Written questions by Shannon.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland on the recent lifting of quarantine due to avian influenza.

Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, for animal disease threats, each of the four UK administrations are an integral part of the decision-making process and officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland meet regularly with their counterparts in Defra, Welsh Government and Scottish Government where topics such as the Avian influenza prevention zones and the lifting of housing measures are discussed and the impact on the UK administrations considered. Representatives including the Chief Veterinary Officers from each devolved administration also sit on the Animal Disease Policy Group, a UK wide policy decision making group. This helps to drive a flexible and coordinated response. The UK contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals explains how the administrations work together in responding to an outbreak at a UK level.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the chick population.

Defra publishes monthly statistics on the activity of UK hatcheries. The UK chick sector is highly resilient, with production remaining stable over the last five years. The latest published figures for the first quarter of 2025, show that total hatchery placings for commercial broilers, layer hens, and turkeys increased by approximately 3.5%, equivalent to 10.2 million additional chicks, compared to the same period in 2024. The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant was recently offered to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England. It supports these farmers to improve the health, welfare, and productivity of their flocks through access to £22.6 million in grants towards the cost of upgrading their housing. Applications closed on 18 September 2024, and all applicants have been contacted to notify them of next steps. In addition, we recently announced farmers across England will be able to apply for grants worth up to £25,000 to invest in machinery that boosts farm productivity, helps manage slurry, or for improving animal health and welfare. Eligible broiler and layer hen chick producers can apply for this new round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund from 29 May 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage food suppliers to use locally sourced food products.

Our food strategy will bring together the outcomes we want from the food system to help Government and the food industry work towards shared goals and priorities. The Government will be considering the role of place-based initiatives as the food strategy is developed. Together, we can deliver a system we can be even more proud of, that protects British traditions and drives generational change in our relationship with food. For the first time in our history, the Government will also monitor where public sector food comes from so we can better understand our opportunities. We’re reforming procurement rules to make it easier for British producers to bid for a share of the £5 billion spent annually on public sector catering, given the new national procurement policy statement favours high-quality products that we believe British producers are well-placed to supply.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce global warming.

While DESNZ leads across Government on net zero, Defra is responsible for reducing emissions from agriculture, land use (including peat), F-gases and waste (including wastewater), whilst simultaneously increasing England's carbon saving potential through our forestry policies. DESNZ will deliver an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all sectors by October 2025. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contribution commitments on a pathway to net zero.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2087 on Horse: Smuggling, what estimate his Department has made of the number of horses smuggled from the United Kingdom at (a) Dover and (b) other ports for which the latest data is available.

APHA defines a smuggled animal as one that is illegally exported: it is one that is not travelling on appropriate paperwork, has not been declared and/or is concealed. This means that robust data on the numbers of horses and ponies illegally smuggled out of the United Kingdom in the last 5 years is not readily available, as APHA can only report on inspected animals; those that are presented or intercepted. APHA holds data for the period September 2023 to date for Dover only. We have previously provided the data from September 2023 to 30 July 2024. See PQ 45796 for the most recent data on recorded exports. Between 31 July 2024 to present, APHA Dover inspected 197 horses/ponies being exported into mainland Europe, including those originating from Ireland and transiting through Great Britain. Of these, 65 were found to be non-compliant due to contraventions of official controls related to animal health and the welfare of animals in transport.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of bird flu.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 December 2024 to question UIN 19297. An updated outbreak assessment for highly pathogenic avian influenza in Great Britain and Europe was published by the Animal and Plant Health Agency on 18 March 2025, and an updated veterinary risk assessment for notifiable avian influenza incursion into poultry in Northern Ireland was published by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in December 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Northern Ireland on changes to farming subsidies.

Agriculture is a devolved policy area. Defra and devolved Government officials meet routinely to share experiences and insight regarding our respective agricultural policies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage recycling at beaches.

The Government has introduced Simpler Recycling, which from 31 March 2025 will require small, medium and large workplaces in England to recycle the core waste streams (plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and food waste. This will include cafés, shops, and other establishments that are located across England’s seafronts and beaches. We have been proud to support and endorse national clean-up initiatives such as the Great British Spring Clean, and the Great British Beach Clean, and we will continue to use our influence to encourage as many people and businesses as possible to participate in these types of events.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps he is taking to help increase the freshwater pearl mussel population.

The Government is supporting the recovery of freshwater pearl mussel by working collaboratively with environmental organisations to restore rivers and watercourses, raising awareness about the importance of freshwater pearl mussels and encouraging community participation in their conservation. Enforcement agencies are also ensuring compliance with the nature conservation laws to protect freshwater pearl mussels from illegal harvesting and environmental damage. As well as habitat-based actions the Environment Agency has established a captive breeding programme in Kielder, Northumberland to boost existing populations by providing a safe start to their lifecycle before they are returned to the wild at carefully chosen locations. Finally, we are exploring opportunities to reintroduce the species to river systems from where they have been lost; Natural England and partners are planning a freshwater pearl mussel reintroduction, the “R4ever Kent Life project”, which will also help inform other reintroductions across the country.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the mental health of farmers.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental health of those working in farming and agriculture. Following engagement with agricultural mental health charities, Defra established a team dedicated to addressing the particular set of issues driving poorer mental health outcomes in the agricultural industry. We are also continuing to fund the Farmer Welfare Grant. This funds four charities to deliver projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. As promised in our manifesto, the Government is building a national network of Young Futures hubs which will be present in every community and will deliver support for young people facing mental health challenges. Finally, the Government is giving mental health the same attention and focus as physical health through measures such as employing 8,500 new mental health support workers. This will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of wind turbines on avian mortality.

The Government does not have estimates of the number of birds killed by wind turbines. Wind developments have the potential to cause environmental damage, including impacts to birds from collisions, displacement, and foraging pressures.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland on the preservation of biodiversity in Northern Ireland.

The UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) was discussed with Minister Muir, as well as other devolved government ministers, at the Inter-Ministerial Group for EFRA held on 16 September. The UK has published the full NBSAP during the resumed COP16 that commits us to achieving all 23 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework at home. The four governments, and relevant Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies have worked collaboratively to develop the NBSAP and now we need to work together to deliver it.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on reversing the changes to inheritance tax for family farmers.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce sewage in rivers.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act, which will strengthen regulation, including delivering new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bringing criminal charges against persistent law breakers. We are also carrying out a full review of the water sector. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further legislation to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence went live on 27 February for 8 weeks, with all interested parties invited to share their views. This Call for Evidence will play a key role in shaping the Commission’s thinking going forward and into the review's final recommendations to the UK and Welsh Governments. This forms the next stage in the Government’s approach to ensuring we have a sufficiently robust and stable regulatory framework to attract the investment needed to clean up our waterways, speed up infrastructure delivery to support house building and restore public confidence in the sector. As part of Price Review 24, Water companies are investing £12 billion, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales, with OfWat requiring them to reduce spills by 45% compared to 2021 levels. The regulators will continue to take action if any illegality is identified. They have launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever. As part of their investigations, Ofwat has proposed fines of £168 million against three water companies. This investigation is a priority for Ofwat, and it will continue to work as quickly as possible on their investigations into all remaining companies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the dairy farming industry in Northern Ireland.

Dairy farming policy is a devolved matter and is therefore the responsibility of the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland. However, the UK Government is committed to tackling unfairness in the supply chain wherever it exists and works with DAERA to ensure there is a coordinated approach and farmers receive a fair price for their products. Central to this is the Government’s commitment to improving contractual practices across the agriculture industry, using the Fair Dealings powers in the Agriculture Act 2020 to increase transparency and protect farmers from unfair practices. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which came into force last year, introduced key reforms. These include mandatory written contracts outlining key terms such as termination conditions and agreed supply volumes. They also require greater transparency in milk pricing and establish robust dispute resolution procedures, strengthening trust and cooperation between buyers and sellers. The regulations are enforced by the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator, who can investigate complaints from farmers who believe they have not been provided with a contract that is compliant with the Regulations, on behalf of the Secretary of State. We will continue to work with DAERA in monitoring the dairy industry to ensure these reforms deliver their intended impact, including through a future review of the effectiveness of the dairy regulations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the condition of the water in the River Thames.

Cleaning up England’s rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address the performance of water companies who are not delivering for the environment or their customers. Significant steps are being taken to address pollution through the Water (Special Measures) Act and record investment in PR24 to enhance infrastructure, and ensure clean and sustainable water resources for future generations. As part of Price Review 24 (PR24), Thames Water will undertake a significant investment programme to improve the environment over the 2025-30 period. These investments include: £784 million to reduce the use of storm overflows and £1.2 billion to prevent nutrient pollution. At the beginning of February, the Thames Tideway Tunnel (TTT) was fully activated and is now diverting sewage flows away from the river. The TTT was the final part of the London Tideway Tunnel system which will help reduce the volume of discharges by around 95%, leaving behind a cleaner, healthier Thames. On 13 March, the Mayor of London announced plans for investment to clean up London’s rivers. The Mayor, Transport for London, Thames Tideway, London Wildlife Trust, and Thames Water announced an injection of over £1.8 billion across the next five years to protect and improve river health in London. The plans include £7 million to prevent road run-off pollution from entering waterways and help reduce flood risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made as assessment of the potential impact of RNA pesticides on the bee population.

Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of RNA pesticides on the bee population. At present, there are no RNA interference plant protection products (PPPs) authorised for use in GB. Should anyone wish to market an RNA interference PPP for professional use in GB, they must first submit an application to the independent regulator, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who would complete a thorough risk assessment before making a decision on authorisation. Any application would need to meet the data requirements outlined in GB’s PPP regulations (more information can be found on HSE’s website: Data Requirements Introduction and Index). All active substances and commercial products must show no unacceptable effects on people or wildlife. This includes an evaluation of the effect on bees; if this is failed, then no authorisation is given.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations on levels of bovine tuberculosis cases across the UK.

The Inter-ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural affairs recognise the importance of working together to tackle bovine TB. Further information about this group and its priorities can be found on GOV.UK at: Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs communiqué: 16 September 2024 - GOV.UK. Chief Veterinary Officers from all four administrations of the United Kingdom also meet regularly to discuss bovine TB, as do policy officials. These meetings provide an opportunity for each administration to update on policy developments, statistical analysis of TB prevalence in each administration, and to exchange ideas on TB control.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle bee harm.

Bee health is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Harm to honeybees can be caused by several different means including pests and diseases, invasive non-native species and poor husbandry practices by beekeepers. Defra supports a range of actions to help tackle harm. The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU) deliver the Defra Bee Health Programme which includes management and control of honeybee pests and diseases. The NBU also provide free training and advice to beekeepers, including on pest and disease recognition. Defra works in partnership with beekeeping stakeholders under the Healthy Bees Plan 2030 to improve honeybee health and husbandry. Yellow-legged hornet (YLH), an invasive non-native species is a threat to pollinating insects including honeybees. There are established populations of these hornets in Europe and since 2016 there have been regular incursions into GB. Defra takes action against confirmed findings of YLH to prevent this species from becoming established.The Government is committed to ending the use of those neonicotinoid pesticides that are known to carry substantial risks to pollinator populations. The recent Defra policy statement, released on 21 December, sets out plans to take forward that commitment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle illegal puppy farms.

As outlined in our manifesto, the Government will bring an end to puppy farming. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.