Question follow-through · 16266

Weather: Armed Forces

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on the potential merits of using the Armed Forces during extreme weather events.

answeredDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

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: 26 Nov 2024
Target answer date: 29 Nov 2024
Answer: 3 Dec 2024 · 7 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Votes on this topic

Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amendment · 23 Jun 2026
Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness · 23 Jun 2026
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11 · 22 Jun 2026

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

26 Nov 2024
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on the potential merits of using the Armed Forces during extreme weather events.
29 Nov 2024
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
3 Dec 2024
Answer published
Defra has longstanding arrangements with the Ministry of Defence to secure military support for flood response when this is required. There are well practiced procedures for requesting Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) at national and local lev...

Open official record

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.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Flood Control: Finance

27 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 4.105 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, if he will maintain spending on flood resilience over the next five years.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

27 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help (a) farmers and (b) animal-related industries to reduce the likelihood of bluetongue virus spreading.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

27 Nov 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on tackling avian influenza outbreaks in England.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Transport: Storms

10 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring transport provision in areas affected by storms.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foot and Mouth Disease

10 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of risk posed by foot and mouth disease to the UK.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Foot and Mouth Disease: Disease Control

10 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of the UK's disease response capability in relation to foot and mouth disease.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

BSE

10 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the discovery of a case of atypical BSE in a cow in Scotland on UK agriculture.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Processed Food and Slaughterhouses

12 Dec 2024 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of his Department collecting information on how many (a) abattoirs and (b) food processing plants in (i) England and (ii) the UK a

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Slaughterhouses

14 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for the Smaller Abattoir Fund.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Slaughterhouses

14 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the ability of the abattoir network in (a) England and (b) the UK to meet the needs of food (i) production, (ii) processing and (iii) sec

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Slaughterhouses

14 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the labour supply for abattoirs in (a) England and (b) the UK to meet requirements for (i) processing, (ii) food hygiene and (iii) veteri

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Water Restoration Fund

15 Jan 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make Round 1 payments from the Water Restoration Fund.