Written questions by Perteghella.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of falling grain prices on domestic producers.

Cereals and oilseeds are internationally traded commodities, and their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments. These developments may be influenced by the global market disruption, weather conditions, or currency fluctuations.Support is being provided through the Environmental Land Management schemes, which reward sustainable farming practices and help improve soil health and long-term productivity. These schemes are designed to enhance the resilience and profitability of arable farmers, including those in the cereals sector.The Department is also investing in innovation and research to help farmers adopt more efficient and sustainable practices, such as precision agriculture and crop breeding. Officials continue to monitor market conditions closely and engage regularly with industry to ensure that policy and support remain responsive to the needs of grain producers.In addition, the Government’s food strategy sets out a vision for a more sustainable and competitive food system, including trade that supports British standards and expands export opportunities for UK producers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising input costs on grain producers.

Cereals and oilseeds are internationally traded commodities, and their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments. These developments may be influenced by the global market disruption, weather conditions, or currency fluctuations.Support is being provided through the Environmental Land Management schemes, which reward sustainable farming practices and help improve soil health and long-term productivity. These schemes are designed to enhance the resilience and profitability of arable farmers, including those in the cereals sector.The Department is also investing in innovation and research to help farmers adopt more efficient and sustainable practices, such as precision agriculture and crop breeding. Officials continue to monitor market conditions closely and engage regularly with industry to ensure that policy and support remain responsive to the needs of grain producers.In addition, the Government’s food strategy sets out a vision for a more sustainable and competitive food system, including trade that supports British standards and expands export opportunities for UK producers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of grain imports produced to standards lower than those required in the UK on domestic producers.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. For the cereal crops that are produced domestically, the UK has been over 80% self-sufficient for a number of years. Due to environmental and climate conditions the UK milling industry require a certain level of imports of high protein milling wheat year on year to meet consumer demand. The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of grain imports produced to standards lower than those required for domestic producers. However, we recognise the importance of maintaining high production standards to protect consumer confidence, food safety, and the competitiveness of British farmers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support grain producers.

Cereals and oilseeds are internationally traded commodities, and their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments. These developments may be influenced by the global market disruption, weather conditions, or currency fluctuations.Support is being provided through the Environmental Land Management schemes, which reward sustainable farming practices and help improve soil health and long-term productivity. These schemes are designed to enhance the resilience and profitability of arable farmers, including those in the cereals sector.The Department is also investing in innovation and research to help farmers adopt more efficient and sustainable practices, such as precision agriculture and crop breeding. Officials continue to monitor market conditions closely and engage regularly with industry to ensure that policy and support remain responsive to the needs of grain producers.In addition, the Government’s food strategy sets out a vision for a more sustainable and competitive food system, including trade that supports British standards and expands export opportunities for UK producers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending enforcement powers to cover incidents where dogs are not kept under control in public before they become dangerously out of control.

The police and local authorities have a range of powers available to tackle dangerous dogs and irresponsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. Defra is working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to encourage responsible dog ownership, to ensure dog control issues are addressed before they escalate and to make sure the full force of the law is applied. As part of this work, we reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership, including the consideration of enforcement. We look forward to receiving the findings and recommendations from the taskforce in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the Weeds Act 1959.

The Government regularly monitors the effectiveness of its legislation. At present we are not planning to review the Weeds Act 1959.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for enacting Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 to (a) make sustainable drainage systems mandatory and (b) remove the automatic right to connect to public sewage infrastructure.

This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, offer reuse opportunities, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that local water companies promptly implement new requirements following the enactment of Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, offer reuse opportunities, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity, and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent executives from water companies that have been sanctioned for releasing sewage into waterways from receiving bonuses.

The Government is clear that transformative change across the water sector is needed to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas, and modernise the sector for decades to come. Unfair bonuses have been banned under new powers given to Ofwat within the Water (Special Measures) Act which came into force on 06 June. Under Ofwat’s rules, companies are not permitted to pay bonuses to water bosses that oversee poor environmental and customer outcomes. This delivers on a key manifesto commitment and has been backdated to apply to any bonuses relating to the financial year from April last year. Additional information can be found at GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to allocate additional funding to upgrade sewage infrastructure in (a) rural and (b) suburban communities impacted by frequent overflows.

Ofwat’s final determinations for Price Review 2024 (PR24) set out a £104 billion upgrade for the water sector. Water companies are investing over £11 billion in PR24, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales over the next five years. For England, this equates to over £10bn to improve over 2,500 storm overflows. The PR24 investment package also includes £6 billion to remove nutrients from water bodies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on requiring imports of (a) eggs, (b) pork and (c) fur to meet UK animal welfare standards to be permitted for (i) import and (ii) sale in the UK.

Ministers and officials meet regularly to address these important topics. The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage. All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards. The Government recognises the concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to provide support to people affected by environmental crimes.

We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support people affected by fly-tipping required to clear waste on private land at their own expense.

We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support (a) local authorities and (b) enforcement agencies to tackle fly-tipping in rural areas.

We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. We want to reduce incidents in the first place so that fewer landowners are affected. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers to tackle fly-tipping and we want to see these at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. These include issuing fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 and prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created and will provide further details on this in due course. We continue to work with stakeholders, such as the National Farmers Union and local authorities, through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to share good practice, including how to prevent fly-tipping on private land. Various practical tools, including case studies and ‘how to’ guides on key issues such as setting up effective local partnerships, are available from their webpage at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to publish a consultation on access reform.

We are currently developing policy to improve access to nature, working closely with other Government departments and key stakeholders, and further information will be available in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to expand public access to land under the Right to Roam provisions.

Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride and which boost public health and wellbeing, but too many across the country are left without access to the great outdoors. That is why the last Labour Government expanded public access by introducing the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which provided the public a right of access to large areas of mountain, moor, heath, down, registered common land and coastal margin in England. We will be reviewing the maps of this open access land ahead of the statutory deadline of 1st January 2031, to ensure that the public have clear information which can help them to access this land. We are continuing to increase access to nature for families to enjoy, for example through our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new National River Walks, plant three new National Forests, and empower communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. In addition, the Government has made the decision to repeal the cut-off date for the registration of historic rights of way, preventing the loss of hundreds of miles of unregistered paths. This will ensure that these paths remain available to the public for future generations. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) costs and (b) impact of the Border Target Operating Model on Environmental Horticulture businesses.

Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), including the Border Control Post at Sevington. We are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. The effectiveness of the import controls has been demonstrated throughout September and October by the interception at Sevington of 34 consignments of plants infested with Pochazia Shantungensis, a fruit tree pest native to China but now present in mainland Europe. The consignments were destroyed, preventing the potential for a damaging outbreak for UK fruit growers. The BTOM is designed to assure the biosecurity of commercial imports. Illegal imports of products of animal origin are dealt with through intelligence led checks, conducted at the border by Border Force, in Border Force facilities, with the assistance of Port Health Authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) levels of risk and (b) rates of checks on plants at the UK border.

An enhanced risk-based approach is already undertaken at the UK border, where regulated plants and plant products have been categorised into high, medium, and low risk categories. The principle of risk-based controls, as previously applied under the EU regime, remains unchanged, but the GB regime now focuses on risks to Great Britain, rather than risks to the EU. Controls are then appropriately weighted against the risks posed – so the higher the risk category of a plant or plant product, the more biosecurity assurances we need, in the form of import controls. There are also plants and plant products which are not regulated at all, and those that are prohibited entirely. We undertake systematic, proactive screening of plant health risks. Risks are reviewed monthly by an expert group and Ministers, and prioritised for actions such as surveillance, enhanced inspection, regulation, national measures, import controls, research and awareness raising. Ensuring the most appropriate risk categorisation and rate of inspection is important, from a biosecurity perspective, but also to avoid unnecessary disruption to our critical supply chains and ports. Risk categorisation will remain dynamic and Defra will monitor import and interception data and Inspection rates may change in response to changes in risk, for example, an upsurge of interceptions of pests or a new threat emerging.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle sewage dumping in the (a) rivers and (b) brooks of Stratford-on-Avon constituency.

The Government has taken immediate and substantial action to address water companies who are not performing for the environment or their customers. In July, we announced swift action to begin resetting the water sector, including ringfencing vital funding for infrastructure investment and placing customers and the environment at the heart of water company objectives. In September, the Government introduced the Water (Special Measures) Bill to give regulators new powers to take tougher and faster action to crack down on water companies damaging the environment and failing their customers. These are the first critical steps in enabling a long-term and transformative reset of the entire water sector.I would also refer the hon. Member to the Written Statement made by the Secretary of State on 18 July, HCWS3.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to (a) bring forward legislative proposals to improve protections for farmed fish; and what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the sustainability of the UK's fishing industry.

The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was published last year. A GB-wide farmed trout joint Government and industry working group is now examining the issues raised in the report to explore the potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. The Scottish Government are also working closely with the salmon industry. In line with the Fisheries Act 2020 the Government is making progress delivering Fisheries Management Plans which maintain or restore fish stocks to sustainable levels. Through fisheries negotiations with coastal states our objective is to set Total Allowable Catches in line with the best scientific advice to make sure that stocks are managed over the long term within sustainable limits whilst ensuring stock-building initiatives account for socio-economic considerations.