Written questions by Wrigley.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 73442 on Deposit Return Schemes: Newton Abbot, if she will make it her policy to ensure that remote collection points are available in villages without a (a) supermarket, (b) grocery store, (c) convenience store and (d) newsagent.

The scheme administrator, UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd. (UK DMO), is responsible for ensuring there is a comprehensive network of return points so that consumers can easily return their containers, including in rural areas. Other types of organisations that sell in-scope drinks containers – including hospitality venues, food-to-go stores, schools, hospitals, gyms, sports centres and community centres – although not mandated to host a return point, can apply to operate one voluntarily. This has been popular in other international DRSs as organisations see the benefit of increased footfall. UK DMO will undertake regular reviews of the return point network to consider the number, location and accessibility of return points.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of bottom trawling on coastlines in Teignmouth.

The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority assesses the impacts of fishing in its district. It has byelaws in place to restrict damaging fishing activity in Marine Protected Areas. As a result of these byelaws, over 40% of the South Devon coast is closed to bottom-towed fishing gear.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the proposed deposit return scheme will include (a) drink bottles and (b) food containers.

The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will include single-use drinks containers from 150ml to 3 litres. Materials included are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, steel, and aluminium drink containers. All other packaging including food containers are included in the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will ensure that the proposed deposit return scheme has adequate collection zones in (a) rural areas and (b) villages in Newton Abbot constituency.

The scheme administrator, UK Deposit Management Organisation Ltd. (UK DMO), is responsible for ensuring there is a comprehensive network of return points so that consumers can easily return their containers, including in rural areas. The scheme requires all supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and newsagents that sell drinks that are included in the scheme to host a return point, unless they qualify for an exemption. Government continues to work closely with UK DMO as they work to deliver the scheme in October 2027.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether any dedicated Asian hornet rapid response teams have been (a) disbanded and (b) downsized since 2023.

The response to Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) also known as Asian hornet is carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit (NBU). The NBU do this as part of the overall programme of work that they deliver for Defra from the funding allocated to APHA. The NBU has been taking action against YLH since 2016 and has developed a fine-tuned effective response. They frequently find a nest within a day of an initial sighting being reported. Therefore, Defra has not established dedicated Asian hornet rapid response teams.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether allocated funding to the Animal and Plant Health Agency for Asian hornet response operations has changed since 2023.

The response to Asian hornet also known as Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) is carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit (NBU). The NBU do this as part of the overall programme of work that they deliver for Defra from the funding allocated to APHA. There isn’t a specific budget allocated to the response to YLH. Being part of APHA means the NBU can draw on further resources which allows them to take action on notifiable bee diseases, while continuing to provide an effective response to YLH. In 2023 there was a large increase in the number of YLH nests found in GB and the NBU located and destroyed 72 nests in 56 locations. Further analyses during the winter of 2023 indicated that a few of the nests may have reached maturity and released queens which overwintered. Therefore in 2024 the NBU carried out spring trapping for YLH in 4 areas across the south of GB. Additional funds were allocated for the spring trapping work.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff were assigned to the (a) identification and (b) removal of yellow-legged Asian hornet nests in (i) 2025, (ii) 2023 and (iii) 2022.

There has been 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff assigned to nest destruction in 2022, 2023 and 2025. This means they were assigned to that role and available on call when needed. There has been one FTE Senior Operational Lead dedicated to yellow-legged hornet since 2024 to manage the overall response. No other staff are employed or allocated on a full-time basis to yellow-legged hornet The response is managed by redeploying staff from other business as usual delivery, based on outbreak demand.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will require South West Water to publish (a) sites receiving investment under the storm overflow programme, (b) timelines for that investment and (c) expected outcomes at each location.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to support the development of a public-facing data access tool to allow independent verification of water quality alerts issued by South West Water.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to require South West Water to (a) reinstate collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage and (b) provide real-time data to the Safer Seas and Rivers Service.

It is important that the public have access to reliable information on storm overflow discharges. The Water (Special Measures) Act introduced a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This matches the pre-existing duty for storm overflows, which was introduced on 01 January. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million of investment to reduce storm overflow spills and £55 million to install real-time monitors at high-priority sites. Ofwat will hold water companies to account for the decisions set at the Price Review. Ofwat's claw back mechanism ensures that funding for schemes not delivered is returned to customers, by reducing bills.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much income the Marine Management Organisation have received from charges for (a) harbour revision orders and (b) harbour empowerment order applications in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Sub-part2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Total(a) harbour revision order1,447.751,208.751,576.001,515.752,326.508,074.75(b) harbour empowerment order50.0059.25208.50185.004.25507.00 *Total1,497.751,268.001,784.501,700.752,330.758,074.75(a) harbour revision order£24,000.00£20,000.00£44,000.00£74,319.00£46,737.00£209,056.00(b) harbour empowerment order£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0 *Total24,000.0020,000.0044,000.0074,319.0046,737.00209,056.00(a) Band 24,309.254,590.505,114.504,548.255,211.7523,774.25(b) Band 39,624.5011,339.0010,264.009,861.2513,275.5054,364.25Total13,933.7515,929.5015,378.5014,409.5018,487.2578,138.50 * hours for the empowerment order, the fee was received in 2019 and was £4000.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent on (a) mitigation and (b) compensation for flood defence projects in each of the last three years.

The table below shows the amount that the Environment Agency has spent on compensation payments in financial years 2023-24 and 2022-23. This data is based on costs incurred that were classified within transactional data as compensation payments, so may not be fully complete. To establish how much of these costs have been incurred through flood defence projects would fall into disproportionate costs. Data for 2024-25 is not available. Financial year£2023-24947,159.612022-232,158,643.80

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent delivering biodiversity net gain (a) above and (b) below mean high water on projects related to flood defence in the latest period for which data is available.

The Environment Agency has committed to delivering natural flood management schemes and meeting statutory requirements on habitat creation and biodiversity net gain (BNG), as part of its Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Programme. This will leave nature in a measurably better state than before work to deliver flood alleviation schemes commenced, supporting the broader goal of creating more climate-resilient places.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many hours the Marine Management Organisation has spent determining (a) Band 2 and (b) Band 3 marine licence applications in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Sub-part2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Total(a) harbour revision order1,447.751,208.751,576.001,515.752,326.508,074.75(b) harbour empowerment order50.0059.25208.50185.004.25507.00 *Total1,497.751,268.001,784.501,700.752,330.758,074.75(a) harbour revision order£24,000.00£20,000.00£44,000.00£74,319.00£46,737.00£209,056.00(b) harbour empowerment order£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0 *Total24,000.0020,000.0044,000.0074,319.0046,737.00209,056.00(a) Band 24,309.254,590.505,114.504,548.255,211.7523,774.25(b) Band 39,624.5011,339.0010,264.009,861.2513,275.5054,364.25Total13,933.7515,929.5015,378.5014,409.5018,487.2578,138.50 * hours for the empowerment order, the fee was received in 2019 and was £4000.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many hours the Marine Management Organisation have spent processing (a) harbour revision orders and (b) harbour empowerment orders in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Sub-part2020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Total(a) harbour revision order1,447.751,208.751,576.001,515.752,326.508,074.75(b) harbour empowerment order50.0059.25208.50185.004.25507.00 *Total1,497.751,268.001,784.501,700.752,330.758,074.75(a) harbour revision order£24,000.00£20,000.00£44,000.00£74,319.00£46,737.00£209,056.00(b) harbour empowerment order£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0.00£0 *Total24,000.0020,000.0044,000.0074,319.0046,737.00209,056.00(a) Band 24,309.254,590.505,114.504,548.255,211.7523,774.25(b) Band 39,624.5011,339.0010,264.009,861.2513,275.5054,364.25Total13,933.7515,929.5015,378.5014,409.5018,487.2578,138.50 * hours for the empowerment order, the fee was received in 2019 and was £4000.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of hours Natural England has spent providing advice to the Marine Management Organisation on marine licence applications in each of the last five years.

The table below shows data from Natural England’s Casework Tracker (CWT) for the number of recorded hours spent providing advice to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) from 2020-2025. Both calendar and financial year splits are included. These data include some other types of MMO consultations as well as licenses which will require further analysis that has not been possible in the time available. Marine MMO Consultations closed per year – Total Hours recorded on CWT: Financial Year2020 - 212021 - 222022 - 232023 - 242024 - 25Consultations Closed588554495467588Total Hours Recorded33953353334526053345 Calendar Year202020212022202320242025 (first half of year)Consultations Closed606534525487549282Total Hours Recorded396533253171312130691510

Food and Rural Affairs, how many marine licenses were determined by the Marine Management Organisation for (a) removal of abandoned vessels, (b) firework displays, (c) maintenance of bridges or cantilevered structures, (d) installation of eco moorings and (e) coastal and flood defence works in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Sub-part202020212022202320242025(a) Removal of abandoned vessels000000(b) firework displays000000(c) maintenance of bridges or cantilevered structures141324222210(d) installation of eco moorings010100(e) coastal and flood defence works in each of the last five years for which data is available192348323116

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of hours the Environment Agency has spent providing advice to the Marine Management Organisation on marine licence applications in each of the last five years.

The Environment Agency (EA) uses Oracle Time and Labour (OTL) compliance recording to record against their various workstreams. There are many different OTL codes that record the type of advice provided to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for marine licence advice, from pre-planning advice to advice on significant infrastructure. The table below shows the number of recorded OTL hours that the EA have spent providing all types of marine licence advice to the MMO from 2020-2025 Year Hours recorded 2020-2113592021-2211032022-2311502023-248462024-251094.5

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 34064 on Export Health Certificates and Pet Travel Scheme, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of regulating the costs of (a) pet passports and (b) Animal Health Certificates for travel between the UK and the EU.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area. This will mean taking pets on holiday into the EU will be easier and cheaper. Instead of needing an animal health certificate each time you travel, you will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU. We will provide more information on pet passports valid for travel to the EU in due course. We currently have no plans to regulate the costs of pet passports or Animal Health Certificates. All fees set by veterinary surgeons or veterinary practices are a private matter between individual practices and their clients.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to bring into force paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 on a due diligence regime for forest risk commodities in advance of the COP30 international climate conference in November.

We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. The Government will set out its approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course.