Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 distinguishes between sustainably managed commercial forestry and deforestation-linked timber imports.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption indicator, funded by Defra, estimates that UK consumption of wood products is linked to circa 8,000 hectares of deforestation in 2023, associated with circa 0.4m tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The UK has a robust framework in place to ensure that timber placed on the UK market is legally harvested. Under the UK Timber Regulations, it is prohibited to place illegally harvested timber on the market, and businesses must carry out due diligence to demonstrate legality.
This approach distinguishes between legal and illegal timber and helps tackle deforestation linked to illegal logging, while supporting the supply and use of timber from legal and sustainable sources.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 sustainably sourced imported timber on the UK’s net zero and decarbonisation objectives.
Answered by Mary Creagh
We recognise the important role timber can play in supporting Net Zero, including through reducing embodied emissions in construction and storing carbon. The Government relaunched a more ambitious Timber in Construction Roadmap in February 2025 to increase sustainable timber use. The UK currently meets only around a fifth of its timber demand from domestic production, and even with increased planting and improved management, imports will continue to be essential to meet demand and balance wider land use priorities. Using a combination of domestic and imported timber, as well as other construction materials will allow the Government to meet its housing delivery ambitions.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made towards the Government’s commitment to reform the governance and statutory purposes of National Parks through legislation.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Government has delivered in providing the National Park Authorities and the Broads Authority with a new general power of competence through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 and remains committed to strengthening the governance and statutory purposes of our National Parks as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 number of lithium-ion battery-related fire incidents recorded in 2023–24 on the environment.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential impact on the environment of lithium-ion battery-related fires recorded between 2023 and 2024. Battery-related fire incidents are a significant concern, and we remain engaged with wider Government and with industry, including waste disposal operators, on this issue.
We are currently considering options for reform of the batteries regulations in the UK as a means to address a range of issues, including fires, and we are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on those options.
In relation to battery energy storage systems sites, which can use large numbers of lithium-ion batteries, the Government has consulted on the principle of including these within environmental permitting regulations to manage the potential environmental and public health risks from fires at these facilities. The Government response to this consultation will be published at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what interventions she plans to put in place to mitigate the public safety and economic risks posed by batter fires in waste centres.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The department is aware from ongoing discussions with industry that the reported costs of battery fires in waste centres are significant, and this is a major concern. Defra is currently considering options for reforms of the batteries regulations that would help to address this issue, and as part of this we will include our own assessment of the cost to the economy of battery fires in waste centres. Defra will continue to work with industry on this matter.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to the economy of battery fires in waste centres.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The department is aware from ongoing discussions with industry that the reported costs of battery fires in waste centres are significant, and this is a major concern. Defra is currently considering options for reforms of the batteries regulations that would help to address this issue, and as part of this we will include our own assessment of the cost to the economy of battery fires in waste centres. Defra will continue to work with industry on this matter.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
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 has considered introducing a cap on veterinary prescription fees.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) have been conducting a full market investigation into the supply of veterinary services for household pets in the UK since 23 May 2024. On 15 October 2025, the CMA released its Provisional Decision Report (PDR). The remedies raised in this report are subject to the CMAs final report which is due to be release in the Spring. One of the remedies being considered is a cap on the price of written veterinary prescriptions.
Defra welcomes the CMA’s market investigation into the veterinary sector and looks forward to continuing to engage with the CMA throughout this process. Defra will consider any remedies from the CMAs final report.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative estimate her Department has made of the cost of (a) veterinary medicines and (b) equivalent human medicines.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Veterinary medicine is a private service, including the prescription and supply of veterinary medicines. The Government does not regulate the cost of medicines and pricing structures are not subject to legislative controls. The costs of veterinary medicines are controlled by market forces.
The Government is not informed of the prices of individual products and has not estimated the comparative costs of veterinary medicines and human medicines.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the cross-Government nature strategy.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Defra will set out its timeline for publishing the Cross Government Nature Strategy (GCNS) in due course.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the next set of Greening Government Commitments will be published for the years 2025-2030.
Answered by Mary Creagh
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 April 2025 to PQ 45716.