Written questions by Foy.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department considers that the Community Interest company Clean Streets is part of the tobacco industry.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to question 120636 a) what information her Department holds on the investigations and interventions; and b) is this information publicly available.

This information is publicly available and can be viewed using the PR24 WINEP interactive map. The Environment Agency (EA) launched this map last year. It shows for the first time where investment is being made to improve the water environment. The map includes the majority of WINEP data provided by water companies. The EA is working with water companies to add any missing information.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her department has made to a) strengthen the Environment Agency and b) support the EAs work to improve the condition of the River Wear.

The Environment Agency (EA) works to ensure all sectors, including the water industry, are fulfilling their legal responsibilities to the environment. Where breaches and illegal activity are found, they will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Water (Special Measures) Act has provided the most significant increase in enforcement powers to regulators, including EA in a decade, to take tougher action against water companies. The Environment Agency is regulating Northumbrian Water to ensure it invests in the Wear catchment to reduce sewage discharges and improve water quality through the water industry national environment programme (WINEP). As part of this WINEP cycle, there are approximately 400 investigations and interventions to improve the condition of the River Wear.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle Asian hornets.

Defra is continuing to follow an eradication strategy against Yellow Legged Hornet (also known as Asian Hornet) to prevent this invasive non-native species from establishing in GB. Contingency action is delivered by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit (NBU). As of 10th October 2025, the NBU have found and destroyed a total of 143 Yellow Legged Hornet nests.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of prohibiting the use of weed killers such as glyphosate.

The Government’s first priority with regard to pesticides, including weed killers, is to ensure that they will not harm people or pose unacceptable risks to the environment. Pesticides are only authorised following a thorough scientific risk assessment that concludes all safety standards are met. We recently held a useful and informative roundtable event with some local authorities to discuss the work they had done to reduce the use of glyphosate and other weed killers in the urban environment. Active substances used in pesticides are periodically reviewed to ensure they still meet safety standards and requirements set out in legislation. We will consider the GB position on glyphosate when its approval is next due for renewal.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish a response to the consultation in 2022 on public sector food and catering policy.

The Government is reviewing the policy. Our ambition, set out in our election manifesto, is for half of all food supplied into the public sector to be from local British producers, or certified to higher environmental standards whilst being in line with World Trade Organisation and domestic procurement obligations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that farmers have a stable income.

This Government strongly believes in the importance of farming. For this Government, food security is national security, requiring a sustainable, resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British Farmers. The Government understands the importance of stability for the sector and so have delivered on our commitment to restore stability by continuing the rollout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme. Record numbers of farmers are now in an Environmental Land Management scheme, and the Government wants to maintain the momentum built over recent months. This Government will continue to support farmers by optimising its schemes and grants in an orderly way, ensuring they produce the right outcomes for all farmers while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way. We recognise the pressures that so many farmers are under, including cost pressures. We need to make sure the agricultural transition is fair and will back British farmers in everything we do. The Government is offering a new deal for farmers giving farmers their future back, including:Back British produce and standards and our farmers who produce it. Kickstart rural growth by fostering trading opportunities for British famers.We will tackle rising energy costs, by introducing a public sector sustainable energy company - GB Energy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the standard of welfare of farmed fish in the UK.

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.