We are the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people’s day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
George Eustice
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
| Date | Type | Title |
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| Nov. 26 | Oral Questions | Oral Answers to Questions |
| May. 22 | Urgent Questions | Transport Emissions: Urban Areas |
| Dec. 08 | Written Statements | Avian Influenza: Housing Measures for Kept Birds |
| Jan. 13 | Westminster Hall | Rivers: Discharges |
| Jan. 12 | Adjournment Debate | South Downs National Park: 10th Anniversary |
To make provision for the incorporation of the Direct Payments Regulation into domestic law; for enabling an increase in the total maximum amount of direct payments under that Regulation; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday 30th January 2020 and was enacted into law.
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Laid 5 Jan 2021 In Force 1 Jan 2021 |
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
Organic Production (Organic Indications) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Made affirmative procedure |
| These Regulations are made in exercise of the powers conferred by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (c. 16) in order to address failures of retained EU law to operate effectively and other deficiencies (in particular under section 8(2)(a) and (g) of that Act) arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. | |||
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Laid 4 Jan 2021 In Force 1 Jan 2021 |
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs |
Meat Preparations (Amendment and Transitory Modification) (England) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 Parliamentary Status - Text of Legislation |
Made negative procedure |
| Explanatory text not available | |||
| Current Signatures | Final Signatures | Title | Petition Deadline |
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247,048 Petition Closed |
Ban the use of all non-recyclable and unsustainable food packaging Gov Responded - 18 Jun 2019 Debated on - 24 Jun 2019 |
5 Jun 2019 closed 1 year, 7 months ago |
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Today the Earth is at a crisis point due to our plastic consumption, and as a result, people in the UK are more willing than ever to engage in recycling. Yet so much food packaging remains completely, frustratingly unrecyclable. Let's aim for the UK to lead the world with a 100% recycling rate. |
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186,226 Petition Closed |
Reject calls to add Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the Dangerous Dogs Act Gov Responded - 5 Jul 2018 Debated on - 16 Jul 2018 |
22 Dec 2018 closed 2 years ago |
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PETA, an organisation that is meant to be dedicated to protecting animals, has proposed to the UK government that it should add Staffordshire Bull Terriers to the dangerous dogs act, effectively banning them outright. Breed Specific Legislation is not the solution to the problem of dog attacks. |
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148,248 Petition Closed |
Ban the sale of puppies by pet shops & all commercial 3rd party dealers. Gov Responded - 20 Mar 2018 Debated on - 21 May 2018 |
1 Sep 2018 closed 2 years, 4 months ago |
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Removing puppies for sale from litter & mum often creates sick, traumatised, dysfunctional dogs. Puppies should be seen with their mum & transporting them to a different place for sale harms welfare. Regulating commercial 3rd party sales is ineffective to prevent harm & a ban is therefore necessary. |
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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee Home Page
Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries, and the Select Committee will occasionally publish formal reports of their findings.
| Date | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 15 | Importing or moving live animals, animal products and high risk food and feed not of animal origin | Guidance and Regulation |
| Jan. 15 | Air carriers: transport pets and assistance dogs | Guidance and Regulation |
| Jan. 15 | Businesses approved to export to the EU | Guidance and Regulation |
Written Questions are submitted by Members of Parliament and the House of Lords to receive information or updates from a Department.
Departments are required to respond in a timely fashion and provide a response or requested information. Written Questions can compel detailed and specific information to be produced, and are frequently used as the source of news stories about the work of a Department.
| Date | Title | Questioner |
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| 15 Jan 2021, 2:52 p.m. | Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd) | Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd) |
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Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimates she has made of how much and what proportion of soy imported into the UK has been produced on illegally deforested land for the most recent period in which that information is available. Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) In 2019, the UK imported soya and soybean products equivalent to 3.5 million tonnes of soybeans. When combined with the volume of embedded soya imported into the UK, for example in animals fed on soya, the total consumption is equivalent to the import of around 4.2 million tonnes of soybean.
In 2018, the Government convened the UK Roundtable on Sustainable Soya for industry actors to work together towards the common goal of legal and sustainable soya. Since the Roundtable’s inception, the UK has doubled the proportion of soya imports which are certified as sustainable in a two-year period, from 15% in 2017 to 32% (1.12 million tonnes) in 2019. If we also include soya sourced from areas that are considered at low risk of tropical deforestation, such as North America, and soya covered by the Amazon Soy Moratorium contract, we calculate that 62% of soya (2.17 million tonnes) consumed in the UK is either covered by a deforestation and conversion free standard or comes from an area where there is a low risk of deforestation linked to production.
The Government recognises that voluntary commitments by businesses have not been sufficient to tackle deforestation and is committed to ensuring there is no place for illegally produced commodities on our supermarket shelves. That is why we have introduced a world-leading due diligence law through the Environment Bill. The law will prohibit larger businesses from using commodities produced on land occupied or used illegally and make it mandatory for businesses to conduct due diligence on their supply chains. Once operational, it will help to eradicate illegal deforestation from our supply chains. |
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