Written questions by Perkins.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact to non-quota stocks of fly-seine fishing vessel operations in the English Channel.

The number of fly-seine vessels operating in English waters including the Channel increased from 29 to 54 vessels between 2019 and 2024, while landings of non-quota stocks increased by some 50% between 2018 and 2023. Many non-quota stocks are data limited and have little management. It is for this reason Defra prioritised the development of Fisheries Management Plans for Non Quota stocks. In 2023 Defra published the Channel Demersal Non-Quota Stock Fisheries Management Plan to protect 19 vulnerable species and improve data collection. We also introduced precautionary measures including a minimum 100mm mesh size restriction for fly-seine vessels.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many at-sea boarding inspections of (a) EU registered fishing vessels and (b) English registered fishing vessels took place in English waters outside of six nautical miles in each year between 2020 and 2025.

The Marine Management Organisation does not publish a breakdown of inspections, including in-port inspections of English and EU-registered fishing vessels and at-sea inspections outside of six nautical miles. The MMO annual report, published on gov.uk, does provide an overview of inspections carried out: Marine Management Organisation Annual Report and Accounts.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the definition of irreplaceable habitats to ensure it is (a) robust and (b) comprehensive to support decision makers.

The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will add priority species-rich grasslands to the list of irreplaceable habitats.

The Government has stated its intention to review the definition of irreplaceable habitats in due course, to ensure it remains robust and supports decision making.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with poultry industry representatives on the potential welfare merits of upright catching.

Following the publication of the public consultation on poultry catching and handling, we engaged with poultry industry representatives to discuss the potential welfare merits and harms of different poultry catching and handling methods, including upright catching.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of water lost due to leaking toilets in the UK; and if he will take steps to help reduce this.

Waterwise, the lead environmental non-governmental organisation for water efficiency, estimates to 8% of toilets are leaking around 400 litres a day each. The Government is committed to reducing leakage by 50% by 2050 as part of our legally binding target to reduce water use per person by 20% by 2038. This includes taking steps to reduce water wastage from toilets. Our recent update to our government response on a Call for Evidence on leaking toilets, conducted in 2022 outlined we are reviewing initial discussions with stakeholders as part of a ‘leaky loos taskforce’ to understand the steps needed to reduce toilet leakage.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement entitled Outcomes from Nature COP16, Cali, Colombia of 6 November 2024, HCWS196, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) increase funding to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and (b) join the Legacy Landscapes Fund.

At COP16, the UK pledged an additional financial contribution of £45 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to help countries across the globe to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The UK also continues to encourage other countries and non-sovereign organisations to provide financial contributions. In December 2024, Defra joined the Legacy Landscapes Fund as a donor and has so far invested just over £10 million, helping to protect biodiversity, promote climate resilience and foster equitable development in some of the world’s most outstanding landscapes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging fees on (a) food and (b) drink costs.

The Department has assessed the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on both producers and consumers, including the potential effect on the affordability of food and drink. This assessment is included in Section 8 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. We are closely monitoring the potential impact of these costs on consumer prices and remain committed to balancing environmental goals with economic considerations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in levels of Official Development Assistance spending on levels of funding for (a) the Darwin Initiative, (b) the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and (c) Darwin Plus.

No decisions have been made regarding future levels of funding for the Darwin Initiative, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, or Darwin Plus. Defra will allocate budgets to its Official Development Assistance programmes for future Financial Years after Defra receives its Multi-Year Spending Review settlement. The UK has a strong and pioneering record in overseas development and will continue to play a vital humanitarian role in crises such as those in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza, while tackling global challenges including climate change and biodiversity loss.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging on SME beverage producers.

In October 2024 the Government published a final impact assessment on the pEPR scheme. The impact assessment did not look at the specific impacts of the pEPR scheme on individual sectors. The Government recognises the importance of protecting small producers from direct cost obligations. This is why the regulations include a de-minimis threshold of £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes which exempts approximately 70% of the producers supplying packaging in the UK from paying scheme fees.

Food and Rural Affairs, what engagement he has had with glass manufacturers on the business impact of the forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

The UK’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) policy has been in development since 2019. This is underpinned by extensive consultation and engagement with industry stakeholders, including the glass manufacturing sector, to provide businesses with a clear indication of the scheme’s design and implementation. Consultations were held in 2019 and 2021, concluding with a final consultation on reforms to the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system in 2022. In 2023, the four nations of the UK jointly consulted on the operability of the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Feedback from stakeholders during this process directly informed a number of amendments made prior to final regulations. Throughout this period, Defra officials engaged closely with industry experts, including the glass industry. This collaboration has helped to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs used within the scheme reflects the practical realities of waste management operations. We have made a full assessment of the expected business impacts of the policy, including on the glass sector. This is detailed in the official impact assessment for the Producer Responsibility Obligations (packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, which remains publicly available: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. The Government remains committed to ongoing engagement with manufacturers and other stakeholders to support the successful and fair implementation of the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of product liable for extended producer responsibility that will be sold to the on trade.

Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. We are planning next steps as a priority and will share more information soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed fee structure for the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on economic growth.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme that will be introduced in April 2025 on the drinks industry.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided to PQ 33304 on 4 March 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the definition of household waste under the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme to apply exemptions to products consumed and disposed of within hospitality venues.

The Government has been engaging extensively with stakeholders from various sectors, including the hospitality sector, to develop a better understanding of the potential impacts of a change in the definition of household packaging. The government will set out its intended next steps on the definition shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 82 to 85 of the Fourth Report of Session 2023–24 of the Environmental Audit Committee, The UK’s contribution to tackling global deforestation, HC 405, whether she plans to implement the recommendation on human rights abuses in supply chains.

We note the committee’s recommendations regarding the rights of indigenous people and local communities, and customary land tenure. We will set out our approach in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the scope of the Environment Act 2021 to include more (a) sectors and (b) definitions of (i) legal and (ii) illegal deforestation.

The approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains is being considered and we will provide an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of broadening the scope of measures within the Environment Act 2021 to help tackle illegal deforestation.

The approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains is being considered and we will provide an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the decision-making process on whether to grant conditional emergency authorisation to use a product containing neonicotinoids includes an assessment of the potential impact of those neonicotinoids on butterflies.

Decisions on emergency authorisation applications must be taken in line with legal requirements. In making these decisions, Ministers take full account of the available evidence and expert advice, including on risks to pollinating insects. The Government will honour its manifesto commitment on this topic.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on dredging rivers.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment; this includes flood risk management and watercourse maintenance. The EA focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. Dredging and main river clearance are an important part of EA’s maintenance programme. Before undertaking dredging, the EA will work in close consultation with local communities to assess whether it is technically achievable and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream, and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue.