Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what arrangements will be in place to ensure cross-departmental decision-making between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Office in the implementation of the (a) Veterinary Medicines Internal Market Scheme and (b) Veterinary Medicines Health Situations Scheme after 1 January 2026.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cross-departmental decision-making arrangements are an internal Government matter. There is extensive cross-departmental engagement on this matter, including at official and ministerial level - and both within the UK Government and with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). In addition, DAERA is included in the Veterinary Medicines Working Group. This engagement also concerns the implementation of the two schemes, and the Government is confident that they will be delivered by 1 January.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
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 on consumer (a) transparency and (b) trust if precision bred seeds and plant reproductive materials are labelled but the food and feed derived from them are not.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy.
For Precision Breeding, Defra has established additional measures for transparency and regulatory oversight, including public registers. These registers published by Defra and the Food Standards Agency, will ensure that information about precision bred plants approved for marketing and for use in food and feed is available in the public domain.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
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 delaying until close to 31 December 2025 the issuance of operational guidance on changes to the supply of veterinary medicines from 1 January 2026 to (a) veterinary practices and (b) suitably qualified persons in Northern Ireland on their ability to adequately prepare for the changes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There has been no delay in the issuance of operational guidance. Guidance was published in June and updated in October and November. Updated guidance also includes specific references to vets and suitably qualified persons.
In addition, we continue to engage extensively with stakeholders across the sector, including those representing vets and suitably qualified persons.
The two schemes will take effect from 1 January 2026; we will monitor their effectiveness and consider further reviews if needed. We remain confident that the schemes can address supply gaps if they emerge.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide advance notification to (a) veterinary practices and (b) farm businesses in Northern Ireland of changes to the availability of veterinary medicines.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Continued access to veterinary medicines for Northern Ireland at the end of the grace period is a government priority and we continue to engage extensively with industry stakeholders across the supply chain to support them with the availability of veterinary medicines beyond the grace period, including through the Veterinary Medicines Working Group (which includes industry bodies and experts), in person in Northern Ireland and through meetings with industry bodies and businesses across the sector, including vets and farming businesses. Where it concerns key industry bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Veterinary Association, my officials have regular meetings and will continue to do so until into the new year.
We have also published extensive guidance. This guidance again targets the full breadth of the sector, including specific information for farmers and vets. In addition, we will publish webinars later this month, for which we are currently collecting questions via an online forum. We intend to provide further information on products under the Veterinary Medicines Health Situation Scheme next month.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
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 economic contribution of small-scale, family-run farms to local economies in England.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not collect data which classifies whether farms are family-run and does not hold any data on the economic contribution of small-scale, family run farms to local economies in England.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate's news story entitled Veterinary medicine supply in Northern Ireland beyond 2025, updated on 13 November 2025, how many veterinary medicine products are expected to be (a) withdrawn and (b) altered in Northern Ireland after 31 December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Many businesses have already taken the steps to make the required adjustments so we are confident that the disruption to veterinary medicines supply will be limited.
After extensive stakeholder engagement, our current estimate is that between 10-15% of authorised products that are currently supplied will be discontinued. However, most of these discontinued products are not currently sold in Northern Ireland or are generics with multiple alternatives available. We have identified fewer than 20 products where discontinuation would pose significant risks to animal health and welfare if these risks were not addressed; the two schemes that we are introducing will serve to address those risks.
Although these figures may change as pharmaceutical companies take steps to adjust before the end of the year, we are not expecting to see a significant change and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Asked by: Kevin Bonavia (Labour - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect chalk streams.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In June 2025 the Environment Agency updated its National Framework for water resources, setting out the importance of chalk streams and how we will include their needs in all water resources planning and decision making.
The Government is prioritising chalk streams in our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan by classifying them as high priority sites.
The Government will set out in due course our plans to reform the entire water sector, ensuring that iconic British habitats, including chalk streams, alongside all our rivers, lakes, and seas, are preserved for future generations.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on flooding of Aviva's report entitled Building Future Communities, published on 14 October 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I recently met with Aviva's CEO of UK General Insurance at the second Insurance Roundtable on 13 October and welcome ongoing engagement to improve support to policyholders.
This Government has committed record investment in flood and coastal erosion defences and introduced the most significant change in flood and coastal erosion funding policy for nearly fifteen years. Through our new floods funding policy, we will invest at least £300 million in natural flood management over ten years – the highest figure to date for the floods programme.
The Government is committed to building the homes the country needs while maintaining the highest levels of flood protection. We intend to consult on planning policy later this year, including policies on flood risk and SuDS.
As flooding policy is a devolved matter, the information provided relates to England only.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has assessed Thames Water’s current financial position against the statutory criteria for applying to the High Court for a special administration order.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The law states that Special Administration can only be initiated if the company becomes insolvent or they are in such serious breach of their principal statutory duties or an enforcement order that it is inappropriate for the company to retain its licence.
For a company to be considered insolvent means that it is either unable to or is likely to be unable to pay its debts. Thames Water has ongoing liquidity. We stand ready for all eventualities – including being ready to apply for a Special Administration Regime if necessary.
Asked by: Charlie Maynard (Liberal Democrat - Witney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will publish guidance on how (a) environmental performance, (b) repeated regulatory breaches and (c) other non-financial factors will be considered when determining to apply to the High Court for a water company special administration order.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The law states that Special Administration can only be initiated if the company becomes insolvent or they are in such serious breach of their principal statutory duties or an enforcement order that it is inappropriate for the company to retain its licence.
In determining whether to apply to the court for a Special Administration Regime, the Secretary of State would have regard to all the relevant facts and matters pertaining at the time, acting in accordance with applicable statutory duties.