Written questions by Byrne.

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will make an assessment of alternative governance for water utilities, including public ownership and mutual structures.

There are several different ownership models in the companies providing water in the United Kingdom.Where a company requests to transition to a new ownership model, we have committed in the White Paper that the regulator will develop a transparent process to assess whether the change should go ahead and ensure customer interests are properly reflected in the decision.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of enforcement action taken against water and sewerage undertakers for breaches of environmental permits.

We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the Environment Agency (EA) will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade, giving existing regulators the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies, including new powers for the EA to impose automatic penalties, and penalties to the lower, civil standard of proof. Over the past three years, the annual inspections requirement has risen from 1,000 to 4,000 with a target of 10,000 for 2025/26, reflecting a significant strengthening of regulatory oversight. By the end of February 2026, over 10,154 inspections had already been delivered. As a result of this strengthened regulatory presence, the EA has brought forward 19 legal proceedings, four prosecutions, and 19 civil sanctions so far this year, alongside increased warnings and further investigations into serious pollution incidents.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections of wastewater treatment works and storm overflows were conducted by the Environment Agency in each of the last five years.

The Environment Agency has provided the following figures for inspections of wastewater treatment works and storm overflows in each of the last five financial years. Financial YearTotals2021-226392022-238782023-2414422024-2546722025-2610150 * 2025/26 data is year to date (as of 18 March). March 2026 data is also still to be completed.

Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of current levels of investment in wastewater infrastructure.

A record £104 billion of private sector investment has been secured to accelerate the cleaning up of our rivers, lakes and seas. This includes over £10 billion to improve nearly 2,500 storm overflows in England over the next five years. We will move to a system where assets are properly maintained and develop forward-looking asset health metrics to ensure this critical infrastructure gets the funding it needs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve coordination between Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate in regulating water and sewerage undertakers.

Defra is working closely with the existing regulators, including Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate, to strengthen coordination across the regulatory system. This includes supporting the regulators in their work to actively join up and improve coordination, championing a ‘one organisation’ approach on key areas of delivery ahead of establishment of the new single regulator. This will simplify the requirements of water companies, reduce duplication and deliver better regulation for improved outcomes across the entire water system.

Food and Rural Affairs, what safeguards are in place to prevent conflicts of interest arising between regulators of the water sector and the water and sewerage undertakers they regulate.

The Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat have robust safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest between regulators and the water and sewerage companies they oversee. All EA employees, contractors and temporary workers must submit an annual declaration of interests, including a nil return where no interests are held. Declarations cover all aspects of an individual’s role and are reviewed by managers, who must identify any actual or potential conflicts and put appropriate mitigation measures in place where necessary. Ofwat’s conflict of interest arrangements are based on wider Civil Service standards. Staff must declare any actual or potential conflicts on appointment, annually, and as they arise, including during procurement and recruitment, with all declarations recorded in a central register. Conflicts are managed on a proportionate, case-by-case basis, supported by strict rules on financial interests, controls on confidential information, and senior management oversight. Business Appointment Rules may also apply when staff leave Ofwat.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has undertaken an assessment of the potential implications of formally recognising the right to food in domestic law for the design and evaluation of food policy across Government.

Defra has not undertaken an assessment. The right to food is not codified in UK domestic law, but the UK continues to recognise economic, social and cultural rights as defined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Government remains committed to fulfilling our obligations under the Covenant.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department has assessed the long-term implications of reliance on emergency food provision for the fulfilment of the right to food; and what steps she is taking to reduce structural dependence on such provision.

Defra has not assessed the implications of emergency food provision for fulfilment of a right to food. The Government is committed to tackling poverty and ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels. From 1 April 2026, The Government is introducing a new Crisis and Resilience Fund in England. This aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis, to support the Government’s ambition to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of food price inflation on households experiencing food insecurity; and how that assessment informs current food and agriculture policy.

Food price inflation is part of a wider challenge on cost of living and the Government’s approach goes beyond tackling food alone. The Government is working to address the cost-of-living pressures facing families across the country through targeted measures including raising the minimum wage, extending the bus fare cap, rolling out Best Start family hubs; extending the holiday activity and food programme; the expansion of free-school-meals; removing the two-child limit on Universal Credit; and reforming the crisis support though the introduction of the Crisis and Resilience Fund. Defra is introducing the Food Inflation Gateway which will assess the impact of Government regulations on food businesses and food prices before implementation. In December 2025, the Government announced the creation of the Farming & Food Partnership Board which will bring together farming, food, retail, finance and Government, taking a strategic farm to fork approach to increase farming profitability and strengthen our food production.

Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms are in place to ensure coordination between her Department and the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Education on policies affecting household access to food; and whether responsibility for oversight of such coordination rests with a named Minister.

The Good Food Cycle, published in July 2025, identifies 10 priority outcomes across themes of healthier food, sustainability, food security, affordability and inequality, and good growth. Defra leads on coordination across government on the Good Food Cycle outcomes. Defra officials and Ministers have regular interactions with other Government departments to ensure coordination on policies required to deliver them. This includes regular engagement with the Department for Work and Pensions on ending mass dependence on emergency food parcels, with the Department for Health and Social Care on food related elements of the 10 Year Health Plan, and with the Department for Education on School Food Standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, what indicators her department uses to assess progressive realisation of access to adequate, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food; and whether she plans to publish a consolidated framework for measuring outcomes related to the right to food.

Defra publishes the triennial UK Food Security Report, which contains data on household food security including accessibility, affordability and dietary patterns. The next report will be published in 2027. In the intervening years, the UK Food Security Digest also covers household food security in a more condensed form.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward a public consultation on (a) banning the use of cages and (b) close confinement systems for farmed animals; and if she will make it her policy to phase out those practices.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 47556.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a national chemicals regulator.

The Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency between them regulate the UK’s chemicals regimes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bring forward proposals to strengthen the Hunting Act 2004 by (a) removing exemptions, (b) introducing custodial sentences for illegal hunting and (c) banning trail hunting.

This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and a consultation seeking views on how to deliver a full ban will be held early next year. The nature of trail hunting makes it very difficult to do safely. The use of large packs of hounds reduces the control huntsmen have, putting wild mammals, household pets and even members of the public at risk. Trail hunting also provides a convenient cover for those seeking to participate in illegal hunting activities by obscuring their intention and enabling the inevitable chasing of animals to be labelled as ‘accidental’. This is why we want an effective, enforceable ban that truly protects our wildlife, countryside, and rural communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department’s policies of allowing the practice of carrying chickens by their legs.

The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 resolved a discrepancy by bringing the legislation in-line with long-standing statutory guidance. The regulations reinforce the guidance that one-leg catching is unacceptable, by specifically prohibiting one-leg catching, and allow for two-leg catching of laying hens, meat chickens, and turkeys weighing 5kg or less. This does not lower animal welfare standards in practice as the GB poultry industries catch chickens by the legs and not upright by the body.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2025 to Question 49250 on Plants: Disease Control, what assessment he has made of the the potential impact of the UPOV 1991 convention on small holder and subsistence farmers globally?.

Signatories to the 1991 UPOV convention are part of a global plant variety protection system. UPOV’s mission is to encourage the development of new plant varieties for the benefit of society. The assurance that intellectual property will be respected encourages plant breeders to invest in new varieties, critical for all in the face of climate change and food security. Requirements under UPOV91 apply to new varieties and not existing traditional varieties. The protection of new varieties is voluntary and is a decision made by the plant breeder. To become a member, regulations must align to UPOV91, but there is some degree of flexibility in how national policies are implemented, allowing for local needs to be reflected. Furthermore, Article 15(2) of the convention contains an optional exception to the Breeder’s Right, allowing farmers to use seed collected from their own crops for their own use with enforcement via domestic legislation. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for Business & Trade, and Defra are working together to find a balance between protecting plant breeders’ rights, the need for smallholder farmers to have access to better seed varieties, and the sovereignty of informal seed systems, upon which many smallholder and subsistence farmers rely.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of bringing water companies into public ownership on (a) bills and (b) infrastructure investment.

Independent research commissioned by the Consumer Council for Water found substantial change to the industry and company ownership would not address the main problems experienced. Nationalising a water company would cost billions of pounds, and it would take years to unpick the current ownership model. It would frankly slow down our reforms, leave the sewage pollution only to get worse and stall much needed investment. The Independent Water Commission is looking at the ownership, governance, and management of private water companies and whether more needs to be done to support transparency and accountability, which could include stronger duties for management. Further recommendations will follow in the final report.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will launch a consultation on the (a) production, (b) import and (c) sales of eggs from caged hens.

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages for laying hens is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April to Question 20692 on food labelling, what his timescale is for a decision on (a) next steps and (b) responding to the consultation.

A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken last year by the previous Government. We are now carefully considering all responses to the consultation before deciding on next steps. We recognise that this is an important matter and will respond to this consultation as soon as we are able to.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is to ban the import of foie gras.

The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to promote the highest food production standards.