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.
The UK Government has set numerous goals related to habitat restoration under the Environmental Improvement Plan, much of which of …
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.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to make provision about the regulation, governance and special administration of water companies.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 24th February 2025 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Make a public animal abuser register & automatically ban ownership
Gov Responded - 19 May 2026 Debated on - 29 Jun 2026Create a public register of all offenders convicted of animal abuse and introduce an automatic, lifetime ban on animal ownership for anyone convicted of animal neglect or abuse. This register should be searchable by vets, breeders, charities and the public to prevent repeat offending.
Hold a referendum to bring the water industry into public ownership
Gov Responded - 23 Apr 2026 Debated on - 14 Sep 2026Hold a binding national referendum on whether the water industry should be returned to public ownership. Water is a basic human necessity; we believe our privatised system has failed, so the public should decide who owns and controls it.
Reduce the maximum noise level for consumer fireworks from 120 to 90 decibels
Gov Responded - 7 Nov 2025 Debated on - 19 Jan 2026We think each year, individuals suffer because of loud fireworks. We believe horses, dogs, cats, livestock and wildlife can be terrified by noisy fireworks and many people find them intolerable.
Commons 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.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
We consider the two-month response period provides a reasonable and proportionate timeframe for interested parties to submit evidence. We have received requests from two organisations for an extension to the Call for Evidence on Gamebird Release, Shooting and Welfare during Rearing in England.
Flooding is a devolved matter. This Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 in England to construct and repair flood defences, including coastal defences that protect vulnerable infrastructure such as roads.
The Government recognises the safety and environmental impacts of fires caused by incorrectly discarded vapes. Under WEEE regulations, retailers must provide take-back routes and disposal information. Defra is working with industry to explore further measures to increase the correct disposal of used vapes.
All agribusiness developments are regulated through a variety of regimes to manage impact on local areas and the environment including the Town Countryside and Planning Act, Environmental Permitting Regulations and protections from diffuse pollution. The Farming Roadmap and Land Use Framework also reinforce the Government's expectation that productivity and sustainability should be pursued together.
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, where collected landfill gas cannot be utilised for energy generation, landfill operators are required to flare the gas in accordance with an approved management plan to minimise potential environmental and health & safety risks. We continue to work with DESNZ and industry to understand the impacts of the Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) expiring in 2027.
Defra is working with DESNZ to explore the implementation of a transition scheme following ROCs cessation and a long-term alternative for landfill gas capture, as set out in the Methane Action Plan.
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, where collected landfill gas cannot be utilised for energy generation, landfill operators are required to flare the gas in accordance with an approved management plan to minimise potential environmental and health & safety risks. We continue to work with DESNZ and industry to understand the impacts of the Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) expiring in 2027.
Defra is working with DESNZ to explore the implementation of a transition scheme following ROCs cessation and a long-term alternative for landfill gas capture, as set out in the Methane Action Plan.
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, where collected landfill gas cannot be utilised for energy generation, landfill operators are required to flare the gas in accordance with an approved management plan to minimise potential environmental and health & safety risks. We continue to work with DESNZ and industry to understand the impacts of the Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) expiring in 2027.
Defra is working with DESNZ to explore the implementation of a transition scheme following ROCs cessation and a long-term alternative for landfill gas capture, as set out in the Methane Action Plan.
Under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, where collected landfill gas cannot be utilised for energy generation, landfill operators are required to flare the gas in accordance with an approved management plan to minimise potential environmental and health & safety risks. We continue to work with DESNZ and industry to understand the impacts of the Renewable Obligations Certificates (ROCs) expiring in 2027.
Defra is working with DESNZ to explore the implementation of a transition scheme following ROCs cessation and a long-term alternative for landfill gas capture, as set out in the Methane Action Plan.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
In October 2024, the Government published an assessment of the impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging, including cumulative costs. This assessed packaging producers as a whole but did not provide a separate estimate for the brewing sector.
The Government invested £539 million to manage coastal erosion, sea flooding, and tidal flooding between 2024 and 2026. The Government has implemented major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy to make it quicker and easier to deliver the right defences in the right places.
This Government has received requests from two organisations for an extension to the Call for Evidence on Gamebird Release, Shooting and Welfare during Rearing in England. The requests were denied as we consider the two-month response period provides a reasonable and proportionate timeframe for interested parties to submit evidence.
Water companies set out how they plan to continue to supply water to their customers through statutory Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs) which include demand management and new water resources infrastructure, including transfers.
£104 billion of private sector investment has been secured which will fund essential infrastructure including large scale water transfers.
The Environment Agency recognises the important role apprenticeships and other career-entry routes play in developing the skills and capability it needs for the future. It currently has 544 employees undertaking apprenticeships, equivalent to 4.1% of its headcount.
The Environment Agency is considering future career-entry recruitment through its strategic workforce planning.
The Environment Agency has not yet finalised the number of apprenticeship places it will make available or seek to fill in 2027-28 and 2028-29. Future recruitment will be determined through its strategic workforce planning, taking account of business need, affordability and agreed headcount.
The National Planning Policy Framework already requires sustainable drainage systems in all new developments. As part of wider reforms to the water sector, we will go further to enable pre-pipe solutions to reduce the volume of rainwater entering the sewerage network.
This Government is committed to implementing measures to end puppy smuggling. This Government will communicate a timeline for the delivery of the relevant secondary legislation in due course.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 October 2026 to the Hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington.
I refer the honourable member to the response published on 25 September to PQ 25099.
Year | Number of serious non-compliances |
2025 | 819 |
2024 | 878 |
2023 | 682 |
|
|
Serious non-compliance is classified as a category 1 or 2 permit breach. Waste sites are in the Biowaste Treatment, Landfill and Waste Treatment sectors. All recorded non-compliances are scored and a cause identified, with remedial actions applied.
Estimates of deforestation associated with UK consumption of these commodities are published through the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator.
These estimates cover UK consumption rather than imports alone. The latest available data is for 2023, as the underlying datasets take time to gather, verify and process.
Estimated deforestation associated with UK consumption, in hectares, for 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively:
Cattle products: 5,280; 4,130; 4,040
Soy: 2,100; 2,120; 1,630
Palm oil: 1,450; 1,290; 964
Cocoa: 4,810; 3,110; 3,120
Coffee: 798; 587; 511
Rubber: 1,010; 822; 781
This Government is strengthening its approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains.
The Government is committed to ensuring that people in rural areas can access good, well-paid jobs and share in the benefits of economic growth. Our Future of Rural England Report sets out action to tackle barriers to rural growth, including skills shortages and transport and digital connectivity.
The Government is also giving local leaders greater powers to support growth in their areas. The Fiscal Devolution Roadmap outlines our approach to giving Strategic Authorities greater control over funding and a greater stake in local economic growth, complementing wider devolution of powers including over skills and transport.
Defra will continue to work across Government to ensure rural needs are reflected in policy and investment decisions, helping rural communities realise their economic potential.
Adaptation Reporting under the Climate Change Act supports the objectives of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan by helping organisations responsible for key infrastructure and services to thoroughly assess risk and plan for climate change in the short, medium and long-term, and share their findings with Government and the public.
Defra follows strict departmental, commercial and legal governance processes when engaging consultants or external legal support. Defra legal costs are covered through arrangements with the Government Legal Department. The department does not hold centrally recorded information on the amount spent on lawyers in drafting the Water Bill.
The Forestry Commission seeks to prevent illegal felling through guidance, engagement with industry and local authorities, and the use of satellite imagery and intelligence to identify risks and promote compliance. Reports of suspected unlawful felling are assessed and prioritised based on risk, with enforcement action which can include the use of restocking notices and prosecution, used to deter future offences.
Number of Restocking Notices Issued | |
Year | Number |
2021/22 | 61 |
2022/23 | 40 |
2023/24 | 65 |
2024/25 | 48 |
2025/26 | 99 |
The UK is committed to its international obligations, including those under the Aarhus Convention. The UK may make changes to its domestic legislation, for example, the Government has committed to modernise the Environmental Costs Protection Regime, which outlines the Aarhus costs caps, here and here.
On 18 June 2026, Defra closed its consultation seeking views on how best to deliver an effective and enforceable ban on trail hunting in England and Wales. The consultation received 184,000 responses. Defra plans to publish a summary of responses as soon as possible.
The Animal Welfare Strategy sets out the priority issues that this Government will address, focusing on the changes and improvements that Defra aim to achieve by 2030 to improve the lives of millions of animals across the UK and resources have been allocated accordingly.
Publication of decapod guidance will be sequenced alongside the broader set of policies set out in the strategy.
Defra-commissioned research on how live decapod crustaceans move from sea to plate has been completed and will be published in due course. A project on the welfare of decapod crustaceans across the supply chain is in the Animal Welfare Committee’s current work plan.
The Government published an impact assessment alongside the government response to the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) consultation in April 2026. This sets out an assessment of all costs and benefits.
National Park Authorities play an important role in strengthening landscape resilience and have the flexibility to tailor their approach to local circumstances. In October 2026, National Park Authorities voluntarily committed to embedding wildfire management within their National Park Plans as these are reviewed, helping to ensure that wildfire risk is considered as part of future land management. The UK National Parks position statement identifies fuel loads and the role of controlled burning of vegetation among the issues that National Park Authorities should consider.
Defra and MHCLG are building on this commitment through the development of the England Wildfire Action Plan, which will strengthen our approach across prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
We are strengthening our approach to climate adaptation across government to support our work to develop an ambitious fourth National Adaptation Programme. This includes working with lead departments such as DHSC to ensure that vulnerable people are protected from the impacts of extreme heat.
Defra continues to monitor the growing evidence on heather and grass burning including the potential impacts of burning on peatland habitats and their recovery, to inform our approach to peatland protection and restoration. There are no current plans to conduct a post hoc impact assessment of the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.
Agricultural land can be taken out of arable cultivation for a variety of reasons, including for agricultural purposes (for example as bare fallow within the annual crop rotations or for temporary cover crops for environmental and soil health benefits). It is therefore not possible to provide accurate data on how much land has been taken out of arable cultivation permanently as this can differ each year.
This table shows the arable crop and uncropped arable land areas:
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
Arable crops (hectares) | 3,454,391 | 3,400,227 | 3,342,341 |
Uncropped arable land (hectares) | 580,662 | 544,610 | 566,034 |
Agricultural land area statistics are available here: Agricultural land use in England - GOV.UK.
Environmental permits allow water companies to discharge to watercourses under specified conditions, with non-compliance constituting a breach (the Environment Agency's policy on overflows can be found here (see attachment 1)). The Environment Agency investigates sewage discharges and pollution that occur from the wider sewerage network outside permitted sites.
Large intensive poultry farms are part of the agricultural sector. Poultry farms with capacity above 40,000 poultry places require an environmental permit under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, and emissions limits are set and enforced to protect the environment and human health.
Precision breeding remains subject to ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU as part of the SPS agreement. The EU has however accepted there will need to be some areas where we retain our own rules. This includes research and development where we have confirmed that we will continue our regulatory approach to support science and innovation in the UK. Defra has also funded a £12.5 million Farming Innovation Programme competition specifically to support innovation in precision breeding, and Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks Platform provides £15 million to support precision breeding for priority traits in key crops.
This Government is committed to upholding high sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import standards to protect animal and public health, our farming sector and consumers. Brazilian beef and other products of animal origin authorised for import into Great Britain must continue to meet our strict animal health and food safety standards.
In 2025, the Government published a new national procurement policy statement which sets expectations for government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that British producers are well-placed to meet.
Defra does not hold information on the number of veterinary professionals working in specific geographical areas or sectors. This information is held by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as regulator. Their online 'Find a Vet' search tool shows the location of veterinary practices but does not currently show the location of veterinary professionals: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/animal-owners/find-a-vet.
Beef imported into Great Britain must comply with our strict animal health and food safety requirements, in line with domestic import legislation. Defra has received guarantees from Brazil that beef exported to Great Britain is not from cattle treated with certain antimicrobial medicinal products, and Brazil is required to maintain an approved residue control plan for products of animal origin exported to Great Britain.
This Government plans to consult later this year on the GB approach to deforestation, including on the design of regulations under Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. Defra has been continually engaging with businesses and trade associations in the run-up to consultation (including at least 5 meetings in 2025 and at least 17 meetings in 2026) and will continue close engagement to seek views and encourage responses from businesses and trade associations on our proposed approach.
This Government announced the proposed UK approach to deforestation regulations in June and will consult on the approach in Great Britain later this year. To protect the UK internal market, the proposed Great Britain policy aims to operate alongside the EUDR. This Government also aims to achieve due diligence consistency for businesses working in both the UK internal market and EU single market.
This Government recognises the urgency of tackling deforestation globally and the important role the UK has internationally. It plans to consult later this year on the GB approach to deforestation. The proposed approach includes updating existing requirements under the UK Timber Regulation and introducing regulations under Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021. It is expected that legislation to implement this regime will be laid in 2027, with a scheme coming into force in 2028.
Wildlife crimes, including those involving the use of catapults/slingshots, are not notifiable to the UK Home Office so there are no official statistics or identifiable trends relating to these crimes.
Any decision to make wildlife offences notifiable would sit with the Home Office, not Defra.
Defra does, however, take crimes against wildlife seriously and is aware of the ongoing and horrific misuse of catapults against wild animals.
Defra is supportive of the multi-agency Operation Lakeshot, led by the League Against Cruel Sports, which aims to reduce the number of crimes against wildlife using catapults.
Demand for SFI26 Window 2 exceeded the available funding. The Government plans to offer SFI in 2027, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050. Defra is exploring future application arrangements and alternatives to a first-come, first-served application process for SFI in 2027. Detailed scheme arrangements and timings will be published once design and delivery planning have been completed.
Demand for SFI26 Window 2 exceeded the available funding. The Government plans to offer SFI in 2027, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050. Defra is exploring future application arrangements and alternatives to a first-come, first-served application process for SFI in 2027. Detailed scheme arrangements and timings will be published once design and delivery planning have been completed.