Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 require public bodies to publish annual data on the percentage of British food procured.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Public bodies are not required to report on the origin of the food they procure. However, the Government will be reviewing food provenance across the public sector. This will help inform our future approach on public sector food procurement, including any potential considerations for data reporting.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he takes steps to encourage local authorities to support local producers through food contracts for (a) care homes and (b) civic buildings.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
We recognise the potential benefits of developing stronger ties between local authorities and food producers and support efforts from all parties in strengthening relationships across the supply chains, including into (a) care homes and (b) civic buildings. That is why our national procurement policy statement highlights the role of contracting authorities in driving economic growth and strengthening supply chains by giving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) a fair chance.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The amount of expenditure recorded for translation services in the 2023/24 financial year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March, is £1,699.13.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) social media promotions, (b) influencer marketing and (c) online advertising in the last 12 months.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of this spend which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to review (a) agricultural and (b) environmental regulation for (i) food producers and (ii) small farmers.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra’s ambition is to reform the agricultural and environmental regulatory system so that it is fair, clear and effective for food producers, farmers and landowners. We are working closely with the sector to improve regulation so that it is proportionate, reduces unnecessary burden and improves clarity for farmers through advice and guidance. We welcome Dan Corry’s recent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape and are actively considering all 29 recommendations. Work is already underway on nine key measures with the greatest impact for growth and nature recovery, which are being fast-tracked.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 total UK fish stocks by (a) tonnage and (b) species will remain subject to EU access under the agreement to extend EU access to British territorial waters to June 2038; and what the UK's quotas will be in that period.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Annex 38 of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement sets out which quota and non-quota stocks are subject to access arrangements. The new access arrangements announced on 19 May will give the UK and EU access to the same fish stocks.
UK and EU shares of quota stocks are listed in Annex 35 and tables A, B and F of Annex 36 and these shares will remain fixed from 2026 onwards. The average tonnage of non-quota stocks the UK and EU can fish in each other’s waters will remain fixed at the current average tonnage defined in Annex 38.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Explainer, updated on 19 May 2025, what proportion of UK fish stocks will be subject to shared access with the EU under the new 12-year access arrangement.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Annex 38 of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement sets out which quota and non-quota stocks are subject to access arrangements. The new access arrangements announced on 19 May will give the UK and EU access to the same fish stocks.
UK and EU shares of quota stocks are listed in Annex 35 and tables A, B and F of Annex 36 and these shares will remain fixed from 2026 onwards. The average tonnage of non-quota stocks the UK and EU can fish in each other’s waters will remain fixed at the current average tonnage defined in Annex 38.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit: Explainer, updated on 19 May 2025, whether he plans to provide financial support to fishers impacted by the new 12-year access arrangement.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Alongside a new twelve-year fisheries access agreement with the EU, we have announced a comprehensive twelve-year Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund. Fishing and coastal communities will benefit from the £360 million investment to drive growth and boost the sector for the future.
We will work with the industry to target investment where it matters most. For example, by considering investment in new technology and equipment to modernise Britain’s fishing fleet, deliver new training and skills to back the next generation of fishers and promote the seafood sector to export our high-quality produce across the world.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
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 potential financial impact of the extension of EU access to fish in British territorial waters to June 2038 on the fishing sector in each region.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The new UK-EU fisheries agreement announced on 19 May will continue the current access arrangements in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, under which the UK grants access to around 1,600 EU registered vessels to fish in UK waters, of which 154 vessels have access to parts of the 6-12 nautical mile zone in England and Wales in 2025. A list of EU vessels with access to UK waters is published by the UK Single Issuing Authority.
We are committed to the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the UK fleet and will continue to work closely with the fishing industry and coastal communities to understand their concerns and the impacts of the fishing arrangements announced in the UK-EU summit. We are also launching the Fishing & Coastal Growth Fund investing £360 million over the next 12 years to support the next generation of fishermen and our coastal communities.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of extending fishing access to British waters for EU vessels for a further 12 years on coastal communities.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The new UK-EU fisheries agreement announced on 19 May will continue the current access arrangements in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, under which the UK grants access to around 1,600 EU registered vessels to fish in UK waters, of which 154 vessels have access to parts of the 6-12 nautical mile zone in England and Wales in 2025. A list of EU vessels with access to UK waters is published by the UK Single Issuing Authority.
We are committed to the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the UK fleet and will continue to work closely with the fishing industry and coastal communities to understand their concerns and the impacts of the fishing arrangements announced in the UK-EU summit. We are also launching the Fishing & Coastal Growth Fund investing £360 million over the next 12 years to support the next generation of fishermen and our coastal communities.