Written questions by Farron.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding and devolved powers to ensure the comprehensive monitoring of air quality in England.

Defra is responsible for the national monitoring of air quality (which includes England) through 16 different networks monitoring various pollutants. Departmental budgets, including budgets for air quality monitoring, are determined through departmental spending reviews. Devolved powers through the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) framework and the London Local Air Quality Management (LLAQM) require local authorities to review and assess air quality in their areas. These assessments include air quality monitoring and the production of annual status reports which are funded through their own budgets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she had made of the adequacy of alignment between national government targets and obligations and local government actions to improve ambient air quality in England.

National targets and local actions are aligned through statutory duties that require local authorities to assess air quality, designate Air Quality Management Areas, and produce Air Quality Action Plans tied to national air quality objectives. Local authorities retain flexibility to tailor interventions to local circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence exists of the direct and indirect impact of air pollution on (a) crop yields, (b) biodiversity, (c) pollinator, (d) rain, (e) stratospheric ozone, (f) water quality and (g) soil quality.

Evidence is set out in the recent house of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s Nitrogen report: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ldselect/ldenvcl/161/16102.htmand and the Critical loads expert report Air_Pollution_Trends_Report_2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, which Government departments other than his Department are able to have the biggest impact on improving levels of ambient air pollution; and how their policies seek to achieve this.

Air pollution comes from many different sources and has wide-ranging impacts. Issues such as air quality, climate action, public health and nature recovery are closely linked, creating opportunities for policies that deliver benefits across all these areas. Because of this, every part of government has a role in shaping policies that help reduce air pollution and its effects. I will continue to work collaboratively with colleagues across government to tackle key sources of pollution, such as transport, health and energy policy, which play a vital role in meeting our statutory air quality targets.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of how well examples of local best practice that exist to enforce existing legislation and regulation to improve local air quality are being rolled out elsewhere in England.

National targets and local actions are aligned through statutory duties that require local authorities to assess air quality, designate Air Quality Management Areas, and produce Air Quality Action Plans tied to national air quality objectives. Local authorities retain flexibility to tailor interventions to local circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what comparisons and best practices can be learned from other countries to help improve air quality in England in (a) ambient air and (b) indoor air.

The Government recognises that air pollution is a local, regional, and global issue, and that there is considerable expertise, knowledge, and skills that countries, experts, and organisations can share to help reduce pollution across the world. We remain committed to cooperating with our neighbours across Europe to reduce our regional air pollution, including through the ongoing revision of the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol, and to playing our part in wider global action to reduce pollution around the world.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department made of the risks posed by captive‑bred birds at licensed gatherings prior to introducing the December 2025 amendments to Bird Gathering Licences; and what the evidential basis was for the prohibition on sales and exchanges at such events.

I refer the Hon Member to the reply previously given on 30 January 2026 to the Hon Member for Stockton West, Matt Vickers to PQ UIN 107782.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes made in December 2025 to Bird Gathering Licences on the viability of (a) mixed‑species bird exhibitions, (b) the National Exhibition and (c) any other regional agricultural events.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus. Detailed risk assessments can be found on Gov.UK. As legislation requires this to be a risk-based decision, assessments of the impact to individual events, the number of events, or types of event, have not been made. Assessing the risk of each gathering is complex. Factors taken into account include, but are not limited to: the background risk; the origin locations of the birds; the species of birds attending; biosecurity measures; the number of birds and species; and the number of exhibitors. Gatherings, including mixed species exhibitions may be permitted, subject to licence.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the requirement for Bird Gathering Licences to be approved no more than seven days before an event on (a) trends in the number, (b) the planning and (c) biosecurity of such events.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or other captive birds. In England, a licence to hold a bird gathering may be granted by Defra if a veterinary risk assessment has been carried out, and if the gathering, including the movement of birds to and from it, would not significantly increase the risk of the transmission of avian influenza virus. Detailed risk assessments can be found on Gov.UK. As legislation requires this to be a risk-based decision, assessments of the impact to individual events, the number of events, or types of event, have not been made. Assessing the risk of each gathering is complex. Factors taken into account include, but are not limited to: the background risk; the origin locations of the birds; the species of birds attending; biosecurity measures; the number of birds and species; and the number of exhibitors. Gatherings, including mixed species exhibitions may be permitted, subject to licence.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review the prohibition on exhibiting Psittaciformes alongside (a) canaries and (b) finches at licensed bird gatherings; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of permitting mixed‑species events.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. In England the general licence for gatherings of Psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons permits a gathering including a mix of these types of birds. Defra can also exercise discretion to permit gatherings by granting specific licences for mixed species from other orders of bird such as Passeriformes (e.g. canaries and finches). For each application for a licence to hold a gathering, an individual risk assessment will be completed, and mitigating conditions will be set out in the licence. It is therefore possible, subject to licence, to hold mixed-species exhibitions of Psittaciformes alongside canaries and finches.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to consult (a) regional bird clubs, (b) national exhibition and (c) any other avicultural organisations on licensing changes and their potential impact on (i) breeding, (ii) rehoming and (iii) any other conservation activities.

Defra officials will continue to engage stakeholders, including regional bird clubs, organisers of the National Exhibition and other avicultural organisations about the changes to the licences for bird gatherings via stakeholder forums and individual discussions as appropriate to understand impacts to their activities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking in response to the findings of the Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, published on 26 January 2026.

Nature underpins our security, prosperity, and resilience, and understanding the threats we face from biodiversity loss is essential to addressing them effectively. The UK is already taking action to strengthen resilience to environmental risks at home and overseas. The Nature Security assessment is a strategic analysis designed to help government plan for potential shocks that are credible enough to warrant preparation and will inform policy and decision-making. This approach ensures the UK is equipped to anticipate and manage risks should they arise. Publishing the assessment also supports international cooperation on shared biodiversity challenges. In the UK, the Government is investing in sustainable farming, restoring peatlands, improving water quality, and protecting pollinators. The government has introduced landmark legislation to protect our oceans and is working to restore over half of all plantations on ancient woodland sites by 2030. Internationally, the UK is investing significantly in forest and ocean protection and is supporting the transition to more sustainable food and land use globally, to help ensure the future of our global supply chains. Together, these measures form part of the UK’s wider strategy to reduce the security risks of biodiversity loss, protect livelihoods, and promote global stability through nature recovery.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff worked for the rural payments agency in each year between 2019 and 2026.

The number of full‑time equivalent (FTE) staff employed by the Rural Payments Agency is published in the public domain as part of Defra’s Monthly Workforce Management Information (MWMI) reports. This information can be accessed via the following link: : Defra: workforce management information - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to produce a white paper for a food strategy.

The food strategy is an on-going programme of work to create a healthier, more affordable, sustainable and resilient food system. The first part was the Good Food Cycle publication in July 2025, which identified for the first time the outcomes the Government want from the food system.Defra is working with the food system to consider the best way of achieving these outcomes. The department will consider the need for legislation, alongside the wide range of other policy tools that can help deliver outcomes and will seek to make space in the legislative timetable if needed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total Environment Agency expenditure on waste crime in each year since 2015.

The Environment Agency (EA) is unable to track total expenditure on waste crime as waste crime is delivered by a range of multi-functional teams. The EA can only report on what is allocated, not what is spent. The table provided sets out the EA’s Grant in Aid income that has been specifically allocated to waste crime activities since 2015. Wider core grant has historically contributed to enforcement work across all EA functions but is not allocated in a way that can be specifically linked to waste crime, so is not included. YearWaste Crime Allocation2014/15£3.3m2015/16£2.4m2016/17£6.0m2017/18£6.4m2018/19£10.5m2019/20£10m2020/21£10m2021/22£10m2022/23£10m2023/24£10m2024/45£10m2025/26£12m *Plus, additional £3.6m for enforcement of new duties including extended producer responsibility.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many water outage incidents have occurred in each of the last five years.

Water companies are Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have duties to plan for emergencies, including water outage incidents. In England, the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) is the main legislative framework specific to water companies for emergency planning.This Government has been clear there is no excuse for poor performance, and that water companies must take seriously their role in meeting the public and regulators’ expectations. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regulates water company performance against SEMD requirements. The DWI has a range of tools to hold companies to account, including serving companies with enforcement orders.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of expanding flooding support eligibility for farmers.

The Government is funding environmental land management (ELM) schemes, which include measures to support farmers with managing flood risks or investing in natural flood management. The Government has committed to investing £11.8 billion in the farming budget over the course of this Parliament, with funding for ELM increasing from £800 million in 2023/24 to £2 billion by 2028/29. Data on the uptake and spend on individual actions in these schemes is regularly published and available at: Agri-environment scheme uptake data - GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the Department's budget is allocated to work on flood defences and mitigation.

Delivering on the Plan for Change, this government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change. The proportion of Defra Group’s total budget allocated to Floods in 2025/26 is 20%. This remains the second largest area of the Defra Group budget.

Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans are in place for periods of water shortage and supply outages.

In England and Wales, The Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) is the main legislative framework specific to water companies for emergency planning. It requires water companies to ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency. Separate arrangements apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Companies are required under the SEMD framework to plan for a wide range of disruptive scenarios, including continuous monitoring of risks such as severe winter weather. In addition to SEMD requirements, companies are also incentivised under Ofwat’s performance targets regime to minimise supply interruptions and resulting customer impacts. The Drinking Water Inspectorate regulates water company performance on SEMD performance. Water companies are also Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have duties to plan for emergencies and cooperate with other organisations in their Local Resilience Forums in understanding risk, planning and exercising. Defra maintains regular strategic engagement with water companies on resilience planning. This includes in advance of forecast periods of severe weather. Water companies also engage with their Local Resilience Forums during responses to water outages. Defra undertakes strategic risk assessment, planning and engagement with the water sector and other government departments to regarding water outage risk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the levels of resilience of water treatment works.

Ofwat has a legislative duty to further the resilience of water companies’ water supply and wastewater systems to enable them to meet long-term need. The Government is preparing to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, including on asset health and resilience. Reforms outlined in this response will form the basis of a new water reform bill to be introduced during this Parliament.