Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of protected geographical indication labelling on a) fresh meat and b) fresh fish packaging.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce environmental harm caused by glass-reinforced plastic pollution in protected landscapes.

Waste producers should ensure that they abide by appropriate regulations and the Waste Duty of Care Code of Practice when disposing of glass reinforced plastic waste. Appropriate management of waste in accordance with relevant legislation will ensure that...

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce a timetable to end the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoid pesticides.

This government remains committed to ending the use in England of the three neonicotinoid pesticides (thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid) that threaten vital pollinators, including through emergency authorisations. The Health and Safety Executive (H...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to ensure that storm overflows cause no environmental harm in protected landscapes by 2035.

Water companies must take action to address storm overflow spills. Between 2025 and 2030, over £10bn, a historic amount, is being invested in improving nearly 2,500 storm overflows across England, targeted at those affecting the most sensitive sites for e...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will establish a central fund to enable local authorities and the Environment Agency to use their permissive powers to protect legacy coastal landfill sites.

The Government recognises the complexity and challenges posed by legacy coastal landfill sites (also known as historic coastal landfill sites), particularly in the context of coastal erosion and climate change. It commissioned a project to consolidate res...

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take legislative steps to ensure that all new washing machines are fitted with a 50-micron microfibre filter by 2030.

The Government recognises growing concerns around microplastics, including microfibre release from textiles, and is committed to building a strong evidence base to inform effective interventions to protect human health and the environment. It is supportin...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will ban the use in veterinary medicine of any active pesticide substance deemed too harmful for use on crops.

This Government does not currently plan to introduce a blanket ban on veterinary use of active substances restricted in crop protection. Veterinary medicines and pesticides are regulated under distinct frameworks, reflecting differences in use, exposure a...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will take legislative steps to stop nitrates and phosphates entering protected landscapes.

In the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, we set out an ambitious target to reduce total nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution from agriculture to the water environment by at least 18% in catchments containing protected sites in unfavourable cond...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will extend the regulation of pharmaceuticals and chemicals to ensure that they are licensed only where they do not have a negative impact on the natural environment.

On 1 December 2025, Defra published the revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025. The EIP 2025 is the department’s long-term plan for improving the natural environment and enjoyment of it. It includes prioritised delivery actions to minimise envi...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward additional measures under the Animal Welfare Strategy for England relating to the sale and use of hand‑controlled electric shock collars for dogs.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has identified any crop protection products currently approved in Great Britain but not in the European Union that may be affected by regulatory alignment.

The UK-EU SPS agreement is under negotiation and pesticides regulations are in scope. The Common Understanding sets out that the United Kingdom, acting in respect of Great Britain, will dynamically align with all the relevant European Union rules. My Department’s analysis of divergence between the UK and EU regulatory decisions is ongoing. This has greatly benefited from evidence and insight from business, which is informing the approach to negotiations and implementation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of breeding and ownership of brachycephalic animals.

Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies. In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices. Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in dogs in the UK.

Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies. In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices. Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to raise public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals.

Dog breeders licensed under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations are prohibited from breeding dogs if it can be reasonably expected that on the basis of their genotype, phenotype or health, this would lead to welfare problems for the mother or the puppies. In the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform to improve health and welfare, and also to improve understanding of the size, scale and current management practices related to cat breeding, and consider any further steps which may improve welfare practices in the cat breeding sector. The strategy was developed following engagement with key stakeholders and consideration of sector evidence, such as the Animal Welfare Committee’s reports on canine and feline breeding practices. Defra works with a range of sector organisations who are raising public awareness of the health risks associated with brachycephalic animals. This includes via tools such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare’s Innate Health Assessment, Royal Kennel Club’s Respiratory Function Grading scheme assessment for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and the Canine and Feline Sector Group Code of Practice for Dog Breeding. Many organisations have public facing campaigns to promote awareness such as Cats Protection, and the UK Brachycephalic Working Groups ‘stop and think’ campaign to prioritise health when purchasing dogs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the feasibility and ecological impact of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx to woodland areas in England.

Defra has not undertaken any formal assessment of the feasibility and ecological impact of reintroducing the Eurasian lynx to woodland areas in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of representation of the horticultural industry on the Farming and Food Partnership Board.

The first meeting of the Board took place on 25 March 2026 with an initial membership of 7 industry leads and experts. Together, this initial group provided coverage and expertise across farming and food production, distribution, processing and manufacturing, and the domestic and international markets. This group considered the need for additional members ahead of the next Board meeting. The first meeting agreed the Board’s work should be supported by additional task and finish sub-groups, as well as sector led groups developing Sector Growth Plans. Following the first meeting, the Board has invited the Horticulture Expert Growers Group to work with the Fruit & Veg Coalition and the Environmental Horticulture Group and immediately begin work on the first Sector Growth Plan for the horticultural sector. This will ensure that the expertise and insights of the horticultural industry are fully considered by the Board.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help protect hare populations in (a) West Sussex and (b) Chichester constituency.

The department has supported West Sussex County Council in preparing its Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is expected to be published shortly. This strategy will set nature‑recovery priorities and map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement that will support many species, such as hares.Nationally, protection of the brown hare population is provided through hare‑coursing legislation introduced under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Together with improved police tactics, intelligence, and information sharing, it is reasonable to assume that these measures are reducing levels of hare coursing, which will play a part in the recovery of the species.In addition, the Government’s recently published Animal Welfare Strategy contains a commitment to consider introducing a close season on shooting brown hares.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a statutory close season for the brown hare during its breeding period on levels of conservation.

The Government considers the need for a close season for hares to be justified primarily on the grounds of animal welfare. It committed to consider how to bring forward and introduce a close season for hares in England in its Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is also consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential and unavoidable. Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of introducing a statutory close season for the brown hare during its breeding period on levels of conservation. The department is aware that while some stakeholders have suggested a close season running from February to October may provide capacity for brown hare population growth, others have argued that brown hare conservation would not necessarily be accelerated by a close season.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he will consider the potential merits of exemptions to restrictions on importing docked dogs for recognised rescue charities rehoming dogs that were docked prior to rescue.

As outlined in the manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. Which is why the Government supported the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025. This Act will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. The Government will use these powers to prohibit dogs and cats being brought into Great Britain with non-exempted mutilations, such as docked tails and cropped ears. Any appropriate exemptions to these prohibitions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. In the meantime, Defra will continue to work with stakeholders including rescue organisations and consider their feedback. The Government is clear that any exemptions will need to be finely balanced against the risk of creating loopholes that could be exploited by bad actors.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will update the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 to safeguard swans and other protected species from dogs.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 (as amended) protects “livestock” from worrying or attacks by dogs. The definition of livestock in the Act includes cattle, sheep, goats, swine, horses, poultry and camelids. The Government has no plans to further change this Act.