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 steps her Department plans to take to maintain animal welfare standards in the context of negotiations with the EU on a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. It is too soon to discuss the details of the SPS agreement, which is subject to negotiation. We have been clear with the EU about the importance of establishing arrangements which enable us to maintain high animal welfare 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, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee finding that the UK is non-compliant with the Convention on the Government’s environmental targets.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.
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 her department intends to respond to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee's report to the Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on Decision VII/8s, published on 3 October 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.
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 his oral answer to the hon. Member for Waveney Valley of 21 July 2025, Official Report, col 579, on what evidential basis his Department has estimated the cost of bringing water companies into public ownership.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has estimated that nationalising the water industry would cost approximately £100 billion. This is based on the sector’s Regulatory Capital Value (RCV), which was £99.3 billion in 2024 and £106.7 billion in 2025. It reflects the cost of purchasing equity in all water companies as well as the cost of assuming their existing debt liabilities. For more information on the approach taken by Defra to reach its estimate, please see: Nationalising the water sector: how we assessed the cost - GOV.UK.
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 Climate Change Committee's letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, entitled advice on the UK’s adaptation objectives, published on 15 October 2025, whether her Department plans to put in additional adaptation before the release of the next National Adaptation Plan in 2028.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is taking forward action on climate adaptation including developing stronger adaptation objectives, improving governance through the cross Government senior officials forum, the Climate Resilience Steering Board, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and launching a fifth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power covering key infrastructure. The Department is also supporting research through the £15 million Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change programme. These initiatives aim to improve preparedness and resilience across Government and society.
Defra recognises the urgency of preparing for climate change impacts and is committed to strengthening adaptation efforts. The Department is actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which includes activity across twelve departments and measures to improve resilience across sectors. Defra is also working to develop stronger adaptation objectives and delivery plans with these departments ahead of the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028 These efforts aim to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events associated with a 2°C rise in global temperatures. Defra will respond to the advice from the Climate Change Committee letter on 15 October 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, with reference to the Climate Change Committee's letter to the Minister for Water and Flooding, dated 15 October 2025, if she will make it her policy to introduce measures before the release of the next National Adaptation Plan to help reduce the impact of weather extremes should global warming levels reach 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels by 2050.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is taking forward action on climate adaptation including developing stronger adaptation objectives, improving governance through the cross Government senior officials forum, the Climate Resilience Steering Board, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and launching a fifth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power covering key infrastructure. The Department is also supporting research through the £15 million Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change programme. These initiatives aim to improve preparedness and resilience across Government and society.
Defra recognises the urgency of preparing for climate change impacts and is committed to strengthening adaptation efforts. The Department is actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which includes activity across twelve departments and measures to improve resilience across sectors. Defra is also working to develop stronger adaptation objectives and delivery plans with these departments ahead of the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028 These efforts aim to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events associated with a 2°C rise in global temperatures. Defra will respond to the advice from the Climate Change Committee letter on 15 October 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, whether he plans to introduce species-specific slaughter legislation for farmed fish.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since publication of the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing a GB-wide joint government-industry working group on farmed trout has been examining the issues raised in the report. This co-design work has made good progress on exploring potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. We are now exploring all the potential next steps, including options for creating detailed guidance and new legislation.
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 steps his Department to ensure the humane slaughter of farmed fish.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since publication of the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing a GB-wide joint government-industry working group on farmed trout has been examining the issues raised in the report. This co-design work has made good progress on exploring potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements. We are now exploring all the potential next steps, including options for creating detailed guidance and new legislation.
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, how much and what proportion of capital spending on flooding will be allocated to (a) hard infrastructure and (b) nature-based solutions.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At the Spending Review on 11 June the Government announced a record £4.2 billion investment over three years (2026/27 to 2028/29) to improve flood resilience by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. The list of projects to receive government funding will be agreed in the usual way, on an annual basis, through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation.
Future flood investment schemes will also be subject to our currently open consultation on proposals to reform the way we fund flood and coastal defences. This new approach will make it easier to invest in natural flood management schemes that also boost nature, water resources and fight climate change.
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 the (a) Landscape Recovery and (b) Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship schemes will be re-opened for applications.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
A) The Government reconfirmed its commitment to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes in the recent Spending Review. Landscape Recovery projects that were awarded funding in rounds one and two are continuing, and we are moving into the delivery phase with the first round of projects. Plans for a third round of Landscape Recovery will be confirmed in due course.
B) Defra is rolling out the improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme this year. We have invited farmers and land managers to begin the pre-application process. There will be opportunities for other farmers and land managers to access CSHT in the future. More details on the timing and approach to widening applications will be published later this year.