Written questions by Wrigley.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for enacting the due diligence regulations of the Environment Act 2021, in the context of UK efforts to tackle deforestation.

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. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential environmental impact of levels of UK consumption of (a) palm oil, (b) soy, (c) beef and (d) cocoa on global deforestation rates.

The Government recognises that agricultural expansion for commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef, and cocoa is a major driver of global deforestation. In 2022, UK consumption of these commodities linked to approximately 16,000hectares of deforestation worldwide, with cattle accounting for approximately 53% of this impact The Government will set out its approach to addressing UK consumption of forest risk commodities in due course.https://commodityfootprints.earth/#dashboard

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of setting high-risk thresholds and monitoring requirements to ensure an effective due diligence for forest risk commodities regime.

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. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to implement the due diligence on forest risk commodities provisions in the Environment Act 2021.

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. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure UK food supply chains do not (a) contribute to the destruction of high-biodiversity forests and (b) undermine international food security.

The Government is committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. The UK is delivering programmes to improve forest governance, enable sustainable trade and investment and mobilise finance to support forest protection and restoration in developing countries. Since 2011, it is estimated that UK International Climate Finance (ICF) programmes have prevented 750,000 hectares of ecosystem loss (over a million football pitches); supported the sustainable management of 4.2 million hectares of land; and reduced or avoided 105 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. We will continue to work with international partners to support sustainable trade and protect food security.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to bring forward secondary legislation to establish a due diligence regime for forest risk commodities ahead of COP30.

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. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of voluntary corporate commitments in preventing deforestation in UK supply chains.

We have not made a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of voluntary corporate commitments in the estimated 22% reduction in UK consumption-driven global deforestation between 2017 and 2022. However, there is some evidence that voluntary commitments are having a positive impact. For instance, in 2022, 86% of palm and palm kernel oil imported to the UK was certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, driven in part by supermarket sustainability pledges. We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and will set out our approach in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) review and (b) strengthen deforestation-related regulations after their initial implementation under the Environment Act 2021.

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. We are committed to ensuring that any regulatory framework is robust, proportionate and effective in addressing deforestation in UK supply chains.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to regulate dog and cat rescue services.

Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what is the timeline for local authorities to incorporate biodiversity targets into their local plans.

Public authorities play an important role in improving nature. The strengthened biodiversity duty came into force in 1 January 2023 and requires public authorities to consider how they can improve biodiversity through the exercise of their existing functions. Public authorities must also regard Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Species Conservation Strategies and Protected Site Strategies in complying with the duty. All public authorities are required to consider actions they can take to comply with the biodiversity duty before 1 January 2024. After this, public authorities must reconsider their actions within five years of their previous consideration. All local authorities and local planning authorities must report on the actions they have taken in accordance with the biodiversity duty by 1 January 2026, and then at least every 5 years. Defra does not intend to extend the reporting duty to additional public authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to balance (a) public and (b) private sector responsibilities in achieving net-zero targets.

Both the public and private sector will play a key role in achieving net zero targets. Private investment will be crucial to delivering net zero, building climate resilience and supporting nature’s recovery.This government is committed to building a robust and stable policy framework so that all parties – from farmers and land managers delivering improvements on the ground, to businesses and investors financing high quality projects – can do so with confidence. We are working at pace with the private sector to help farmers transition to greener practices, establish a taskforce to plant millions of trees to help remove carbon from the air and move towards a circular economy to reduce our demand for raw materials that destroy the environment. To take this forward, a Taskforce has been established comprising members from industry, academia, and civil society, to lead the development of a Circular Economy Strategy At the last budget in 2024, the Government secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion committed in the farming budget over a two-year period. The Environmental Land management schemes (ELM) are critical to supporting farming and landowners in their low-carbon practices. There is now a record 50,000 farm businesses in ELM schemes and more than half of all farmed land is now managed under schemes.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce legally binding biodiversity targets beyond those in the Environment Act 2021.

There are no plans to introduce legally binding biodiversity targets beyond those in the Environment Act 2021.This Government is committed to delivering the 13 legally binding environmental targets set under the Environment Act 2021, which include water, biodiversity, resource efficiency, marine protected areas, and tree and woodland cover.The Government commissioned a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) to ensure the right policies are in place to deliver our targets. A statement of the rapid review’s key findings was published in January 2025. Later in 2025, we will publish a revised EIP, setting out important delivery information for the ambitious Environment Act targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33098 on Agriculture: Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Joint Nature Conservation Committee, (b) Committee on Climate Change and (c) Special representative for Nature on improving collaboration.

Defra continues to work with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) and the Special Representative for Nature (SREP) to facilitate closer relationships for the benefit of climate and nature and build an effective engagement framework that will enhance integration.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 36242 on Animals: Import Controls, if he will engage with Shaldon Zoo on changes following the UK-EU deal.

An SPS Agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduces administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework. Defra remains committed to engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, as we seek to secure the best possible outcome.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide additional funding to (a) climate and (b) nature recovery programmes.

Phase 1 of the Spending Review concluded in October last year and set Defra's budget for 2025-26. Phase 2 of the Spending Review is underway and will set our Departmental budgets until 2029-29. Decisions regarding allocation of budgets for future years, including climate and nature recovery programmes, will be taken following the outcome of the SR on 11 June.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Interim statement on the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) rapid review, published on 30 January 2025, what steps he is taking to improve (a) environmental data and (b) indicators of change in the natural environment.

Defra’s Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (NCEA) is delivering a nationwide survey of England’s land, freshwater assets and coast; mapping the location, extent, and condition of our ecosystems. The outputs of the programme will improve environmental data and metrics, fill in evidence gaps and enable a ‘whole system’ picture of the state of our natural environment, providing a more complete view of nature at both a regional and national level. Our Outcome Indicator Framework (OIF) presents an authoritative way to measure changes to our environment. It collates a comprehensive suite of measures, including data from the NCEA, which collectively describe environmental change. The OIF is continuously improved, bringing in new data sources or indicators where better data becomes available. For example, the indicator on concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air was updated this year with a new metric that more accurately reflects both the indicator and the target being measured.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle agricultural pollution in rivers; and if he will take steps to launch a review into this issue.

Cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas is a priority for the Government. We are working with farmers to reduce agricultural pollution is key to delivering against this priority. Under the Environment Act 2021, a legally binding target was set to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment from agriculture entering the water environment by 40% by 2038. We have completed the rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan. The Government will develop a revised Environmental Improvement plan to protect and restore our natural environment, supported by delivery plans to meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets. This includes cleaning up our waterways. We are taking action to tackle agricultural pollution and deliver the Environment Act target through a suite of proportionate and effective regulations, advice and incentives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of abandoned caravans in Devon.

The Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 places a duty on councils to remove vehicles that are abandoned on land in the open air or on roads. The definition of vehicle within the act includes trailers designed to be towed behind vehicles. This would include caravans. This duty applies on private land and private roads. Councils can take enforcement action against people who abandon vehicles by issuing a fixed penalty notice or prosecuting them. It is for councils to determine whether any particular vehicle has been abandoned, and whether it is subject to their duty to remove it. The Government has published guidance for councils on abandoned vehicles at: Abandoned vehicles: local authority responsibilities - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on enforcing the mandatory adoption of sustainable drainage schemes (SuDS) through Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

This Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised SuDS in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, 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. We believe that these outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on the way forward will be made in the coming months. The Government is committed to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates to an end.  We will consult this year on the on the best way to achieve this and we will include options to reduce the prevalence of private management of these estates.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the conditions on which water companies' licences are renewed where there is repeated (a) pollution or (b) non-compliance.

Where companies have failed to meet their statutory or licence obligations, Ofwat have the power to take action through an enforcement order or financial penalty. This Government will continue to work with water sector regulators to hold water companies to account on poor performance and drive improvements for customers and environment. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works.