Asked by: Joe Robertson (Conservative - Isle of Wight East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support the maritime sector.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government strongly supports the sector, including £448m of funding for maritime decarbonisation, updating the National Policy Statement for Ports, fostering an environment for port investment, backing maritime skills and seafarers’ rights. We will shortly publish a Maritime Growth Strategy with our priorities for sustainable sector growth, people, environment, and safety.
Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
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 the EU’s bans on certain pesticides and fungicides taking effect and the UK’s planned alignment in June 2027 on British farmers.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has agreed with the EU to establish a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) area, by way of an SPS Agreement. Plant protection products like pesticides and fungicides are in scope of that Agreement. Defra’s assessment of the potential impact is ongoing and considers a range of scenarios. The department understands the complexity of alignment in some areas, including for plant protection products. The Government is working closely with affected sectors, including farming, to incorporate their on-the-ground knowledge and analysis in planning for implementation.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
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 adequacy of data on the impact of flooding on social housing tenants.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In January 2025 the Environment Agency commissioned an independent review of Property Flood Resilience (PFR). The review identified gaps and opportunities to grow the PFR market, resulting in a new action plan for all relevant parties to take forward.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) representing 600 housing associations who provide nearly 2.7 million homes formed part of the review’s Leadership Group.
The review found that there is growing awareness among housing associations of the increasing flood risk and noted they already have access to a comprehensive Flood Toolkit. Social landlords however face several challenges including data gaps, securing temporary accommodation and ensuring residents have access to the right advice and support.
The review recommended that social landlords develop clear and coordinated strategies to prepare for and mitigate flood risk for their tenants and homes aligning PFR measures with wider work to improve energy efficiency, building safety and decency. The NHF has committed to delivering several actions over the next five years to strengthen members’ flood readiness.
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 guidance his Department issues to Natural England on the circumstances in which staff may not attempt to fight wildfires on land they manage.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Decisions on when and how Natural England (NE) staff respond to wildfire on land they manage are made by NE, and are dependent on the size of the fire, the training and equipment staff on site can access, and advice from the local Fire and Rescue Service. Defra has not issued any direct guidelines to NE on this subject but operational staff working on NE’S reserves at high risk of wildfire undertake Lantra-certified wildfire management training that Defra commissioned the Forestry Commission to develop.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help (a) tackle and (b) prevent organised crime networks involved in fly-tipping in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to tackling waste crime from the fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages to the serious and organised crime groups who are exploiting the waste sector. We are making policy and regulatory reforms to close loopholes exploited by criminals and have increased the Environment Agency’s (EA’s) budget for waste crime enforcement by over 50% this year to £15.6 million. The Government also works with a wide range of interested parties through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) to promote good practice, including advice on preventing fly-tipping on private land.
The EA focuses on tackling large-scale waste crime, often linked to organised criminal activity while fly-tipping is managed by local authorities. The greatest crossover with the EA and councils is where Organised Crime Groups are operating or linked to illegal or permitted waste sites, rather than fly tipping. Local EA Officers have established working relationships with Surrey Council County and district councils, including Surrey Heath. Information is routinely shared and joint site visits undertaken to ensure collective efforts across the organisations is targeted where each can have the most impact.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
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 4 February 2026 to Question 109797, how many of the 3, 442 documents for which an Annex VII was submitted between 28 October 2025 and 2 February 2026 (a) have now passed the eight week deadline and (b) of that number, how many have not supplied sufficient geo-tagged photographic information proving arrival at their intended destination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 3442 annex VII documents referenced (now revised to 3281 following further data assurance) 1,891 have reached the eight-week deadline. Annex VII forms submitted after the 15 December 2025 are not yet due.
Of these 1891, 1,370 have not been returned with the post-shipment information required, including geotagged photographs.
521 Annex VII forms were returned. 458 met the requirements, including geotagged photos, 63 did not. The Environment Agency (EA) is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
The EA is continuing to assure the data that is received so there may be further amendments in the final figures.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of improving a) research, b) monitoring and c) labelling of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026, which sets out its approach towards protecting human health and the environment from risks posed by PFAS.
Research is being commissioned and coordinated across the Government, regulators, academia and industry to close key evidence-gaps on PFAS health, environmental impacts and innovation of alternatives.
Defra has funded the Environmental Agency to develop one of the most capable PFAS monitoring programmes globally. Using improved analytical methods and data from a range of sources, it covers water, wildlife, soil and industrial emissions.
A number of the most harmful PFAS already have a mandatory classification and labelling for carcinogenicity under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging regime.
Asked by: Tessa Munt (Liberal Democrat - Wells and Mendip Hills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her answer to Question 106499 of 22 January 2026, how many of the 1,891 consignments for which an Annex VII was submitted (a) have passed the eight-week deadline and (b) are now overdue on their completion of proof of destination.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 1,891 pre-shipment Annex VII forms referenced, 1,370 were not returned with the arrival information within the eight-week deadline.
Exporters have reported delays arising from customs processes, onward collection from ports and transport issues following arrival in India. The Environment Agency is actively pursuing the remaining returns of the outstanding Annex VII and those who are non-compliant. Further actions may include prohibiting further shipments and/or enforcement.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
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 launch the consultation on restricting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer articles.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published a PFAS Plan on 3 February 2026. This sets out the Government’s approach towards PFAS in consumer articles.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 58971 on Historic Environment Records, how he plans to commence section 230 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023; and if he will publish a timetable for implementing it.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government continues to consider the implementation of section 230 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023. Any announcements will be made to Parliament in the usual way.