theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sir Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to support small businesses in the retail sector in the West Midlands. \p Kate Dearden: We’re creating a fairer business rates system that protects small retailers, including introducing permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value. The government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.

Our recently announced Small Business Plan aims to tackle late payments, boost access to finance, and remove red tape to enable small businesses, including retailers, grow and thrive. The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in the West Midlands can benefit from specialist business advice on how to grow, access new markets and receive government support.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator will consider the feasibility of extending its remit to include (a) farmers supplying via intermediaries and (b) other indirect suppliers affected by retailer practices. \p Kate Dearden: The public consultation to the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator asked whether there are unfair contractual practices in parts of the supply chain that are not covered by the Groceries Code or the Fair Dealing Regulations under the Agriculture Act 2020, but which are having a negative impact on grocery suppliers.

The government is currently considering responses to the consultation, alongside other evidence, and will publish a report on the findings of the review as soon as practicable.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help support small and medium-sized businesses in the hospitality sector. \p Kate Dearden: The Government recognises the vital role hospitality businesses in our communities and economy, including those in South Basildon and East Thurrock and that’s why we’re taking targeted action to support them with the pressures they face. That is why we are offering targeted support for the sector, like the Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects such as Pub is The Hub to encourage local investment.

In April, we launched a Taskforce to consider ways to create a more balanced premises licensing system that not only safeguards communities but also supports responsible businesses. On 7 October the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system - GOV.UK (deadline: midday, 6 November 2025). These reforms are part of the Small Business Strategy, which also tackles late payments, improves access to finance, and cuts red tape. We want planning and licensing systems to work fairly for businesses and residents.

Additionally, we’re creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value and continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council to address the challenges facing businesses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-28)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the permissible noise limits of fireworks used for (a) public and (b) private functions. \p Kate Dearden: No assessment has been made of the potential merits of reducing the permissible noise limits of fireworks used for public and private functions. However, the Government is continuing to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks to inform any future action.

The Government has also launched a public campaign on fireworks safety for this year’s fireworks season. The campaign includes new guidance for those running community fireworks events, and new social media posts that emphasise the risks from the misuse of fireworks.
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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of mandatory digital filing requirements on Community Interest Companies (CICs); and what steps he is taking to support CICs to (a) file annual accounts in iXBRL format using compliant software and (b) comply with director identity verification. \p Blair McDougall: CICs file accounts to Companies House in the same way as other companies. The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 Impact Assessment assesses impacts of removing paper accounts filing. We are reviewing our proposed changes in filing requirements at Companies House, to ensure they strike the right balance between tackling economic crime and avoiding undue burden on business.

Identity verification is designed to be straightforward. Individuals can verify digitally through One Login, via an Authorised Corporate Service Provider, or in-person at the Post Office. Companies House contact centre is available for users requiring assistance.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Ofcom’s financial penalties in improving Royal Mail’s ability to meet its performance targets; and if he will take steps to ensure that future fines are reinvested to increase (a) staffing levels and (b) service quality within Royal Mail rather than being paid into the Consolidated Fund. \p Blair McDougall: Ofcom’s financial penalties are regulatory decisions in which the government does not have a role. The government expects Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure the provision of a financially sustainable and efficient universal postal service.

Financial penalties are designed to incentivise compliance and deter future breaches, rather than to fund specific operational improvements. As with other regulatory fines, any sums collected are paid into the Consolidated fund in accordance with standard Treasury practice, unless explicit statutory provision or a Treasury-approved agreement allows otherwise.

It is for Royal Mail, as an independent company to determine its staffing levels and improve its performance to ensure it meets its Universal Service Obligation. It is clear that Royal Mail’s improvements have not been good enough. As such, Ofcom has told Royal Mail it must publish and deliver a credible improvement plan.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to disapply the Procurement Act 2023 to UK-produced steel used in public infrastructure projects under Section 25 of that Act. \p Chris Ward: The Government is committed to supporting the steel sector, and is considering a range of options to ensure that public procurement supports UK jobs and industry, including steel.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of tableware and crockery used in his Derpartment is made by a British manufacturer. \p Chris Ward: The Cabinet Office does not hold information regarding this, and it would incur disproportionate costs to gather this information.

The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish Freedom of Information Act response FOI2025/09675, dated 11 July 2025, on the number of undeployed staff in the Skills Hub. \p Anna Turley: The requested document will be published in the House Libraries.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) National Security Adviser or (b) his Deputies have discussed the Chinese Embassy with the Chinese Government. \p Dan Jarvis: The government has a clear and consistent policy not to comment on any of the NSA’s, or his deputies’, meetings with external parties, for obvious reasons to protect sensitive information pertaining to this country’s national security. This has been the case under successive governments.
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Seamus Logan:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether funding will be made available to the Scottish Government under the Barnett Formula from the New Hospital Programme. \p Kirsty McNeill: Since the election, the UK Government’s plan for change has delivered an extra £5.2 billion for the Scottish Government. In June 2025, the Spending Review announced an additional £9.1 billion in funding for the Scottish Government over the spending review period. This included almost £5.8 billion in Barnett consequentials as a result of additional UK Government funding for the Department of Health and Social Care.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in his Department is made by a British manufacturer. \p Kirsty McNeill: The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts.

The new Procurement Act creates a simpler and more transparent system that will support British businesses bidding for work.

The Act also allows contracting authorities to set standards that recognise the quality and standard of UK businesses and products.

Alongside this, the National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider this government’s Industrial strategy and the sectors vital to our economic growth.

The Scotland Office has tableware and crockery for use at events which has been sourced over a number of years from various suppliers within the UK. Information on the country of manufacture is not available.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in her Department is made by a British manufacturer. \p Jo Stevens: We do not hold this information.

The Government is committed to supporting British businesses and ensuring they have the best chance to win public contracts. The new Procurement Act creates a simpler and more transparent system that will support British businesses bidding for work. The Act also allows contracting authorities to set standards that recognise the quality and standard of UK businesses and products. Alongside this, the National Procurement Policy Statement encourages contracting authorities to consider this government’s Industrial strategy and the sectors vital to our economic growth.
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Rebecca Smith:To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment the Commissioners have made of the potential impact of the implementation of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 on revenue to churches. \p Marsha De Cordova: In February 2018 the Church of England signed an Accord with HM Government to develop guidance for dioceses, parishes and Chancellors to enable digital connectivity. This was in response to concerns about the social consequences of uneven deployment of digital connectivity, particularly in rural areas. The Accord can be viewed online, here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a86eb9540f0b62305b9559c/2018_02_18_Church_of_England_-_HMG_Accord.docx__1_.pdf  Following its obligations under the Accord, and acknowledging the difficulty for Code Operators in dealing separately with many thousands of self-governing parishes, the Church of England’s commercial arm then signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with all four Mobile Network Operators

These MoUs provide a single point of contact for the Operators, a company called NET CS, a managed process to navigate permissions under church and planning laws for heritage buildings, and a template licence for use by parishes

The Electronic Communications Code, as amended by this Act, requires valuing a property rent at market value, but importantly this must now exclude any value related to it being for the “use of an electronic communications network”. This means that comparable evidence of telecom and Church rental agreements established before the Code was introduced can no longer be used to determine a rent, so that Church rental yields are likely to suffer materially.

In most cases this change to the valuation basis (in the case of churches, a relatively small space in a tower) means that for new agreements, or on renewal of agreements coming to term after perhaps 20 years, the revenue for landlords – churches, local and other public authorities, as well as private landowners - is much lower than it used to be before the changes to the Code, sometimes as much as 85% less

However, the consensual agreement with Operators under the Church of England MoUs is providing much better revenue for parishes than market value under the Electronic Communications Code, so long as parishes elect to use these MoU consensual agreements. This revenue is a useful addition for hard-pressed parochial church councils which are trustees of parishes charged with the costs of maintaining centuries-old listed heritage buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support businesses impacted by outbreaks of avian influenza. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK poultry sector is highly resilient, adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Avian Influenza outbreaks.

In autumn 2024 Defra announced a package of measures to help farmers to deal with the impact of any future avian influenza outbreaks and to provide certainty and stability to farmers in the UK’s poultry and egg sectors. These included:

- The introduction of legislation to allow free-range eggs to continue to be labelled as such for the duration of mandatory housing measures, reducing costs on producers and enabling them to continue to trade fairly with imported eggs. This came into force on 23 January 2025.

- A consultation on introducing similar measures for the labelling of free-range poultry meat during mandatory housing measures. The consultation closed on 16 December 2024. Responses are currently being analysed and a summary of responses will be published in due course.

We continue to work closely with the poultry and egg sectors and to monitor these markets for any supply issues that may arise as a result of avian influenza outbreaks.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of avian influenza. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and carry out assessments (published on gov.uk) of disease risks in the UK and globally, to help the Government anticipate future threats to animal health. Both highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) HPAI H5N5 and H5N1 have been detected in both wild and kept birds in Great Britain this winter. Currently, the risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is assessed as very high (event occurs almost certainly). While the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as high where there is suboptimal or poor biosecurity and medium where good biosecurity is consistently applied at all times.

It is too early to predict the outlook for future seasons and risk levels may remain heightened for some time or increase further this winter, associated with the migratory pattern of waterfowl and environmental conditions becoming more favourable for virus survival over winter. Forecasting the future number of HPAI outbreaks is difficult. Uncertainty includes how effective biosecurity is on poultry farms, whether wild bird populations have now been exposed in high enough numbers to reduce the impact, and whether pre-exposure reduces transmission in wild birds.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of people (a) accessing national trails and (b) participating in outdoor activities on the cost to the public purse of providing NHS treatment. \p Mary Creagh: The Government recognises that promoting regular outdoor activity is a vital component of preventative health, as it fosters physical activity, reduces the risk of long term conditions, supports mental well-being, and strengthens community health by encouraging active lifestyles and social engagement in natural environments.

The 2017 baseline assessment covering the economic and health impacts of walking on English coastal paths found that for the 29 million leisure walking trips taken in 2017, the total benefit to the recreational wellbeing of people using the paths was valued at an estimated £1.8 billion.

A 2021 study identified that the physical health benefits of active visitors to National Trails are estimated in the range £186 million to £423 million per year, which represents cost savings to the NHS of between £46 and £107 million per year. Outdoor exercise overall delivers estimated health benefits to adults in England of between £2.0 and £4.7 billion annually.

It is clear from this evidence that there are significant benefits through improved access to national trails and engagement in outdoor activities. We will continue to work with other Government departments to embed access to nature as part of community-based preventative care approaches, in support of the Government’s Health Mission.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of incursion of African Swine Fever to the UK. \p Daniel Zeichner: 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.

Under the new Government, Defra has already announced further safety controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain.

Updated risk assessments are on Gov.UK

African swine fever: how to spot and report the disease - GOV.UK.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of working with organisations such as the UK Seafood Federation to (a) advocate and (b) promote seafood. \p Daniel Zeichner: I welcome the creation of the UK Seafood Federation, and I am pleased that Defra officials attended the launch on 15 January 2025.

UK seafood businesses play an important role in boosting the growth of local economies by providing jobs, and are a vital part of our food security, bringing a heathy and nutritious source of food to dinner tables across the country.

The UK Government is committed to continue working work with industry organisations, such as the UK Seafood Federation, to create a more secure, sustainable, and economically successful seafood sector.

My Department looks forward to working closely with the UK Seafood Federation, as it does with other industry bodies, to promote UK seafood both domestically and abroad, boost trade, and deliver the best outcomes for UK businesses.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect seabird populations from offshore wind turbines. \p Emma Hardy: The Government’s Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package’s aim is to support the acceleration of offshore wind consenting, while continuing to protect the marine environment. The package is setting out new approaches to delivering mitigation and compensation for the environmental impacts of offshore wind developments at a strategic level. As part of this, Defra is piloting innovative approaches to mitigation. This includes a turbine blade painting pilot looking at reducing the avian collision risk from offshore wind. Defra is also working collaboratively with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations, the offshore wind industry across the UK, and Devolved Governments to develop a range of strategic compensation measures for the habitats and species most likely to be affected by offshore wind impacts, including seabirds.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help farmers insure against the risk of avian influenza outbreaks. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK poultry sector is highly resilient and adaptable and continues to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges it has faced in recent years including the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and avian influenza outbreaks.

Following difficult avian influenza seasons in 2021/22 and 2022/23, poultry and egg producers have made the department aware of the challenges that some have faced in both obtaining suitable insurance products and the increased cost of such insurance. Defra has been working with both producers and the insurance industry to seek market-based solutions to this situation.

In addition, the department continues to remind producers that they are responsible for the on-farm management of their flocks and should take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of an outbreak occurring. Having strong biosecurity measures in place, and maintaining them year-round, significantly reduces the risk of infection on site.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the mental health of farmers. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

The department regularly meets with stakeholders as part of ongoing work to understand the causes behind poor mental health in farmers and what actions can be taken to assist those experiencing mental health challenges.

Before Christmas, I hosted a roundtable for national farmer welfare organisations to discuss this important issue. The department is in contact with officials from the Department for Health and Social Care and will shortly be discussing the issues raised during the roundtable.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to help reduce the cost of groceries. \p Daniel Zeichner: This Government cares deeply about the cost of living and food security; therefore, it closely monitors food prices and the factors impacting them. After a period of high inflation experienced during 2022 and 2023, with a peak at over 19% in March 2023, year-on-year food price inflation (based on ONS CPI data) has been at or below 2% since May 2024. In 2025 food price inflation is expected to remain positive, with current industry forecasts indicating an average rate of 3.4% for 2025.

Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers about a number of issues, including to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. However, it is not for HM Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. It is for each individual food retailer to take the commercial decision around which products they sell in their stores. This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Great Britain and Northern Ireland can access nutritious and fairly priced food.

To further support struggling families, £1 billion, including Barnett impact, will be invested to extend the Household Support Fund in England by a full year until 31 March 2026, on top of the six months already announced, and to maintain Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales.

To support people with the cost of living we are tripling investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, introducing a Fair Repayment Rate for deductions from Universal Credit, and increasing the National Living Wage, boosting the pay of 3 million workers.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth disease to the UK. \p Daniel Zeichner: 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.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to assist producers in driving sustainability in production of sugar that is refined in the UK. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government recognises the importance of the sugar beet crop for many farmers in the centre and east of England, and its vital contribution to UK sugar production. It often plays a vital role in soil and crop health in the arable farm rotation allowing a season of “rest” from intensive cereal production,

Long-term productivity growth and sustainability is dependent upon technological progress and the industry has worked hard over the last 15 years to improve efficiencies and produce the same amount of sugar from less land and with fewer factories. Defra remains committed to supporting the sector over the coming years as they embrace the latest research and innovation to improve the resilience of the crop and the sustainability of the processing factories.

Supported by Defra funding, Tropic, British Sugar and the John Innes Centre are collaborating to produce sugar beet that is resistant against pest and disease pressures – especially Virus Yellows - using precision breeding. This will help to reduce use of pesticides and prevent yield losses such as those that cost the sector £67 million in 2020.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which Departments are working on the development of a food strategy; which Department is leading this work; what the strategy's aims are; and what his planned timetable is for the completion of the strategy. \p Daniel Zeichner: Addressing the issues the food sector faces requires a whole-of-government effort, so while Defra is leading the strategy we will be working in very close collaboration with several government departments. Our ambitious food strategy will set and deliver clear long-term outcomes that create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system. We will provide details of how the process will operate, how industry can engage, and what the milestones will be in the coming months.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

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Josh MacAlister:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) his Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new child into their home and (iii) other support. \p Daniel Zeichner: Employees have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period. This will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring outside of their employment. In addition, foster carers may apply for flexible working when settling a new child into their home.

We do not have a policy which explicitly covers paid time off for foster carers for (A) training and/or (B) settling a new child into their home. Employees are able to take annual and flexi leave (if eligible) as required and request flexible working. In addition to the statutory right to reasonable unpaid time off work to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, and the statutory right to 5 days unpaid leave for those with caring responsibilities, the Department and its arm’s length bodies offer

If the fostering arrangement leads to Adoption (Fostering to Adopt), both Adoption Leave and Parental Leave may be applied for.

Other Support

Parental Network: Defra’s Parental Network is a staff-led, informal group. It provides support and information for want-to-be, soon-to-be and current parents, as well as line managers or those supporting parents as part of their role.

Carers Network: The Defra Carers’ Network is a staff-led group providing support for carers who work at Defra. A carer is anyone who cares for a friend or family member who, because of an illness, a disability, a mental health problem, or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support farmers affected by flooding who have not received payments under the Farming Recovery Fund. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Government inherited flood assets in their worst condition on record following years of underinvestment by the previous Government – only 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high consequence assets are currently at required condition.

To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, we will invest £2.4 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The government also announced an additional £50 million of investment into internal drainage boards, as part of the one-off £75 million Internal Drainage Board (IDB) Fund, supporting farmers and rural communities from the impacts of flooding, and £60 million in payments to farmers through the Farming Recovery Fund, impacted by unprecedented extreme wet weather last winter (October 2023 to March 2024).

The new Flood Resilience Taskforce provides oversight of national and local flood resilience and preparedness ahead of and after the winter flood season.

Additionally, Defra’s farming budget will be £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This will include the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history: £1.8 billion for environmental land management schemes. This funding will deliver improvements to cover a range of objectives including support to improve resilience to flooding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_15

Harriet Cross:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12669 on Animal Products: Smuggling, if he will make an assessment of the likelihood of (a) banned and (b) African swine fever infected meat entering the UK via commercial channels without being intercepted at Sevington. \p Daniel Zeichner: Meat imported commercially via Border Control Posts is subject to local authority-led official controls to ensure that it complies with UK import conditions. The Home Office’s Border Force has lead responsibility for identifying and seizing meat imported illegally other than via Border Control Posts.

Defra monitors animal disease outbreaks worldwide and assesses the risk that they might enter the United Kingdom (UK) through legal or illegal trade in animal products. Its team of veterinary and risk experts provide rapid outbreak assessments to inform import decisions and enforcement action and undertake full qualitative risk assessments in certain cases. These assessments are published on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring. The African swine fever (ASF) assessments consider the likelihood of banned and ASF-infected meat entering the UK without interception and are used to review and strengthen, where necessary, measures to prevent the disease reaching the UK.

To further mitigate the risks, it is illegal in the UK to feed catering or domestic food waste to livestock, including pigs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_16

Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Simpler Recycling in England: policy update, published on 29 November 2024, what the evidential basis is for the statement that he inherited legislation that could have required households to have up to seven bins. \p Mary Creagh: The Environment Act 2021 created a requirement for the six recyclable waste streams to be collected separately from each other and be re-collected separately from residual waste for all households in England.

The Government has now laid regulations to streamline waste disposal so that all areas have the same rules to tackle the avalanche of rubbish communities are facing and clean up our streets for good.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_17

Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled, Government introduces import ban of cattle, pigs and sheep from Germany to protect farmers after Foot and Mouth case, published on 14 January 2025, whether the import ban will apply to Northern Ireland. \p Daniel Zeichner: The measures announced on 14 January 2025 apply to imports into Great Britain. For Northern Ireland the controls on meat and live animals will apply to a 3 kilometres protection zone and 10 kilometres surveillance zones surrounding the infected premises in Germany. Products from the zones cannot move to Northern Ireland. Meat from outside these disease control zones can move into Northern Ireland, as can personal movements of food products. Additional health requirements will apply for movement of live animals from outside of these zones. The measures in place to protect farmers in Northern Ireland are strong. Given the strict prohibitions on the imports of animals and products of animal origin from countries in which foot and mouth disease is present, goods which transit Great Britain when moving from Germany to Northern Ireland are also subject to the same restrictions as imports into Great Britain.

Qualifying Northern Ireland goods will continue to have full unfettered access to the rest of the UK, these provisions are unaffected by these new control measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_18

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to decolonise the (a) artwork and (b) heritage assets in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its arm’s length bodies. \p Daniel Zeichner: The department borrows art from the Government Art Collection and does not own artwork.

As separate legal entities, the responsibility for creating policy and guidance for artwork sits with each individual arm’s length body, rather than with the department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_19

Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day. \p Alex Norris: Paternity Leave entitlement is based on 26 weeks of continuous service ending with the 15th week before the baby is due. Qualifying service includes employment with another civil service organisation.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_20

Alison Griffiths:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department offers protection to staff from unfair dismissal from their first working day. \p Alex Norris: All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice.

Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated. Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.

This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_21

Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether their Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day. \p Alex Norris: No. The Civil Service Management Code states that, ‘Departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave.’ Some staff may qualify for statutory shared parental leave of their first day of service qualifying service includes employment with another civil service organisation.

As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_22

Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2024 to Question 18359 on Cabinet Office: Infrastructure, which existing projects will count towards the target of 150 major infrastructure projects. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 18359 on 18 December 2024.

As of 29 January 2025, 9 such projects have already been determined in this Parliament, there are 12 projects that are currently due for decision, and another 15 have yet to progress to decision stage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_23

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18555 on Asylum: Hotels, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the (a) first time buyer and (b) private rental market of housing asylum seekers in rented accommodation. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is determined to address the dire inheritance left by its predecessor and restore order to the asylum and immigration systems, delivering lower net migration.

The Home Office has a set of Asylum Accommodation Plans which set out the approach to the procurement and occupancy of Dispersal Accommodation across the UK. They help ensure the Home Office continues to meet its statutory responsibilities to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, while also carefully considering the impact on local areas.

The plans are underpinned by an indexing tool which provides a flexible, transparent evidence-base for the dispersal of the national asylum-seeking population to ensure equity remains at the core.

The factors affecting supply and demand in the private rented sector are complex and difficult to disentangle. As well as demographic change, they include house prices, rent levels, taxation policy, interest rates, and the movement of tenants into homeownership and social rented housing. It is not possible to isolate the specific impact of each of these factors.

The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. That is why we have committed to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament as part of our Plan for Change.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will overhaul the experience of private renting in England, providing greater security and stability for tenants.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_24

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to publish a consultation on data sharing powers between relevant government agencies and political parties. \p Rushanara Ali: Effective regulation of political finance is crucial for maintaining public trust in our electoral systems. The Government has committed to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties to protect our democracy. My department is developing proposals to give effect to these commitments and will make them public in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_25

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether nutrient neutrality mitigation levy measures will be subject to economic viability assessments; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the additional mitigation levy measures on the amount that can be levied through (a) the Community Infrastructure Levy and (b) Section 106 agreements. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government committed in our manifesto to unlock development affected by nutrient neutrality. Our proposals will deliver economies of scale and efficiency improvements for existing environmental obligations, streamlining the planning process and reducing costly delays and uncertainty for developers. This will result in a smoother and more efficient way for developers to discharge their existing environmental obligations, as opposed to creating new ones. The government is committed to tackling impacts at source, also reducing the cost burden on development.

These proposals will be considered as part of the wider Impact Assessment as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We published a working paper and will develop the detail of how the levy will operate taking into account the responses to it.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-29)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-29 conversation_26

Paul Holmes:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times the Communities and Recovery Steering Group has met; on what dates; in which locations; and whether minutes are taken. \p Alex Norris: The Communities and Recovery Steering Group meets regularly and, as is standard practice, minutes are taken.