Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The information below relates to Defra and the Environment agency only.
Since 4 July 2024, the Department and its arm’s length bodies have spent £996k on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities.
Since 4 July 2024, the Department and its arm’s length bodies have spent £278k on the purchase of electric vehicles.
The Department estimates that the capital cost of the electric vehicles purchased is approximately £50k (£4.1k per vehicle) higher than comparable diesel models.
The Department is working towards a government target of 100% Zero Tailpipe Emissions by 31 December 2027.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 make it her policy to collect data on the number of stray dogs taken in by local authorities in the last year that were (a) reclaimed by their owner, (b) rehomed, and (c) euthanised.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department does not collect this data.
The obligations for dealing with stray dogs are laid down in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The responsibility for implementing these obligations lies with each local authority.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement powers are available when local authorities fail to meet minimum animal welfare standards.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In cases of local authorities’ failure to meet animal welfare standards, Defra retains the necessary powers and scope to intervene under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 made of the welfare conditions of animals kept by local authorities in public parks.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has made no specific assessment of the welfare conditions of animals kept by local authorities in public parks.
Local authorities that keep or exhibit animals must comply with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which set statutory minimum welfare standards and are enforced by councils. These are supported by statutory guidance available here.
Defra completed a post-implementation review of the 2018 Regulations in 2023, which found they have improved welfare standards and should be retained while identifying areas for refinement. The review can be found here.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities are required to obtain a licence under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 when (a) keeping and (b) exhibiting animals in public parks.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that kept animals, including those accommodated or exhibited in public parks, are cared for in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Local authorities are subject to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. These regulations require anyone in the business of keeping or training animals for exhibition to hold a valid licence and to comply with strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including requirements relating to the animal's environment, diet, health, and provision of appropriate care and supervision.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what oversight exists of local authorities that (a) keep and (b) exhibit animals in public parks, and what steps her Department is taking to ensure such animals are kept in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that kept animals, including those accommodated or exhibited in public parks, are cared for in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Where a local authority itself exhibits animals, it is expected to meet the same high welfare standards that apply to any operator under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. These Regulations require anyone in the business of keeping or training animals for exhibition to hold a valid licence and to comply with strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including requirements relating to the animal's environment, diet, health, and provision of appropriate care and supervision.
The 2018 Regulations are accompanied by statutory guidance developed to help local authorities enforce the licensing regime fairly and consistently. The guidance for keeping or training animals for exhibition can be found here.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many stray dogs were taken into shelter by local authorities in the last 12 months.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 adequacy of existing legislation to ensure that foals are not entered into competitive races.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the 2006 Act), it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both.
The 2006 Act is backed up by the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids which provides guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of equines. The Code states that any training should be appropriate to the age, experience and condition of the animal, which includes training for races.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of (a) overseas and (b) domestic Ministerial official flights by his Department are (i) carbon offset and (ii) use Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No flights were offset and we cannot provide data on the use of sustainable aviation fuel on flights as this detail is not available through our travel booking contract.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 July 2025 to Question 62999 on Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Aviation, whether information on the (a) number and (b) cost of domestic flights by Ministers since July 2024 is centrally held by his Department.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra does not centrally hold this information.