Written questions by Gilmour.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider the merits of the development of an environmental quality standard for water for either Fipronil or Imidacloprid.

Environmental quality standards (EQS) are fundamental to the effective assessment and regulation of chemical impacts. This commitment has already been made in the roadmap produced by the Cross Governmental Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group. The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good. It sets out how we will deliver on our promise to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas – not just for today, but for generations to come. We have committed to explore setting new ambitious overarching targets for the water environment. In the meantime, we continue to work towards our obligation to secure continuous improvement for the water environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to financially support upland farmers in areas such as Exmoor.

Defra is working with Dr Hilary Cottam to develop a place-based approach for what uplands communities need, co-designing solutions to specific problems. The Government recently announced the extension of the Farming in Protected Landscape (FiPL) programme until March 2029. This supports farmers and land managers in England’s National Parks and National Landscapes, including upland farmers in Exmoor National Park, to deliver projects that achieve climate, nature, people and place outcomes. The Sustainable Farming Incentive will be reformed to make it simpler and fairer. To ensure as many farmers as possible can benefit from SFI, we will begin by opening an initial window from June for small farms, and also those without existing Environmental Land Management agreements. This will be followed by a second window opening from September for all other farmers. The Farming Roadmap and the government response to Baroness Batters’ Farming Profitability Review will be published later this year, setting out wider plans to boost profitability and long-term viability. Information about agricultural scheme payments made to farmers and land managers in the Exmoor area can be found at the Find farm and land payment website.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the latest data on the ecological status of rivers across the UK.

The Environment Agency (EA) is preparing the next update of water body classifications which underpin river basin management plans and guide investment decisions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to promote the awareness and use of sustainable palm oil.

The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade, and use of palm oil. Leading by example, the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services require in-scope public sector procurers to ensure that all palm oil(including palm kernel oil and products derived from palm oil) used for cooking and as an ingredient in food must be sustainably produced.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle human health risks associated with spot on pet treatments containing (a) fipronil and (b) imidacloprid.

Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) undergo a thorough assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) before they are authorised for marketing in the UK. This includes a product-specific user risk assessment that considers all those that may come into contact with the medicine, including adults and children. This assessment considers the identified hazards of the medicine, the likely exposure to adults and children when VMPs are used as recommended and concludes on the likely risks to humans. The identified risks are mitigated using appropriate packaging and user safety warnings on the product information supplied with the medicines. Once authorised for marketing, pharmacovigilance reporting provides further data from use of these medicines in real-world situations, and these data are used to consider any changes required to reduce identified risks, such as updating the user safety warnings. All VMPs are authorised based on a Benefit:Risk assessment, which accounts for the therapeutic benefits to the treated animals, the potential for reduction of zoonotic diseases in humans, and the possible risks identified to humans and animals. The benefits must outweigh the risks before a product can be authorised and may be removed from the market if shown that this is not the case after authorisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of including pet treatments as a significant source of pesticides as part of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025.

The UK pesticides National Action Plan 2025 (NAP) was published in March 2025. The NAP relates to plant protection products and therefore does not cover pet treatments. The NAP introduces a UK domestic target to reduce the potential harm from pesticides to the environment by 10% by 2030. This target is specifically focused on the arable agricultural sector, which accounts for approximately 90% of pesticide use in agriculture and horticulture. Veterinary medicines are regulated under a separate legislative framework to pesticides: the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) 2013, as amended. These regulations ensure that all veterinary medicines undergo rigorous scientific assessment, including environmental risk assessments, before being authorised for use. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has formed the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group as a UK cross-government platform to enable discussion and knowledge exchange relating to pharmaceuticals in the environment from human, veterinary and, where there is cross over, agricultural and non-agricultural sources. They have recently set out a roadmap of activities to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid detected in UK waterways.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support food security.

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers. We've allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase levels of funding available for farmers.

We have allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. We are investing more than £2.7 billion a year in farming and nature recovery, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history to put healthy, nutritious food on our tables. We are working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. That's only part of our commitment to farmers. We have also protected farmers in trade deals and provided a five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker route, giving farms certainty to grow their businesses. We are using our own purchasing power to back British produce, with an ambition, where possible, for half of food supplied into the public sector to be produced locally or certified to high environmental standards. We are reforming the planning system to support clean energy projects that align with our Clean Power 2030 ambitions, helping farm businesses to become more profitable and resilient.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider the human health risks to (a) children and (b) adults of spot on pet treatments containing (i) fipronil and (ii) imidacloprid; and if he will take steps to address this.

Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) undergo a thorough assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) before they are authorised for marketing in the UK. This includes a product-specific user risk assessment that considers all those that may come into contact with the medicine, including adults and children. This assessment considers the identified hazards of the medicine, the likely exposure to adults and children when VMPs are used as recommended, and concludes on the likely risks to humans. The identified risks are mitigated using appropriate packaging and user safety warnings on the product information supplied with the medicines. Once authorised for marketing, pharmacovigilance reporting provides further data from use of these medicines in real-world situations, and these data are used to consider any changes required to reduce identified risks, such as updating the user safety warnings. All VMPs are authorised based on a Benefit: Risk assessment, which accounts for the therapeutic benefits to the treated animals, the potential for reduction of zoonotic diseases in humans, and the possible risks identified to humans and animals. The benefits must outweigh the risks before a product can be authorised and may be removed from the market if shown that this is not the case after authorisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, what interim regulatory measures will be introduced before a successor regulator to Ofwat is established.

This Government has put in place the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. We have increased accountability by giving the regulators more teeth through the Water (Special Measures) Act with a ban on unfair bonuses, severe and automatic penalties for breaking the law, and jail sentences for serious offences. The Independent Water Commission has examined how to strengthen the regulation and delivery of water services to better support long-term water security, sustainable growth, and environmental protection. The Commission’s final report was published on 21 July 2025. The Secretary of State provided an Oral Statement to Parliament in response to the final report. The Government is immediately taking forward a number of Sir Jon’s recommendations. Subject to consultation this autumn, the Government will abolish Ofwat and merge its functions with water functions across the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate to form a single new regulator. Until the single water regulator is fully established, the existing regulators will continue to carry out their functions and enforcement responsibilities in full. The Government will clarify its expectations through a transition plan, expected to be published later this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to apply sufficient (a) regulatory and (b) financial pressures on water and sewerage companies to ensure the provision of drainage connections to rural communities.

The Government recognises the importance of having a robust drainage and wastewater system both now and for future demand. As part of the Environment Act 2021, a new duty has been created for sewerage undertakers in England and Wales to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). DWMPs set out how sewerage undertakers intend to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years, to account for growth, development and climate change. These plans will help sewerage undertakers to fully assess the capacity of the drainage and wastewater network and develop collaborative solutions to current problems and future issues. The plans will bring together various stakeholders including local authorities and industry regulators. Under Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991, sewerage undertakers are required to provide, improve and extend a network of public sewers as to ensure that their areas are, and continue to be, effectually drained. Section 106 of the 1991 Act gives provisions for new connections to be made to the public sewerage network, including for the discharge of both foul and surface water. Taking a strategic approach to drainage and wastewater management, will help to identify and mitigate issues related to insufficient network capacity or damaged infrastructure.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will include pet treatments as a significant source of pesticides as part of the UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025.

The UK Pesticides National Action Plan 2025 relates to plant protection products, and therefore does not cover pet treatments. Veterinary medicines are regulated under a separate legislative framework to pesticides: the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR) 2013, as amended. These regulations ensure that all veterinary medicines undergo rigorous scientific assessment, including environmental risk assessments, before being authorised for use. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has formed the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group as a UK cross-government platform to enable discussion and knowledge exchange relating to pharmaceuticals in the environment from human, veterinary and, where there is cross over, agricultural and non-agricultural sources. They have recently set out a roadmap of activities to address the levels of fipronil and imidacloprid detected in UK waterways.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time taken to process rural payments.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) understands the importance of cashflow for farmers and rural businesses. It makes payments for schemes and grants against published performance indicators and continues to look at opportunities to issue payments as promptly as possible. Performance in relation to the financial year (1 April to 31 March) is reported each year within the RPA Annual Report and Accounts and will be published in the summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce a ban on the import of foie gras.

The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to promote the highest food production standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to introduce regulatory limits on the volume of water extracted out at sea, following the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.

This Government is committed to protecting the natural environment and will consider any relevant issues and options as they arise.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Exmoor National Park Authority on the suitability of change of use applications for pubs on Exmoor.

Planning permission is always required to change use of a pub, ensuring that local consideration can be given to any such proposals through the planning application process, in consultation with the local community. Defra cannot comment on individual planning cases.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the average time was between a pollution discharge notification and a public bathing water quality warning being issued during the 2024 season.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not record the time between notifying a Local Authority of a pollution incident that may affect a bathing water and how long it then takes the Local Authority, who have the responsibility for notifications being put up at bathing waters, to relay this to bathers. Discharges from water company assets are reported directly through their regional storm overflow maps as well as being collated and displayed in near real time via the National Storm Overflow Hub. The EA does not have records of what information Local Authorities choose to provide to bathers in response to this discharge information. The EA provides information to bathers, via the Swimfo website, of any pollution incidents that may affect a bathing water. Operational procedures specify that duty officers receiving information on pollution incidents consider displaying these via Swimfo if they have the potential to affect a bathing water as part of the incident recording. When this is done Swimfo will display these warnings within a couple of minutes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with water companies on expanding the usage of community testing.

The Environment Agency (EA) engages with citizen science groups on a site-by-site basis regarding bathing waters along with water companies who do the same. The EA uses citizen science data to provide supplementary insights. Citizen science initiatives focused on sewage and wider catchment pressures include Riverfly, The Big River Watch, Great UK WaterBlitz, and SmartRivers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of sewage discharges into waterbodies in Tiverton and Minehead constituency; and what steps he is taking to ensure that companies are accountable for those spills.

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) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. Storm Overflows are strictly regulated by the Environment Agency (EA). Where breaches are found, EA will not hesitate to hold companies to account. The Tiverton and Minehead constituency is served by both South West Water and Wessex Water. As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), which runs from 2025–2030, water companies will be delivering record levels of investment. This includes South West Water delivering £764 million and Wessex Water delivering £580 million of investment on storm overflows, continuous water quality monitoring, and event duration monitoring. Beyond the Water (Special Measures) Act, we are also carrying out a full review of the water sector. The Independent Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good. A public Call for Evidence closed on 23 April, with all interested parties invited to share their views. The review's final recommendations will be published and shared with the UK and Welsh Governments this summer.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the spread of tuberculosis in cattle on Exmoor.

Our Bovine TB Strategy is underpinned by robust routine and targeted testing of all cattle herds in England, restricting cattle movements from infected premises and detecting and removing all test positive cattle. This strategy is enhanced by statutory pre-and post-movement testing of cattle and slaughterhouse surveillance.APHA produce regular analysis of the results of bovine TB epidemiology and surveillance in Great Britain in 2023, including those counties in the High Risk, Edge and Low Risk Area of England. This includes Devon and Somerset, in which Exmoor is located: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bovine-tb-epidemiology-and-surveillance-in-great-britain-2023We have started work on a comprehensive new bovine TB eradication strategy to drive down TB rates to improve cattle and farmers’ livelihoods and to end the badger cull by the end of this parliament. Working closely alongside farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists to rapidly strengthen and deploy a range of disease control measures, we have also begun developing a new national wildlife surveillance programme. This will unlock a data-driven approach to inform how and where TB vaccines and other eradication measures are deployed.