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 how they plan to support plant health professionals to guard against unknown and novel pests and diseases not currently listed on the UK Plant Health Risk Register.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Pests are added to the UK Plant Health risk register based on horizon scanning for new threats to plants in the UK, carried out by Defra’s plant health Risk and Horizon Scanning Team. A variety of scientific and other sources are used and the process is dynamic, with new pests regularly added in response to information gathered during such horizon scanning. Risks of existing pests are also regularly reviewed in response to new information. The ‘Risk Register News’ section on the Risk register website can be used to check which pests have recently been added or reviewed.
A risk-based approach to import inspections is undertaken at the UK border, to protect plant health professionals and others against known threats as well as new ones. Import requirements and inspection rates are kept under continuous review and adjusted as necessary, for example in response to an upsurge of interceptions of pests or a new threat emerging.
If a pest is identified at an import inspection, or through inland surveillance, which has not been identified during the horizon scanning process described, or has not yet been regulated, Article 29 of the plant health regulation (PHR), assimilated Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, applies. This requires action to be taken against any pest which on the basis of a preliminary assessment meets the criteria to be a GB quarantine pest. Where a pest which is not present in GB is considered to meet the criteria to be a GB quarantine pest, action would be taken against plants or plant products it has been found on, most likely resulting in their destruction.
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 what assessment they have made of the risk to (1) local job security and economic security, and (2) animal welfare, from the planned onshore salmon farm in Cleethorpes, considering the large-scale die-off of salmon at Mount Fuji in Japan in May and in Nova Scotia in November 2023.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government supports sustainable, industry led, growth in aquaculture. To ensure sustainability, aquaculture operations must comply with extensive land use, environmental, animal health and welfare and veterinary medicines regulations. The proposal for an onshore salmon farm in Cleethorpes will be considered by the relevant regulators, as and when the relevant permissions are sought.
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 what steps they are taking to support local authorities in protecting vulnerable trees from pests and diseases, including valuable urban trees, such as the National Elm Collection in Brighton and Hove.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local Authorities are responsible for the care and management of trees on their land. The Government has provided Local Authorities with a range of guidance to help them manage their trees and the pest and disease threats they may be facing. This includes Local Authority toolkits on Ash Dieback (which has been downloaded over 20,000 times), Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) and on developing a Trees and Woodland Strategy for their areas.
We also offer financial support for Local Authorities through the Tree Health Pilot to manage some pests and diseases. For example, a grant is available to Local Authorities in the OPM established area to help them manage the public health risk from this pest. The grant pays for the surveying of oak trees and the creation of OPM management plans and communications strategies. The Tree Health Pilot also provides financial support to help Local Authorities facilitate landowner action on ash dieback and to restock any trees lost to the disease.
The Government does not take statutory action against Dutch Elm Disease as it is widespread across most of Great Britain. We are aware of areas such as the Isle of Man, Edinburgh and Brighton & Hove where populations of mature elms are of local significance and survive as a result of local disease control programmes. Defra is prioritising investment in scientific research which aims to develop a more resistant and diverse elm population, to support the return of mature elms to the landscape nationwide.
The Government meets regularly meets with Local Authorities through specific groups such as the Tree Health and Safety Taskforce and the Tree Health Operations Forum, where they can raise tree health challenges and discuss how to effectively deal with these.
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 what assessment they have made of the importance of people’s social and cultural connections to trees, as seen in the recent losses of the Sycamore Gap tree and the Whitewebbs oak tree; and, given the widespread threats facing British trees, including Dutch elm disease and chalara ash dieback, what steps they are taking to ensure that these connections are not lost for future generations.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has funded projects through Forest Research to explore methods for quantifying the social and cultural value of trees, woodlands, and forests at risk from pests and diseases. A recent evaluation estimates that these natural assets contribute approximately £3.1 billion annually through recreational use, landscape and biodiversity benefits. Additionally, Forest Research has found that regular woodland visits may contribute to annual savings of £185 million in mental health treatment costs.
Defra recognises the exceptional ecological and sociocultural significance of individual trees, such as the Whitewebbs Oak and the Sycamore Gap tree. Many of these trees are classed as ‘irreplaceable habitat’ and are protected under the National Planning Policy Framework and Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations as well as individual Tree Preservation Orders and Felling Licence regulations.
Defra has conducted a thorough enquiry into the threats and the effectiveness of existing protection measures for England’s most valuable trees. We funded a report led by the Tree Council and Forest Research which assessed the current stewardship and safeguarding measures for our most culturally and ecologically important trees. We are carefully considering its recommendations to identify the most robust and cost-effective approaches to long-term protection, and it will be important to balance our approach with existing priorities and our statutory obligations
We have also reviewed the implementation and effectiveness of the National Planning Policy Framework in safeguarding ancient and veteran trees and ancient woodland from development pressures. While these habitats are strongly protected in planning policy, the review identified implementation challenges. We are now developing policy proposals to ensure that high-value trees are protected not only in policy but also in practice.
Our treescapes face increasing threats from pests and diseases. To address this, we have implemented a robust, risk-based regulatory regime that prioritises biosecurity, surveillance, and horizon scanning. We also run targeted management programmes to prevent the importation and spread of quarantine tree pests and pathogens.
We are investing significantly in research and development to preserve iconic tree species and enhance the resilience of our treescapes. This includes initiatives such as Action Oak, a partnership of over 30 organisations focused on protecting native oaks, and the Living Ash Project, which has created two archives of ash trees resistant to ash dieback disease. Defra has also provided £4 million to the Centre for Forest Protection this financial year to support 17 new research projects to improve tree health and resilience and funded the development of the state-of-the-art Holt Laboratory in Surrey to advance tree health research.
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 what steps, if any, they are taking to ensure that valuable, potentially tolerant, or disease-resistant trees, such as ash trees that have survived chalara ash dieback, are not unnecessarily felled.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
From observations in Europe and the UK, we expect 1-5% of ash trees to show useful levels of genetic resistance to ash dieback, caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Resistance is heritable which offers hope for a future breeding programme. We recommend that land managers consider this resistance in ash trees and retain ash trees where they stand out as being healthier than those around them, providing it’s safe to do so.
The Government has invested more than £8 million to advance our scientific understanding of this disease since it was first detected, including into the development of resistant ash trees. We have conducted the world’s largest screening trials for tolerant trees have planted two living archives, one in Southern England in 2019 and the second in Scotland in 2025, to protect and maintain these important genotypes and facilitate the possibility of a future breeding programme of resilient ash.
Decisions about the management of individual ash trees are the responsibility of the landowner, but the Government has worked with partners to publish tailored guidance for woodland owners, farmers and local authorities on managing diseased ash, including a Local Authority Ash Dieback Toolkit (second edition published in 2025). The guidance recommends the identification of ash trees showing the highest levels of disease tolerance, before any felling action takes place, as the retention of these trees will help maintain a genetically diverse ash tree population in the future.
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 what analysis they have undertaken of the expected contribution of precision-bred crops and foods to gross domestic product, agritech growth and public revenues; and whether any such analyses have been independently reviewed or validated by the Treasury.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has taken an evidence-based approach, underpinned by expert scientific advice and published data, to estimate the impacts of implementing the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023. All estimations are informed by data from independent, reputable sources including market research, scientific papers, and reports by economic institutions.
This includes the Department’s De Minimis Assessment of the impacts of The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025, which has been compiled by Defra economists and reviewed by the Defra Chief Economist. The Treasury does not routinely assess departmental analysis.
This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.
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 have conducted a review on the balance of public investment between agricultural genetic modification and alternative strategies for sustainable farming and food security.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department recognises that we need a variety of approaches to address sustainable farming and food security. For example, the industry-led Farming Innovation Programme funds a range of approaches to address how innovation can increase farming productivity sustainably. This is complemented by Defra’s agri-food science programme which develops R&D to enable sustainable farming and help ensure food security.
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 how much public funding has been allocated to research and development for the commercialisation of crops, livestock, foods and micro-organisms produced by agricultural genetic modification since 2014; and what proportion of this funding has been awarded to UK-based companies.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since 2014 UKRI, through BBSRC (approximately £13.9 million) and Innovate UK (approximately £1.35 million), has invested more than £15 million in research involving genetic modification (including genome editing) of crops and farmed animals for agricultural- and food-based research based in the UK.
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 what steps they plan to take to protect vulnerable populations from drug-resistant fungal infections by assessing the risks of agricultural fungicide use for the emergence of clinical anti-fungal resistance within the environment, in line with recent US and EU risk assessment frameworks.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government recognises the importance of carefully managing pesticide use – including fungicides – to protect the environment and human health, and address the risks of resistance.
The UK Pesticides National Action Plan (NAP), published in March, sets out the actions we will take to support effective and sustainable pest management. A key goal in the NAP is increasing uptake of integrated pest management – a holistic approach that reduces the likelihood of resistance building by minimising and optimising pesticide use.
When authorising pesticide products, the regulations require the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to consider the potential for resistance development in the target pest organism. Where such resistance is known or anticipated, HSE will place specific limitations on the use of the plant protection product to help mitigate the likelihood and speed of resistance development. Authorisation holders are also required to monitor the resistance situation and report significant changes in resistance status to HSE.
The possible development of resistance in non-target organisms, for example through indirect exposure or the transfer of resistance genes, is not specifically considered. This mirrors international plant protection standards. HSE is considering the latest evidence relating to fungal antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in particular the recent European Food Safety Authority publication.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes annual figures on drug-resistant fungal bloodstream infections, and on the use of antifungal drugs in the human healthcare sector.
Fungaemia (including candidaemia): annual data from voluntary surveillance - GOV.UK (copy attached to this answer)
English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report - GOV.UK (copy attached to this answer)
UKHSA is one of many collaborators working with the One Health collaborative PATHSAFE programme and the recently announced UK Research and Innovation Fungal One Health and Antimicrobial Resistance Research Network, both established to develop new approaches to tackling AMR.
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 when, if at all, they plan to introduce extended producer responsibility for textiles.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise the importance of continued innovation in the textiles sector and, as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what interventions may be needed. Over the coming months, the Circular Economy Taskforce is identifying specific subject areas, such as extended producer responsibility, requiring deeper exploration to test with industry leaders, trade associations, and other key stakeholders in the sector. This will ensure that the Strategy reflects the needs and insights of all involved before publication in autumn this year.