Written questions by Vickers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the funding required to restore plantations on ancient woodland sites on the Public Forest Estate.

Restoration of plantations on ancient woodland sites on the Public Forest Estate, historically funded through Forestry England’s core budget, is being accelerated by targeted funding from Defra. The impact of this £5.9 million targeted Defra funding for 2026-2029 is being closely monitored through the pace and outcomes of restoration, with a headline target to work towards doubling the recent rate of restoration. There is no single estimate of the funding required to restore all plantations on ancient woodland sites on the Public Forest Estate because restoration costs vary significantly between sites and cannot be reliably expressed as a single figure. In some cases, restoration can be achieved at little or no net cost where timber sales offset costs. In other cases, costs remain uncertain, with some sites requiring multiple or ongoing interventions and with slower progress towards ecological goals. Additionally, many costs associated with PAWS (plantations on ancient woodland sites) restoration, such as infrastructure improvements, staff training, and forest planning, support wider forest management and cannot be attributed solely to individual sites or hectares.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support the pig industry transition from carbon dioxide stunning to higher welfare alternatives.

As set out in this Government’s animal welfare strategy, Defra will consult on banning carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and on possible timescales for phasing out this method. Further details will be set out later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support households with increases to water bills.

Water companies are more than doubling social tariff support for vulnerable customers and Government is working with industry to keep their support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. We are considering ways to drive more consistency across the schemes and increase awareness of the support consumers can access. Defra also expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030. Government has committed to reforming the WaterSure support scheme. We recently consulted on proposals to increase scope and support to low-income households who have higher water usage due to medical needs or three or more children in the household. We expect all water companies to make sure households are aware of the schemes and measures available to help those struggling to pay their bills and do everything they can to support all customers who are vulnerable, including having regard to the interests of individuals of pensionable age.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) the older population and (b) pensioners with water poverty.

Water companies are more than doubling social tariff support for vulnerable customers and Government is working with industry to keep their support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported. We are considering ways to drive more consistency across the schemes and increase awareness of the support consumers can access. Defra also expects companies to hold themselves accountable for their public commitment to end water poverty by 2030. Government has committed to reforming the WaterSure support scheme. We recently consulted on proposals to increase scope and support to low-income households who have higher water usage due to medical needs or three or more children in the household. We expect all water companies to make sure households are aware of the schemes and measures available to help those struggling to pay their bills and do everything they can to support all customers who are vulnerable, including having regard to the interests of individuals of pensionable age.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to review the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s bird gathering licensing framework to allow (a) unified and (b) compatible licensing for mixed-species exhibitions with a demonstrated record of compliance and biosecurity.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The decision as to whether to allow gatherings by way of a general licence is kept under regular review and is informed by regular qualitative risk assessment containing the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. Defra can also exercise discretion to permit gatherings by granting specific licences. For each application for a licence to hold a gathering of poultry, an individual risk assessment will be completed, and mitigating conditions will be set out in the licence. In England the general licence for gatherings of Psittaciformes (e.g. parrots and budgerigars), birds of prey and racing pigeons permits a gathering including a mix of these birds. If the organiser of a gathering is granted a specific licence to hold a gathering including other orders of birds, that gathering can also include birds covered by general licence. It is therefore possible, subject to licence, to hold mixed-species exhibitions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the revised bird gathering licensing regime on animal welfare, including the ethical rehoming of captive-bred birds and the maintenance of genetic diversity in breeding populations.

As there has been no revision of the bird gathering licence regime, no impact assessment has been required.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis is for the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s amendments to licensing conditions for bird gatherings, particularly the prohibition on the sale and exchange of captive-bred birds at licensed events.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings (such as shows) of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus. Detailed risk assessments can be found on GOV.UK. The most recently published qualitative 2025 risk assessment (November 2025) sets out the risk of transmission of avian influenza at gatherings. The exact conditions of issued licences, including activities which can take place at a gathering (such as sales), are determined based on the assessed risk of each gathering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis is for the introduction of separate licensing regimes for (a) psittaciformes and (b) poultry and passerines.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The most recently published qualitative 2025 risk assessment (November 2025) sets out the overall risk of transmission of avian influenza associated with gatherings for each order of birds. The overall risk associated with psittaciformes is assessed as low, whereas the overall risk associated with poultry (galliformes) or passerines is assessed as medium.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether any documented cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have occurred in the UK within captive Psittaciformes kept under indoor, high-biosecurity conditions.

Since 2022 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed on 9 premises of which each had at least one captive Psittaciform bird. The department cannot comment on biosecurity of individual premises, as this is not public information; of these premises, three were domestic households, two were recorded as breeders, one was an educational establishment, and the others were open farms or sanctuaries.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consultation the Animal and Plant Health Agency undertook with avicultural event organisers, birdkeeping societies and representative bodies prior to the introduction of revised bird gathering licensing requirements.

Defra officials engaged proactively with stakeholders during summer 2025 including show organisers, auctioneers and breed societies, to better understand achievable conditions for gatherings. Engagement was via a number of stakeholder groups which occur regularly, and a series of individual discussions with key impacted parties. This process helped to shape a set of template conditions which could mitigate the disease risk associated with some gatherings.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled England’s peatlands mapped for first time in major step towards their recovery, published on 12 May 2025, whether her Department's assessment of the proportion of peatland that is degraded was based on (a) land management definitions and (b) testing the health of peat.

The England Peat Map has not assessed peatland as degraded or not and so cannot determine the proportions of degraded peatland in each category mentioned. Work is currently ongoing to incorporate England Peat Map outputs into the Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which will help assess the carbon emissions from England’s peatlands.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much and what proportion of peatland assessed as degraded is (a) lowland farmland in the Fens,(b) other lowland cropland, (c) grassland, (d) modified heather dominated upland, (e) woodland and (f) land used for peatland extraction; and what proportion of carbon emissions is produced by each category.

The England Peat Map (EPM) does not classify peatlands by land-management definitions or directly test peat health. It provides a detailed national map of peat extent and depth, vegetation and land cover, upland drainage channels, and bare peat—features that are strong indicators of condition. The Department’s statement that “around 80% of England’s peatlands are in dry and degraded states” reflects widely accepted UK-wide estimates and is consistent with analysis of the EPM. This figure (80%) is cited by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in its UK Peatland Strategy and Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands. It is also referenced by the Office for National Statistics. The figure was neither produced by Natural England nor derived from the EPM. However, analysis of the EPM does show that around 80% of England’s peatlands are associated with vegetation and land use cover associated with drier habitats, such as bare peat, arable land, and heather-dominated vegetation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the weighted scores given to the academic studies reviewed by Natural England in its paper on the effects of managed burning (NEER155); and if whether she will publish them.

No such assessment has been made by Defra. This is because NEER155 went through rigorous peer review prior to publication, with all external peer reviewers being leading peatland experts at major universities and other expert institutions. NEER155 is the most comprehensive evidence review available on the effects of managed burning on upland peatlands.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the development of sustainable aquaculture.

The Government is committed to supporting sustainable, industry‑led growth of the aquaculture sector through a range of measures. These include publishing new guidance on seaweed aquaculture regulation this year and offering clarity for businesses and regulators. The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, working with Seafish and industry partners, is centralising aquaculture data for England and Wales to improve transparency and evidence‑based decision making. The Environment Agency continues to regulate wastewater discharges to safeguard waters used for commercial shellfish production. While many aquaculture issues are devolved, the Government will champion sustainably produced aquaculture products from across the UK internationally. A thriving sector requires a strong trading framework, and the government is committed to building relationships with key trading partners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve water quality monitoring in designated bathing areas.

The Environment Agency (EA) monitors designated bathing waters above the minimum frequency required in the Bathing Water Regulations during the bathing water season. Most sites are sampled weekly, following World Health Organisation recommendations and to reduce misclassification risk. On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament a Statutory Instrument introducing reforms and technical amendments to the Bathing Water Regulations, which predominantly came into force 21 November 2025. The reforms include the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site, enabling tailored seasons and monitoring periods that reflect when people use the bathing waters, strengthening public health messaging. The technical amendments align legislation with modern sampling practices, allowing the EA to improve efficiency and delivery for the public. The EA also has an active Research and Development programme exploring innovative contamination detection at bathing waters and participate with other UK and international agencies on the development of analytical techniques.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of waste-processing facilities currently operating with expired permits.

Environmental Permitting Regulations require operators of industrial/waste facilities to get permits from regulators to control pollution to air, land, and water, ensuring compliance with set conditions, and protecting public health through legal frameworks. Waste management site permits do not expire; they have to be surrendered by the permit holder. Therefore, there are no sites operating with expired permits.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Department has made of the proportion of agricultural land participating in Environmental Land Management schemes.

50% (4.3m ha) farmed land in England actively managed in schemes, another 14% (1.3m ha) covered by assessments and plans.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment the Department has made of potential food security risks arising from supply chain disruption.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with situations that have the potential to cause disruption. Defra works closely with industry and across Government to identify and monitor food security risks. In compliance with the Agriculture Act 2020, the United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) is presented to Parliament at least once every three years, most recently in 2024. This examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security and presents a full and impartial analysis of UK food security. In the intervening years, the UK Food Security Digest (UKFSD) is published containing a selection of summary statistics on issues relevant to a range of aspects of food security, drawn from national and international sources. This year’s report was published on 11 December 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmers with input costs.

Whilst it may not reflect all agriculture subsectors, Defra’s Agriculture Price Index (API) data show rises in output costs over time outstripping rises in input costs. We continue to monitor all key agricultural commodities and work with the food industry. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Department has made of the number of communities that remain without modern flood-defence infrastructure.

The Environment Agency (EA)’s National Flood risk assessment data and national coastal erosion risk map provides the best evidence to inform our long-term risk assessment and the development of flood mitigation strategies to protect communities from flooding. The EA maintains over 90,000 assets, which reduce the risk of flooding to 2.6 million properties in England. The EA is delivering the Government’s flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) Investment Programme of flood and coastal defences, investing £2.65 billion over 2024/5 and 2025/6 with a target of 52,000 properties better protected. A new 3-year £4.2 billion FCRM Investment Programme will start in April 2026, progressing projects already in construction and new projects that are either currently in development or still to be developed.