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 plans to increase the number of inspections of intensive farms made by the Environment Agency; and whether her Department has plans to strengthen the importance of the animal health and welfare priorities during these inspections.

Defra is doubling funding for the Environment Agency’s (EA) farm inspections and regulatory enforcement team over the three years to 2029, enabling them to work with farmers to raise standards.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) undertakes a substantial programme of on-farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation, and provides specialist veterinary and technical expertise. APHA supports Local Authorities by supplying evidence from national farm inspections, monitors compliance with welfare legislation.

EA officers will notify APHA if they have concerns about animal health or welfare when undertaking a farm inspection.