Written questions by Osborne.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support farmers with the increasing rising cost of fertiliser as a result of the conflict in Iran.

Defra has asked the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to increase the frequency of its fertiliser price reporting. AHDB now publishes data on their Fertiliser Price page weekly, giving farmers more up‑to‑date information to help with decision‑making. This will give farmers more timely and transparent information to support their decision-making. Defra wants to support farmers to increase their resilience to future fertiliser price volatility by maximising the use of nutrients from both mineral fertilisers and organic materials such as slurry. Defra’s Nutrient Management Planning Tool is a free resource to help farmers plan and manage nutrient use and reduce costs by matching inputs to crop and soil needs. Defra has committed £120 million in funding starting in 2026 to improve productivity, trial new technologies and drive innovation in the agricultural sector. This includes up to £50 million for Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grants (for the 2026 scheme covering productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare) and up to £70 million available for Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) innovation grants. This funding can help farmers use nutrients from fertilisers and their own organic materials most effectively to increase resilience.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to help support the upskilling of the chemical and materials science and engineering workforce to enable the delivery of a circular economy and green growth.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers such including skills and infrastructure. Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the chemical and materials science and engineering sectors, including any interventions on skills and infrastructure.We have noted the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The report reflects our emphasis on skills development and the chemicals and plastics sector to support the transition towards a circular economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration her Department has given to the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, published by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry; and how that report is informing efforts to ensure the UK has the chemical and materials science and engineering skills required to maximise the opportunities of the circular economy and green growth.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers such including skills and infrastructure. Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the chemical and materials science and engineering sectors, including any interventions on skills and infrastructure.We have noted the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The report reflects our emphasis on skills development and the chemicals and plastics sector to support the transition towards a circular economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the UK’s chemical and materials science and engineering sectors have access to the infrastructure necessary to support the transition to a circular economy and green growth.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers such including skills and infrastructure. Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the chemical and materials science and engineering sectors, including any interventions on skills and infrastructure.We have noted the report Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities, by the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. The report reflects our emphasis on skills development and the chemicals and plastics sector to support the transition towards a circular economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning the destruction of (a) textiles and (b) footwear.

The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to support us in developing proposals to transition to a Circular Economy. As we develop those proposals, we will assess what further interventions may be needed across the textiles sector, including any interventions on environmental impact labelling and banning the destruction of textiles and footwear.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing environmental impact labelling for all textile goods in the UK.

The Government has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to support us in developing proposals to transition to a Circular Economy. As we develop those proposals, we will assess what further interventions may be needed across the textiles sector, including any interventions on environmental impact labelling and banning the destruction of textiles and footwear.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent guidance his Department has provided to local authorities on the (a) collection and (b) disposal of independently certified BS 13432 compliant compostable packaging.

Under Simpler Recycling, local authorities and other waste collectors are required to collect the following recyclable waste streams from all households and workplaces in England: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, food waste (and garden waste from households only). These measures apply from 31 March 2025 from workplaces, 31 March 2026 from households and 31 March 2027 from micro-firms (with less than 10 FTEs). In May 2024, Parliament made the Simpler Recycling Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 [1] and Government published guidance [2] that included a description of the materials in scope of collection within each of the recyclable waste streams required for collection under Simpler Recycling in England. During our call for evidence on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, concerns were highlighted by the waste and recycling industry over the suitability for recycling biodegradable and compostable plastics. Consequently, the guidance set out that packaging labelled ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’ cannot be recycled with food waste, nor be collected within the plastic recycling waste stream. Biodegradable and compostable plastics will also not be included as a separate recyclable waste stream in the amended Environmental Protection Act 1990, and we do not propose to include these materials in any of the other recyclable waste streams. Plastic packaging materials labelled as “compostable”, or “biodegradable” are not generally collected for recycling as these materials can contaminate mechanical recycling streams; therefore, should be placed in the residual waste stream. However, we do recognise the valid role compostable plastics play in some applications and closed-loop contexts (e.g. where they are able to be collected and processed correctly at an industrial composter). [1] The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024[2] Simpler recycling: workplace recycling in England - GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of soft plastic recycling schemes operated by supermarkets.

Defra has not carried out a specific assessment of soft plastic recycling schemes offered by supermarkets. Under Defra’s Simpler Recycling reforms, The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 require flexible plastics to be collected from kerbside from 31st March 2027. We are aware of the delivery challenges surrounding the collection of flexible plastics and recognise that stakeholders need more time to address these. This is why the requirement to collect flexible plastics will not come in until 31st March 2027. Ahead of the requirement coming into effect, existing kerbside, front of store and postal take back of plastic films will continue and are expected to increase in response to certainty over the timing of the introduction of this new collection requirement. To help support these delivery challenges, Defra has also provided financial support for the multi-million-pound FlexCollect project, launched in May 2022, funding Local Authorities to roll out kerbside plastic film collection trials. The FlexCollect final report was published on 1 September 2025. Defra will analyse the results of the trials, alongside wider evidence, to ensure we make the implementation of flexible plastics a success. We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure issues surrounding end markets and reprocessing are taken into account and addressed in the lead up to the 2027 implementation date.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UKRI on steps his Department is taking to support innovative materials whose development has been funded by grants from Innovate UK.

Officials regularly engage with UK Research and Innovation including with Innovate UK as the delivery partner for some of our most significant research programmes. The Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, provides grants to support industry-led R&D to develop technologies and innovative practices to drive innovation in agriculture and increase productivity, sustainability and resilience in our farming sectors. Examples of other collaborative programmes include the Defra co-funded Innovation in Environmental Monitoring programme. This programme has connected industry and research to the growing UK environmental monitoring sector, ensuring that the public and private sectors work in partnership to develop and test new sensing capabilities that can be commercialised, helping to boost the UK’s economic growth. This programme has supported technologies in fields such as environmental DNA, artificial intelligence, remote sensing and acoustic monitoring.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking through Fisheries Management Plans to help ensure the requirement under Article 6.3 of the Fisheries Act 2020 to restore fish populations to sustainable levels is met.

Fisheries Management Plans are evidence-based plans developed in accordance with the Fisheries Act 2020. They set out short, medium and long-term actions to restore or maintain fish stocks at sustainable levels and meet the requirements of Article 6.3. To date, Defra has developed and published six FMPs which are available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/fisheries-management-plans#published-fmps which we are now beginning to implement. For example, last year we introduced legislation to better manage fly seine fishing in the English Channel, increased the minimum conservation reference sizes for brill, lemon sole, turbot and crawfish to protect the juveniles of these species.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled Single-use vapes ban, published on 20 January 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) relevant enforcement authorities and (b) Trading Standards are informed of changes to the MHRA notified products list.

We are working closely with regulators and enforcing authorities, including trading standards, to ensure that they are prepared for the introduction of the single-use vapes ban on 1 June 2025 and to ensure that relevant information is shared.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance on the single-use vapes ban, published on 20 January 2025, how the Department plans to enforce this guidance; and if he will consider placing it on a statutory footing through secondary legislation.

Trading standards will be responsible for enforcing the single-use vapes ban. The published guidance provides businesses with the information they need to know to ensure that they are complying with the requirements laid out in The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 legislation. It is already a legal requirement that this legislation is complied with and the current business guidance covers these new legal responsibilities.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to incorporate harvest control rules into future fisheries management plans.

Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are evidence-based action plans ensuring stocks can be sustainably harvested. Work is being done to implement actions in the six published FMPs. Collectively, these can be considered as equivalent to the ‘harvest control rules’ for the individual fisheries. Defra published a harvest standard specification in September setting out the broad framework within which individual harvest strategies can be developed for English fisheries. Harvest standard specification for fisheries management plans in English waters - GOV.UK Harvest Control Rules require a sufficient level of data and understanding of a stock. Currently, there are some FMP stocks that they cannot apply to until there is a better evidence base.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish proposed measures for the Stage 3 offshore Marine Protected Areas.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rotherham on 16 September 2024, PQ 4529.