Written questions by Anderson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of food procured in the public sector is produced domestically.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to support farming in protected landscapes.

As a result of the 2025 Spending Review, Defra secured a strong financial settlement. The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. This includes funding for the Environmental Land Man...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support upland farmers in South Shropshire constituency.

Earlier this year, the Government extended the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme for another three years. It includes support for upland farmers and land managers in South Shropshire’s Shropshire Hills National Landscape. Defra’s Environmental Lan...

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Environment Agency has made to determine whether emissions from incinerators have an adverse impact on public health in the last 25 years.

The Environment Agency consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as the competent authority on matters of public health, on topics such as the impact of specific industrial activities. The UKHSA has reviewed recent evidence on the potential health ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle littering in rural areas.

Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders of littering including in rural areas.Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on convic...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support dairy farmers.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Wrexham, Andrew Ranger, on 23 February, PQ UIN 112856.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to assist village halls to upgrade their facilities.

This Government recognises the vital role of village halls as part of the social infrastructure in rural communities. In 2026-27 Defra has given a grant of £1.7m to Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), England’s largest rural grouping of commu...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure the competitiveness of British egg producers in the context of the proposed ban on keeping laying hens, pullets and breeder layers in cages.

In preparation for the recent consultation on laying hen cage reform, the Government carried out an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to laying hen welfare policy on UK egg producers and, as part of the consultation, sought views on that assessment. The Government is now analysing the consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course. As set out in the UK’s trade strategy, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage. Where necessary, the Government will be prepared to use the full range of powers at its disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to localise food supply chains.

The good food cycle recognises the key role that regional and local food systems can play in supporting delivery of the growth, health, sustainability, and food security/ resilience outcomes. Defra wants to enable an environment that champions UK food cultures and celebrates British food. Connecting local communities can be a key vehicle for achieving this outcome and for harnessing a stronger food culture. As Defra develop a food strategy, the Government will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress her Department has made on a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement with the EU.

Defra is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and removing trade barriers for British producers and retailers. While those negotiations are ongoing, Defra cannot comment further on the SPS agreement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support innovation on UK farms.

Farmers will benefit from £120 million of investment in farm innovation in 2026. This includes £70 million for the Farming Innovation Programme to support practical research and development, which forms part of the Government’s commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030, and £50 million for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) to help farmers adopt new technology, cut emissions and boost productivity. Applications for FETF open from 17th March. Farmers, growers and foresters can apply for grants of up to £25,000 to invest in innovative equipment that can help businesses improve productivity and protect profits.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will provide an update, following comments made by the Minister for Rural Affairs to the House on 6 February 2025, on plans for the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model.

Following the UK-EU summit on 19 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Devolved Governments have decided to pause implementation of further controls on imports of EU and EFTA live animals, including equines. Compliance with existing Border Target Operating Model controls must continue until further notice because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has plans for the Border Target Operating Model for equines to go live before a Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement is made with the EU.

Following the UK-EU summit on 19 May 2025, the United Kingdom and Devolved Governments have decided to pause implementation of further controls on imports of EU and EFTA live animals, including equines. Compliance with existing Border Target Operating Model controls must continue until further notice because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that farmers are not adversely impacted by imports.

This Government is backing British farmers to create a productive, profitable and sustainable future for farming. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government will not lower food standards and will continue to promote the highest standards of food production. The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, we will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to increase the redistribution of surplus food.

Under the ‘Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate’ scheme, the Government has allocated grants totalling £13.5 million to 11 charities across England. This will help them to redistribute surplus produce from farms and into the charitable sector to provide a discounted or free food offer. The funding is going towards purchasing new packaging and labelling equipment and vehicles to move goods from farms to redistribution organisations, as well as new equipment, like fridges or freezers, to safely store the surplus food collected and ensure it lasts longer. Defra also funds the groundbreaking UK Food and Drink Pact, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste. Through the Pact, Defra engages a working group of industry and redistribution sector organisations to develop best practice on how to redistribute surplus quickly and safely. The Pact also supports delivery of the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, which helps businesses to identify and measure their surplus and waste and take action to reduce it. This Target Measure Act approach enables food businesses to get more surplus to the redistribution sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to reduce barriers to cross-border travel without physical checks for thoroughbred horses.

As announced at the UK-EU Leaders Summit on May 19 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone to reduce delays and paperwork at the border. Negotiations with the EU on the SPS agreement are underway. While those discussions are ongoing, we cannot provide a running commentary. Compliance with the existing Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) controls for equines entering the UK from the EU must continue until further notice, because the UK’s biosecurity and public health must continue to be protected. Please note that there are no plans to remove the border checks that currently apply to equines entering the UK from the Rest of the World (ROW). These checks remain a vital part of our commitment to safeguarding animal health and maintaining biosecurity.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support farmers impacted by flooding in South Shropshire constituency.

The Government is funding Environmental Land Management schemes, which include measures to support farmers with managing flood risks or investing in natural flood management.The Environment Agency is working in partnership with Shropshire Council, the Severn Rivers Trust and Shropshire Wildlife Trust to deliver natural flood management projects in South Shropshire. Working closely with farmers and landowners, these projects will reduce the impacts of flooding across sub-catchments of the River Teme, benefitting both land and communities.One such project is the River Corve project, which is now well established. Further projects are progressing in the Ledwyche Brook, Brimfield Brook, and River Onny areas.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will increase the level of support available for the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is due to end March 2026, and decisions on the future of the programme will be made as part of departmental business planning.

Food and Rural Affairs, what action is being taken to improve food security in South Shropshire constituency and the West Midlands.

Food security is monitored via the UK Food Security Report, produced every three years (most recently December 2024). This gives an international, national, and household food security assessment. Additionally, we will be publishing an annual food security digest report in the years in between. The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. Imports supplements domestic production, helping manage seasonality and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential for economic growth in rural areas.

Delivering secure, strong and sustainable growth to boost prosperity and living standards across the UK is the Government’s priority mission, as set out in the Plan for Change. Forecasting the economy is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which published its latest forecast on 26 March 2025. The next OBR forecast is due to be published on 26 November. We know that rural areas offer significant potential for growth. In 2023, rural areas contributed £259 billion to England’s Gross Value Added (GVA), representing 12.2% of the total GVA for England. However, at the same time overall productivity in the most rural areas is typically lower than urban areas and is only 82% of the average for England excluding London.