Written questions by Gilmour.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the reintroduction of pine martens project on Exmoor.

No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of reintroductions of pine martens project on Exmoor as the release of pine martens on Exmoor is yet to take place. Devon Wildlife Trust, as part of their pine marten reintroduction project, have released pine marten on Dartmoor. These releases occurred in October 2024 and the Trust are closely monitoring the released animals through surveys, radio collars, camera traps and analysis of their faeces. Natural England, alongside NatureScot, provided guidance to the project throughout its development to ensure legal requirements in relation to licensing were met and full consideration of best practice were given (Reintroductions and other conservation translocations: code and guidance). This includes the requirements for detailed monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the projects results and impacts. Natural England continues to liaise with the project to ensure best practice going forward.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the right to roam in England.

The Government committed in its manifesto to improving responsible access to nature. The Department is currently assessing the best way to deliver this, and further information will be made available in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department can take to ensure (a) existing drainage infrastructure is maintained and cleaned to appropriate levels to deal with high water volumes and (b) that future drainage infrastructure is built with resilient water capture systems to avoid flooding events, in the context of flooding in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

The Environment Agency (EA) maintains assets and infrastructure, including flood relief channels to divert water during heavy flows. EA monitoring teams use telemetry systems to identify and respond to high levels, while field teams ensure water conveyance is maximised by removing obstructions and blockages from channels & trash screens, including proactive checks in advance of expected high rain volumes. We work alongside partner agencies such as Highways & Local Authorities whose duty is to ensure road gulleys are clear to allow surface water to drain and roads to remain open. Protecting communities from the dangers of flooding is one of Defra’s top priorities. Watercourse management responsibilities fall to different bodies. Riparian landowners are required to keep watercourses clear of anything which could cause an obstruction to the flow of water on their land, or downstream if washed away. The Environment Agency has permissive powers to undertake maintenance on main rivers. Lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) or internal drainage boards (IDBs) have permissive powers for ordinary watercourses. The Environment Agency focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. The Government is investing a record £2.65 billion over two years in building, maintaining and repairing our flood and coastal defences, better protecting 52,000 properties. We are also shifting £108 million towards maintenance to shore up creaking defences, benefitting a further 14,500 properties.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10798 on African Swine Fever and to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 19080 on Foot and Mouth Disease, what recent assessment his Department has made of the risk of a domestic (a) African swine fever and (b) foot and mouth disease outbreak.

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 supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of (a) illegal and (b) banned products of animal origin (POAO) have been seized at the Port of Dover since September 2022.

Please see the table below for total seizures of illegal meat year on year. The figures quoted are seizures from all ports who had returned seizure data to us from September 2022 onwards as part of Defra African Swine Fever programme. This does not reflect all illegal meat seizures. We are unable to provide further levels of detail as we do not release details of the location of seizure; this information could risk undermining border security, by providing intelligence in our resource deployment and targeting Total seizures for full year on year are as follows: 2022 (Sept-Dec)3745kg202344,482kg202492,270kg

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the cost of acquiring a waste exemption permit on future trends in the level of landfill.

The Environment Agency (EA) charges consultation (including proposals to charge for waste exemptions) is now closed. The EA expects businesses that register and comply with waste exemptions without the requirement for an environmental permit, will continue to do so and pay the associated waste exemption charges. The EA does not expect waste exemption charges to result in an increase in landfill, where specific wastes are banned and landfill tax applies. Further information on the charges consultation, the points raised by industry and our responses to them will be included in a forthcoming consultation response document to be published by the EA. The EA has carried out an affordability impact analysis of the charge proposals. Key findings are detailed in the public consultation and any changes will be noted when the consultation response is published.

Food and Rural Affairs, what methods for public recourse are available when a council authority is unable to fulfil their statutory duties on flood prevention.

Protecting all communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five core priorities. Lead local flood authorities (unitary and county authorities) are required to manage local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. Local flood risks should be identified and managed as part of a local flood risk management strategy. Local authorities receive revenue funding for local flood risk management through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) looks at complaints about councils and some other authorities and organisations. The service is free, independent and impartial.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential merits of incorporating (a) environmental and (b) animal welfare considerations into the planning application process for (i) new and (ii) expanding farm premises.

The Department works closely with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government to deliver planning reforms with regular discussions on how the impacts of development can be fully considered and planning can improve outcomes for nature whilst enabling farmers and rural businesses to build the infrastructure they need. New or expanding farms permitted under the Town and Country Planning Act are subject to the National Planning Policy Framework which clearly sets out that if significant harm to biodiversity resulting from a development cannot be avoided, adequately mitigated, or, as a last resort, compensated for, then planning permission should be refused and that planning policies and decisions should prevent new and existing development from contributing to, being put at unacceptable risk from, or being adversely affected by, unacceptable levels of soil, air, water or noise pollution or land instability. The animal welfare considerations for buildings and accommodation used for farmed animals are set out in The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 with further guidance set out in the relevant species-specific welfare code of practice.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed charge for waste exemption permits on the ability of small environmental farms to recycle.

The Environment Agency charges consultation included information on the affordability of waste exemption charges for the agriculture sector. It can be found online here. Included in the document is the following estimates for a 3-year registration period: 43% of farmers will pay the lowest charge of £144 for the 3-year registration period (£56 registration charge plus common on-farm charge of £88). This equates to an average cost of £48 per year. This cost will be lower if the cost of individual waste exemptions being registered is less than the £88 common on-farm charge.50% of farmers will pay less than £500 for the 3-year registration period90% of farmers will pay less than £1,000 for a 3-year registration period This is considered a worst-case scenario, as Environment Agency data suggests farmers often register more waste exemptions than they need. Approval to charge will be considered after the Environment Agency has analysed responses from the consultation.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the current adequacy of (a) regulation of fipronil and imidacloprid products, (b) (i) methods and (ii) scale of publication and promotion

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) authorises veterinary medicinal products under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 (as amended) to protect public health, animal health, the environment, and promote animal welfare. This involves ensuring m...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with producer organisations on (a) the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme and (b) replacing that scheme (i) in part or (ii) in ful

The Government appreciates and values the vital work of our fruit and vegetable growers and recognises their important role in maintaining a secure supply of home – produced fresh produce. The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and legi...

Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's timetable is for making a decision on whether to extend the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme beyond 31 December 2025.

The Government appreciates and values the vital work of our fruit and vegetable growers and recognises their important role in maintaining a secure supply of home – produced fresh produce. The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and legi...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Fruit and Vegetables Aid scheme beyond 31 December 2025.

The Government appreciates and values the vital work of our fruit and vegetable growers and recognises their important role in maintaining a secure supply of home – produced fresh produce. The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme and legi...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of regulations on the fishing of bass by charter boats which are also commercially-registered fishing vessels and (b) potential merits

The Bass Fisheries Management Plan published in December 2023 sets out a number goals and measures to deliver long-term sustainable management of bass fisheries in English and Welsh waters. This includes working with the newly established bass management ...

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the record-keeping requirement for the Sustainable Farming Initiative for 2024 will be maintained.

For Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Rural Payments Agency carries out desk-based administrative checks on a sample basis which can include requesting and checking the nature and quality of any supporting evidence, such as receipts and farm records. The...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the University of Exeter's report entitled Resilience of Coastal Communities, Work Package 1: Responding

Defra welcomes the publication of the report, which is an output of work funded by UK Research and Innovation. We consider a number of policy initiatives already align with many of the work’s findings, and will continue to consider their implications in t...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the hon. Member for Tiverton and Minehead on the (a) Exmoor Farmers' Network and (b) farming community in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

My Defra private office handles all meeting requests. Please contact them directly to request a meeting.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will restore the license for ASOLUX; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the restoration of that license on the growth of bracken in (a) the Quantocks an

Asulox is a herbicide containing the active substance asulam, which is not approved for use in the UK. For some years, use of Asulox to control bracken has been allowed under strictly controlled conditions under emergency authorisation arrangements. In 20...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for waterways.

The Canal and River Trust is the largest inland waterway navigation authority in England and Wales, responsible for the 2,000 miles of canals and rivers it owns. The Government is currently providing the Trust with a 15-year grant (2012-2027) totalling ab...

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with the Exmoor National Park Authority on change of use for rural pubs in Tiverton and Minehead constituency.

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.