Written questions by Mishra.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect people in Stockport from regular flooding.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce noise pollution in a) Stockport and b) Greater Manchester.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's timeline is for banning the import of foie gras and fur into the UK.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the UK’s flour milling industry.

The Government values the contribution of the flour milling sector, with around 85 percent of wheat coming from home grown production, providing a stable, reliable market for British farmers. Domestic production supports arable farm viability and reduces exposure to international shocks. Government has made a firm commitment to the farming and food security. Defra invests to support farmers and in turn strengthen the raw material base on which flour millers depend, including through Environmental Land Management schemes which reward sustainable practices and improve soil health and long-term productivity. These are designed to enhance the resilience and profitability of arable farmers, including in the cereals sector. Defra invests in innovation and research to help farmers adopt more efficient and sustainable practices, such as precision agriculture and crop breeding. Defra engages regularly with industry stakeholders, including the Milling sector. The UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group provides early warning of atypical market movements by tracking trends in prices, inputs, and trade.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the risks associated with the use of paraquat.

It has been illegal to sell or use paraquat since 2007. As paraquat has been off the UK market for a number of years, HSE has not carried out a recent risk assessment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her department has made any assessment of the occurrences of sewage spills within the United Utilities water network in 2025 in (a) Stockport constituency (b) Greater Manchester and (c) the North-West.

In the Northwest of England, 10,613 hours of sewage spills were recorded on dry days. The EA has identified the 50 sites in the region with the highest levels of dry day spilling. Four of these sites are in Greater Manchester. None are located within the Stockport constituency.

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will provide funding for flood schemes in Stockport constituency.

The South Manchester Strategy sets out the EA’s long‑term approach to managing flood risk along the River Mersey, with a focus on maintaining and upgrading key defences. While the project area extends into Stockport, most assets being reviewed are located further downstream. Recent community drop‑in sessions have helped Stockport residents register for flood warnings, ensuring they are prepared to respond quickly and effectively during flood events. The EA has also supported joint door‑knocking with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and Stockport Council to increase flood warning uptake in areas with historically low registration. These proactive efforts demonstrate the EA’s continued commitment to protecting people, homes and businesses.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out how her Department’s animal welfare strategy will address the welfare of fast-growing broiler chickens used in the foodservice sector.

The Government is considering how we can support voluntary efforts to move away from the use of fast-growing meat chicken breeds. The Government welcomes the fact that those supermarkets who made Better Chicken Commitment pledges have fulfilled them, but it is disappointing to hear of the decision of various restaurant groups to withdraw their commitments to improve animal welfare in this way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect people in Stockport from regular flooding.

The Environment Agency (EA) carries out routine inspections of all main watercourses across Stockport. The primary purpose of these inspections is to ensure that flood‑risk infrastructure is properly maintained and that any emerging issues are identified at an early stage. Inspectors also monitor anything that could increase flood risk, including fallen trees or debris that may cause blockages. EA operational teams are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to operate flood defences and respond to incidents. This includes clearing debris from watercourses, supported by remote monitoring through telemetry systems. Across the Stockport constituency, the teams manage and clear a total of three debris screens. Recent community drop‑ins were held for Stockport residents. The purpose of these was to help residents register for flood warnings so they can better prepare for and respond proactively to potential flooding.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the volume of water lost to leakage in the United Utilities network in each of the last five years.

Total leakage data is reported to the Environment Agency annually by water companies through the statutory Water Resources Management Plan annual review process. A summary of 2023/24 water company performance across the country, which includes leakage data, is available here.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a consultation on phasing out the use of farrowing crates for pigs.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Birmingham Northfield, PQ UIN 41698.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department's animal welfare strategy will include a plan for reviewing progress towards meeting the goals of that strategy.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department is engaging with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the ban on hunting trophy imports (a) is robust and (b) does not allow any hunting trophies to enter the UK.

The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its manifesto and we will deliver on this. Defra continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern in the most effective way.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the National Wildlife Crime Unit in tackling wildlife crime in the North West.

Defra supports the valuable work of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and is providing £424,000 to the Unit in 2025-2026. It is satisfied with the NWCU’s effectiveness. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats, and assisting law enforcers with investigations. Defra has a strict grant reporting mechanism in place with the Unit whereby each quarter it provides qualitative and quantitative information setting out how Defra funding has been spent. In 2024-25 the NWCU provided support on wildlife crime cases to every local police force in the North West and indeed the whole of the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publication of the animal welfare strategy; and if he will make it his Department's policy to ban male chick culling as part of the strategy.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year. We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 sets out strict requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, including male chicks from the egg production sector. Permitted killing methods for chicks, such as gas stunning and maceration, are based on scientific research and assessment to ensure birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of technologies that allow chicks to be sexed in-ovo (within the egg), and we welcome the UK egg industry’s interest in the development of day zero sexing technology.

Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on levels of trifluoroacetic acid in the River Mersey.

The EA continues to evaluate scientific evidence, develop new testing methodologies for TFA, and refine its monitoring approach. Future recommendations may involve expanded data collection and updated regulation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential (a) impact of the AUK1 specification for toilet backflow protection on the quality of drinking water and (b) merits of formally adopting the new AUK4 standard.

Under the previous Government, a small number of cases of contamination of drinking water have been discovered in which water from toilet cisterns re-entered (or backflowed into) a building’s drinking water system. The water industry and the Bathroom Manufacturers Association set up a task and finish group to identify the issues, review relevant technical specifications, and suggest solutions. Defra considered the proposals and consulted on amendments (which include a new AUK4 specification). We are finalising the summary of responses from the consultation and the government response to them and will consider approval of the new and updated specifications in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has plans to introduce representation of independent (a) environmental experts and (b) clinicians on the Food Strategy Advisory Board.

A range of representatives from the food sector and NGOs were invited to sit on the Food Strategy Advisory Board. We kept it deliberately small, whilst reflecting the scope of the food supply chain. The Board represents the first step in a wider stakeholder engagement strategy which will continue to ensure and demonstrate the joined-up and systems-wide approach for the food strategy. There is huge expertise, energy and commitment to work towards better food system outcomes, and all stakeholders need to be part of the solution. There will be multiple routes to share ideas as part of the co-design process in 2025 – we say more on this soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote sustainable flood management practices in (a) flood-prone and (b) other areas.

Natural flood management (NFM) is a key part of our approach to mitigating flood risk and provides wider benefits for the environment and society, such as carbon reduction, environmental enhancement, improving water quality and water resources. The floods investment programme delivers a range of schemes, including NFM. In addition, the Government’s ongoing investment in the environment will also support NFM measures. The Government inherited an outdated funding formula for allocating money to proposed flood defences. Established in 2011, the existing formula slows down the delivery of new flood schemes through a complex application process and also neglects more innovative approaches to flood management such as NFM and sustainable drainage. A consultation will be launched this spring which will include a review of the existing formula.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) public awareness and (b) accessibility of the flood warning service.

The Environment Agency (EA) provides the Check for flooding service, giving information on flood alerts and warnings as well as a 5-day forecast. It also uses it’s flood warning system to directly alert 1.6 million properties in England who are registered to receive flood warnings. Where there is danger to life there is also the ability to issue an Emergency Alert. The flood warning service is continuously enhanced to improve public awareness and accessibility. In 2023 it was extended to 110,000 additional homes and businesses, particularly those that were previously hard to reach. This expansion uses innovative monitoring solutions, including solar-powered devices which provide flood warnings in challenging locations. A new flood warning system is being developed and is expected to launch in late 2025. This system aims to be more secure, resilient, and user-friendly. Flood Action Week is the EA’s annual public awareness week, typically taking place in October. It aims to raise awareness amongst the public of their flood risk, actions they should take to respond, and work the EA does to prepare and respond during a flood. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure that communities are better informed and prepared for flood risks.