Written questions by Morton.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to issue updated guidance to local councils on maintaining minimum service levels in waste operations during periods of industrial disruption.

Defra does not plan to update guidance to local councils on prioritising services in periods of disruption in waste operations. Defra’s current guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-collection-services-guidance-for-local-authorities/waste-collection-services-guidance-for-local-authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential environmental impact of prolonged interruptions to refuse collection in Birmingham, including consequences for air quality, pest control, and neighbourhood cleanliness.

Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of prolonged interruptions to refuse collection in Birmingham. The ongoing waste dispute is a local issue and rightly being dealt with by Birmingham City Council. Commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government continue to support the Council in their recovery and improvement journey and provide regular progress reports to the Secretary of State.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of prolonged industrial disputes in local waste services on recycling rates and environmental health in affected communities.

Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of prolonged industrial disputes in local waste services on recycling rates and environmental health in affected.

Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme is measured by weight.

In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole, when the regulations were laid in parliament. This does not include an assessment of the impact on specific materials or sectors; however, Defra has engaged extensively with the glass manufacturing sector to understand the impacts on them. Through modulation, more recyclable materials, such as glass, will benefit from discounted fees, from Year 2 of pEPR (2026/2027).

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect UK food security.

We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. As part of the Government’s Plan for Change we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers which includes a raft of new policies and major investment to boost profits for farmers. We've allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on assessing the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on glass use.

In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole, when the regulations were laid in parliament. This does not include an assessment of the impact on specific materials or sectors; however, Defra has engaged extensively with the glass manufacturing sector to understand the impacts on them. Through modulation, more recyclable materials, such as glass, will benefit from discounted fees, from Year 2 of pEPR (2026/2027).

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of glass packaging products on their levels of usage.

In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole, when the regulations were laid in parliament. This does not include an assessment of the impact on specific materials or sectors; however, Defra has engaged extensively with the glass manufacturing sector to understand the impacts on them. Through modulation, more recyclable materials, such as glass, will benefit from discounted fees, from Year 2 of pEPR (2026/2027).

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of solar farms on levels of food security.

Only 0.1% of land is used for solar, and half of the agricultural land generating solar power is still producing food. Solar farms are not a risk to food security and instead help play an important role in diversifying farm income and decarbonising our economy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the continued suspension of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farmers.

There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). As of April 2025, they supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows protected and restored. We have allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. Overall farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3bn a year through the Farming and Countryside Programme. And up to £400m from additional nature schemes. Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that will better target SFI in an orderly way towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. Further information about the reformed SFI will be provided in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she last met the farming sector to discuss the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on farmers.

Defra Ministers and officials regularly engage with the farming sector on a wide range of issues.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on (a) glass manufacturing and (b) the jobs it supports.

In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole when the regulations were laid in parliament. This does not include an assessment of the impact on specific materials or sectors however, my department has engaged extensively with the glass manufacturing sector to understand the impacts on them. This engagement will continue.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended producer responsibility scheme on inflation for consumers in the (a) food and (b) retail sectors.

In autumn last year my department published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme on packaging producers as a whole including impact on CPI inflation and impact on consumers weekly expenditure, when the regulations were laid in parliament. We continue to work with businesses to ensure the scheme is implemented fairly and proportionately, supporting our shared aim of reducing packaging waste while limiting the impact on consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered reforming the Habitat Regulations in as far as they relate to planning.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is nearing its final stages in Parliament. The Bill establishes a strategic alternative to the Habitats Regulations Assessment in certain circumstances, although the Regulations remain in place. These provisions will accelerate housing and infrastructure development while supporting the recovery of protected sites and species. The Government is working to improve the functioning of the Habitats Regulations,including acting on the recommendations of the Corry Review and the recent Post-Implementation Review. We will also publish updated guidance on the Habitats Regulations Assessment process. We want to ensure that the Habitats Regulations deliver certainty and efficiency for developers, while protecting our most valuable habitats and species.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2025 to Question 65783 on landfill, what estimate she has made of the amount of waste transported from Scotland to landfill sites in England by (a) volume and (b) lorry or container load.

I have engaged with the Scottish Government on the potential impacts of their forthcoming ban on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. We don’t have an estimate for the amount of waste transported from Scotland to England, but the Scottish Government has assured the department that it is not acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to landfills in England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the incinerator capacity for waste destined for landfill in Scotland.

I have engaged with the Scottish Government on the potential impacts of their forthcoming ban on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. We don’t have an estimate for the amount of waste transported from Scotland to England, but the Scottish Government has assured the department that it is not acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to landfills in England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime in the current financial year.

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. The EA’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased to £2,274 million and includes £10 million baselined for waste crime enforcement and additional £5.6 million this financial year to tackle waste crime.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for waste crime offences in England and Wales.

Of the additional £5.6 million allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) this year to tackle waste crime, £2 million has allowed the EA to recruit an additional 43 operational staff and achieve focus on enforcement. Prosecution is not always the most effective way of stopping waste crime and the EA will continue to use a variety of approaches to disrupt and prevent waste crime, whilst prosecuting the worst offences and offenders, in line with its strategy for reducing crime in the waste sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the conviction rate was for waste crime offences in each of the last five years.

The conviction rates for the last five years are as follows: 2020 – 82%2021 – 81%2022 – 86%2023 – 83%2024 – 84%

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authorities to enforce waste disposal regulations.

This question has been interpreted as relating to whether an assessment has been made regarding adequate infrastructure availability for local authorities to meet their Simpler Recycling requirements. We are working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. Specifically, we have engaged with Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF) operators and local authorities to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment and upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. Those engaged with us are aware of their obligations and are working hard to upgrade their facilities to ensure they can separate the target materials as required by Simpler Recycling. Further workstreams have included engagement with the organics processing sector who are also clear of the obligations on them and the increase in food waste material which will be generated in the coming years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in Scotland on levels of landfill in England.

I met with Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government on 3rd July 2025 to discuss this important issue. The Scottish Government has assured me that they do not believe that it is acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome. Defra officials are continuing to engage with those in the Scottish Government on potential impacts to England that may arise from implementation of the Scottish landfill ban.