Written questions by Hayes.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes the Forestry Commission has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. Forest Research, an agency of the Forestry Commission, is primarily trialling Machine Learning to automate some of the basic tasks currently performed by scientists to support its specialist work. This algorithmic learning can be trained using established and mature techniques on new and existing datasets to classify complex, multidimensional data. This is carefully considered and monitored for accuracy and performance and viewed in the context of evolving practice and recommendations of secure, sustainable and ethical Artificial Intelligence.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes the Veterinary Medicines Directorate has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has not used AI within any business processes to aid decision making regarding the quality, safety or efficacy of the lifecycle of veterinary medicines within the last 12 months. The VMD submitted a nil return to Cabinet Office regarding the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) on 30 August 2024. The VMD can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example, the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the ATRS. The Directorate also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes the Rural Payments Agency has used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. The Rural Payments Agency participated in a Central Digital and Data Office led cross-government trial of Microsoft’s AI tool called M365 Copilot, which uses generative AI. This trial started on 7 November and ended on 31 December. M365 Copilot was used for limited tasks, such as note-taking or summarising information, to assess how AI can support day-to-day productivity. RPA have a limited number of licences to explore this capability further. All content produced by Co-pilot AI is checked by a human for accuracy. RPA are not currently using Copilot for customer interactions. The Rural Payments Agency have undertaken AI pilots to support remote sensing, monitoring land, and intelligence on flood detection to deliver environmental outcomes for Defra. Two projects are now operational that use AI and satellite imagery to classify crop types across England and a system to detect flooding on agricultural land. We publish information about algorithmic tools we develop, where they are used in decision-making processes that affect members of the public, using the Algorithm Transparency Recording Standard. The new Government will now examine the findings to inform the next stages of the strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes OFWAT has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Your question refers to the time before the current Government, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the new Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how Britain delivers public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.Ofwat has conducted a trial of licenced generative AI, making sure it has considered and mitigated security concerns. Ofwat draws on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage.Ofwat also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) farmers and (b) food producers use sustainable farming methods in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire.

This Government’s commitment to farmers and food producers remains steadfast. We will always champion British farming to boost rural economic growth, strengthen food security and improve the environment. Defra has allocated £5 billion for the farming budget over two years. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector, with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery all continuing. This funding will deliver improvements to food security as well as the environment, in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency and more broadly across Lincolnshire and the rest of the country.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help tackle illegal waste in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The Environment Agency (EA) works with a range of professional partners to tackle all waste crime. In Lincolnshire the EA jointly chairs the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership made up of Local Authorities and professional partners like the Fire Service and NFU. The local EA enforcement team is currently investigating a site near Holbeach St Johns in South Holland, Lincolnshire where bales of shredded, wrapped landfill waste have been deposited and stored illegally.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect seabird populations from offshore wind turbines.

The Government’s Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package’s aim is to support the acceleration of offshore wind consenting, while continuing to protect the marine environment. The package is setting out new approaches to delivering mitigation and compensation for the environmental impacts of offshore wind developments at a strategic level. As part of this, Defra is piloting innovative approaches to mitigation. This includes a turbine blade painting pilot looking at reducing the avian collision risk from offshore wind. Defra is also working collaboratively with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations, the offshore wind industry across the UK, and Devolved Governments to develop a range of strategic compensation measures for the habitats and species most likely to be affected by offshore wind impacts, including seabirds.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the quantity of best and most versatile agricultural land.

The current estimate of the quantity of best and most versatile agricultural land is 42% of agricultural land. Grades 1 and 2 together form about 21% of all farmland in England; Subgrade 3a also covers about 21%. The last publicly available estimate of BMV land was published in a Natural England Technical Information Note in 2009. It can be foundavailable here: The new Government recognises the importance of accurately identifying BMV land, and work is currently underway to develop a new strategic-scale map to replace the 1960s provisional Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) map. The updated map will align with current ALC guidelines and include the subdivision of Grade 3 land into subgrades 3a and 3b, which is not reflected in the provisional map. This project is expected to be completed by spring 2025, providing a more accurate and up-to-date assessment of land quality to inform future land use decisions.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the new Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country. As of January 2025, officials are exploring AI tools in a number of areas, although this work is still a proof-of-concept and not a live system. Officials are also exploring deep learning for peatland mapping to aid CO2 reduction and machine learning to automate marine species identification. We draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI usage. For example, Generative AI Framework, Data Ethics Framework, AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of flooding have been reported in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in the last five years.

Lead Local Flood Authorities are required to conduct formal Section 19 investigations when flood incidents meet specific criteria, such as the number of properties internally flooded, the nature and frequency of flooding, and the impact on critical infrastructure. However, not every flooding incident qualifies for this investigation threshold. The Environment Agency collaborates closely with Lincolnshire County Council to gather evidence that supports their recommendations. Over the past five years, communities in Lincolnshire, particularly in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency, have faced some significant flooding, affecting residential and commercial properties, as well as essential infrastructure. Since early 2019, there have been 1,860 properties flooded across Lincolnshire, with 135 of those in South Holland and the Deepings. In response, the Environment Agency partners with the Local Resilience Forum and engages with affected communities to build resilience against future flooding events. Notable areas experiencing severe impacts include Surfleet Sluice, where residential properties lie within a flood storage area, complicating the Environment Agency’s ability to manage floodwaters. Additionally, the Crowland and Cowbit Flood Storage Reservoir has suffered from high River Welland flows, which damaged embankments and led to flooding. Fortunately, repairs to this damage have now been completed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the contribution of farming to the economy of (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Regional estimates of total income from farming are produced at international territorial levels (ITL) 1, 2 and 3, with ITL3 being the most granular geographical breakdown. As such, the specific breakdown requested for part a) of the question is not available. In 2023, total income from farming for Lincolnshire was £579.17 million.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the ban on the use of neonicotinoids on agricultural crops on (a) bee and (b) butterfly population trends.

Three neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – have not been authorised for general use since 2018. It has remained possible to consider short-term emergency authorisations for particular uses, and emergency authorisation for use on sugar beet was granted each year from 2021 to 2024. This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature, including pollinator species such as bees and butterflies. We have given a commitment to end these emergency authorisations and the next steps towards delivering that commitment were set out in a published policy statement and in a written statement to Parliament made on 6 January. There is clear and abundant evidence that neonicotinoids are harmful to species other than those they are intended to control, and particularly to insect pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Given the complex range of threats faced by pollinators, it is not possible to quantify the benefit of turning the current restrictions on the three neonicotinoids into a complete ban.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to announce his decision on the future of the Farming Investment Fund.

Defra is working to simplify and rationalise its grant funding offer, including the Farming Investment Fund, ensuring that grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. The timings of any future grant offers will be confirmed in due course and is subject to the outcome of the Phase 2 of the Spending Review.Defra continues to support farmers with £5 billion to the farming budget over two years – more money than ever for sustainable food production and to boost rural economic growth. In the long term, Defra will support farmers and farming businesses to become sustainable and self-reliant.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support SME manufacturers of farm equipment in cases where demand has fallen, in the context of funding provided by the Farming Investment Fund.

Defra recognises that farmers and the agricultural supply sector need clarity and certainty. Defra continues to roll out schemes and will optimise them in an orderly way over time so that farmers can plan. The budget for future years will be set in Phase 2 of the Spending Review, and details of future grant rounds will be confirmed in due course. Defra is supporting farmers with £5 billion to the farming budget over two years – more money than ever for sustainable food production and to boost rural economic growth. In the long term, Defra will support farmers and farming businesses to become sustainable and self-reliant.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to align future application windows of the Farm Equipment and Technology Fund with the agricultural calendar.

Defra is working to simplify and rationalise its grant funding offers including the Farming Investment Fund, ensuring that grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. The timings of any future grant offers will be confirmed in due course and is subject to the outcome of Phase 2 of the Spending Review. Defra continues to support farmers with £5 billion to the farming budget over two years – more money than ever for sustainable food production and to boost rural economic growth. In the long term, Defra will support farmers and farming businesses to become sustainable and self-reliant.

Food and Rural Affairs, what additional funding his Department has provided to (a) communities and (b) local authorities affected by recent flooding in Lincolnshire.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, the Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. In addition, the Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce sets out a new approach to preparing for flooding by working cross-Government and with external stakeholders. It plans to meet again in January 2025 and will discuss the recent flooding. During the recent flooding the Environment Agency has focussed on warning and informing communities of risks, liaising with Local Resilience Forum partners and undertaking initial investigations into the causes and impacts of the flooding. The list of projects to receive Government funding in 2025/26 will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees with local representation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to make recycling easier for residents in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas.

The Government’s Simpler Recycling reforms will ensure that across England, every citizen will be able to recycle the same materials, no longer needing to check what their council will accept for recycling. This policy will make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will reduce confusion with recycling to improve recycling rates, ensuring there is more recycled material in the products we buy, and that the UK recycling industry will grow. Every household and non-household municipal premises (such as businesses, schools, and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core groups: metal; glass; plastic; paper and card; food waste; garden waste (household only). Simpler Recycling will be implemented on a phased timeline, beginning from 31 March 2025 for non-household premises and 31 March 2026 for households.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce time taken for (a) sanitary and (b) phytosanitary checks at border control posts for horticultural produce.

GB plant health services have increased the number of plant health inspection staff to service the demand for import checks in England and Wales of EU plants and plant products. Inspector levels are being monitored to ensure these meet demand and deliver checks in line with set Service Level Agreements (SLA) and ensure minimal trade disruption. BCPs are designed to handle high volumes of imported SPS goods with inspectors working shifts to carry out reliable checks which minimise friction on traffic flow. Checks at BCPs are handled by trained staff ensuring inspections are undertaken safely and efficiently.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many plant health inspection staff were employed at UK Border Control Posts in (a) England and (b) Wales as of 10 December 2024.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has 162 plant health inspectors in post covering England and Wales. This number includes all inspectors working at border control points (BCPs), inspection centres and control points. This number cannot be broken down to specify the number of inspectors specifically at BCPs because inspectors often cover multiple sites. The inspectors cover all work for the EU, and the rest of the world including work at ports and inland. The number does not include new inspectors which APHA is currently onboarding or who are currently at the job offer stage of recruitment.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices have been handed out for spitting in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) England in each of the last five years.

Defra does not hold data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for littering or spitting.