Written questions by Evans.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many times did the National Fly- Tipping Prevention Group meet during the Calendar Year of 2025.

The National Fly-tipping Prevention Group met twice in the 2025 calendar year.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has spoken to the [i] Local Government Association and [ii] District Councils Network to understand the [a] levels and [b] nature of complaints made to local authorities about animal rescue and rehoming centres.

The department maintains regular contact with key stakeholders, including the Canine and Feline Sector Group, which brings together leading welfare charities, veterinary bodies, trade associations and representatives from local authorities. Through this forum, Defra receives up-to-date intelligence on emerging issues and operational challenges.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs during Environment, Food and Rural Affairs questions on 13 November 2025, Hansard col 291, on what date does she plans to publish the animal welfare strategy.

As set out by the Prime Minister, we will publish our Animal Welfare Strategy this year which will set out our priorities for animal welfare.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to consider legislative and non-legislative options to take forward changes to low-welfare activities abroad.

The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad. We continue to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 on WPQ 90372 on Agriculture: Subsidies, what plans her department has to (a) conclude and (b) publicise the outcomes of their work on future agricultural grant funding models.

We are working to simplify and rationalise our grant funding from 2026 onwards to ensure they are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. We will communicate more on future grants in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she last held discussions with the fruit and vegetable growers sector on the potential impact of the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme on that sector.

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them. Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer. Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has carried out a recent impact assessment for the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them. Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer. Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of her Department's progress on improving agricultural grant funding to help support fruit and vegetable growers.

The Government is steadfastly committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Both Defra ministers and officials host regular discussions with a range of farming stakeholders, including growers, to understand the challenges that they face and how we can best support them. Legislation introduced in July 2023 effectively closed the EU legacy Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England by preventing submission of new operational programmes and the extension of existing programmes which would end on or after 1 January 2026. The sector has been aware of its closure since that time and there has been extensive engagement with officials. The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting. Future support for the sector will be considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer. Moreover, of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Animal Health and Welfare Pathway grants on the transition to cage free systems for laying hens.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and will continue to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are considering very carefully. The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant, part of the broader Animal Health & Welfare Pathway, recently offered funding to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England to refurbish or replace housing, including for those transitioning from colony cages to high-welfare non-cage systems. The first stage of the application process closed in September 2024 with eligible applicants invited to submit a full application. Due to the extended timeframe of the grant, data regarding the assessment of potential impacts is not available.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to determine the future of Animal Health and Welfare Pathway grants to support the transition to cage free systems for laying hens.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and will continue to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are considering very carefully. The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant, part of the broader Animal Health & Welfare Pathway, recently offered funding to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England to refurbish or replace housing, including for those transitioning from colony cages to high-welfare non-cage systems. The first stage of the application process closed in September 2024 with eligible applicants invited to submit a full application. Due to the extended timeframe of the grant, data regarding the assessment of potential impacts is not available.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that Councils have effective supply chains in place to enable them to provide a weekly food waste collection service to all households by 31 March 2026.

We are aware of concerns about delivery timelines and pressure on supply chains for vehicles and containers. We are engaging with key stakeholders across the sector and welcome input to help us understand the challenges and ensure successful delivery. Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to scope interventions to address bottlenecks in supply chains. For instance, WRAP recently published procurement guidance for food waste: Weekly food waste implementation supplementary procurement guidance | WRAP.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the police of (a) kennelling and (b) court fees for dogs subject to seized dog cases.

Defra does not hold data on the total cost to the police of kennelling or of court fees for dogs subject to seized dog cases. This information may be collected by individual police forces.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of his policies on the ability of farmers to diversify their income streams to support their farming business.

Agricultural permitted development rights were amended in April 2024 to expand the range of uses agricultural buildings and land within their curtilage can be used for under a ‘flexible commercial use’, incentivising development by providing certainty and removing the time and money needed to submit a planning application. As the Secretary of State announced earlier this year, we will ensure these permitted development rights work for farms to support all farmers to innovate and diversify their businesses. In June, we held three roundtables with agriculture stakeholders to discuss planning issues in depth. Government is consulting on national policies for decision making later this year to make the planning policy framework clearer and more accessible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his policies on recycling rates in (a) England and (b) Leicestershire.

Simpler Recycling will ensure every household and workplace (businesses and relevant non-domestic premises like schools and hospitals) across England will be able to recycle the same materials in the following core waste streams: metal, glass, plastic (including cartons), paper and card, food waste, and garden waste (for households only). The Collection and Packaging Reforms, which also include a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (pEPR), are estimated to increase the municipal recycling rate from around 42% to over 55.9% by 2035, mostly driven by Simpler Recycling and DRS. pEPR achieves further increases in packaging recycling rates of 2%. We do not have projected recycling rate increases for individual local authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policies on reducing plastic pollution on levels of plastic pollution.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. We have recently completed a Post Implementation Review (PIR) of the 2020 bans and restrictions on single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds. This review assesses the effectiveness of these measures in achieving their policy objectives, including reducing plastic pollution, and considers their environmental and economic impacts. The PIR is scheduled for publication in October 2025. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61897 on Responsible Dog Ownership Working Group, who the members of the taskforce are; which members are leading on each of the four themes; and when he expects the taskforce to report their findings to Government.

The Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce is convened by Defra officials, and the membership is made up of representatives from animal welfare organisations, local authorities, the police and Welsh government. Each of these groups is represented on the four subgroups that lead on the key themes. The taskforce will report their findings in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of good quality agricultural land being used for the development of large scale solar farms.

Defra produces statistical estimates of agricultural land areas each year from the annual June Survey of Agriculture: In 2024, the utilised agricultural area (UAA) in England was 8.7 million hectares and this has remained broadly stable, only changing by around +/-1% each year over the past decade. Full breakdowns of agricultural land areas are published here Agricultural land use in England - GOV.UKIn 2024, around 7,300 hectares of this land were used for solar panels (less than 0.1% of UAA). However, 50% of this land is still being used for agricultural production e.g. for livestock grazing. It is recognised that solar can, when delivered in line with relevant planning policy, have a positive impact on the natural environment, and large-scale solar farms can contribute significant gains for local biodiversity with intelligent design and planning.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57375 on Responsible Dog Ownership Working Group, on which dates the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce has met since July 2024; what topics it is considering; and what the action points were from its last meeting.

The Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce was reconvened in May 2025. The taskforce is considering four themes: education, training for both dogs and their owners, enforcement, and improving data on dog attacks. We look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) animal sanctuaries and (b) rescue and rehoming centres on the challenges faced in providing for the welfare needs of animals.

Defra regularly engages with a range of stakeholders with an interest in animal welfare, including charities and regulatory agencies. We continue to explore opportunities to improve coordination and information sharing where appropriate.

Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations from the food and drink sector has he met to discuss the Food Labelling Consultation since July 2024; and what the dates were of those meetings.

I regularly meet with key food and drink sector stakeholders such as the Food and Drink Federation, the National Farmers' Union, UK Hospitality, and the British Retail Consortium to discuss food system issues including relevant Government consultations such as the Fairer Food Consultation. Defra officials also engage regularly with a range of key food and drink stakeholders, including as part of the ongoing development of the Government's food and animal welfare strategies. Additionally, I am pleased to let the Hon. Member know that the Summary of Responses and Government Response to the consultation have now been published.