Written questions by Vickers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmers with input costs.

Whilst it may not reflect all agriculture subsectors, Defra’s Agriculture Price Index (API) data show rises in output costs over time outstripping rises in input costs. We continue to monitor all key agricultural commodities and work with the food industry. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of measures to reduce agricultural ammonia emissions.

The latest UK projections of air pollutants were published in the informative inventory report 2025 in March this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment the Department has made of potential food security risks arising from supply chain disruption.

The UK has a resilient food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with situations that have the potential to cause disruption. Defra works closely with industry and across Government to identify and monitor food security risks. In compliance with the Agriculture Act 2020, the United Kingdom Food Security Report (UKFSR) is presented to Parliament at least once every three years, most recently in 2024. This examines past, current, and future trends relevant to food security and presents a full and impartial analysis of UK food security. In the intervening years, the UK Food Security Digest (UKFSD) is published containing a selection of summary statistics on issues relevant to a range of aspects of food security, drawn from national and international sources. This year’s report was published on 11 December 2025.

What recent assessment his Department has made of potential changes in the retention of (a) engineering and (b) technical specialists.

We remain committed to strengthening recruitment and retention across the Armed Forces through a range of targeted initiatives and measures. We continually monitor retention and review the overall offer, and recent data shows encouraging progress. For the first time since early 2021, intake now exceeds outflow. In the 12 months to 1 October 2025, the number of people joining the Armed Forces increased by 13% compared to the previous year, while departures fell by 8%. Applications also continue to rise. Recruiting for certain specialist or technical skills — such as cyber, digital, healthcare, medical, and engineering — remains challenging due to strong competition in the wider labour market. To address this, we are implementing actions to improve retention, including more flexible terms of service, a modernised allowance system, bespoke pay spines, skills payments, Targeted Financial Retention Incentives (FRIs) and a pilot ‘total reward’ approach for engineers. Recent changes include FRIs for engineers and targeted skills payments for cyber and engineering roles. Early feedback from our pay supplement trial for critical engineering skills indicates a 53% increase in intention to remain – an encouraging sign, though we recognise more work is needed. Further, the Perceived Value of the Offer survey piloted with engineers in 2024 was expanded this year to all Regular personnel. This evidence will inform future reward policies and interventions, ensuring they reflect what personnel value most, thus strengthening retention across the Services, particularly in critical engineering and technical roles.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Department has made of the volume of plastic packaging placed on the UK market in the last year.

For 2024, there are two available estimates for the volume of plastic packing placed on the market for the UK. These estimates are based on different methodologies and data sources (PackFlow and Reported Packaging Data) and so produce slightly different figures. PackFlow is a report commissioned by Defra to provide information on the total flows of packaging in the UK and has historically been used to estimate the total amount of material placed on the market. The Reported Packaging Data provides new data on total packaging supplied and placed on the UK market and became available after the Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) came into force on 1 January 2025. Table1: Estimates of the volume of plastic packaging placed on the market, UK Data sourcePackaging waste arising estimate for 2024 (thousand tonnes)PackFlow2,265Reported Packaging Data2,149 (provisional) Note: The arisings data sourced from the Reported Packaging Data system is based on data for H1 and H2 for 2024 (as submitted in October 2024 and April 2025). Data as of 2 June 2025 The full methodology and figures relating to previous years, can be found in the UK Statistics on Waste publication.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Department has made of the total cost of river restoration projects undertaken in the last financial year.

The Water Restoration Fund was launched in April 2024. It is reinvesting funding based on water company environmental fines and penalties into projects to improve the water environment. Natural England supports and advises the Rural Payments Agency and the Environment Agency on administration of funds for river restoration, ensuring we get the greatest value for money in terms of nature recovery and wider societal benefits.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to accelerate tree planting to meet statutory environmental targets.

The Government is investing £1 billion in tree planting and support to the forestry sector over this parliament. Tree planting in England is at the highest recorded rate in over 20 years, with over 7,100 hectares planted in 2024/25. As part of this investment the government is delivering on the manifesto commitment to create three new national forests and will fund tree planting across England, through Woodland Creation Partnerships and Forestry Commission grants, while also providing wider sector support. This support includes investing in apprenticeships and tree nurseries, ensuring we have the skills and jobs we need and a supply of healthy seeds and trees to create the forests of the future.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of biodiversity loss over the last 12 months.

Defra does not have data on biodiversity loss covering the most recent 12‑month period. However, a range of official publications and monitoring frameworks provide the latest picture of biodiversity trends and the government’s most recent assessment of progress, such as Indicators of species abundance in England, England biodiversity indicators, and Wild bird and Butterfly statistics.

What estimate his Department has made of the number of Armed Forces families affected by delays in allocating service accommodation.

In November 2025, the Ministry of Defence’s Industry Partner, Pinnacle, allocated 98.52% (532) of applications made by Service personnel entitled to Service Family Accommodation within 15 working days. 1.48% (8) applications fell outside of this target. Pinnacle’s performance far exceeds their Key Performance Indicator which requires them to process and allocate 90% of housing applications for entitled Service personnel within 15 working days.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to expand access to nature-based carbon sequestration schemes for landowners.

Nature-based solutions are essential for tackling the climate and biodiversity crises together. Ecosystems such as forests, saltmarshes and grasslands actively absorb carbon and enhance climate resilience, while England’s peatlands, our largest terrestrial carbon store, play a critical role in preventing emissions when kept in good condition. Protecting and restoring these systems is indispensable for the Government’s net zero pathway and for safeguarding habitats that support native species. The Government is investing significantly in nature’s recovery, including £1 billion in tree planting and support for the forestry sector over this Parliament, alongside funding to improve and restore peatlands to protect and enhance natural carbon stores and sinks. This will make a significant contribution to the Environment Act targets, including improving the quality of water and spaces for wildlife so biodiversity can thrive.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of water companies in reducing storm overflow discharges.

The Government published a report on 11 December which highlights that while progress has been made to reduce spills from storm overflows, the amount of sewage entering our waterways is still unacceptable. This government is committed to transparency around the scale of this challenge and we’re taking decisive action to tackle it. Over £10 billion will be spent in the next five years to upgrade 2,500 overflows in England, alongside more monitoring and inspections than ever before. Our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act will introduce independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows, in addition to storm overflows. Discharges will have to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. This will create an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and hold water companies to account. Our Water White Paper will set out long-term reforms to strengthen regulation, tackle pollution, and accelerate the delivery of vital infrastructure.

What steps his Department is taking to improve energy efficiency across the defence estate.

Improving energy efficiency means more money to spend on warfighting readiness. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is improving energy efficiency across the Defence Estate through targeted energy management initiatives, behavioural campaigns, the Utility Savings Challenge, LED lighting upgrades, and water-saving measures. New build assets are designed with energy-saving features, while recognising that much of the estate consists of older infrastructure not built to modern standards. The MOD has secured £9 billion over 10 years, some of which will be for enhancing energy efficiency in Service Family Accommodation. This includes installing solar panels, heat pumps, energy-efficient lighting, and improving thermal insulation

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

As of December 2025, around 41% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) features are in favourable condition across all of England, and the percentage in favourable or unfavourable recovering condition is around 62%. The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) published on 1 December sets out our ambition to bring 75% of SSSIs into favourable condition by 2042. In the EIP, we have also set an interim target for 50% of SSSI features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition by December 2030, which will support the achievement of the 2042 ambition.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of policies to protect pollinator populations.

Following the conclusion of our National Pollinator Strategy in 2024, Defra will deliver a refreshed Pollinator Action Plan, as part of the broader Environmental Improvement Plan. This will set out key actions for pollinators in England. Defra partly funds the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (UK PoMS) providing systematic data on the abundance of key pollinators at a national scale. This data contributes to measuring trends in pollinator populations and targets conservation efforts. The Health and Safety Executive has published updated guidance for emergency authorisations of pesticides. This is the next step in delivering on the commitment the government made in December 2024 to end the use of banned neonicotinoid pesticides in England.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to improve enforcement against illegal waste dumping.

We will reform the waste carriers, brokers and dealers regime and the waste permit exemptions regime. This will make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. In addition, our planned digital waste tracking reforms will make it harder than ever to mis-identify waste or dispose of it inappropriately. The Environment Agency’s (EA) total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased and includes £15.6m for waste crime enforcement. This is a more than 50% increase from 2024/25. Overall, the EA has been able to increase its frontline criminal enforcement resource in the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and area environmental crime teams by 43 full-time staff. This resource will target activities that are waste crime priorities and will make best use of enforcement activity data and criminal intelligence to do so. Activities include tackling organised crime groups, increasing enforcement activity around specific areas of concern such as landfill sites, closing down illegal waste sites more quickly, using intelligence more effectively, and delivering successful major criminal investigations.

What steps his Department is taking to expand opportunities for veterans to transition into civilian employment.

This Government is fully committed to renewing the nations contract with those who serve and who have served and to ensure veterans and their families have access to the employment support they need. A range of programmes are in place to support those leaving service, which make full use of their skills and experience in finding fulfilling and sustainable careers. The Career Transition Partnership is the initial point of employment provision for those transitioning into civilian life, with employment assistance available for up to two years before and two years after leaving service. For veterans who are more than two years post-service, as well as their families, additional support is provided through Op ASCEND. This initiative has already engaged with over 420 employers to create employment opportunities and successfully supported 5,000 veterans and family members. In addition, the new Veterans Strategy outlines specific and targeted interventions to connect veterans with strategically important industries. This includes a 12-month Clean Energy Jobs pilot in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to connect veterans with high-skilled careers in the high demand clean energy sector. The recent Budget confirmed that the Employer National Insurance contributions relief for veterans will be extended to April 2028.

What steps his Department is taking to accelerate the rollout of new personal protective equipment for frontline personnel.

The safety of our personnel is our top priority. Our deployed personnel are in possession of the protective equipment that they require for their roles. The Department continues to explore new technologies and options to ensure that issued protective equipment is evolving.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of defence industrial capacity to support long-term equipment programmes.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that supply chains are a foundational priority for Defence and is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, working collaboratively with industry to mitigate risks. Central to this is the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) which is pivotal to ensuring operational readiness and resilience across Defence. The DSCCP has scoped the work required to address critical minerals and component supply within Defence, with further work aligned to the Government’s “Vision 2035: Critical Mineral Strategy”. The MOD is also developing capabilities to strengthen supply chain readiness and resilience during crises, including Supply Chain Wargaming, Architecture and Category Management. These initiatives will help MOD and industry identify and mitigate risks to equipment programmes, ensuring industry can adequately support defence.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the resilience of military supply chains for critical components and materials.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises that supply chains are a foundational priority for Defence and is actively engaged in de-risking critical defence supply chain vulnerabilities, working collaboratively with industry to mitigate risks. Central to this is the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP) which is pivotal to ensuring operational readiness and resilience across Defence. The DSCCP has scoped the work required to address critical minerals and component supply within Defence, with further work aligned to the Government’s “Vision 2035: Critical Mineral Strategy”. The MOD is also developing capabilities to strengthen supply chain readiness and resilience during crises, including Supply Chain Wargaming, Architecture and Category Management. These initiatives will help MOD and industry identify and mitigate risks to equipment programmes, ensuring industry can adequately support defence.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with operators of housing-with-care schemes on international best practice in relation to tenure.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 87630 on 11 November 2025.