Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 a ban on trail hunting on (a) employment and (b) local businesses in rural communities; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that ban on conservation charities that use trail hunting for fundraising.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra intends to hold a public consultation to seek views on an effective, enforceable ban. As part of that consultation, Defra plans to seek evidence from all concerned to ensure that the legislation that is brought forward is effective in practice. Defra will consider the responses to the consultation carefully in developing our proposals.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence her Department has gathered on the comparative impact of trail hunting, and traditional pest control and other outdoor activities on the level of harm to wildlife.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra intends to hold a public consultation to seek views on an effective, enforceable ban. As part of that consultation, Defra plans to seek evidence from all concerned to ensure that the legislation that is brought forward is effective in practice. Defra will consider the responses to the consultation carefully in developing our proposals.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what comparative assessment her Department has has made of the differing impacts on wildlife of (a) trail hunting and (b) traditional pest control and other outdoor activities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra intends to hold a public consultation to seek views on an effective, enforceable ban. As part of that consultation, Defra plans to seek evidence from all concerned to ensure that the legislation that is brought forward is effective in practice. Defra will consider the responses to the consultation carefully in developing our proposals.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 27th May to Baroness Hayman’s letter, when her Department expects to introduce legislation to enact a ban on trail hunting, and whether a timeline has been agreed for this work.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and we will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year. Legislation will be introduced when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prohibit cane corso dogs under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government currently have no plans to add these breed types to Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Owners of any breed of dog which is dangerously out of control are breaking the law. We will continue to encourage responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog and to consider whether the current dog control rules are sufficient to ensure communities are protected.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 has considered public ownership as a potential outcome under the special administration regime in circumstances where a regulated water company is found to be in material breach of its statutory obligations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The purposes of a Special Administration Regime (SAR) are set out in legislation. Government stands ready to intervene to ensure the continued provision of vital public services – through the application for a SAR – should this be required. It is for the special administrator to manage the affairs of the company so that the company continues to carry out its statutory duties pending rescue (via e.g. debt restructuring) or transfer (via a sale) to new owners. A SAR is not a form of renationalisation. |
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 is having with his Scottish Government on the timeline for its 31 December 2025 landfill ban; and whether he has received any formal request from the Scottish Government to delay that ban.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra regularly engages with colleagues in the Devolved Governments on resources and waste policy. However, resources and waste policy is a devolved matter and the decision to ban biodegradable waste to landfill in Scotland is a matter for Scottish Government. I have sent a letter to my Scottish Government counterpart and look forward to engaging with her on this issue.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 merits of using AI technologies in the national recycling system for (a) waste separation and (b) material recovery.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not conducted a specific assessment of use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to support recycling in England.
However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) conducts ongoing engagement with local authorities and businesses that collect and dispose of waste, including as part of the Simpler Recycling Collections reforms. Through this engagement, Defra is aware of the use of AI technologies to support improved separation and recovery of recyclate from material recovery facilities (MRFs). At some MRFs such as Sweeep Kuusakoski in Kent which I visited recently, AI technology is helping to sort materials that could not previously be easily sorted for reprocessing, including plastic films.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Defra are funding research to help overcome the challenges faced when seeking to build a circular economy. An example of this is the work that the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) and Defra are funding to accelerate UK recycling capabilities.
Moreover, Defra has recently published its AI Strategy and has appointed a new AI Enablement team within its Digital, Data, Technology and Security directorate. Our approach is to seek out opportunities to apply AI technologies but to do so by taking a reasonably cautious approach as to ensure that this is done responsibly and ethically as we continue to develop our expertise and harness the expertise and learning from others.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take legislative steps to regulate bonfires.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
At this present time, we are not planning any new measures restricting bonfires. Government guidance on the rules about garden bonfires is available at: https://www.gov.uk/garden-bonfires-rules.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
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 21 May 2025 to Question 52818 on Slaughterhouses: Closures, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to slaughter facilities for livestock producers in Farnham and Bordon constituency.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The provision of and access to abattoir facilities is a matter for individual business. However, Defra recognises the importance to livestock producers across England of having access to smaller abattoirs who provide local slaughter facilities particularly for rare and native breeds while also supporting local food production and rural economies.
Defra continues to engage regularly with abattoir and livestock sector stakeholders, particularly through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These established forums provide a platform for the industry to raise and address both national and local concerns with the Department.