Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, other than special advisers if her Department has appointed anyone from outside the civil service since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since July 2024, the Department has made appointments from outside the Civil Service through public appointments and direct ministerial appointments. Information on these appointments is publicly available on GOV.UK here and here.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agency staff were employed by her Department in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department employed 51 agency staff in the financial year 2025/26, 23 agency staff in 2024/25, 64 agency staff in 2023/24, 35 agency staff in 2022/23, and 52 agency staff in 2021/22. All headcount figures are as of 31 March of the relevant financial year.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support arable farmers in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is supporting arable farmers in South Holland and the Deepings and across Lincolnshire through a record £11.8 billion commitment to sustainable farming and food production over this Parliament. This year, eligible farmers can apply for new funding through the £240 million Sustainable Farming Incentive, at least £50 million for new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements, £225 million in Capital Grants and £123 million through the Farming Innovation Programme, which supports productivity, innovation and resilience on farms.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 monitor water usage nationally from the growth of data centres.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Environment Agency and water companies to improve understanding of data centre water demand. We are building the evidence base on water use, considering its implications through national water resources planning, and supporting efficient, sustainable water use by the sector.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many political appointees have been made by her department since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials have taken ‘political appointees’ to mean special advisers. A list of special advisers by department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in parliament. The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2026 will be published in due course.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 estimated how many seabirds have died due to colliding with offshore wind turbines for each of the last five years.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have commissioned the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to undertake a project to calculate estimated mortalities from offshore wind farms using up to date methods and parameters. This will support future assessments of offshore wind impacts on seabirds.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh
A full impact assessment for the Biodiversity Net Gain small, medium and brownfield development consultation will be published soon. This will assess the impact of Biodiversity Net Gain changes across England.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 hired external public relations consultants since July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has not used any public relations consultants since July 2024.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 permits civil servants employed in the UK to work from overseas on a regular basis.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not permit employees to work overseas on a regular basis and has a robust policy and application process for use in exceptional circumstances only. All exceptional cases must comply with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and other regulatory requirements and be authorised at a senior level.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement on the farming sector in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
This Government is currently negotiating the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and removing trade barriers for British producers and retailers.
Details of the agreement are subject to ongoing negotiations. This Government will follow normal processes for any necessary legislative changes and assess impacts accordingly.