Tim Farron MP: written questions
254 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Alcoholic Drinks: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 26 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94643More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of inflation-linked duty increases on the on-trade in each of the last three years.
Answer: Alcohol duty is paid by producers, and is therefore not typically paid directly by pubs. Further, according to estimates derived from sales data collected on behalf of the Office for National Statistics, only around 15% of spirits are consumed on-trade. A...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Pollution: International CooperationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made with her international counterparts on updating (a) the Gothenburg Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone and (b) other Unite
Answer: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is working with our partners and other Parties within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution to update and future-proof the 2012 ame...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAir PollutionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to publish a new Clean Air Strategy.
Answer: The Government will continue to take the action needed to ensure everyone has cleaner air to breathe. The next review of our statutory Air Quality Strategy is due to be completed by mid-2028.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the revised Environmental Improvement Plan.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Tamworth on 17 March 2025, UIN 37341.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 45555 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which local (a) monitoring and (b) modelling as part of the Local Air Quality Manageme
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish their Annual Status Reports on their own websites, detailing their assessments of the air quality objectives.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDeathCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91931More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales were attributable to (i) alcoholism, (ii) obesity, (iii) air pollution and (iv) smoking in the latest year for which data is avail
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 18th November is attached.
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to UIN 66131, which (a) local authorities and (b) Metro Mayors have not published local plans to achieve compliance with legal limits for nitroge
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the reply previously given on 16 July 2025, PQ UIN 66131.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to (a) revoke Environment Act 1995 Air Quality Directions and (b) introduce further directions to (i) achieve compliance with nitrogen dioxide limit values and (ii) a
Answer: Existing Directions under the Environment Act 1995 relating to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceedances are revoked once the local authority area concerned has successfully demonstrated that compliance with legal limit levels for NO2 has been achieved, and that...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what localised hotspots for exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value have been identified by which Air Quality Annual Status Report in each reporting zone in 2024.
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish their Annual Status Reports detailing exceedances of the air quality objectives on their own websites. Annual limit values under the Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 are assessed separately to the Annual Stat...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2025 to UIN 66132, what progress she has made on further policies to tackle ammonia emissions to help reduce the risk to the 2030 target.
Answer: The UK is compliant with the UK’s statutory reduction target for ammonia emissions, which has applied since 2020. The latest projections show that further action is needed to meet the UK’s ammonia reduction for 2030.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 8 July 2025 to UIN 63555, which localised hotspots in which reporting zone in (a) England, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Scotland and (d) Wales are delaying compl
Answer: Local authorities are expected to publish the data from their locally managed nitrogen dioxide measurement networks on their websites. Data from Defra-managed networks is published annually online at UK-Air as part of the national compliance assessment.
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNitrogen Dioxide: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91925More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2025 to UIN 39815, which (a) cities, (b) towns, (c) agglomeration zones and (d) non-agglomeration zones in which reporting zones in (i) England, (ii)
Answer: The results of the UK’s air quality assessment for 2024 are published online on the UK-Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/).
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Electronic Training AidsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91924More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to review (a) restrictions on the use of virtual fencing technology under the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme and (b) the eligibility criteria fo
Answer: The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is due to end March 2026 and decisions on the future of the programme have not yet been made. The FiPL eligibility criteria for virtual fencing technology protects the highest standards of animal welfar...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: SubsidiesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered aligning agricultural support in England with the approach taken in Scotland, where virtual fencing systems are eligible under the Future Farming Investment
Answer: Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes. Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: InnovationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support farmer uptake of innovative tools such as virtual fencing.
Answer: Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes. Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordLivestock: Electronic Training AidsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91921More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will review (a) the eligibility of virtual fencing technology under existing agricultural support schemes in England, such as Farming in Protected Landscapes and (b) its potenti
Answer: Defra has funded virtual fencing technology projects through the Farming in Protected Landscape Programme which are helping to deliver our environmental targets in Protected Landscapes. Defra does not currently offer funding for virtual fencing technology...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNigeria: ChristianityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91326More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international counterparts on the protection of Christian women in Chibok, Nigeria.
Answer: The UK condemns violence against civilians of all religions in Nigeria and regularly raises freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) with the Nigerian government. For example, on 11 November, the Minister for International Development and Africa discussed the...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91325More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the current SwimFo system in helping the public understand bathing-water risks.
Answer: We know that local communities want to have a clear picture of water quality at popular bathing sites. The Environment Agency (EA) publishes sampling information during the bathing season on Swimfo to inform bathers of water quality and provide daily poll...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSwimmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91324More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) people swimming away from the shoreline and (b) all other lake users are considered in future bathing-water monitoring strategies.
Answer: The Bathing Water Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament on 28 October 2025 and come into force 21 November 2025. Defra is committed to working with local and national stakeholders as work progresses to implement these Regulations. In the November –...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91323More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to publish a review comparing UK bathing-water (a) monitoring and (b) classification systems with international best practice.
Answer: Existing practices for monitoring and classification in the UK mirror the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive which is based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. Environment Agency (EA) monito...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91322More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of current sampling coverage at designated bathing-water sites.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) monitors all designated bathing waters above the minimum monthly frequency requirement of the Bathing Water Regulations during the bathing water season. Most sites are sampled weekly, in line with the World Health Organisation’...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLake Windermere: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to increase spatial representation of sampling points around Lake Windermere including areas not currently designated as bathing-water locations.
Answer: The Environment Agency samples the designated bathing waters in Windermere according to the Bathing Water Regulations. Applications for new bathing water designations in Lake Windermere can be made to Defra if the criteria published on GOV.UK are met.
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to allocate funding for the introduction of a (a) traffic-light system and (b) publicly accessible platform in the context of improving the communication of bathing-w
Answer: Swimfo, the Environment Agency’s (EA) bathing water quality website, provides details on over 450 bathing waters, classifications, pollution sources, and seasonal water quality results. From May to September, Swimfo posts daily forecasts for over 170 site...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLakes: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91319More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a different classification system for lake ecosystems.
Answer: In the Bathing Water Regulations 2013, ‘Schedule 5, classification’ shows there are already different standards for inland waters and for coastal and transitional waters when measuring E coli and intestinal enterococci. This means there are varying classi...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91318More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to move away from multi-year averages and adopt a more real-time approach to reporting bathing-water quality data.
Answer: On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3, due to come into force 21 November, introduces the discretion to determine a different bathing season for...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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