Written questions by Farron.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's statutory guidance entitled Dog kennel boarding licensing: statutory guidance for local authorities, updated on 1 June 2024, how many licensed kennels and catteries inspected by local authorities did not meet minimum requirements in the latest period for which data is available.

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 there are no statutory requirements for local authorities to provide Defra with information on the number of licensed businesses who do not meet minimum requirements. Local authorities are required to provide an annual return detailing the number of licences in force on 1st April each year, and the average fees associated with the grant or renewal of each licence in the preceding year. Some local authorities have provided additional information about suspended, refused or revoked licences. Data from the annual return is published by Defra and can be found here: Local Authority Licensing of Activities involving Animals returns - data.gov.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the inspection regime is for premises licensed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency to operate as quarantine facilities.

Quarantine kennels are subject to annual authorisation by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for the first two years of establishment approval and authorisation every two years thereafter. Before granting a quarantine kennel licence, APHA inspects the premises. The premises must meet standard requirements for the design, construction, operation and management of a quarantine facility to ensure that full rabies security is maintained and must also meet specific welfare requirements. Every premises is overseen by a veterinary superintendent (VS) who oversees the health and welfare of the animals in the establishment’s care. The VS must visit the premises every week and submit a monthly report on the facility to APHA. APHA field vets also inspect the quarantine kennel every three months to ensure the health and welfare of the occupants is satisfactory.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of places available for dogs and cats at Animal and Plant Health Agency licensed quarantine kennel and cattery facilities.

The number of quarantine kennels and cattery facilities is kept under constant review to ensure there is sufficient quarantine provision to preserve our high animal health and biosecurity standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) dog and (b) cat places were licensed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency for quarantine in each year since 2014.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency only holds information on the number of quarantine kennels (QKs) that have been approved from 2017. The table below details the number of approved premises for each year: 20172018201920202021202220232024Number of QKs approved - dogs99777776Number of QKs approved - cats99766665 The numbers provided only cover quarantine kennels that are for public use as pet quarantine kennels. We have not included rabies quarantine facilities which includes zoo quarantine premises, research quarantine premises and 48 hours temporary holdings at ports/airports.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the animal welfare provision and conditions within the Animal and Plant Health Agency licensed quarantine kennel and cattery facilities.

The Government is committed to preserving high animal welfare and biosecurity standards. Authorised quarantine premises are approved and regularly inspected by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to ensure they meet the standards specified in the conditions of their authorisation, which includes welfare standards. We keep the adequacy of the animal welfare provision and conditions within authorised quarantine premises under regular review.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether all existing environmental permits issued to sewerage undertakers under the Environment Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 require those companies to fulfil their legal obligations in relation to sewage (a) treatment and (b) disposal.

Yes, all environmental permits issued to sewerage undertakers under the Environment Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 require companies to fulfil their legal obligations regarding both the treatment and disposal of sewage. These permits set out strict conditions designed to protect human health and the environment, including requirements to ensure the proper treatment of sewage before it is discharged into watercourses or the ground. The Environment Agency will take action against non-compliance. We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, we will not hesitate to hold companies to account.

Food and Rural Affairs, when a water company licence was last revoked; and how many water company licences have been revoked.

Ofwat as the independent regulator monitors the performance of water companies and adherence to the conditions of company licences. Ofwat cannot unilaterally revoke an undertaker's licence but is able to replace an existing undertaker in certain scenarios. For example, if the statutory grounds in section 24 of the Water Industry Act 1991 are met, special administration can also be used to transfer the company to new owners. Under the Conservatives, there has been no revocation of a water company licence. The new Government is in the process of resetting relations with water companies.

Innovation and Technology, what his Department's planned timetable is for making a decision on whether the parishes of (a) Warcop, (b) Hilton, (c) Murton and (d) Ormside will be included in Project Gigabit.

A Project Gigabit contract for Cumbria has been awarded to the broadband supplier Fibrus. Discussion on the inclusion of the parishes of Warcop, Hilton, Murton and Ormside within the contract is currently underway with Fibrus, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of December 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on how frequently the Environment Agency reviews environmental permits issued to sewerage undertakers under the Environment Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.

The Environment Agency (EA) periodically reviews environmental permits issued to sewerage undertakers under the Environment Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 to ensure they remain effective and fit for purpose. There is no set frequency for reviewing all permits. The EA undertakes reviews in response to specific triggers, such as new environmental legislation, updated water quality standards, or significant operational changes at sewage treatment facilities. In addition, the EA conducts routine compliance checks and inspections of sewerage undertakers to assess their adherence to permit conditions. These checks may lead to further review or variation of a permit if necessary to improve environmental protections. The EA will take action against non-compliance. We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, we will not hesitate to hold companies to account.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with (a) members of the United Nations Security Council and (b) other international partners to help support Rohingya people in Myanmar.

Since 2017, the UK has provided over £48 million in aid including cash assistance and water, sanitation and hygiene services to the Rohingya and other Muslim minorities in Rakhine state. We continue to work with members of the United Nations Security Council and international partners in calling for the protection of civilians and the need for unhindered humanitarian access to ensure support can reach the most vulnerable. In May 2024, the UK, along with international partners, released a statement calling on all armed actors to ensure the protection of civilians in Rakhine state. We will continue to work with international partners to ensure there is accountability for acts committed against the Rohingya, including through the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Iranian counterpart on (a) the arrest of Mojdeh Farah on September 9 and (b) the imprisonment of other Christian converts in that country.

We are aware of Ms Farah's case. We condemn Iran's restrictions against Freedom of Religion or Belief. Christians, particularly converts from Islam and other minority religions, continue to face severe repression in Iran. We are committed to holding Iran to account for its attacks against religious minorities, including at the UN Third Committee this month.