Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 24563 on Farms: Domestic Visits, when he next plans to visit a farm in Kent.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra ministers regularly visit farms and meet with farmers nearly every week.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Overseas Development Assistance funding has contributed to the (a) establishment and (b) ongoing operation of foreign abattoirs since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office deploys Official Development Assistance (ODA) to fund a range of organisations and programmes which address the productivity of farmers and small-medium enterprises in agri-food value chains in developing countries.

Figures for the UK 2024 ODA are due to be published in Autumn 2025 through the Statistics on International Development report. ODA is an international measure and is collected and reported on a calendar year basis.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 35595 on Agriculture: Subsidies, how many producer organisations have written to him to express concern over the discontinuation of the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme on 31 December 2025.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Since January 2025 there have been 16 pieces of correspondence addressed to Defra ministers by producer organisations, expressing their concern over the discontinuation of the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme on 31 December 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HM Treasury did not meet (a) 81 and (b) 77 per cent of its target response times to correspondence from MPs and Peers in (i) Q3 and (ii) Q4 of 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Since July 2024, Treasury ministers have received over 7,000 pieces of correspondence from Members. That is significantly more than usual, creating a significant backlog.

Officials and Private Offices are working hard to reduce the backlog and clear outstanding cases as quickly as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of meat procured by schools is (a) Halal and (b) slaughtered at sites which predominantly employ non-stun slaughter.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department spends over £1.5 billion supporting schools to deliver healthy and nutritious breakfasts and lunches in schools. Schools are best placed to make decisions about how provision is made. They have the autonomy to source food locally and sustainably, and to cater to religious dietary requirements based on the needs of their local communities. The department does not hold the requested information, owing to the freedoms that schools have. However, details about the UK’s overall sources of food are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources#overall-sources-of-uk-food.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of food procured by schools for (a) the free breakfast club trial and (b) free school meals is from the South East.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department spends over £1.5 billion supporting schools to deliver healthy and nutritious breakfasts and lunches in schools. Schools are best placed to make decisions about how provision is made. They have the autonomy to source food locally and sustainably, and to cater to religious dietary requirements based on the needs of their local communities. The department does not hold the requested information, owing to the freedoms that schools have. However, details about the UK’s overall sources of food are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources#overall-sources-of-uk-food.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of food procured by schools for (a) the free breakfast club trial and (b) free school meals is imported.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department spends over £1.5 billion supporting schools to deliver healthy and nutritious breakfasts and lunches in schools. Schools are best placed to make decisions about how provision is made. They have the autonomy to source food locally and sustainably, and to cater to religious dietary requirements based on the needs of their local communities. The department does not hold the requested information, owing to the freedoms that schools have. However, details about the UK’s overall sources of food are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2024-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources#overall-sources-of-uk-food.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC Policy did not meet (a) 100 and (b) 87 per cent of her Department's target response times to correspondence from MPs and Peers in (i) Q3 and (ii) Q4 of 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the honourable member to the answer to question UIN 54166.

Found: Ruth Cadbury (Chair); Steff Aquarone; Dr Scott Arthur; Catherine Atkinson; Mrs Elsie Blundell; Katie Lam

Found: Danny Kruger Dame Harriett Baldwin Daniel Francis Rachael Maskell Jess Asato Gregory Stafford Katie Lam

Found: Danny Kruger Dame Harriett Baldwin Daniel Francis Rachael Maskell Jess Asato Gregory Stafford Katie Lam

Found: Danny Kruger Dame Harriett Baldwin Daniel Francis Rachael Maskell Jess Asato Gregory Stafford Katie Lam

Found: Danny Kruger Dame Harriett Baldwin Daniel Francis Rachael Maskell Jess Asato Gregory Stafford Katie Lam

Found: Speaking for the Official Opposition, Katie Lam asked the minister for information about any existing