Written questions by Slade.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether Ofwat records non-operational land assets held by water companies.

Information on water companies non-operational land assets is held by water companies themselves.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent appointments to the Food Strategy Advisory Board on (a) animal welfare, (b) farming practices and (c) farmers in Dorset.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Newton Abbott, Martin Wrigley on 30 October 2025 PQ UIN 82470.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Education to reduce the usage of single-use plastics in (a) early years and (b) childcare settings.

Plastic is a very useful material that can often be the best environmental choice provided it is used and disposed of correctly. This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. We currently have a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, which apply to all, and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions. Materials which can be and will be reused or recycled are a better option. The Department for Education is committed to reducing plastic waste and single use plastic in educational settings. It provides advice to education settings on legal requirements and alternatives to single use plastic.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring Secretary of State sign-off for the cutting of firebreaks in Sites of Specific Scientific Interest during crisis situations on managing ongoing fires.

Consent for operations such as firebreaks on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will need to be obtained from Natural England. However, when responding to an emergency, it is a “reasonable excuse” under the relevant section (section 28P(4)(b)) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) for a SSSI owner or occupier to undertake operations without seeking section 28E consent. Natural England must be informed of the details of the emergency itself and the operations undertaken as soon as practical after they have been carried out.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether land that is (a) owned by the National Trust and (b) a Site of Specific Scientific Interest requires Secretary of State approval before implementing proactive fire prevention methods.

Consent from the Secretary of State is not required unless the SSSI concerned is also a common, in which case some actions like fencing may require Secretary of State consent as per the Commons Act 2006. The National Trust is an owner/occupier with the same legal rights and responsibilities as other owner/occupiers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that his Department's processes protect (a) sites of specific scientific interest and (b) other areas from wildfires.

We are committed to supporting land management practices that restore wider ecosystem health, and these can include measures to increase wildfire resilience. Natural England work with landowners/managers on a site-by-site basis, and will do so over the long-term, to ensure that measures to restore habitats (including re-wetting to build wildfire resilience) are appropriate to local conditions and site characteristics. We also support research into the causes and effects of wildfire (including the impacts and responses of habitats/species to fire) and the effectiveness of restoration measures to build wildfire resilience. We encourage all land managers to develop and adopt good quality wildfire management plans. Furthermore, we have held workshops with a wide range of land managers to inform the new Heather and Grass Management Code. This is being drafted by Natural England and will set clear standards for managing habitats including moorlands.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 56471 on foie gras import controls, if he will publish a timeline for the negotiations of the proposed UK-EU common veterinary agreement; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including provisions that would enable the UK to impose trade restrictions on animal products in future on public morality grounds.

Our aim is to start the detailed negotiations as soon as possible, as we want to see businesses benefit from removing barriers to trade. It is too soon to comment on the details of the negotiations. However, animal welfare is a priority for this Government. We are committed to upholding our high animal welfare standards as part of wider trade policy and will use the most appropriate tools to do so.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing price caps for basic foodstuffs.

Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers on a range of food supply matters. It is not for the Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions taken by businesses. Nonetheless, we appreciate concerns about how these dynamics may affect the most vulnerable consumers and will continue to engage with industry stakeholders on these important issues. The Government’s Food Strategy, announced in December, is focused on creating a food system that delivers healthy, sustainable, and affordable food for all. We are working across the Government and with the food supply chain to help achieve better outcomes for consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the amendments made in Schedule 6, Part 2, Clause 41 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill relating to the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 on (a) the potential number of badgers killed and (b) local wildlife populations.

These amendments standardise licences for development purposes under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 with those for other species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, 2017. This is intended to facilitate strategic-level Environmental Delivery Plans. We are legislating that all badger licences will be subject to strict tests required by the Bern Convention, which set a high bar. For licences under the Nature Restoration Fund, an overall improvement in the conservation status of badgers will be required. The impact of these provisions will depend on practical application by Natural England through EDPs or individual licences.

Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to Eunomia's report entitled Sky Lanterns, Single-Use Barbecues and Helium Balloons Risks and Mitigation Options, published on 9 February 2024.

The Government is currently not planning a formal response to Eunomia's report on sky lanterns, single-use barbecues and helium balloons. This report was commissioned by the previous administration.Local authorities already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns, balloons or disposable barbecues on council or public land.There are also existing powers in legislation which can be used to regulate and prohibit the lighting of fires on access land in National Landscapes and National Parks.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that the proposed UK-EU common veterinary agreement would allow the UK to ban the importation of foie gras produced by force-feeding.

The details of the Agreement are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear with the EU about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ban the use of (a) cages for (i) laying hens and (ii) other animals and (b) close confinement systems for (A) sows and calves and (B) other animals in farming environments.

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of an increase in waste incinerators on the UK's carbon emission reduction targets.

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy. Defra published the Residual Waste Infrastructure Capacity Note and an accompanying statement on 30 December 2024, which set out that government will only back new Energy from Waste projects that meet strict conditions. Proposals for new facilities will have to demonstrate a clearly defined domestic residual waste treatment capacity need to facilitate the diversion of residual waste away from landfill, or enable the replacement of older, less-efficient facilities. New facilities will have to maximise efficiency and support the delivery of economic growth, net zero and the move to a circular economy. This will be achieved through application of Decarbonisation Readiness requirements that come into force from February 2026, increased heat recovery, and roll-out of Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). The government is developing a business model to support Waste CCUS projects and stimulate private investment. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority has confirmed its intention to include waste incineration and energy from waste in the scheme from 2028. Inclusion in the ETS means the sector's emissions will be capped along with other sectors in the scheme, and that cap will reduce in line with delivery of climate targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of waste incineration on (a) public health and (b) respiratory conditions.

The Environment Agency assesses the emissions from new waste incinerators, also known as Energy from Waste (EfW) plants, as part of the permitting process and consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on every application received. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that EfW plants make only a very small contribution to local concentrations and overall national emissions of air pollutants.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) undertake a needs assessment for waste disposal and (b) ban new incinerators unless there is a proven need for them.

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy, which will support economic growth, deliver green jobs, promote efficient and productive use of resources, minimise negative environmental impacts and help us accelerate to Net Zero. There will however still be a need for the safe and sanitary management of residual waste. In accordance with the Waste Hierarchy, sending residual waste that cannot currently be prevented, prepared for reuse, or recycled to Energy from Waste plants is preferable to disposal in landfill. We are clear however that we do not support incineration overcapacity. Before the end of this year, the Government will publish an analysis of residual waste treatment capacity, including waste incineration, in England setting out our future capacity needs to inform future policy directions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to end fox hunting.

This is a devolved matter with regard to Scotland and Northern Ireland; hunting with dogs is a reserved matter with respect to Wales and therefore, the information provided relates to England and Wales only. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. This includes Fox Hunting. In addition, the Government made a manifesto commitment to ban Trail Hunting as part of a set of measures to improve animal welfare. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing. Further announcements will be made in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase protection for farmed fish.

The Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing was published last year. A GB-wide farmed trout joint Government and industry working group is now examining the issues raised in the report to explore the potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. The Scottish Government are also working closely with the salmon industry.