Neil Hudson

The department knows that parents often struggle to get the right support for their children, including having to go through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.

We want to ensure that EHC plan applications are processed promptly and, where required, plans are issued so that children and young people can access the support they need. The department has listened to parents, schools and local authorities and is reflecting on what practice could be made consistent nationally.

Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), we work with them using a range of support, and challenge, improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors, to address identified weaknesses.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or in alternative provision, receive the right support to achieve and thrive including as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships to improving support for all children and young people with SEND.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, leading to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.

The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. We offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through department-managed programmes, such as our Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provide peer-to-peer tailored support.

We will continue to work closely with Ofsted and CQC as they review the local area SEND inspection framework in response to feedback from the Big Listen exercise.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme, beyond 31 March 2025, is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn. The department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

HM Treasury is considering the potential impact of VAT on school fees on state schools as part of its development of an economic case. It is anticipated this impact will be minimal. Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest that the number of pupils who may switch schools would represent only a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, less than 0.5%. Any pupil transfers from the private to state sector would also be expected to take place over several years, as many pupils transfer at normal transition points. The department will work with local authorities in England to help them manage any local pressures through normal processes where required.

Following the confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU.

The risk of incursion of FMD to Great Britain has increased to MEDIUM. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has published on GOV.UK its preliminary outbreak assessment which contains further information on the evidence which supports this risk level.

The UK has been free of FMD without vaccination since 2007 and has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England.

The Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to protect our farmers from FMD.

The Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following a case being confirmed in Germany.

The import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their untreated products from Germany to GB have now been banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods.

GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD including all live animals and fresh meat and relevant animal products.

Defra has issued instructions to officials at Border Control Posts in respect of import restrictions put in place following confirmation of foot and mouth disease in Germany.

These are available at APHA Vet Gateway - OVS Notes. All commodities that are impacted are being selected for checks at the border.

We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.

The UK has been free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) since 2007 and has plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep preparedness under continual review but are refocusing efforts following the confirmation of FMD in Germany.

In the event of an outbreak, alongside culling and movement controls, vaccination would be considered as a control option. To that end, the UK has a vaccine bank for a variety of FMD serotypes. Any decision to vaccinate will be based on expert advice across a range of factors.

APHA leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans in place. These include measures to contract companies to support eradication and provide additional veterinary capacity. Response times are kept under regular review, and APHA is in the planning stages of a national exercise to test and validate our response to an outbreak of FMD, scheduled for 2025/26.

In response to the outbreak of FMD in Germany, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK from FMD by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. We continue to review our preparedness and will take the necessary action to protect our FMD freedom.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Defra announced further controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain.

The risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to Great Britain was increased to medium following the confirmation of disease in Germany on the 10 January 2025. The Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain(opens in a new tab) supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England(opens in a new tab).

The department works closely with local authorities to develop approaches to reducing air pollution.

Under the NO2 Programme, the Government’s DfT-Defra Joint Air Quality Unit has provided significant funding to support local authorities to improve air quality in areas of NO2 exceedances, for example recently agreeing Greater Manchester’s £86m Clean Air Plan. We continue to work closely with local areas as they implement their plans.

Local authorities have funding allocated to them as part of the local government settlements. Any future, additional funding for local authorities will be subject to the Government’s spending review process.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, including giving environmental regulators powers to impose penalties on the civil standard of proof, in addition to new automatic penalties. The regulators will also be able to recover costs for a much greater range of enforcement activities.

In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.

Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement.

The Smaller Abattoir Fund closed on 30 September 2024. For the future, Defra plans to simplify and rationalise grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. We are in the process of agreeing how we will use capital to achieve outcomes through the Spending Review process, and we will confirm any future grant rounds in due course.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government is committed to maintaining a resilient food supply chain. Defra recognises the vital contribution a thriving abattoir network plays in achieving these goals by providing a competitive route to market for producers.

England benefits from an established and resilient meat processing sector which despite some challenging circumstances in recent years has continued to process high quality products ensuring the supply of food and maintaining food security. The Government has full confidence that this will continue to be the case.

The UK benefits from having a resilient meat processing sector. However, the Government has recognised the challenges the sector continues to face with the recruitment of both skilled and seasonal labour. We support the industry in its recruitment and training of more domestic workers, including through apprenticeship schemes, and in utilising the benefits that automation can bring.

There are currently sufficient levels of veterinary resource for delivery of official controls in approved meat premises. This is mainly through a recruitment pipeline from overseas, however, efforts are being made to attract domestic trained and qualified vets to this area of veterinary public health. The new Government has also confirmed the Seasonal Worker visa allocation for 2025, with 2000 visas available for the poultry sector to help with the pre-Christmas surge in demand.

There are 232 approved Food Standards Agency (FSA) abattoirs across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and the FSA records which are sole traders, partnerships, and incorporated companies.

The majority of food processing plants are overseen by local authorities, and while their trading names are published by the FSA and Food Standards Scotland, this does not give an indication of the makeup of ownership.

Defra remains focused on supporting the farming, meat and food processing sectors, and the collection of this level of detail is not required or necessary to facilitate the delivery of any Official Controls.

To reduce the risk of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to the UK, in collaboration with our National Reference Laboratory and international partners, Defra monitors the threat presented by different trade routes and works. The risk of incursion is currently considered to be low. This risk evaluation informs our preparedness activities from targeting of measures at the border, domestic disease surveillance, to the strains procured for our vaccine bank and any communications to raise the awareness among livestock keepers.

Specific measures in place to reduce the risk of FMD incursions include requiring imported meat and dairy products to be accompanied by animal and public health certification confirming that they come from an area that is free from FMD; strict rules for the movement of animals and genetic material, and a ban on certain animal products as livestock feed. We continue to remind livestock keepers of the importance of maintaining strict on-farm biosecurity, compliance with the swill feeding ban, and the reporting of all suspicions of notifiable disease promptly.

Defra’s contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases, the FMD control strategy and associated guidance describe the measures that need to be taken prevent and, in the event of an incursion, control outbreaks of FMD. The plans are reviewed and tested including through national response exercises and routine testing. The next exercise is currently being planned.

To reduce the risk of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to the UK, in collaboration with our National Reference Laboratory and international partners, Defra monitors the threat presented by different trade routes and works. The risk of incursion is currently considered to be low. This risk evaluation informs our preparedness activities from targeting of measures at the border, domestic disease surveillance, to the strains procured for our vaccine bank and any communications to raise the awareness among livestock keepers.

Specific measures in place to reduce the risk of FMD incursions include requiring imported meat and dairy products to be accompanied by animal and public health certification confirming that they come from an area that is free from FMD; strict rules for the movement of animals and genetic material, and a ban on certain animal products as livestock feed. We continue to remind livestock keepers of the importance of maintaining strict on-farm biosecurity, compliance with the swill feeding ban, and the reporting of all suspicions of notifiable disease promptly.

Defra’s contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases, the FMD control strategy and associated guidance describe the measures that need to be taken prevent and, in the event of an incursion, control outbreaks of FMD. The plans are reviewed and tested including through national response exercises and routine testing. The next exercise is currently being planned.

BSE is not a contagious disease. There is no risk to animal and human health or food safety as a result of this isolated case.

Unlike classical BSE, which occurs through the consumption of contaminated feed, atypical BSE is believed to occur spontaneously at a very low level in all cattle populations. There have been just 3 cases in the UK since 2014.

The animal was tested under our surveillance system, demonstrating its effectiveness.

British beef remains safe to eat and can continue to be exported to trading partners.

Atypical BSE is not a notifiable disease for the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This case does not affect our WOAH ‘controlled’ risk status for BSE, nor the application submitted in August this year to have it further reduced to ‘negligible’.

Under the UK Government’s Lead Government Department (LGD) model, the responsibility for severe storms and weather in England rests with the following organisations:

• Risk Identification and Assessment: The Met Office.
• Prevention/Resilience, Preparation and Emergency Response: The Cabinet Office (where the impacts are expected to be cross-cutting), DfT for Air, Rail, Roads and Ports and Defra for flooding.
• Recovery: DfT for Air, Rail, Roads and Ports. MHCLG for flooding.

Further detail can be found here: The Roles of Lead Government Departments, Devolved Administrations and Other Public Bodies (HTML) - GOV.UK

Designated LGDs are responsible for leading work to identify serious risks and ensuring that the right planning, response and recovery arrangements are in place for their responsibilities. This includes if their sector is designated as a Critical National Infrastructure Sector (CNI), which Transport is.

Since the start of the current UK Storm Season on 1 September 2024, Defra has worked with DfT on the following:

• An exercise of the National Flood Response Centre.
• The operational response to flooding from caused by heavy rainfall September as well as named storms Ashley, Bert, Connall and Darragh.
• Reporting on damaged flood defences that could affect the operation of key transport infrastructure.

We hold monthly calls with DfT officials to share situational awareness and do these more frequently when the need arises. More detail on specific work undertaken by DfT and the Transport Sector on transport provision in areas affected by storms should be requested directly from DfT.

Early identification was crucial to enabling a rapid response to a bluetongue outbreak. Defra provided free pre-movement testing to animal keepers in counties at the highest risk of incursion from infected midges originating from the continent.

A restriction zone has been established to cover the counties affected by bluetongue. This measure has been carefully considered to protect the free-area from disease spread while allowing free-movement of animals within the zone, keeping businesses disruption to a minimum.

Bluetongue is a vector-borne disease transmitted by midges and is challenging to control without vaccination. Responding to the emerging bluetongue-3 epizootic, Defra have worked at pace with vaccine manufacturers, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and industry to permit the use of three vaccines, enabling keepers to voluntarily protect their stock.

To reduce the impact on animal businesses Defra have designated numerous slaughterhouses and published General Licences enabling animals from the zone to be slaughtered at those slaughterhouses with minimal disruption. Markets within the restricted zone can operate and Defra has approved markets located outside the zone to take animals from the zone.

The situation is reviewed regularly with consideration given to the proportionality of controls informed by science and the department’s close working with industry.

Following the detection of notifiable avian influenza in poultry in England, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate disease, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery. This includes putting in place control zones to help manage disease.

All bird keepers are urged to remain vigilant and take action to protect their birds following a further increase in the avian influenza risk levels in Great Britain, and check GOV.UK regularly to remain informed of the controls in their area. Scrupulous biosecurity remains best practice for protecting the health and welfare of flocks. All registered bird keepers will receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza.

Supporting bird keepers, the public and conservation bodies to manage and prepare for avian influenza continues to be one of our main priorities. Defra and APHA will continue to work closely with industry to ensure good flock management and husbandry practices are implemented on all farms regardless of size or scale.

Defra continue to monitor the situation and the need for an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will be considered in response to further increases in risk.

We will invest £2.4 billion across 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by maintaining, repairing and building flood defences. Longer term funding decisions will be made at the next Spending Review.

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 levels.

Flood Re is a joint government and industry flood reinsurance scheme established specifically to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance. As such, it is funded via a levy on UK household insurers.

Business insurance operates differently to household insurance. It is often bespoke, based on the individual nature of the business. It is important to note that there is no evidence of a systemic problem for businesses being able to access flood insurance.

Dredging and clearing channels are an important option for watercourse maintenance, where it is technically and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream, and does not damage the environment and wildlife. Its effectiveness varies substantially for each stretch of watercourse, it is unlikely to be effective in isolation and is usually part of a wider approach. In many cases the silt will quickly build up again.

Where watercourse maintenance is the responsibility of the Environment Agency it focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. This includes dredging, which the Environment Agency will undertake an assessment of, working in close consultation with local communities.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

The Government works closely with electricity networks to continually improve and maintain the resilience of energy infrastructure. In the event of a disruption, electricity network operators have well practiced response plans in place to minimise any disruption to customers, as far as possible.

Minister Zeichner spoke briefly at this reception. This is something he often does at similar events. Defra does not routinely publish transcripts of such remarks and there are no plans to deviate from convention.

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August 2024, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. These disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England.

The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements. Some animals were humanely culled to prevent establishment at the outset and infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone have also been humanely culled.

Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3 and these vaccines are now available for vets to prescribe in England.

Defra and APHA continue surveillance of susceptible animals and epidemiological assessments, remaining vigilant for any changes, and are working closely with key industry stakeholders to review how we approach controls for BTV-3 for the coming winter months, in 2025 and beyond.

One case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N5 has been confirmed in the Yorkshire area this season. This case follows recent detections of the HPAI H5N5 in wild birds in the region and is the first case confirmed since declaration of Great Britain’s zonal freedom from HPAI in March 2024.

The case was confirmed in commercial poultry at a premises near Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire on the 5 November 2024. To prevent further disease spread, all poultry on the infected premises have been humanely culled and preliminary cleansing and disinfection has been carried out at the premises by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been put in place surrounding the premises. Protection zones must stay in force for a minimum of 21 days and surveillance zones for a minimum of 30 days. The zones will only be lifted once all disease control activities and surveillance in the zones have been successfully completed and there are no suspect cases in the zones under investigation. Defra continue to monitor the situation and the need for an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) will be considered in response to further increases in risk.

We are reviewing the date for implementing specific post-Brexit border checks set out in the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) and will publish more information on these soon.

We continue to maintain essential border controls to protect our national biosecurity.