Written questions by Morton.

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.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether landfill sites in England will receive waste from Scotland following the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in that country.

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.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities seeking to prosecute repeat fly-tipping offenders.

The Government encourages councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, including prosecution, and we are taking steps to help them do so. We intend to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and are also reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers to understand how we could help them make better use of this tool. While sentencing is a matter for the courts, the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, which Defra chairs, has produced a guide on how local authorities can present robust cases to court. The guide explains that repeat offending could be an aggravating factor. This is available at https://nftpg.com/.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase levels of funding for local authorities for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping.

The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This results in an average overall real terms increase in local authority core spending power of 2.6% per year. The majority of this new funding is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, which could include fly-tipping enforcement. Defra has no current plans to provide funding to local authorities specifically for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping. We are looking to support local authorities to tackle fly-tipping in other ways. Indeed, we are taking steps to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and have commenced a review of their vehicle seizure powers to identify and remove barriers where we can.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to local authorities of clearing fly-tipped waste.

According to Defra official statistics, in 2023/24, around 4% of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by local authorities in England were of ‘tipper lorry load’ size or larger. For these incidents, the cost of clearance to local authorities was £13.1 million. Local authorities do not report clearance costs for smaller incidents. These statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england According to independent research published by the Environmental Services Association in 2021, the estimated national cost of fly-tipping to the economy has increased from £209 million in 2015 to £392 million in 2018/19. A more recent assessment has not been made.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of levels of penalties for waste crime.

Legislation relating to waste crime such as fly-tipping and illegal waste sites allows for an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. We are making the regulations for the transport and management of waste tougher so that those who break the new rules will face up to five years imprisonment. For lower-level offences it is important to ensure that penalties are high enough to act as a deterrent but not too high so that offenders cannot, or choose not to, pay the penalty. The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court. This is available at https://nftpg.com/. Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose for unlawfully depositing waste, the court will take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with sentencing guidelines for environmental offences, issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support British farmers producing (a) cereal, (b) milk, (c) butter, (d) beef and (e) other staple food items.

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain. While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide multi-year environmental funding for the Falkland Islands.

Defra primarily supports the UK Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, in protecting their unique biodiversity and natural environments through the Darwin Plus programme. Over the past five years, Darwin Plus has awarded funding to 28 projects benefiting the Falkland Islands, with a total value exceeding £4 million. This includes several multi-year projects. Defra will shortly be finalising plans to fund new Darwin Plus projects, including multiyear projects, across the UK Overseas Territories. Project applicants have been advised to expect updates over the summer. Updates will also be made available on the Darwin Plus website at: www.darwinplus.org.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) retailers and (b) hospitality with the potential impact of changes to (i) National Insurance Contributions and (ii) National Minimum Wage on food prices.

ONS data for May 2025 shows CPI food price inflation was 4.4%, up from 3.4% in April 2025. This is due to range of factors, including the strength in some commodity prices, this year’s exceptionally dry spring and geopolitical concerns etc. We have protected the small businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from the changes to employer NICs that came into effect from 6 April 2025. The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage is set following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission. In making that recommendation the LPC is required to take into account the effects of that rate on business, competitiveness the labour market and the wider economy. By seeking expert and independent advice from the Low Pay Commission, we are able to ensure that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, the affordability for businesses and the impact on the economy As part of the plan for change, the Government is developing a food strategy to transform the food system and make good, healthy food more accessible and affordable and to realise the potential within the food sector itself. We are meeting retail and hospitality representatives regularly as well as others in the food and drink industry, civil society, and citizens to work up shared goals and priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) food producers and (b) suppliers facing rising input costs.

Annual variations in farm input costs are driven by global markets. UK fertiliser farm gate prices are tied to movements in the international market, and UK fertiliser suppliers compete for market share providing the best price they can for farmers. In the 12 months to April 2025, the price index for agricultural inputs decreased by 0.4%. We are also working with colleagues in DESNZ to ensure all farmers can reap the benefits from clean energy. The Government’s Farming Productivity Review is currently being led by Minette Batters and will culminate after 6 months in a report setting out recommendations to Government, industry, and farmers to support profitability in farming.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with food retailers on the prices of (a) staple food items, (b) cereal, (c) milk, (d) butter and (e) beef.

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain. While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure compliance with the waste carriers, brokers and dealers registration regime.

The Environment Agency (EA) adopts a risk-based approach to monitoring compliance by conducting targeted audits and roadside checks with partners and identifying and auditing high-risk brokers. The EA uses a range of proportionate actions to secure compliance in line with its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. However, it is acknowledged that the current waste carriers, brokers and dealers regulatory regime is not fit for purpose. We recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the EA a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally. It will also introduce the possibility of up to 5 years imprisonment for those who breach these new laws.

Food and Rural Affairs, when statutory fly‑tipping enforcement guidance for local authorities will be published; and what his planned timeline is for its implementation.

The Government is seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance. Following Royal Assent, we will carry out a consultation with relevant stakeholders including local authorities. Once the consultation has concluded and responses taken into account, we will look to publish the guidance as soon as is practical.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles were seized in relation to waste crime offences in each of the last three years.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions, including vehicles seized, to Defra, which are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. We are conducting a review of council powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers, to identify how we could help them make better use of this tool.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that landowners are not held financially responsible for clearing fly‑tipped waste from their private land.

We recognise the burden that clearing fly-tipped waste places on landowners. Local authorities are responsible for tackling fly-tipping in their areas. We want to see an effective enforcement strategy at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem, and we are taking steps to help councils make good use of their powers. Doing so can help deter criminals from dumping waste in our countryside in the first place. Local authorities have a range of enforcement powers, including prosecution. Upon conviction, compensation for the landowner’s clearance costs can be secured. While sentencing is a matter for the court, the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on presenting robust court cases. The group also helps share best practice on preventing fly-tipping on private land. These, and other practical tools, are available from their webpage at: https://nftpg.com/.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to allocate funding to enable (a) local police forces and (b) community groups to use (i) ANPR cameras, (ii) roadside CCTV and (iii) drones to (A) investigate and (B) deter fly‑tipping.

The Government has no plans to allocate funding to enable local police forces and community groups to use ANPR cameras, roadside CCTV and drones to investigate and deter fly-tipping. Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and countryside with local authorities usually responsible for investigating and taking enforcement action. Their enforcement powers include prosecution, fixed penalty notices of up to £1,000 and seizing vehicles of fly-tippers. We want to see local authorities take the fight to waste criminals and we are taking steps to help them do so. For example, we have announced a review of their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers to identify how we could help them make better use of this tool, such as by utilising existing technology like drones and mobile CCTV cameras. We are also currently taking steps to develop new guidance on fly-tipping enforcement to help local authorities across the country exercise their powers more consistently. The procurement and positioning of ANPR cameras are operational decisions for Chief Officers. We want to see local authorities work in partnership with others, including the police, to share intelligence and bolster operational activity. We will continue to work with the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group to highlight and share best practice with regards to tackling fly-tipping. Various practical tools, including case studies involving CCTV and a guide on establishing partnerships, are available from their website https://nftpg.com/.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an estimate of the annual profits generated by organised criminals who engage in waste crime.

It is estimated that waste crime costs the UK economy around £1 billion per year. However, it is impossible to assess how much of this is “profit” for organised criminals.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated by his Department to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime in the 2025-26 financial year; and whether he plans to allocate additional funding to support regional enforcement partnerships.

In 2025/26 the Government is providing £12 million to the Environment Agency (EA) to tackle waste crime. It is for the EA to decide how much of this is directed to the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), but in the current year it is funding 18 posts, an increase of 8 compared to 2024/25. The EA is not the only contributor to JUWC capability; with permanent or time-limited resources being provided by other bodies.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of raising fixed‑penalty notice levels for fly‑tipping above the £1,000 maximum; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a publicly available league table for local authority fly‑tipping performance.

The Government no longer publishes a league table of local authority fly-tipping performance. Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and actions to Defra, which are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. In assessing the figures local authorities should not be classified as ‘good’ or ‘poor’ performers based purely on numbers of fly-tips and comparisons between local authorities should be made with care. We have committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing and crushing of vehicles and prosecution which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. We want to see councils make good use of their enforcement powers and are taking steps to help them do this, such as by reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles to identify and remove barriers. There are no plans to increase the fixed penalty levels at this time.

Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to launch the digital waste tracking service; and what steps are being taken to ensure industry readiness.

Defra plans to launch the digital waste tracking service from April 2026. Industry working groups are beginning next month and increased engagement is planned through webinars, information published on GitHub (an online platform where information and software code can be shared openly), and through inviting users to begin using the developing service from Autumn as part of our private beta phase of development.