Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the evidential basis is for the proposed 0.2-hectare exemption from mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 take steps to provide certainty for people with (a) proposals currently in the planning process and (b) planning permission already granted where Biodiversity Net Gain requirements apply.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 plans to take to help ensure that the proposed changes to Biodiversity Net Gain requirements do not delay the development of planning applications.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 has made an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to the Biodiversity Net Gain regulations on the workload for local planning authorities.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 the changes to Biodiversity Net Gain requirements on nature recovery in South Suffolk.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recently announced its intention to introduce a new 0.2 ha area exemption to ease burdens on small developers and local authorities whilst maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response is coming shortly, along with an evidence assessment. A full Impact Assessment will follow later in the year.
An implementation timeline will also be published along with the consultation response, setting out when changes will take effect. Until this is confirmed, the current BNG requirement remains in place and developers and local authorities should continue to follow existing guidance and legislation when delivering BNG.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of the English countryside have been burnt by wildfires in the last twelve months; and what the cost was in terms of (a) fighting the fires, (b) loss of economic activity, (c) restoring the landscape and (d) NHS treatment of the effects of smoke pollution as a result of those wildfires.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not hold details on how many hectares of the English countryside have been burnt by wildfires in the last twelve months.
MHCLG is responsible for fire policy and operations.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 prevent the use of cages and other confinement systems for farmed animals.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 April 2025 to the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole, PQ UIN 47556.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 to ensure food and drink sold in the UK is labelled according to RSPCA standards.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.
The RSPCA Assured scheme is an animal welfare assurance initiative which sets standards which go beyond the UK’s legal baseline. It is independent from Government.
While food businesses can choose whether to adopt RSPCA Assured standards and apply this label to their products, an underpinning rule of existing legislation is that food information, whether it be mandatory or is provided voluntarily, must not mislead.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 help ensure that sufficient funding for flood prevention is distributed evenly.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit more than 890,000 properties.
The Government recently announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy, making it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding rules.
To secure maximum value for every pound of taxpayer funding, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios. Contributions from other sources will boost a project’s prioritisation. This approach uses government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources.
A minimum of 20% of FCERM investment will go to the 20% most deprived communities and a minimum of 40% to the 40% most deprived communities, ensuring deprived communities receive vital investment.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
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 to boost flood defences in South Suffolk constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) is actively managing flood risk in South Suffolk through routine maintenance, strategic projects and provision of warnings and advice. Since April 2025, over 2,200 hours and a budget of £15,440 have been spent operating and maintaining flood risk assets such as sluices, together with targeted watercourse and vegetation management. £50,000 additional investment will take place at Long Melford and Glemsford to reduce flood risk to vulnerable properties by enhancing upstream floodplains, while also improving wetland habitats for long-term environmental benefits.
Over the next five years, Suffolk County Council will implement the Sudbury Surface Water Flood Alleviation Scheme - protecting up to 21 more homes, and the EA will provide property flood resilience to many more homes across the area. EA maintenance will continue, wherever possible. as will provision of a flood warning service for residents, and advice to planning authorities to ensure new developments remain safe from flooding.