Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 is taking to safeguard the mental health of farmers in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has invested in mental health to ensure it receives the same attention as physical health. This includes the hiring of 8,500 new mental health support workers, which will reduce delays and provide faster treatment closer to people’s homes – including in rural communities.
Since May 2024, Defra has provided £500k through the Farmer Welfare Grant to support farming welfare organisations in delivering projects that safeguard farmers’ mental health. One recipient, the Farming Community Network, is using the funding to expand its FarmWell platform, an online resource offering advice on mental health, isolation, depression and suicide, which can be accessed by anyone at any time including your constituents in Ely and Cambridgeshire. Subject to budget prioritisation, Defra aims to continue and expand this support.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 robustness of rural proofing in Government policy.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed, ensuring that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas. Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is seen through this lens.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure whether existing policies are rural proofed.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has made a commitment that all policy decision-making should be rural proofed, ensuring that rural areas are not overlooked and that the intended outcomes are deliverable in rural areas. Defra leads on rural proofing, but individual departments are responsible for ensuring that their policy decision-making is considered through this lens.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on the adequacy of the level of flood preparedness in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is supporting 26 flood groups across Cambridgeshire, alongside Cambridgeshire County Council, to be prepared for flooding by creating a flood plan and access to a flood kit. There are two active flood groups in the Ely and East Cambridgeshire area: Cottenham, and Little Downham and Pymoor.
Regarding the ongoing inspection, maintenance, and repair of the raised earth embankments river defences in the area, a risk-based approach has been adopted to ensure resources are directed to where they provide the most flood risk benefit.
To prepare better for the future, the EA has several strategic projects focused on improving long term flood resilience, these include Fens 2100+ and the Cranbrook/Counter Drain project. Fens 2100+ is developing a long-term plan to manage future flood risk in the Fens and the Cranbrook/Counter Drain project is working on water storage proposals through the restoration of sand and gravel workings.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with local authorities on flood preparedness.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Floods Resilience Taskforce meets quarterly to coordinate and drive forward work on national flood resilience by national and local government, including representatives from Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Authorities and MHCLG. It met on 8 September and reviewed preparedness for flooding this autumn and winter.
The Taskforce discussed the risk of flooding and the improvements made by Taskforce members to prepare, respond and recover. They also discussed national flood modelling and forecasting, communication of flood warnings, exercising of the National Flood Response Centre and improving the awareness of flood schemes.
Lead local flood authorities (unitary and county authorities) are required to manage local flood risks from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. Local flood risks should be identified and managed as part of a local flood risk management strategy.
The Environment Agency and Defra will continue to work with their partners in local authorities to improve flood readiness, including Lead Local Flood Authorities.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Floods Resilience Taskforce is taking to prepare for potential floods in winter 2025-26.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Flood Resilience Taskforce, which brings together national and local government, emergency services and other partners, met on 8 September and reviewed preparedness for flooding this autumn and winter.
The Taskforce discussed the risk of flooding and the improvements made by Taskforce members to prepare, respond and recover, including improvements to national flood modelling and forecasting, communication of flood warnings, exercising of the National Flood Response Centre and improving the awareness of schemes to support those affected by flooding.
The Taskforce concluded that at local and national levels, preparedness for flooding has overall increased compared to September 2024. Taskforce members will continue to work throughout the autumn and winter to protect communities.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 has taken to mitigate the impact of flooding on households ahead of winter 2025-26.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are investing a record £2.65 billion over two years for the construction of new flood schemes, and the maintenance and repair of existing ones. Around 1,000 projects will receive fresh funding in 24/25 and 25/26.
Flood Action Week, running from 13th of October, will inform the public how to understand their flood risk and the actions they can take. This will include raising awareness of the flood warning service, what to do when they receive a warning, and the benefits of taking property flood resilience measures.
The Flood Resilience Taskforce, which brings together national and local government, emergency services and other partners, met on 5 September and reviewed preparedness for flooding in autumn and winter, The Taskforce considered improvements to national flood modelling and forecasting, communication of flood warnings and improving awareness of schemes to support those affected by flooding.
The Taskforce concluded that at local and national levels, preparedness for flooding has overall increased compared to September 2024. Taskforce members will continue to work throughout the autumn and winter to protect communities.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 plans to take to help tackle animal beatings in Cambridgeshire.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Enforcement of animal welfare standards is primarily delivered through the powers available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare.
The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amended the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. Anyone who is cruel to an animal face being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
Local authorities have powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering on any land, public or private.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 implications for his policies of the Vet Times's article entitled Animal beating reported ‘once every 15 minutes’ – RSPCA, published on 22 August 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Cruelty to animals is unacceptable. The Government keeps animal welfare policy under review and is committed to ensuring that animals are protected from unnecessary suffering.
Enforcement of animal welfare standards is primarily delivered through the powers available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare.
The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 amended the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. Anyone who is cruel to an animal faces being sent to prison for up to five years, or receiving an unlimited fine, or both.
Asked by: Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat - Ely and East Cambridgeshire)
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 has taken with Cabinet colleagues to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy and has convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help develop the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England, for which we plan to publish for consultation in the coming autumn. Whilst led by Defra, this is a cross-government effort based on close collaboration between departments and the governments of the Four Nations of the UK.
Reflecting this collaborative and whole-economy approach, officials are working closely with other government departments with strong interests in the delivery of a circular economy, in particular, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Department for Transport and HM Treasury to ensure that government is maximising the opportunities to be had from properly joining up and integrating circular economy activity across a range of departments.