Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief, (b) Sustainable Farming Incentive and (c) other financial subsidies on the mental health of farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to supporting the mental health of those working in farming and agriculture.
The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses and fixing the public finances in a fair way. With the reforms, those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
The Government continues to fund the Farmer Welfare Grant. This currently funds three charities to deliver projects which support mental health and build resilience in local farming communities.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 bring forward legislative proposals to prevent overseas private equity investment in Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are no plans to introduce any such legislation at this time.
More broadly, the Independent Water Commission is actively considering whether reforms are needed across the water industry, including with respect to economic regulation of water companies. Within this, the Commission is considering regulation of water companies’ financial resilience, investment and competition. The Commission is expected to publish its recommendations, following which the Government expects to bring forward further actions to ensure the water industry is delivering for customers and the environment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 the implementation of crayfish barriers in (a) brooks and (b) streams to help prevent the non-anthropogenic spread of established invasive crayfish populations.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The use of barriers as a strategic means of managing crayfish spread is currently not promoted by the Environment Agency (EA). This is because such barriers also impact migratory fish and macroinvertebrates.
As part of Government efforts to prevent the spread of Signal Crayfish, they are listed as a ‘Species of Special Concern’ and is subject to the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. This means that live specimens cannot be brought into Great Britain, kept, bred, transported, sold, used or exchanged, allowed to reproduce, grown or cultivated, or released into the environment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 ensure that Ofwat's enforcement case investigation into Thames Water is (a) performed and (b) concluded in a timely manner.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing investigation. We have a system of independent environmental and economic regulation, and the recently introduced Water (Special Measures) Act provides the most significant increase in enforcement powers for the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period. This includes powers for Ofwat to set rules on remuneration, governance, and financial reporting. The Government will continue to work with regulators to hold water companies to account on poor performance and to drive improvements which benefit customers and the environment.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward regulations on the composition of bread marketed as sourdough.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no current plans to introduce regulations to specifically cover the composition of ‘sourdough bread’. The UK maintains high food standards including on requirements relating to food labelling and information. Existing legislation ensures the labelling and marketing of food, including sourdough products, does not intentionally mislead consumers.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 mark the 30th anniversary of the Thames Path National Trail; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of the trail at Marsh Lock Horsebridge on the (i) anniversary and (ii) tourism to the Henley and Thame constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There will be a programme of events in the summer of 2026 celebrating the history and importance of the Thames Path National Trail.
The Environment Agency recognises the importance of Marsh Horse Bridge to the community within the Henley & Thame constituency and the role it plays supporting tourism along the Thames Path National Trail.
The Health, Safety, and Wellbeing of river users is the Environment Agency’s foremost consideration. The current condition of the bridge is such that closure was the only option to keep people safe.
The Environment Agency is in regular contact with National Trails, to ensure it has the latest information on the bridge closure. It has published details of a diversion route on their website to ensure progress along the trail is not significantly hampered by the bridge closure.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 13 March 2025 to Question 37093 on Environment Agency: Finance, if he will take steps to fast track the flood and coastal erosion risk management grant-in-aid funding application for the (a) repair of the Horsebridge at Marsh Lock and (b) restoration of the Thames Path National Trail.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government’s Spending Review process will consider all of the investment requests relating to the non-tidal Thames navigation assets. The Environment Agency (EA) will then develop its medium-term capital delivery programme based on the benefits, opportunities, and risks of each of its candidate projects.
The EA will only apply for funding towards maintaining structures which it has a responsibility to maintain. Where the Agency is the landowner for sections of the towpath it will consider what works it can progress within its maintenance and refurbishment programmes. Other landowners and risk management authorities will have the opportunity to consider restoration works to the Thames Path National Trail within their annual work programmes.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
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 7 March 2025 to Question 35545 on Environment Protection: Henley-on-Thames, if he will hold discussions with Ofwat on the adequacy of the progress on the improvement scheme at Horton-cum-Studley sewage treatment by Thames Water.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
My officials and I have regular conversations with Ofwat and other regulators, to discuss a range of activities, including delivery by water companies.
Ahead of Price Review 24 (PR24), funding investment works through 2025 – 2030, the Horton-cum-Studley site has had further works identified to meet the government’s targets by reducing spills to no more than 10 per year and causing no adverse ecological impact. The exact delivery date of these works is officially to be confirmed.
In February 2025 Ofwat opened an enforcement case into Thames Water to investigate whether its delayed delivery of environmental improvements schemes has meant the company has breached its obligations. The focus of that investigation is schemes that were intended to be delivered in the 2020-25 period. Ofwat's investigation will keep under review if there is any further action to take in relation to the delivery of schemes planned for the PR24 period (2025-30).
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 12th February 2025 from the Hon. Member for Henley and Thame on a meeting to discuss the ongoing closure of the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge in Henley-on-Thames.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has not received the hon. Member’s aforementioned letter of 12 February 2025; however, it did respond on 3 March 2025 to the hon. Member’s letter of 6 February 2025 regarding the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge. The Department was also transferred the hon Member’s letter of 17 February to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding the same topic, which was closed in light of the 3 March response. A further letter from the hon Member dated 10 March has been received and will receive a response as soon as possible.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter of 17 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Henley and Thame on the closure of the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge in Henley on Thames.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has not received the hon. Member’s aforementioned letter of 12 February 2025; however, it did respond on 3 March 2025 to the hon. Member’s letter of 6 February 2025 regarding the Thames Path National Trail at the Marsh Lock Horsebridge. The Department was also transferred the hon Member’s letter of 17 February to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding the same topic, which was closed in light of the 3 March response. A further letter from the hon Member dated 10 March has been received and will receive a response as soon as possible.