Question follow-through · 4
Public Bodies: Science
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that public bodies sponsored by his Department will be free to fulfil their duties based on evidence and scientific fact.
About this written question
A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.
- Answering body
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Tabled
- 17 Jul 2024
- Target answer date
- 22 Jul 2024
- Answer
- 25 Jul 2024 · 8 calendar days after tabling
Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.
More questions by this MP on Environment and energy
- Environment Protection: Reviews · 14 Mar 2025
- Biodiversity · 18 Mar 2025
- Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control · 20 May 2025
- Avian Influenza: Disease Control · 15 Sept 2025
- Avian Influenza: Disease Control · 15 Sept 2025
Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.
Votes on this topic
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 5 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 4 · 1 Jul 2026
- Taxation (Energy and Vehicles) Bill Committee: New Clause 2 · 1 Jul 2026
These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.
Recorded timeline
17 Jul 2024
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that public bodies sponsored by his Department will be free to fulfil their duties based on evidence and scientific fact.
22 Jul 2024
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
25 Jul 2024
Answer published
Several of Defra’s public bodies are Public Sector Research Establishments and form an integral part of the Defra group science system. They share, as part of their remit, a role in providing quality scientific evidence and expert advice to Government in ...
Official data retrieved 27 Sept 2026.
Later records
Possible follow-up questions
Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.
Environment Protection: Reviews
14 Mar 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to conclude the Environmental Improvement Plan rapid review.
Biodiversity
18 Mar 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will set targets in the updated Environmental Improvement Plan for the biodiversity recovery of (a) wetlands, (b) peat bogs (c) coastal strips, (d) grasslands, (e) woodlands and
Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control
20 May 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans for badger culling in England to end.
Avian Influenza: Disease Control
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of wild bird and mammal surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza on UK coastlines; and whether she plans to inc
Avian Influenza: Disease Control
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve communications with registered and unregistered bird keepers when avian influenza control zones are established.
Avian Influenza: Disease Control
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of national and regional carcass disposal capacity available for use during an avian influenza outbreak in 2025–26.
Avian Influenza: Vaccination
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine whether to pilot targeted vaccination of poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza.
Avian Influenza: Vaccination
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the UK’s trading partners on certification and surveillance requirements to enable the use of avian influenza vaccination in poultry while
Avian Influenza: Disease Control
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the updated cross-government contingency plan for outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza; and whether that plan includes arrangements for (a) local au
Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator for supporting producers with (a) non-compliant and (b) missing written milk purchase c
Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator has (a) received information on purchasers not explaining variable price changes within seven days of a price review and (b) taken ste
Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator
15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on how many occasions the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator has undertaken enforcement action when a purchaser has not provided a compliant written milk contract.