Sarah Dyke MP: written questions
157 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Flood Control: RoadsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the relative cost benefit of attenuation ponds compared with repeated flood damage to (a) properties, (b) infrastructure and (c) agricultural land.
Answer: Attenuation ponds are deployed by Risk Management Authorities as a flood alleviation measure; they are determined by a range of factors including cost to benefit ratio and the standard of protection that can be achieved. In recent years, the highway secto...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: RoadsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of attenuation ponds in reducing both the volume and flow of run from major roads where such works were not considered necessary pre-
Answer: Attenuation ponds are deployed by Risk Management Authorities as a flood alleviation measure; they are determined by a range of factors including cost to benefit ratio and the standard of protection that can be achieved. In recent years, the highway secto...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDairy FarmingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the average cost of producing a pint of milk in each of the last five years.
Answer: The average cost of production for milk is shown below. Data is from the Farm Business Survey which covers farm businesses in England with a Standard Output of more than £21,000. Whilst it captures the majority of agricultural activity, it excludes smalle...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMilk: PricesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average farmgate milk price was in each of the last five years.
Answer: Defra publishes monthly and annual milk prices on GOV.UK (Latest UK milk prices and composition of milk - GOV.UK). UK annual farmgate milk prices for the last five years are shown in the table below. Table: UK annual farmgate milk prices 2021-2025, pence ...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMilk: PricesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 29 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 109633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when representatives from her Department last met with milk producers to discuss farmgate milk prices.
Answer: Defra officials regularly engage with stakeholders from across the UK dairy industry on a wide range of issues including farmgate milk prices. Engagement is undertaken in various forms including through ad hoc and regular meetings with industry bodies and...
Answered 4 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDental Health: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of school milk consumption on children’s oral health, including rates of dental decay.
Answer: Water and milk are the only recommended drinks to give children regarding their oral health. Milk and dairy foods, or dairy alternatives, are an important part of a healthy balanced diet, as depicted by the United Kingdom’s national food model, the Eatwel...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSchool Milk: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the single-year funding arrangement for the School Milk Subsidy Scheme on the financial sustainability of the school
Answer: This is a devolved matter, and this response applies to England only. The School Milk Subsidy Scheme is available in participating schools and supports the provision of milk, certain milk products and yoghurts. The administration of the scheme is renewed ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordSchool MilkDepartment for EducationTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion of free school meal eligibility from 2026 on the level of demand for school milk; and what steps are being taken to ensure adequa
Answer: It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to children who meet the free school meal criteria.We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This new entitle...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108321More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of restricting bird sales through changes to bird show and gathering licences for (a) breeding Type Canaries and (b) protecting Bri
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or ot...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordBirds: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact of the changes to bird show and gathering licences for (a) bird breeders, (b) seed merchants and (c) cage make
Answer: This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Regulation 6 of the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended, sets out the legal basis for permitting gatherings of poultry or ot...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Flood Control and PollutionDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104956More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps National Highways is taking to record the potential impact of historic drainage networks associated with major roads on (a) downstream flooding and (b) river pollution.
Answer: National Highways’ (NH) standard practice is to report all flood events on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). This includes flood events within 200 metres of the SRN, or within 500 metres of a NH drainage asset. All such flood events are recorded in NH’s d...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFlowers: HorticultureCabinet OfficeTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104955More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department is taking steps to provide small scale flower farmers with standard industrial classification codes; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on helping to (a)
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 12th January is attached.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SewersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the impact of historic highway drainage systems on downstream flooding and water pollution.
Answer: Environment Agency (EA) water quality monitoring programmes identify where ‘urban and transport’ inputs are having a potential impact on a waterbody. Water quality monitoring data is publicly available here: Water Data Explorer | Engage Environment Agency...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEels: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83876 on Eels: Conservation, what plans she has to review the root causes of these problems and to reverse the decline in the numb
Answer: This is a devolved matter and therefore the response relates to England only. Actions to address the pressures on eels at the River Basin District scale are set out in Eel Management Plans, which the EA continue to deliver and report against. Additionally...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEels: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 101014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83877 on Eels: Conservation, what research and development projects her Department are supporting through the allocated £350,000 t
Answer: This is a devolved matter and therefore the response relates to England only. Defra’s funding will support three eel management and conservation projects for delivery in 2026: Developing silver eel escapement models to better estimate how many eels migrat...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordJuries: AllowancesMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the financial allowance for jury service in covering the cost of wages, food and travel.
Answer: Jury service is a vital civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service. All the support provided to jurors throughout their service is kept under review to ensure it remains appropriate and accessibl...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAvon and Somerset Police: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much additional funding her Department plans to provide to Avon and Somerset Police as part of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-2028.
Answer: This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all ...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHorticulture: Environment ProtectionTreasuryTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94370More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department will review the Annual Investment Allowance threshold and take steps to improve the eligibility and uptake of capital allowances among horticultural businesses who are investing in the transit
Answer: The Annual Investment Allowance allows both incorporated and unincorporated businesses to deduct the entire cost of investment in both main and special rate assets in one go, up to £1 million per year, which covers the investment of 99% of businesses. In ...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide additional funding to help mitigate ongoing soil moisture deficit effects for railway companies.
Answer: The Department for Transport funds Network Rail to operate, maintain, and develop the nation's railway infrastructure. As the climate changes, we expect to see hotter, drier summers, and therefore we will expect to encounter more instances of soil moistur...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordSouth Western Railway: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with South Western Railway on the delivery of new stock.
Answer: Department officials meet regularly with South Western Railway (SWR) to hold it accountable for performance, safety, and fleet. The rollout of the new Arterio trains is continuing with great progress being made. Since transferring to public ownership, the...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: SomersetDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much maintenance activity has been carried out on Somerset’s Main Rivers in the last a) year, b) 5 years and c) 10 years.
Answer: Since the flooding of 2013/14, over £47 million has been spent on operating flood defences and maintaining rivers in Somerset. This includes £4.7 million this financial year and over £24 million in the last five years. This includes the daily operation an...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: SomersetDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 18 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much money has been spent on improving flood defences in Somerset since 2014.
Answer: Since the flooding of 2013/14, over £200 million of Flood and Coastal Risk Management Grant-in-Aid (FCRM GiA) and local levy has been spent on improving the standard of flood protection in the local authority areas of Somerset, North Somerset, and Bath an...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPeatlands: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 12 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 906411More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to reduce carbon emissions from peatland.
Answer: England’s peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store. By 2030, we will invest £85 million to restore and manage peatlands. We are committed to restoring approximately 280,000 hectares of peat by 2050.
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordInjuries: ReindeerDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89679More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many injuries were caused due to reindeers in the UK over the past year.
Answer: This information is not collected centrally. NHS England does not record hospital admissions specifically caused by reindeer. The closest available data is for admissions with the external cause ‘Bitten or struck by other mammals’. In 2024/25, there were ...
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordFood Standards Agency: Remediation NoticesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 89678More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many of the remedial notices handed out by the Food Standards Agency in the last year were given to abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year.
Answer: During the period from 1 November 2024 until 31 October 2025, the Food Standards Agency has served five Remedial Action Notices in three abattoirs with a throughput of less than 5,000 livestock units per year.
Answered 17 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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