PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Factory Farming: Ammonia and Nitrates (9 January 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the effect on the environment of (a) nitrate and (b) ammonia produced by intensive livestock units in the UK.

Asked by:
Kerry McCarthy (Labour)

In 2015, agriculture accounted for around 81% of total UK ammonia emissions. Nitrate pollution from farming accounts for 50% of nitrate water pollution.

That is why intensive pig and poultry farms are regulated under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. These farms must have an environmental permit which sets limits on their emissions and requires the use of best available techniques to minimise pollution, including ammonia emissions and nitrate levels in water. It is also why we announced on 30 November that new rules for all farmers in England will be introduced in April 2018 to improve water quality. We have ambitious targets in place to further reduce ammonia emissions by 2020 and 2030 and will publish a Clean Air Strategy, setting out how we will work towards these goals, for consultation in 2018. Earlier this year, we provided practical help to farmers to reduce ammonia emissions by providing on-farm advice and grants for slurry store covers. Furthermore the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan has set out our intention to work with farmers to use fertilisers more efficiently to reduce diffuse pollution from agriculture and its impact on the environment.

Answered by:
Dr Thérèse Coffey (Conservative)
17 January 2018