Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of green social proscribing on levels of mental health and wellbeing.

The Government recognises the health and wellbeing benefits of outdoor access and will continue to champion these benefits, which the Green Social Prescribing programme has evidenced. Phase 1 of the Green Social Prescribing programme ran until March 2023 and was very successful, achieving around 8,500 referrals and demonstrating statistically significant improvements in participants mental health. As in the first phase of the programme, there will be an evaluation report developed for Phase 2 of the programme, which ran from April 2024 until March 2025. We expect to publish the phase 2 report in early 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has held discussions with Natural England on their Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security strategy.

Natural England worked closely with Defra and other stakeholders in development of their new strategy entitled 'Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security', which has been shared and discussed with Ministers. The strategic outcomes and approaches described in the strategy align with Defra and Government priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what measures are in place to enable those parts of the country with a surplus of water to redistribute it to those areas in need.

Water companies have a statutory duty to provide a secure supply of water for customers, efficiently and economically and set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These plans set out how each company will continue to meet this duty and manage water supply and demand sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Transferring water from areas of surplus, or from new water supply infrastructure, may contribute to a more optimal overall solution, delivering best value for society. Water company Water Resources Management Plans published in 2024/25, propose a number of larger inter-company transfers and many internal and external transfers. The Environment Agency has published a summary of the water company plans: A review of England’s revised draft regional and water resources management plans - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of banning the (a) import and (b) sale of fur on the economy.

Defra is continuing to build the evidence base on the fur sector. This includes commissioning our expert Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) to produce a report on what constitutes responsible sourcing of fur. The AWC report will add to our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps. We are also aware that the European Food Safety Authority has published a report on the welfare of fur animals and are reviewing its findings.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the volume of exported plastic waste.

We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling. Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on (a) the environment and (b) revenues to the Exchequer.

There is currently no planned assessment regarding the potential impact of trends in the number of manufacturers using imported virgin plastic on the environment. HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs are currently evaluating the Plastic Packaging Tax, using analysis of environmental and tax data to assess the impact of the tax and will update in due course. Forecasts on tax revenues are published regularly by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to remove incentives for plastic waste collectors to export rather than process waste domestically.

We are currently considering the role of exports in dealing with the UK’s plastic waste and how they can compliment domestic recycling. Defra is committed to building a circular economy that enhances industry competition and capitalises on the UK’s potential in plastic recycling and reprocessing, whilst realising our environmental objectives. The Government’s collection and packaging reforms will help to stimulate investment in the UK reprocessing infrastructure so we can reduce our dependency on plastic waste exports.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of variations in licence fees set by local authorities for dog breeding.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), a local authority can charge such fees as it considers reasonable to meet its statutory licensing responsibilities. The Regulations require local authorities to provide an annual return to the department outlining their licensing fees. That information is published here. Defra has recently completed its Post-Implementation Review of the Regulations and considered local authority returns and other evidence about the fees charged by local authorities. The review was published in December 2024 and can be found here. The Government is considering the review’s findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered revising its guidance to local authorities on dog breeding licence fees in relation to (a) if the licence is new or being renewed, (b) the scale of the licensed activity measured by the number of breeding dogs and (c) how far the cost recovery principle can cover enforcement.

Under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 (the Regulations), a local authority can charge such fees as it considers reasonable to meet its statutory licensing responsibilities. The Regulations require local authorities to provide an annual return to the department outlining their licensing fees. That information is published here. Defra has recently completed its Post-Implementation Review of the Regulations and considered local authority returns and other evidence about the fees charged by local authorities. The review was published in December 2024 and can be found here. The Government is considering the review’s findings and will be outlining more detail on next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61000 on Hunting, what recent progress he has made to ban trail-hunting.

Work is ongoing to determine the best approach to deliver the manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting. We have committed to running a consultation to ensure those with an interest can input. We will share further details in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK-EU Summit - Joint Statement, updated 19 May 2025, whether his Department will prioritise the removal of the need for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) certificates in the new UK-EU SPS Agreement.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on May 19, 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area which will slash costs and remove red tape. The removal of the need for Export Health Certification will save trading businesses up to £200 per consignment each time goods are sent, meaning a single lorry carrying a mixed load of animal products could see £1000s in reduced costs. Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to includes measures for young people in the forthcoming food strategy.

We are developing an ambitious new food strategy to set the food system up for long term success. The strategy will deliver wide ranging improvements. Everyone including young people will benefit from a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient 21st century UK food system that grows the economy, feeds the nation, nourishes people, and protects the environment, now and in the future. A number of food strategy outcomes are particularly important for young people touching on children's health, food education, and jobs and skills in the food sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of breed-specific legislation in relation to dogs on levels of public safety.

We are working with the police, local authorities and animal welfare groups to explore measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We have reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership taskforce and look forward to receiving their findings and recommendations in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to introduce standardised (a) recording and (b) reporting for dog (i) bites and (ii) strikes.

The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. As part of this work, the taskforce is considering improvements in data collection and reporting. We look forward to receiving its findings and recommendations in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department has commissioned on whether breed is a precursor for aggressive behaviour in dogs.

The Government has reconvened the Responsible Dog Ownership Taskforce to explore measures to promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. We look forward to receiving its findings and recommendations in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward a consultation on fox hunting.

As per our manifesto, this Government will ban trail hunting. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and further announcements will be made in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on imports of hunting trophies of species listed as (a) Near Threatened, (b) Vulnerable, (c) Endangered, (d) Critically Endangered and (e) Extinct in the Wild in the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.

The import of hunting trophies is regulated by the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations, which implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Where required, permits to import hunting trophies will only be issued when the strict criteria set out in the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations are met, including that the import does not have a detrimental impact on the conservation status of a species. The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its manifesto and we will deliver on this. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can deliver a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern in the most effective way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on issuing import permits to hunting trophies of species listed in Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora).

The Animal and Plant Health Agency, an executive agency of Defra, is responsible for issuing import permits for hunting trophies. Appendix I species are the most strictly regulated species under CITES and import permits will only be issued if the criteria set out in the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations are met, including that the import does not have a detrimental impact on the conservation status of a species. The Government committed to banning the import of hunting trophies in its manifesto and we will deliver on this. Defra is engaging with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can deliver a ban on the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern in the most effective way.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to seek an exemption in any veterinary agreement negotiated with the EU that would ensure the UK's ability to ban the import and sale of fur products.

We have reset our relations with European partners. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides, and will be careful to ensure proposals are consistent with our manifesto and does not cross our red lines. It’s too early to discuss specific areas in detail and we will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU.