Written questions by Morello.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure appropriate biosecurity checks are carried out on (a) vehicles and (b) goods arriving from France to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.

This Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border. The Government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries. We recognise the risk posed by illegal imports via personal imports. Border Force officers are responsible for detention and seizure of any illegal products of animal origin (POAO) and Defra is working closely with authorities at points of entry to help control the illegal movement of POAO into Great Britain in personal imports. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered the potential (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of returning water companies to public ownership.

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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of adopting a not-for-profit model for water companies in England.

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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of state ownership of water infrastructure assets 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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the viability of municipal ownership models for water services.

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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of re-establishing regional water authorities on (a) service delivery and (b) accountability.

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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the feasibility of transitioning water companies to (a) public benefit and (b) community interest company models.

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. The Commission is also looking at the broader strategic planning framework in England and Wales to support more integrated planning and coordination between different sectors. On regional governance, the Commission is considering options for an authority working at a national, regional or catchment level to support better and more coordinated planning on water.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Green Lane Association on sustainable countryside access.

This Government recognises the importance of access to nature for health and wellbeing and is committed to ensuring it is safe, inclusive, and appropriate including for people with reduced mobility. We are delivering on our ambitious manifesto commitment to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. Further details will be shared later this year, following the Spending Review and the publication of the revised Environmental Improvement Plan. Additionally, we are implementing key initiatives to increase access to green spaces, including the £33 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which aims to make protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible. Local authorities are responsible for maintaining rights of way in the area they are responsible for. They are required to publish and maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) which must explain how improvements made by the local authority to the public rights of way network including restricted byways and byways open to all traffic will provide a better experience for all users including those with reduced mobility. There have been no recent discussions with the Green Lane Association.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of local authority enforcement powers to prevent fly tipping.

Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping. These include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment. We encourage councils to make good use of these powers, and we are taking steps to develop statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to consistently and effectively exercise their powers. We have also announced a review of their powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool. Research commissioned by Defra in 2023 into the effectiveness of enforcement against littering, fly-tipping and dog fouling is available at: https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21398. The report was unable to identify any firm conclusions about the effectiveness of enforcement due to data limitations. A more recent assessment of the effectiveness of local authority enforcement powers to prevent fly tipping has not been made. We have committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of responsible green lane use on the health and well-being of people.

This Government recognises the importance of access to nature for health and wellbeing and is committed to ensuring it is safe, inclusive, and appropriate including for people with reduced mobility. We are delivering on our ambitious manifesto commitment to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. Further details will be shared later this year, following the Spending Review and the publication of the revised Environmental Improvement Plan. Additionally, we are implementing key initiatives to increase access to green spaces, including the £33 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which aims to make protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible. Local authorities are responsible for maintaining rights of way in the area they are responsible for. They are required to publish and maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) which must explain how improvements made by the local authority to the public rights of way network including restricted byways and byways open to all traffic will provide a better experience for all users including those with reduced mobility. There have been no recent discussions with the Green Lane Association.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered temporarily restricting imports of queen bees from regions with a high risk of parasitic infestation.

Protecting our country from pests and diseases is a key priority and that is why we have stringent monitoring processes in place to detect pests and diseases. Imports of honey bees are only accepted from approved countries and are subject to rules relating to notification and health certification. Imports of honey bee queens must be inspected and certified as free from certain pests and diseases before they can be exported to the UK and they can only come from pest free areas. A risk-based approach applies to checks on imports, including some laboratory testing of packaging and accompanying worker bees, for evidence of bee pests and diseases. As well as the import controls, there is an extensive surveillance programme in place for invasive pests and the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit provide training and guidance on pest recognition to all UK beekeepers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect access to green lanes for people with mobility difficulties.

This Government recognises the importance of access to nature for health and wellbeing and is committed to ensuring it is safe, inclusive, and appropriate including for people with reduced mobility. We are delivering on our ambitious manifesto commitment to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. Further details will be shared later this year, following the Spending Review and the publication of the revised Environmental Improvement Plan. Additionally, we are implementing key initiatives to increase access to green spaces, including the £33 million ‘Access for All’ programme, which aims to make protected landscapes, national trails, forests, and the wider countryside more inclusive and accessible. Local authorities are responsible for maintaining rights of way in the area they are responsible for. They are required to publish and maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) which must explain how improvements made by the local authority to the public rights of way network including restricted byways and byways open to all traffic will provide a better experience for all users including those with reduced mobility. There have been no recent discussions with the Green Lane Association.

Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish the consultation on access reform; and whether it will include provisions for enhancing public rights of way.

The Government recognises the importance of access to nature for health and wellbeing and is committed to ensuring it is safe, inclusive, and appropriate. We’re delivering on our ambitious manifesto commitment to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.Further details on the next steps will be provided later this year, following the outcome of the Spending Review and the publication of the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support rural Dorset Council in managing rising fly tipping incidents.

This Government understands the difficulty that fly-tipping poses to all landowners. We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We encourage and support councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are currently seeking powers to provide statutory guidance on fly-tipping enforcement. We have also announced a review of council powers to seize and crush the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor imports of queen bees from Ukraine for the presence of Tropilaelaps mites.

Protecting our country from pests and diseases is a key priority and that is why we have stringent monitoring processes in place to detect pests and diseases. Imports of honey bee queens must be inspected and certified as free from certain pests and diseases before they can be exported to the UK and they can only come from pest free areas. Honey bee queens from Ukraine must enter the UK via a border control post where they are inspected. The Department is working with the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) to prevent Tropilaelaps species, a serious pest of honey bees from entering the UK and harming our bee population. As well as the import controls, there is an extensive surveillance programme in place for invasive pests and the NBU provide training and guidance on pest recognition to all UK beekeepers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to increase penalties for repeat fly tipping offences.

We have committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing and crushing of vehicles and prosecution which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. There are no plans to increase the fixed penalty levels for repeat fly-tipping offences at this time. The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court. This is available at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group. We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are currently seeking powers to provide statutory guidance on fly-tipping enforcement. We have also announced a review of council powers to seize and crush the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has raised concerns with his French counterpart on the lack of visible (a) controls and (b) public information at French ports of departure on 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 Ministers from the Department for Transport, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers asking for their help with making travellers aware of the new rules.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that appropriate biosecurity checks are conducted on (a) vehicles and (b) goods arriving in the UK from France, following the introduction of restrictions on personal imports of meat and dairy products.

This Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border. The Government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries. We recognise the risk posed by illegal imports via personal imports. Border force officers are responsible for detention and seizure of any illegal Products of Animal Origin (POAO) goods at points of entry and Defra is working closely with authorities at points of entry to help control the illegal movement of POAO into Great Britain in personal imports. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Rural Payments Agency has a schedule for issuing payments to applicants with approved Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements submitted prior to 11 March 2025.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly, the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts. After that, payments are scheduled to be paid every three months, to ensure there is a regular, reliable income.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of when applicants to the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme who submitted applications before its closure on 11 March 2025 will receive payments.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme payment schedule is in line with the agreement start date. Agreement holders will normally receive payments quarterly, the first payment will be four months after their SFI agreement starts. After that, payments are scheduled to be paid every three months, to ensure there is a regular, reliable income.