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 steps (a) his Department and (b) Natural England are taking to help tackle large-scale illegal waste dumping in ancient woodlands; and if he will review the adequacy of enforcement processes where (i) substantial environmental damage and (ii) tax evasion are suspected.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the first instance, landowners are responsible for the security and integrity of their property. The ownership of such woodland can often be complex and split across hundreds of individual parcels. The Environment Agency (EA) is the lead authority for investigating large scale illegal deposits of waste. However other partner agencies such as Natural England may also play a role in associated activity for example if tipping occurs within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Where substantial environmental damage is suspected the EA will work quickly to gather evidence to show a risk of serious pollution to meet the legal requirements for a Restriction Order. Natural England also has a suite of enforcement powers that can address damage to protected sites.
The EA hosts the Joint Unit for Waste Crime which brings together the EA, HMRC, National Crime Agency, the police, waste regulators from across the UK and other operational partners to share intelligence and tasking to disrupt and prevent serious organised waste crime. The EA has also launched its Economic Crime Unit which targets the financial motivation behind offending and uses financial mechanisms to inhibit the ability of offenders, including Organised Crime Groups, to operate.
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 12 June 2025 to Question 57394 on Fly-tipping, what discussions his Department had with local authorities prior to the press notice of 29 April 2025.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials have regular discussions with local authorities, including through the Defra chaired National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG). Through this group we work with a wide range of stakeholders to promote and share good practice on tackling fly-tipping, including local authority use of enforcement powers such as vehicle seizure.
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 recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the licensing and regulation of animal rescue and rehoming centres.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in the individual nations is the responsibility of the relevant nations’ Ministers.
However, Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary.
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 recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the licensing and regulation of animal rescue and rehoming centres.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in the individual nations is the responsibility of the relevant nations’ Ministers.
However, Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary.
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 recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the licensing and regulation of animal rescue and rehoming centres.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in the individual nations is the responsibility of the relevant nations’ Ministers.
However, Defra works closely with the devolved Governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary.
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 he will publish his Department's style guide for answering written Parliamentary questions; and if he will publish (a) the style guide that was in use on and (b) any other style guide used since 3 July 2024.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 12 June 2025 to PQ 57805.
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 he has had recent discussions with his counterparts in the (a) Scottish, (b) Welsh and (c) Northern Irish governments on the potential merits of extending licensing requirements to include (i) animal welfare establishments and (ii) rehoming organisations.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK. This means that responsibility for animal welfare policy in the individual nations is the responsibility of the relevant nation’s Ministers. Defra engages regularly with its counterparts in the devolved administrations on animal welfare matters and takes their experience into account.
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 he will make an estimate of the number of rehoming (a) organisations and (b) centres that are operating (i) with and (ii) without a licence.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra does not hold a central list of rehoming centres or rescue organisations.
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, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Councils to seize and crush fly-tipping vehicles to clean up Britain, published on 29 April 2025 whether the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team was consulted on its publication.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government departments do not comment on or share internal advice. Any announcements made during the pre-election period are carefully considered and taken in line with the principles set out under the Civil Service guidance.
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 he has made of the adequacy of regulations in relation to unlicensed animal rescue centres; and whether he plans to consult on new licensing of registration requirements.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Department continues to engage regularly with stakeholders across the animal welfare sector, including on issues relating to rescue and rehoming practices.
This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes has developed voluntary guidance on minimum standards, but significant variation does exist. Local authorities and the police have the same powers of entry for these premises as would apply to any welfare concerns under the Animal Welfare Act.