Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (a) how many and (b) what value of water resource management grants were (i) granted and (ii) rejected by the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last 10 financial years.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The following table lists the answer:
Qty Rejected | Value Rejected | Qty Granted | Value Granted | |
2017/18 | 0 | £ - | 2 | £215,974.42 |
2018/19 | 11 | £1,708,260.72 | 121 | £8,912,028.96 |
2019/20 | 14 | £20,762.30 | 179 | £ 311,127.36 |
2020/21 | 5 | £5,374.00 | 201 | £ 203,902.00 |
2021/22 | 0 | £ - | 0 | £ - |
2022/23 | 103 | £3,287,841.96 | 381 | £2,698,059.35 |
2023/24 | 19 | £2,047,450.67 | 423 | £6,811,257.63 |
2024/25 | 7 | £393,871.55 | 329 | £1,673,697.22 |
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the horticulture sector.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government appreciates and values the vital work of the horticulture industry and, as part of our mission-driven government, we are committed to working with colleagues across Whitehall to support the sector.
Underlining this commitment, the Seasonal Worker visa route has been confirmed for 2025, with a total of 43,000 Seasonal Worker visas available for horticulture next year. This is broadly the same allocation as the sectors received in 2023 and 2024, which comfortably met demand. This will help the sector secure the labour and skills needed to bring high quality British produce to market.
We are also continuing support for crop Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) investing in R&D for breeding to improve crop varieties supporting crop resilience and efficiency.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government's proposed planning reforms on food security.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government places great importance on our agricultural land and food production. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. The Framework is also clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.
Food security is national security, which is relevant to all five Government missions and central to our primary mission to grow the economy. Boosting Britain’s food security is one of the core priorities of this Government. We need a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports British farmers. The only way to do this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside and nature. We will consider relevant evidence and analysis, including that contained in Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, as we develop our plans to support our farmers and food and drink businesses, boost food security, invest in rural communities, deliver growth, manage waste more effectively across the supply chain, improve resilience to climate change and tackle biodiversity loss.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting Controlled Environment Facilities from Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following consultation in 2022, exemptions to the biodiversity net gain requirement set out within the regulations are narrow and focussed. This keeps the policy ambitious, whilst being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local authorities.
My officials engage widely with stakeholders involved in delivering biodiversity net gain to increase our understanding of overall implementation. We will continue to engage with the horticulture sector and others, with evidence from industry to substantiate any suggested improvements to the requirement being crucial.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the impact of Biodiversity Net Gain regulations on Controlled Environment Agriculture.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following consultation in 2022, exemptions to the biodiversity net gain requirement set out within the regulations are narrow and focussed. This keeps the policy ambitious, whilst being proportionate and deliverable for developers and local authorities.
My officials engage widely with stakeholders involved in delivering biodiversity net gain to increase our understanding of overall implementation. We will continue to engage with the horticulture sector and others, with evidence from industry to substantiate any suggested improvements to the requirement being crucial.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Government’s intended planning reforms on Controlled Environment Agriculture.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is committed to a prosperous horticulture sector.
Unlocking innovation is integral to enabling our growers to improve productivity sustainably, and to contribute to our food security. We are working with the industry to stimulate this, including through the adoption of Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) technologies enabling crops to be grown and harvested year-round in a climate-controlled environment.
We are committed to working across Government and are reviewing responses to the recently closed consultation which asked for sector views on our proposed approach to revising the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating a new national accreditation for sustainable Controlled Environment Agriculture food production.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government is committed to a prosperous horticulture sector.
Unlocking innovation is integral to enabling our growers to improve productivity sustainably, and to contribute to our food security. We are working with the industry to stimulate this, including through the adoption of Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) technologies enabling crops to be grown and harvested year-round in a climate-controlled environment.
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the sole National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will work with the relevant control bodies to enable vertical farms to apply for organic accreditation.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Organic production is internationally recognised as a soil-based system, that is strictly regulated by assimilated organic Regulations 834/2007 and 889/2008. Vertical farming relies on hydroponic production, the method of growing plants with their roots in a mineral nutrient solution or in an inert medium, which is specifically prohibited within organic production systems. Therefore, it is not possible to certify vertical farming as organic.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to help foster responsible access to the countryside.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government remains committed to increasing responsible access to the countryside and is currently considering how best to deliver enhanced access and what changes are needed to develop policy.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of biodiversity net gain regulations on local planning authorities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers and officials from Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have regular discussions on a range of issues. Officials from both departments continue to work very closely together on biodiversity net gain (BNG) implementation to ensure local planning authorities have the guidance and tools in place to deliver BNG.
Defra has committed £35 million since financial year 2021/2022 to enable Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and implement BNG. On top of this, Defra has funded the Planning Advisory Service to support Local Planning Authorities to prepare for and deliver BNG.
Defra and MHCLG will continue to monitor the roll out of BNG.