Written questions by Morton.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the incinerator capacity for waste destined for landfill in Scotland.

I have engaged with the Scottish Government on the potential impacts of their forthcoming ban on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. We don’t have an estimate for the amount of waste transported from Scotland to England, but the Scottish Government has assured the department that it is not acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to landfills in England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime in the current financial year.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment. The EA’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased to £2,274 million and includes £10 million baselined for waste crime enforcement and additional £5.6 million this financial year to tackle waste crime.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for waste crime offences in England and Wales.

Of the additional £5.6 million allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) this year to tackle waste crime, £2 million has allowed the EA to recruit an additional 43 operational staff and achieve focus on enforcement. Prosecution is not always the most effective way of stopping waste crime and the EA will continue to use a variety of approaches to disrupt and prevent waste crime, whilst prosecuting the worst offences and offenders, in line with its strategy for reducing crime in the waste sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the conviction rate was for waste crime offences in each of the last five years.

The conviction rates for the last five years are as follows: 2020 – 82%2021 – 81%2022 – 86%2023 – 83%2024 – 84%

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authorities to enforce waste disposal regulations.

This question has been interpreted as relating to whether an assessment has been made regarding adequate infrastructure availability for local authorities to meet their Simpler Recycling requirements. We are working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. Specifically, we have engaged with Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF) operators and local authorities to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment and upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. Those engaged with us are aware of their obligations and are working hard to upgrade their facilities to ensure they can separate the target materials as required by Simpler Recycling. Further workstreams have included engagement with the organics processing sector who are also clear of the obligations on them and the increase in food waste material which will be generated in the coming years.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle fly-tipping in (a) rural and (b) suburban communities.

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and places significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses. Local authorities are responsible for tackling fly-tipping in their areas and we want to see an effective enforcement strategy at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. We are therefore taking steps to help councils make good use of their powers, including seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance. We are also reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool. In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course. Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of interested parties, including local authorities and the National Farmers Union to share good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping, including on private land. The NFTPG has developed various practical tools, guidance and case studies highlighting best practice. These are available at: https://nftpg.com/.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether landfill sites in England will receive waste from Scotland following the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in that country.

I met with Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government on 3rd July 2025 to discuss this important issue. The Scottish Government has assured me that they do not believe that it is acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome. Defra officials are continuing to engage with those in the Scottish Government on potential impacts to England that may arise from implementation of the Scottish landfill ban.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in Scotland on levels of landfill in England.

I met with Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government on 3rd July 2025 to discuss this important issue. The Scottish Government has assured me that they do not believe that it is acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome. Defra officials are continuing to engage with those in the Scottish Government on potential impacts to England that may arise from implementation of the Scottish landfill ban.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities seeking to prosecute repeat fly-tipping offenders.

The Government encourages councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, including prosecution, and we are taking steps to help them do so. We intend to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and are also reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers to understand how we could help them make better use of this tool. While sentencing is a matter for the courts, the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, which Defra chairs, has produced a guide on how local authorities can present robust cases to court. The guide explains that repeat offending could be an aggravating factor. This is available at https://nftpg.com/.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase levels of funding for local authorities for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping.

The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This results in an average overall real terms increase in local authority core spending power of 2.6% per year. The majority of this new funding is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, which could include fly-tipping enforcement. Defra has no current plans to provide funding to local authorities specifically for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping. We are looking to support local authorities to tackle fly-tipping in other ways. Indeed, we are taking steps to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and have commenced a review of their vehicle seizure powers to identify and remove barriers where we can.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to local authorities of clearing fly-tipped waste.

According to Defra official statistics, in 2023/24, around 4% of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by local authorities in England were of ‘tipper lorry load’ size or larger. For these incidents, the cost of clearance to local authorities was £13.1 million. Local authorities do not report clearance costs for smaller incidents. These statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england According to independent research published by the Environmental Services Association in 2021, the estimated national cost of fly-tipping to the economy has increased from £209 million in 2015 to £392 million in 2018/19. A more recent assessment has not been made.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of levels of penalties for waste crime.

Legislation relating to waste crime such as fly-tipping and illegal waste sites allows for an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. We are making the regulations for the transport and management of waste tougher so that those who break the new rules will face up to five years imprisonment. For lower-level offences it is important to ensure that penalties are high enough to act as a deterrent but not too high so that offenders cannot, or choose not to, pay the penalty. The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court. This is available at https://nftpg.com/. Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose for unlawfully depositing waste, the court will take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with sentencing guidelines for environmental offences, issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support British farmers producing (a) cereal, (b) milk, (c) butter, (d) beef and (e) other staple food items.

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain. While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide multi-year environmental funding for the Falkland Islands.

Defra primarily supports the UK Overseas Territories, including the Falkland Islands, in protecting their unique biodiversity and natural environments through the Darwin Plus programme. Over the past five years, Darwin Plus has awarded funding to 28 projects benefiting the Falkland Islands, with a total value exceeding £4 million. This includes several multi-year projects. Defra will shortly be finalising plans to fund new Darwin Plus projects, including multiyear projects, across the UK Overseas Territories. Project applicants have been advised to expect updates over the summer. Updates will also be made available on the Darwin Plus website at: www.darwinplus.org.uk.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) retailers and (b) hospitality with the potential impact of changes to (i) National Insurance Contributions and (ii) National Minimum Wage on food prices.

ONS data for May 2025 shows CPI food price inflation was 4.4%, up from 3.4% in April 2025. This is due to range of factors, including the strength in some commodity prices, this year’s exceptionally dry spring and geopolitical concerns etc. We have protected the small businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from the changes to employer NICs that came into effect from 6 April 2025. The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage is set following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission. In making that recommendation the LPC is required to take into account the effects of that rate on business, competitiveness the labour market and the wider economy. By seeking expert and independent advice from the Low Pay Commission, we are able to ensure that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, the affordability for businesses and the impact on the economy As part of the plan for change, the Government is developing a food strategy to transform the food system and make good, healthy food more accessible and affordable and to realise the potential within the food sector itself. We are meeting retail and hospitality representatives regularly as well as others in the food and drink industry, civil society, and citizens to work up shared goals and priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with food retailers on the prices of (a) staple food items, (b) cereal, (c) milk, (d) butter and (e) beef.

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain. While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) food producers and (b) suppliers facing rising input costs.

Annual variations in farm input costs are driven by global markets. UK fertiliser farm gate prices are tied to movements in the international market, and UK fertiliser suppliers compete for market share providing the best price they can for farmers. In the 12 months to April 2025, the price index for agricultural inputs decreased by 0.4%. We are also working with colleagues in DESNZ to ensure all farmers can reap the benefits from clean energy. The Government’s Farming Productivity Review is currently being led by Minette Batters and will culminate after 6 months in a report setting out recommendations to Government, industry, and farmers to support profitability in farming.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure compliance with the waste carriers, brokers and dealers registration regime.

The Environment Agency (EA) adopts a risk-based approach to monitoring compliance by conducting targeted audits and roadside checks with partners and identifying and auditing high-risk brokers. The EA uses a range of proportionate actions to secure compliance in line with its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. However, it is acknowledged that the current waste carriers, brokers and dealers regulatory regime is not fit for purpose. We recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the EA a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally. It will also introduce the possibility of up to 5 years imprisonment for those who breach these new laws.

Food and Rural Affairs, when statutory fly‑tipping enforcement guidance for local authorities will be published; and what his planned timeline is for its implementation.

The Government is seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance. Following Royal Assent, we will carry out a consultation with relevant stakeholders including local authorities. Once the consultation has concluded and responses taken into account, we will look to publish the guidance as soon as is practical.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many vehicles were seized in relation to waste crime offences in each of the last three years.

Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions, including vehicles seized, to Defra, which are published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. We are conducting a review of council powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers, to identify how we could help them make better use of this tool.