Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The United Kingdom is not heavily dependent on direct nitrogen fertiliser imports from the Middle East, but like other countries we are exposed to global benchmark prices and international competition. Recent market volatility has seen an increase in fertiliser prices, reflecting global conditions rather than any immediate supply disruption to the UK.

We will continue to monitor emerging evidence on UK supply and demand for ammonia and other fertilisers to understand potential pressures and options to mitigate any risks.

The table below shows the number of solicitors employed by the Environment Agency in the Area facing legal services teams in 2020 and 2026, and the number of vacant lawyer posts that were being held during these years.

The Environment Agency does not hold data for 2008, and it has insufficient data for 2014.

The table below shows the number of solicitors employed by the Environment Agency in the Area facing legal services teams in 2020 and 2026, and the number of vacant lawyer posts that were being held during these years.

The Environment Agency does not hold data for 2008, and it has insufficient data for 2014.

We are aware that increased input costs from fertiliser and energy have the potential to increase food prices in the medium to long term. Given this concern, we are closely monitoring the impacts of the conflict on food businesses and working with stakeholders to understand the implications for consumer prices.

As part of the UK‑EU SPS Agreement currently being negotiated, the Government is making a sovereign choice in the national interest to align in some areas where it makes sense to do so, as set out in the Government’s recently published announcement on legislation in scope. The announcement reflected the UK’s current view of what is in scope and remains subject to change as negotiations progress with the EU.

While those discussions are ongoing, we cannot provide a running commentary or speculate on the scope of the agreement, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.

The UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive have launched a joint consultation and call for evidence on proposals to modernise UK fertilisers legislation. The consultation and call for evidence set out plans to help support innovation in the fertiliser sector, diversify supply, and strengthen the UK’s resilience to global market shocks. Current fertiliser regulations are widely seen as outdated and could do more to support fertiliser supply resilience and protect the environment, as well as being more agile to enable new products to enter the market.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, PQ UIN 120331.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 March 2026 to PQ UIN 120291.

The first meeting of the Board took place on 25 March 2026 with an initial membership of 7 industry leads and experts. Together, this initial group provided coverage and expertise across farming and food production, distribution, processing and manufacturing, and the domestic and international markets. This group considered the need for additional members ahead of the next Board meeting.

The first meeting agreed the Board’s work should be supported by additional task and finish sub-groups, as well as sector led groups developing Sector Growth Plans.

Following the first meeting, the Board has invited the Horticulture Expert Growers Group to work with the Fruit & Veg Coalition and the Environmental Horticulture Group and immediately begin work on the first Sector Growth Plan for the horticultural sector. This will ensure that the expertise and insights of the horticultural industry are fully considered by the Board.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953, as amended, covers livestock worrying incidents that take place on roads and paths, such as when animals are being moved from one field to another or where the person in charge of the dog causes it to attack straying livestock on a road or path.

This offers a proportionate balance between protecting livestock and ensuring dog owners are not unfairly criminalised in situations where livestock have escaped their enclosures. Farmers remain responsible for taking reasonable steps to prevent livestock from straying.

A UK-wide consultation on laying hen cage reform was launched on 12 January 2026 and closed on 9 March 2026. The Government is now analysing consultation responses and will publish a formal response in due course.

Fur farming is banned in the UK. Restrictions also apply to imports including fur and fur products from seals, cats and dogs. Other long-established controls include those covering fur from species protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

On 26 March the Government published the Opinion on the responsible sourcing of fur by our expert Animal Welfare Committee and will carefully consider its findings. The Government has also published the summary of responses to the call for evidence on the fur trade in Great Britain, which was held under the previous government in 2021 jointly with the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

Building on this, the Government will now bring together a working group on fur, with involvement from both industry experts and those who support restrictions on the trade in fur, to explore concerns and the different ways in which they could be addressed.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Stourbridge on 24 March 2026 PQ UIN 121217.

Our Environmental Land Management schemes are strengthening the environmental foundations of farm profitability, and the Farming and Food Partnership Board will drive long-term profitability across the farming sector.

Furthermore, our response to Baroness Batters’ profitability review and our Farming Roadmap will outline our long-term plans for ensuring a thriving and profitable farming sector.

The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. The Government set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy that it will develop this evidence base through research and continued stakeholder engagement. Research on how live decapods move from sea to plate is due to finish later this year and a project on the welfare of decapod crustaceans across the supply chain is included in the Animal Welfare Committee’s current work plan.

The Government will publish guidance on which methods of killing decapods are compatible with the existing legal requirements on animal welfare at time of killing. This guidance is under development.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 March 2026 to the hon. Member for Stockport, PQ UIN 118907.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, public sector food procurement policies have the potential to drive more positive animal welfare outcomes. We will explore such opportunities as we develop our policy, including the potential to strengthen the animal welfare provisions across a range of products within the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF). Further, the National Procurement Policy Statement, published in February 2025, underscores the government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards and upholds ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts.

Defra continues to engage with actors across public sector supply chains and are carefully considering possible policy options, including the potential for updating the government buying standards for food and catering services (GBSF). We will continue to work closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), who own the nutritional elements of the GBSF, to ensure healthier options are widely accessible in all public sector settings including prisons and government departments.

There are a number of examples of peatland sites which have increased their wildfire resilience due to restoration across the country, including at The Roaches and Dove Stone in the Peak District.

Rewetting peat takes time, and reducing burning is essential to allow sites the opportunity to recover. Peatland management varies across landscapes, but rewetting can significantly improve a site's resilience to wildfire. This resilience does not mean a site becomes fireproof; rather, rewetted peat is better able to resist ignition, limit the spread of fire, act as a fire break, and recover more quickly than dry or degraded peatlands.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England.

This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is now actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible.

The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). Progressing this target on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management.

In October 2024 we set out our vision for progressing 30by30 on land in England and the criteria for land and inland water areas which can count towards this target. Our internal analysis suggests that 32% of England meets, or has the potential to meet, the 30by30 criteria.

We are developing a 30by30 Delivery Plan, which will set out how we will lead, support, and inspire action across England to deliver this vision. We will publish the 30by30 Delivery Plan later this year.

The Government has published guidance on how the Protected Landscapes duty is intended to operate and broad principles to guide relevant authorities in complying with it.

It will explore further the most appropriate approach through legislation to clarify that developers of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects are not required to pay financial compensation to protected landscape organisations in order to comply with the duty.

As committed to in the newly published Land Use Framework, Cranfield University and Defra have reached an agreement to develop an open access portal of soil and related environmental data for England and Wales, including the National Soil Map of England and Wales (NATMAP).

The agreement will see a new system launch in Spring 2026, derived from Cranfield’s LandIS (Land Information System), which will give free access to the extensive data. LandIS is a substantial environmental information system operated by Cranfield University, designed to contain soil and soil-related information for England and Wales. It is one of the largest systems of its kind in Europe and is recognised as the definitive source of national soils information in the UK.

The matter is under an advanced stage of review by the Environment Agency (EA). This is a complex case requiring the consideration of matters arising across jurisdictions and parallel legal proceedings. It is not appropriate to comment further until the EA’s review of the matter has been concluded.

The UK has some of the best, earliest, and largest number of designated Dark Skies Areas in Europe. This includes Exmoor National Park, which was the first designated Dark Sky Reserve in Europe; and Northumberland, which has been awarded the Dark Sky Gold Tier, indicating natural, non-polluted or near-natural night skies. A survey into the designation of the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, for example, reported a positive impact on the local economy. There have been no recent assessments of the benefits by Defra.

The Government has published its new Waste Crime Action Plan which is the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste. In conjunction with this the Environment Agency (EA) has set out its ten-point plan to tackle waste crime. The additional funding being provided will support EA’s delivery of these measures, which together comprise a comprehensive Government response to the scourge of waste crime.

More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-crime-action-plan/waste-crime-action-plan and https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/waste-crime-stand-with-us-to-end-waste-crime. Copies are attached to this answer.

The Environment Agency (EA) reports its performance every quarter through its published Corporate Scorecard. We are working with the EA to develop improved measures for the scorecard, as well as considering an evaluation approach for the package of measures recently announced in the government’s Waste Crime Action Plan.

The EA is also looking at technology-based opportunities to measure levels of waste crime, such as the potential to use satellite technology and machine learning. This will improve the EA’s insights and business intelligence to inform its strategic approach and prioritisation.

The Government continues to work towards our obligation to restore water bodies to good ecological status and remains committed to securing continuous improvement for the water environment.

The Government has committed in the White Paper to exploring setting new ambitious overarching targets for the water environment. This would enable consistent national oversight and alignment between government, regional water planning, regulators, the water industry and the private sector to better deliver agreed outcomes while maintaining environmental standards.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate continues to contribute to its commitments under the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Roadmap, evidence‑gathering, stakeholder engagement and regulatory review activity relating to fipronil and imidacloprid.

The Waste Crime Action Plan is the toughest ever crackdown on illegal waste. We will tighten regulation to close the loopholes criminals exploit, enable tougher enforcement to disrupt and punish them, and direct action to clean up the damage they leave behind.

The Environment Agency (EA) takes a proactive, intelligence led approach to preventing illegal waste activity in Lincolnshire. Through the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership – which includes 24 partner organisations - the EA builds a comprehensive picture of waste crime risks across the county. This early intervention model enables the EA and its partners to identify emerging threats, disrupt criminal behaviour at an early stage, and prevent many potential illegal waste sites from becoming established.

Where the EA is made aware of an active illegal waste site, it acts swiftly to halt the activity and, where necessary, put measures in place to mitigate environmental harm. Officers then compile a detailed evidence base, which may include surveillance, document seizure, witness statements and digital or financial analysis, before determining the appropriate enforcement action.

Thanks to this proactive approach, only 27 illegal waste sites in Lincolnshire required enforcement action in 2024/25; without it, this figure would almost certainly have been significantly higher.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a proposal for an updated definition of irreplaceable habitat.

MHCLG is currently analysing the feedback received and will publish a response in due course.

Defra consolidates greenhouse gas emissions. This is published in GGC annual reports. The last published report for 2021 to 2024 published here Greening Government Commitments April 2021 to March 2024 report - GOV.UK estimates in year 3, the Government’s overall emissions were 41% lower than the baseline based on data reported to Defra at that time.

There is no estimate of cost of this work however a small team of c.2FTE produces this report as part of wider responsibilities. Departments are encouraged to provide data that is already collected for other purposes and are not required to put in place specific arrangements to collect this data solely for GGC reporting purposes.

Littering is a local issue. The role of central Government is to enable and support local action by providing a clear legal framework of rights and responsibilities and setting national standards. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against littering offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court. Alternatively, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. To support local councils to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences we have laid new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers, which is available at: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK

We have also laid the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance in Parliament which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. This guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UK

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy.

We intend to publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport.

Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which we publish annually at: Fly-tipping statistics for England, 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. It covers trends in the number of fly-tipping incidents, with a breakdown by land type, waste type and size. It also covers enforcement and prosecution actions undertaken for fly-tipping incidents. This data is available at local authority, regional and national levels, but not at county level.

The Environment Agency (EA) is working with local partners in Lincolnshire to monitor and address trends in fly‑tipping and wider waste crime but does not hold trend data.

The EA works through the Lincolnshire Environmental Crime Partnership, established in 2020 and recognised nationally as best practice to prevent, disrupt and investigate waste offences in Lincolnshire. The EA also plays an active role in the Lincolnshire Multi‑Agency Intelligence Network, chaired by Lincolnshire Police, on live fly‑tipping investigations and joint actions to support Local Authority enforcement. The Government welcomes this strong partnership approach and the continued efforts to strengthen it further.

Local authorities already have powers to take enforcement action against littering offenders. Anyone caught littering may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, local authorities may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. Local authorities also have powers to issue a civil penalty to the keeper of a vehicle from which litter has been thrown. This helps them respond to littering incidents when they cannot identify the specific individual who dropped litter from a vehicle.

To support local authorities to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences, which will reduce littering, we have laid new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers. The guidance is available: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be issuing a small grant payment to local authorities in England to support them to familiarise themselves with the Litter Enforcement Guidance.

We have also laid the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance in parliament which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. The guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UK

Individuals can already report illegal waste activity anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online. Local authorities are often best placed to tackle local issues such as fly-tipping, and so any single national reporting route would need to pass reports on to the relevant local authority. Incidents can already be reported to the relevant local authority online. Individuals can get help on identifying the relevant local authority webpage at: https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping.

This Government is committed to restoring and protecting nature in rural communities through delivering our legally binding biodiversity targets on species abundance, species extinction and habitat creation and restoration. The Land Use Framework (LUF) shows we have enough land to deliver all our targets and outcomes but need to be more strategic in its use.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are being prepared across the whole of England to enable local areas to set priorities for biodiversity and environmental improvement and to propose where action is most needed.

Each strategy is being led by a local authority and co-developed with input from local communities, landowners, and stakeholders, ensuring that it reflects the unique environmental and social context of the local area, including rural areas.

Between 1 July 2024 and 25 March 2026, the Animal and Plant Health Agency issued 28 import permits for hunting trophies under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Trade data up to 2024 is available on the CITES Trade Database.

The Government has confirmed that Biodiversity Net Gain will apply to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects. A full consultation response and implementation timeline is expected to be published shortly.

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

No formal assessment of the effectiveness of the Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 in preventing unlicensed use of glue traps has been made.

The Act aims to improve animal welfare by reducing the use of glue traps in England. Since 2022, market-leading suppliers have been removing glue traps from sale and promoting more humane alternatives; and since 2024, professional pest controllers have only been able to use glue traps in exceptional circumstances under licence. Defra has confidence that the number of these devices deployed across England has been significantly reducing.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑Government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and has published a roadmap responding to fipronil and imidacloprid detected in UK waterways. While the VMD does not undertake environmental monitoring of these substances, we liaise with the environment agencies that do, all of whom are represented on the PiE Group.

VMD‑funded studies show that topical spot‑on flea and tick products can contribute to environmental levels through wastewater pathways and when treated dogs swim.

Routine or preventive use may contribute to environmental inputs; however, there is no shared definition of risk‑based use across the companion animal sector. Prophylactic treatment may be appropriate in some cases, in the prevention of parasitic disease and zoonotic transfer, and the clinical justification for the decisions made by the attending veterinarian for such use is overseen independently of the VMD.

The VMD is funding research on how pet owner behaviours influence environmental outcomes to inform future communications and policy to promote responsible use. Alongside this, the VMD will launch national stewardship messaging in spring 2026 and is reviewing distribution categories to consider whether professional advice should be required at point of sale, helping protect both animal health and the environment.

Across all our reforms the goal is to deliver our key outcomes - environment, customers, investability - in the most effective and efficient way possible to ensure lasting value.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is a priority for this Government.

That is why we set up a Flood Resilience Taskforce to provide oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season.

Protecting communities from floods is a devolved responsibility. Delivering on the Plan for Change, in England, this Government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.

This Labour Government are investing £4.2 billion over the next three years—2026-27 to 2028-29—to construct new flood defence schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across England.

This information is publicly available and can be viewed using the PR24 WINEP interactive map. The Environment Agency (EA) launched this map last year. It shows for the first time where investment is being made to improve the water environment. The map includes the majority of WINEP data provided by water companies. The EA is working with water companies to add any missing information.