Written questions by Farron.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review (a) the eligibility of virtual fencing technology under existing agricultural support schemes in England, such as Farming in Protected Landscapes and (b) its potential merits in promoting environmental improvements, biodiversity gains, and animal welfare benefits.

Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes. Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology under other schemes. We will keep the matter under review when considering future grants offers.

How many deaths in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales were attributable to (i) alcoholism, (ii) obesity, (iii) air pollution and (iv) smoking in the latest year for which data is available.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18th November is attached.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to review (a) restrictions on the use of virtual fencing technology under the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and (b) the eligibility criteria for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is due to end March 2026 and decisions on the future of the programme have not yet been made. The FiPL eligibility criteria for virtual fencing technology protects the highest standards of animal welfare and targets limited programme funding to priority environmental outcomes in Protected Landscapes. There are no plans to review the current approach. Following the outcome of the Spending Review, we are continuing work to simplify and rationalise our grant funding from 2026 onwards, ensuring that grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international counterparts on the protection of Christian women in Chibok, Nigeria.

The UK condemns violence against civilians of all religions in Nigeria and regularly raises freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) with the Nigerian government. For example, on 11 November, the Minister for International Development and Africa discussed the importance of FoRB and the causes of intercommunal violence during a meeting with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar. The UK remains committed to defending FoRB globally, with Nigeria a focus country under the new FoRB strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to publish updated guidance on incorporating (a) blue-green algae and (b) other additional public health factors into bathing-water quality assessments.

The purpose of the Regulations is to ensure the protection of public health through the use of monitoring and classifications. Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment and so it is critical that appropriate regulations meet the needs of water users and those involved with managing bathing water sites. On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Coming into effect on 21 November 2025, these reforms include the scope to extend the bathing and monitoring season from 21 November 2025. We will continue to evaluate environmental and societal impacts of future reforms and engage stakeholders as we move to implementation. Current guidelines on Environment Agency and Local Authority roles during pollution incidents, including blue-green algae, remain valid.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current SwimFo system in helping the public understand bathing-water risks.

We know that local communities want to have a clear picture of water quality at popular bathing sites. The Environment Agency (EA) publishes sampling information during the bathing season on Swimfo to inform bathers of water quality and provide daily pollution risk warnings. This includes details on over 450 bathing waters, including classifications, pollution sources, and seasonal water quality results. Local Authorities use this information to provide bathing water quality information on physical signs at each bathing water. The EA has introduced several stabilisation measures to reduce service disruptions and will continue to enhance the resilience of Swimfo ahead of the next bathing season. They are also exploring redevelopment opportunities to enhance its communication and improve its service delivery. This will include working with the public and key stakeholders to understand their needs and preferences for future developments of the system.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to increase spatial representation of sampling points around Lake Windermere including areas not currently designated as bathing-water locations.

The Environment Agency samples the designated bathing waters in Windermere according to the Bathing Water Regulations. Applications for new bathing water designations in Lake Windermere can be made to Defra if the criteria published on GOV.UK are met.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a different classification system for lake ecosystems.

In the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, ‘Schedule 5, classification’ shows there are already different standards for inland waters and for coastal and transitional waters when measuring E coli and intestinal enterococci. This means there are varying classifications of water quality thresholds depending on pathogen levels in place at different locations, recognising the distinct natural characteristics and hydrodynamics that exist in different water environments. The SI that was laid 28 October and due to come into force 21 November this year will not change this.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to allocate funding for the introduction of a (a) traffic-light system and (b) publicly accessible platform in the context of improving the communication of bathing-water results.

Swimfo, the Environment Agency’s (EA) bathing water quality website, provides details on over 450 bathing waters, classifications, pollution sources, and seasonal water quality results. From May to September, Swimfo posts daily forecasts for over 170 sites where water quality may be temporarily affected by factors like rainfall or tides, helping the public make informed choices quickly. The EA is exploring redevelopment opportunities to enhance communication and service delivery. This will include working with the public and key stakeholders to understand their needs and preferences for future developments of the system. The EA have also introduced several stabilisation measures to reduce service disruptions and will continue to enhance the resilience of Swimfo ahead of the next bathing season.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to publish a review comparing UK bathing-water (a) monitoring and (b) classification systems with international best practice.

Existing practices for monitoring and classification in the UK mirror the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive which is based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. Environment Agency (EA) monitoring also currently exceeds the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters. The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it. We are continually working to improve and modernise our bathing waters system and learn from best practice. We laid an SI on 28 October, due to come into force on 21 November 2025 which introduces three core reforms and several technical amendments to the Bathing Water Regulations. These will bring legislation in line with modern sampling practices, allowing the EA to improve ways of working and improve delivery for the public.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) people swimming away from the shoreline and (b) all other lake users are considered in future bathing-water monitoring strategies.

The Bathing Water Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament on 28 October 2025 and come into force 21 November 2025. Defra is committed to working with local and national stakeholders as work progresses to implement these Regulations. In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, views were also sought about further reforms to expand of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users at both coastal and inland sites, and the use of multiple monitoring points at each bathing water site where useful to classify bathing water quality. We are now exploring further research and policy development to determine how best to implement these reforms and consider any potential environmental and societal impacts. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to move away from multi-year averages and adopt a more real-time approach to reporting bathing-water quality data.

On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3, due to come into force 21 November, introduces the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, enabling flexible, locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect its use. The Environment Agency (EA) sample throughout the season, and data is published regularly on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website ensuring the public can make an informed decision before entering the water. Where bathing water quality is not consistently excellent the EA makes pollution risk forecasts each day using an analysis of previous samples and notifies the public through the Swimfo website and on signage at the site in this event.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of current sampling coverage at designated bathing-water sites.

The Environment Agency (EA) monitors all designated bathing waters above the minimum monthly frequency requirement of the Bathing Water Regulations during the bathing water season. Most sites are sampled weekly, in line with the World Health Organisation’s recommendations to reduce misclassification risk. Data is published on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website, ensuring bathers can make informed decisions. On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3 comes into force 21 November, introducing the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, allowing locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect their use. We are working with the EA on a pre-implementation research project, where we will consult with stakeholders to ensure we have considered all the relevant factors. The outcome will be set out in public guidance to be published in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to allocate funding to ensure that bathing-water sampling in Lake Windermere takes place year-round rather than seasonally.

On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament a Statutory Instrument which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3, which is due to come into force 21 November, introduces discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, allowing more flexible, locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect when people use the site. We are working with the Environment Agency (EA) on a pre-implementation research project which will consult with stakeholders to ensure we have considered all the relevant factors. The outcome of this project will be set out in public guidance that will be published in due course. Currently, the EA samples regularly throughout the season and this will continue with any bathing site extensions under core reform 3. This data is published regularly on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website ensuring the public can make an informed decision before entering the water.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a pollution risk costing model for Windermere based on Environment Agency modelling of other mainly coastal designated bathing sites.

The Environment Agency currently provides pollution forecasting at 171 coastal sites and is exploring the feasibility of providing a forecast for inland sites.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of Islamist attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt on 31 October 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 3 November to Question 85661.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department holds data on the estimated cost of flood losses for (a) insured properties and (b) uninsured properties in each year since 2015.

The Evidence on the Costs of Floods in England and Wales, covers the 2016 to 2019 period and the Estimating the Economic Costs of the 2015 to 2016 Winter Floods covers 2015 through to 2016. Flood Re has enabled over 660,000 households to access affordable flood insurance since its launch, with 346,200 policies ceded in 2024/25 alone. Prior to Flood Re, average premiums for flood-affected homes were around £4,400, compared to £1,100 in 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure farmers receive support for instances of flooding in winter 2025-26.

To support rural communities and farmers, we: are funding actions to improve the environment, mitigate flood risk, and boost resilience such as natural flood management, through the Environmental Land Management schemes.are investing over £300 million in natural flood management under the Government’s new flood investment programme, the highest figure to date for the floods programme.have provided £91 million in funding to internal drainage boards , supporting greater flood resilience for farmers and rural communities already benefiting over 400,000 hectares of farmland and over 200,000 properties, and will avoid around £10 billion of economic damage.have established the Rural Flood Resilience Partnership, a collaboration with the Environment Agency and rural stakeholders to support agricultural businesses in adapting to increase their resilience to flood risks.have introduced the Flood Resilience Taskforce, where the NFU has a seat at the table, which will enhance coordination between central Government local authorities, local communities and emergency services to better protect communities across the UK.

Communities and Local Government, how many new homes were built within areas classified as flood zone 3 in 2024-2025.

My Department does not hold data on how many new homes were built within areas classified as flood zone 3 in 2024-2025. The proportion of new residential addresses built on national Flood Zone 3 is published by financial year in live table P320 of our ‘Land use change: new residential addresses’ release. The most recent figures are for 2021-22 and can be found on gov.uk here.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department holds data on the number of properties in each flood risk zones that does not have insurance.

Flood Re is a joint Government and industry scheme enabling households at high flood risk to access affordable insurance. Since launch, over 650,000 properties have benefitted, with 346,000 policies supported in 2024/25. Before Flood Re, average premiums for flood-affected homes were around £4,400; now they are approximately £1,100. Defra continues working with Flood Re and insurers to monitor affordability, support resilience, and improve outcomes through schemes like Build Back Better and the PFR Grant, alongside engagement with industry leaders at an insurance roundtable to ensure access to affordable coverage and fair claims for flood-prone homes.