Every parliamentary written question tabled by Lee Dillon this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 86 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, whether farmers with Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements due to expire in 2026 will be able to apply for Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 agreements before their existing agr
Defra intends to help farmers with soon-to-expire Environmental Land Management revenue agreements to access the full SFI26 offer sooner. Additionally, for farmers in Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) agreements that expire in 2026, Natural Engla...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve access to affordable and sustainable food.
The Government is improving access to affordable and sustainable food through the Good Food Cycle, published in July 2025, which sets out a long-term plan for a healthier, environmentally sustainable food system. Measures have already been taken as part o...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to a) support and b) incentivise large scale rewilding projects in Britain.
Defra has recently announced £30 million for the new Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund, expected to deliver thousands of hectares of new habitat across England’s protected landscapes over three years, helping to bring nature back to the places people love most. ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what incentives there are to support rewilding projects.
Defra has recently announced £30 million for the new Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund, expected to deliver thousands of hectares of new habitat across England’s protected landscapes over three years, helping to bring nature back to the places people love most. ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Department has to expand marine rewilding.
We recognise rewilding and restoration of habitats and species plays a role in supporting thriving and productive seas. In the Environment Improvement Plan, through the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) programme we aim to restore at least 15% o...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to increase long term public and private investment in rewilding and nature restoration projects.
The Government reconfirmed its commitment to Environmental Land Management schemes in the most recent Spending Review. One of these schemes, Landscape Recovery, is supporting larger, more ambitious projects to restore nature across England, with long-term...
Food and Rural Affairs, what support is available for land managers seeking to transition to rewilding based approaches, including advisory services and payment schemes.
Defra has recently announced £30 million for the new Wildlife Rich Habitat Fund, expected to deliver thousands of hectares of new habitat across England’s protected landscapes over three years, helping to bring nature back to the places people love most. ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what incentives are available to support rewilding projects that aim to (a) reduce flood risk, (b) mitigate extreme weather impacts, and (c) address soil erosion and agricultural runof
The Government supports rewilding principles that prioritise natural processes and reduce intervention, leading to larger, better-connected habitats, with benefits for flood mitigation and water quality. These principles are reflected in nature-based solu...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to introduce legally binding targets for the restoration of Sites of Special Scientific Interest to favourable condition.
The Government has no plans to introduce legally binding targets for the restoration of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) to favourable condition. The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets a non-legally binding interim target for 50% of SSSI...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to review licensing arrangements for the reintroduction of native species, including beavers and lynx.
There are no plans to review licensing arrangements for the reintroduction of native species.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farmers seeking to undertake (a) nature recovery, (b) habita
The Government is backing farmers with a record £11.8 billion for sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. This is funding Defra’s agri-environmental schemes, currently including over 44,500 multi-year live SFI agreements. Defra will ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of nature based solutions, including beaver-led wetland restoration, in reducing storm flows and improving drought resilie
The Government supports nature‑based solutions, such as beaver‑led wetland restoration, to sustainably address environmental challenges and improve flood and drought resilience for nature and society. The Government’s new flood funding policy, and the Env...
Food and Rural Affairs, what oversight regulators undertake to ensure that reductions in mains water pressure are not used as an alternative to infrastructure investment by water companies.
Ofwat monitors water pressure as part of statutory service standards and can take enforcement action if companies fail to maintain adequate levels. Companies must report pressure performance annually, and Ofwat scrutinises their investment plans through t...
Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his department issues to water companies on the use of reductions in mains water pressure as a method of managing leakage or supply constraints.
The Government does not issue guidance to water companies to reduce mains water pressure as a method of managing leakage or supply constraints. Companies are expected to control leakage through investment and efficiency. They must also meet minimum pressu...
Food and Rural Affairs, whether customers are entitled to reimbursement where they incur costs, including the installation of private pumping equipment, as a result of reductions in mains water pressure by wa
Customers are protected through statutory standards and compensation arrangements where water company service falls short. When water pressure falls below these standards and normal domestic use is impaired, customers may be entitled to compensation throu...
Food and Rural Affairs, what rights to compensation or redress are available to customers whose mains water pressure is reduced to a level that impairs normal domestic use.
Customers are protected through statutory standards and compensation arrangements where water company service falls short. When water pressure falls below these standards and normal domestic use is impaired, customers may be entitled to compensation throu...
Food and Rural Affairs, what minimum standards apply to mains water pressure for domestic customers; and what steps are taken to ensure that water companies remain compliant with those standards when adjustin
Water companies must meet minimum service standards set through the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, including maintaining adequate water pressure and providing compensation where these standards are not met. The Government strengthened protections in July 20...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle deliberate harm to wild birds and animals in rural areas.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals. The Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 makes it illegal to commit malicious acts against a wild mammal. Anyone who commits an offence under this legislation could face up...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on small farms of the Sustainable Farming Incentive application window opening after the previous scheme has closed.
To date small farms have been less likely to be in SFI. SFI26 will have two application windows, to ensure as many farmers as possible can benefit from a SFI agreement. Window 1 will open from June 2026 for small farms with between 3 and 50 hectares and also farms without an existing Environmental Land Management agreement. The Government is specifically targeting these two groups (before opening to applications from all farmers) because it wants to bring more of them into SFI. This will make a major contribution to Defra’s EIP target to double the number of farms providing for farm wildlife by December 2030 (compared with 2025). Window 2 will open from September 2026 for all farms.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will undertake a review of the Sustainable Farming Incentive application system; and whether she will make it her policy to enable smaller farmers to apply for the next funding round before their current agreement ends.
As announced at the recent NFU Conference, a range of improvements will be introduced to make SFI26 a simpler, more streamlined offer and easier to navigate. One change is the introduction of two application windows, to ensure as many farmers as possible can benefit from a SFI agreement. Small farms with existing agreements will be able to apply in either Window 1 or Window 2. Farms over 50 hectares with existing agreements will be able to apply in Window 2.