Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate has been made of levels of glass house food growing capacity for each year from 2015 to date.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra’s statistical estimate of the total glasshouse area used for growing food (vegetables, salad and fruit) in England on 1 June 2025 is 549ha, down from 671ha on 1 June 2015. The complete timeseries is below and available at Agricultural land use in England - GOV.UK.
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Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what measures has the government taken to help ensure the free flow of livestock between NI and GB.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has maintained longstanding arrangements to safeguard animal health while supporting the movement of livestock between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. These measures recognise the separate epidemiological statuses of GB and NI and the need to protect against disease risk while supporting trade within the UK internal market.
Defra has agreed technical easements to enable the flow of livestock. For example, livestock moving from NI to GB are not subject to residency requirements, if hosted at an APHA approved centre and returned to NI within 15 days. We will continue to work closely with the livestock sector and with Devolved Governments to facilitate movement and market access between UK nations.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Ofwat on its effectiveness at regulating (a) bonuses (b) dividends (c) inter company management charges (d) company debt (e) consumer bills for water customers in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Secretary of State regularly meets with stakeholders including Ofwat to discuss a range of issue, all of which is published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 the number of pets by type that were placed with animal shelters as a result of (a) pet ownership affordability and (b) tenancy restrictions in each of the past three years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department does not hold information on the number of pets placed with animal shelters as a result of the affordability of pet ownership or tenancy restrictions. This information may be collected by individual animal welfare organisations.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 level of unlicensed dumping of commercial waste in England for each year from 2015 to date; and what steps she is taking to help tackle it.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents, including commercial waste, to Defra, which the department has published annually since 2012. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is still being collected.
The Government has announced plans to move the regulation of waste management and transport from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. Reform will mean those transporting or making decisions about waste will have to demonstrate they are competent to make those decisions to obtain a permit, rather than simply just registering, ensuring waste is managed by authorised persons only and in a safe manner. The environmental permitting regime gives the Environment Agency more powers and resources to ensure compliance and hold operators to account.
Mandatory Digital Waste Tracking will help to reduce waste crime, including fly-tipping, and this service will be in place from April 2026.
Defra is also conducting a review of local authority powers to seize vehicles involved in fly-tipping, to identify how we can support them to make better use of this tool.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
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 drivers of food and non-alcoholic drink price inflation and what steps are being taken to tackle them.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government monitors food prices closely. As outlined in the UK Food Security Report (December 2024), food price drivers are complex: global commodity prices influence domestic markets through trade and are affected by energy, labour, manufacturing costs, harvest quality, and Sterling exchange rates.
On 19 November, our Secretary of State announced Defra’s collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade to launch a Food Inflation Gateway. This tool will assess the impact of new regulations on food businesses and prices, helping government coordinate and sequence policies to reduce costs, unlock investment, and apply downward pressure on prices.
Alongside this, the Department’s Food Strategy aims to ensure access to affordable, nutritious food and strengthen resilience against short-term supply shocks and long-term risks, reducing the likelihood of future price spikes and supporting fair, stable prices for households.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the security of the fertiliser and CO2 supply chain.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Ensus CO2 plant went offline for routine maintenance in September, and the Government is in discussions with the company about its future. The UK imports a significant share of its CO2, so most users should remain supplied, though some sectors may face pressure at peak demand. Food businesses are encouraged to engage early with distributors.
The Government continues to monitor CO2 availability and maintain contact with suppliers and consumers. Ensuring a stable fertiliser supply is also critical, and Defra monitors prices and supply chains through engagement with manufacturers and stakeholders.
In addition to domestic production, the UK imports fertiliser from many countries. Established ports support flexible sourcing and a diverse nutrient supply. Sustainable fertiliser use is important for environmental outcomes and long-term resilience. Defra supports approaches that improve nutrient efficiency, expand greener production routes, and diversify fertiliser types and sources.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the cost to taxpayers of additional household, bulky, and garden waste collection charges levied by local authorities in England from 2015 to date.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities have had the option to charge households for a garden waste and bulky waste collections since 1992, as per the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012.
From 31 March 2026, local authorities are required to provide a garden waste collection service, which meets the new requirements set out in amended section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to households where it is requested. As per the Controlled Waste (England & Wales) Regulations 2012, they can continue to charge for garden waste services if they choose. Householders will be able to make their own decision about whether they wish to use this service or make other arrangements to dispose of their garden waste.
The previous Government consulted in 2021 on proposals to require waste collection authorities to introduce a free minimum garden waste collection service. However, as set out in the government’s response published in October 2023, the economic and environmental case is not strong enough to proceed with this proposal.
We believe that other Government policies, such as the requirement to collect food waste weekly, now offer higher carbon savings per pound spent than this policy. This includes the far higher savings associated with introducing weekly food waste collections
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of funding to national park authorities in England.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We recognise that the Defra core grant is vital to support England’s National Park Authorities.
In the 25/26 financial year, the government is providing £45.2 million of core funding to the 10 National Park Authorities, with a capital uplift of up to £15 million to support their contribution to protecting 30% of land by 2030. We have also extended programmes such as Farming in Protected Landscapes, providing £30 million to support projects in our National Landscapes and National Parks, until March 2026. We are also committed to working with Protected Landscapes organisations to unleash other income sources.
Defra has invested over £2m in a ‘Green Finance Accelerator’ comprised of National Parks Partnerships and the National Landscapes Association to provide the capacity, tools and expertise needed to increase private investment in nature.
Funding beyond April 2026 is being determined through an ongoing internal business planning process.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the effect of local authority fees and charges for pest control services on the reporting of infestations by members of the public since 2015.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not made an assessment of local authority fees and charges for pest control services on the reporting of infestations by members of the public since 2015.
Where rats and mice are concerned, under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949, local authorities have a duty to deal with infestations regardless of any local fees and charges imposed. The Act makes local authorities responsible for ensuring that their districts are kept so far as practicable free from rats and mice.