Every parliamentary written question tabled by Stuart Anderson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–49 of 49 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to increase funding available to national landscape teams.
This Government is committed to empowering Protected Landscapes to become greener, wilder, and more accessible to all. We understand the uncertainty around resourcing remains a challenge for National Landscapes teams. Defra business planning is ongoing, and we will communicate the outcomes of this as soon as possible.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department will continue to support the Rural Housing Enablers Scheme.
The Government is committed to funding the Rural Housing Enabler programme until 31 March 2025. It is also providing over £5 billion total housing investment in 2025-26 to boost the supply of new housing, including in rural areas. This includes a £500 million top up to the Affordable Homes Programme. Funding allocations for individual programmes for the next financial year will be determined in upcoming months through the department’s business planning exercise and announced in due course.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent hand carwash operators from disposing of chemicals illegally down public storm drains.
It is the responsibility of hand car wash businesses to ensure that they are not polluting the environment as a result of their activities. This is set out in guidance on Gov.uk. Chemicals in car wash products may become classed as waste (including containers with residual chemicals in them). A site operator will need to establish if this is the case and ensure that Hazardous Waste Regulations are followed in respect of correct disposal. For discharges to water and sewerage company networks, a site operator may need to apply for a trade effluent consent from the water and sewerage company. If a discharge is to surface water drain/sewer, or the ground, a permit under Environmental Permitting Regulations may be required. If a hand car wash business were to cause an environmental incident, the Environment Agency would respond to the incident as it would any other environmental incident. The Environment Agency responds to substantiated reports of environmental incidents and will take appropriate action under the enforcement and sanctions policy dependent on the nature and severity of any offence. The Environment Agency enforcement and sanctions policy can be found on Gov.uk.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support farmers to receive higher prices for their produce.
Farmers should always receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling unfairness in the supply chain wherever it exists. Using the 'Fair Dealings' powers in the Agriculture Act 2020 we can introduce regulations, applying to businesses who purchase agricultural products from farmers, which increase transparency and protect farmers from unfair practices. More broadly, the Government will focus on enabling a more resilient and sustainable farming sector, supporting profitability for farmers. In the Budget announced in October, the Government committed £5 billion to the farming budget over two years, including more money than ever for sustainable food production. Furthermore, our new deal for farmers includes using the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce and seeking a new veterinary agreement with the European Union to cut red tape at our borders.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of extending the Rural England Prosperity Fund on (a) small business, (b) farmers and (c) community infrastructure.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) is intended to support new and existing rural businesses, including farm businesses, to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy and to support new and improved community infrastructure that will provide essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy. An evaluation of REPF is underway and will report in Spring 2025.
Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Treasury on the potential merits of increasing funding to help (a) farmers and (b) food producers.
This Government’s commitment to farmers and food producers remains steadfast. Labour will always champion British farming to boost rural economic growth, strengthen food security and improve the environment. Defra has £5 billion for the farming budget over two years. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This enables us to keep momentum on the path to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector, with the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Landscape Recovery all continuing. This funding will deliver improvements to food security as well as the environment.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve the enforcement of animal welfare penalty notices.
Enforcement authorities have been able to issue penalty notices for a range of animal health and welfare offences since 1 January 2024. At the end of each financial year, enforcement authorities are required to submit an annual report to Defra on how many penalty notices they have issued. The first annual report from enforcement authorities on penalty notices issued is to be submitted to Defra by June 2025. Defra is funding training to enforcement authorities such as local authorities and the police to support the effective implementation of penalty notices within their enforcement regime and their effective use as an enforcement tool.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of animal welfare penalty notices.
The first annual report from enforcement authorities on penalty notices issued is to be submitted to Defra by June 2025 and a consolidated report will subsequently be published.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to increase engagement with public consultations undertaken by Forestry England.
Forestry England remains committed to ensuring the public has the opportunity to comment on its future plans, such as in cases of new woodland creation. Forestry England will continue to make sure that its consultation process supports its duty to balance and maximise the multiple benefits offered by forestry as a land use.