Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she can name a date by which her department will have made a decision on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's proposals to reduce Nitrous Oxide levels at the A500/Etruria Road junction.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has recently discussed with Stoke-on-Trent City Council a decision on their proposals to address nitrogen dioxide levels at Etruria Road. As the Minister for Water and Flooding, I have also recently discussed the position with the hon. Member. We will continue to engage with the local authority on next steps.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on maintaining continuity of household recycling services in the event of (a) contractor disputes and (b) contract termination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has published guidance for local authorities on prioritising services in periods of disruption in waste operations which can be found here.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with Birmingham City Council on (a) pollution and (b) decreasing biodiversity in Sutton Park.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sutton Park is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a National Nature Reserve.
Natural England (NE) has an ongoing constructive dialogue with Birmingham City Council (BCC), which manages the park, about its management of the park’s important biodiversity. This follows a decline in the condition of the park’s woodland and heathland habitats detected as part of NE’s SSSI monitoring programme.
NE and the Forestry Commission (FC) are advising BCC on improving the management of those habitats. NE is also exploring with BCC opportunities for managing the increased recreational pressure on the park, while also supporting growth of housing in the vicinity of the park.
NE is also engaged with Severn Trent Water on how sewage infrastructure failures can be avoided and any impacts addressed on the wetland and open water areas in Sutton Park. This work forms part of the water company’s five-year Asset Management Programmes agreed with Ofwat.
Actions to improve the site are set out in the West Midlands Combined Authority Local Nature Recovery Strategy. NE will be working with the responsible authority, FC and the Environment Agency to support delivery of those actions.
Asked by: Gurinder Singh Josan (Labour - Smethwick)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she plans to take to prevent UK companies from sell and profit from hunts, in addition to banning trophy hunters.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern, which is the most effective approach the Government can take on this matter. The department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can implement a robust ban. Timeframes for introducing legislation will be provided once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is determined.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of exempting all small sites from biodiversity net gain on the UK's progress in meeting its legally-binding biodiversity targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) plays a vital role in protecting nature and the Government expects it to make an important contribution to meeting legally binding environmental targets. We have heard from developers, local authorities, and ecologists that BNG needs to work better for some of the smallest developments. Recently announced reforms will make the process simpler for small developers while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full response to the BNG consultations is expected in the new year.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain on the UK's progress in meeting its legally-binding biodiversity targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) plays a vital role in protecting nature and the Government expects it to make an important contribution to meeting legally binding environmental targets. We have heard from developers, local authorities, and ecologists that BNG needs to work better for some of the smallest developments. Recently announced reforms will make the process simpler for small developers while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full response to the BNG consultations is expected in the new year.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will introduce a Good Food Bill by the end of this Parliament.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Good Food Cycle publication is the first part of the food strategy. It will require a long-term programme of work to transform the food system and support food strategy outcomes.
Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute environmental crimes.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Environmental crimes and prosecutions are generally undertaken by the Environment Agency (EA) as the Environmental Regulator and not by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS does prosecute some particular environmental crimes, for the police's National Wildlife Crime Unit, such as in relation to poaching and even CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
Where appropriate, and where there is linked offending, the EA can coordinate investigations into suspected environmental offending with other bodies, including the police.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of invasive weed removal from publicly owned land in England.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Various public bodies and local authorities undertake removal activities for invasive non-native weed species as part of their land management responsibilities. Natural England investigates complaints about the threat of injurious weeds spreading to agricultural land.
An assessment of the effectiveness of these interventions on publicly owned land has not been made.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate has she made of the number of cider makers operating in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Association of Cider Makers, who represent the UK cider industry, estimate that there are 450 cider makers in the UK (2025/2026 Cider Manifesto).
The Government celebrates the UK’s cider making traditions and recognises the industry’s important contribution to the UK’s economy.