Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57744 on Meat: Smuggling, how much illegally imported meat has been seized under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme since 19 April 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We do not hold assured data on the amount of illegally imported meat seized under Defra's African Swine Fever Programme.
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 steps is she taking to ensure there is adequate funding and checks at border security for veterinary and meat imports to protect the farming industry against importing issues like foot and mouth disease or African Swine Fever.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Border checks undertaken by competent authorities are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks.
The SPS controls at the border on EU goods implemented under the Border Target Operating Model provide assurance that the underlying systems of controls are working as intended. This includes import conditions, certification signed by veterinarian authorities in exporting countries, risk assessments, border checks, and other intelligence led controls.
Defra is working with the Home Office and Border Force and has provided significant funding for Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) to ensure operations around detecting illegal meat imports are as effective as possible.
Defra has committed £3.1m for DPHA to work in partnership with Border Force in seizing meat smuggled via the Port of Dover in 2025/26, additional to over £9m of funding provided to date. Defra is considering the recommendations in the EFRA Committee’s report on meat smuggling.
For Defra’s full response to the EFRA committee report, please see here.
Defra publishes assessments of the risk of animal diseases entering Great Britain through trade in animal products here.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 adequacy of the current legal protection regime for decapod crustaceans; and what steps is she taking to strengthen protections of the welfare of decapod crustaceans.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans. Defra has commissioned research to address a knowledge gap about how live decapods move from sea to plate. This is due to finish in 2026. In addition, a project on the welfare of decapod crustaceans across the supply chain is included in the Animal Welfare Committee’s current work plan.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
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 merits of compelling online trade directories to require tradespeople to verify and display waste carrier licences.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the Environment Agency a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally.
We will announce our further plans in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to align the UK’s import policy with forthcoming EU measures prohibiting products from regions where antibiotics are used for growth promotion.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and removing barriers to trade for British producers and retailers.
The agreement will cover SPS standards and controls and also wider agrifood rules related to food labelling, organics, key marketing standards and compositional standards - as well as pesticides.
Detail as to what will be included in the scope of the agreement remains subject to negotiations, and we will not be providing a running commentary.
The use of antibiotics for growth promoters has been banned in the UK and the EU since 2006. With good farming practices, the UK does not consider that using antibiotics for growth promotion is necessary and strongly advocates for phasing out the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion globally, in line with Codex standards and WOAH guidelines.
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 has she made of the potential impact of Farming in Protected Landscapes funded projects on children; and whether she will bring forward policy proposals to fund these projects beyond 2026.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since its launch in 2021, the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme has provided funding for nearly 11,000 farmers and land managers to work in partnership with National Parks and National Landscape bodies to deliver projects that benefit the countryside for climate, nature, people and place. The FiPL programme has engaged over 2,000 schools and delivered more than 8,000 school educational visits helping children to get involved and learn about nature.
The FiPL programme is due to end March 2026, and decisions on the future of the programme will be made as part of departmental business planning.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what framework the Department uses to evaluate rural supply-chain resilience projects funded by public programmes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The effectiveness of public programmes is reviewed according to standard Government evaluation guidance. This usually includes process, impact and value for money criteria against the stated objectives of each grant scheme.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what performance indicators are used to review the effectiveness of food sector capital incentives.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Investment is through grants to sustainable farming and food production businesses and prioritised in terms of where it delivers most value. Applications are assessed against published criteria.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment criteria are used for evaluating applications to food industry investment programmes.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Investment is through grants to sustainable farming and food production businesses and prioritised in terms of where it delivers most value. Applications are assessed against published criteria.
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, whether Poole will be eligible for funding under the new fund for fishing and coastal areas announced in the Budget.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 19 May 2025, the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced to support the next generation of fishers. On 20 October, the Government announced that the fund would be devolved, with each Devolved Government responsible for delivering their share of the fund.
For England, while eligibility criteria are still being developed as we engage with industry on where to target funding, we will welcome applications for eligible projects that invest in fishing and coastal communities from across England, including Poole. Detailed guidance on the application process and criteria will be published once engagement with stakeholders has completed.
Engagement with stakeholders is currently underway to help shape priorities for the funding. I would encourage stakeholders in Poole to contribute to this process so that their local priorities are appropriately reflected.