dorset constituency.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) South West regional team provides specialist advice and guidance on a range of public health threats to system partners across the South West region. This informs risk and needs assessments and includes routine surveillance to detect and manage exceedances of Gastro-Intestinal illnesses across the South West. As part of the historic £10 billion of investment by water companies on storm overflow improvements in Asset Management Period 8 (2025-2030), in the West Dorset Constituency, Wessex Water plan to investigate 30 frequently spilling overflows and improve a further 18. The upcoming Progress Report on the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan (SODRP), scheduled for publication later this year, will include assessment of Wessex Water’s progress toward the Human Health (bathing water) target. This target requires water companies to improve all storm overflows affecting designated bathing water sites by 2035, reducing sewage-related risks to human health. The UK and Welsh Governments have launched an Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, to recommend reforms to reset the water sector and ultimately serve both customers and the environment. His Interim Report was published on 03 June 2025; the report's findings can be found at Independent Water Commission publishes interim findings - GOV.UK. The final report and recommendations will be published later in the summer. These recommendations are expected to form the basis of further legislation to attract long-term investment and clean up our waters for good.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his strategy to improve the supply of sheep vaccines will be aligned with broader (a) animal health, (b) animal welfare and (c) land use policy objectives.

Defra is aware of the concerns regarding the availability and continuity of supply of vaccines for sheep and other animal species. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, an agency of Defra, has held several meetings convening stakeholders from across government, the pharmaceutical industry and wider animal health sector to discuss the barriers and potential solutions to improving vaccine availability and innovation. These discussions highlighted the complex multifactorial nature of the problem and the need to champion a collaborative, cross-sector approach moving forwards. The intention is to publish a statement of intent outlining a strategic framework for such an approach in the near future.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing a mixed public-private sector ownership model for water service provision in the South West.

The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will recommend reforms to reset the water sector regulatory system and is expected to form the largest review of the industry since privatisation. It is considering a wide range of areas, including different water company ownership models, as set out in the Commission’s Call for Evidence. The Commission is expected to publish its recommendations later in the summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s five-year strategy to improve the (a) availability and (b) continuity of supply of sheep vaccines.

Defra is aware of the concerns regarding the availability and continuity of supply of vaccines for sheep and other animal species. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate, an agency of Defra, has held several meetings convening stakeholders from across government, the pharmaceutical industry and wider animal health sector to discuss the barriers and potential solutions to improving vaccine availability and innovation. These discussions highlighted the complex multifactorial nature of the problem and the need to champion a collaborative, cross-sector approach moving forwards. The intention is to publish a statement of intent outlining a strategic framework for such an approach in the near future.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his French counterpart on the lack of visible (a) controls and (b) public information at French ports of departure on the risk of foot and mouth disease under the new import restrictions.

The Government communicated the ban on personal imports of meats and dairy products from EU countries, introduced on 12 April 2025, via a press release and information on social media and on GOV.UK. It has also published updated posters for operational partners to display. As part of our national mission to protect our food sector and farmers, Defra has written to ports, airports and travel operators requesting that they take further steps in communicating the new rules to travellers as a matter of urgency. Defra has also written to Department for Transport, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers for their support in asking for their help with making travellers aware of the new rules.