Written questions by Hudson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of the UK's disease response capability in relation to foot and mouth disease.

To reduce the risk of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to the UK, in collaboration with our National Reference Laboratory and international partners, Defra monitors the threat presented by different trade routes and works. The risk of incursion is currently considered to be low. This risk evaluation informs our preparedness activities from targeting of measures at the border, domestic disease surveillance, to the strains procured for our vaccine bank and any communications to raise the awareness among livestock keepers. Specific measures in place to reduce the risk of FMD incursions include requiring imported meat and dairy products to be accompanied by animal and public health certification confirming that they come from an area that is free from FMD; strict rules for the movement of animals and genetic material, and a ban on certain animal products as livestock feed. We continue to remind livestock keepers of the importance of maintaining strict on-farm biosecurity, compliance with the swill feeding ban, and the reporting of all suspicions of notifiable disease promptly. Defra’s contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases, the FMD control strategy and associated guidance describe the measures that need to be taken prevent and, in the event of an incursion, control outbreaks of FMD. The plans are reviewed and tested including through national response exercises and routine testing. The next exercise is currently being planned.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk posed by foot and mouth disease to the UK.

To reduce the risk of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to the UK, in collaboration with our National Reference Laboratory and international partners, Defra monitors the threat presented by different trade routes and works. The risk of incursion is currently considered to be low. This risk evaluation informs our preparedness activities from targeting of measures at the border, domestic disease surveillance, to the strains procured for our vaccine bank and any communications to raise the awareness among livestock keepers. Specific measures in place to reduce the risk of FMD incursions include requiring imported meat and dairy products to be accompanied by animal and public health certification confirming that they come from an area that is free from FMD; strict rules for the movement of animals and genetic material, and a ban on certain animal products as livestock feed. We continue to remind livestock keepers of the importance of maintaining strict on-farm biosecurity, compliance with the swill feeding ban, and the reporting of all suspicions of notifiable disease promptly. Defra’s contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases, the FMD control strategy and associated guidance describe the measures that need to be taken prevent and, in the event of an incursion, control outbreaks of FMD. The plans are reviewed and tested including through national response exercises and routine testing. The next exercise is currently being planned.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 4.105 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, if he will maintain spending on flood resilience over the next five years.

We will invest £2.4 billion across 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. Longer term funding decisions will be made at the next Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on tackling avian influenza outbreaks in England.

Following the detection of notifiable avian influenza in poultry in England, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery. This includes putting in place control zones to help manage disease. All bird keepers are urged to remain vigilant and take action to protect their birds following a further increase in the avian influenza risk levels in Great Britain, and check GOV.UK regularly to remain informed of the controls in their area. Scrupulous biosecurity remains best practice for protecting the health and welfare of flocks. All registered bird keepers will receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza. Supporting bird keepers, the public and conservation bodies to manage and prepare for avian influenza continues to be one of our main priorities. Defra and APHA will continue to work closely with industry to ensure good flock management and husbandry practices are implemented on all farms regardless of size or scale. Defra continue to monitor the situation and the need for an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will be considered in response to further increases in risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) farmers and (b) animal-related industries to reduce the likelihood of bluetongue virus spreading.

Early identification was crucial to enabling a rapid response to a bluetongue outbreak. Defra provided free pre-movement testing to animal keepers in counties at the highest risk of incursion from infected midges originating from the continent. A restriction zone has been established to cover the counties affected by bluetongue. This measure has been carefully considered to protect the free-area from disease spread while allowing free-movement of animals within the zone, keeping businesses disruption to a minimum. Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease transmitted by midges and is challenging to control without vaccination. Responding to the emerging bluetongue-3 epizootic, Defra have worked at pace with vaccine manufacturers, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and industry to permit the use of three vaccines, enabling keepers to voluntarily protect their stock. To reduce the impact on animal businesses Defra have designated numerous slaughterhouses and published General Licences enabling animals from the zone to be slaughtered at those slaughterhouses with minimal disruption. Markets within the restricted zone can operate and Defra has approved markets located outside the zone to take animals from the zone. The situation is reviewed regularly with consideration given to the proportionality of controls informed by science and the department’s close working with industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on the potential merits of using the Armed Forces during extreme weather events.

Defra has longstanding arrangements with the Ministry of Defence to secure military support for flood response when this is required. There are well practiced procedures for requesting Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) at national and local levels.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Flood Re scheme to businesses.

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. As such, it is funded via a levy on UK household insurers. Business insurance operates differently to household insurance. It is often bespoke, based on the individual nature of the business. It is important to note that there is no evidence of a systemic problem for businesses being able to access flood insurance.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of dredging on flood mitigation.

Dredging and clearing channels are an important option for watercourse maintenance, where it is technically and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream, and does not damage the environment and wildlife. Its effectiveness varies substantially for each stretch of watercourse, it is unlikely to be effective in isolation and is usually part of a wider approach. In many cases the silt will quickly build up again. Where watercourse maintenance is the responsibility of the Environment Agency it focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. This includes dredging, which the Environment Agency will undertake an assessment of, working in close consultation with local communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero and (b) energy companies on resilience capability in the event of instances of power cuts during extreme weather events.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. The Government works closely with electricity networks to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure. In the event of a disruption, electricity network operators have well practiced response plans in place to minimise any disruption to customers, as far as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish the speech made by the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs at the Vegetarian Society event on 13 November 2024.

Minister Zeichner spoke briefly at this reception. This is something he often does at similar events. Defra does not routinely publish transcripts of such remarks and there are no plans to deviate from convention.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on tackling cases of bluetongue virus.

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August 2024, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. These disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England. The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements. Some animals were humanely culled to prevent establishment at the outset and infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone have also been humanely culled. Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3 and these vaccines are now available for vets to prescribe in England. Defra and APHA continue surveillance of susceptible animals and epidemiological assessments, remaining vigilant for any changes, and are working closely with key industry stakeholders to review how we approach controls for BTV-3 for the coming winter months, in 2025 and beyond.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on tackling cases of avian influenza in Yorkshire.

One case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N5 has been confirmed in the Yorkshire area this season. This case follows recent detections of the HPAI H5N5 in wild birds in the region and is the first case confirmed since declaration of Great Britain’s zonal freedom from HPAI in March 2024. The case was confirmed in commercial poultry at a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire on the 5 November 2024. To prevent further disease spread, all poultry on the infected premises have been humanely culled and preliminary cleansing and disinfection has been carried out at the premises by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place surrounding the premises. Protection zones must stay in force for a minimum of 21 days and surveillance zones for a minimum of 30 days. The zones will only be lifted once all disease control activities and surveillance in the zones have been successfully completed and there are no suspect cases in the zones under investigation. Defra continue to monitor the situation and the need for an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will be considered in response to further increases in risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November to Question 11902 on Import Controls: Port of Dover, when checks on animals at Border Control Posts will begin.

We are reviewing the date for implementing specific post-Brexit border checks set out in the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) and will publish more information on these soon. We continue to maintain essential border controls to protect our national biosecurity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) farming and (b) flood funding for the remainder of this Parliament.

Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This funding will deliver improvements to food security, biodiversity, carbon emissions, water quality, air quality and flood resilience. We will work with the sector to continue to roll out, improve and evolve these schemes, to make them work for farming and nature. Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities, which is why we set up a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season. Across England, we will invest £2.4 billion over the next two years to improve flood resilience, by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. Longer term funding decisions as regards funding for farming and floods will be made at the next Spending Review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the compliance of (a) people and (b) vehicles told to go to the Border Control Post at Sevington for checks.

Due to the intelligence led and dynamic nature of our biosecurity controls and to ensure operations are not impacted, we are unable to share data on Sanitary and phytosanitary checks. Consignments called to Sevington for an inspection will have completed the necessary customs declarations and pre-notifications. These goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP). Where the BCP has concerns, for example due to non-attendance, there are existing robust provisions for contacting the person responsible for the load, if it is then not possible for the goods to proceed to the BCP then the goods to be referred for inland controls by the local authority, enforceable through the data collected through those customs declarations and pre-notification.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure vehicles sent to the Border Control Post at Sevington (a) go there directly and (b) do not unload their contents en route.

The risk of legitimate commercial loads not attending Sevington is mitigated by robust, data-backed enforcement options. Consignments called to Sevington for an inspection will have completed the necessary customs declarations and pre-notifications. These goods will not be legally cleared for sale or use within the UK until they have attended and been cleared at the Border Control Post (BCP). Where the BCP has concerns, for example due to non-attendance, there are existing robust provisions for contacting the person responsible for the load, if it is then not possible for the goods to proceed to the BCP then the goods to be referred for inland controls by the local authority, enforceable through the data collected through those customs declarations and pre-notification. Meanwhile, vehicles suspected to be carrying illegal imports (e.g. those for which customs declarations and pre-notification have not been made or suspected to have been made in bad faith) will continue to be stopped and dealt with by Border Force at the point of entry to the UK, not sent to the BCP.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the capability to do random physical (a) animal and (b) plant checks on site in the Port of Dover.

Defra will continue to monitor and review the impact of the new controls. We will work closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. The Port of Dover has a Border Control Post (BCP) designation for HRFFNAO only. All physical checks on plants take place at Sevington BCP. There are currently no checks on animals at BCPs, these are continuing at destination.

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, the overall risk of an incursion of ASF is currently assessed to be MEDIUM (the event occurs regularly) and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. The risk of ASF entering Great Britain through non-commercial and illegal imports of pork meat and products of animal origin from ASF affected areas remains of high concern. The risk from these human mediated pathways is assed as HIGH (event occurs very often), though there is considerable uncertainty around this. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) monitors the spread of ASF internationally and regularly publishes assessments of the risk posed to Great Britain. The latest assessments (published in July 2024 for Europe and August 2024 for Asia) can be found as part of APHA's Animal diseases: international and UK monitoring collection on gov.uk. These assessments are used to review, and strengthen where necessary, measures to prevent ASF reaching the UK. The practical impacts of a reasonable worst-case scenario outbreak of ASF were assessed in 2023 for the National Risk Register which is available on GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Border Control Post at Sevington at protecting the UK from biosecurity risks.

Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model, including the Border Control Post at Sevington. We are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. Border Controls are working and physical checks play an important role in helping stop harmful plant and animal diseases reaching our shores, as evidenced by the detection of non-native plant pests found in shipments that arrived at Sevington BCP last month. These shipments were all destroyed. Defra is not seeing evidence of routine queues or delays at Sevington.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to use Dover Bastion Point as part of the Border Target Operating Model.

The site at Bastion Point is currently retained in a non-operational state. The Government will explore further options for the site in the future. Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model. We work closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity.