Every parliamentary written question tabled by Adrian Ramsay this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 227 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of publishing her Department's report, tatus of Defra’s critical systems to 2030 and beyond.
Defra has considered the potential merits of publishing material relating to the “Status of Defra’s critical systems to 2030 and beyond”. This work was an early-stage internal foresight exercise to support official-level discussion on long-term trends acr...
In response to the strategic assessment by the Joint Intelligence Committee titled, Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, what steps is his Department t
The findings of the Joint Intelligence Committee’s assessment are being integrated into cross-government work, including the National Adaptation Plan, to ensure that climate and nature risks are reflected in resilience planning. As set out in the Strategi...
What recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the national security assessment entitled Global Biodiversity Loss, Ecosystem Collapse and National Security, published on 20 J
We are integrating the Assessment into strategic planning and working with partners across government to ensure that climate and nature-related threats to national resilience are considered systematically. As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, Defen...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to prohibit tail docking in pigs in the context of the new animal welfare strategy; and whether she plans to review the interpretation, application or enforcem
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 prohibits procedures which involve interference with the sensitive tissues or bone structure of an animal. The Mutilations (Permitted Procedures) (England) Regulations 2007 list exemptions, including pig tail docking, to which ...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the UK’s level of resilience to climate risks ahead of the Climate Change Committee Well Adapted UK report.
The Government has a statutory duty under the Climate Change Act 2008 to assess climate risks to the UK every five years in the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA). CCRA3 was published in January 2022 and sets out the Government’s current assessment....
What steps he is taking to protect vulnerable groups during periods of extreme heat.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) carries out communication activity with the Met Office to ensure health systems and the public are aware of periods of hot weather, the risks of heat on health and what action they should take.UKHSA delivers the Adver...
(a) what assessment he has made of the impact of increased employment costs on the ability of small and medium-sized businesses to offer apprenticeships (b) whether his Department plans to provide addit
The government provides significant financial support to help employers to take on apprentices. This is part of our record-breaking investment of £3.3 billion in the Growth and Skills Levy this year and £1bn of additional investment across the Spending Re...
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies on the pig industry’s installation of flexible immobilisation cages.
As stated in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government wants to work with the industry so that it ends the use of pig farrowing crates and transitions to alternative systems. An impact assessment will be drafted in preparation for a consultation on this...
Whether she has considered introducing free bus travel for people aged 16 to 21 in education or training.
The Government is providing substantial multi-year funding to local authorities to improve bus services, which can be used to support local fare initiatives, including free or discounted bus travel for young people, where local authorities choose to do so...
Whether some integrated care boards are capping neurodevelopmental assessments without informing GPs or patients.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for planning and commissioning services to meet the needs of their local populations, including making decisions about how best to manage demand and capacity within available resources. There is guidance for t...
Innovation and Technology, when she plans to publish research priorities for alternative methods to animal testing to support its phasing out.
The Government has published a strategy to support alternatives to the use of animals in science.In the strategy, we commit to publishing areas of research interest, detailing a list of alternative methods research and development priorities to coalesce U...
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the resilience of food supply chains to extreme weather events overseas.
The UK food supply chain is underpinned by diverse sources, robust domestic production and reliable import routes. Diversity remains a core strength, supporting response to disruptions, such as extreme weather events overseas, without significant impact on national food security. Whilst the UK currently has a high degree of food security, it cannot be taken for granted. Ongoing research through the Defra-funded Food, Farming and Natural Environment programme with the Met Office Hadley Centre will strengthen the evidence on adaptation options. It will also identify and evaluate key adaptation measures to improve the resilience of the agri-food sector, including cost and ease of implementation.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered the role of legislation such as a Good Food Bill in improving the resilience of the UK food system to climate change.
Defra is working across Government and the food system to drive the Good Food Cycle outcomes, and other Government priorities, over this Parliament. This includes taking action to support the resilience of the UK food system to climate change, by implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3) which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector. Transforming the food system is a long-term programme of work. The Government needs to use all available tools in a balanced, evidence-led way that avoids unintended consequences for industry and the consumer. Legislation will play a role in some areas, but the Government has not yet made a decision on the need for a dedicated Food Bill.
Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the Horticulture Sector Growth Plan.
Following the first meeting of the Farming and Food Partnership Board in March, work to prepare a Sector Growth Plan for the horticulture sector is now underway. This reflects its vital role in boosting domestic production, driving growth and strengthening national food security. Meetings with horticulture sector experts have commenced to shape an industry-led, sector-owned plan that brings together government and industry expertise. This plan will identify key industry challenges and where the biggest opportunities lie to boost productivity and profitability, while cutting environmental impact and improving animal welfare, all grounded in market realities and government priorities.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of climate change on food prices.
Defra works across Government to improve understanding of the drivers of food prices and their impact on households. This includes analysis of food inflation trends, engagement with industry to improve transparency where possible, and close collaboration with HM Treasury, DBT, DWP and DHSC to mitigate cost pressures on consumers, particularly those most affected by the cost of living. Defra is implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which sets out a range of measures to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change across the food supply and farming sector.
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the UK’s reliance on food imports in the context of increasing climate-driven supply shocks.
The UK Food Security Report, published by Defra every three years and last published in 2024, sets out an analysis of statistics relating to food security, serving as an evidence base to inform government policy and public understanding. It tracks trends in domestic production, import reliance, inflation, and supply chain shocks.The UK has a resilient food system, producing around 65% of all food consumed here. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply.In most scenarios, the UK’s ability to access supply from diverse sources is vital to its resilience.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to set targets for improving the climate resilience of the UK food system.
Food production faces pressing and increasing risks from climate change and nature loss. Defra is taking action to reduce this impact and support the continued production and supply of food for UK citizens. The National Adaptation Programme sets out the actions that government and others will take to adapt to the impacts of climate change across all sectors in England, including the food supply and farming sector. The Government has committed to explore how stronger adaptation objectives can be set to improve preparedness for the impacts of climate change. This will support an ambitious and impactful fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028.
With reference to ADE Heat Networks' report "Clean Heat 2040", what plans he has to mandate that industrial plants and data centres make their surplus heat available for district heating networks.
Heat Network zoning equips communities and local government with the tools to accelerate the development of low carbon heat networks and ensure that more homes and businesses can have access to greener, cheaper heat. Through heat network zoning, certain types of buildings and heat sources can be required to connect to a network within a prescribed timeframe. This will allow for large-scale strategic heat networks to be built in towns and cities across the country.
With reference to ADE: Heat Networks report entitled Clean Heat 2040 report, whether he plans to rebalance energy policy costs for heat networks away from electricity bills.
The government recognises that high electricity prices are a significant pressure on industry and a barrier to investment and growth. We are continuing to develop further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas, and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make electrification an economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses and organisations.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has made its proposed ban on the commercial import of foie gras produced by force-feeding conditional on the outcome of negotiations on a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation. As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards an SPS Agreement. Negotiations with the EU on the SPS Agreement are underway and Defra cannot comment on these discussions while they are ongoing. However, this Government is clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.