Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 role of protected landscapes in delivering nature recovery and improving public wellbeing.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In recognition of their huge potential for nature, climate, people and place, Defra have established ambitious targets for National Parks and National Landscapes as set out in the Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework. Protected Landscapes also have a major role in delivering the 30by30 commitment, given the scale of land they manage and their leadership in nature recovery.
Defra have published the first report of progress against these targets in the Protected Landscape Targets and Outcomes Framework progress report - GOV.UK. This sets out the progress made in 2023 to 2025, and how Protected Landscapes are delivering against the nature recovery and access to nature elements of the EIP.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 her Department has taken to halt and reverse species decline in Sussex.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to delivering our statutory biodiversity targets. To achieve these targets, we are taking large-scale action to create, restore, manage and protect habitats, reduce pressures on biodiversity, and support species recovery, in order meet our legally binding biodiversity targets. This includes £60 million over three years for the Species Recovery Programme, the largest government investment of its kind, and a further £30 million for species recovery on the national forest estate. Environmental Land Management schemes also provide substantial support for habitat creation, management, and targeted species action.
Defra Group has supported West Sussex and East Sussex County Councils to prepare their Local Nature Recovery Strategies with publication expected shortly. It will set nature recovery priorities and map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement that will support many species.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government is working with local authorities to improve access to nature in deprived communities in Sussex.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government has committed, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, to work with 100 local authorities and developers to embed Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework. The framework provides guidance and practical tools to help local planning authorities and developers design high quality green spaces in urban areas.
This Government has also announced that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors.
The Green Paper will set out a range of policy options and invite views from stakeholders, including local authorities, and the public.
This consultation will play an important role in shaping the development of future policy in this area. Further updates and a timeline for publication will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 merits of providing compensation to businesses affected by water outages in (a) East Grinstead and Uckfield Constituency and (b) Sussex.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All customers of water and sewerage companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as set out by Government. These rights are known as the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer.
Ofwat is responsible for monitoring the scheme. Details on payment amounts and conditions can be found here.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has made of paying businesses compensation directly for water outages in shared businesses premises instead of landlords.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All customers of water and sewerage companies are entitled to guaranteed minimum standards of service, as set out by Government. These rights are known as the guaranteed standards scheme (GSS). Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer.
Ofwat is responsible for monitoring the scheme. Details on payment amounts and conditions can be found here.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 businesses affected by the water outage receive suitable compensation in Sussex.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the disruption that consumers have suffered and takes the need for appropriate compensation to customers seriously. The Government is clear that it is the responsibility of the water company to provide compensation that is commensurate with the scale of the disruption.
The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) sets the minimum standards of service for all customers of water companies. Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. The Government announced a major update to the GSS as part of its initial package of water sector reforms in July 2025. The updates reformed the GSS, improving consumer protections by further protections for customers – increasing the payment values, to double or more, and by expanding the scope to include additional standards. South East Water must make mandatory payments to affected customers in line with the GSS following the water outages in East Grinstead and Uckfield.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
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 that businesses affected by the water outage receive suitable compensation in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the disruption that consumers have suffered and takes the need for appropriate compensation to customers seriously. The Government is clear that it is the responsibility of the water company to provide compensation that is commensurate with the scale of the disruption.
The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) sets the minimum standards of service for all customers of water companies. Where a company fails to meet any of the standards, it is required to make a specified payment to the affected household or business customer. The Government announced a major update to the GSS as part of its initial package of water sector reforms in July 2025. The updates reformed the GSS, improving consumer protections by further protections for customers – increasing the payment values, to double or more, and by expanding the scope to include additional standards. South East Water must make mandatory payments to affected customers in line with the GSS following the water outages in East Grinstead and Uckfield.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps has he taken to reduce regulations on (a) small-scale abattoirs and (b) other rural food producers in Sussex.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra is working closely with industry stakeholders and the Food Standards Agency to maintain high standards of public and animal health while identifying opportunities to ease regulatory and administrative burdens on small-scale abattoirs and rural food producers, including those in Sussex.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of small abattoirs on food (a) safety and (b) security.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Ensuring the safety of food that enters the supply chain is of vital importance to the Government. Likewise, the Government considers food security a matter of national security and is committed to maintaining a resilient and diverse food supply chain.
The contribution smaller abattoirs make to the UK food supply chain for meat products in England, is approximately 7% of overall production and 0.3% of throughput. While we have seen the closure of several smaller abattoirs in recent years, this has not impacted national food security or food supply. The national abattoir network remains resilient, continuing to deliver high-quality and safe meat products.
Nonetheless, we recognise that small abattoirs play an important role in supporting regional food systems, providing routes to market for local producers, particularly those rearing native and rare breeds and sustaining diversity in the meat processing sector.
While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is committed to working with the smaller abattoir sector to help, where possible, mitigate pressures that these abattoirs face.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help expand the network of small abattoirs in (a) the South East and (b) England.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
England benefits from an established and resilient meat processing sector which continues to deliver high-quality products, supporting food supply and food security. The Government has full confidence this will continue.
While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is dedicated to working collaboratively with the sector to help, where possible, alleviate pressures faced by small abattoirs. Defra remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance accessibility to slaughter facilities in the South East and more widely across England.