Every parliamentary written question tabled by Gareth Snell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–17 of 17 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the time taken for her Department to make a decision on Stoke-on-Trent's proposal to reduce Nitrous Oxide levels at the A500/Etruria Road junction.
The proposals by Stoke-on-Trent need careful consideration in order to understand how they support the requirement to achieve compliance with legal nitrogen dioxide limits in the shortest possible time.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she can name a date by which her department will have made a decision on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's proposals to reduce Nitrous Oxide levels at the A500/Etruria Road junction.
The Department has recently discussed with Stoke-on-Trent City Council a decision on their proposals to address nitrogen dioxide levels at Etruria Road. As the Minister for Water and Flooding, I have also recently discussed the position with the hon. Member. We will continue to engage with the local authority on next steps.
Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate has she made of the number of cider makers operating in the UK.
The National Association of Cider Makers, who represent the UK cider industry, estimate that there are 450 cider makers in the UK (2025/2026 Cider Manifesto). The Government celebrates the UK’s cider making traditions and recognises the industry’s important contribution to the UK’s economy.
Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in her Department is made by a British manufacturer.
Defra purchases crockery and tableware through a contract let under the previous Public Contracting Regulations 2015. We cannot confirm the proportion made by a British manufacturer, as this was not stipulated in the contract but it could be in future contracts. The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts. The new Procurement Act creates a simpler and more transparent system that will support British businesses bidding for work. The Act also allows contracting authorities to set standards that recognise the quality and standard of UK businesses and products. Alongside this, the National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider this Government’s Industrial strategy and the sectors vital to our economic growth.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to strengthen the regulatory framework for waste (a) carriers, (b) brokers, and (c) dealers to reduce criminal activity in the sector.
The Government recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the Environment Agency a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally. It will also introduce the possibility of up to 5 years imprisonment for those who breach these new laws.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of (a) waste crime and (b) illegal waste exports.
The Environmental Services Association (ESA) estimated in 2021 that waste crime costs the economy in England about £1 billion per year of which at least £42 million per year could be attributed to illegal waste exports. (see here: ESA_Cost_of_Waste_Crime.pdf.) The same report estimates that £499 million or 54% is borne by the public sector.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned research into the potential impact of mandatory food waste reporting on (a) access to healthy foods, (b) sustainability targets, (c) expenditure by businesses and (d) access to healthier food distribution organisations.
The consultation stage Impact Assessment considered the potential impacts of mandatory food waste reporting on large food businesses. Furthermore, when businesses reduce their food waste, we expect to see progress towards sustainability targets and increases in surplus food redistribution, but these has not been quantified, and these benefits are indirect because they are not realised from measurement and reporting alone, they require action to be taken. No assessment has been made of the potential of reporting to increase access to healthy foods.
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Fairer food labelling, which closed on 7 May 2024, when he plans to respond to that consultation; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to mandate method-of-production welfare labelling for (a) pork, (b) chicken and (c) eggs.
A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken between March and May 2024 by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. The consultation also sought views on whether new rules should be introduced on country-of-origin labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing core standards for animal welfare; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade about whether he plans to include such standards in his planned trade strategy.
The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards. The trade strategy will set out how we can achieve long-term sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through trade. It will reflect the Government’s commitment to uphold our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards, areas in which the UK is a world leader. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce regulatory requirements for food exporters trading with the EU.
The UK and EU are like-minded partners with similarly high standards. The Government has committed to seek to negotiate a veterinary/sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to help boost trade, reduce trade friction and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. The Government has been clear that there will be no return to the customs union or single market. The Government is ambitious and wants to move forward at pace, but delivering new agreements will take time. Additionally, Defra has recently posted two new agri-food attachés to the British Embassies in Paris and Madrid, who will help reduce regulatory requirements for food exporters to Europe. Their primary role will be to improve market access for UK producers to Europe. They will work directly with Member States across the EU to reduce trade frictions by identifying and resolving barriers faced by UK exporters.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to provide regular information to businesses on how revenues raised through the extended producer responsibility scheme are spent by local authorities.
The packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme will be run by the Scheme Administrator. Revenues will only fund efficient and effective local authority services. The Scheme Administrator will regularly publish information relating to its assessment of efficiency and effectiveness across the four nations once the scheme is up and running and offer support to local authorities to ensure their waste management services are efficient and effective.
Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to announce the (a) fees and (b) invoicing periods for the extended producer responsibility scheme.
Final fees for the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme can only be calculated and issued after the deadline for large organisations to report their packaging data, which is 1 April 2025. Invoicing periods for the scheme each year will cover the period 1 April to 31 March.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to align the (a) scope and (b) implementation of the UK Deforestation Regulation (UKDR) with the European Union Deforestation Regulation; and when he plans to publish the (i) scope and (ii) timeline for UKDR compliance.
We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of introducing the proposed extended producer responsibility scheme on the cost to consumers of (a) essential food products and (b) other packaged goods.
The Department’s impact assessment published online here has considered the impacts on grocery and non-grocery retail inflation from the introduction of extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR).
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to widen the scope for exporters to (a) licence and (b) use Government-generated brand identities for food and drink products.
The Government is proud of the high-quality British food and drink exports from all regions of the UK which were valued at nearly £25 billion last year. There are currently no plans to licence government-generated brand identities. The GREAT food and drink campaign, led by Defra, has been successfully promoting UK food and drink exports products using the government generated GREAT Campaign brand since 2017. In the last fiscal year (23/24) the GREAT food and drink campaign promoted over 600 UK food and drink brands in international markets under the GREAT campaign branding. Defra will continue to champion British food and drink exports under the GREAT brand so that these products can benefit from the recognition and familiarity that this impactful nation branding brings.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the delay to the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation; and what his planned timetable is for the UK Deforestation Regulation.
We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on (a) creating a circular economy for recycled materials and (b) ensuring businesses can acquire the recycled content placed on the market.
The Department’s impact assessment, published here, has considered the impacts on the UK materials reprocessing industry and the associated carbon savings from increased recycling following the introduction of extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR). No formal assessment has been made of pEPR’s impact on the availability of recycled materials on the market.