Written questions by Dhesi.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve recycling rates.

The collection and packaging reforms as a whole will increase recycling and reduce our reliance on imported and virgin materials. These reforms are estimated to increase the municipal recycling rate in England from around 44% in 2024 to over 55% in 2035, mostly driven by Simpler Recycling. Simpler Recycling in England will reform the recycling system. Across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school, putting an end to the confusion over what can and cannot be recycled in different parts of the country. Under pEPR, producers who pay fees to cover household packaging disposal costs will have their fees modulated (varied) from the second year of pEPR (2026/27). Producers who use unrecyclable packaging (such as polystyrene or black plastic), will have their fees increased, thereby incentivising them to use packaging that can be recycled easily. The Deposit Return Scheme will complement the other collection and packaging reforms to help drive recycling levels, reduce littering, and promote a circular economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to make recycling easier for residents in Slough.

Simpler Recycling in England will reform the recycling system. Across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school, putting an end to the confusion over what can and cannot be recycled in different parts of the country. Local Authorities are best placed to determine the effective delivery of local services. We want to provide the framework in which they do this and ensure that there is consistency in what is collected. UK Government remains committed to a mandatory labelling regime as part of the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic. This will make it easier for consumers to understand how to recycle packaging correctly, and ultimately for the scheme to deliver its environmental outcomes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to make recycling (a) easier and (b) cheaper for local authorities.

Simpler Recycling in England will reform the recycling system. Across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school, putting an end to the confusion over what can and cannot be recycled in different parts of the country. We recognise that local circumstances differ across the country, and so we are making sure that councils and other waste collectors have flexibility where appropriate to make the best local choices. On 29 November we confirmed that local authorities and other waste collectors will not be required to collect waste in seven separate streams and will be able to co-collect some streams by default. Local authorities currently fund the collection and management of household packaging waste through locally raised revenues and funding from central government. Under packaging extended producer responsibility (pEPR), the efficient costs of managing and recycling packaging waste will transfer to businesses who make and use packaging. We have already provided £258 million of capital funding and will also be covering transitional resource costs and ongoing service costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, how their Department defines strategy.

The definition is detailed in the Functional Standards Common Glossary, which is published on the GOV.UK website.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to hold water companies to account for non-compliance with sewage management rules.

We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the Environment Agency (EA) will not hesitate to hold companies to account. From 1 January 2025, water companies will be required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a similar duty for emergency overflows. This will create an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharged, and hold water companies to account. The Bill will also provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade. These include new powers to enable the EA to recover costs associated with their enforcement activity of the water industry. In May 2024, the EA confirmed a tougher inspections and enforcement regime that will be backed by at least £55 million each year and will make better use of data analytics and technology. This will be fully funded through a combination of increased grant-in-aid from Defra and additional funding from water company permit charges.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve the (a) health and (b) welfare of farm animals.

The Government will introduce the most ambitious programme for animal welfare in a generation. We are considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course. This will build on the support already available through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, which includes access to testing for priority diseases and advice to continually improve the health, welfare and productivity of farmed animals through funded vet visits.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps they are taking to use (a) artificial intelligence and (b) data to help increase their Department's productivity.

Defra is committed to improving its productivity, including through artificial intelligence and effective use of data. Central to this agenda will be delivering on our Digital and Data Transformation Strategy (2023-2030), which focuses on improving access to high quality data and digital services. This year, we established our Chief Data Office, which aims to shape a consistent approach to data and information, common tooling and capability. Its 2030 ambitions will enable data sharing across Government, reduce duplication, and empower a more efficient workforce in Defra. AI, particularly machine learning, is also being used to process large volumes of data quickly and accurately across the department. Our primary vehicle is the Data Analytics and Science Hub, an advanced analytics platform, which serves increasing demand to bring together complex data, derive insights, and improve decision-making and operational efficiency in a legal and ethical way. We are also collaborating with the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) to trial generative AI products such as Microsoft 365 copilot, focused on improving the day-to-day productivity of staff. We draw on a range of resources to inform our AI and data approach, for example, the Generative AI Framework, and have access to CDDO for expert advice.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of Canine Fertility Clinics on the number of dogs from the brachycephalic breeds.

Defra does not hold the requested information. However, to understand the impact of dog breeding activities, including canine fertility businesses, on individual and overall breed health and welfare, Defra has commissioned an opinion from the Animal Welfare Committee. The opinion will be published in due course.