Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 Naturewatch Foundation's press release entitled Shocking new figures suggest just 10.5-14% dog breeding is regulated, published on 21 September 2026, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the traceability of dogs kept for breeding.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy in December 2025, outlining plans to take coordinated action to improve the welfare of pets. This includes committing to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. This Government will improve traceability and welfare by consulting on dog breeding reform.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the department has made of the causes of the higher unemployment-related benefit claimant rate in Leicester East compared to the national UK average; and what targeted support is being provided to reduce this disparity.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government published its Animal Welfare Strategy in December 2025, outlining plans to take coordinated action to improve the welfare of pets. This includes committing to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. This Government will improve traceability and welfare by consulting on dog breeding reform.
Asked by: Lara Bird (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
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 an assessment of the potential merits of reversing the decision to allow the English Single malt geographical indication.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
English Whisky has been registered as a geographical indication as the application met the requirements of the regulation. There are no plans by the department to assess reversing this decision. Appeals against this decision submitted by the deadline will be heard by a First-tier Tribunal.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
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 her Department's document entitled Animal welfare strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, what steps her Department is taking to introduce a ban on the use of cages to breed game birds.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A Call for Evidence on gamebird release, shooting and welfare during rearing in England was launched on 4 September and will run until November 1. This will improve the Government’s understanding of the management and welfare of gamebirds when they are bred and reared, including the use of cages.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department remains committed to ending the obesity epidemic through a ‘moonshot’ as outlined in the NHS 10 Year Plan, and how progress will be defined.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 September in response to Question HL2959, I would affirm that community pharmacies have a vital role to play in the delivery of our 10-Year Health Plan, supporting the shift to prevention, providing expert advice on healthy living and weight management, and helping people access the healthcare support that they need closer to home.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what role she expects community pharmacies to play in the prevention and management of obesity, under the new Neighbourhood Health Service, and whether her Department plans to publish guidance on that role.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 15 September in response to Question HL2959, I would affirm that community pharmacies have a vital role to play in the delivery of our 10-Year Health Plan, supporting the shift to prevention, providing expert advice on healthy living and weight management, and helping people access the healthcare support that they need closer to home.
Asked by: Irene Campbell (Labour - North Ayrshire and Arran)
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 answer of 20 July 2026 to Question UIN HL1988, what the results were of the commercial in-ovo sexing trial which took place last year in a UK hatchery.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government understands that this activity did not constitute a commercial-scale trial but rather the trial of a small, commercially available unit to help the egg industry better understand the operation of the technology and any logistical constraints relating to its installation. We are not aware of any industry proposals for future trials involving this or any other in-ovo sexing technology.
Asked by: Phil Brickell (Labour - Bolton West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of working with local Integrated Care Boards to ensure that every Local Authority area has at least one late opening pharmacy which is open past 9pm.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning pharmaceutical services in their areas and can commission additional pharmacy opening hours through the local contractual arrangements.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department is making on implementing the Animal Welfare strategy.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare Strategy sets out the priority issues that this Government will address, focusing on the changes and improvements that Defra aim to achieve by 2030 to improve the lives of millions of animals across the UK.
This Government is determined to deliver these reforms and has already undertaken a number of consultations on phasing out cages for laying hens, improving lamb welfare and trail hunting. Defra are now analysing the responses to these consultations. A call for evidence on gamebirds was also recently published.
This Government has published Animal Welfare Committee Opinions on breeding in commercial livestock and responsible sourcing of fur. The department have also held the first meeting of the fur working group to explore concerns and the different ways in which they could be addressed.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency has been commissioned to conduct a review of the evidence relating to mole traps; corvid traps; and the spring traps listed on the Spring Trap Approval Order as it applies in England. This review is underway and is expected to conclude by April 2027.
As set out in the strategy Defra are working with industry, keepers and farmers to improve resilience to a changing climate. This summer, the department met with the pig sector on this and also with the meat chicken industry to discuss the impact of the heatwaves and to hear from them about the effectiveness of the mitigations they have put in place since the 2022 heatwave.
Defra is continuing to progress implementation of the strategy in a phased way.
Asked by: Cat Eccles (Labour - Stourbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking through penalties to help tackle the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Tobacco and vape products sold in the United Kingdom must meet product, packaging, and notification requirements. The maximum penalty that could be imposed for failing to comply with requirements is two years imprisonment or an unlimited fine, or both.
On 1 June 2025, it became illegal to sell or supply single use vapes in the United Kingdom. In England, those selling single use vapes face £200 fixed monetary penalties and stop notices ordering them to cease the illegal activity. If a notice is not complied with, an individual is guilty of an offence and is liable for an unlimited fine or imprisonment.
HM Revenue and Customs operate a UK Track and Trace System to combat illicit tobacco sales. Penalties for failing to meet the requirements of the Tobacco Track and Trace System include fines of up to £10,000 and seizure of illicit tobacco products. For persistent non-compliance, HM Revenue and Customs can deactivate a business’ economic operator ID which would mean the business can no longer buy or sell tobacco legally in the UK.
A new Vaping Products Duty will be introduced from 1 October 2026, alongside a Vaping Duty Stamps scheme. HM Revenue and Customs will adopt similar compliance and enforcement powers to those that are already in place to administer other taxes and duties, including penalties for those who do not meet their obligations.