Written questions by Leadbitter.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of fossil fuel lobbying groups on the effectiveness of the Global Plastics Treaty.

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 a range of countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this. The UK is committed to an open, transparent and inclusive approach to negotiations to ensure that all have equal opportunity for their views to be heard. The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders. We partnered with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network to run the UK Treaty Dialogues ahead of each round of negotiations. These brought together stakeholders from across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, but also academia, eNGOs and other civil society organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on signing the Global Plastics Treaty.

For too long, plastic has littered our ocean and threatened our wildlife. We urgently need an ambitious and effective international agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040. The UK has been a leading voice in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee and as a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC), the United Kingdom is committed to achieving an ambitious treaty. Negotiations will resume in August with the aim of concluding negotiations on a new treaty. The UK is working with other countries, including allies in the High Ambition Coalition to achieve this.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce levels of plastic waste.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. We will publish proposals for the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England this autumn. It will include a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. One of the six sectors we will start with is the chemicals and plastics sector. As a part of the transition to a circular economy, managing and reducing plastic waste will be crucial. This will build upon the existing Collection and Packaging Reforms (CPR) programme which is central to the Government’s mission to minimise waste, promote resource efficiency and move towards a more circular economy. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what disposal schemes exist for banned pesticides.

For all pesticides, there are legal requirements to store the product securely and dispose safely of any surplus. It is illegal to use or store any plant protection product (pesticide) that is no longer authorised. Professional users in possession of unauthorised plant protection products should contact an authorised business to dispose of them. While there are currently no specific government schemes for the disposal of banned pesticides, guidance for businesses needing to dispose of hazardous waste such as pesticides can be found on gov.uk. Amateur users should contact their local Civic Amenity site and ask them for guidance on disposal.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt Irish whisky produced in Northern Ireland to the economy.

The Irish Whiskey Association, representing 95% of Irish Whiskey producers across the island of Ireland, report that Irish Whiskey exports exceeded €1billion in 2024 and reached 114 markets around the world. Irish Whiskey produced in Northern Ireland is an important part of that economic impact. The oldest Irish Whiskey distillery in NI, Bushmills, reported a 9.7% rise in volume sales in 2022, reaching 1 million nine-litre cases for the first time. In 2024 the newest Irish Whiskey distillery in NI, McConnell’s, opened its £12m distillery in Belfast which is expected to produce half a million litres of alcohol and attract 100,000 visitors annually.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt Welsh whisky to the economy.

No formal assessment has been made by the department, but upon registration of Single Malt Welsh Whisky as a geographical indication in 2023, it was forecast to generate a revenue of £23 million in the 2023-24 financial year and is exported to more than 45 countries. SOURCE: https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/news-and-events/news/single-malt-welsh-whisky-protected

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt Scotch whisky to the economy.

No formal assessment has been made by the department, but a report by the Scotch Whisky Association, using figures from industry and the Government from production to employment, concluded that Scotch Whisky’s contribution to the UK economy reached £7.1 billion in 2022. Exports of Scotch Whisky were valued at £5.4 billion in 2024, of which £1.7 billion was Single Malt Whisky. The entire country is proud of Scotch Whiskey as one of the world’s most loved products. SOURCE:https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/2024-export-figures/https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/newsroom/scotch-whisky-boosts-uk-economy-by-71bn/

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the value of single malt English whisky to the economy.

No formal assessment has been made by the department, but the English Whisky Guild forecast the volume of spirit produced by English distilleries to grow by 189% from 2019-2024. They forecast that there would be 50,000 maturing casks by 2024 with a value of £1 billion. English Whisky distilleries welcomed over 250,000 visitors in 2023, and English Whisky is exported to more than 30 countries worldwide. SOURCES: https://www.englishwhiskyguild.com/post/english-whisky-guild-appoints-ceo-as-industry-forecast-to-possess-over-1bn-in-maturing-stock https://www.englishwhiskyguild.com/post/the-english-whisky-guild-nearing-final-stages-in-gi-application https://www.englishwhiskyguild.com/annual-review

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an estimate of the quantity of (a) commercial forest timber and (b) waste wood products that will be needed to achieve the government’s target of 1.5million homes in this parliament; and what proportion of these products can be sourced domestically.

We do not yet have an estimate of the required timber and waste wood required to meet the Government's housing targets. The current forecast of softwood availability for Great Britain is a total average of 25.2 million cubic metres of softwood timber per annum over 50 years (2013-16 to 2057-61) from public and private estates. We are aiming to increase softwoods to at least 30% of total planting and bring more hardwoods to market through increased woodland management. To support this goal, the Government launched the Timber in Construction Roadmap on 27 February 2025 which sets out our vision for a sustainable, integrated industry that meets the needs of the future.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to align the UK’s regulations with the EU’s recent prohibition on exporting banned chemicals to countries where they remain permitted.

The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. Requirements for the export of hazardous chemicals are agreed at the international level under the Rotterdam Convention. In GB, the export of certain hazardous chemicals is regulated through the GB Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. The regulatory requirements under GB PIC are the same as under the EU PIC Regulation but the UK now makes its own decisions under PIC and other chemicals legislation. We continue to monitor developments in other countries and learn from their experiences.