Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 a recent assessment of the adequacy of regulations on sewage sludge.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the need to ensure the safe and sustainable use of sludge in agriculture to help clean up our waterways and promote healthy soil.
Noting the Independent Water Commission’s recommendation for reform, in early 2026 we will consult on reforms to how sewage sludge use in agriculture is regulated, including whether this should be included in the Environmental Permitting Regime.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the police to ensure hunting laws are fully enforced.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not had recent discussions with the police regarding the enforcement of hunting laws.
The enforcement of the Hunting Act is an operational matter for the police. This is in line with their duties to keep the peace, protect communities and prevent the commission of offences, working within the provisions of the legal framework set by Parliament.
It is for individual Chief Constables to determine how their resources are deployed, and it is for locally elected PCCs to hold their forces to account. This includes consideration of how the police tackle the crimes that matter most to residents and businesses in rural and urban areas alike.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made in improving water quality in Lewes constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.
The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year.
We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agri-food and beverage attachés there were in a) June 2024 and b) December 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In June 2024 there were twelve agri-food attaches. Currently there are 16 agri-food attachés, covering all major export markets. In 2025 the agri-food attaché network has resolved trade barriers which industry estimate to be worth over £100m.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 help reduce the number of sewage discharges in East Sussex.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have begun rebuilding the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country, including in East Sussex. This includes over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows across England.
The Environment Agency (EA) has increased regulatory inspections across East Sussex to tackle sewage spills, focusing on sites which pose the biggest risk to the environment and ensuring they meet the required environmental standards. The EA have increased regulatory inspections of water company assets within the Lewes constituency from the previous year.
We are also taking action to tackle agricultural pollution. This includes doubling the funding for farm inspections, enabling the EA to work with more farmers, including in East Sussex, to bring them into compliance. These combined efforts are contributing to stronger environmental standards and a clearer picture of progress in water management across the Lewes area.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 ensure water companies are held to account for sewage discharges.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has been clear there is no excuse for poor performance, and we will not look the other way while companies routinely fail to meet agreed standards. Water companies must take seriously their role in meeting the public and regulators expectations.
We have introduced the toughest sentencing powers against law-breaking water executives in history. Through the provisions in the Water (Special Measures) Act, we have introduced new, tougher penalties to address incidences where some water companies have obstructed investigations, failing to hand over evidence related to illegal sewage discharges.
In addition, The Environment Agency have increased their target for water company inspections to 10,000 per year as part of the Government’s wider focus to hold companies to account and improve our water environment.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 assess the potential impact of (a) microplastics and (b) PFAS contaminants in agriculture soil on human and wildlife health.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) keeps a close observation of emerging evidence of the risks microplastics and PFAS may pose.
The EA is working with Defra and collaborating with the water industry on a suite of microplastic and sludge investigations. One water industry investigation through the Chemicals Investigation Programme is currently looking at the movement of microplastics and chemicals from biosolids spread on land to soils.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on whether levels of PFAS in sewage biosolids from wastewater plants are being investigated in Phase 4 of the Chemical Investigations Programme.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Sewage sludge is the by-product of the wastewater treatment which can applied to agricultural land as a fertiliser. Whilst this practice supports the circular economy, the Government recognises that sludge spreading is not without risk.
To better understand these risks from chemicals, Defra officials are engaging with industry and independent researchers under the water industry-funded Chemicals Investigation Programme (CIP). PFAS in sludge was investigated in phase 3 of CIP (CIP3) with reports available online: CIP3 Information. Further sludge investigations are now being run in the current phase 4, they include CIP4 Groundwater, Soil and Biosolids Investigation and CIP4 - Chemical Investigations Programme - Phase 4 - Sludge Investigation.
This work will help inform possible and future measures to mitigate PFAS pollution. The Department discusses the progress of this work on a frequent basis.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of agri-food attachés on the domestic wine sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has 16 agri-food attachés across the world who resolve market access barriers and support export growth for the UK agri-food sector, including wine. So far in 2025, the attachés have helped resolve 41 trade barriers, worth nearly £100m in export opportunities for the agri-food sector.
The UK wine sector, as one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors, is an area that continues to attract domestic and foreign investment. UK wine exports increased by 35% in 2024, accounting for 9% of total sales, which shows a growing interest in the product. To support this interest, UK wines are now served in a number of embassies across the world, from Paris to Tokyo, with attachés playing a key role in their promotion. They also help by working across Governments and with industry partners to resolve practical issues that UK companies face when exporting.
In addition to supporting wine export outcomes (their primary focus), attachés also advance broader Defra objectives, including monitoring global wine supply chain risks and contributing to G20 discussions, COP30 and other multilateral engagements.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
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 support the domestic wine sector.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to supporting the UK domestic wine industry which is one of the fastest growing agricultural sectors. This growth, in both the domestic and international markets, is testament to the high-quality wines being produced and the hard work and vision of those working in the sector.
Defra officials regularly engage with WineGB and producers to support the sector’s ambitions, drive growth and exports and find ways in which the Department can help support further expansion. Defra is considering possible reforms to the UK wine regulations to deliver better results for consumers and industry.