Written questions by MacCleary.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help clean up contaminated land.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department if taking steps to help promote fish as part of a healthy diet.

Fish is a healthy and nutritious source of protein that can play an important role in achieving a balanced diet. The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends eating at least two portions of fish per week, with one of those portions portion being oily fish. The Government’s Food Strategy outlines goals for healthier and more affordable food that will help us move towards a ‘good food cycle’. This includes an improved food environment that supports healthier, more environmentally sustainable food sales accessible to all.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to help support sustainable fishing through investment.

On 19 May 2025, the Government announced the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, a £360 million investment over the next 12 years in the UK’s fisheries and seafood sector, and coastal communities. In England the fund is being designed with input from industry and the department has recently finished a set of wide-ranging and nation-wide stakeholder engagement. Responses to this engagement have highlighted the need for healthy marine ecosystems, and support to transition to more sustainable fishing practices. These ideas will be considered as the scheme is developed, as we are committed to designing a fund that is better aligned with industry priorities and focused on long-term resilience, sustainability and growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support young people in the fishing industry.

Defra has been working with industry to understand how best to support young people into seafood careers. This includes Defra’s UK Seafood Careers Project, co-designed with industry, which has explored the issues and challenges affecting the recruitment and retention of UK workers within the UK’s fishing industry. As part of this project, young people were invited to focus groups and workshops, to understand how to make seafood careers more attractive. The UK Seafood Careers Project is due to be published in Spring 2026. The £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund aims to support the next generation of fishers and breathe new life into our coastal communities. In England, the scheme is still in development, and Defra is considering how the Fund could support young fishers to enter the industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support small fishing fleets.

Defra works closely with all parts of the fishing industry, including the small‑scale fleet, to support a vibrant, profitable and sustainable sector. This includes securing fishing opportunities for them in annual negotiations and developing fisheries management plans to maintain or restore stocks. The department has also established the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund to help regenerate the industry and coastal communities, and we encourage small‑scale fishers to make full use of the support available.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure European fishing boats comply with the UK-EU fishing deal, particularly within the UK 12-mile limit.

EU vessels operating in UK waters are required to comply with the same rules as UK vessels. EU vessels have no access to the 0–6-mile zone and limited access to the 6–12-mile zone. Fishing vessel movements within English waters are monitored by the Marine Management Organisation’s Offshore Monitoring Team using Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. This includes detection of EU vessels within the English 12nm limit without the required authorisation. Fisheries is a devolved matter in the UK so Devolved Governments may have different arrangements and EU vessels only have access to the English and Welsh 6–12-mile zone.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young people to enter the fishing industry.

Defra has been working with industry to understand how best to support young people into seafood careers. This includes Defra’s UK Seafood Careers Project, co-designed with industry, which has explored the issues and challenges affecting the recruitment and retention of UK workers within the UK’s fishing industry. As part of this project, young people were invited to focus groups and workshops, to understand how to make seafood careers more attractive. The UK Seafood Careers Project is due to be published in Spring 2026. The £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund aims to support the next generation of fishers and breathe new life into our coastal communities. In England, the scheme is still in development, and Defra is considering how the Fund could support young fishers to enter the industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of regulations on sewage sludge.

The Government recognises the need to ensure the safe and sustainable use of sludge in agriculture to help clean up our waterways and promote healthy soil. Noting the Independent Water Commission’s recommendation for reform, in early 2026 we will consult on reforms to how sewage sludge use in agriculture is regulated, including whether this should be included in the Environmental Permitting Regime.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the police to ensure hunting laws are fully enforced.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not had recent discussions with the police regarding the enforcement of hunting laws. The enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament. It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed, and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account. This includes consideration of how the police tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many agri-food and beverage attachés there were in a) June 2024 and b) December 2025.

In June 2024 there were twelve agri-food attaches. Currently there are 16 agri-food attachés, covering all major export markets. In 2025 the agri-food attaché network has resolved trade barriers which industry estimate to be worth over £100m.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made in improving water quality in Lewes constituency.

We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England. The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year. We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of sewage discharges in East Sussex.

We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England. The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year. We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure water companies are held to account for sewage discharges.

This Government has been clear there is no excuse for poor performance, and we will not look the other way while companies routinely fail to meet agreed standards. Water companies must take seriously their role in meeting the public and regulators expectations. We have introduced the toughest sentencing powers against law-breaking water executives in history.  Through the provisions in the Water (Special Measures) Act, we have introduced new, tougher penalties to address incidences where some water companies have obstructed investigations, failing to hand over evidence related to illegal sewage discharges. In addition, The Environment Agency have increased their target for water company inspections to 10,000 per year as part of the Government’s wider focus to hold companies to account and improve our water environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assess the potential impact of (a) microplastics and (b) PFAS contaminants in agriculture soil on human and wildlife health.

The Environment Agency (EA) keeps a close observation of emerging evidence of the risks microplastics and PFAS may pose. The EA is working with Defra and collaborating with the water industry on a suite of microplastic and sludge investigations. One water industry investigation through the Chemicals Investigation Programme is currently looking at the movement of microplastics and chemicals from biosolids spread on land to soils.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether levels of PFAS in sewage biosolids from wastewater plants are being investigated in Phase 4 of the Chemical Investigations Programme.

Sewage sludge is the by-product of the wastewater treatment which can applied to agricultural land as a fertiliser. Whilst this practice supports the circular economy, the Government recognises that sludge spreading is not without risk. To better understand these risks from chemicals, Defra officials are engaging with industry and independent researchers under the water industry-funded Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP). PFAS in sludge was investigated in phase 3 of CIP (CIP3) with reports available online: CIP3 Information. Further sludge investigations are now being run in the current phase 4, they include CIP4 Groundwater, Soil and Biosolids Investigation and CIP4 - Chemical Investigations Programme - Phase 4 - Sludge Investigation. This work will help inform possible and future measures to mitigate PFAS pollution. The Department discusses the progress of this work on a frequent basis.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the domestic wine sector.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK domestic wine industry which is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors. This growth, in both the domestic and international markets, is testament to the high-quality wines being produced and the hard work and vision of those working in the sector. Defra officials regularly engage with WineGB and producers to support the sector’s ambitions, drive growth and exports and find ways in which the Department can help support further expansion. Defra is considering possible reforms to the UK wine regulations to deliver better results for consumers and industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of agri-food attachés on the domestic wine sector.

Defra has 16 agri-food attachés across the world who resolve market access barriers and support export growth for the UK agri-food sector, including wine. So far in 2025, the attachés have helped resolve 41 trade barriers, worth nearly £100m in export opportunities for the agri-food sector. The UK wine sector, as one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors, is an area that continues to attract domestic and foreign investment. UK wine exports increased by 35% in 2024, accounting for 9% of total sales, which shows a growing interest in the product. To support this interest, UK wines are now served in a number of embassies across the world, from Paris to Tokyo, with attachés playing a key role in their promotion. They also help by working across Governments and with industry partners to resolve practical issues that UK companies face when exporting. In addition to supporting wine export outcomes (their primary focus), attachés also advance broader Defra objectives, including monitoring global wine supply chain risks and contributing to G20 discussions, COP30 and other multilateral engagements.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of food labelling on citrus fruits.

Requirements for quality and labelling of fresh fruit and vegetables are set out in statutory Fruit and Vegetable Marketing Standards. These include a Specific Marketing Standard for Citrus Fruit. More information is available at the link below.Fresh fruit and vegetable marketing standards - GOV.UK Additionally, all food, including that which is imported, must comply with food labelling rules. The fundamental principle of these rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead, must enable the safe use of food, and provide consumers with all the information they need to make informed choices about the food that they consume.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to ensure that all small (a) businesses and (b) charities can have commercial waste collection under the new Simpler Recycling legislation, allowing for waste collection by domestic waste narrow access vehicles where necessary.

We can confirm that all small businesses and charities are in scope of Simpler Recycling. The Simpler Recycling legislation does not specify the type of vehicles that must be used for collection, provided they comply with existing standards on waste vehicles. Where commercial services are provided by local authorities, they can utilise waste vehicles that serve household collection routes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has assessed the potential merits of a focus on plant-based foods in the forthcoming food strategy.

The Government is committed to ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food for all, and recognises the role that plant-based options can play in supporting a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient food system. Through the lens of a new food strategy, there is an opportunity to explore where we can go further to create a positive food culture with access to healthier diets for all. The Eatwell Guide sets out government recommendations for a healthy diet. This guidance recognises the valuable contribution of plant-based foods and drinks, illustrating that both plant-based products and animal-based products can be part of a healthy balanced diet.