theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department requires (a) Jobcentre staff and (b) benefits advisers to demonstrate English language proficiency as a condition of employment. \p Andrew Western: DWP complies with the requirement of the Immigration Act 2016 in requiring all of its employees in public-facing roles to speak English fluently, as outlined in the Government’s code of practice at www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-language-requirement-for-public-sector-workers-code-of-practice. This includes jobcentre staff and benefits advisers.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year. \p Andrew Western:
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot of 26 August 2025 with case reference MW09650. \p Andrew Western: A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 17 October 2025.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of unreliable child maintenance payments on child poverty. \p Andrew Western: We know that children in separated families are poorer and more likely to live in poverty than those in non-separated families. Child maintenance payment through both statutory and non-statutory arrangements keep approximately 120,000 children out of poverty each year. DWP estimates that streamlining the CMS into a single maintenance collection and transfer service in line with our current proposals for change could result in around 20,000 fewer children in poverty.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) will work hard to make sure parents pay in full and on time. Where parents fail to take responsibility for paying for their children, the CMS will not hesitate to use the range enforcement powers available. The CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families. Our current proposals should result in securing money for children more quickly in many of these cases.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent on translation and interpretation in Jobcentres in the last financial year. \p Andrew Western: The Department carefully monitors the provision of translation and interpretation services for customers. It has not been possible to disaggregate expenditure on services for Jobcentres alone.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the number and proportion of (a) foreign and (b) UK nationals who were able to find jobs within (i) one, (ii) three and (iii) six months of starting Universal Credit in each of the last three years. \p Andrew Western: The requested information is not held and to produce it would incur disproportionate costs.

Information on the number of people on UC by nationality including their employment status is published in DWP statistics here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statis-tics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-10-july-2025
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2025 to Question 77147 on Personal Independence Payment, if he will make it his policy to collect data on the impact of registration of an appointee on a person's PIP payments to track the number of times benefits are inadvertently (a) missed, (b) delayed and (c) stopped. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There are no plans to collect this data.

We aim to process applications for appointeeship as soon as possible to avoid delays. It is important that the department conducts checks to ensure that an appointee is both suitable to act and needed by the claimant. Entitlement to PIP would be from the date of claim, meaning the claimant would not lose entitlement because of the appointeeship process.

Payments of benefit are the same whether a claimant has an appointee or not.

Payments would not be inadvertently stopped because someone has an appointee. Payment can be suspended if concerns are raised about the appointee’s suitability to act, or if there are doubts about the claimant’s entitlement.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment. \p Pat McFadden: The number of economically active people - which is people either in work or actively looking for work - has increased and stands at a record high.

Even if it takes them a little while to find a job, we want to support people back into the labour market and back into jobs. And through our Get Britain Working strategy, we are determined to give them the support they need.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to co-produce policy changes to mobility allowances. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The PIP mobility element is in scope of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future.

We will co-produce the Review with disabled people, and their organisations to ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work. We will provide an update shortly.

We will not make changes to PIP eligibility, including for the mobility element, until the Review has concluded.
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Torcuil Crichton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help reduce losses from fraud in the benefits system. \p Andrew Western: The department has made strides in turning the tide on fraud and error in the benefits system, with the overall rates dropping since the peak in overpayments in 2022. We welcome the recognition of this progress in the NAO’s recent report.

We will continue to go further with the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill which is estimated to save £1.5bn by 2030, as part of a wider package of £9.6bn of savings.
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Rachel Gilmour:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners have lost entitlement to Pension Credit as a result of their calculated entitlement being short by 50p or less. \p Torsten Bell: The Department does not hold information about the total income and circumstances of all pensioners.

That is why we ask people to apply for pension credit rather than being able to make awards automatically.
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Iqbal Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will meet with representatives of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign. \p Torsten Bell: The previous Minister for Pensions met with representatives from the WASPI campaign group.

She did so to hear their experiences directly and was the first Minister to do so in eight years.
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Lee Pitcher:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to improve the Child Maintenance Service. \p Andrew Western: The Government has announced ambitious plans to reform the CMS.

Moving all cases to a single service, where payments are collected and transferred will provide an improved service, quickly identifying and tackling missed payments and lifting more children out of poverty.

The Government has also been undertaking a review of the child maintenance calculation and announced its intention to publish a consultation.

The Department continues to optimise digital channels, delivering services more efficiently and effectively.
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Andrew George:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of support for low income workers. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This Government is committed to supporting low income workers to boost their earnings and progress in work.

DWP offers work coach support in Jobcentres and a variety of contracted employment programmes to help people into work.

As part of our plans to Get Britain Working, we will create a new Jobs and Careers Service to give everyone access to employment support, not just those on benefits.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many benefit overpayments his Department made in 2024; and what steps he is taking to reduce those payments. \p Andrew Western: We have committed to significant fraud, error and debt measures at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025, which the OBR estimated will deliver an additional £9.6bn savings over the next five years. The Autumn Budget 2024 package was the biggest ever announced to reduce welfare fraud, error, and debt. Building on our existing interventions (including investment in additional staff and preventative measures), we have brought forward new legislation this session through the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill (“PAFER Bill”). This Bill includes powers that will help DWP to identify incorrect payments and prevent the build-up of overpayments and debt accruing.

Fraud and error overpayments accounted for £9.5bn (3.3%) in 2024/25 compared to £9.7bn (3.6%) in 2023/24.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the challenges faced by his Department in implementing the youth guarantee trial across the West Midland Combined Authority area. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education continue to work closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) on the design and delivery of their Youth Guarantee Trailblazer. WMCA has actively engaged its seven Local Authorities as part of their Trailblazer design and have worked with central government to finalise their delivery plan and commence implementation.

The Trailblazer is testing place-based solutions to tackle high youth unemployment, economic inactivity, and declining apprenticeship opportunities. Examples of programmes being delivered include work experience placements, pre-apprenticeship training, and NEET prevention.

Delivery is progressing in line with the submitted plans, and WMCA remains a key partner in shaping the Youth Guarantee. Insights from the Trailblazer will inform future national policy and delivery.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the (a) response and (b) participation rates of Labour Market Force surveys. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The DWP monitors a wide range of internal and external data – from management information, a range of surveys and administrative data sources - to inform its policymaking.

Actions taken to improve the quality of the ONS LFS data can be found here - Labour Force Survey quality update - Office for National Statistics

And information on the improvements to the sample size and response rate can be found here - Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring reports - Office for National Statistics
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support entry-level employment opportunities for young people in the hospitality sector. \p Dame Diana Johnson: DWP delivers Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which are fully funded by government and offer training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview to those ready to start a job, as well as those who are seeking to retrain and change career.

In the last financial year, there were 5,620 SWAP starts in hospitality, which have helped people of all ages gain the relevant skills to move into work.

DWP are focusing on the hospitality sector by delivering a hospitality SWAP pilot, launched in partnership with the trade body UKHospitality. This pilot is being rolled out to 26 new areas in need of jobs and opportunity, including 13 coastal towns such as Scarborough and Blackpool. As part of the pilot, participants are supported to gain accreditation for a digital Hospitality Skills Passport, which is designed to provide proof that they are qualified to perform their job effectively and safely, giving them a universal entry standard into the sector.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) average waiting time for people calling and (b) time people spent on hold for her Department was in each of the last five years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The table below shows the Average Time to Answer and the Average Hold Time, in an hours, minutes and seconds (hh:mm:ss) format, for all people calling DWP for the last 5 business years, with 2025 to 2026 being to 12th Oct’ 2025* only, that being the last date for which data is available.

Reporting Year

Average Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss)

Average Hold Time (hh:mm:ss)

2021-2022

00:09:39

00:00:36

2022-2023

00:08:22

00:00:28

2023-2024

00:08:34

00:00:26

2024-2025

00:07:22

00:00:23

2025 to date

*00:05:50

*00:00:18

DISCLAIMER  Please note this information is derived from the Department’s management information, designed solely for the purpose of helping the Department to manage its business. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. As DWP holds the information internally, we have released it. However, it is possible information held by DWP may change due to operational reasons and we recommend that caution be applied when using it.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average (a) waiting time for people calling and (b) time spent on hold to the Universal Credit helpline was in the last year. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The table below shows the Average Time to Answer and the Average Hold Time, in an hours, minutes and seconds (hh:mm:ss) format, for all people calling Universal Credit for each of the last twelve complete reporting months.

Month / Year

Directorate

Average Time to Answer (hh:mm:ss)

Average Hold Time (hh:mm:ss)

Oct-2024

Universal Credit

00:02:32

00:00:09

Nov-2024

Universal Credit

00:02:23

00:00:09

Dec-2024

Universal Credit

00:01:36

00:00:09

Jan-2025

Universal Credit

00:01:10

00:00:08

Feb-2025

Universal Credit

00:02:03

00:00:08

Mar-2025

Universal Credit

00:02:16

00:00:08

Apr-2025

Universal Credit

00:03:27

00:00:09

May-2025

Universal Credit

00:03:27

00:00:08

Jun-2025

Universal Credit

00:01:51

00:00:07

Jul-2025

Universal Credit

00:02:44

00:00:06

Aug-2025

Universal Credit

00:01:55

00:00:07

Sep-2025

Universal Credit

00:01:37

00:00:07

DISCLAIMER  Please note this information is derived from the Department’s management information, designed solely for the purpose of helping the Department to manage its business. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. As DWP holds the information internally, we have released it. However, it is possible information held by DWP may change due to operational reasons and we recommend that caution be applied when using it.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Office for National Statistics on the potential barriers to (a) monitoring and (b) collecting data on the number of 18-24 year olds who are not in education, employment or training. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Official statistics on the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training aged 18-24 years old are estimated using the Labour Force Survey – a large, nationally representative household survey.

These official statistics publications include:

DWP uses NEET Official Statistics estimated using the LFS alongside other data sources - such as administrative data from the benefit system like the youth claimant count and administrative data from the PAYE system of employees on payroll – to form a view of what is happening with young people in the labour market.

The ONS have faced challenges collecting data via the LFS. These challenges means that LFS-based labour market statistics are currently badged as Official Statistics in Development. As a result of the smaller survey participation rates, additional caution should be taken when interpreting results from the LFS since late 2023. This is transparently explained in Official Statistics publications from DfE and the ONS.

The ONS introduced an LFS recovery and sustainability in 2023/2024 and a wider Survey Improvement and Enhancement Plan in 2025 to improve responses across the survey resulting in significant improvements to numbers interviewed since 2023. The latest update on actions taken by the ONS to recover the LFS sample and the latest response rates/sample sizes can be found in the following publications - Labour Force Survey quality update - Office for National Statistics and Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring reports - Office for National Statistics. These show that sample sizes have started to recover as a result of actions taken by the ONS.

At official level DWP regularly engages with ONS and DfE colleagues to help understand their data collection and statistics production; and to help improve the quality of the data and ensure it is useful for DWP’s business needs.

The ONS are transforming how they collect and produce LFS data to improve the quality of these statistics. One key aim of the TLFS is to develop it as an online-first multi-mode survey, to ensure it is as easy as possible for respondents to engage. Further information on the TLFS can be found here: Labour market transformation – update on progress and plans - Office for National Statistics. The publication of TLFS headline labour market statistics is currently scheduled for November 2026, although this may extend into 2027 if assessment of TLFS data quality requires more data to be collected and assessed before transition to using TLFS data as the basis from Labour Market Statistics.

DfE and ONS plan to continue using LFS/TLFS data to estimate the number of young people categorised as NEET.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to improve support for people with epilepsy from Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment Advisers. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The department recognises that epilepsy is a serious neurological condition, which can greatly affect an individual’s ability to work and live well.

Disability Employment Advisers are trained work coaches , followed by additional role specific learning designed to support their role. This learning enables Disability Employment Advisers to treat each claimant as an individual, understand the impact of different disabilities and health conditions, and provide tailored support to help overcome barriers to employment.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist support to help individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. Disability Employment Advisers work with the local community to advocate for customers, collaborate with local partners such as employers, voluntary organisations, the NHS and local government services to facilitate support that meets local needs and promote other programmes such as Disability Confident and Work Well.

For those with health conditions and disabled people that would benefit from more intensive support, Jobcentre staff can signpost people to Connect to Work, our local-area led support in England and Wales. This started to go live in April 2025 and we expect it to be live in all areas of England and Wales by early 2026. In Connect to Work, participants are given a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside them to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Participants are supported to have conversations with prospective employers, helping to remove the need to go through complex application processes. The employment adviser works with both the employer and the participant to ensure that the transition into work is smooth and that the workplace is inclusive.

We are building towards a guaranteed offer of personalised work, health and skills support for all disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits. We are already making progress, and there are now over 1000 Pathways to Work Advisors in Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales who are helping disabled people and people with health conditions towards and into work.

And through the new Jobs and Careers Service, the department will enhance support so that customers can access the help they need at the right time.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) young and (b) older adults to access (i) employment opportunities and (ii) skills training in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: DWP currently offers employment support for eligible customers of all ages, through the network of Jobcentres across the UK, and through contracted employment programmes. The Government is reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in their careers. This includes an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice.

The Department of Work and Pensions Youth Offer provides individually tailored Work Coach support to young people aged 16 to 24 who are claiming Universal Credit. This support includes the Youth Employment Programme, Youth Employability Coaches for young people with additional barriers to finding work, and Youth Hubs across Great Britain.

The Chancellor has announced that every eligible young person who has been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning will be offered guaranteed paid work through a new Youth Guarantee. This new initiative will build upon existing employment support and sector-based work academies currently being delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions. The scheme forms part of the government’s aim to provide targeted support for young people at risk of long-term unemployment.

A dedicated offer for older jobseekers provides more tailored support for those affected by additional challenges such as out-of-date skills or qualifications or those who need help with CVs.

In Surrey Heath, our Jobcentre teams work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally for customers of all ages. Support for younger customers includes Camberley Jobcentre co-locating our services within the local Youth Hub alongside provisions including mental health support, budgeting and financial support, digital and skills training as well as CV and careers guidance. Our Jobcentre Teams also have dedicated Work Coaches delivering Mid-Life MOT sessions and Pension awareness workshops for our 50+ customers. The team also work closely with providers such as Surrey Adult Learning to ensure customers of all ages, including those 50+, can access digital support for internet use, online job and CV support as well as digital tools for communication and productivity.
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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: The Scotland Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the the potential impact of the contract to supply Norway with Type 26 frigates on Scotland's economy. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: This is the biggest British warship export deal in history and is a huge vote of confidence in the strength of our defence industry and in Scotland’s shipbuilding capability.

This strategic partnership with Norway will sustain more than 4,000 jobs, of which more than 2,000 are in Scotland, for at least 15 years. It is expected to benefit many UK suppliers, including Scottish small and medium enterprises.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will take steps to publish a green paper to expand access to nature. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is committed to taking action to improve access to nature and recognises the importance of this issue. We are already taking steps to expand public access to nature, for example through our commitment to creating nine new river walks and three new national forests and will continue to explore measures to increase this further.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature's report entitled, Outdoors For All. \p Mary Creagh: The Government welcomes the All Party Parliamentary Group for Outdoor Recreation and Access to Nature's report and agrees with the report’s conclusion that time spent outdoors is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing. We are committed to expanding opportunities for people to connect with nature. Our current initiatives include the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, helping to bring nature closer to communities across the country. We are actively shaping policy to support wider access to nature, working in collaboration with other departments and key delivery partners.
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing new river trails designed for multi-use. \p Mary Creagh: We are actively engaging with stakeholders to identify suitable locations for the nine new national river walks. Wherever feasible, we aim to incorporate multi-user access to ensure inclusivity.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help tackle the sources of littering in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas. \p Mary Creagh: Local councils are responsible for keeping public land clear of litter and refuse and are best placed to respond to littering problems, in a way that is tailored to the community in which they occur. They have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal, including fixed penalty notices of up to £500 and prosecution action which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2500.

The Pride in Place Strategy sets out how Government will support local action by bringing forward statutory enforcement guidance on both littering and fly-tipping, modernising the code of practice that outlines the cleaning standards expected of local authorities, and refreshing best practice guidance on the powers available to local authorities to force land and building owners to clean up their premises.

The Countryside Code makes clear visitors’ responsibilities in protecting the environment when accessing the outdoors. It includes the important headline message “Take your litter home – leave no trace of your visit”. The team at Natural England continue to work with partners to help amplify the messaging, including Keep Britain Tidy and National Highways.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's weight-based Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme on the use of aluminium containers. \p Mary Creagh: In autumn last year my department published an assessment of the impacts of implementing extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR), including on inflation, when the regulations were laid in parliament. However, this impact assessment does not include an assessment of the impact on specific materials or sectors.

The aim of pEPR is to ensure businesses - rather than taxpayers - are responsible for the cost of dealing with packaging when it becomes waste. These regulations will encourage manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging they use and increase recyclable and reusable alternatives. It is up to individual producers to decide whether and how much of these costs are passed on to consumers. While pricing decisions by producers will differ by product, the impact of pEPR on overall inflation is estimated to be small, increasing consumer costs by less than £1 a week per household, or 0.1%.

From year 2 of pEPR, fee modulation will be introduced and this will benefit the most recyclable materials by providing a fee discount. In contrast, less recyclable alternatives will incur an increased fee.

Since January 2025 the Recyclability Assessment Methodology has allocated packaging to fee modulation sub-categories, ensuring less-recyclable materials attract higher fees and drive investment in recyclability and innovation.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_256

Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a presumption against building onshore wind developments on deep peat on the Government’s (a) biodiversity and (b) peatland restoration targets. \p Mary Creagh: The Government has considered the impact of planning regulation around wind farm development on peatland restoration and biodiversity.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands for biodiversity, water, and carbon storage. That’s why we are investing significantly in protecting and restoring nature, including peatlands.

There are existing protections for peatland habitats within the National Policy Planning Framework. In addition, this Government recently consulted on updated National Policy Statements for renewable energy development, which included updated guidance around peatland and onshore wind developments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_257

Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to support the 30by30 target. \p Mary Creagh: The UK Government is committed to protecting 30% of land and sea in the UK by 2030 (30by30). Delivering 30by30 on land in England means ensuring that our most important and wildlife-rich habitats are benefiting from effective, long-term conservation and management. We will publish our 30by30 Action Plan in due course, showing the concrete and targeted action we will take to make progress on 30by30 on land in England.

Similarly at sea we are focusing on ensuring England’s 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering 40% of English waters, are effectively managed.

The Government has committed to the largest investment into nature in history, with over £7 billion directed into nature’s recovery over the parliament until 2028/29. This investment will make a significant contribution to the Environment Act targets and 30by30, including improving the quality of water, air, and spaces for wildlife so biodiversity can thrive.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_258

Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) maintain and (b) promote a plastic recycling industry. \p Mary Creagh: Defra’s Collection and Packaging reforms – Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme - will provide feedstock certainty whilst also stimulating private investment in the recycling industry.

Defra is working with His Majesty’s Treasury on Plastic Packaging Tax reform, to further incentivise producers to use recycled plastic, stimulating demand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_259

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with Thames Water on (a) planned infrastructure upgrades to wastewater treatment facilities and (b) ensuring sufficient capacity to accommodate (i) existing and (ii) proposed housing developments in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Emma Hardy: Defra’s Water Delivery Taskforce is working to ensure the timely delivery of the water and wastewater capacity required for growth. It is doing so, in part, through oversight and assurance of large infrastructure delivery, including that delivered by Thames Water.

The Environment Agency (EA) has engaged with Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) throughout their Local Plan preparation process. The Local Plan examination began on 16 September, and the EA is expecting to make verbal representations to the Planning Inspector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_260

Anna Dixon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the (a) evidence base and (b) consultation submissions used to inform the findings and recommendations of the final report of the Independent Water Commission, published on 21 July 2025. \p Emma Hardy: The Independent Water Commission was established to operate independently of Government. It is therefore for the Commission, not the Government, to decide whether to publish the evidence base and consultation submissions that informed its final report.

The Independent Water Commission sought to collect a broad range of views on the challenges that the water system faces in England and Wales. As such the Commission ran a Call for Evidence that received over 50,000 responses, from a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations. Further detail on how the Call for Evidence was run and the stakeholders that engaged with it can be found in the Final Summary of Responses in Annex A which is accessible on Gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_261

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on practical support for households affected by flooding. \p Emma Hardy: Improving resilience to flooding is a priority for the government, as it recognises the devastating impact being flooding can have on households. The Government established the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which includes representatives from Local Authorities, in September 2024 to improve national preparedness.

The Floods Resilience Taskforce has delivered a range of work including a review of the Flood Recovery Framework, led by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). This means if activated, it will now be easier and quicker for local councils to apply for business and community recovery grants. The Environment Agency has upgraded the ‘Get flood warnings’ service on GOV.UK to make it easier for households prepare for flooding. The new system provides improved mapping and greater choice of the warnings to receive. The Met Office and Environment Agency are also engaging with Local Resilience Forums to build preparedness for flooding during autumn and winter. Defra and the Environment Agency are also working with Local Authorities in Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) to review Multi Agency Flood Plans prepare their local response to flooding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_262

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on levels of sewage discharges in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency (EA) hold several data sets relating to discharges of sewage to the environment. Most publicly accessible data can be found at: Water Data Explorer | Engage Environment Agency.

The majority of sewage discharges are permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

Event Duration Monitoring data is available for all Storm Overflows. This provides data on the number of untreated sewage spills and the duration of each. The EA holds records of pollution incidents, including details of all non-permitted sewage discharges that are reported to them, or that they otherwise become aware of.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_263

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 80142 on Farmers: Mental Health, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on expanding that support. \p Dame Angela Eagle: 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.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_264

Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of plastics industry lobbyists on the UK Government’s position at at the United Nations plastics treaty negotiations (INC-5.2). \p Emma Hardy: The UK has been a strong advocate for an ambitious and effective global plastics treaty and is a founder member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. During the resumed 5th session of the negotiations (INC5.2), we continued to work closely with ambitious countries to push for a treaty covering the full lifecycle of plastics. The UK has consistently argued that an effective treaty must be based on the best available science.

The Government is committed to an open and transparent process and has engaged widely with industry and other stakeholders to gather a broad range of views to inform the UK’s negotiating position. This includes engagement through the UK National Treaty Dialogues on Plastic Pollution which facilitated discussions with industries at all stages of the plastics value chain as well as NGOs and academia. The reports from these sessions can be found here. The UK’s negotiating position seeks to balance the interests of all stakeholders and is not determined by any single group.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_265

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in Northern Ireland on the adequacy of the Noise Act 1996. \p Emma Hardy: The Noise Act 1996 gives local authorities powers to serve warning notices to deal with noise from dwellings and licensed premises that exceeds a permitted level between 11pm and 7am. There have not been any recent discussions on the adequacy of the Noise Act 1996 between Defra and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_266

Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to update the 2017 Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats; and if she will meet with animal welfare organisations to seek their input on this matter. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra is developing an overarching approach to animal welfare and has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of this work. The department will continue to engage with the sector to help improve cat welfare practices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_267

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made of the welfare conditions of animals kept by local authorities in public parks. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra has made no specific assessment of the welfare conditions of animals kept by local authorities in public parks.

Local authorities that keep or exhibit animals must comply with the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018, which set statutory minimum welfare standards and are enforced by councils. These are supported by statutory guidance available here.

Defra completed a post-implementation review of the 2018 Regulations in 2023, which found they have improved welfare standards and should be retained while identifying areas for refinement. The review can be found here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_268

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is she taking to increase the amount of animal welfare data published by the Animal and Plant Health Agency. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Animal and Plant Health Agency hold all the data related to its regulatory activity on animal welfare; they are extrapolated and made available regularly from the databases held by the relevant teams for reporting purposes. APHA has a continuing commitment to quality assurance and there are appropriate checks of the data before it is included in report for England, Scotland and Wales.

Defra publish data in the Multi-annual National Control Plan (MANCP) annual reports, relating to animal welfare official controls and enforcement activities undertaken within Great Britain. Defra is not considering increasing the amount of official reporting beyond that already published in these annual reports.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-27 conversation_269

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities are required to obtain a licence under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018 when (a) keeping and (b) exhibiting animals in public parks. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that kept animals, including those accommodated or exhibited in public parks, are cared for in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Local authorities are subject to the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. These regulations require anyone in the business of keeping or training animals for exhibition to hold a valid licence and to comply with strict statutory minimum welfare standards, including requirements relating to the animal's environment, diet, health, and provision of appropriate care and supervision.