We do not publish information on investigations undertaken by Defra Investigation Services given the confidential nature of such enquiries. However, we are considering an FOI request regarding the subsequent review that was carried out on the original investigation referred to by my Honourable Friend.

Disallowance relating to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is paid from national, not CAP scheme, funds.

Defra is amongst those Government Departments whose work is most closely linked to and impacted by EU activity, legal frameworks and funding. A number of roles within the Department will support EU work relating to the Great Repeal Bill to some degree.

The resourcing of EU Exit work is a key priority of the Department and will be subject to on-going assessment. Work continues to identify the number of dedicated posts required in the long term. Staffing resources will be deployed flexibly across the entire Defra agenda, including work on the Great Repeal Bill.

Defra is very aware that seasonal workers from other EU countries will be one of the complex issues that will have to be resolved as part of our exit negotiation and future relationship with the EU.

We are currently working with colleagues across government to understand the issues and explore options.

Defra is also working closely with the devolved administrations to establish their views and priorities to get the best possible outcome for all parts of the United Kingdom as we leave the EU.

The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Scotland) Regulations 2007 is a devolved matter. Defra does not hold any information on how many retailers have been fined since it was introduced.

Official veterinarians (OVs) from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) are present in all approved slaughterhouses in England and take a prompt, proportionate and risk based approach to enforcement action when animal welfare breaches are identified. The numbers of these cases identified by the FSA for the period from April 2014 to June 2016 were published on the FSA website in August 2016 following a Freedom of Information Act request. The FSA have developed an action plan in regards to animal welfare in slaughterhouses which aims to “Deter, Prevent, Detect, Enforce”. An Animal Welfare Steering Group was set up by the FSA to oversee the delivery of its animal welfare action plan.

Defra works closely with the FSA to ensure that the welfare of animals is maintained in all slaughterhouses. There is a wide ranging, systemic programme of animal welfare activity including strengthened verification of compliance through the establishment of welfare assurance teams; a welfare themed audit programme; targeted unannounced inspections; additional checks for non-compliant business operators; and improved education and instruction through an animal welfare publicity campaign in slaughterhouses.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has no record of communication with iNHouse Communications Ltd on its tendering system and has not awarded any commercial contract to iNHouse Communications Ltd in the last five years.

Agriculture and Fisheries Council will take place on January 23 in Brussels. I will represent the United Kingdom.

As the provisional agenda stands, the primary focus will be an exchange of views on agricultural products in free trade agreements.

There will also be an information item on the Dairy Market and milk package report. This will be followed by a Council discussion.

The Maltese Presidency, whose Presidency term commenced on January 1, will present their 6 month Work Programme to the Council.

There is currently only one item scheduled under ‘Any Other Business’:

- Conclusions of the 40th Conference of Directors of Paying Agencies (tabled by the Slovak delegation).

Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. The outcome of these negotiations will determine what arrangements apply in relation to EU legislation in future once the UK has left the EU.

We continue to make progress towards more sustainable fishing, with more stocks than ever now being fished in line with their Maximum Sustainable Yield. This year, there will be 29 stocks that are of interest to the UK and which will be fished at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield - an increase on 2016. The UK has been and will continue to be an advocate of sustainable fishing.

Defra is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for International Trade to ensure the UK gets the best possible deal on market access for our agri-food sector when we leave the EU.

In particular, we want a reciprocal deal that delivers no tariffs on trade between the UK and EU. We are also working to minimise burdensome non-tariff-barriers to such trade, while maintaining high standards for food safety, animal welfare and the environment.

Commodity prices, exchange rates and oil prices are known to be the most important drivers of retail food price inflation. It is too early to tell what, if any, impact leaving the EU might have on these factors.

The US represents US interests in negotiations; the UK Government will represent the UK in any future trade negotiations. As I made clear earlier, we will not compromise on issues such as animal welfare and food safety.

I am aware of the concerns, particularly about pulse trawling in the southern North sea. I have asked CEFAS, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, to look at the issue, do a review of current literature and give me a report on what we know about the science. In addition, there is a working group in the EU on the matter.

As the Secretary of State said earlier, we have now paid 92.8% of basic payment scheme claims for the current year. As a fellow Cornishman, I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that 97% of claims in Cornwall have now been paid.

We will be looking at representations from all people. If we want to improve the farmed environment, we have to look at the whole farmed environment and not restrict our ambitions to the uplands or, indeed, the moorland areas. We are looking in a range of areas at how we can improve soil management and water quality.

The Prime Minister gave the assurance that we seek a good deal, and that no deal is better than a bad deal; I do not think that anybody can disagree with that. I will simply say that in food and drink alone, we have a trade deficit with the EU of some £10 billion, so the EU has a great interest in having tariff-free access to the UK market.

As I said earlier, I have experience in the soft fruit industry. I know many of the growers in Evesham, and indeed I have had correspondence recently with Angus Davison, from one of the largest growers in the west midlands, on this issue. We understand the concerns and we are in discussions with departmental colleagues on it. We want to get the right approach so that we can control immigration but ensure that we have the labour where it is required.

These issues are very much a matter that we will be discussing with all the devolved Administrations as we move forward. The Prime Minister made that absolutely clear in her excellent speech earlier this week. We are going to discuss this right across the UK and agree what the right UK approach should be.

One of the things that I ran on my own farm was a very large soft fruit enterprise, where I had experience of employing over 200 people, so I am familiar with the challenges that certain sectors in agriculture bring to me. We are in discussion with a number of the leading players in this area to try to get an understanding of their needs, and it goes without saying that we are in discussion with colleagues in other Departments.

I can reassure my hon. Friend that, having grown up on a farm and worked in the farming industry for 10 years, I will be very much listening to farmers and their views, and wanting to learn from their experience. We will be listening to everybody as we develop future policy.