Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to encourage local authorities to plant more trees.

Local authorities have an important role in contributing to England’s tree planting targets and maximising the benefits of these trees, for example through planting urban and street trees, which are often the closest green infrastructure to people’s homes. Defra supports local authorities’ tree planting activity through access to several of the Nature for Climate Fund grant schemes, as well as through support for the Community Forests.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require imported pork to meet the UK's animal welfare standards.

The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare and recognises farmers’ concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to promote the highest food production standards. All pork imported into the UK must meet standards at least equivalent to the key requirements set out in the protection of animals at the time of killing legislation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the environmental impact of fast fashion.

The Government has not made an assessment of the environmental impact of fast fashion. The Government is funding action on textiles through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). As part of this work, WRAP has produced a number of reports including the Textiles Market Situation Report 2024 which looks at textile consumption, manufacturing and the post-consumer textiles market. This report, as well as a range of WRAP’s other textiles-related reports, are published on their website at: https://www.wrap.ngo/taking-action/textiles/key-resources. WRAP also manages the Textiles 2030 voluntary initiative on our behalf. This supports businesses and organisations within the fashion and textiles industry to transition to more sustainable and circular practices.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider the potential merits of launching a pilot project in Poole to recover (a) stranded and (b) sunken glass fibre boats to help ensure that they do not pollute local waters.

Sunken or stranded boats within Poole Harbour, and pollution arising from them, fall within the responsibility of the Poole Harbour Master’s Office. We encourage the public to report pollution via our incident hotline, by calling 0800 80 70 60 at any time. The UK is leading action under the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. This includes work with contracting parties: to develop a methodology to estimate the quantity, distribution and material composition of these vessels; to collate an inventory of end-of-life vessels; and to develop guidance to support their waste management. The OSPAR Convention is the Regional Seas Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and, as a Contracting Party, the UK participates in monitoring programmes to assess regional trends in marine litter and implements actions under the Regional Action Plan. The UK also commissioned Resource Futures to undertake research to inform policy development to discourage abandonment and improve waste management of end-of-life recreational vessels, focused on establishing volume, location and type of materials in the waste stream and understanding current disposal options and barriers in the UK and across the OSPAR Maritime Area. This research is published online: Marine litter from end of life recreational vessels - ME5247.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has commissioned recent research into the potential impact of glass fibre boats on ecology.

End of life recreational vessels are often made from glass reinforced polymer, or fibreglass, and are recognised as a source of marine litter when abandoned offshore or on shorelines where their degradation can lead to macro and micro litter. Defra has not commissioned research into the potential impact of glass fibre boats on ecology directly, but the UK is leading action under the OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. This includes work with contracting parties: to develop a methodology to estimate the quantity, distribution and material composition of these vessels; to collate an inventory of end-of-life vessels; and to develop guidance to support their waste management. The OSPAR Convention is the Regional Seas Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic and, as a Contracting Party, the UK participates in monitoring programmes to assess regional trends in marine litter and implements actions under the Regional Action Plan. The UK also commissioned Resource Futures to undertake research to inform policy development to discourage abandonment and improve waste management of end-of-life recreational vessels, focused on establishing volume, location and type of materials in the waste stream and understanding current disposal options and barriers in the UK and across the OSPAR Maritime Area. This research is published online: Marine litter from end of life recreational vessels - ME5247.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the recycling of glass fibre boats.

In our manifesto, the Government committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy. A circular economy is a system that decouples economic activity from new resource extraction, using a systemic approach across the full material and product lifecycle to maintain the value of our resources for as long as possible. Recycling has a role to play in the circular economy, but where possible the approach will mean moving materials and products further up the waste hierarchy by encouraging better design, reuse and repair. The UK is leading action under the OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter to improve the management of end-of-life recreational vessels. The OSPAR Convention is the Regional Seas Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. This includes work with other Contracting Parties: to develop a methodology to estimate the quantity, distribution and material composition of these vessels; to collate an inventory of end-of-life vessels; and to develop guidance to support their waste management. The UK also commissioned Resource Futures to undertake research to inform policy development to discourage abandonment and improve waste management of end-of-life recreational vessels, focused on establishing volume, location and type of materials in the waste stream and understanding current disposal options and barriers in the UK and across the OSPAR Maritime Area. This research is published online: Marine litter from end of life recreational vessels - ME5247.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning greyhound racing in England.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Eastleigh, Liz Jarvis, on 18 September 2024, PQ 5214.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to issue new guidance on the handling of chickens by their legs.

We are carefully considering the recommendations in the Animal Welfare Committee’s report on the welfare implications of carrying methods for poultry to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare and will set out next steps in due course.