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 support nature friendly farming initiatives in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Farming Roadmap, nature‑friendly farming systems can sustain or enhance production while strengthening resilience and reducing input dependency. These approaches are not at odds with food security but are increasingly central to it. The most resilient farms are profitable precisely because they work with the environment, not against it.
The Government is backing a shift towards lower input and more sustainable farming systems. This is already under way, with 69% of English farmland currently being managed under agri-environment schemes. This includes 3,646 live CS and SFI Agreements in Lincolnshire.
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 improve the water quality of open water in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency is improving water quality in Lincolnshire through tougher regulation of the water industry, engagement with the agricultural sector and ongoing environmental monitoring. It regularly monitors rivers, coastal waters and bathing waters, using evidence to target enforcement, support improvements and protect the environment and public health.
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 quantity of illegal dairy produce was seized at UK borders in each of the last three years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Border Force data on seizures of imported products of animal origin is available on GOV.UK 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, what steps her Department is taking to help support the financial viability of (a) farming businesses and (b) food manufacturing business in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is backing farm profitability through £11.8 billion for sustainable farming and food production, including investment in productivity and innovation.
Currently, 198 customers in the constituency have live CS or SFI agreements.
The Farming Roadmap sets out how Government will support farmers to cut costs, access markets and build resilient businesses.
The Government also recognises the importance of food manufacturing to local economies and is working with industry to strengthen supply-chain resilience, address dependencies including energy, water, labour, transport and essential inputs, and support investment, productivity and growth.
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 farmers in (i) Lincolnshire and (ii) South Holland and the Deepings constituency (a) applied for funding in the Sustainable Farming Incentive second application window and (b) were unsuccessful with their application.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
During the SFI 26 Window 2 the Rural Payments Agency received (i) 11 applications from farmers in Lincolnshire, with a further 3 applications started but not submitted, and (ii) received 95 applications from farmers in South Holland and the Deepings, with a further 15 started but not submitted.
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 help tackle food waste in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government supports tackling food waste through WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact and Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, helping businesses measure, reduce, report waste and increase surplus food redistribution. Defra also allocated £13.5 million through the farm surplus fund to help charities redistribute more surplus produce from 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, how much her Department spent on interpreters and related translation services in 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In financial year 2025/26, Defra spent £12,546 on interpreters and related translation services.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 and what proportion of civil servants in her Department were on permanent home working contracts in 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As of December 2025, there were 814 civil servants on home working contracts, equating to 13% of the total number of civil servants in Defra.
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 (1) uses and (2) is taking steps to install rooftop solar panels on its premises.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is engaging with the Government Property Agency (GPA) through its Net Zero Programme to track progress in this area and understands GPA intends to undertake feasibility studies and energy audits at a number of sites during this financial year to assess opportunities for rooftop solar panel installation.
Funding support for public bodies to install solar panels has been available through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme with a total of over £3 billion made available up 2028. Great British Energy (GBE) also supports public sector decarbonisation and the GBE Solar programme is investing £255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.
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 much her Department spent on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In Defra there was no expenditure relating to Pride Month in 2026.