Ben Obese-Jecty MP: written questions
Written questions by answering department
4 Jul 2025–3 Jul 2026. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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53 published records · newest first.
Written questions
GlyphosateDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact on a) pre-harvest desiccation and b) the wider farming industry of banning glyphosate.
Answer: Defra recognises there is significant interest in the continued access to glyphosate for farmers and growers. The renewal of approval for glyphosate is currently being reviewed in Great Britain (GB) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Defra cannot p...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: Public SectorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 28 May 2026 to question 1738 on Food: Public Sector, by when will her department have collected new data on the extent to which public sector settings are ser
Answer: Data collection on the extent to which public sector settings are serving food from local sustainable sources is currently underway. Defra expects the work to be completed by Summer 2027.
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTrees: HuntingdonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential implications for her polices of trends in levels of tree canopy cover in Huntingdonshire since 2022.
Answer: The Government is committed to increasing England’s tree canopy and woodland cover to at least 16.5% by 2050. This is supported by an interim target to achieve an increase of 0.33% of land area by December 2030 from the 2022 baseline of 14.9%. The tree ca...
Answered 3 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTree FellingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to with the devolved Administrations to record the level of tree felling across the UK.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of working collaboratively across the UK to support tree planting and ensure the long-term survival of our woodlands to safeguard their benefits for future generations. In 2024 we established the Tree Planting Task...
Answered 4 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFood: Public SectorDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1738More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has she made in ensuring that 50% of food across the public sector is UK-sourced.
Answer: A new national procurement policy statement was published which sets expectations for government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that British producers are well-placed to meet. Given the limited information on the or...
Answered 28 May 2026
Original Parliament recordBats: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many personnel are assigned to the Tactical Delivery Group for bat crime.
Answer: The bat crime Tactical Delivery Group (TDG) is comprised of around 40 representatives from several key stakeholder organisations, including the police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. A Defra representative attends as required. There is a TDG for eac...
Answered 17 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: HuntingdonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential impact of the classification of water at Grafham Water on the water supply in Huntingdon constituency.
Answer: Grafham Water is 85% full with no concerns for water supplies in Huntingdon, but refill was delayed by high nitrate levels.The Environment Agency continues to work with the water industry through the Asset Management Plan process and partnership projects ...
Answered 15 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordPoultry: ChinaDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 10 Apr 2026AnsweredUIN 125338More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the UK's chicken supply was imported from China in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answer: Defra publishes quarterly data on poultry meat production, trade and supplies on GOV.UK (Latest cattle, sheep and pig slaughter statistics - GOV.UK). Data is not available specifically for imports and supply of chicken meat. Annual data on total poultry m...
Answered 23 Apr 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: Strait of HormuzDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121669More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on mitigations to the impact on food supply in the event that the Strait of Hormuz’s closure becomes critical to fuel availability.
Answer: Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. At present,...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordThatched RoofingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111939More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of growing water reed for the purposes of thatching materials within the Great Fen project.
Answer: Defra, Natural England, and Environment Agency are working closely with our Great Fen partners to look at the benefits of paludiculture (wetter farming) and trialling a range of diversification options. This is vital to enable thriving and sustainable rur...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRivers: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 28 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109309More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many formal Section 25 Enforcement Notices requiring riparian owners to complete specific maintenance works have been issued by the Environment Agency in Huntingdon constituency.
Answer: Since 2024, the Environment Agency has not issued any Enforcement Notices under Schedule 25, Paragraph 8 of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 to riparian owners in Huntingdonshire. Flood risk concerns have been addressed th...
Answered 3 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWater Supply: HuntingdonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108371More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which villages currently have functioning water pumping infrastructure in Huntingdon constituency.
Answer: Within Huntingdonshire, the Environment Agency (EA) maintains the following pumping stations: Thicket Lane (also known as Backbrook) located in Houghton, Victoria Terrace pumping station located in St Ives, and Cooks stream pumping station located in Godm...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: DredgingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 21 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107517More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2026 to question 105592 on River Great Ouse: Dredging, for what reason the river has not been dredged since the 1970s and 1980s.
Answer: Since the 1980s, the Environment Agency’s (EA) maintenance works have been limited to targeted desilting at specific locations, such as locks, outfalls and gauging stations, to maintain navigation and asset functionality. Sections of the Ely Ouse, from Po...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFloods: HuntingdonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 107228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Gifford farm development on flooding via Parsons Drove drain in Huntingdon constituency.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) was consulted on the emerging Local Plan, which sets out potential locations for development in Huntingdonshire, and responded regarding the proposed Gifford’s Park site. In the EA’s response, it advised:A detailed Flood Risk A...
Answered 28 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRivers: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106664More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Environment Agency is taking to enforce waterway maintenance responsibilities by riparian owners in Huntingdonshire.
Answer: In Huntingdonshire, the Environment Agency (EA) has undertaken targeted enforcement across Brampton Brook, Alconbury Brook, Ellington Brook and St Ives to encourage voluntary compliance and to inform and educate landowners on riparian responsibilities. Th...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106663More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to question 104940 on River Great Ouse: Flood Control, by when will the Environment Agency have completed their assessment of the potential f
Answer: The full business case for the St Ives Staunch sluice project is currently planned for completion in late Spring 2026. This will include a high-level assessment of the benefits, impacts and costs of proposed options.
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106662More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the current asset condition of a) Brownshill and b) St Ives staunch.
Answer: The current asset condition of Brownshill Staunch sluice is rated as poor (gates 1 and 2) and very poor (gate 3). The current asset condition of St Ives Staunch sluice is rated as poor. The Environment Agency carries out an accredited visual inspection of...
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106661More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to question 105593 on River Great Ouse: Flood Control, by when will the list of projects to receive Government funding in 26/27 be determined
Answer: 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 final list of schemes...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106660More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026, to question 104939 on River Great Ouse: Flood Control, by when will phase 1 of the gate refurbishment project be completed.
Answer: Phase 1 of the gate refurbishment project is expected to be completed by 31 March 2026.
Answered 27 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105593More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding was allocated to (a) St Ives and (b) Brownshill sluice for 2026/27.
Answer: 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 list of projects to r...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: DredgingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105592More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when was the River Great Ouse last dredged.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) does not operate a routine dredging programme for the River Great Ouse. Dredging was last undertaken in the 1970s and 1980s, prior to the EA’s establishment in 1996.
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great OuseDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason was the lock structure at St Ives on the River Great Ouse closed in 2024.
Answer: St Ives lock was not subject to closure during 2024.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEels: River Great OuseDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on maintaining the eel pass at St Ives sluice in each year since 2015.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) is the asset owner for the St Ives eel pass. Historically, the EA’s maintenance work has also been combined with routine operational checks to ensure the sluice gates at St Ives function correctly, rather than issuing a separat...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRiver Great Ouse: Flood ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104943More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of using the Water Environment Improvement Fund to maintain the sluice gates at (a) Brownshill and (b) St Ives.
Answer: The Water Environment Investment Fund (WEIF) is designed to improve the health and resilience of water environments through a partnership-led, catchment-based approach. Its focus is on delivering environmental enhancements, supporting biodiversity, and se...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFloods: CambridgeshireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104942More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment was made by her Department of the recommendations within the Section 19 report regarding flooding in St Ives in 2024 prior to the decision by the Environment Agency to
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) has reviewed a range of data and evidence relating to the St Ives Staunch Sluice and Lock, including hydraulic modelling and analysis of recent flood events. The EA’s assessment has confirmed that St Ives Staunch Sluice provide...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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