theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to support sole traders and small family-run businesses with the cost of (a) inflation and (b) living; and if she will review VAT thresholds and business rates for small enterprises. \p James Murray: The Government recognises the important role that small businesses and sole traders play in the economy, and the impact that inflation can have on them. We are putting the public finances on a sustainable path and investing in the future, creating a stable environment for growth.

At the Budget we introduced a range of tax measures that benefit small businesses and sole traders. These included:• More than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change this year. • Maintaining the Small Profits Rate and marginal relief at their current rates and thresholds, as well as maintaining the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance; and• Freezing the small business multiplier for 2025/26 meaning that, taken together with Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), over a million properties are protected from inflationary bill increases.

The Budget announcements on business rates reflect the Government’s first steps to support the high street. We want to go further to modernise the system, and so, we have published a Discussion Paper setting out priority areas for reform. This paper invited industry to help co-design a fairer business rates system that supports investment and is fit for the 21st century.

At £90,000, the UK has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU country and the joint highest in the OECD. This means the majority of UK businesses are kept out of the VAT system.
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Jonathan Davies:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Approved Mileage Allowance Payments rates in meeting the costs incurred by employees using their own vehicles for work-related travel. \p James Murray: Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses).

The Government keeps the AMAP rates under review and HMRC use a variety of information in estimating typical motoring costs per business mile. This includes information from the AA, the National Travel Survey, the Association of British Insurers, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The AMAP rates are intended to reflect both running costs, such as fuel, and a proportion of standing costs, such as insurance, MOT, and depreciation. In estimating typical motoring costs per business mile, the Government must therefore consider the weighting given to each component and how to apportion certain costs.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of the level of the new state pension for the finances of people subject to the lower personal tax allowance. \p Torsten Bell: This Government remains committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement

Through our commitment to protect the Triple Lock, over 12 million pensioners benefitted from a 4.1% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2025. Over the course of this Parliament, the full yearly rate of the new State Pension is expected to increase by around £1,900 based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecast

The Personal Allowance - the amount an individual can earn before paying tax - will continue to exceed the basic and full new State Pension in 2025/26. This means pensioners whose sole income is the full new State Pension or basic State Pension without any increments will not pay any income tax.

The previous Government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April 2028. The current Government is committed to keeping people’s taxes as low as possible while ensuring fiscal responsibility and so, at our first Budget, we decided not to extend the freeze on personal tax thresholds.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of exempting not-for-profit organisations from business rates in Surrey Heath constituency. \p James Murray: Currently, properties which are wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes are eligible for charitable relief, which provides businesses with up to 80% off their business rates bills. Provision of further relief to charitable properties is at the discretion of local authorities.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will publish the modelling used for the proposed changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief. \p James Murray: I refer the Honourable Member to the PQ referenced UIN 29334 published on 5th February 2025 at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-02-05/29334.
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Sikhs are employed in her Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group. \p James Murray: HM Treasury employs 14 Sikh staff (0.7% of the department), and this is recorded under religion in line with the Government Statistical Service (GSS) guidance.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the impact of increased business rates on the viability of high street businesses in market towns. \p James Murray: We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.

To deliver our manifesto pledge, from 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so, from 2026-27, we intend to introduce a higher rate on the most valuable properties – those with Rateable Values of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants.

Ahead of these changes being made, the Government recognises that businesses will need support in 2025-26. As such, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending in April 2025, extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, and we have frozen the small business multiplier.

When the new, permanently lower tax rates are set at Autumn Budget 2025, the Treasury intends to publish analysis of the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the financial contribution the UK will make to the EU following the UK-EU Summit (a) on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement (b) on the Emissions Trading System (ETS), (c) on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), (d) on Erasmus and (e) in total. \p James Murray: Implementation costs will be confirmed in due course when we have negotiated the details of these arrangements. This will include proportionate contributions in specific and limited areas, such as where access to specific IT systems will help to remove trade barriers for UK firms or help us to manage biosecurity risks. The UK will also negotiate fair financial contributions to the Erasmus+ programme which will reflect the benefits of participation. We will not be making general contributions to the EU budget.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were. \p James Murray: 3 events were held by the Treasury’s staff networks in May 2025.

Treasury History Network held 2 sessions of “Wars, fires and pandemics: how events shaped our buildings”.

The Ethnic Diversity Network hosted “Inclusivity within national security and demystifying the DV process”.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans she has for infrastructure investment in (a) Dorset, (b) Hampshire and (c) Wiltshire. \p Darren Jones: This week, the government published its 10-year infrastructure strategy. The strategy brings together a long-term plan for the social, economic and housing infrastructure across the UK.

Alongside considering the UK’s economic and social infrastructure needs, the strategy sets out how we are reforming institutions and changing the way we make decisions and deliver infrastructure, maximising the benefits of our strong fiscal and spending frameworks, breaking down regulatory and planning barriers, and resetting our relationship with the private sector.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the allocation of funds from the Growth Mission Fund. \p Darren Jones: The Growth Mission Fund will invest £240 million of capital from 2026/27 to 2029/30 in projects that enable local job creation and the economic regeneration of local communities. Further detail on this fund and the criteria that will be applied for project selection will be set out in due course.
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Ben Lake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on updating the Welsh Fiscal Framework. \p Darren Jones: The UK and Welsh Governments have regular discussions on the delivery funding arrangements, including the Fiscal Framework.

We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility.   As set out in the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework agreed in 2016, a full review is triggered if the Welsh Government’s relative funding falls below 115% of equivalent UK Government spending per head in the rest of the UK.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households stopped receiving child benefit following the introduction of (a) the two child benefit cap and (b) means testing in (i) Telford constituency, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England. \p James Murray: Child Benefit is a non-means tested benefit payable to families as a contribution towards the cost of raising children. The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is a tax charge for families in receipt of Child Benefit payments on higher individual incomes, of £60,000 or more. These families can either get the Child Benefit payments and pay the tax charge or opt out of receiving the payments, and not have to pay the HICBC.

The number of families opting out of Child Benefit payments by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency, region and country can be found in table 12 in the latest annual Child Benefit statistics release: Child Benefit Statistics: annual release, August 2024 - GOV.UK.

The number of those paying the tax charge by region and country can be found in table 17 of the same publication. These figures relate to 2022 to 2023 tax year when the HICBC threshold was £50,000.

The policy to provide support for a maximum of two children in Universal Credit does not apply to Child Benefit.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p James Murray: HM Treasury is working with Government People Group in the Cabinet Office to understand the revised model policies and will implement required changes accordingly.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support the use of banking hubs as venues for financial education aimed at improving women’s (a) financial literacy and (b) independence. \p Emma Reynolds: Banking hubs are a voluntary service which were developed by the financial services sector in the context of legislation to protect access to cash under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. Their rollout is overseen by Cash Access UK (CAUK), a not-for-profit company set up and funded by the banks for the purpose of coordinating banking hub delivery.

The Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 160 are already open.

Where a branch closure is announced or a community has submitted a cash access assessment request, LINK, the independent industry coordinating body responsible for making access to cash assessments, assesses a community’s access to cash needs. LINK will recommend appropriate solutions where it considers that a community requires additional cash services, such as a banking hub or deposit service.    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require LINK to consider a range of factors in their assessments, such as population demographics and levels of vulnerability within the community.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all individuals have the financial capability to manage their money well and recognises that certain groups – such as women – may face specific barriers to financial literacy and inclusion. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is supported by the Government to provide a wide range of tools and guidance to help people manage money confidently at every stage of life. Furthermore, by making Financial Education and Capability a focus within the Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government aims to address these barriers and ensure that women, as well as other groups who face barriers, are better equipped to access affordable and appropriate financial products and services.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason HMRC applies import duties to mastectomy bras. \p James Murray: The UK’s tariff schedule, known as the UK Global Tariff (UKGT), adheres to global classification standards. Those classify mastectomy bras under a commodity code that covers a range of other textiles.

We continue to monitor the UKGT to ensure our Most Favoured Nation tariff schedule functions as effectively as possible, supports domestic priorities, and provides a stable operating environment for businesses.

Businesses are welcome to request the partial or full liberalisation of the import duty applied to the products under this commodity code, including mastectomy bras, either through the online feedback form or the next business suspensions window.
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Dan Tomlinson:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to restore Official Development Assistance to 0.7 percent of gross national income in the context of the Spending Review. \p Darren Jones: To enable the government to invest more in security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. The Spending Review (SR) 2025 ODA settlement delivers on this. The government remains committed to returning spending on ODA to 0.7% of GNI when the fiscal circumstances allow. The government will continue to monitor future forecasts closely, and each year will review and confirm, in accordance with the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015, whether a return to spending 0.7% of GNI on ODA is possible against the latest fiscal forecast.
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Henry Tufnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Legal Aid Agency’s digital systems are cyber-secure. \p Sarah Sackman: The recent data breach is the result of heinous criminal activity, but it was enabled by the fragility of the Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) IT systems as a result of the long years of underinvestment under the last Conservative Government. By contrast, since taking power this Government has prioritised work to reverse the damage of over a decade of under-investment. That includes the allocation of over £20 million in extra funding this year to stabilise and transform the LAA digital services. This investment will make the system more robust and resilient in the face of similar cyber-attacks in future.

The cyber-attack is subject to an ongoing investigation and the LAA continues to work closely with the National Crime Agency and National Cyber Security Centre. As a precautionary measure the LAA’s digital services have been taken offline. The decision to bring LAA services back online will include a comprehensive security assessment.

Appropriate actions have been taken to mitigate the impact of the attack and contingency measures have been put in place to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time, as outlined on LAA’s dedicated information page.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52848 on Offenders: Foreign Nationals, for what reason that data is not collected by nationality. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Our current approach to publication of nationality data is in line with that used during the previous Conservative Government. However, we continue to monitor the data that we collect and publish and will keep this under review.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the procedures of the Prisoner Escort and Custodial Service at HMP Wandsworth on prisoners' (a) mental and (b) physical health. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The PECS (Prisoner Escort and Custody Services) contract management team scrutinises supplier performance, ensures adherence to all applicable HMPPS policies, and assures that the care, welfare, and decency of prisoners in PECS custody is at the very core of service delivery. This commitment is further reinforced through the quarterly Welfare Partnership Board meetings, where all key stakeholders convene to collaboratively review welfare standards, share insights, and drive continuous improvement across the service.

Before any transfer, prisoners are medically assessed and cleared for travel by HM Prison healthcare professionals, ensuring they are fit for the journey.

Additionally, Enhanced Court Healthcare services delivered through the PECS contract offer timely medical assessments and interventions to support PECS supplier teams. These services, provided by paramedics and doctors either virtually or in person, ensure that any emerging health concerns during attendance at court are promptly addressed.

Collaboration with HMCTS Liaison and Diversion teams at court also provides support for individuals with vulnerabilities such as mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

Contractual delivery to HMP Wandsworth over the past three months has exceeded performance targets for timely delivery from court.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of HM Prison and Probation Service in Leicestershire. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We publish performance ratings regularly of the prison and probation service Leicestershire, which can be found at the following links: Prison Performance Ratings: 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK and Community Performance Annual, update to March 2024 - GOV.UK.

This Government inherited prisons on the point of collapse and is taking action to ensure we never again run out of prison places.

The previous Government left the probation service under real strain with current caseloads far too high. We are hiring 1,300 trainee probation officers by March 2026 in addition to the 1,050 already appointed last year. We are also investing in new technology to lift the administrative burden on probation officers so they can focus on what they do best – managing and rehabilitating offenders.

Probation funding will increase by up to £700 million by the final year of the spending review – a 45% increase in the next three years. We will deliver thousands more tags, more staff, and more accommodation to ensure that offenders are tracked and monitored closely in the community.

The Probation Service in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland was recently inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP). The report of the inspection can be found at the following link: An inspection of probation services in: Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland PDU.

Following the inspection, a revised Quality Improvement Plan has been drawn up, which takes account of HMIP’s recommendations. A development day has also been organised, with a focus on quality and management oversight, to ensure that all staff receive the training they need to carry out their demanding roles.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps is her Department taking to fund voluntary community sector organisations to support people leaving prison as part of her Sentencing Review. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: I recognise the valuable role of the thousands of voluntary organisations that work in partnership with probation to provide vital support to people serving their sentence in prison, in the community and people returning to the community after prison.

The Government has welcomed the findings and recommendations of the Rt Hon David Gauke’s Independent Sentencing Review. This includes specific recommendations on increasing the role of the third sector in supporting offenders in the community. My Department is exploring the best approach to implementing these recommendations as part of the wider programme of reform that we are taking forward to implement the Sentencing Review. We will look to work with the Third Sector on these recommendations.

These reforms are backed by significant investment of up to £700 million in the Probation Service by the final year of the Spending Review. We are currently finalising the allocations process to set internal budgets for the spending period, including how this probation settlement will be spent.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of self-inflicted deaths of prisoners in HMP Wandsworth. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners.

HMP Wandsworth entered the HMPPS cluster death support process in 2023, and a task force chaired by the Prison Group Director for London has been overseeing the implementation of an action plan to address the issues arising from self-inflicted deaths. Ligature-resistant cells have been provided to Wandsworth as part of this process, among other actions including strengthening the local safety team and increasing the number of Samaritans trained Listeners who provide emotional support to fellow prisoners.

Each death is the subject of an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) and a Coroner's inquest, and action is being taken to address the findings and recommendations from these investigations to help improve safety outcomes at Wandsworth.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Prison Education Service contracts have been agreed; for what reason there was a delay in signing the contracts; and what her planned timetable is for signing the contracts. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Prisoner Education Service comprises of six different nationally contracted services, including Core Education and Careers Information and Guidance as the two most significant ones by total contract value. To provide some context, there are circa 70 contracts within the Prisoner Education Services at various stages of being launched.

To date, the 11 new national Careers Information, Advice and Guidance contracts were successfully launched on 1 April 2025. Additionally, new services, enabling distance learning for Further and Higher Education and prison library services, delivered by Local Authorities and Social Enterprises, also commenced on 1 April 2025.

Moreover, contracts have been formally executed for the new digital, web-based screening and assessment tools and for Common Awarding Organisations. Both services shall commence on 1 October 2025.

The successful suppliers for Core Education contract will be announced in due course and all details associated with these contracts remain ‘In Commercial Confidence’ until further notice. The Ministry of Justice is satisfied with the timely progress made to date on the Prisoner Education Service as a whole.
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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the rate of re-offending (a) in Preston and (b) nationally; what steps she is taking to reduce this rate in Preston. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The overall proven reoffending rate for Preston was 34.5% for the July 22 - June 23 cohort (the latest reoffending data available by geography). By comparison, for the same cohort, the overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 26.7%.

The Government is committed to tackling the causes of reoffending by giving people the tools to move away from crime. That's why we're investing in a wide range of interventions to directly support a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey, including employment, accommodation and substance misuse services.

We have, for example, recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time will bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in prison and the community. Preston is covered by the Cumbria & Lancashire Employment Council.

We are also delivering a transitional accommodation service (CAS3) to provide prison leavers who are under probation supervision and at risk of homelessness with up to 12 weeks of accommodation on release, and have recruited Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators to strengthen the links between substance misuse and health services in prisons and the community to support access to treatment. Both CAS3 and the Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators are in place across all 12 probation regions in England and Wales, with Preston falling under the North West probation region.
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Daniel Francis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to help tackle the use of catapults to maim (a) animals and (b) wildlife in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency. \p Mary Creagh: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While the Act does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that a person must not use to kill wildlife, it is still illegal under this Act to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species. There are a range of other offences found in further legislation to protect animals from cruelty such as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Significant sanctions are available to judges to hand down to those convicted of crimes under these Acts. Aside from legislation, a national police-led group named Operation Lakeshot is working in partnership with organisations including the RSPCA and Nature Watch to address the catapulting of wildlife, focusing on education, prevention, detection and justice.

The Government takes crimes against animals seriously but there is already sufficient legislation in place which protects them from targeted use of catapults. Defra therefore has no current plans to take further steps to tackle the use of catapults and nor does the Home Office have any plans to change the law to make a catapult a specified prohibited weapon.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing countryside access rights. \p Mary Creagh: This Government recognises the physical and mental health benefits of improved access to the countryside. We are already taking action to increase responsible access to the countryside; by creating nine new National River Walks, three new National Forests, and the King Charles III England Coast Path.

We are also funding the £16 million Access or All programme which improves the accessibility and inclusivity of Protected Landscapes and National Trails. I saw the benefit of this myself when I met representatives of the Dartmoor Wheeled Access Group and how this funding has enabled equitable access to the Dartmoor National Park for wheelchair users.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce instances of wildfires during the summer. \p Mary Creagh: Defra encourages landowners and land managers to undertake wildfire risk assessments and consider mitigating actions as part of good quality wildfire management plans. Defra regularly engages with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and other Government departments in addition to bodies such as the National Fire Chiefs Council and the England and Wales Wildfire Forum, to monitor and review sector-led improvements and mitigations.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in Bromsgrove. \p Daniel Zeichner: Agreements under the Countryside Stewardship scheme in the Bromsgrove Parliamentary Constituency area contain 2,139 hectares of land as of 2024. The scheme supports a range of enhanced environmental outcomes from restoring wildlife habitats, creating woodlands to managing flood risk.

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier is expected to continue to deliver a range of environmental benefits to farmers when it opens to new applications.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of a clawback mechanism as an alternative to the proposed changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief. \p Daniel Zeichner: This is a decision for His Majesty’s Treasury.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of (a) bans on offshore bottom-towed gear on displacement of fishing to inshore grounds and (b) that displacement on (i) small-scale and (ii) inshore fishers in South East Cornwall constituency. \p Daniel Zeichner: It is likely that fishing activity will be displaced as a result of the management of our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), but there are many uncertainties. Decisions on the extent of restrictions on bottom trawling in offshore MPAs will be made following the closure of the consultation that opened on 9 June.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_278

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 35636 on Agriculture and Business: Inheritance Tax, whether his Department has requested sight of the Treasury’s modelling that concludes a clawback mechanism would raise significantly less revenue than the proposed reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief. \p Daniel Zeichner: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 4 March 2025 to PQ 32918.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_279

Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the National Audit Office’s report entitled Resilience to animal diseases, published on 4 June 2025, what assessment his Department has made of failing to implement the statutory digital equine ID system on the risk of (a) disease preparedness, (b) livestock traceability and (c) biosecurity measures at the border. \p Daniel Zeichner: This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra recognises the importance of a robust equine identification and traceability regime. The current paper-based system supports disease outbreak management, public health and biosecurity. Biosecurity is also protected by the UK’s imports requirements and imports health certificates for equines.

Defra has no current plans to implement statutory digital equine identification.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_280

Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of imposing an all-England restricted zone from 1 July 2025 in response to the bluetongue virus on (a) livestock markets and (b) other businesses (i) in Wales and (ii) along the Wales-England border. \p Daniel Zeichner: From 1 July 2025 the restricted zone for bluetongue will be extended to cover all of England. This change is being made because the area of England where disease has been found is now too large for movement restrictions to remain an effective and proportionate way of controlling the disease.

Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, Defra and the Devolved Governments work closely together with the aim to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK. A key forum for this is the Animal Disease Policy Group, which is a UK-wide policy decision making group. Defra and Devolved Governments also engage closely with industry to inform policy development and implementation through the Livestock Core Group.

The Government recognises that keepers and businesses can also be affected not only by the impacts of bluetongue disease on animals, but also by disease control measures. That is why Government seeks to minimise these burdens where safe to do so using exemptions under licenses, whilst maintaining the integrity and efficacy of measures intended to mitigate the risk of disease spread.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_281

Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential merits of establishing a compensation scheme for farmers affected by the imposition of restricted zones in response to the bluetongue virus. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government recognises that keepers and businesses can be affected not only by the impacts of bluetongue disease on animals, but also by disease control measures. That is why Defra seeks to minimise these burdens where safe to do so by using exemptions under licenses, whilst maintaining the integrity and efficacy of measures intended to mitigate the risk of disease spread.

Compensation is available for keepers whose animals are required to be culled for disease control purposes by the Government. However, we would not expect to cull large numbers of animals due to bluetongue since culling becomes ineffective once disease is established within the biting midge population. There are no plans to introduce a wider compensation scheme in relation to bluetongue. As set out in The Animal Health Act 1981 compensation is not paid for consequential losses or business interruption including those caused by measures in force in disease control zones.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_282

Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the spread of bluetongue virus on food security in (a) Wales and (b) other parts of the UK. \p Daniel Zeichner: Bluetongue does not impact human health or food safety, and the current outbreak of bluetongue serotype 3 affecting England has not had an impact on food security in the UK.

Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, Defra and the Devolved Governments work closely together with the aim to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK. A key forum for this is the Animal Disease Policy Group, which is a UK-wide policy decision making group.

Defra’s disease control measures aim to limit the spread of infection, seeking to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of eradication of bluetongue.

Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst safeguarding the health and safety of those involved in controlling the outbreak and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_283

Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s capacity to effectively tackle the spread of bluetongue virus. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans, supported by the bluetongue virus (BTV) national reference laboratory at The Pirbright Institute. Response times are kept under regular review between Defra, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and APHA and appropriate action initiated where additional operational support is required.

Defra’s disease control measures aim to limit the spread of BTV infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of eradication of bluetongue and minimising the cost of any outbreak both to government and farmers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_284

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take legislative steps to require platform providers to collect proof of (a) qualifications, (b) insurance and (c) local authority licenses from people offering pet (i) boarding or (ii) walking services on their platform. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 require anyone in the business of boarding cats and dogs to have a valid licence from their local authority. Licensees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities. There are no plans to make it mandatory for platforms to collect proof in relation to pet boarding or walking services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_285

David Williams:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent financial rewards for water company executives who oversee poor performance. \p Emma Hardy: As part of our Plan for Change, we have put water companies under special measures throughout landmark Water Act.

Ofwat’s new remuneration powers came into force this month. Unfair bonuses have been banned for senior water company executives responsible for serious harm to the environment.

A record 81 criminal investigations have been launched into sewage pollution; the biggest criminal action against water companies in history. Polluting water bosses who try to cover up their offences, now face up to two-year prison sentences.

We have also doubled the level of compensation available to customers for service failures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_286

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the share of fishing opportunities in UK waters for British fishers. \p Daniel Zeichner: The new UK-EU agreement signed on 19 May ensures retention of the quota uplift agreed in the Brexit deal, which transferred part of the EU quota shares to the UK’s fleet and was worth £175m in fishing opportunities in 2025. The UK’s shares for jointly managed stocks with other coastal states, namely the EU and Norway, are listed in Annex 35 and tables A, B and F of Annex 36 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). These shares will remain fixed from 2026 onwards.

Separately, the UK continues to negotiate with other coastal States on new sustainable sharing arrangements for important jointly managed stocks in the North East Atlantic.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_287

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has provided funding for research into the (a) development and (b) trial of multi-site fungicide alternatives to mancozeb that are viable for tropical fruit exporters in Latin America. \p Emma Hardy: Defra has not provided funding for research into the development and trial of multi-site fungicide alternatives to mancozeb that are viable for tropical fruit exporters in Latin America.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-19 conversation_288

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of banning mancozeb by the end of 2025 on the (a) socio-economy and (b) security of the UK's trading partners. \p Emma Hardy: Pesticide Active substance approvals are only granted following careful scientific assessment of risks to people, animals and the environment. We do not consider economic benefits of use. Mancozeb no longer meets GB approval criteria as regards to endocrine disrupting properties, non-dietary risks to human health and exposure risk to operators.

Food treated with mancozeb can continue to be placed on the GB market provided it meets our Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).