Written questions by Farron.

Food and Rural Affairs, what was the cost to the public purse of landfill site regulation, monitoring, and remediation over the last five years.

The Environment Agency (EA) regulates permitted landfill sites on a full cost‑recovery basis. The costs of regulation are met by the landfill operators, primarily through annual subsistence charges which are paid by permit holders. These charges cover routine inspections and audits, assessment of monitoring and reporting requirements and ensuring that sites are properly closed and remediated at the end of their operational life. Where the EA is required to undertake additional or non‑standard regulatory activity, landfill operators are required to pay supplementary charges to cover the full cost of that work. As a result, the regulation of permitted landfill sites should not impose an ongoing cost on the public purse. Any additional costs would arise only in exceptional circumstances, such as enforcement action where cost recovery is not possible and intervening in cases where a site has been abandoned and the permit disclaimed. The EA does not currently hold figures for these additional costs.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many waste crime officers are currently employed by the Environment Agency; and how many large-scale illegal waste sites have a designated waste crime officer assigned to them.

There are 331 full-time employees directly involved in waste crime. This number includes officers in the Area and National operational teams who respond to illegal waste sites, prevent and disrupt waste crime at sites in England, prevent illegal exports of waste to other countries, conduct criminal investigations and combat fraud and money laundering related to waste regimes. The Environment Agency does not designate a waste crime officer to individual sites. Instead, teams work together to respond to reports of illegal waste sites.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the level of surplus water availability during periods of expected drought.

Water companies must plan for secure supplies during severe droughts, without the need for emergency restrictions. The 2024/2025 annual review of water company data showed that England has an overall surplus. However, this is less than expected in half of areas. Regulators are working closely with water companies to improve progress on delivering new water supplies and managing water demand reductions in response to this.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to assess the safety of dams and reservoirs given potential climate impacts, including monitoring and standards; and whether her Department has emergency preparedness for dams and reservoirs.

Reservoir safety in England is regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 for which the Environment Agency (EA) is the Enforcement Authority. Reservoir owners and operators are required to employ specialist civil engineers to build, supervise, inspect, and maintain their reservoirs to strict standards Defra and the EA are leading a Reservoir Safety Reform Programme, which proposes updates to the safety regulation of reservoirs. This programme is based on recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Review Report. Further work with reservoir owners since the review includes developing on-site emergency flood plans for raised reservoirs, new guidance issued based on the available evidence of the impact of climate change on dams and reservoirs, and producing an updated research strategy for dam safety, with climate change a core theme. Further work on safety management practices is in development, ensuring our reservoirs are safe and resilient in a changing climate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether local authorities in England have the resources and powers to enforce existing legislation and regulation to improve local air quality.

Local authorities are centrally funded to fulfil statutory duties under the Local Air Quality Management Framework, which requires action where pollution is highest. The Government supports them through the Air Quality Hub, providing guidance and tools to help achieve compliance with air quality objectives. We continue to engage with and respond to local authorities’ needs, offering practical support and detailed assistance around enforcing legislation and delivering local air quality improvements.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues to determine the extent that her Department's policies on ambient air quality are interacting with policies on climate change mitigation, nature recovery and land use planning.

Defra’s ambient air quality policy is delivered within the wider framework of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out commitments to improve air quality, restore nature and support climate objectives. The plan highlights that actions to tackle air pollution such as reducing emissions, support nature recovery and contribute to resilience against climate change. Air quality is also a material consideration in planning decisions and Government policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. I will continue to work collaboratively with colleagues across government to ensure we take a joined-up, holistic approach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to strengthen communities' powers to improve accountability and local action on air pollution.

The Government supports communities and local authorities to take effective action on air pollution through the Local Air Quality Management framework, which requires local authorities to assess air quality and implement measures to address local issues. Defra provides technical guidance, modelling tools, and monitoring support to help authorities identify pollution sources and develop targeted action. Since taking ownership of the Air Quality Hub in 2024, Defra has enhanced the platform to improve access to guidance, training, and examples of best practice, strengthening local capability and enabling communities to benefit from successful approaches used elsewhere.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment she has made of his Department's (a) targets, (b) requirements and (c) performance standards for ambient air pollution and the World Health Organisation's Air Quality Guidelines.

The World Health Organisation’s Air Quality Guidelines inform our approach to improving public health. We remain committed to continuous improvement and the WHO guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering next steps.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the UK's performance in comparison with international counterparts in setting standards for air quality in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.

We maintain a continued dialogue on ambient air quality with international partners and technical expert groups to inform our air quality policy, including through the ongoing revision of the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol and its obligations. The UK has a robust and comprehensive framework in place, which has driven sustained reductions in air pollution and continues to hold us to account. We remain committed to continuous improvement and will keep our targets under review. Defra does not have responsibility for setting standards for indoor air quality.

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department's ambient air quality policy is interacting with climate change mitigation, nature recovery and land use planning.

Defra’s ambient air quality policy is delivered within the wider framework of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which sets out commitments to improve air quality, restore nature and support climate objectives. The plan highlights that actions to tackle air pollution such as reducing emissions, support nature recovery and contribute to resilience against climate change. Air quality is also a material consideration in planning decisions and Government policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. I will continue to work collaboratively with colleagues across government to ensure we take a joined-up, holistic approach.

Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence exists of direct and indirect impacts of ambient air pollution on (a) the climate, (b) the environment and (c) public health and their cascading effects.

The UKHSA Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report considered the relationship between climate change and outdoor air pollution and included new analyses of the health burden from long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the the top five impacts of air pollution in England on each of (a) the climate, (b) the environment and (c) public health and their cascading effects.

The UKHSA Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) in the UK: 2023 report considered the relationship between climate change and outdoor air pollution and included new analyses of the health burden from long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department holds data on the top five sources in tonnes of primary air pollution emissions in England for each of (i) fine particulate matter (PM2.5); (ii) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and (iii) other types of ambient air pollution.

Data on our primary air pollution emissions can be found at Emissions of air pollutants - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the adequacy of alignment between national government targets and obligations and local government actions to improve ambient air quality in England.

National targets and local actions are aligned through statutory duties that require local authorities to assess air quality, designate Air Quality Management Areas, and produce Air Quality Action Plans tied to national air quality objectives. Local authorities retain flexibility to tailor interventions to local circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the ten most common causes of air pollution in England in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.

Data on our largest sources of air pollution emissions can be found at Emissions of air pollutants - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of whether examples of best practice exist in England to achieve compliance with legislation and regulation to improve local air quality in each of (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.

Defra supports local authorities in implementing their statutory air quality duties by providing both resources and practical tools. A key example is the Air Quality Hub, which enables local authorities to collaborate, share best practice, and access guidance, case studies, and training materials. This platform strengthens alignment between local delivery and national objectives by ensuring that evidence, lessons learned, and emerging policy priorities are shared consistently across the local authority network.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding and devolved powers to ensure the comprehensive monitoring of air quality in England.

Defra is responsible for the national monitoring of air quality (which includes England) through 16 different networks monitoring various pollutants. Departmental budgets, including budgets for air quality monitoring, are determined through departmental spending reviews. Devolved powers through the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework and the London Local Air Quality Management (LLAQM) require local authorities to review and assess air quality in their areas. These assessments include air quality monitoring and the production of annual status reports which are funded through their own budgets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the national targets, requirements and performance standards are for ambient air pollution and national emission ceilings in the Air Quality Environment Act target delivery plan and the 10-year Health Plan.

National targets and requirements for ambient air pollution are set out in the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010) and the Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) Regulations 2023. Emissions targets and requirements are set out in the National Emissions Ceilings Regulations (2018). Performance against these targets and requirements are reported annually in the air pollution in the UK report and national emissions inventory respectively. The 10 Year Health Plan for England sets out commitments to reduce emissions and improve awareness of and communications on the health impacts of air pollution.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of potential barriers and/or challenges to achieving national targets, requirements and performance standards for ambient air quality, indoor air quality and national emission ceilings in England.

Defra regularly assesses potential barriers and/or challenges to achieving national targets, requirements and performance standards in relation to ambient air quality and emissions. Performance against targets are reported annually in the emissions inventory and air pollution in the UK report.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support change on ambient air quality across Government.

We are determined to improve air quality and protect the public from the harm of pollution. That is why we are taking steps to reform areas like simpler industrial permitting to reduce emissions, and tightening standards for new wood burning appliances to help reduce health impacts.