Written questions by Tice.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the additional costs to breweries arising from alcohol labelling and packaging regulations; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those costs on brewery closures in the next financial year.

The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector. Defra has not made any recent changes to alcohol labelling regulations within its remit.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support farmers following changes in the level of funding for mental health support; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of this change on rural communities.

Defra are continuing to fund the Farmer Welfare Grant. This funds charities to deliver projects which will support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities. In the Hon. Member’s county, the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network is in receipt of funding and actively delivering projects specifically tailored to engage and support young people living, entering and working within the farming industry. The project will focus on education, resilience and the provision of 1:1 support. For 2025/26, total Government mental health spending is forecast to amount to £15.6 billion. This represents a significant uplift of £680 million in cash terms in spending on mental health compared to the previous financial year In addition, integrated care boards, including those with rural areas, are forecast to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard over the 2025/26 financial year, meaning that local health services will invest a greater share of their budgets into frontline mental health services. As part of our commitment to mental health, the Government will hire 8,500 new mental health support workers. This will give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health, reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes. Rural communities, including farmers, will benefit from this increased spending.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many confirmed Avian Influenza outbreaks there have been in Boston and Skegness constituency, by site size; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) location of Avian Influenza testing in that area; what the (i) volume and (ii) origin of imported poultry and hatching eggs entering local markets is; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that restrictions are (A) proportionate and (B) fairly applied to small-scale producers and vendors in Boston and Skegness constituency.

During the current outbreak there has been one outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Boston and Skegness constituency in a commercial duck rearing enterprise near Skegness, East Lindsay, Lincolnshire and was confirmed on the 28 January 2025. All diagnostic testing undertaken by HM Government for avian influenza is conducted at the avian influenza National Reference Laboratory (NRL) at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Weybridge laboratory using United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) validated tests. Testing is in line with World Animal Health Organisation (WOAH) standards as set out for Avian Influenza in the WOAH Terrestrial Manual. Defra have published further information on Avian influenza and influenza of avian origin diagnostic testing, controls and reporting obligations on gov.uk. Defra does not hold data on the volume and origin of imported poultry and hatching eggs entering local markets. To ensure controls are proportionate to the risk bird keepers face, Defra’s approach to avian influenza considers the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice. Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.

Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department plans to provide to assist with the environmental clean-up of beaches in Boston and Skegness constituency following the recent North Sea oil tanker collision.

Now the overall situation has stabilised, the response has moved from a Major Incident Response into the recovery phase. Both ships remain afloat and normal maritime traffic has resumed. Though the situation is stable, recovery work will continue with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency continuing to coordinate operational partners and maintaining their vigilance of the situation to ensure a safe resolution. Defra is working with multiple organisations, including the Centre of Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and the PREMIAM (Pollution Response in Emergencies: Marine Impact Assessment and Monitoring) has been activated to assess the impact of this incident on water pollution and the marine environment. No chemical pollution from the initial fuel spill has been detected. Pollution in the form of nurdles and burnt plastic has shown up on beaches in NW Norfolk, Lincolnshire and at sea in The Wash. Vessels have been recovering the nurdles at sea and the ongoing beach clean-up in Lincolnshire is being co-ordinated by the relevant local authority. There has been no sign of any other pollution. The four Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) are working together in a Joint East Coast Recovery Management Group to lead counter-pollution activities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve livestock (a) registration and (b) inspection, in the context of (i) avian influenza and (ii) the recommendations in Dame Glenys Stacey's report entitled Farm Inspection and Regulation Review, published in December 2018.

Since the 1 September 2024 in Scotland and 1 October 2024 in England and Wales registration has been a legal requirement for anyone owning poultry or other captive birds, with the exception of certain psittacines and passerines, even if only kept as pets. This builds on the requirement for keepers to register if they kept 50 or more poultry in Great Britain which had been in force since 2005. New online registration services have been launched to minimise the burden where possible on keepers in complying with these new requirements. The new registration requirements address repeated recommendations from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak lessons identified reviews since at least 2016, as well as the 2018 Dame Glenys Stacey review. The requirements will aid in the prevention and control of notifiable avian disease outbreaks, by facilitating both surveillance activities and communication to bird keepers. In particular, getting biosecurity and outbreak messaging out to hard-to-reach groups including small flock keepers.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department are responsible for (a) processing and (b) responding to Freedom of Information Act requests; and if he will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of this work.

Each team within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that holds information relevant to a request is responsible for providing responses in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIRs). These teams receive guidance on the application of the legislation from Defra’s Information Rights Team, which is responsible for processing such requests. The Information Rights Team consists of six staff members. Defra does not maintain a cost accounting system to track staff time spent responding to information requests; therefore, no annual cost figure is available.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on measures to achieve net zero targets in the last five years.

While the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security leads across Government on net zero, Defra is responsible for reducing emissions from agriculture, land use (including peat), fluorinated gases and waste (including wastewater), whilst simultaneously increasing England's carbon saving potential through our forestry policies. In Spending Review 2021 Defra received numerous funding allocations, which as well as providing direct funding for Defra's contribution to net zero they contributed towards wider departmental objectives such as tackling biodiversity loss, ensuring nature recovery and food security and providing opportunities for economic growth. These programmes include the food waste new burden (£295 million), Nature for Climate fund (£750 million) and Future Farming and Countryside Programme which includes the Environmental Land Management Schemes (£2.9 billion). Additionally, across the Spending Review period, funding was allocated to net zero research and development programme (£75 million).

Food and Rural Affairs, what national framework contractors have been appointed for flood management; and how and on what criteria they were appointed.

The information requested can be found in the attached document.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of long-term health concerns associated with the use of 3-Nitrooxypropanol in cattle feed.

3-Nitrooxypropanol is the active ingredient in a methane suppressing feed product commercially known as Bovaer. The Food Standards Agency has advised milk from cows given Bovaer, an authorised feed additive used to reduce methane emissions, is safe to drink. Bovaer has undergone a rigorous safety assessment and is approved for use in Great Britain.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the (a) resilience of the agricultural supply chain and (b) ability of the sector to meet domestic food demand.

Part (a) - The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. We produce 62% of all the food we need, and 75% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production, and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. Part (b) - Farmers are the backbone of Britain, and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by farming and rural communities in recent weeks. We are steadfast in our commitment to Britain’s farming industry because food security is national security. Around 500 claims each year will be impacted and farm-owning couples can pass on up to £3m without paying any inheritance tax. Not only is the Government confident that these reforms will not impact food production, our Budget has set out a £5 billion farming budget over two years – dedicating more money than ever before to sustainable food production.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many enforcement actions his Department has taken against foreign fishing vessels operating illegally in UK waters in each of the last five years.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for licensing foreign vessels to fish in English waters and for fisheries enforcement of vessels within English waters. The MMO has boarded and inspected foreign vessels at sea on 1451 occasions since the start of 2019 to the 31 October 2024. Infringements were detected during 585 of these inspections. In addition to these inspections at sea, 36 infringements by foreign vessels were detected remotely. The number of enforcement actions the MMO has taken against foreign fishing vessels operating illegally in English waters in each of the last five years is: 2024(YTD 31 October)1562023115202212720211272020472019112 Fisheries control and enforcement is a devolved matter and, as such, Fisheries Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for managing fisheries risk and conducting inspections in their respective waters.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers and the agricultural industry with (a) challenges related to fluctuating market prices, (b) improving access to modern technology and (c) ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector.

The UK agricultural sector is both robust and adaptable and operates in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain. We have seen evidence of this particularly in recent years following global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Recognising that farmers should always receive a fair price for their products, the Government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness wherever it exists. Innovation is key in supporting our efforts to improve agricultural sustainability. The Government wants the UK to be a great place for technology innovators to start and grow their businesses, and access both domestic and international market adoption opportunities. We have already announced our intention to bring forward the secondary legislation needed to implement the Precision Breeding Act. The Government is also fully committed to Environmental Land Management schemes and will optimise them so they produce the right outcomes for all farmers, while delivering food security and nature recovery in a just and equitable way. Defra will continue to work closely with stakeholders from all farming sectors on the best way to support farmers and the agricultural industry over the long-term, designing our policies in partnership.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support people living in rural areas with limited public transport links with the potential financial impact of increases in fuel duty.

People living in rural areas often have greater distances to travel to access essential services, employment, education and other social and recreational activities. We know that this can make it more costly and time consuming for rural communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the Government will introduce a Buses Bill later this parliamentary session, which will put decision-making into the hands of local leaders, including in rural areas across England. This will allow local areas to determine how best to design their bus services so that they have control over routes and schedules. The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed. Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making delivers for rural communities. Decisions on tax policy, including fuel duty rates, are made by the Chancellor at fiscal events. The Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme was introduced in 2011 to provide a 5p reduction to motorists buying fuel in certain areas. The areas included in the scheme demonstrate certain characteristics such as: pump prices much higher than the UK average, remoteness leading to high fuel transport costs from refinery to filling station, and relatively low sales meaning that retailers cannot benefit from bulk discounts.