Question follow-through · 114467

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Conditions of Employment

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

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: 20 Feb 2026
Target answer date: 24 Feb 2026
Answer: 10 Mar 2026 · 18 calendar days after tabling

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

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Recorded timeline

20 Feb 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.
24 Feb 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
10 Mar 2026
Answer published
As of 31 January 2026, a total of 825 out of 6,346 Defra payroll employees are recorded as “Home Based”, equating to 13%. Contractual homeworking is generally granted only in exceptional circumstances, such as where it is required for the role or as a rea...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 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

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26 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in levels of in fly-tipping incidents over the last five years.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Fly-tipping: Fines

26 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the maximum penalties available for fly-tipping offences.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Fly-tipping: Enforcement

26 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase levels of enforcement action against individuals responsible for fly-tipping.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Sewage: Waste Disposal

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to the Environment Agency regarding sewage discharges by water companies.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Sewage: Essex

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recorded sewage discharge incidents into (a) the river Thames and (b) any other waterways in Essex that have occurred in each of the last five years; and what steps his Depart

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Water Companies: Environment Protection

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofwat in preventing water companies from prioritising shareholder returns over environmental protection.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Water: Public Consultation

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms exist for local communities to be involved in decision-making about water quality and river restoration in their areas; and whether he plans to expand those mechanisms.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Coastal Areas and Rivers: Environment Protection

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what targets his Department has set for the creation of new natural habitats along rivers and coastlines.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Coastal Areas and Rivers: Environment Protection

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding has been allocated in the current spending period for river and coastal habitat restoration.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Nature Conservation

27 Feb 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities including (a) Thurrock, (b) Basildon, and (c) Essex councils on bringing wildlife restoration projects into suburban and rural

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Food: Imports

2 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure imported food complies with UK production, hygiene and welfare standards.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Food: Imports

2 Mar 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of food imports from countries with lower hygiene, production, animal welfare and environmental standards on the sale of UK farmers