Every parliamentary written question tabled by Helen Morgan this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 132 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the strategy and outcomes of Ireland's Bovine Tuberculosis Programme as a model for tackling the spread of tuberculosis.
While no formal assessment of Ireland’s Bovine Tuberculosis Programme has been conducted, the 2025 Godfray evidence review, commissioned by Defra, draws on a broad range of scientific and policy evidence, including international experience where relevant....
Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in areas where badger culls have been undertaken.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency publish annual TB monitoring data for each badger control area licensed from 2013. The latest report, published in September 2025 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-in-cattle-badger-con...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the economic effect on farmers of cattle culling in areas with a high incidence of bovine tuberculosis.
Bovine TB control places significant costs and disruption on farmers, vets, and rural communities, particularly those in areas with high incidence rates. Defra commissioned research published in 2020 outlines the economic costs of TB breakdowns on wide ra...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the reliability of the tuberculin skin test currently used for detecting bovine tuberculosis.
The tuberculin skin test, also known as the Single Intradermal Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (SICCT) test, is the primary screening test for TB in cattle in the UK and the internationally accepted standard for detecting TB in cattle. No diagnostic test ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to help develop an effective vaccine to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.
The CattleBCG vaccine, when coupled with the new Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) skin test, represents a significant advancement in bovine TB control for cattle herds. Field trials began in June 2021, with the final planned phase now und...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to eradicate the spread of tuberculosis among wildlife and livestock.
On 10 June 2026, a co‑designed bovine TB control strategy for England, developed and recommended by the Steering Group of the Bovine TB Partnership, was published: https://tbhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Recommended-Bovine-TB-Strategy.pdf. The...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the Fair Dealing Obligations (Pig) Regulations 2025.
The Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations (FDOP) are the result of extensive consultation with farmers, producer groups and the wider industry. They have applied to any new contracts since August 2025 and will come into force fully (for all contract...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect independent pig producers.
The Government brought in the Fair Dealing (Pigs) Regulations 2025 for the pig sector, to give pig producers stronger protections against unfair contract practices and greater certainty. Defra works closely with trade bodies from across the pig supply cha...
Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings ministers have had with a) independent pig producers or b) representatives of the pig industry since 5 September 2025.
Defra Ministers have met with representatives of the pig industry on several occasions since 5 September 2025.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of suspending tariffs on supermarket foods on British producers.
As part of wider efforts to reduce pressure on prices, the Government is launching a business engagement exercise on suspending tariffs on over 100 types of products including biscuits, chocolate and dried fruit and nuts. The proposal takes account of do...
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with ministers in MHCLG about further planning system reform aimed at supporting farmers and growers.
Defra is exploring how to improve the planning system for key food and farming infrastructure and working closely with MHCLG, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver on these priorities. This Government is delivering the biggest reform to pl...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessments her department has made of the benefits to a) the environment and b) animal welfare of a more supportive planning system for agricultural applications.
Defra is exploring how to improve the planning system for key food and farming infrastructure and working closely with MHCLG, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver on these priorities. This Government is delivering the biggest reform to pl...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department has considered the potential merits of expanding Permitted Development Rights for agricultural developments.
Defra is exploring how to improve the planning system for key food and farming infrastructure and working closely with MHCLG, Natural England and the Environment Agency to deliver on these priorities. This Government is delivering the biggest reform to pl...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmers with changes in costs of fuel and fertiliser due to the war in Iran.
Food security is a priority for Government, and it is taking the impacts from developments from the Middle East conflict seriously. Defra is actively monitoring all risks across food supply chains, including through regular engagement with industry and ac...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the war in Iran on (a) fertiliser supplies and (b) food security.
Food security is a priority for Government, and it is taking the impacts from developments from the Middle East conflict seriously. Defra is actively monitoring all risks across food supply chains, including through regular engagement with industry and ac...
Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the European Commission's press release entitled Commission adopts temporary State aid framework to support sectors affected by Middle East crisis, published on 29 Ap
The Government understands the concerns of farmers and food producers regarding market volatility and are taking seriously the impacts of the Middle East Conflict on the food and farming sector.Defra is investing £120m in 2026 on grants to boost productiv...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock.
The Defra-funded Food, Farming & Natural Environment Climate Service led out of the Met Office has developed evidence on adaptation options which improve resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation. These adaptation options include those which could be implemented in response to increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms such as using deep rooting and heat tolerant forage varieties. The Government needs long-term, nature-based solutions to manage the risks of extreme wet and dry weather. To support rural communities and farmers, the Government is funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience, through Environmental Land Management schemes. Defra holds no data on potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock. However, Defra continues to work closely with the sector to monitor the production of grass and availability of silage as a feedstock. The UK Government must prepare a UK-wide Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years under the Climate Change Act 2008. The third CCRA assessed the risks to and opportunities for agricultural productivity from extreme events and changing climatic conditions such as increased temperatures and heat. The next assessment, CCRA4, is due to be published in 2027.
Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department plans to support dairy farms in North Shropshire, who fall within the highest area for heat risk in the country and face escalating climate-related challenges.
The Defra-funded Food, Farming & Natural Environment Climate Service led out of the Met Office has developed evidence on adaptation options which improve resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation. These adaptation options include those which could be implemented in response to increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms such as using deep rooting and heat tolerant forage varieties. The Government needs long-term, nature-based solutions to manage the risks of extreme wet and dry weather. To support rural communities and farmers, the Government is funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience, through Environmental Land Management schemes. Defra holds no data on potential impact of increasing heat risk to UK dairy farms on grazing land and silage production to feed livestock. However, Defra continues to work closely with the sector to monitor the production of grass and availability of silage as a feedstock. The UK Government must prepare a UK-wide Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years under the Climate Change Act 2008. The third CCRA assessed the risks to and opportunities for agricultural productivity from extreme events and changing climatic conditions such as increased temperatures and heat. The next assessment, CCRA4, is due to be published in 2027.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the potential impact of climate change-driven food inflation on food security.
Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens. For example, we are actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector. Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living. Defra also works to reduce unnecessary regulatory costs that can feed through to consumer prices.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider reclassifying insects from the farmed livestock classification under Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, Article 3(6), to enable insect bioconversion for waste treatment.
There are no plans to review Article 3(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 that defines insects as farmed animals and therefore restricts their use in insect bioconversion for waste treatment. This is because catering waste cannot be fed to farmed animals. This position is set out in Defra’s animal by-products policy guidance: Supplying and using animal by-products as farm animal feed - GOV.UK.