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The Latest Breaking News from Defra

Starmer reveals the real reason for his family farm tax - not to hit super wealthy death duty dodgers

The NFU have said that the prime minister’s admission to the Commons liaison committee proves the family farm tax was ‘an indiscriminate revenue-raising measure with no thought given to who it impacts’

The Independent UK

Watchdog warns Defra and Ofwat they could face court over sewage dumping

Environment Agency also served notice after investigation found failures to comply with law

The Guardian - UK

Government breached environmental rules over sewage overflows, watchdog finds

The Environment Department and regulators have two months to confirm they will take required steps to remedy the situation – or face court.

The Independent UK

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Government breached law by allowing water firms to discharge sewage, watchdog finds

The regulator has sent a notice to each of the authorities setting out steps it wants to see taken to put the situation right

The Independent UK

Customer compensation for water supply problems to increase from next year

Customers who suffer problems like low water pressure could receive payments of up to £250 – compared to the £25 currently available, Defra said.

The Independent UK

Why Scottish salmon’s rebrand may end up harming the integrity of a top export and hurting producers

Scottish farmed salmon was the UK’s top food export last year, ending up in restaurants and on dinner tables all over the world. But also in 2023, the industry trade body Salmon Scotland sought to drop the word “farmed” from its protected geographical indication of “Scottish farmed salmon” after two…

The Conversation

Animal activists hail historic victory in battle over ‘cruel’ Frankenchickens

Court of Appeal says farming animals that suffer due to genetic make-up illegal

The Independent UK

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Farming rules prioritise animal welfare over profit, Court of Appeal judge says

The Humane League UK lost an appeal to overturn a High Court decision saying the government had not acted unlawfully in allowing fast-grown chickens.

Evening Standard

Starmer and farmers locked in deadlock over tax changes after hundreds of tractors descend on Westminster

Hundreds of farmers brought their tractors to Westminster for a day of protest – but the Labour government shows no sign of backing down on its plan to introduce inheritance tax

The Independent UK

Key statistics in Government report on UK food security

Some 93% of all cereals consumed in the UK last year were produced in the country, compared with 53% of fresh vegetables.

Evening Standard

Farmers set for tractor protest as Government says its support is ‘steadfast’

MPs will hear from farming leaders and the Government will publish a report on food security on Wednesday.

Evening Standard

Toxic pesticides found in food imports spark health concerns among campaigners

While detected residues were mostly below legal limits, Pesticide Action Network expressed concerns of cumulative exposure to toxic chemicals.

Evening Standard

‘Busybody’ fines up 42% in 2023 in England and Wales, report shows

Majority of 19,162 penalties issued by private enforcement companies contracted by councils

The Guardian - UK

Hill farmers’ finances ‘in jeopardy’ from delays to new farming schemes – report

Nature and climate targets, and efforts to reduce flooding, are also threatened by a lack of support for upland farming businesses, a think tank said.

The Independent UK

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The Independent UK

Watchdog: Defra may have failed to comply with law over bee-killing pesticide

The Office for Environment Protection is investigating the Government over emergency authorisation of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam.

The Guardian - UK

Defra cuts pose ‘existential threat’ to England’s most beautiful areas

Exclusive: National landscapes’ chiefs say environment secretary has given no budget assurances and they are to expect cuts

The Guardian - UK

Wednesday briefing: Why was the UK so poorly prepared for extreme flooding?

In today’s newsletter: Our environment reporter on what went wrong following Storm Bert and whether widespread flooding might make the government to face up to the country’s leaky defences

The Guardian - UK

Water companies in England ‘using loopholes’ to avoid paying for outages

Ofwat CEO says rules must be changed so that customers left without water get compensation automatically

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news in one place.

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The Independent UK

Mapped: The rural Labour MPs most at risk from farmer inheritance tax backlash

The Tories could take advantage of farmers’ anger to regain dozens of seats lost to Labour in rural areas, as inheritance tax changes prompt fury

The Guardian - UK

No hiding place for Labour’s farming minister as Whitehall teems with tweed and gumboots

Farage cosplayed Mr Toad, Victoria Atkins troubled all fashion sense, but Steve Reed won the turnip for his flailing defence of inheritance tax changes

The Conversation

Farm inheritance tax: farmers cannot go green if they are in the red

In villages across the country, irate farmers have accused the government of trying to end the tradition of the family farm by scrapping agricultural property relief, a measure which previously sheltered farms from having to pay inheritance tax on farmland.

The Independent UK

Government accused of ‘hammer blow’ to farmers as thousands protest in London

Farmers flocked to Whitehall to protest against changes to inheritance tax and other measures in last month’s Budget.

The Guardian - UK

England’s national parks facing financial peril due to budget cuts, say CEOs

Leaders warn cost savings will lead to mass redundancies and that spaces could become ‘paper parks’

The Independent UK

NFU chief hints farmers could take more extreme action if government ignores inheritance tax protest

More than 10,000 farmers descended on Westminster on Tuesday to urge the government to backtrack on the levy

International Business Times

Farmers Descend On London To Overturn Inheritance Tax Change

British farmers massed in London on Tuesday for protests against controversial government plans to change inheritance tax rules for land ownership, which they claim threatens to break up the sector and hit food production.

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