Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an easement-extension of the deadline for UK Plant Passports to be affixed to retail-ready plants in the EU.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Following a review in April 2025, the Plant Health Services in Great Britain have agreed to extend an easement that allows draft UK Plant Passports to be attached in EU Member States for plants for planting intended for final users from 30th June 2025 to 31st January 2027.
More information on the UK Plant Passports scheme is available on the Plant Health Portal here as well as on GOV.UK here.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of implementing the Environmental Horticulture Group's recommendations from its report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in autumn 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government appreciates and values the vital work of our agricultural sectors including the part played by environmental horticulture growers.
The Department regularly meets the Environmental Horticulture Group, as well as a wide range of stakeholders and businesses to discuss specific issues facing the sector. These discussions help inform future policy development and help us understand what support the sector needs to help it thrive.
In addition, we work across Government to ensure other Government departments are aware of the excellent report.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to hold a consultation on the forthcoming food strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Developing a food strategy is not a job for the Government alone. We are forming a coalition with the food sector, academics and charities, citizens, and key thinkers to pool our collective ideas, influence, and effort. This includes our Food Strategy Advisory Board, four multi-stakeholder workshops in May, and ongoing sectoral and thematic conversations over the summer.
We will consider whether formal consultation is appropriate at relevant points in the process.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 Department's press release entitled Leading food experts join Government food strategy to restore pride in British food, published on 21 March 2025, what steps he plans to take to encourage the economic growth potential of the food and drink manufacturing sector in the forthcoming Food Strategy.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Food and drink industry is the UK's largest manufacturing sector, with the potential for even greater productivity and growth.
We need a food strategy that is co-designed with the sector to give direction, stability, and clarity on innovation and investment – so that the sector can realise its potential for economic growth. This is why we are working in partnership with the sector, via the Food Strategy Advisory Board and undertaking a first phase of engagements including stakeholders from across food and drink manufacturing sector.
The food strategy will also underpin growth by tackling the drivers of poor health and getting people back into work. We have a critical window of opportunity over the next five years to lay the foundations for changes that will enhance growth and improve productivity in the food sector, and deliver a healthier, more secure, more sustainable food system.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 discussions with his EU counterparts on an agreement on (a) sanitary and phytosanitary measures (b) plant health.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
We have now agreed the parameters which will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and red tape for British producers and retailers.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 adequacy of levels of fines for fly-tipping.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created. This will build on the sanctions already available which include fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, seizing and crushing of vehicles and prosecution which can lead to a significant fine, a community sentence or even imprisonment. We do not intend to carry out any further assessment of the adequacy of levels of fines for fly tipping.
The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court. This is available at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group.
We encourage councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, and we are currently seeking powers to provide statutory guidance on fly-tipping enforcement. We have also announced a review of their powers to seize and crush the vehicles of suspected fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 to help ensure that air pollution levels near (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) GP surgeries do not exceed the World Health Organisation's recommended limits.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to continue reducing everyone’s exposure to air pollution. We are developing a series of further interventions to reduce emissions from key sources. We have set a Population Exposure Reduction Target for PM2.5, which will continue to reduce peoples’ average exposure across the country. We will consider WHO guidelines as part of an evidence led process when considering future targets and plan to publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan later this year, which will set out the action we intend to take on air quality.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 8712 on Animal Welfare, what steps he plans to take to help improve animal welfare.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. In our manifesto we laid out that we will ban trail hunting, ban the importation of hunting trophies, end puppy smuggling and farming and ban the use of snare traps.
The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February to Question 28158 on Public Lavatories: Men, whether he will produce guidance for local authorities on he provision of sanitary waste bins in men's bathrooms.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The maintenance of public toilets is a matter for local authorities. The Government has no plans to produce guidance for local authorities on the provision of sanitary waste bins in men's bathrooms.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
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 bringing forward legislative proposals to require the provision of sanitary waste bins in men's bathrooms.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government oversees policy and legislation with respect to the safe management of waste and litter as well as the protection of drains and sewers. It does not, however, have powers to compel the provision of sanitary bins in public toilets. The maintenance of public toilets is a matter for local authorities.