Written questions by McMurdock.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is he taking to help prevent household waste fly-tipping.

The Government is taking action to prevent household waste being fly-tipped by supporting local authorities to make good use of their enforcement powers. Local authorities have powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught fly-tipping may be prosecuted which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. Instead of prosecuting, local authorities can choose to issue a fixed penalty notice (on-the-spot fine) of up to £1,000 to fly-tippers and £600 to householders who pass their waste to an unlicensed waste carrier.Following a review of local authorities’ powers to seize and crush vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, we have recently published best practice guidance and case studies on the website of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group. This will support councils to make better use of their power to seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. An action that could lead to the local authority selling or crushing the vehicle.We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance to support councils to consistently, appropriately and effectively exercise these existing powers.Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of interested parties such as local councils, the Environment Agency, National Farmers Union and National Police Chiefs Council, to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of repeat fly-tipping hotspots.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement action, such as prosecutions, to Defra, which the department have published annually since 2012, at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. Defra does not hold data that allows for trends in more localised fly-tipping hotspots to be monitored.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the (a) maximum fines and (b) custodial penalties for fly-tipping offences.

The Government is taking action to clamp down on rogue waste operators by moving the regulation of waste management and transport from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will introduce tougher background checks for operators and tougher penalties for those who break the law.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of fly-tipping incidents in South Basildon and East Thurrock led to formal enforcement action over the past five years.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement action, such as prosecutions, to Defra, which the department has published annually since 2012, at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. The data covers trends in the number of fly-tipping incidents, with a breakdown by land type, waste type and size as well as enforcement and prosecution actions undertaken for fly-tipping incidents. However, it does not include a breakdown of enforcement action taken by a constituency or district.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of penalties for fly-tipping in deterring individuals from fly-tipping.

The fly-tipping statistics for England show that local authorities’ enforcement activity has increased in 2024/25 by 8% over 2023/24.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of food consumed in the UK that was domestically produced in each of the last five years.

The proportion of UK food consumption that is domestically produced is shown in the below table, for the latest available years. This information is published annually in Defra’s Agriculture in the UK report. 2020202120222023202454%58%58%58%57%

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to increase domestic food production capacity.

This Government allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. It is targeting public money where it delivers most value – supporting nature, because all farms need healthy soils, abundant pollinators, and clean water to produce good food. The Government will continue to invest in our farmers and land managers to make their businesses, food production and our country more sustainable and resilient through Environmental Land Management (ELM). For example, Defra has streamlined the actions available under the SFI26 offer, reducing complexity while still having actions available for all farm types. This means the Government removed around a third of the previous actions – particularly those that weren’t delivering for food production or the environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the UK’s vulnerability to external shocks in food supply.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with situations that have the potential to cause disruption. Defra works closely with industry and across Government to identify and monitor risks to food supply. In compliance with the Agriculture Act 2020, the United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) is presented to Parliament at least once every three years, most recently in 2024. This examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security and presents a full and impartial analysis of UK food security. In the intervening years, the UK Food Security Digest (UKFSD) is published containing a selection of summary statistics on issues relevant to a range of aspects of food security, drawn from national and international sources. The most recent report was published on 11 December 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve long-term food security.

The Food Sector is one of the UK's 13 Critical National Infrastructure sectors. Defra and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are joint Lead Government Departments (LGDs), with Defra leading on supply and the FSA on food safety. Defra works closely with the Cabinet Office and other LGDs ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of post-2020 border processes on food import volumes.

The Border Target Operating Model Impact Assessment frames economic analysis around business costs/benefits, check rates, and biosecurity risk. It does not model or quantify changes in food import volumes attributable to the post‑2020/BTOM border processes. Defra publishes statistics on overseas trade of food, feed and drink imports (Chapter 13: Overseas trade - GOV.UK). UK agri‑food import patterns are influenced by various factors, making it difficult to attribute changes to border processes alone. The latest official statistics show that in 2024 the value of UK food, feed and drink imports rose by 6.6% to £64.1 billion, with fresh fruit and vegetable imports increasing 12% over the same period.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of retail food price inflation since 2020 attributable to changes in trading arrangements with the EU.

Consumer food prices are shaped by a variety of factors, such as agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, and Sterling exchange rates. Several of these factors are affected by the UK's trading arrangements with other countries, including the EU. Any changes in food prices can reflect changes in one or more of these elements. Although the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU allows zero tariffs and zero quota trade, leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union had an impact on agri-food trade. Under the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), imported consignments of products of animal origin (POAO), and plant and plant products (P&PP), including from the EU, are subject to a range of border controls. Defra estimates the measures introduced through the BTOM would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2 percentage points in total over a 3-year period. The Government is working to agree a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement with the European Union to make agrifood trade with the UK’s biggest trading partner cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers. Final_Border_Target_Operating_Model.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of import-related costs on food prices.

Defra modelling shows consumer food prices are driven by domestic farmgate prices, agricultural and food import prices, exchange rates and manufacturing costs. ONS input producer price inflation rates for domestic and imported food inputs were 2.1% and 1.2% respectively in January 2026. This compares with 1.7% and -3.1% in January 2025. Import prices are driven by movements in global commodity markets. For example, cocoa prices have risen strongly since 2024 following poor weather conditions in West Africa and contributed to UK chocolate prices rising 14.7% higher in January 2026 compared to the previous year. The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD)’s latest forecast, published November 2025, suggests that they expect food price inflation to peak at 4.3% at the start of 2026 and average 3.8% over 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK beef hits US shelves tariff-free for the first time – cutting costs for UK businesses, published on 2 March 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the animal welfare standards applied to the beef imports from the United States included in the 13,000 tonne quota referenced in the press release.

Through the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) negotiations, the UK has agreed preferential trading terms with the US in a range of sectors. This includes an exclusive reciprocal 13,000 tonne quota for beef. The quota is now open and worth up to £70 million a year if fully utilised. Hormone treated beef remains banned and is not permitted to enter the UK. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s high sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK beef hits US shelves tariff-free for the first time – cutting costs for UK businesses, published on 2 March 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the hygiene standards applied to the beef imports from the United States included in the 13,000 tonne quota referenced in the press release.

Through the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) negotiations, the UK has agreed preferential trading terms with the US in a range of sectors. This includes an exclusive reciprocal 13,000 tonne quota for beef. The quota is now open and worth up to £70 million a year if fully utilised. Hormone treated beef remains banned and is not permitted to enter the UK. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s high sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK beef hits US shelves tariff-free for the first time – cutting costs for UK businesses, published on 2 March 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental standards applied to the beef imports from the United States included in the 13,000 tonne quota referenced in the press release.

Through the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) negotiations, the UK has agreed preferential trading terms with the US in a range of sectors. This includes an exclusive reciprocal 13,000 tonne quota for beef. The quota is now open and worth up to £70 million a year if fully utilised. Hormone treated beef remains banned and is not permitted to enter the UK. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s high sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with farming representatives on protecting UK producers from lower-standard imports.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of the farming sector. As the Secretary of State set out at the NFU Conference, the first meeting of the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will take place in March. This represents a reset of the relationship between government and the farming and food sectors, and will develop sector plans, which target growth. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, this Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. The Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, this Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the Government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure imported food complies with UK production, hygiene and welfare standards.

As the Secretary of State set out at the NFU Conference, the first meeting of the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will take place in March. This represents a reset of the relationship between government and the farming and food sectors, and will develop sector plans, which target growth. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, this Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, this Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the Government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of food imports from countries with lower hygiene, production, animal welfare and environmental standards on the sale of UK farmers' produce.

As the Secretary of State set out at the NFU Conference, the first meeting of the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will take place in March. This represents a reset of the relationship between government and the farming and food sectors, and will develop sector plans, which target growth. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, this Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, this Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the Government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to prevent agri-food imports produced to lower animal welfare standards than those required in the UK from entering the domestic market.

As the Secretary of State set out at the NFU Conference, the first meeting of the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will take place in March. This represents a reset of the relationship between government and the farming and food sectors, and will develop sector plans, which target growth. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, this Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, this Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the Government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what safeguards are currently in place to prevent agri-food imports produced to lower environmental and animal welfare standards from undercutting UK farmers; and what plans does she have to strengthen such safeguards.

As the Secretary of State set out at the NFU Conference, the first meeting of the new Farming and Food Partnership Board will take place in March. This represents a reset of the relationship between government and the farming and food sectors, and will develop sector plans, which target growth. All agri-food products must comply with the UK’s sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. Products produced to different environmental and animal welfare standards can be placed on the UK market if they comply with these requirements. This has always been the case and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, this Government will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, this Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the Government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.