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 her Department's timetable is on making a decision on whether to introduce a ban on the importation of foie gras.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and is committed to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation, as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy.
It has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation.
This Government remains committed to maintaining and enhancing animal welfare standards and recognises the strength of public feeling on this issue.
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, with reference to the commitment in the Animal Welfare Strategy for England to introduce humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish, when the Government plans to launch its consultation; whether the consultation will cover recommendations 96, 98 to 101, 106 and 107 of the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated opinion on farmed fish at the time of killing; and by what date she expects legislation to be in force.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As laid out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, and following the Animal Welfare Committee’s report on the topic, we will consult on introducing humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish into legislation. Further details will be set out in due course.
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, when will the fourth National Adaptation Plan be presented to Parliament.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the Government must complete a Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP) outlining how identified risks will be addressed.
The Government intends to publish the Fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028.
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 the planned timetable is for publishing official guidance setting out legally compliant killing methods for decapod crustaceans to industry.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare Strategy sets out Government priorities until 2030. Policies will be delivered throughout this time, including policy on decapod crustaceans.
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 she has made of the adequacy of timelines for Local Authorities to distribute Property Flood Resilience grants; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for those grants.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government routinely reviews flood recovery support following significant activations of the Flood Recovery Framework. Following the activation of support after Storms Babet in 2023 and Henk in 2024, a formal post-activation review identified opportunities to streamline administration, improve communication with local authorities and speed up the identification of eligible areas.
Defra routinely reviews the Property Flood Resilience Grant following activations, and has undertaken a formal evaluation to assess its effectiveness and identify improvements to delivery. These reviews help ensure that recovery support remains effective, proportionate and responsive to the needs of flood-affected communities.
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 she has made of the potential implications of the revised Social Value Model for delivery of the Government's commitment that 50% of publicly procured food should be local or produced to higher environmental standards.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s new social value rules mean that, from 1 January 2027, businesses bidding for government contracts - a market worth £90bn per year - will be judged on their commitment to creating high-quality British jobs, tackling local skills shortages, and supporting young people into apprenticeships and work placements. DEFRA is keen to ensure these new social value criteria support good jobs and skills within the UK farming industry and support our ambition for at least half of all food purchased by the public sector to be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards.
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, with reference to the third UK Climate Change Risk Assessment's identification of risks to livestock from multiple climate hazards as a priority risk area, what steps her Department is taking to monitor and publish data on farmed animal deaths and welfare impacts from extreme weather; and what plans she has to include such indicators in the fourth National Adaptation Programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has a protocol to monitor animal welfare during high-risk weather periods and ensure keepers take steps to mitigate risks. The Food Standards Agency shares data with Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency for welfare issues originating on-farm and during transport. The Government has sought advice from the Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) on the impacts of climate change on farmed animal welfare and potential mitigations. Part 1 of the project is underway and focuses on poultry species, and Part 2 will cover pigs and ruminants. We are currently considering what indicators are included in the fourth Adaptation Plan.
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, whether her Department is collecting data on the number of flexible crates being installed by pig farmers in England; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that voluntary transition on the outcomes of the planned consultation on farrowing crate use.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No such data is being collected on the number of flexible crates being installed. As stated in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government wants to work with industry so that it ends the use of pig farrowing crates. A consultation on the transition to alternative farrowing systems will include an impact assessment and will take place in due course.
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 data her Department holds on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm or in transport as a result of heat stress or other extreme weather events in each of the last five years, broken down by species.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government does not hold data on the number of farmed animals that have required veterinary attention and/or died on-farm due to heat stress.
Data from 2022 indicates that, in July and August 2022 when there was unprecedented hot weather in the UK, approximately 30,000 and 27,000 poultry respectively were reported to APHA as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses. The government does not hold such data for the years 2023-2025.
During the red warning period (24th-26th June), approximately 17,000 broilers, 600 hens, 70 turkeys, three pigs and one sheep were reported as dead on arrival at slaughterhouses due to suspected heat stress. Approximately 300 pigs were reported on arrival at slaughterhouses as exhibiting clinical signs consistent with heat stress.
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, if her Department will undertake analysis of modifications required to farmed animal housing and transport in order to safeguard animal welfare in extreme heat.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra has commissioned the Animal Welfare Committee to assess the likely impacts of climate change on farmed animals and what measures could be put in place by the farming sector to protect animals against these effects. We will carefully consider the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations.