Written questions by Smith.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in the size of UK orders for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the ability for the UK to attract overseas orders of ammunition containing lead used for law enforcement purposes, and b) the price of such orders.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure, following the introduction of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes, that ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes is a) available, b) affordable, and c) timely.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of a decrease in demand for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition containing lead on UK sovereign capability to supply ammunition for law enforcement purposes.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on the number of ammunition manufacturers who continue to produce bullets containing lead.

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction. The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction. GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses. The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad. There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely. I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of lead ammunition on the supply of ammunition for a) UK defence, b) law enforcement agencies and c) land management bodies.

The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not cover the use, including storage, of lead ammunition by the military, police, Government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of excluding bullets from restrictions on the production of lead ammunition.

The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition is based on extensive scientific evidence and analysis by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency. In developing their proposal, the HSE assessed the risks posed by lead ammunition – including bullets – to the environment and human health, as well as the socio-economic impacts of their proposal and the availability of alternatives. Minister Hardy’s Decision Report, published on 10 July 2025, sets out the rationale for the final UK REACH Restriction, including in relation to lead bullets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support she provides to farmers when changes are made to pesticide regulations; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ensuring the availability of approved alternative substances.

If changes are made to regulations including pesticides we aim to do so transparently, for example through consultation, with those impacted including the farming sector. When a decision is made about an active substance or plant protection product by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this is done in line with the legislation which ensures that affected individual farmers and businesses are made aware in sufficient time to make changes. As set out in the UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP), we want to ensure that farmers and growers have sufficient access to safe and sustainable tools to deal with pests and diseases. This includes improving access to biopesticides. The HSE runs the biopesticides scheme to support companies who want to apply for approval of a biopesticide. The scheme includes dedicated HSE biopesticide champions, free pre-submission advice, and capped fees for biopesticide active substance approval.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that approved pesticides do not pose a risk to public health.

A pesticide may only be placed on the market in Great Britain (GB) if the product has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), GB’s pesticide regulator. This only happens following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. The GB pesticide Maximum Residue Level (MRL) regime sets high standards of consumer protection to ensure that residues in food do not harm human health. An MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue in or on food that is legally tolerated. MRLs are always set below the level considered safe for people eating the food.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to encourage businesses and individuals to buy local farming produce.

The Government recognises the key role that regional and local food systems can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security/ resilience outcomes. Defra wants to create an environment that champions UK food cultures and celebrates British food. Connecting local communities can be a key vehicle for achieving this outcome and for harnessing a stronger food culture. The strategy helps strengthen pride in our unique food heritage and cultures and inspire a good food movement around the country. Alongside, Defra is considering the policy options available to deliver on the Government's ambition for at least half of all food procured by the public sector to be, where possible, locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards, and to make it easier for British suppliers to bid for a share of the £5 billion spent annually on public sector catering contracts. To that end, the Government is conducting the first ever review of food currently bought in the public sector, including where it is bought from.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 13210, what update she can provide on the progress of the Environment Agency's State of Contaminated Land Report, specifically with regard to contaminated land risks downstream of historical lead mines.

The Environment Agency sent the State of Contaminated Land survey to all local authorities with Part 2A duties in England on 14th November 2025. The survey includes specific questions relating to a number of sites prioritised for inspection or determined as contaminated land due to contamination risks from abandoned metal mines including metal/ore processing areas and/or abandoned metal mine impacted flood plain areas downstream of abandoned metal mines. The deadline for Local Authorities to respond is the 9th of January 2026. It is expected that the State of Contaminated Land report will be published in Summer 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reductions in the prices paid to British dairy farmers by suppliers; and whether she plans to review the adequacy of the regulatory framework governing the dairy supply chain.

Prices in the dairy sector are influenced by a wide range of factors, including global market trends, input costs and consumer demand. The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which came fully into force earlier this year, are designed to bring greater transparency and fairness to contractual relationships between farmers and milk purchasers. The regulations require clear and objective pricing terms, helping farmers to understand how the price they receive is determined and to plan their business decisions with greater confidence. These regulations are subject to a statutory review to assess their effectiveness and ensure that the framework continues to operate as intended.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken for (a) Sustainable Farming Incentive and (b) productivity grant payments on (i) rural supply chains and (ii) farm investment decisions.

Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) understand the importance of cashflow for farmers and rural businesses in their investment decisions and any impacts on the wider supply chain. The RPA has in recent years made more payments for the schemes they administer, earlier in the payment window. The RPA has also taken steps to improve the flow of payments. With a quarterly payments structure for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, schemes continue to be administered with payment frequency in mind, and the RPA continues to look at opportunities to issue payments and expedite grant clearance as promptly as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help expedite grant clearance under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) understands the importance of cashflow for farmers and rural businesses. The Agency used an Online Application system to streamline data collection and is using automation to simplify due diligence checks. Agreement Holders should claim their payment by the deadline of midday on 31 March 2026 and provide all of the necessary evidence. The RPA aims to process and pay complete claims within 60 working days and continues to look at opportunities to expedite grant clearance for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund as promptly as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of (a) the effectiveness of agricultural funding schemes and (b) how they can support food production.

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers. We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced later this year. The Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, provides grants to support industry-led R&D to develop technologies and innovative practices to drive innovation in agriculture and increase productivity, sustainability and resilience in our farming sectors. We have also protected farmers in trade deals and provided a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker route, giving farms certainty to grow their businesses. We are using our own purchasing power to back British produce, with an ambition, where possible, for half of food supplied into the public sector to be produced locally or certified to high environmental standards. We are reforming the planning system to support clean energy projects that align with our Clean Power 2030 ambitions, helping farm businesses to become more profitable and resilient.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to support tenant stock-rearing farmers with the costs of (a) rising feed, (b) energy and (c) national insurance costs.

The Government’s New Deal for Farmers includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers.  We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. With regard to these specific issues:The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain. We have seen evidence of this particularly in recent years following global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. It is recognised that there are a wide range of factors which can affect livestock production. These include the impacts of price, input costs, currency fluctuations, and market demand. Defra’s “Agriculture in the UK 2024” report published earlier this year found that feed prices overall have fallen. The government will continue to monitor the issue.The Government recognises that some businesses, in particular small businesses, may still be struggling to pay their bills. These businesses should contact their supplier to discuss their options. Non-domestic consumers with contracts agreed at higher prices may benefit from approaches such as ‘blend and extend’ contracts, where the original, higher, unit rate is ‘blended’ with a new lower rate, spreading the cost over the course of a longer contract. In the long-term, the Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to recommendation 27 of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Resilience to animal diseases, published on 4 June 2025, what steps his Department is taking to improve biosecurity at (a) UK borders and (b) high-volume entry points such as Dover.

Imports of animals and animal products are subject to strict biosecurity controls. These may include pre-notification, veterinary health certification and Border Control Post checks. We apply additional measures in response to specific biosecurity threats. For example, in response to recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Europe, we imposed immediate restrictions on commercial imports of susceptible animals and their untreated products from specific countries and banned personal imports of certain meat and dairy products from the European Union single market area. We continue to work closely with officials at both ports and airports to deliver the required checks on goods to minimise the risk of animal diseases entering the UK. This includes providing funding to Dover Port Health Authority to support Border Force in the detection of illegal imports of animal products.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce veterinary workforce shortages.

Defra is exploring various avenues to improve the short- and long-term capacity issues. Defra has increased engagement across the veterinary profession and other stakeholders, to find a sustainable solution, ensuring the ongoing provision of high-quality veterinary surgeons both in the private and public sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to recommendation 26(d) of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Resilience to animal diseases, published on 4 June 2025, whether his Department plans to publish a (a) comprehensive and (b) time-bound strategy for animal disease resilience.

The UK Government takes animal diseases seriously and works closely with industry partners, international fora and other government departments and local authorities to constantly monitor and react to new disease threats. We have in place robust measures to maintain and improve our ability to understand, detect, prevent, respond, and recover from outbreaks. Defra and APHA have noted the findings from the NAO report, including recommendation 26(d). A review is currently being undertaken of existing resilience plans and processes to assess where enhancements are required. This includes the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England which sets out the structures, governance, and processes for disease outbreaks. This is reviewed annually, and the next update is due to be laid before parliament in late autumn this year.