theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, 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 Ian Murray: As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.

Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) accredits life chance recruitment pathways across government. GFiE pathways recruit people from a wide range of backgrounds into the Civil Service, including people from low socio- economic backgrounds, prison leavers, veterans, carers and care leavers. People recruited by GFiE develop skills, gain experience and build a career, contributing to the Opportunity Mission and to the wider economy.

In the last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport participated in the Care Leavers Internship Pathway.

In relation to internships in the last year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport participated in the Civil Service Summer Internship Programme and the Autism Exchange Internship Programme.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) museums, (b) local arts and (c) cultural organisations have received funding from Arts Council England in (i) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (ii) Lincolnshire. \p Ian Murray: Between 2022-2025 four museums and nine arts and cultural organisations in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency received Arts Council England funding totalling £2,141,302. This includes a £1.8 million Museum Estate and Development Fund award to Spalding Gentlemen’s Society in 2024 towards the museum’s refurbishment and expansion.

Arts Council England funding in Lincolnshire, awarded between 2018 and 2025, totalled £20,184,867. This funding was distributed to 88 arts and cultural organisations, including 1 museum and Lincolnshire County Council, which is designated as a museum National Portfolio Organisation.

Further specific information can be found on the Arts Council England website at https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/research-and-data/our-data
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a breakdown of departmental funding allocated to major cultural festivals in the last five years. \p Ian Murray: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) provided funding for some cultural festivals and events. For example, Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 received £18.41 million of support, and Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 received £15 million. Many other cultural festivals have received funding indirectly; through other organisations that have received funding from DCMS, or via Arts Council England (ACE), our arms-length body.

Expenditure by DCMS is published annually on https://www.gov.uk in the DCMS annual report and accounts. Arts and culture in England, including cultural festivals, are funded through a combination of public funding, lottery funding, private investment, and earned income. ACE is the main public body responsible for distributing government and National Lottery funding to the arts. Details of ACE funding is published on the ACE website here: https://culture.localinsight.org/#/map and is available in their annual reports which are also published online.

If you require funding details about a specific cultural festival, you can write directly to the DCMS for that information.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of national cultural funding for (a) Leicester and (b) the East Midlands compared with other regions. \p Ian Murray: The Department has carried out internal policy work to ensure there is a clear understanding of the publicly funded arts, culture and heritage sectors, including looking at national and local government funding. This work ensures future policy development is evidence driven.

Ministers also launched a review of Arts Council England who are responsible for the distribution of arts funding across England. The review will examine everything from funding mechanisms to community engagement. Baroness Hodge of Barking is leading the review and will provide government with her report and recommendations in the autumn of 2025. The government will then publish the conclusions of the review along with the government’s response in 2026.

Details of Arts Council England funding, including that for Leicester and the East Midlands, can be found on the Arts Council England website here https://culture.localinsight.org/#/map The Secretary of State has a range of discussions with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund across the whole of her portfolio, and DCMS officials regularly discuss support for arts, culture and heritage with their counterparts at our arms-length bodies.
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Maureen Burke:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the Glasgow 2026 Organising Company on ensuring an effective community legacy from the Commonwealth Games. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Department is in regular contact with the Organising Company and Scottish Government to support Glasgow 2026. I was pleased to be able to visit Glasgow this summer and discuss with the Commonwealth Sport Coordination Commission and other partners the excellent work that is being done to ensure a successful event and legacy.

The Organising Company will publish further details in late 2025 on how the event will deliver lasting community benefits, alongside a range of other positive outcomes.

As a Government, we are proud to support the Glasgow Games, which will drive economic growth, showcase Scotland and the UK to the world, and build on the legacy of Glasgow 2014.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require private water supplies to be registered with a local authority who can (a) test them and (b) risk assess them. \p Emma Hardy: Local authorities need only risk assess and monitor private water supplies that they are aware of that are large, shared, or where the water supply is used as part of a commercial or public activity. Supplies to single domestic dwellings need only be risk assessed and monitored if the owner or occupier of the dwelling requests it, and they may monitor at their discretion.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on private water supply risk assessments to ensure consistency. \p Emma Hardy: The Drinking Water Inspectorate publishes and maintains a suite of risk assessment tools on its website. These tools are designed to meet the risk assessment requirements of the Private Water Supplies (England) Regulations 2016 (as amended). It is not mandatory to use the tools.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of recommendations for improvements to private water supplies have been issued as a result of risk assessments in the last year. \p Emma Hardy: 231 notices were served in England. 114 were received by central Government.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to increase the number of local authorities providing Ministers with results from risk assessments of private water supplies. \p Emma Hardy: Local authorities have a regulatory duty to provide the Secretary of State (in practice, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI)), with a summary of the results from the risk assessment no longer than 12 months after the day on which it was carried out. Local authorities are regularly reminded of their duties, and where they may not be being complied with, in DWI’s annual report on the quality of private water supplies in England. We would expect local authorities to comply with their statutory duties.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of private water supplies registered in Newton Abbot constituency. \p Emma Hardy: In 2024, Teignbridge reported 598 private water supplies on their register. In the Newton Abbot area specifically, one private water supply is registered.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect (a) swans and (b) pond wildlife in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Mary Creagh: In England all wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including Swans. This makes it an offence to kill, injure or take wild birds and to take or damage their eggs and nests.

Other priority and threatened species, including pond wildlife, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce regulations under the Animal (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 on the domestic (a) sale and (b) advertising of low welfare animal activities taking place abroad. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire, Pippa Heylings on 23 September 2025, PQ UIN 73101.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to tackle food price inflation. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra regularly engages with farmers, manufacturers and retailers to monitor the drivers of food price inflation and to encourage efficiency and fairness across the food supply chain.

Alongside this, the department’s food strategy is developing policies to ensure that individuals across the country have access to affordable, nutritious food.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure high animal welfare standards in (a) dog and (b) cat rescue organisations in (i) Surrey Heath constituency and (ii) Surrey. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Rescue and rehoming establishments in England must provide for the five basic welfare needs of the animals set out in the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is an offence to cause any animal unnecessary suffering or to fail to provide for its welfare. Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare, may be banned from owning animals. They may also face an unlimited fine, be sent to prison, or both.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to support fishers to adopt innovative gear with proven selectivity benefits. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As a member of the UK Gear forum, Defra will continue working with the fisheries administrations and industry to promote the commercial uptake of innovative fishing gear. Together, we are exploring opportunities to overcome barriers to the adoption of more selective gear types.

Defra will work with industry to explore how the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund can be used to target investment where it matters most, which could include investment in new technology and equipment to modernise our fishing fleet.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with devolved fisheries administrations on a coordinated approach to supporting the commercial uptake of innovative fishing gear. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra is engaging with the devolved fisheries administrations through the UK Gear Forum to identify opportunities for joint action, including potential funding routes.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the report by Seafish entitled Supporting the Commercial Uptake of Innovative Fishing Gear, published on 10 September 2025. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The results of this Defra funded report provides a useful insight into the issues and potential barriers to the adoption of more selective fishing gear. The UK fisheries administrations encourage the commercial uptake of innovative fishing gear and will work together to explore how to unlock the barriers to the take up of more selective gears, which this report can inform on.

Defra remains committed to keeping the dialogue open with industry partners and our partners in the devolved Governments. Defra will continue to support the use of trials of new innovative and selective fishing gear. Where a trial clearly demonstrates that the new fishing gear is shown to minimise the wider impact on the marine environment and reduces unwanted bycatch, Defra will look to make the necessary changes to regulations to facilitate this change.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the publication of a joint intelligence committee report into the destabilising impact of the climate and nature crises on national security has been delayed. \p Mary Creagh: Defra routinely conducts and updates assessments on a range of threats. HMG publishes assessments in the National Risk Register and Chronic Risks Analysis, including on biodiversity loss and its interactions with ecosystems, on GOV.UK
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the new funding formula for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management will include a specific category for rapidly eroding coastlines. \p Emma Hardy: On 14 October, following consultation, the Government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy.

Under the new rules, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios to drive value for money, with partnership contributions boosting a project’s prioritisation. Benefits include those of protecting coastal communities.

The new funding policy will optimise funding between building new flood and coastal erosion projects and maintaining existing defences and will ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. We will use Government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources, making every £1 of Government investment go further. We will also invest at least £300 million in natural flood management over ten years – the highest figure to date for the floods programme.

On coastal erosion, working with the Environment Agency, we will explore how we can take forward the current Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme. We will build on lessons learned, also recognising the growing source of risk in this area from the latest NCERM data.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reductions in the prices paid to British dairy farmers by suppliers; and whether she plans to review the adequacy of the regulatory framework governing the dairy supply chain. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Prices in the dairy sector are influenced by a wide range of factors, including global market trends, input costs and consumer demand.

The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which came fully into force earlier this year, are designed to bring greater transparency and fairness to contractual relationships between farmers and milk purchasers. The regulations require clear and objective pricing terms, helping farmers to understand how the price they receive is determined and to plan their business decisions with greater confidence.

These regulations are subject to a statutory review to assess their effectiveness and ensure that the framework continues to operate as intended.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of compliance by water companies with their statutory obligations to maintain accurate digital maps of (a) potable water mains, (b) service reservoirs and (c) isolation valves in rural areas. \p Emma Hardy: The Government is preparing to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, including on the extent and enforcement of current water industry mapping requirements. Reforms outlined in this response will form the basis of a new water reform bill to be introduced early in this Parliament.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will take steps to require the Environment Agency to resume responsibility for the (a) inspection, (b) cost and (c) maintenance of (i) main rivers, (ii) the Avon, (iii) Brinkworth Brook, (iv) Olivemead Drain, (v) Dauntsey Brook and (vi) the Bourne; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Environment Act 1995 to ensure that main rivers are maintained as critical infrastructure funded through public spending. \p Emma Hardy: I fully recognise the importance of flood risk maintenance. The Government has committed to redirecting £108 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26 into urgent flood and coastal defence maintenance to halt the decline of flood asset condition following years of under investment.

Watercourse management responsibilities fall to different bodies. Riparian landowners are required to maintain watercourses, under common law, while the Environment Agency (EA) uses its permissive powers to undertake maintenance on main rivers to manage flood risk.

The EA prioritises maintenance funding rigorously and focusses on those areas and activities which deliver the greatest overall benefits for people and property, including reducing flood risk and securing value for money.

The Government has no plans to bring forward legislative changes to amend the Environment Act 1995.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65431 on Import Controls, whether the construction of the border control posts at (i) Belfast, (ii) Larne, (iii) Foyle and (iv) Warrenpoint had been completed by 13 October 2025; how much and what proportion of the total costs of the construction of those posts had been paid by 13 October 2025; and what estimate she has made of the total cost to the public purse for the construction of those posts. \p Dame Angela Eagle: In line with the commitments we have made under the Windsor Framework, SPS inspection facilities have been constructed and are operational in Northern Ireland at the ports of Foyle, Warrenpoint, Belfast and Larne with some remedial works at Larne carrying on into 2026.

The Government has committed to a maximum funding envelope of £192.3 million for all the facilities at each of the 4 ports. Of this envelope, Defra has spent £127.4 million up to the 13 October 2025.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to diversify UK fruit and vegetable supply chains away from climate-vulnerable regions. \p Dame Angela Eagle: To ensure a consistent supply of food, the UK relies on a combination of strong domestic production from the UK’s agricultural and food manufacturing sectors, and a diverse range of overseas supply sources. Trade supports UK food supply resilience. This is due to the UK having diverse trade routes, strong international supply and purchasing power.

At home, the Government’s recently published Food Strategy identifies priority outcomes for resilient domestic production for a secure supply of healthier food, and also to create conditions for the food sector to thrive and grow sustainably, including investment in innovation and productivity, and fairer more transparent supply chains.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what engagement she has had with the Tenant Farmers Association since her appointment. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Ministers have engaged with the Tenants Farmers Association (TFA) and regularly engage with many farming stakeholders. The Government is committed to ensuring agricultural tenancies are fair and collaborative and will work with the TFA to achieve this.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of water shortages on food security. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Drought has caused an early harvest with reduced crop quality and yields. Livestock farmers face risks with forage and winter feed supplies.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) measures to support farmers include:

The EA’s upcoming Autumn prospects report will help inform farmers, improve resilience and planning for next year.

Defra assesses the potential impacts of water shortages on food supply as part of the National Risk Register (NRR) cycle. We work closely with Defra Water colleagues, the Cabinet Office (which leads on the NRR) and with the wider resilience and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) community across Government to ensure that risks to food supply are fully considered in national risk assessments and contingency planning.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of progress on eel (a) management and (b) protection since the publication of the eel management plans. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Progress on eel management and protection was assessed in in the Implementation of UK Eel Management Plans (2020 – 2023) report, published in December 2024. The Environment Agency continues to implement the measures set out in the management plans aimed at the recovery and sustainable management of eel populations.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of National England's decision to not accept complaints on injurious weeds on (a) agriculture and (b) the public. \p Mary Creagh: Advice on the management and control of injurious weeds is published on GOV.UK. Natural England did not accept new weeds complaints in 2025. This was a temporary measure whilst they reviewed the approach to addressing injurious weeds, to improve access to appropriate advice and guidance and ensure enforcement resources are targeted most effectively. The complaints process will reopen as usual in April 2026.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2025 to Question 74067 on Primates: Imports, how many import licences have been issued for macaques since 5 July 2024; and for what purposes each import licence was issued. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This information is not available in the public domain.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many agricultural businesses in (a) West Sussex, (b) East Sussex and (c) Brighton and Hove received Sustainable Farming Incentive grants in 2024. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As of the 1st of January 2025, there were 32,200 Sustainable Farming Incentive agreements in England. This was made up of 25,300 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive 23 and 6,900 agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer. This includes agreements for agricultural businesses in West Sussex, East Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to launch a smaller village halls grants scheme. \p Dame Angela Eagle: While there are currently no plans to launch a new smaller village hall grants scheme, we continue to support village halls through the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund. This scheme has provided grants to help modernise facilities, improve accessibility, and enhance energy efficiency.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to reduce the use of palm oil in food products sold in the UK. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government is committed to supporting sustainable production, trade, and use of palm oil, not reducing it.

Leading by example, The Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF) require in-scope public sector procurers to ensure that all palm oil (including palm kernel oil and products derived from palm oil) used for cooking and as an ingredient in food must be sustainably produced.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to assist in the roll out of the T-cell-based approach vaccine to tackle Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus. \p Dame Angela Eagle: APHA scientists have assisted the consortium, which includes the University of Surrey, and Chester Zoo, to get to this phase 1 study of a novel vaccine to tackle Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus. They will continue to provide expert advice and assistance. Chester Zoo have agreed to take this work forward, which is likely to include a phase II study prior to any wider roll out.
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Harriet Cross:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief on levels on investment on farms in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As agriculture is a devolved policy, this response only covers England.

In England, no assessment has been made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural and Business Property Relief on levels of investment on farms. Data on farm investment income is available in the table 5 series of Farm Accounts in England – but these tables only show data for 2022/23 and 2023/24.

Defra are currently collecting the 2024/25 data; data on English farm investment income for 2024/25 will be published in January 2026.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the (a) Marine Management Organisation, (b) Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities and (c) Environment Agency in tackling (i) illegal fishing and (ii) unsustainable fishing practices. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra works closely with the Marine Management Organisation, Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, and other organisations to make sure the appropriate arrangements to enforce fisheries regulations are in place to protect our waters. Building upon the vision for future technologies, outlined by the Government Office for Science, Defra is exploring continually how technology can innovate and enhance fisheries monitoring and surveillance methods to tackle illegal fishing and unsustainable fishing practices.

A range of individual evaluations and policy documents regularly published online, such as at the .GOV.UK and IFCA websites, highlight each body's contributions, successes and challenges in these areas.
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the UK-EU reset agreement, whether her Department has undertaken a cost benefit analysis in relation to its agreement to extend the fisheries arrangements. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The UK-EU Summit Deal announced on 19 May secures the continuation of current UK-EU fishing access arrangements. This means continued access for UK vessels to EU waters, worth £80m annually, and retention of the quota uplift the UK secured through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. That boost, worth £175m in fishing opportunities in 2025, remains fully in place under the new deal. We have also secured a new SPS Agreement, which could add up to £5.1bn a year to our economy in the long run. The latest fisheries access agreement should therefore not be viewed in isolation. The benefits to the fisheries sector arise not only from the access provisions themselves but also from the SPS Agreement, which will increase opportunities for UK seafood exporters. Taken together, these provisions support growth, stability, and new opportunities for the UK’s fishing industry. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has conducted analysis on the impact of various fishing arrangements to the UK, relative to the years 2021-2025.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her Department has to bring forward legislative proposals to mandate method-of-production welfare labelling for (a) pork, (b) chicken and (c) eggs. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for York Central, Rachael Maskell, on 8 October 2025, PQ UIN 76016.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_178

Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of the (a) horticulture, (b) landscape and (c) garden retail sectors to green (i) growth and (ii) jobs. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government appreciates and values the vital work of our environmental horticulture sector.  The Department regularly meets the Environmental Horticulture Group, as well as a wide range of stakeholders and businesses to discuss specific issues facing the sector. These discussions help inform future policy development and help us understand what support the sector needs to help it thrive. In addition, we work across Government to ensure other Government departments are aware of issues that impact the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_179

Daniel Zeichner:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the quota application mechanism pilot for 2025 that allocated 2800 tonnes of Western Mackerel, how much has been (a) caught, (b) landed in UK ports and (c) landed in ports outside the UK. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Landings for Western Mackerel allocated through the Quota Application Mechanism so far this year amount to 0.8t of the 3619.2 t allocated.

All 0.8t was landed into Castletown Bearhaven in the Republic of Ireland.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_180

Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reduction in yields of main cereal crops in 2025 on farm profitability. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Cereals are internationally traded commodities, and their supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments.

The Government has closely monitored the 2025 harvest and continues to engage regularly with industry stakeholders to assess any implications this may have on the cereals sector. In addition, the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG) provides early warning of atypical market movements by tracking trends in prices, inputs, and trade.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_181

Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the Farming Profitability Review. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Baroness Batters will present her report to the Defra Secretary of State at the end of October for consideration.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_182

Sarah Dyke:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that all police forces have access to adequate (a) training and (b) resources to (i) identity, (ii) record and (iii) investigate wildlife crime. \p Mary Creagh: Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). In 2025/26, it is providing £424,000 to the Unit. The NWCU helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Last year, the NWCU assisted every single police force in the UK. The NWCU also provides training to police officers across the UK which reflects the National Police Chiefs' Council wildlife crime strategy and provides comprehensive training in wildlife crime policing. This is open to UK police forces and, as an example, all English police forces had at least one officer trained on an NWCU module in 2023/24.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_183

Graeme Downie:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Universal Credit health element applicants (a) had Parkinson's as their primary condition and (b) were found eligible in the last (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) twelve months. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_184

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average savings per claimant to his Department from passing costs previously covered by Access to Work to employers. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions 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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_185

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing pre-1997 indexation protections for individuals in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Torsten Bell: The Government has no plans to change the way pre-1997 indexation is applied to defined benefit occupational pension schemes.

The minimum legal requirements for indexation must be appropriate across all defined benefit schemes. Changing these minimum requirements would increase the liabilities and costs for all schemes.

The reforms in our Pension Schemes Bill give trustees more flexibility to share surplus with sponsoring employers, and better negotiate benefits for members, including discretionary increases.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_186

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on Job Centres advertising vacancies relating to the implementation and administration of Sharia Law. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Find A Job is a free platform to help jobseekers find vacancies with employers from various sectors. Employers are verified as legitimate and all jobs they advertise must comply with our terms and conditions: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/terms-and-conditions-employer.html.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_187

Max Wilkinson:o ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with industry stakeholders on improving job prospects for people in their 60s. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government knows that work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement. The Department for Work and Pensions is therefore committed to supporting older people through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility, and progression. This includes promoting age-inclusive practices, supporting workplace health, policy and service reform and removing age related barriers to employment. The Department has also signed up to and actively promotes the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, encouraging employers to adopt flexible working, age-positive hiring, and career development.

Our Jobs and Careers service will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and help them progress in work or increase their earnings. The Jobs and Careers Service will incorporate principles of accessibility and inclusivity, acknowledging diverse support needs, including those of older individuals.

We are taking a test and learn approach to developing the new service, working in an agile and flexible way. This will allow us to hear from a range of organisations and perspectives, as we develop the new service.

The DWP’s Strategic Relationship Team is actively engaging trade bodies and strategic employers across priority sectors, such as clean energy, digital, hospitality and construction, through innovation workshops, tailored recruitment pilots, and sector-led initiatives to promote DWP as the recruitment partner of choice and expand inclusive employment opportunities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_188

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make and assessment of the potential impact of AI related job losses on the level of unemployment benefit. \p Dame Diana Johnson:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_189

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department withholds state pension payments to people convicted of illegal working. \p Torsten Bell: Anyone convicted of a criminal offence and serving a custodial sentence in the UK is not eligible to receive State Pension payments during their imprisonment.

People not in prison but convicted of illegal working, would not be making National Insurance contributions during any period of illegal working, which would be required to build entitlement for the State Pension.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_190

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of telephone-based disability benefit assessments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: An assessment of whether each of the channels - telephone, video and face to face - for initial health assessments drive different award outcomes and impact Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) has recently been undertaken. The results will be published in due course.

This is in addition to the research published last year, which can be found on GOV.UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-assessment-channels-research/health-assessment-channels-research
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_191

David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of support offered by the Access to Work Scheme for people that wish to be self-employed. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Access to Work (AtW) is a personalised grant which supports the recruitment and retention of disabled people in employment including providing support for people who are self-employed. In 2024/5 Access to Work supported 7,080 self-employed customers.

We will be reviewing all aspects of the Scheme now that the consultation has closed. We are continuing to work closely with stakeholders, and in particular disabled people and their representatives, on all aspects of our proposals.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_192

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the forthcoming changes to Universal Credit Health element for new applicants from 2026 on costs to local government. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department set out its plans to monitor and evaluate the changes in the published Impact Assessment.

Around 4 million households will benefit overall from Government’s decision to increase the Universal Credit (UC) standard allowance – estimated to be worth £725 annually by 2029/30 in cash terms based on Spring Statement 2025 economic assumptions - £250 annually above inflation for a single household aged 25 or over.

For existing UC Health Element recipients and customers with severe, lifelong conditions the combined rate of the UC standard allowance and the UC Health Element will rise at least in line with inflation every year for the next four years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-10-22 conversation_193

Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 2025 to Question 50550 on Personal Independence Payment: Appeals, what steps he is taking to reduce the median clearance time for mandatory reconsiderations. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We intend to reduce the median clearance time by increasing decision making resource for Mandatory Reconsiderations, including by recruiting new decision makers