Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish a consultation on trail hunting; and with which organisations she plans to discuss the scope.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Defra will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will investigate payments made to the (a) Chief Executive and (b) Chief Financial Officer of Wessex Water in the year up to June 2025.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ofwat has reviewed water companies' compliance with its performance related executive pay Prohibition Rule for bonuses paid to directors who are members of the regulated company's board in relation to the 2024-25 financial year.
Ofwat reported on its assessment of companies who had triggered the rule, including Wessex Water, in November 2025: Performance-related-executive-pay-–-2024-25-assessment.pdf
The report confirmed that all companies had complied with the rule and had prohibited relevant performance related pay as defined in the Water Industry Act 1991.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will amend water company regulations to ensure that companies banned from making bonus payments are not able to continue doing so.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water company executives are now required to meet high standards relating to consumer and environmental matters, and financial resilience. In June 2025, unfair bonuses at six companies were banned.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to amend regulations on the pay of water company executives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Water company executives are now required to meet high standards relating to consumer and environmental matters, and financial resilience. In June 2025, unfair bonuses at six companies were banned.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has held discussions with Natural England on their Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security strategy.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Natural England worked closely with Defra and other stakeholders in development of their new strategy entitled 'Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security', which has been shared and discussed with Ministers. The strategic outcomes and approaches described in the strategy align with Defra and Government priorities.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 give the public a right of responsible access to all rivers in England.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of access to nature for people’s health and well-being. There is already public access to regulated rivers owned and managed by navigation authorities, available through their licensing regimes. We are considering our approach to improving access to unregulated rivers and are committed to working with stakeholders as this develops.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 the Greyhound Board of Great Britain on amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 to include dog nose prints as an means of identifying racing greyhounds.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has not had any recent discussions with, or representations from, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain about amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain on amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department has not had any recent discussions with, or representations from, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain about amending the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Poole will be eligible for funding under the new fund for fishing and coastal areas announced in the Budget.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
On 19 May 2025, the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced to support the next generation of fishers. On 20 October, the Government announced that the fund would be devolved, with each Devolved Government responsible for delivering their share of the fund.
For England, while eligibility criteria are still being developed as we engage with industry on where to target funding, we will welcome applications for eligible projects that invest in fishing and coastal communities from across England, including Poole. Detailed guidance on the application process and criteria will be published once engagement with stakeholders has completed.
Engagement with stakeholders is currently underway to help shape priorities for the funding. I would encourage stakeholders in Poole to contribute to this process so that their local priorities are appropriately reflected.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 introducing an immediate moratorium on the importing of trophies of endangered species.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to a ban on the import of hunting trophies. Having examined the options to deliver this, the Department has determined that legislating a robust ban on trophy hunting is the most effective approach the Government can take. We are currently engaging with a range of stakeholders and will confirm legislative timetables once the Parliamentary timetable for future sessions is in place.