Every parliamentary written question tabled by John Hayes this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 101–112 of 112 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices have been handed out for littering in (a) Lincolnshire and (a) 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.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a horticulture strategy for England.
We appreciate the vital work of the horticulture industry and recognise that a long-term vision would recognise the specific needs and huge diversity of the sector.As part of our mission-driven government, and in partnership with the sector, we are considering a number of ways to ensure our strategic approach to horticulture aligns with wider Government ambitions for the food system and represents the unique needs of the sector. This includes a 25-year Farming Roadmap, which we will work with horticulture growers to develop a forward-looking plan for farming, making the sector more profitable and sustainable in the decades to come.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ban the importation of pregnant cats in the last half of their pregnancy.
The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by Dr Danny Chambers MP. The Bill will give the government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to Great Britain’s pet market. We will use these powers to prohibit the bringing into Great Britain of cats that are more than 42 days pregnant. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect the coastline of the Wash from erosion.
Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities and we will work closely with the new Flood Resilience Taskforce to improve resilience and preparation across government and local authorities, providing oversight of UK flood and coastal resilience. The Wash has a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP4) to manage coastal erosion and flood risk sustainably. In January 2025, a new National Coastal Erosion Risk Map will be released. It will guide the Environment Agency and coastal authorities in making investment and planning decisions. We are committed to supporting coastal communities and ensuring flood and coastal erosion risk management is fit for the challenges we face now and in the future.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many trees were planted in (a) South Holland district and (b) South Kesteven district in the last ten years.
The Forestry Commission publishes statistics on new planting of woodland, and trees outside woodland, in England. These can be found in Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators . These statistics are reported for each financial year in thousands of hectares. This Government has not set specific targets for individual districts and the reporting statistic the hon. Member has requested is not currently available. The England Trees Action Plan has kickstarted tree planting, with nearly 16 million trees planted over the past 3 years. We reported 5,529 hectares of new woodland and trees outside of woodland planted in 2023-24. The figures for planting in 2024-25 will be published as part of Official Statistics in June 2025.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions with major (a) supermarkets and (b) food retailers on reducing food waste.
Defra engages with retailers on a regular basis as part of ongoing efforts to ensure alignment on key policies. This includes regular bilateral conversations with individual organisations and forums that include all the major supermarkets. Agendas are adjusted according to priorities. Defra supports the Courtauld Commitment, an industry-led initiative delivered by the Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP), which has a target of 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 against the UK’s 2007 baseline. Membership of Courtauld includes all the major retailers and their trade organisation, the British Retal Consortium (BRC). Defra engages in Courtauld’s collaborative approach, attending working group discussions with industry on how to tackle food waste in the supply chain.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce a horticulture strategy.
The Government appreciates and values the vital work of the horticulture industry and recognises its role in maintaining a secure food supply.As part of our mission-driven Government, and in partnership with the sector, we are considering how we can achieve our ambitious, measurable and long-term goals for the sector, including how to recognise the sector’s diversity and specialist needs.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to upgrade sewage infrastructure in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
For too long, investment has not kept pace with the challenges of an ageing infrastructure system, a rapidly growing population, and climate change. Water companies are now expected to deliver £88 billion of investment between 2025 and 2030 across England and Wales. This will improve more than 2,500 projects to reduce spills from storm overflows and upgrades to over 1,500 wastewater treatment works.Sewage infrastructure upgrades are the responsibility of the water company. As part of the Environment Act 2021, a duty exists for water companies in England to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs).
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the risk of flooding in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) the Fens.
Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government, and that is why we have launched a Flood Resilience Taskforce. It will provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season. It met for the first time on 12 September to discuss preparation for the winter ahead. Since 2010, the Environment Agency (EA) has invested over £332 million in flood schemes in Lincolnshire, better protecting over 83,000 properties. The Fens 2100+ is a £9.8 million programme to develop a Fens-wide flood resilience investment strategy that achieves long-term value for money and generates regional and national benefits. This investment strategy will be completed in 2025 and is being developed with Flood Risk Management Authorities to assist them in planning their flood risk management activities for the next 20-25 years and beyond. This includes taking forward a ‘Sustainable Recovery Pilot’ project in the Witham Fens in Lincolnshire, which is looking at managing flooding differently, building on risk management authorities’ day to day activities, to help this area of fenland be more resilient and aid quicker recovery from flooding. The EA is developing a vision for the future use of Crowland and Cowbit Washes (flood storage reservoir) which will explore options for multi-benefit uses, including flooding, climate change adaptation and environmental benefits. We will work with landowners and Risk Management Authorities to develop this work as the current appetite to adapt our flood risk management approach is high given Storm Henk impacts.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to commission an impact assessment of the agricultural transition plan.
The present Government will not be over-turning the applecart. We are fully committed to the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes set out in the previous Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan. We will optimise these schemes in an orderly way to ensure they produce the right outcomes for farmers. We plan to increase the transparency of these schemes by publishing data on the impact they are having. We will confirm next steps in the rollout of other ELM schemes, including how we will publish this data, in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many badgers have been culled in Lincolnshire since the beginning of the current cull regime.
The number of badgers removed during culling operations are published annually on GOV.UK.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to encourage Government Departments in Whitehall to prioritise the (a) procurement and (b) purchase of British produced (i) food and (ii) drink.
As set out in the manifesto, we have an ambition to supply half of all food and drink into the public sector from local, British producers or those certified to higher environmental standards, whilst remaining in line with our World Trade Organization and domestic procurement obligations.