Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Currently HSE considers the potential for resistance development in the target pest organism during the plant protection product approvals process. Where resistance is known or anticipated, HSE place specific limitations on the use of the product to help mitigate the likelihood and speed of resistance development. There are currently no plans to make changes to the process for regulating plant protection products.

Nevertheless, this Government recognises the dangers of anti-microbial resistance, including cross-resistance from fungicides. Defra is taking action to address the risks of resistance building by empowering farmers to make informed decisions as they manage pests, weeds and diseases. We have funded a roadshow, led by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), that is delivering practical advice to help farmers and agronomists to minimise the risk of resistance developing. This will run until March 2026.

The UK and Bahrain enjoy a strong trading relationship, including in agri-food goods. Import conditions vary on the specific goods – and this is for each country to determine, according to its own biosecurity considerations. The Government’s Export Support Service provides information to exporters, including documentation typically needed by the importing nation.

The Government will respond to the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations in full via a White Paper shortly and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability.

Together with the building blocks the Government has already put in place, this will mark the most fundamental reset to our water system in a generation. A new partnership between Government, the sector, investors and communities will deliver the change the public expects.

This Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable and is working with industry to keep support schemes under review to ensure that vulnerable customers are supported.

As such, we have carried out a consultation on reforms to WaterSure - the statutory scheme which caps water bills for low-income customers with higher water usage due to medical conditions or large households, including whether additional customers should be brought into scope of the scheme.

The Government also expects all water companies to put appropriate support in place for customers struggling to pay their bills and to proactively engage with their customers to ensure they know what support schemes are available and how to use them if they need help. All companies have measures in place such as WaterSure, social tariffs, payment breaks and holidays, and debt management support.

The Government's animal welfare strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and is available here on GOV.UK.

As set out in the strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.

We inherited flood defences in the worst condition on record, putting lives and livelihoods at risk. We are investing a record £10.5 billion into our flood and coastal defences by 2035/36 to improve flood resilience and better protect nearly 900,000 properties. The Environment Agency has reprioritised £108 million into urgent maintenance, halting the decline of our assets.

It is not possible to separate landings of Western mackerel from total mackerel landings in the UK Sea Fisheries statistics published by the Marine Management Organisation.

In 2024, the last full year of landings data available, quota for Western mackerel accounted for 99% of the UK’s total mackerel quota and (a) UK vessels landed 233,586t of mackerel, (b) 127,967t of mackerel was landed into UK ports by UK and foreign vessels and (c) UK vessels landed 111,061t into non-UK ports. The first-hand sale value for mackerel landed by UK vessels was £1,468 per tonne in 2024. Mackerel prices have increased in 2025 – provisional figures suggest in November this year the sale value is £2,076 per tonne.

As outlined in the EIP, we will consult on further measures to reduce emissions from domestic burning.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.

In June 2025, Defra published the summary of responses and government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year under the previous government. The response is available on GOV.UK.

Defra is committed to engaging with stakeholders on improving transparency and ensuring consumer trust in labelling.

The pollack stock remains vulnerable and it is important we take steps to support its recovery. The recreational sector has shown leadership through the voluntary Pollack Pact, which we are building on by mandating a three-fish daily bag limit. This means recreational fishers can continue to fish for pollack, while helping reduce pressure on the stock. We will continue working closely with the recreational and commercial sectors through the Fisheries Management Plan process to consider any further fair and proportionate measures.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and to improving equine identification and traceability. The Department has no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but Defra officials remain in close contact with industry to look at potential improvements.

We have no plans to introduce restrictions on the number of wood burning stoves permitted per residential property. In the recently published Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 we committed to consult on new measures to cut emissions from domestic combustion.

Rural areas offer significant potential for growth and are important to our economy, contributing over £259 billion a year to England alone.

Defra has not made a formal assessment on contribution of recreational shooting to the rural economy; however, we know the rural economy is diverse with 86% of rural businesses unrelated to agriculture, forestry or fishing.

On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver flood defences by simplifying our funding rules, and optimising funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences.

Under the new rules, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money. Projects are developed in line with HM Treasury Green Book guidance and FCERM Appraisal Guidance and capture a wide range of benefits including those related to private properties (including holiday chalets with a fixed address), businesses, heritage, environment, recreation, and tourism. All schemes must achieve a benefit cost ratio of greater than one to receive Defra grant in aid.

The new rules give equal weighting to different types of benefits, which will help coastal areas where under the old rules, benefits such as those from recreation attracted lower weightings.

The list of projects to receive Government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through the Environment Agency’s annual refresh process, with local representation.

On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver flood defences by simplifying our funding rules, and optimising funding between building new flood projects and maintaining existing defences.

Under the new rules, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money. Projects are developed in line with HM Treasury Green Book guidance and FCERM Appraisal Guidance and capture a wide range of benefits including those related to private properties (including holiday chalets with a fixed address), businesses, heritage, environment, recreation, and tourism. All schemes must achieve a benefit cost ratio of greater than one to receive Defra grant in aid.

The new rules give equal weighting to different types of benefits, which will help coastal areas where under the old rules, benefits such as those from recreation attracted lower weightings.

The list of projects to receive Government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through the Environment Agency’s annual refresh process, with local representation.

The Environment Agency administers and assures the coastal erosion assistance grant (CEAG) on behalf of Defra. A grant of £6,000 per property is available to support the prompt and safe demolition of homes at greatest risk of loss from erosion. Local authorities can apply for the grant to help with the costs associated with demolishing residential property at risk of loss and basic moving costs if appropriate.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is a partner in the £8 million Resilient Coasts project – part of the Government’s £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This project is developing new, innovative methods to build resilience and help communities adapt to flooding and coastal erosion. The local project team are trialling new mechanisms to create a self-sustaining fund to help communities at risk of coastal erosion.

The Government's animal welfare strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and is available here on GOV.UK.

As set out in the strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.

In January 2025 the Environment Agency published the new National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping (NCERM) on ‘Check coastal erosion risk for an area in England’ and Shoreline Management Plan Explorer. The new NCERM dataset is openly accessible via data.gov.uk. It provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date national overview of current and future coastal erosion risks across England. The Environment Agency worked with local authorities, who supplied local data and verified outputs across the country.

The mapping for properties located at Hemsby can be accessed here: Winterton-on-Sea (South of Beach Road) to Scratby 6.14 | Shoreline Management Plans. Erosion projection lines can be added to the map, both with present day climate change projections and those with upper/higher projections to 2055 and 2105. The ‘customise map display’ button allows access to this spatial data, and the desired projection can be selected for display on the map.

The Environment Agency has a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal change. Local authorities take the lead in managing coastal erosion. In Hemsby, Great Yarmouth Borough Council are the lead authority for coastal erosion.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is a partner in the £8 million Resilient Coast Project – part of the Government’s £150 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme. This project is working with communities, including Hemsby, to develop new, innovative methods to build resilience and help communities adapt to flooding and coastal erosion.

The Environment Agency are working closely with Great Yarmouth Borough Council as they consider and implement options for the management of the area. The Environment Agency’s Local Operations Area Leadership team meets frequently with Council representatives and regularly attends Hemsby Stakeholder Group meetings hosted by the Council.

In January 2025 the Environment Agency published the new Shoreline Management Plan Explorer.  The documentation associated with preferred policies can be found in the SMP Main Report: Kelling Hard to Lowestoft SMP6 | Shoreline Management Plans. The management approach for Hemsby’s coast is “managed realignment”. This has been developed locally by the East Anglia Coastal Group and included local consultation. The policy development and engagement documents can be found in the appendices. Appendix A, SMP Development Stages 2 and 3, pages 9-17, provide detailed information regarding the policy development process.

The Environment Agency was a partner in the development and publication of the Shoreline Management Plan for northeast Norfolk: Kelling Hard to Lowestoft SMP6 | Shoreline Management Plans. In 2018/19, the Environment Agency worked with the Anglian Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to provide local levy funding to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to undertake a high-level study of options for the Hemsby coastal erosion issues. The Environment Agency’s Anglian Coastal Monitoring Programme (ACMP) undertakes detailed coastal monitoring of the coastline which began in 1991. The ACMP team works closely with Risk Management Authorities, including Great Yarmouth Borough Council staff, to refine monitoring to meet their local needs.

In January 2025 the Environment Agency published an update to the National Coastal Erosion Risk Mapping online.  The new mapping includes data from the National Coastal Monitoring Programme (NCMP), which includes coastal assets, beach profiles, bathymetry, aerial photography, LiDAR and coastal habitats.   All coastal monitoring data, reports and analysis are available as open data on the coastal monitoring website ( Programmes - Welcome).

Coastal management is delivered through collaboration between the Environment Agency, local authorities and a range of partners. Defra retains overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) in England, while local authorities lead on managing coastal erosion.

Projects within the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme are assessing the costs and benefits of proactive coastal transition measures in coastal communities. This includes evaluating socio-economic benefits such as reduced temporary accommodation costs, lower mental health impacts, and decreased financial pressures on councils.

Under the Government’s new funding policy, economic assessments of FCERM projects may include additional by-product benefits beyond flood or erosion reduction. In addition, the Environment Agency’s FCERM appraisal guidance recommends that, when assessing the economic impacts of a project, indirect damages avoided should be taken into account. Indirect damages typically include costs such as displacement and temporary accommodation.

It is water companies’ and the Environment Agency’s responsibility to comply with their respective obligations under the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation.

The Government takes resilient water infrastructure seriously. Eastbourne, supplied by South East Water, is in a ‘Water Stressed’ area. To ensure future resilience, water companies must invest in new water supply infrastructure as set out in their Water Resources Management Plans, while reducing outages and leakage, and helping people use water more efficiently. These plans consider housing growth and drought risk. We will hold water companies accountable to ensure sufficient water for people, the economy, and the environment – now and for future generations.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 December 2025 to PQ UIN 99375.

This is a devolved matter and therefore the response relates to England only.

Defra’s funding will support three eel management and conservation projects for delivery in 2026:

• Developing silver eel escapement models to better estimate how many eels migrate to the sea, using survey results from the River Frome

• Research to optimise the trap and transport of silver eels from landlocked water bodies and assess the success of onward migration of trap and transported eels
• Upgrading and extending the life of satellite tags to track silver eels closer to their spawning grounds

Due to the nature of research in the aquatic environment it is not possible to meaningfully compare costs, but all projects are assessed by Defra to ensure policy priorities will be delivered and demonstrate value for money.

This is a devolved matter and therefore the response relates to England only.

Actions to address the pressures on eels at the River Basin District scale are set out in Eel Management Plans, which the EA continue to deliver and report against. Additionally, as noted in response to Question 101014, Defra has recently funded three projects to improve eel management and conservation.

Defra officials will meet with the Devolved Governments in early 2026 to review the current approaches to eel management across the UK nations.

It is an offence to export horses from Great Britain for slaughter under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024. Through The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Enforcement Regulations 2024, we have provided the Animal and Plant Health Agency and local authorities with the powers necessary to act against any non-compliance. We are working closely with industry to explore further measures to strengthen implementation of the ban for horses.

Since the ban came into force in July 2024, we have intercepted one consignment of 20 horses at Dover suspected of being exported for the slaughter market. Regulatory action was taken against the transporter involved and the abandoned horses rehomed by a charity.

This Government remains committed to tackling litter. However, payments to Local Authorities for tackling ground litter are currently outside the scope of the packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) regulations.

The deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will have an impact on single-use packaging waste and commonly littered items. Plastic bottles and cans account for 55% of litter volume and DRS is expected to significantly reduce the number of items littered. The scheme is due to rollout in October 2027. We will review payments for binned and littered waste when the impact of DRS is evaluated.

In core Defra, high performance substantive senior civil servants are those with an end-year performance rating of “Exceeded”. The headcount and proportion of each grade for those employed during the period November 2024 – October 2025 were:

* Where individuals changed substantive grade during the period, they are reported against their earliest substantive grade.

c. These numbers are suppressed in accordance with the Defra data protection policy.

End-year performance decisions were removed from the performance management framework for delegated staff grades in April 2023. Delegated staff grades are recognised through continuous recognition awards.

We do not hold the information in a form that allows us to identify Basic Payment Scheme 2023 claimants specifically. However, the scale-up phase of the Farming Resilience Fund ran from late 2022 to early 2025. During this phase, over 17,000 beneficiaries received one-to-one support through the Fund. Providers also offered group support, such as webinars and workshops, which reached around a further 12,000 beneficiaries.

The Official Statistics Rural-Urban Classification classifies Buckinghamshire as an intermediate urban authority, having between 20% and 35% of its population within rural areas. The Department has figures for median and lower quartile gross annual earnings in 2024 for Buckinghamshire as a whole, as shown in the table below. Workplace-based earnings refer to the earnings of employees who work in Buckinghamshire - they may or may not live in Buckinghamshire. Residence-based earnings refer to the earnings of workers who live in Buckinghamshire, regardless of where they work.

Gross annual earnings for the Buckinghamshire in 2024

This information is published within Defra’s Rural Economic Bulletin Supplementary Data Tables. Worksheets BC and BF contain the workplace based and residence-based earnings respectively for every local authority in England.

The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes regular monitoring of the water quality in the River Thames catchment, including in Surrey Heath constituency. The assessment and proposed actions are set out in the Thames River Basin Management Plan.

The EA continues to respond to and investigate any significant pollution incidents, prioritising those with the greatest environmental risk. It has invested in a larger specialised workforce to improve regulation of Thames Water including increased inspections of their permitted sites. The EA is also strengthening regulation of the farming sector to address agricultural impacts on water quality.

The Water Industry National Environment Programme is part of the five-yearly water company Price Review process where water companies fund actions to improve the water environment by reducing pollution and boosting resilience. The current planning cycle (2025-2030) includes significant improvements that Thames Water must implement, including a reduction in storm overflows and of phosphorus levels in treated sewage effluent.

This Government has been clear there is no excuse for poor performance, and we will not look the other way while companies routinely fail to meet agreed standards. Water companies must take seriously their role in meeting the public and regulators expectations.

We have introduced the toughest sentencing powers against law-breaking water executives in history.  Through the provisions in the Water (Special Measures) Act, we have introduced new, tougher penalties to address incidences where some water companies have obstructed investigations, failing to hand over evidence related to illegal sewage discharges.

In addition, The Environment Agency have increased their target for water company inspections to 10,000 per year as part of the Government’s wider focus to hold companies to account and improve our water environment.

We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.

The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year.

We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.

We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.

The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year.

We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.

In June 2024 there were twelve agri-food attaches. Currently there are 16 agri-food attachés, covering all major export markets. In 2025 the agri-food attaché network has resolved trade barriers which industry estimate to be worth over £100m.

The Government's animal welfare strategy was published on 22 December 2025 and is available here on GOV.UK.

As set out in the strategy, we are committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.

We are also committed to working with stakeholders in ongoing discussions about further improving transparency and consumer trust in country-of-origin labelling.

The Department does not have a formally designated Chief Risk Officer for national security risks. As with other Lead Government Departments, each Defra-owned risk in the National Risk Register (NRR) has a designated Risk Owner who is responsible for that risk area in the Department. These risks are discussed internally by the Executive Committee. The Secretary of State and accounting officers are ultimately responsible for all risks Defra owns.

The Secretary of State regularly meets with stakeholders including water companies to discuss a range of issues.

£104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.

As part of the price review process, Ofwat agrees spending plans with water companies and sets stretching targets. This process includes how much water companies can charge customers and how much they can spend on dividends and interest payments.

Funding for infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. When money for investment is not spent, water companies are required to refund customers via lower water bills. Money will never be allowed to be diverted for bonuses, dividends or salary increases.

The Department is working on a response to the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. The recommendations intend to cut pollution and restore our rivers, lakes and seas, including those used recreationally, to good health for future generations.

The Environment Agency also has an active Research and Development programme exploring innovative contamination detection at bathing waters. It also participates with other UK and international agencies on the development of analytical techniques, with the aim of improving water quality in blue spaces.

In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users.

The Government’s response, published in March 2025, noted a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal to expand the definition, with many suggesting which water users to include.

The Department is now exploring how to gather evidence to deliver this reform, considering which users to include and how to set safe classification levels for all. The timeline for detailed policy development will depend on this scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as work progresses and welcomes any information they can provide.

The Department is working on a response to the Independent Water Commission’s final recommendations through a White Paper and a new water reform bill, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and restore trust and accountability. The recommendations intend to cut pollution and restore our rivers, lakes and seas, including those used recreationally, to good health for future generations.

The Environment Agency also has an active Research and Development programme exploring innovative contamination detection at bathing waters. It also participates with other UK and international agencies on the development of analytical techniques, with the aim of improving water quality in blue spaces.

In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users.

The Government’s response, published in March 2025, noted a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the proposal to expand the definition, with many suggesting which water users to include.

The Department is now exploring how to gather evidence to deliver this reform, considering which users to include and how to set safe classification levels for all. The timeline for detailed policy development will depend on this scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as work progresses and welcomes any information they can provide.

The Government has set out its intention to respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment and deliver the change the public expects. These reforms will form the basis of a new water reform bill to be introduced during this parliament.

Work has begun to draft the necessary legislative amendments for reform of the carriers, brokers, dealers regime and these will be progressed as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Our planned reforms to the waste carriers, brokers and dealers regime and the waste permit exemptions regime will make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. Our planned digital waste tracking reforms will make it harder than ever to mis-identify waste or dispose of it inappropriately. In addition, the Environment Agency’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased and includes £15.6m for waste crime enforcement.  This is a more than 50% increase from 2024/25. Overall, the EA has been able to increase its frontline criminal enforcement resource in the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and area environmental crime teams across England by 43 full-time staff.