Asked by: Lord Smith of Hindhead (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any funding provided to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund will be provided in the form of loans rather than grants; and, if so, what the terms of the loans will be.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has contributed £55 million to establish and operationalise the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund since its launch in 2023. All contributions have been made in the form of grants.
The Fund, administered by the Global Environment Facility, is designed to maximise additional finance leveraged from the public and private sectors to further boost investment towards biodiversity and create sustainable financial flows.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact on Dartmoor ponies of their inclusion in grazing densities under Countryside Stewardship schemes.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 16 July, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that Dartmoor ponies would be removed from stocking rate calculations in new Environmental Management agreements on Dartmoor, so that farmers do not face a choice between keeping ponies and maintaining sheep or cattle. This implements recommendation 27 of the 2023 Fursdon Review, an independent review of protected site management on Dartmoor. A new dedicated pony supplement will be introduced into farming schemes to remove any financial incentive to reduce pony populations.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any Non-Legally Binding Instruments have been signed by her Department and its Arms Length Bodies since July 2024 other than those subject to sensitive diplomatic, security and defence interest provisions.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department does not hold a single central register of all non-legally binding instruments signed by Defra and its Arm's Length Bodies. Some non-legally binding instruments signed since July 2024 include environmental cooperation memoranda of understanding with China and Indonesia; a fertilisers cooperation memorandum with Brazil; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew memoranda with Chinese scientific and botanical institutions; a Defra-RBG Kew Seeds to Trees memorandum; a UK-China Food Safety, Animal and Plant Quarantine memorandum; and bilateral arrangements reached with Vietnam, Uruguay and Canada under Article XXVIII of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in connection with establishing the UK’s independent WTO Goods Schedule.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the strategic compatibility between a future UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement and the UK's membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is currently negotiating a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement to reduce barriers to trade, improve the flow of agrifood goods and maintain high standards of biosecurity. The department expect the agreement with the EU to be consistent with Defra’s international obligations and have entered negotiations with the EU in full awareness of the department’s international commitments, including under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Asked by: Lord Roborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are seeking legal advice about potential litigation risks from other international trade counterparties resulting from a future UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement; and if so, to which departments will this be provided.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government considers matters relating to legal risk and potential legal risk across the range of government work, and has the benefit of expert in-house legal teams who advise across the whole range of government work.
Asked by: Lord Harlech (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their plans for achieving net zero emissions include introducing targets to reduce livestock herd sizes.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has no plans to introduce targets to reduce livestock herd sizes as part of its approach to achieving net zero. The department’s focus is on supporting farmers to reduce emissions while maintaining a thriving and productive agricultural sector.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Digital Waste Tracking service will help to reduce fly tipping.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Once fully implemented the digital waste tracking service will require certain information about waste movements to be entered before the movement, followed by confirmation that a waste carrier has collected it and confirmation that it has been received at a waste receiving site.
If these confirmations are not provided, then this will highlight to regulators that this waste may have been ‘lost’ and potentially mismanaged. They can then act accordingly to investigate this.
This transparency and near real time data will reduce the opportunities for organised waste criminals to operate; making it much harder to commit waste crime such as fly-tipping.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the Digital Waste Tracking service will be enforced; and how members of the public can report waste that is not disposed of correctly.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Environment Agency (EA) is working diligently with Defra and the other regulators and governments of the four nations to develop a range of measures that cover preventative actions, faster identification of illegal activity and robust enforcement actions to maximise the potential of Digital Waste Tracking and combat waste crime across the country.
If members of the public suspect that someone is fly-tipping, illegally depositing, treating or disposing of waste, they should report any suspected illegal activity to the EA.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when further information regarding the Digital Waste Tracking service will be made available to the public.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra is working with the four nations representatives and regulatory bodies to consistently and continuously engage with stakeholders on the development of digital waste tracking, both in the waste industry and software development sectors and with our colleagues in local councils. Timelines and information can be found on this gov.uk webpage - Digital waste tracking service - GOV.UK. Information will be made available as the service develops.
Asked by: Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat - Torbay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her timetable is for the introduction of measures to simplify the movement of assistance dogs between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Securing less burdensome arrangements for non-commercial pet travel to the EU, including for assistance dogs, remains a UK Government priority. As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area, which will mean taking pets on holiday into the EU will be easier and cheaper. Instead of getting an Animal Health Certificate each time they travel, assistance dog owners will be able to get a multiuse pet passport valid for travel to the EU.
We have committed, with the EU, to conclude negotiations before the next UK-EU Summit. Whilst these negotiations are ongoing, we are unable to provide detailed updates on the talks or delivery timelines.