Written questions by Hudson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Government-funded tree planting schemes are avoiding planting sycamore trees adjacent to, or near to, known equine grazing areas, in the context of the causative link between exposure to sycamore trees and seeds and (a) equine atypical myopathy and (b) hypoglycin A toxicity.

Defra seeks to ensure all Government-funded tree planting schemes plant the right trees in the right place. Trees, forests, and woodlands can bring different benefits to different individuals, communities, and sectors. All woodland creation proposals considered by the Forestry Commission are assessed according to the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), which sets out the government’s approach to sustainable forestry. The UKFS is explicit on the importance of tree species selection ensuring a diverse composition which is site appropriate, with the potential to mitigate the risks posed by climate change, pests and diseases. In November 2024 a Tree Species Guide for UK Agroforestry Systems was launched. Developed by Forest Research and the University of Reading, this is designed to inform farmers about the different tree species which could be used in agroforestry systems, and highlights potential risks associated with individual species. Landowners are encouraged to engage with neighbours and stakeholders when designing their woodland creation proposals, to discuss the proposal, including species selection. All woodland creation and most felling proposals are listed on the Forestry Commissions Consultation Public Register.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) adult and (b) foal (i) horses and (ii) ponies have been seized at the UK border following attempts to illegally export them to Europe since 1 July 2024.

In the time period between the 1st of July 2024 and the present date, there was one case at Dover Port where an illegal consignment of horses and ponies was identified and detained by APHA. The details of the animals involved in that case are as follows: 1 intercepted consignment of 20 equine animals of which 12 were horses, 7 were ponies, and 1 was a foal (less than 6 months old).

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with emergency services providers on the provision of services during (a) storm and (b) flooding incidents.

Defra regularly engages with other government departments and operational partners during flooding incidents, and storms with flooding impacts. This includes the Home Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, and National Resilience. The National Police Coordination Centre and National Fire Chiefs Council are members of the Floods Resilience Taskforce and contribute to discussions on flood resilience, preparedness and response.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the Flood Re Scheme is accessible for people impacted by flooding.

Flood Re is a joint Government and industry flood reinsurance scheme established specifically to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance through their insurance provider. Many household insurers also now offer Build Back Better (BBB). This can provide an additional up to £10,000 as part of a claim to enable installation of property level resilient measures, which can help properties be more resilient to future flooding. We advise that homeowner ask their insurance provider whether this is included in the policy they are considering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help improve flood preparedness.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, the Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. The Environment Agency’s recent Flood Action Week encouraged people to prepare by checking their flood risk, signing up for warnings and knowing what to do if a flood happens. The Environment Agency offers a free flood warning service and provides information on alerts, warnings, and river level conditions via ‘check for flooding service’ on gov.uk which has seen over 2.2 million users since Sept 2024. In addition, the Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce sets out a new approach to preparing for flooding by working cross-government and with external stakeholders. The Taskforce first met in September 2024 and discussions included flood preparedness. It plans to meet again in early February 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of avian influenza.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and carry out assessments (published on gov.uk) of disease risks in the UK and globally, to help the Government anticipate future threats to animal health. Both highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) HPAI H5N5 and H5N1 have been detected in both wild and kept birds in Great Britain this winter. Currently, the risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is assessed as very high (event occurs almost certainly). While the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as high where there is suboptimal or poor biosecurity and medium where good biosecurity is consistently applied at all times. It is too early to predict the outlook for future seasons and risk levels may remain heightened for some time or increase further this winter, associated with the migratory pattern of waterfowl and environmental conditions becoming more favourable for virus survival over winter. Forecasting the future number of HPAI outbreaks is difficult. Uncertainty includes how effective biosecurity is on poultry farms, whether wild bird populations have now been exposed in high enough numbers to reduce the impact, and whether pre-exposure reduces transmission in wild birds.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of incursion of African Swine Fever to the UK.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Under the new Government, Defra has already announced further safety controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain. Updated risk assessments are on Gov.UKAfrican swine fever: how to spot and report the disease - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth disease to the UK.

Following the confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The risk of incursion of FMD to Great Britain has increased to MEDIUM. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has published on GOV.UK its preliminary outbreak assessment which contains further information on the evidence which supports this risk level. The UK has been free of FMD without vaccination since 2007 and has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. The Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to protect our farmers from FMD.

Food and Rural Affairs, what additional checks have been put in place at UK border ports for animals, animal products and vehicles coming from (a) the area affected by Foot and Mouth disease and (b) Germany.

The Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following a case being confirmed in Germany. The import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their untreated products from Germany to GB have now been banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods. GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD including all live animals and fresh meat and relevant animal products. Defra has issued instructions to officials at Border Control Posts in respect of import restrictions put in place following confirmation of foot and mouth disease in Germany. These are available at APHA Vet Gateway - OVS Notes. All commodities that are impacted are being selected for checks at the border. We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of capability for (a) sourcing and (b) deploying a vaccine in relation to an outbreak of foot and mouth.

The UK has been free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) since 2007 and has plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep preparedness under continual review but are refocusing efforts following the confirmation of FMD in Germany. In the event of an outbreak, alongside culling and movement controls, vaccination would be considered as a control option. To that end, the UK has a vaccine bank for a variety of FMD serotypes. Any decision to vaccinate will be based on expert advice across a range of factors. APHA leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans in place. These include measures to contract companies to support eradication and provide additional veterinary capacity. Response times are kept under regular review, and APHA is in the planning stages of a national exercise to test and validate our response to an outbreak of FMD, scheduled for 2025/26. In response to the outbreak of FMD in Germany, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK from FMD by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. We continue to review our preparedness and will take the necessary action to protect our FMD freedom.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of tracing of movement of animals, animal products and vehicles to the UK, in the context of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Germany.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Defra announced further controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain. The risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to Great Britain was increased to medium following the confirmation of disease in Germany on the 10 January 2025. The Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain(opens in a new tab) supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England(opens in a new tab).

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Germany.

Following confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, the Government took rapid action to protect the UK including suspending from Germany, the commercial import of susceptible animals, their untreated meat, dairy products and animal by-products, and hay and straw, and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has been free of FMD since 2007 and has plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep preparedness under continual review but are refocusing effort following the confirmation of FMD in Germany. APHA leads government action on animal disease control and is in the planning stages of a national exercise to test and validate our response to an outbreak of FMD, scheduled for 2025/26.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the funding allocated to local authorities to improve air quality.

The department works closely with local authorities to develop approaches to reducing air pollution. Under the NO2 Programme, the Government’s DfT-Defra Joint Air Quality Unit has provided significant funding to support local authorities to improve air quality in areas of NO2 exceedances, for example recently agreeing Greater Manchester’s £86m Clean Air Plan. We continue to work closely with local areas as they implement their plans. Local authorities have funding allocated to them as part of the local government settlements. Any future, additional funding for local authorities will be subject to the Government’s spending review process.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make Round 1 payments from the Water Restoration Fund.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, including giving environmental regulators powers to impose penalties on the civil standard of proof, in addition to new automatic penalties. The regulators will also be able to recover costs for a much greater range of enforcement activities. In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the ability of the abattoir network in (a) England and (b) the UK to meet the needs of food (i) production, (ii) processing and (iii) security.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government is committed to maintaining a resilient food supply chain. Defra recognises the vital contribution a thriving abattoir network plays in achieving these goals by providing a competitive route to market for producers. England benefits from an established and resilient meat processing sector which despite some challenging circumstances in recent years has continued to process high quality products ensuring the supply of food and maintaining food security. The Government has full confidence that this will continue to be the case.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the labour supply for abattoirs in (a) England and (b) the UK to meet requirements for (i) processing, (ii) food hygiene and (iii) veterinary oversight.

The UK benefits from having a resilient meat processing sector. However, the Government has recognised the challenges the sector continues to face with the recruitment of both skilled and seasonal labour. We support the industry in its recruitment and training of more domestic workers, including through apprenticeship schemes, and in utilising the benefits that automation can bring. There are currently sufficient levels of veterinary resource for delivery of official controls in approved meat premises. This is mainly through a recruitment pipeline from overseas, however, efforts are being made to attract domestic trained and qualified vets to this area of veterinary public health. The new Government has also confirmed the Seasonal Worker visa allocation for 2025, with 2000 visas available for the poultry sector to help with the pre-Christmas surge in demand.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for the Smaller Abattoir Fund.

The Smaller Abattoir Fund closed on 30 September 2024. For the future, Defra plans to simplify and rationalise grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. We are in the process of agreeing how we will use capital to achieve outcomes through the Spending Review process, and we will confirm any future grant rounds in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of his Department collecting information on how many (a) abattoirs and (b) food processing plants in (i) England and (ii) the UK are family-owned businesses.

There are 232 approved Food Standards Agency (FSA) abattoirs across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and the FSA records which are sole traders, partnerships, and incorporated companies. The majority of food processing plants are overseen by local authorities, and while their trading names are published by the FSA and Food Standards Scotland, this does not give an indication of the makeup of ownership. Defra remains focused on supporting the farming, meat and food processing sectors, and the collection of this level of detail is not required or necessary to facilitate the delivery of any Official Controls.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring transport provision in areas affected by storms.

Under the UK Government’s Lead Government Department (LGD) model, the responsibility for severe storms and weather in England rests with the following organisations: Risk Identification and Assessment: The Met Office.Prevention/Resilience, Preparation and Emergency Response: The Cabinet Office (where the impacts are expected to be cross-cutting), DfT for Air, Rail, Roads and Ports and Defra for flooding.Recovery: DfT for Air, Rail, Roads and Ports. MHCLG for flooding. Further detail can be found here: The Roles of Lead Government Departments, Devolved Administrations and Other Public Bodies (HTML) - GOV.UK Designated LGDs are responsible for leading work to identify serious risks and ensuring that the right planning, response and recovery arrangements are in place for their responsibilities. This includes if their sector is designated as a Critical National Infrastructure Sector (CNI), which Transport is. Since the start of the current UK Storm Season on 1 September 2024, Defra has worked with DfT on the following: An exercise of the National Flood Response Centre.The operational response to flooding from caused by heavy rainfall September as well as named storms Ashley, Bert, Connall and Darragh.Reporting on damaged flood defences that could affect the operation of key transport infrastructure. We hold monthly calls with DfT officials to share situational awareness and do these more frequently when the need arises. More detail on specific work undertaken by DfT and the Transport Sector on transport provision in areas affected by storms should be requested directly from DfT.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the discovery of a case of atypical BSE in a cow in Scotland on UK agriculture.

BSE is not a contagious disease. There is no risk to animal and human health or food safety as a result of this isolated case. Unlike classical BSE, which occurs through the consumption of contaminated feed, atypical BSE is believed to occur spontaneously at a very low level in all cattle populations. There have been just 3 cases in the UK since 2014. The animal was tested under our surveillance system, demonstrating its effectiveness. British beef remains safe to eat and can continue to be exported to trading partners.Atypical BSE is not a notifiable disease for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This case does not affect our WOAH ‘controlled’ risk status for BSE, nor the application submitted in August this year to have it further reduced to ‘negligible’.