Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
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 impact of the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters sold for catering purposes on the environment; and if she will consider introducing a deposit-return scheme for such canisters to reduce littering and deter recreational misuse.
Answered by Mary Creagh
No assessment has been made of the potential impact of the misuse of nitrous oxide canisters on the environment and we are not considering a deposit return scheme for such canisters.
It’s an offence to illegally dispose of nitrous oxide cannisters. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders. Anyone caught littering nitrous oxide canisters may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500.
Guidance to councils and others on the use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences is available at: Litter enforcement powers - when and how to use them - GOV.UK
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether statutory consultees are required to assess risks from (a) lithium-ion batteries and (b) gas canisters when reviewing fire prevention plans for energy-from-waste facilities.
Answered by Mary Creagh
The Environment Agency is responsible for reviewing fire prevention plans (FPP) for energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities in England under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) 2016. Under the EPR, there are no statutory consultees. However, the Environment Agency consults the local fire and rescue service on every permit application which it receives for a new EfW facility, which will include the proposed FPP.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rising fertiliser costs on (a) farm profitability and (b) food security.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government is conscious of the increases to prices of fertiliser, influenced by the continued instability in the Middle East.
Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise, including to farmers. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets throughout the year, including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.
The UK has a resilient food system, producing around 65% of all the food we eat. We have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, which supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks do not affect the UK's overall security of supply.
Defra is monitoring risks posed by the Middle East conflict to our critical supply chains. At present, there are no significant impacts to the supply of consumer goods and food, and we do not expect any short-term disruption.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
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 17 March to 119860, how many and what proportion of Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements had an annual value of over £100,000.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Between January 2025 to December 2025, there were 45,295 Sustainable Farming Incentive Agreements. 863 of these agreements had an annual value of over £100,000, which is 1.91% of the overall agreements.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
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 impact of the removal of 31 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions on the projected average value of an SFI agreement.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The purpose of streamlining the offer is not to reduce overall support for the sector, but to ensure funding is focused on actions that deliver the greatest value for food production and the environment.
The SFI26 offer includes 71 actions rather than 102, reflecting the removal of options that had low uptake or delivered limited environmental or productivity benefit. This ensures a simpler, fairer and better-targeted scheme. We have also introduced an annual agreement value cap of £100,000 to help spread funding across more farms and widen participation.
Payment rates remain based on income-foregone-plus‑costs, and many actions continue to offer attractive returns. By improving accessibility and value for money, SFI26 supports long‑term farm profitability while enabling more businesses to benefit from agreements.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the last year for which figures are available, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements had a value of over £100,000.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
From January 2025 to December 2025, there were 45,295 SFI Agreements. 6,439 of these had an agreement value of over £100,000 for the full 3-year lifetime of the agreement, which is 14.22% of the overall agreements.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the last year for which figures are available, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements included the GRH6 action.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Between January 2025 to December 2025, there were 19,824 SFI 24 Agreements. 663 of these agreements included the GRH6 action, which is 3.34% of the overall agreements.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to introduce a replacement for the UK Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme to ensure continued investment in UK horticulture and maintain competitiveness with European growers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and taxpayer value. Our new Farming and Food Partnership Board, bringing together industry and government leaders, will also develop tailored growth plans for sectors including horticulture.
We are already doing a great deal to support the sector. Of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants.
Wider Government support includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
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 the Farming Profitability Review.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Baroness Batters will present her report to the Defra Secretary of State at the end of October for consideration.
Asked by: Steve Barclay (Conservative - North East Cambridgeshire)
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 impact of reduction in yields of main cereal crops in 2025 on farm profitability.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Cereals are internationally traded commodities, and their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments.
The Government has closely monitored the 2025 harvest and continues to engage regularly with industry stakeholders to assess any implications this may have on the cereals sector. In addition, the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) provides early warning of atypical market movements by tracking trends in prices, inputs, and trade.