Written questions by McMurdock.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the European Union regarding recognition of UK-issued pet passports.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the volume of carbon emissions embodied in imported goods consumed in the UK.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative estimate she has made of the level of carbon emissions associated with imported industrial goods and equivalent products manufactured in the UK.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help prevent decline in hedgehog populations in Essex.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of hedgehog populations in a) urban and b) rural areas since 2000.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with local authorities in Essex on improving a) urban and b) rural environments for hedgehogs.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to implement the recommendations contained in the Competition and Market Authority’s final report into veterinary services for household pets.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the consistency of enforcement action taken by local authorities in relation to a) littering and b) graffiti offences.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether local authorities have sufficient resources to enforce powers relating to a) littering and b) graffiti.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to address variation in the use of fixed penalty notices for a) littering and b) graffiti between local authorities.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing statutory guidance on litter and graffiti enforcement in improving public perceptions of safety.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to consult on the future use of carbon dioxide gas as a method of slaughtering pigs.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of people living in close proximity to intensive livestock units experiencing elevated exposure to ammonia-related air pollution.

The department does not hold this data.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to reduce ammonia emissions from intensive pig and poultry farming.

Large intensive pig and poultry farms with livestock place numbers above specified size thresholds are regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. The operators of these farms must hold a permit which requires implementation of best available techniques to reduce pollutant emissions, including ammonia. Regulated premises are regularly inspected to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to address factors linked to public perception of safety such as a) litter and b) graffiti.

To improve public perception of safety with regard to litter and graffiti, the Government has enabled and supported local action by providing a clear legal framework of statutory powers and responsibilities of local councils and setting national standards. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against both littering and graffiti offenders. Anyone caught littering or graffitiing may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court. Alternatively, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. Councils also have powers to tackle any persistent or unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative effect on a community’s quality of life by issuing Community Protection Notices and Public Space Protection Orders.To support local councils to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences like graffiti we have recently published new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers, which is available at: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UKWe have also published the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. This guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UKFurthermore, there is advisory guidance on managing graffiti and flyposting for local councils and businesses, which is available here: 15681_GRAFFITI_AND_FLY_POSTING_MANAGEMENT_GUIDANCE.PDF.The guidance outlines the options available to local councils and others for tackling these issues with examples of good practice.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Powering the farms of the future with £50 million tech investment, published on 14 April 2026, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that farmers in Essex are able to participate in the Farming Innovation Programme.

The Investor Partnerships initiative is part of the Farming Innovation Programme. An interim evaluation, published in 2025, shows that the programme is on the right track to deliver long term improvements to productivity and the environment, and Defra continues to monitor the effectiveness of the funding. The Farming Innovation Programme aims to benefit English farmers and growers. Therefore, farmers based in Essex are in scope. Funding opportunities are promoted through multiple channels, including Press Notices, The Farming Innovation Programme website and Defra’s Farming Blog. The Modern Industrial Strategy, published last year, committed to spend at least £200 million through the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030. As part of this, at the NFU conference in February the Government announced £70 million to support investment in agri-tech research and development from 2026, including £30 million for the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Powering the farms of the future with £50 million tech investment, published on 14 April 2026, what assessment she has made of the affordability of new agri-tech tools for small and medium-sized farms.

Defra is derisking decisions on new technologies through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, which can aid the affordability of agri-tech tools. Grants are available to a range of farms, including small and medium farms. The final round opened on 17 March with grants of up to £25,000 available for each of three themes: equipment to boost farm productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare. Going forward, the Government wishes to build on what has worked well across all its grant schemes with the aim of bringing the strongest elements together from 2027. As part of this work, the Government will look at the specific types of equipment and technology that could be included. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund is part of the Farming Innovation Programme with £50 million of funding announced to date. This fund is focussed on farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods for adoption on farms. Through the Farming Innovation Programme our investment in the research and development pipeline of innovative technology from concept to deployment aims to derisk adoption and enable wider take up, lowering costs for farmers and growers. As such, technologies developed within the Farming Innovation Programme will be available for use by small farmers.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Powering the farms of the future with £50 million tech investment, published on 14 April 2026, what metrics her Department will use to measure the impact of the programme on farm productivity and sustainability.

The Investor Partnerships initiative is part of the Farming Innovation Programme. An interim evaluation, published in 2025, shows that the programme is on the right track to deliver long term improvements to productivity and the environment, and Defra continues to monitor the effectiveness of the funding. The Farming Innovation Programme aims to benefit English farmers and growers. Therefore, farmers based in Essex are in scope. Funding opportunities are promoted through multiple channels, including Press Notices, The Farming Innovation Programme website and Defra’s Farming Blog. The Modern Industrial Strategy, published last year, committed to spend at least £200 million through the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030. As part of this, at the NFU conference in February the Government announced £70 million to support investment in agri-tech research and development from 2026, including £30 million for the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies fund.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Powering the farms of the future with £50 million tech investment, published on 14 April 2026, what her planned timeline is for the roll-out of new agri-tech tools to farms.

Defra is derisking decisions on new technologies through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund, which can aid the affordability of agri-tech tools. Grants are available to a range of farms, including small and medium farms. The final round opened on 17 March with grants of up to £25,000 available for each of three themes: equipment to boost farm productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare. Going forward, the Government wishes to build on what has worked well across all its grant schemes with the aim of bringing the strongest elements together from 2027. As part of this work, the Government will look at the specific types of equipment and technology that could be included. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund is part of the Farming Innovation Programme with £50 million of funding announced to date. This fund is focussed on farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods for adoption on farms. Through the Farming Innovation Programme our investment in the research and development pipeline of innovative technology from concept to deployment aims to derisk adoption and enable wider take up, lowering costs for farmers and growers. As such, technologies developed within the Farming Innovation Programme will be available for use by small farmers.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Powering the farms of the future with £50 million tech investment, published on 14 April 2026, what plans she has to continue or expand agri-tech investment beyond the current funding round.

The Investor Partnerships initiative is part of the Farming Innovation Programme. An interim evaluation, published in 2025, shows that the programme is on the right track to deliver long term improvements to productivity and the environment, and Defra continues to monitor the effectiveness of the funding. The Farming Innovation Programme aims to benefit English farmers and growers. Therefore, farmers based in Essex are in scope. Funding opportunities are promoted through multiple channels, including Press Notices, The Farming Innovation Programme website and Defra’s Farming Blog. The Modern Industrial Strategy, published last year, committed to spend at least £200 million through the Farming Innovation Programme by 2030. As part of this, at the NFU conference in February the Government announced £70 million to support investment in agri-tech research and development from 2026, including £30 million for the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies fund.