Lord Carrington

Lessons learned from ECO and related schemes will be utilised in the design of any future schemes to ensure high-quality delivery and clear accountability, with focus on streamlining processes and improving consumer outcomes.

The upcoming Warm Homes Plan will outline reforms to simplify the consumer protection landscape, strengthen installation standards, and ensure swift remediation and redress for consumers.

The Government has taken decisive action to protect consumers, strengthen oversight and standards, including:

• Greater oversight of TrustMark’s operations through a Memorandum of Understanding and the appointment of a Departmental board observer,
• PAS 2035/2030:2023 introduced requirements for Retrofit Coordinators to conduct site visits and raised qualifications standards for Retrofit Designers,
• Certification bodies agreed installers should hold one PAS 2030 certification per measure, improving accountability,
• Continued PAS 2035/2030 standards sponsorship, with the British Standards Institution reviewing further improvements.

Further improvements will be outlined in the Warm Homes Plan.

The Government has taken decisive action to protect consumers, including:

• Greater oversight of TrustMark’s operations through a Memorandum of Understanding and the appointment of a Departmental board observer,
• PAS 2035/2030:2023 introduced requirements for Retrofit Coordinators to conduct site visits and raised qualifications standards for Retrofit Designers,
• Certification bodies agreed installers should hold one PAS 2030 certification per measure, improving accountability,
• Continued PAS 2035/2030 standards sponsorship, with the British Standards Institution reviewing further improvements.

The Department will also be offering an on-site audit to all households that received external wall insulation under ECO4 and GBIS. Where issues are found, remediation will be at no cost to the consumer, with installers responsible for repairs.

The Department is conducting a comprehensive overhaul of the consumer protection system, with reforms to be outlined in the Warm Homes Plan.

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation included proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030 and was accompanied by the Department’s options assessment. A government response to the consultation and further impact assessment will be published in due course. The Government’s Warm Homes Plan will also include further initiatives to facilitate the creation of high quality, well-paid, and future proofed jobs in the retrofit sector.

The Government has announced a package of measures designed to support businesses facing difficulties in this period of uncertainty, including the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF), and the Bounce Back Loans Scheme.

Businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for the following cash grants per property via the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund:

• Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000.
• Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.

Guidance on the types of businesses covered by the Expanded Retail Discount can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Any enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of the RHLGF should be directed to the relevant local authority.

The department welcomes talented individuals from overseas to train to teach in England. For the 2023/24 academic year the department has extended bursary and scholarship eligibility to all non-UK national trainees in physics and languages. This means international physics trainees are eligible for scholarships worth £29,000 and bursaries worth £27,000. International language trainees are eligible for scholarships of £27,000 and bursaries worth £25,000. The department is also piloting a new international relocation payment worth £10,000 to help teachers and trainees in languages and physics with the cost of visas and other expenses involved in moving to England.

The new ‘Apply for QTS in England’ service provides a fair and consistent approach to the recognition of overseas teachers’ qualifications, meaning more suitably qualified teachers from around the world have a route to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

The Great British F-gas review is ongoing, and we are in the process of developing proposals for amending the F-gas legislation in Great Britain. We intend to go out to consultation on proposals for reform in due course. Defra officials have ongoing and valued engagement with sector stakeholders as part of the review process and have gathered incredibly useful input.

Defra is in the process of leading a review of the F-gas legislation in Great Britain, which includes reviewing the requirements related to training and certification in the use of fluorinated gases. The domestic regulations provide powers for authorised persons in England, Scotland and Wales to enforce the F-gas Regulation, designate certification and training bodies and include a power for appointing bodies to undertake certification, evaluation and attestation of F-gas handlers. Our GOV.UK page lists the required qualifications needed to work with F-gases in the United Kingdom:

Qualifications to work with F gas - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

We will shortly be providing the House of Lords European Affairs Sub-Committee on the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland with an updated assessment of the EU’s F-gas changes.

F-gas policy is a key contributor to mitigating climate change, and we are reviewing our legislation to support delivery of our ambitious, domestic Net Zero agenda. Any changes we might propose will be focused on the needs and opportunities specific to the GB market.

We are undertaking a review of the F-gas Regulation. Any resulting proposals for change will be based on an assessment of the viability of alternative gases to determine the extent to which we can deliver further F-gas use and emissions reductions.

As part of our review so far, we have engaged extensively with industry to gain valuable input on the use of F-gases and their alternatives. Any consultation on proposals for change will allow sufficient time for industry to share views on aspects such as the safety of those alternatives.

As part of our review so far, we have engaged extensively with industry to gain valuable input on the use of F-gases and their alternatives. Any consultation on proposals for change will allow sufficient time for industry to share views on aspects such as the safety of those alternatives.

We are in the process of reviewing the GB F-gas Regulation and intend to consult on proposed changes in due course.

We recognise that the absence of a widely available legal route to take land out of an existing Environmental Stewardship (ES) or Countryside Stewardship (CS) into a new England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) agreement without significant/full reclaim of payments is a blocker for some woodland creation applicants. We are looking at how we may be able to transfer land in CS or ES agreement to EWCO, where this results in an environmental gain.

We are actively exploring options to find a way forward for existing agreement holders. In the meantime, the guidance in the EWCO manual remains valid. We will provide an update to potential applicants as soon as we have made tangible progress via our gov.uk pages and the Forestry Commission's e-alert. We remain committed to trebling our tree planting rates in England as part of our commitment to plant 30,000 hectares per year across the UK by the end of this Parliament.

The Government published two evidence and analysis papers to support the introduction of the Agriculture Bill in the last Parliament. These outlined, in detail, the case for creating a new Environmental Land Management scheme, the rationale for moving away from Direct Payments and provided evidence on the high-level costs and benefits of Government intervention in agriculture. They remain comprehensive sources of public information.

Defra has undertaken further work since then to assess the impacts of both regulatory and spending proposals.

Prior to the Agriculture Act becoming law in November 2020, a supporting Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) was published. This sets out, at a descriptive level, the anticipated impacts of the regulatory provisions within the Act.

Defra will produce more detailed full RIAs and submit to the Regulatory Policy Committee for independent scrutiny in advance of introducing any secondary legislation for all measures within the Act that are above the threshold specified in Better Regulation Framework guidance.

Defra is currently using the most recent data and evidence available to analyse and assess the impacts of its policy proposals as part of the process of it developing a Programme Business Case for its spending proposals. A summary business case will be published within four months of it receiving final approval, in line with the commitments set out in the recent HMT Green Book review.

We are working with stakeholders and end users to determine the specific land management actions that will be paid for under the Environmental Land Management scheme. We will set out more details on this later this year. ‘The Path to Sustainable Farming: An Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024’ set out examples of the types of actions that we envisage paying for under the scheme.

Dairy farmers are crucial in ensuring that food supplies remain resilient in this difficult period. While the vast majority of the UK's dairy farmers are largely unaffected some have been directly impacted by the closure of the food service sector as a result of the lockdown measures taken in response to COVID-19. Between 5 and 10 per cent of total milk production goes to the food service trade. We continue to work closely with the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Dairy UK to ensure that those most affected are supported.

In recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing this sector on 7 May we announced a new fund to support those dairy farmers who have seen decreased demand due to the loss of the food service sector. Eligible dairy farmers in England who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May due to coronavirus disruptions will be eligible for funding of up to £10,000 each, to cover 70% of their lost income during this qualifying period. This will enable these producers to continue to operate and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

The AHDB, together with Dairy UK, have launched a new £1 million campaign to drive an increase in the consumption of milk. Running over 12 weeks, the campaign will highlight the role that milk plays in supporting moments of personal connection during times of crisis. Defra and the devolved administrations are jointly contributing towards the financing of this campaign.

The dairy industry can also access various Government backed loan schemes. The COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme is available to dairy farmers, milk buyers and milk processors. In addition, the new Bounce Back Loan scheme applies to businesses operating in agriculture and will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans.

We also took a number of early emergency steps to support dairy farmers and those in other sectors. These included designating employees in the food sector as key workers and temporarily relaxing the normal rules on drivers' hours, enabling the sector to keep supply chains running, including deliveries from farm gate to processors.

Public intervention for skimmed milk powder and butter also continues to be available. Industry can sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. This provides a floor price for dairy products. UK processors are also eligible for the recently opened private storage aid scheme for dairy.

Furthermore, the statutory instrument (SI) temporarily relaxing some elements of competition law for the dairy industry was laid before Parliament on 1 May 2020 and applies retrospectively from 1 April 2020. This makes it easier for the dairy industry to collaborate to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency in order to avoid wastage and to ensure that as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. The AHDB and Dairy UK have offered to work with the dairy industry to support the enactment of the powers under the SI. We and the Devolved Administrations are working closely with them on this.

We will continue to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain to support the sector throughout this challenging period.

Dairy farmers are crucial in ensuring that food supplies remain resilient in this difficult period. While the vast majority of the UK's dairy farmers are largely unaffected some have been directly impacted by the closure of the food service sector as a result of the lockdown measures taken in response to COVID-19. Between 5 and 10 per cent of total milk production goes to the food service trade. We continue to work closely with the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Dairy UK to ensure that those most affected are supported.

In recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing this sector on 7 May we announced a new fund to support those dairy farmers who have seen decreased demand due to the loss of the food service sector. Eligible dairy farmers in England who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May due to coronavirus disruptions will be eligible for funding of up to £10,000 each, to cover 70% of their lost income during this qualifying period. This will enable these producers to continue to operate and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

The AHDB, together with Dairy UK, have launched a new £1 million campaign to drive an increase in the consumption of milk. Running over 12 weeks, the campaign will highlight the role that milk plays in supporting moments of personal connection during times of crisis. Defra and the devolved administrations are jointly contributing towards the financing of this campaign.

The dairy industry can also access various Government backed loan schemes. The COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme is available to dairy farmers, milk buyers and milk processors. In addition, the new Bounce Back Loan scheme applies to businesses operating in agriculture and will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans.

We also took a number of early emergency steps to support dairy farmers and those in other sectors. These included designating employees in the food sector as key workers and temporarily relaxing the normal rules on drivers' hours, enabling the sector to keep supply chains running, including deliveries from farm gate to processors.

Public intervention for skimmed milk powder and butter also continues to be available. Industry can sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. This provides a floor price for dairy products. UK processors are also eligible for the recently opened private storage aid scheme for dairy.

Furthermore, the statutory instrument (SI) temporarily relaxing some elements of competition law for the dairy industry was laid before Parliament on 1 May 2020 and applies retrospectively from 1 April 2020. This makes it easier for the dairy industry to collaborate to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency in order to avoid wastage and to ensure that as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. The AHDB and Dairy UK have offered to work with the dairy industry to support the enactment of the powers under the SI. We and the Devolved Administrations are working closely with them on this.

We will continue to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain to support the sector throughout this challenging period.

Dairy farmers are crucial in ensuring that food supplies remain resilient in this difficult period. While the vast majority of the UK's dairy farmers are largely unaffected some have been directly impacted by the closure of the food service sector as a result of the lockdown measures taken in response to COVID-19. Between 5 and 10 per cent of total milk production goes to the food service trade. We continue to work closely with the National Farmers Union, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Dairy UK to ensure that those most affected are supported.

In recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing this sector on 7 May we announced a new fund to support those dairy farmers who have seen decreased demand due to the loss of the food service sector. Eligible dairy farmers in England who have lost more than 25% of their income over April and May due to coronavirus disruptions will be eligible for funding of up to £10,000 each, to cover 70% of their lost income during this qualifying period. This will enable these producers to continue to operate and sustain production capacity without impacts on animal welfare.

The AHDB, together with Dairy UK, have launched a new £1 million campaign to drive an increase in the consumption of milk. Running over 12 weeks, the campaign will highlight the role that milk plays in supporting moments of personal connection during times of crisis. Defra and the devolved administrations are jointly contributing towards the financing of this campaign.

The dairy industry can also access various Government backed loan schemes. The COVID-19 Business Interruption Loan Scheme is available to dairy farmers, milk buyers and milk processors. In addition, the new Bounce Back Loan scheme applies to businesses operating in agriculture and will ensure that the smallest businesses can access up to £50,000 loans.

We also took a number of early emergency steps to support dairy farmers and those in other sectors. These included designating employees in the food sector as key workers and temporarily relaxing the normal rules on drivers' hours, enabling the sector to keep supply chains running, including deliveries from farm gate to processors.

Public intervention for skimmed milk powder and butter also continues to be available. Industry can sell skimmed milk powder and butter into public intervention when the price they would receive on the open market falls below the intervention price. This provides a floor price for dairy products. UK processors are also eligible for the recently opened private storage aid scheme for dairy.

Furthermore, the statutory instrument (SI) temporarily relaxing some elements of competition law for the dairy industry was laid before Parliament on 1 May 2020 and applies retrospectively from 1 April 2020. This makes it easier for the dairy industry to collaborate to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency in order to avoid wastage and to ensure that as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. The AHDB and Dairy UK have offered to work with the dairy industry to support the enactment of the powers under the SI. We and the Devolved Administrations are working closely with them on this.

We will continue to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain to support the sector throughout this challenging period.

Dairy farmers are crucial in ensuring that food supplies remain resilient in this difficult period. While the vast majority of Britain’s dairy farmers are largely unaffected, some have been impacted by the closure of the food service sector as a result of the lockdown measures taken in response to Covid-19. Between 5 and 10 per cent of total milk production goes to the food service trade. While there is no Government-backed scheme to reduce milk supply, we fully support industry efforts to voluntarily reduce milk production where necessary.

In addition to the wider steps the Government has taken to support businesses impacted by COVID-19, a statutory instrument laid before Parliament on 1 May temporarily relaxed some further elements of competition law making it easier for the dairy industry to collaborate to maximise production, processing and storage efficiency in order to avoid wastage and to ensure that as much product as possible can be processed into high quality dairy products. The SI is available at the following link.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/481/contents/made

We will continue to engage closely with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain to support the sector throughout this challenging period.

Defra has been working closely with all farming sectors on the impacts of the wet weather experienced over the autumn and winter.

In recognition of the difficulties caused to farmers by flooding, Defra has made a total of £4 million available to eligible farmers through the Farming Recovery Fund. In August Defra announced up to £2 million available for farming businesses in Wainfleet and North Yorkshire that were particularly hard-hit by flooding, and in November 2019, Defra announced that it would extend the scheme to cover those impacted by the November flooding with a further £2 million. Assistance is provided to cover non-insurable items and activities such as re-cultivation, reseeding, reinstating field boundaries and removing debris from agricultural land.

During the current six year capital investment programme (from April 2015 to March 2021) the Government is investing a record £2.6 billion in over 1,000 flood defences schemes which will better protect 300,000 homes and an additional 700,000 acres (285,000 hectares) of agricultural land, helping to avoid more than £1.5 billion worth of direct economic damages to agricultural land.

In terms of the wider impact of the wet weather on farmers, Defra is continuing to observe price movements and other market information. For example, we will give close attention to the results of the Early Bird Survey, which the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is rerunning to take account of the impact of the wet weather on winter cereal plantings.

We appreciate that the effects of the wet weather upon cash flow, yields, and other outcomes may only become apparent in the longer term, and will continue to engage closely with sectors in the coming months as to the negative impact from wet weather and to determine whether any action is needed.

Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.

Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.

If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for force majeure.

We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of force majeure are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.

Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.

Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.

If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for force majeure.

We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of force majeure are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.

Farmers have been experiencing difficulties with the recent prolonged wet weather and are concerned about their ability to meet Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules.

Whilst we have not carried out specific assessments of the environmental impact of cultivating waterlogged farmland following the wet weather experienced so far this winter, we encourage farmers to take all the necessary and reasonable steps to protect their soils. In some cases, we understand that this may result in difficulty meeting CAP rules, including the ‘three crop rule’. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently updated its GOV.UK online guidance on flooding and wet weather so that farmers are clear on the rules and possible alternative options that will allow them to remain compliant – including alternatives to the three crop rule. This was put together in direct response to customers’ and stakeholders’ questions and concerns.

If they are in doubt, farmers should contact the RPA to discuss possible mitigation measures where farmers are unsure of the impact that flooding will have on their ability to comply with greening, or other CAP rules, including whether they should apply for force majeure.

We will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with stakeholders, including farmers, where cases of force majeure are put forward. We are also exploring how best to provide flexibility and support farmers affected by the recent wet weather.