Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to increase urban and peri-urban horticulture.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
The Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December, describes the actions we will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 to reduce reliance on imported fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to our horticulture sector and its role in providing fresh home-grown produce that helps to feed the nation.
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered as part of Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. The new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
27% of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grant awards to date, over £41 million, has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector, offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants, and we have committed to allocating at least £200 million to FIP through to 2030.
Wider Government support includes: the five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses and extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase domestic fruit and vegetable production to improve food security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to our horticulture sector and its role in providing fresh home-grown produce that helps to feed the nation.
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered as part of Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. The new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
27% of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grant awards to date, over £41 million, has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector, offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants, and we have committed to allocating at least £200 million to FIP through to 2030.
Wider Government support includes: the five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses and extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of taking steps to help support the expansion of urban and peri-urban food growing on the environment, public health and communities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
Defra’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, describes the actions the department will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects in West Dorset that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas, and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 is taking steps to support urban and peri-urban horticulture projects in West Dorset constituency and other rural areas.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises that expanding urban and peri‑urban food growing can support communities by increasing access to fresh produce, improving local green spaces and contributing to public health and environmental outcomes.
Defra’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, describes the actions the department will take to restore nature, improve environmental quality, create a circular economy, protect environmental security and improve people’s access to nature.
Community‑led initiatives are available to support projects in West Dorset that create opportunities for people to grow food locally and sustainably in urban and peri-urban areas, and will play an important part in supporting urban greening.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much COVID-19 loan support is outstanding from Premiership Rugby Union clubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.
Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans.
I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the financial position of Premiership Rugby Union clubs in meeting COVID-19 loan repayment obligations.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.
Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans.
I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Premiership Rugby clubs and governing bodies on sustainable repayment plans for COVID-19 loans.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.
Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans.
I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on the repayment of COVID-19 loans provided to Premiership Rugby Union clubs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.
Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans.
I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Ofwat to help ensure transparent pricing practices from water companies.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Last week the Government published its Water White Paper which commits to measures to increase the transparency of pricing practices including reviewing tariff structures and enabling smart metering. Alongside this, Government will create a stable, predictable regulatory environment that lowers financing costs, streamlining planning and regulation to cut overheads, and enabling more efficient solutions, such as smart metering.
Water companies have committed to rolling out smart meters across 50% of homes and businesses by 2030. Government is working with Ofwat to ensure, via a Smart Metering Delivery Board, that customers get transparent information from meters on how they are being charged.