Written questions by Davies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has made of paying businesses compensation directly for water outages in shared businesses premises instead of landlords.

All customers of water and sewerage companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as set out by Government. These rights are known as the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. Ofwat is responsible for monitoring the scheme. Details on payment amounts and conditions can be found here.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing compensation to businesses affected by water outages in (a) East Grinstead and Uckfield Constituency and (b) Sussex.

All customers of water and sewerage companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as set out by Government. These rights are known as the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. Ofwat is responsible for monitoring the scheme. Details on payment amounts and conditions can be found here.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses affected by the water outage receive suitable compensation in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

The Government recognises the disruption that consumers have suffered and takes the need for appropriate compensation to customers seriously. The Government is clear that it is the responsibility of the water company to provide compensation that is commensurate with the scale of the disruption. The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) sets the minimum standards of service for all customers of water companies. Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. The Government announced a major update to the GSS as part of its initial package of water sector reforms in July 2025. The updates reformed the GSS, improving consumer protections by further protections for customers – increasing the payment values, to double or more, and by expanding the scope to include additional standards. South East Water must make mandatory payments to affected customers in line with the GSS following the water outages in East Grinstead and Uckfield.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure businesses affected by the water outage receive suitable compensation in Sussex.

The Government recognises the disruption that consumers have suffered and takes the need for appropriate compensation to customers seriously. The Government is clear that it is the responsibility of the water company to provide compensation that is commensurate with the scale of the disruption. The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) sets the minimum standards of service for all customers of water companies. Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. The Government announced a major update to the GSS as part of its initial package of water sector reforms in July 2025. The updates reformed the GSS, improving consumer protections by further protections for customers – increasing the payment values, to double or more, and by expanding the scope to include additional standards. South East Water must make mandatory payments to affected customers in line with the GSS following the water outages in East Grinstead and Uckfield.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of small abattoirs on food (a) safety and (b) security.

Ensuring the safety of food that enters the supply chain is of vital importance to the Government. Likewise, the Government considers food security a matter of national security and is committed to maintaining a resilient and diverse food supply chain. The contribution smaller abattoirs make to the UK food supply chain for meat products in England, is approximately 7% of overall production and 0.3% of throughput. While we have seen the closure of several smaller abattoirs in recent years, this has not impacted national food security or food supply. The national abattoir network remains resilient, continuing to deliver high-quality and safe meat products. Nonetheless, we recognise that small abattoirs play an important role in supporting regional food systems, providing routes to market for local producers, particularly those rearing native and rare breeds and sustaining diversity in the meat processing sector. While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is committed to working with the smaller abattoir sector to help, where possible, mitigate pressures that these abattoirs face.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps has he taken to reduce regulations on (a) small-scale abattoirs and (b) other rural food producers in Sussex.

Defra is working closely with industry stakeholders and the Food Standards Agency to maintain high standards of public and animal health while identifying opportunities to ease regulatory and administrative burdens on small-scale abattoirs and rural food producers, including those in Sussex.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing long term funding through (a) grants and (b) discounts to small abattoirs.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain. We continue to work to simplify and rationalise our grant funding from 2026 onwards following the Spending Review and ensuing business planning to ensure our grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. Any future opportunities will be announced in due course. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is conducting an evaluation of the support to abattoirs provided via the current discount scheme which is in its tenth financial year of operation. The FSA Board reviewed progress at its public meeting on 18 June, informed by a paper prepared in the light of stakeholder engagement and economic analysis. The Board noted the importance of the discount to the viability of small abattoirs and how these businesses can support the interests of consumers, businesses and the wider rural economy. The FSA will continue engagement with stakeholders and assess the impact of any proposals for change arising from the evaluation. The paper and a video of the Board meeting can be viewed at: https://www.food.gov.uk/board-papers/fsa-board-meeting-june-2025-agenda-and-papers https://www.food.gov.uk/about-us/fsa-board-meetings#video-of-the-most-recent-fsa-board-meetings

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support small abattoirs.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain. Defra works closely with industry stakeholders including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the long-term sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help expand the network of small abattoirs in (a) the South East and (b) England.

England benefits from an established and resilient meat processing sector which continues to deliver high-quality products, supporting food supply and food security. The Government has full confidence this will continue. While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is dedicated to working collaboratively with the sector to help, where possible, alleviate pressures faced by small abattoirs. Defra remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance accessibility to slaughter facilities in the South East and more widely across England.