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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the persecution of Christians in Iran; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help tackle that issue.

We condemn Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. Christians, particularly converts from Islam, and other minority religions, continue to face severe repression in Iran. We were proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November, which called on Iran to cease monitoring individuals on account of their religious identity and to ensure rights are upheld. We will continue to raise the issue directly with the Iranian government, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.

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 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.

What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on forced labour involving Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang; and what steps he is taking to help prevent goods produced by forced labour entering the UK market.

The UK will stand firm on human rights, including China's repression of the peoples of Xinjiang. This has included raising concerns at the highest levels of the Chinese government. The Prime Minister raised human rights with President Xi at their meeting in the G20 Summit in November.No company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chain. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses with a turnover of £36 million or more to report annually on steps taken to combat modern slavery. The Government continues to review how we can best tackle forced labour in supply chains.

If she will continue her Department’s funding for the Mandarin Excellence Programme.

This government remains committed to supporting the teaching of modern foreign languages in England’s schools. Languages provide an insight into other cultures and can open the door to travel and employment opportunities. They also broaden pupils’ horizons, helping them flourish in new environments. Having the opportunity to study a modern foreign language should be part of the broad and rich education that every child in this country deserves.The department will continue to fund the Mandarin Excellence programme for the 2024/25 academic year.The Spending Review settlements for 2025/26 were confirmed at Budget on 30 October and business planning is underway so that programmes can be given certainty about funding as soon as possible.

What information her Department holds on the number of fires as a result of batteries in electric bikes reported to emergency services.

The Department does not hold information on the number of fires caused by batteries in electric bikes. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published analysis of e-cycle and e-scooter fires in August 2024, which is available on gov.uk. It includes a summary of matters such as where these fires occurred; what types of e-cycle and e-scooter were involved; and how many fires led to fatalities.

What steps she is taking to reduce the number of fires caused by batteries in electric bikes.

In February 2024, the Department published detailed safety guidance on how to buy, store and charge e-cycles and e-scooters. The Department for Business and Trade also launched a “Buy safe, be safe” campaign and further guidance in October 2024 to help users of e-cycles reduce the risk of battery fires. All of the information is readily accessible on gov.uk. The Government has also introduced the Product Safety and Metrology Bill. This will create powers that will allow government to set specific product regulations, including on batteries used in e-cycles. In the meantime, all e-cycles sold in the UK must comply with various product safety requirements, as must all mains battery chargers. The Department continues to work with other Government Departments and other stakeholders to understand why battery fires occur so that the Government can take any further action necessary to tackle the issue.

What information his Department holds on how many (a) abattoirs and (b) food processing plants in (i) England and (ii) the UK are family-owned businesses.

This information is not held by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). There are 232 abattoirs approved by the FSA in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The FSA is aware of which are sole traders, partnerships, and which are incorporated companies, but it does not hold any central list indicating which are family-owned. This level of detail is not required to facilitate the delivery of Official Controls.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.

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, 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.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on activating the Bellwin Scheme in response to (a) Storm Bert and (b) other storms.

The impact of flooding, wherever it occurs, is traumatic for the communities impacted and I have great sympathy for all those affected. The government is ready to consider local authority requests for Bellwin Scheme support which can help with the reimbursement of immediate eligible costs for the local authorities affected by the recent storms, including Storm Bert.

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, 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.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of e-scooter use on the number of road related incidents in the last 12 months.

The Department collects road traffic casualty data for e-scooters using data reported by the police to the Department for Transport. In 2023 there were 1,292 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 1,411 in 2022. There were 1,387 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 1,502 in 2022, and of these 1,117 casualties were e-scooter users, compared to 1,154 in 2022. Our best estimate, after adjusting for changes in reporting by police, is that there were 416 seriously injured and 965 slightly injured in collisions involving e-scooters, this compares to 441 and 1,049 respectively in 2022. January to June 2024 provisional e-scooter personal injury collisions are due to be published at the end of November. January to December 2024 provisional figures are due to be published in Spring 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on small businesses in Epping Forest constituency.

Estimates of the impact on businesses in Epping Forest from changes to Employer NICs announced at Autumn Budget 2024 are not available.