Tag: Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 February 2025.

Food redistribution charities can now submit applications for a new £15 million Government scheme, which is helping to ensure surplus food is delivered to those who need it.

Every year, an estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food is either wasted or repurposed as animal feed before leaving farm gates. This food should be going onto the nation’s plates, but charities often lack the resources to salvage it and provide it to the most vulnerable.

The new Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme will strengthen links between farms and charities to help solve the problem of food surplus on farms, with grants starting from £20,000 to help organisations fight hunger in communities.

From today (Friday 7 February), applicants can submit bids outlining how they intend to form relationships with farmers to access any surplus food, and how they would seek to increase their capacity to redistribute this food to communities.

The funding can go towards purchasing new packaging and labelling equipment and vehicles to move goods from farms to a redistribution organisation, as well as new equipment, like fridges or freezers, to safely store food and ensure it lasts longer.

The fund is open to food redistribution charities and any groups with an interest are encouraged to apply.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on our nation’s tables. This fund will help charities work more closely with farmers to create new ways to get fresh produce to the people who need it most.

I encourage our brilliant, dedicated redistribution charities and non-profits to apply for this funding to ensure more British fruit and veg gets to those who need it most.

In a joint statement, the CEOs of The Bread and Butter Thing, City Harvest, FareShare, The Felix Project and Co-Chairs of The Xcess Group said:

As leaders of the surplus food redistribution sector and following years of campaigning, we are delighted to welcome the launch of this fund ahead of British growing season.

It presents an opportunity to make a profound impact by empowering local charities and community organisations. These groups are the backbone of British society, and we are proud to support them.

By working across the charitable redistribution sector, we can help ensure that this scheme is implemented efficiently through our joint capacity, delivers tangible value to taxpayers, and helps millions of meals reach as many people as possible at a time of considerable need.

Applications can be submitted online until 11:55am on 13 March 2025.

There is more to come as the Government moves to ensure the throwaway society is ended for good.

A new Circular Economy Taskforce, comprising members from industry, academia, and civil society across the UK, has been set up. They will lead on the development of a Circular Economy Strategy for England, which will outline how individual sectors can contribute to ambitions in this area.

This is alongside continued support for the Courtauld Commitment 2030, managed by environmental NGO WRAP, which looks to deliver a more sustainable supply chain and reduce food waste in the home – tackling food waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 February 2025.

A record £2.65 billion will be committed to build or maintain up to 1,000 flood defences, protecting more than 66,000 properties.

Tens of thousands of homes and business will be better protected from flooding as the government unveils a record package to build new flood defences and maintain and repair those already in place.

As part of the Plan for Change, the Government is committing a record two-year investment of £2.65 billion with 52,000 properties set to benefit from new defences by March 2026. To shore up creaking defences in need of repairs, funding will be reprioritised for investment in much-needed maintenance, benefitting a further 14,500 properties. This means a total of 66,500 properties will benefit from this funding.

With the frequency of extreme weather events only continuing to rise, leading to devastating impacts for people, homes, businesses and communities and costing the UK economy billions each year, decisive action to invest in adapting to climate change has never been more important.

As well as protecting families from the devastation of flooding, the investment supports economic growth by protecting businesses, supporting jobs, and supporting a stable economy in the face of the increasing risk of flooding as a result of climate change. It will also protect farmland which has been badly hit by recent storms, in turn helping to safeguard farm businesses and farmers’ profits.

This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left 3,000 of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at below the required condition.

The announcement comes as the Government’s Floods Resilience Taskforce meets today, with Floods Minister Emma Hardy joined by ministers from across government alongside representatives from the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, and the National Farmers’ Union. They will look at further steps that can be taken to protect the 6.3 million properties in England at risk from flooding, and discuss lessons to learn from Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn this winter.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:

The storms this winter have devastated lives and livelihoods.

The role of any Government is to protect its citizens.

Under our Plan for Change, we are investing a record £2.65 billion to build and maintenance flood defences to protect lives, homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding.

Up to 1000 projects are set to receive a share of the funding. Projects receiving funding include:

• Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Flood Defence Scheme in Somerset, which will receive £43 million.
• The Derby Flood Risk Management Scheme “Our City Our River”, which is set to receive £35 million.
• In the West Midlands, the Beales Corner project, which protects communities in Bewdley, will benefit from £2 million.
• An additional £3.5 million for the Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Flood Defences in Dorset
• Support for property flood resilience schemes across Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, receiving £2.5 million.

Essential maintenance will be made to defences across the country including:

• Phase 3 of the Stallingborough Sea Defences along the Humber estuary, receiving over £7 million
• A further £3.8 million will be spent to improve protection in Pevensey Bay, as part of work to repair local sea defences.

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:

The impact of flooding on our communities will only become greater as climate change brings more extreme weather, like Storms Bert, Conall and Éowyn.

With this new funding, we will work closely with the Government to deliver the vital projects that are needed across the country, ensuring our investment goes to those communities who need it the most.

Recognising many flood defence projects have stalled, £140 million from the investment programme will be prioritised for 31 projects that are ready for delivery, ensuring nearby communities are protected as soon as possible. The full list of schemes to benefit will be announced in the coming months.

In addition to providing this crucial funding, the Government will be focused on fixing the foundations of the nation’s flood defences and giving communities confidence that they will protect them. This year, £36 million is being spent to undertake urgent repairs to defences damaged in last winter’s extreme flooding events.

For the next year, a further £72 million will go towards maintaining and repairing assets, including those damaged in recent flood events, to ensure they are as resilient as possible and operate as expected.

Today’s Floods Resilience Taskforce will be hosted by Flood Re, a joint initiative between the Government and insurers aimed at making the flood cover part of household insurance policies more affordable.

The expert group’s discussions will focus on the national and local response to this winter’s flooding. It will also discuss further the long-term delivery of the Government’s flood resilience strategy and investment, including the planned review of the government’s funding formula for allocating money to flood and coastal erosion defence schemes.

Wider action to improve the nation’s flood resilience

The government is committed to delivering a refreshed and updated approach to flood defences, fit for the challenges we face.

• The existing funding formula for allocating money to defences slows down the delivery of new schemes through a complex application process and neglects more innovative approaches to flood management – which is why a consultation to update the formula will be launched shortly.
• In addition, to support rural communities impacted by flooding, more than £57 million has paid out to farmers impacted by severe weather between October 2023 and March 2024. The Farming Recovery fund has supported 12,700 businesses to cover the cost of restoring their farmland.
• Elsewhere, the government has allocated £50 million to internal drainage boards (IDBs) as part of a one-off £75 million IDB Fund. This funding will empower IDBs to manage water levels effectively for agriculture and environmental needs, ensuring their crucial role in flood and water management is supported for years to come.
• In addition, the Environment Agency has also confirmed that 34 natural flood management projects will move ahead to delivery. These projects, which are located across England, will use nature to increase the nation’s flood resilience. These projects, which are located across England, will use nature to increase the nation’s flood resilience.
• Beneficiaries include Leicester City Council, which is working in partnership with Trent Rivers Trust to reduce flood risk across 13 locations in Leicestershire. Their work includes implementing blue green sustainable drainage at several schools, tree planting, and creating new wetlands to improve floodplain connectivity and increase flood water storage.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 17 January 2025.

A Norfolk farmer with a history of environmental offending has been fined for taking and using more water than permitted.

Following a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency, a Norfolk farmer with a history of environmental offending has been fined for taking and using more water than permitted, including during a summer drought.

Brian Rutterford, 77, of Undley, Lakenheath, was fined on 15 January at Norwich Magistrates Court for water abstraction offences and ordered to pay £4,300. Over four years, Rutterford took three times the amount of water he was licenced to take, from a small channel next to his farm in Hockwold-cum-Wilton.

The farmer continued to take water during the record-breaking hot summer of 2022, when East Anglia was officially in drought and many local water courses were dry. Rutterford’s actions impacted water supplies for the local community.

Brian Rutterford held two water abstraction licences, one for summer and one for winter. His licences required him to keep abstraction records and maintain abstraction meters, which he failed to do. Rutterford pleaded guilty to offences of over-abstraction under both licences between 2018 and 2022.

Environment Agency prosecutor Mrs Sarah Dunne told the court that, although Rutterford explained that he over-abstracted to address a leak in his lake that put his fish at risk, his activities had continued for a four-year period including during a summer drought. In addition, these water abstraction offences were committed during his suspended sentence for another environmental offence: for operating an unpermitted waste site at his farm.

The presiding magistrate told Rutterford that he had been ‘chaotic’ and ‘incompetent’, and that his previous environmental offence was an aggravating feature. He was ordered to pay a total of £4,300, which included a £2,000 fine for his offences, £100 for breaching his suspended sentence, £2,000 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £200.

Michelle Herron, East Anglia Operational Water Resources Specialist, said:

Water is a scarce resource. Abstraction licenses are issued to ensure that there is enough water for everyone and that there is no harm to the environment. Water abstractors have a responsibility to conserve supplies, especially during droughts. Mr Rutterford clearly failed in fulfilling his responsibilities, so it is right that he pleaded guilty and be fined by the court.

The Environment Agency protects communities from harm by carrying out robust regulation and enforcement on those who break the rules.

Drier summers will be an enormous challenge over the next few decades, so building resilience to drought is important. To protect water resources, the Environment Agency controls how much, where and when water is abstracted through the licensing system.

Background information

Case details:

• Rutterford held two water abstraction licences which allowed him to abstract water from the channel next to his Black Dyke Farm. Under his winter licence, he was permitted to abstract a limited amount of water to fill a lake at his farm. Under his summer licence, he was permitted to abstract a much smaller amount and only for the purpose of crop spraying.  Conditions on his licences required him to keep abstraction records and maintain abstraction meters.
• Rutterford pleaded guilty to offences of over-abstraction under both licences between 2018 and 2022; for failing to maintain abstraction records in accordance with his licences and failing to maintain and calibrate his abstraction meters.
• Rutterford appeared at Kings Lynn Magistrates’ Court in 2019 for operating an unpermitted waste site at Black Dyke Farm. He had been given a suspended sentence of imprisonment. Rutterford’s water abstraction offences were committed during the currency of that suspended sentence.

Charges:

• Between 30th October 2018 and 1st November 2022, Brian Rutterford did abstract water otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of Abstraction Licence No 6/33/56/*S/0258 by exceeding permitted volumes contrary to s24(1) and (4) Water Resources Act 1991.
• Between 30th March 2017 and 1st November 2022, Brian Rutterford did abstract water otherwise than in accordance with the provisions of Abstraction Licence AN.033.0056.014 by exceeding permitted volumes contrary to s24(1) and (4) Water Resources Act 1991.
• Between 30th October 2018 and 1 st November 2022, Brian Rutterford did fail to comply with condition 9 of Abstraction Licence No 6/33/56/*S/0258 in that he failed to take, record and retain daily water abstraction records contrary to s24(4)(b) Water Resources Act 1991.
• Between 30th October 2018 and 1 st November 2022, Brian Rutterford did fail to comply with condition 8 of Abstraction Licence No 6/33/56/*S/0258 in that he failed to carry out regular maintenance and calibration of water abstraction meter, 05052121, contrary to s24(4)(b) Water Resources Act 1991.

Water abstraction licences:

• The Environment Agency controls how much, where and when water is abstracted through our licensing system. Anyone taking 20m3 of water per day or over is required to have an abstraction licence.
• Abstraction licences have conditions on them to ensure the environment and the rights of other abstractors are protected.
• Our powers and duties enable us to regulate the use of water under existing licences and to decide whether to grant new ones. Where abstraction is damaging the environment, we also have the power to amend or revoke existing licences.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 January 2025.

Exports of animals and meat susceptible to the disease prohibited.

The Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following a case being confirmed in Germany.

The commercial import of cattle, pigs, sheep, deer, buffaloes and their products such as meat, and dairy from Germany will now be banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods. GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD including all live animals and fresh meat and animal products.

As of 15 January it is no longer permitted for travellers to bring unpackaged meat, meat products, milk and dairy products, certain composite products and animal by products of pigs and ruminants into Great Britain from the EU,  EFTA states,  Faroe Islands and Greenland. Additionally, these products may not be brought to Great Britain from Germany, even if commercially packaged.  These products can be placed in the secure bins provided in ports and airports.

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer is also urging livestock keepers to remain vigilant to the clinical signs of FMD following an outbreak of the disease in Germany. There are no cases in the UK currently.

FMD poses no risk to human or food safety, but is a highly contagious viral disease of cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals. Livestock keepers should therefore be absolutely rigorous about their biosecurity.

Maintaining good biosecurity is essential to protecting the health and welfare of herds and critical to preventing the spread of diseases such as FMD and preventing an outbreak spreading.

FMD causes significant economic losses due to production losses in the affected animals as well as loss of access to foreign markets for animals, meat and milk for affected countries.

Clinical signs to be aware of vary depending on the animals, but in cattle the key signs are sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and tongue with potentially a fever, lameness and a reluctance to feed. In sheep and pigs signs tend to manifest with lameness with potential for blistering.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Christine Middlemiss said:

We remain in constant contact with German counterparts to understand the latest situation following their confirmation of a single case of Foot and Mouth disease.

We have robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease to protect farmers and Britain’s food security, which means using all measures to limit the risk incursion and spread of this devastating disease.

I would urge livestock keepers to exercise the upmost vigilance for signs of disease, follow scrupulous biosecurity and report any suspicion of disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Everyone can help stop animal diseases spreading to this country by not bringing home meat, cheese and milk products when they travel abroad.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

The Government will do whatever it takes to protect our nation’s farmers from the risk posed by Foot and Mouth.

That is why restrictions have immediately been brought in on animal products from Germany to prevent an outbreak and we will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads.

We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.

This comes as the Government announced a £200 million investment in the UK’s main research and laboratory testing facilities at Weybridge to bolster protection against animal disease.

Foot and Mouth Disease is a legally notifiable disease and must be reported. If you suspect a notifiable disease in your animals you must report it immediately by calling the Government Helpline. Failure to do so is an offence.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 January 2025.

Environment Secretary to set out his vision to boost farmers’ profitability and sustainability as part of the Plan for Change.

• First steps towards government to use its own purchasing power to buy British food
• Government to consider new reforms to speed up the planning process on farms to boost food production.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed will today (Thursday 9 January) set out the Government’s long-term vision to make farming more profitable and put more money back in the pockets of British farmers.

Speaking to farmers and landowners at the Oxford Farming Conference, Steve Reed will set out how the Government will work with farmers to deliver a profitable farming sector and unlock rural growth. This will include a cast iron commitment to food security while introducing reforms to help farmers diversify their income streams to support them during poor harvests.

As part of the Plan for Change, the Secretary of State will announce a series of reforms, delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers including:

• Backing British produce: For the first time ever, the Government will monitor food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. This is a significant first step to deliver on a manifesto pledge and make it easier for British farmers to win a share of the £5 billion spent each year on public sector catering contracts.
• Using planning reforms to support food production: Ensuring our reforms make it quicker for farmers to build the buildings, barns and other infrastructure they need on their farms to boost food production.
• Diversifying income streams: Helping farmers make additional money from selling surplus energy from solar panels and wind turbines by accelerating connections to the grid and support them during difficult harvests and supply shocks.
• A fair supply chain: Boosting profitability through fair competition across the supply chain. New rules for the pig sector will come this spring, ensuring contracts clearly set out expectations and changes can only be made if agreed by all parties. Similar regulations for eggs and fresh produce sectors will follow with the government ready to intervene with other sectors if needed.
• Protecting farmers in trade deals: The government will uphold and protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards in future trade deals.

Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will set out his vision for the future of farming in three parts – food production, business resilience and nature restoration:

The primary purpose of farming has – and always will be – to produce the food that feeds the nation.

Too many policymakers in Whitehall lose sight of that fact.

This Government is putting food production firmly back on the agenda.”

He is expected to say:

We will work in partnership to achieve our vision for the farming sector.

First, a sector whose primary purpose is food production.

Secondly, a sector where farmers can access diverse income streams to make a fair profit and ensure their business remains viable in times of challenge.

And thirdly, a sector which supports farmers to restore nature – the foundations of sustainable food production.

It is only through pursuing all three that we will achieve long-term food security.

This Government will work in partnership with the food and farming sectors to deliver the change needed starting now. The recently announced 25-year farming roadmap will act as the blueprint to get there.

The roadmap, which will be published later this year, will be the most forward-looking plan for farming in our country’s history and involve government and farmers working together to identify solutions to challenges and ensure government support is in place to enable farmers to take the actions that will let their businesses succeed.

These announcements come alongside the launch of the Accelerating Development of  Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) Fund, which will provide grant funding for farmer-led trials of innovative technology and techniques that drive sustainable food production, tackle climate change impacts, and protect nature. Further details on how farmers can apply will be released shortly.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 7 January 2025.

Minister Hardy and Philip Duffy discussed the response to flooding in the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and across the country.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy convened a further meeting with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy this afternoon to discuss the nation’s response to the recent flooding events.

During the meeting, the Floods Minister was briefed on the current situation on the ground, and the response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. She also discussed the further action being taken to protect communities over the next few days with minor flooding possible in some parts of the country continuing into Thursday. Together, they discussed how to continue to support the collective efforts of the Environment Agency, emergency services, and local authorities in responding to flooding.

Protecting communities around the country from flooding and coastal erosion is one of the Government’s priorities. It’s why £2.4 billion is being invested over the next two years to bolster the nation’s resilience, which is vital if we are to protect homes and business across the country.

The meeting comes as a mixture of snowmelt and saturated catchments has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly in the Midlands, following the heavy rainfall over the New Year that saw significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire.

Since New Year’s Eve, the Environment Agency estimates that, in total across England, more than 41,000 properties have been protected but at least 300 properties have sadly flooded, with reports of further flooding being investigated.

The Environment Agency continues to monitor the forecast and impacts on river levels. Its message to the public remains to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

This afternoon I held an urgent meeting with the Environment Agency about the ongoing flooding incident.

My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.

This Government is working at pace to accelerate the building of flood defences through our new Floods Resilience Taskforce and investing £2.4 billion, so we can continue to protect people and their homes.

Chief Executive Philip Duffy said:

My thoughts are with the people affected by flooding over the last week. We will continue our work to support flooded communities, and I want to thank teams from the Environment Agency and our partners for their tireless efforts this week.

With the risk from floods increasing due to climate change, I want to reassure people that we are intensifying our efforts to repair and maintain flood defences and work with communities nationwide to prepare for future wet weather.

The Government is working in lockstep with the Environment Agency to enhance preparations as we navigate the winter season and is swiftly integrating the insights from recent floods into the new Floods Resilience Taskforce. The taskforce is speeding up the delivery of flood defences and enhancing our national resilience to protect communities from extreme weather conditions.

Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 17 December 2024.

Government acts decisively to force water companies to double the compensation paid to customers and businesses for service failures.

Water customers around the country will benefit from significantly higher payments to compensate them for water company service failures, the Government has confirmed today (17 December 2024).

Following public consultation, new and increased compensation will be compulsory for water companies to pay to customers and businesses in the event of issues like water supply outages, sewer flooding or low water pressure.

Issues like low water pressure could see payments of up to £250, compared to just £25 currently available, and payments for internal flooding from sewers could rise to £2,000 or more, compared to £1,000 under current rules.

Following a supply interruption in South Staffordshire last month as a result of a burst water main, compensation for residents was not compulsory. Under new regulations, this incident could have warranted payment of £150 for households and £300 for businesses.

The disruption experienced by residents in Bramley, Sussex in May after a historic fuel leak from a third-party petrol station led to a ‘Do Not Drink’ notice for 600 properties did not warrant mandatory compensation, though Thames Water offered a £30 voluntary payment. Today’s reforms would trigger a compulsory payment of £220 for households and £440 for businesses.

During a recent water quality incident in Brixham, Devon following an outbreak of cryptosporidium, there was no statutory entitlement to compensation for those affected. Under new rules, customers could be entitled to at least £10 per 24 hours, potentially amounting to more than £500 for incidents over 8 weeks such as that in Brixham.

In recognition of the impacts of these incidents, today’s reforms underscore the government’s commitments to hold water companies to account for poor performance and to stand up for consumers who receive compromised water services.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said:

Customers have too often been let down by water companies, with supply cut off, low water pressure and in some cases even contaminated tap water.

We are clear that the public deserve better compensation when things go wrong, so I’m taking action to make sure that happens.

This is another step forward in our plans to reforms the water sector so it serves customers and the environment better.

Payment rates when water service standards are not met have remained unchanged since 2000, meaning reform is long overdue.

When supply interruptions take place, some water companies voluntarily offer compensation for their customers. However, there is no statutory requirement to do so, and compensation rates can vary significantly amongst companies and regions.

The changes will see the list of circumstances that can trigger compensation expand, to include when Boil Notices are issued by water companies when drinking water quality standards drop, or when firms fail to conduct meter readings or installations as promised.

This follows a public consultation which showed overwhelming public support for the changes, with an average of 84% water customers agreeing with the proposals, and 70% of businesses.

Mike Keil, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), commented:

The current Guaranteed Standards Scheme is not fit for purpose, so we welcome the swift action the Government has taken to bring about long-overdue improvements.

The increased payment levels when things go wrong, alongside fewer reasons for companies to avoid making payments, means that there are far greater incentives for water companies to get things right first time. The overhaul of these standards marks a step forward in improving consumer protection and repairing fractured trust in the water sector.”

The Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) establishes baseline expectations for customer service in the water sector, including timely restoration of water supply after interruptions, prompt responses to written complaints, and effective management of sewer flooding risks.

Strengthened protection and compensation for households and businesses was announced as part of the government’s initial steps towards ending the crisis in the water sector. In addition, the Water (Special Measures) Bill, which sees its second reading in the House of Commons this week, will:

• Strengthen regulation to ensure water bosses face personal criminal liability for lawbreaking.
• Give the water regulator new powers to ban the payment of bonuses if environmental standards are not met.
• Introduce new powers to bring automatic and severe fines.
• Require water companies to install real-time monitors at every sewage outlet with data independently scrutinised by the water regulators.
• Give Ofwat the power to set rules to increase customer representation in decision-making to hold companies to account.

Furthermore, the government has launched the largest review of sector since privatisation, creating an Independent Commission to examine the water sector and its regulation.

The Commission forms the next stage in the Government’s long-term approach to ensuring we have a sufficiently robust and stable regulatory framework to attract the investment needed to clean up our waterways, speed up infrastructure delivery and restore public confidence in the sector.

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 December 2024.

National Parks and National Landscapes empowered to deliver more for people and nature with new legislation pledged.

• This marks the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which created our National Parks and National Landscapes
• This move comes amid the Government’s push to promote access to nature, as part of the wider Plan for Change

New powers are to be granted to the country’s iconic National Parks and National Landscapes to boost nature’s recovery and access to the outdoors.

New legislation and guidance will give National Parks and National Landscapes a clear mandate to widen the public’s access to nature through strengthened purposes and make changes to improve their governance that will allow for greater innovation and collaboration to prepare them for the future.

The changes announced today will see more trees planted, more peat restored and more habitat created, supporting Protected Landscapes to play a leading role in meeting Net Zero, Environment Act targets and the commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 as part of our Plan for Change.

Covering a quarter of England’s land area, improving the state of nature in our National Parks and Landscapes is vital to the health of our ecosystems. Our Protected Landscapes are home to nationally important habitats and our most iconic species – yet many are in a poor condition with the wildlife that lives within their boundaries in steep decline and the waterways that give many of these landscapes their magic now sadly polluted.

The measures will include a general power of competence for National Park Authorities, which will clarify their legal framework, removing restrictions which prevent an entrepreneurial approach, and cutting through bureaucracy to remove barriers to achieving more for people and nature.

The package will also strengthen the role that public bodies, including water companies, must play in delivering better outcomes for nature, water, climate and access to nature in these special places, through new regulation that will support public bodies and Protected Landscape organisations to work more closely together.

Refining the purpose and powers of National Parks and National Landscapes will promote access to nature for the millions of people who visit these iconic landscapes each year, helping them to support a thriving rural economy and enable people to reap the benefits of spending time in greener and wilder places.

These changes will empower Protected Landscapes to deliver more for nature and tackle climate change over the next 75 years and beyond. This reflects their vital importance to the nation – from protecting us from flooding, to celebrating our heritage and restoring our health and wellbeing.

This comes amid celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the creation of our Protected Landscapes through the 1949 National Parks and Access the Countryside Act – a visionary piece of legislation that paved the way for our iconic National Landscapes, Parks and Trails.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:

“It’s seventy-five years since our National Parks and National Landscapes were created, and they have done incredible work protecting some of our most treasured and beautiful landscapes.

“But so much of our countryside and wildlife is in decline so we must do more to protect it. To mark this anniversary the Government will introduce new laws to boost protections for the natural world, strengthen our National Parks and National Landscapes and increase opportunities for millions of people to enjoy the great outdoors.”

With less than 40% of rivers in National Parks in good ecological status, the government will also develop new regulations to ensure public bodies operating in these beautiful areas including water companies, deliver better environmental outcomes. As an immediate step, new guidance is being published today that will help public bodies work together to make these special places greener, wilder and more accessible.

Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

“The 1949 National Parks Act laid the foundations for modern nature conservation, enshrining in law the means to protect dozens of exceptional landscapes and thousands of our best wild places while bringing joy to millions of people across multiple generations.

“Despite the achievements, however, these legal protections have not been sufficient to prevent Nature’s continuing decline. And whereas in decades past the challenge was about conservation, today we must not only hang on to what is left, but to also invest in Nature’s recovery.

“The reforms announced today are important steps that can help to turn the tide.”

Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, and today’s announcement is a further example of this government’s commitment to delivering on nature, increasing access, planting three new National Forests, creating nine new National River Walks and empowering communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy.

This Government is committed to restoring nature across the country, which is why we have wasted no time in announcing a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which thriving Protected Landscapes will be essential to delivering. This will set out pathways to clean up our waterways, reduce waste across the economy, plant millions more trees, improve air quality and halt the decline in species by 2030.  A healthy natural environment is crucial to the nation’s health and prosperity, which is why nature recovery is an integral part of the Governments Plan for Change to create a decade of national renewal.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Protected Landscapes – the collective term for National Parks and National Landscapes – range from lowland landscapes, such as the Cotswolds and the Norfolk Coast, to uplands such as the North Pennines and the Lake District.
• Protected Landscapes contain half of England’s priority habits and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 60% of deep peat and around 88% of heather and acid grassland habitats. Restoring our Protected Landscapes will be essential to protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030.
• Further information on the Protected Landscapes Duty can be found here: The Protected Landscapes duty – GOV.UK

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 December 2024.

• The UK fishing industry to benefit from 150,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities – 15,000 tonnes more than in 2024 – following negotiations with EU
• £890 million in fishing opportunities secured for British fishing fleets, boosting growth
• The agreements highlight all parties’ continued commitment to manage fisheries sustainably

The UK fishing industry will have access to 150,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities – 15,000 tonnes more than in 2024 – following the conclusion of annual fishing negotiations with the EU.

The agreement is worth up to £360 million for the industry.

This follows the UK’s trilateral agreement with the EU and Norway last week, which secured UK fisheries 290,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities in the North Sea and surrounding waters.

This is on top of 280,000 tonnes, worth around £240 million, from catch limits agreed earlier in the year on widely distributed stocks with coastal States in the northeast Atlantic.

In total, this brings fishing opportunities secured for the UK fleet in 2025 in the main negotiating forums to 720,000 tonnes, worth up to £890 million based on historic landing prices.

From these three negotiating forums, the UK has gained up to 120,000 tonnes more quota from the 2025 annual negotiations than it would have as an EU member state.

Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner said:

Through these sets of negotiations this Government has agreed deals securing quota for stocks totalling up to £890 million for the UK fleet in 2025.

This is another example of how we are delivering on our Plan for Change, boosting our British fishing industry by supporting the lifeblood of many coastal communities.

The UK’s approach to negotiations

Sustainability has been at the heart of the UK’s approach to negotiations, pushing for decisions based on the best available science to protect key stocks and support the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.

Advice from scientists at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is the starting point for the UK’s approach and, where possible, catch limits have been set at or within these advised levels.  Economic and social considerations are appropriately balanced alongside this scientific advice.

The outcome of annual fisheries negotiations will be published in the Secretary of State determination of fishing opportunities for British boats by the end of the year.

Throughout the negotiations, the UK Government has worked closely with the devolved governments to ensure the benefits of the negotiations are spread across the UK.

The UK fishing industry will benefit from:

• Increased anglerfish quota;
• the continuation of the plaice 7de swap with the EU that allows for other target fisheries to continue where plaice is caught as a bycatch;
• an increase within scientific advice of some catch limits for seabass; and
• securing the continuation of the Irish sea herring fishery.

In other international fisheries negotiations this winter the UK has:

• led conservation and management measures on porbeagle and Rockall haddock in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, both being adopted by consensus;
• secured endorsement of our proposal for a retention ban of vulnerable mobulid rays and additional time next year for ongoing negotiations on bluefin tuna allocations in at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna;
• successfully strengthened commitments on several aspects of fisheries management in the UN’s Resolution on Sustainable Fisheries, including pushing for progress in combating harmful subsidies at the WTO, highlighting the importance of transparency in fisheries management, maintaining ambition for the plastics treaty, and emphasising the importance of the precautionary approach; and
• played a key role in securing a Recommendation on Eliminating Government Support to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, within the OECD’s Fisheries Committee.

Notes to editors

Values based on full uptake of fishing opportunities and provisional 2023 landing prices. All figures are rounded and may change slightly once a full analysis has been completed.

Bilateral fisheries negotiations between the UK and the Faroe Islands, and the UK and Norway are currently on-going.

The Agreed Records for the negotiations can be found on gov.uk:

• UK and EU bilateral negotiation
• Trilateral negotiations
• UK, EU and Norway trilateral negotiations
• Coastal States negotiations

Outcome of UK/EU bilateral negotiations 

This deal set catch limits of around 70 total allowable catches (TACs), monitoring arrangement for non-quota stocks as well as other arrangements on seabass and albacore. The agreement also commits the UK and EU to work together to provide more sustainable fisheries management, including

For non-quota stocks (NQS), the UK and the EU agreed a roll-over of access arrangements for 2025 to ensure continued access to fish NQS in EU waters. UK fleet landings for these stocks are historically worth around £30 million a year. We also agreed to roll-over existing joint management measures and increase within ICES advice some catch limits for seabass, and a roll-over of access arrangements for spurdog in the North Sea and albacore tuna.

The speed with which the negotiations concluded this year is a sign of the effective implementation of the TCA since 2020, which has built on collaborative efforts through the SCF.

Outcome of UK/EU/Norway trilateral negotiations

This deal agreed catch limits on six North Sea fish stocks including cod, haddock and herring and further stocks in other waters around the UK.

Read the relevant announcement on gov.uk

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 December 2024.

The Government has today confirmed it has injected more than £343 million into the rural economy in the first week of December, benefiting more than 31,000 farmers.

This includes payments worth £223 million to Countryside Stewardship revenue customers and £74 million to Environmental Stewardship customers, administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

The Government is providing over £5 billion to the farming budget – the largest ever increase investment in sustainable food production in our country’s history. To further support farmers Ministers have today announced new details on  how farmers will benefit from improved and optimised farming schemes.

A new and improved Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) scheme will open in 2025, providing new quarterly payments designed to improve farmers’ cashflow and a rolling application window so customers can apply throughout the year.

It also includes new actions to improve flood resilience and species abundance and important funding to secure enhanced environmental benefits and deliver for nature recovery, including sensitive areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed said:

Our commitment to farmers is steadfast.

That is why this Government is working hard to get money into farmers bank accounts as well as announcing today how farmers can benefit from the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme, with more flexible actions, improved payments to help cashflow and a rolling application window.

It’s part of our £5 billion farming budget over two years – the largest ever directed at sustainable food production in our country’s history.

As we set out our Plan for Change, we are focused on supporting our farmers, supporting rural economics growth and boosting Britain’s food security.

Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:

Our farmers are the heartbeat of the nation’s rural economy, and RPA remains focused on supporting them by getting payments into bank accounts as quickly as possible.

I am very pleased that this December we have been able to inject more funding than ever from environmental schemes into the rural economy.

This comes at the same time as providing more certainty over the details in Higher Tier offer to enable farmers to see for themselves how it can benefit them.

CSHT will open through an initial controlled roll out to ensure everyone gets the necessary support. Initially, applications will be by invitation – on a rolling monthly basis.

We are also publishing an additional 14 Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) endorsed actions, further improving the offer. These will be available from summer 2025 to enable farmers and land managers to contribute further benefits to Grassland, Heritage, and Coastal sites, among others.

Further payments made in December include £39 million under SFI, as part of the quarterly payments system designed to improve farmers’ cashflow and a further £7.4 million has been paid to customers who have completed Capital Grants works.

As part of its New Deal for Farmers, the Government will set up a new British Infrastructure Council to steer private investment in rural areas including broadband rollout in our rural communities.

We are also developing a 25-year farming roadmap, focusing on how to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

Farmers and land managers are stewards of the environment, and we will continue to invest in them to make their businesses, food production and our country more sustainable and resilient through Environmental Land Management.