Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to give traffic wardens powers to impose fines and penalties and the ability to confiscate illegally used and operated e-scooters and e-bikes while they are parked.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles, which is likely to include e-scooters, when parliamentary time allows. Any regulations will be publicly consulted on before they come into force.

Local authorities employ civil enforcement officers and already have the powers in some circumstances to remove and dispose of abandoned, obstructively or dangerously parked e-scooters and e-cycles.

The police have responsibility for enforcement of illegal use, and the Crime and Policing Bill introduced in 2026 will give the police stronger powers to stop and seize vehicles being used illegally without issuing a warning.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the annual farming budget for (1) 2025–26, and (2) 2026–27; and how the spending is broken down for each year.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has allocated a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. On 12 March 2025 we set out how we planned to spend the budget [see attached] (£5 billion) across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.

On 16 June 2026, following the 2025 Spending Review, we set out indicative funding figures [see attached] for the 2026-27 to 2028-29 financial years, including plans to increase the amount of money paid to farmers under Environmental Land Management schemes from £800m in 2023/24 towards £2bn by 2028/29.

Please note final allocations will be agreed through business planning.

In line with its obligations under the Agriculture Act 2020, Defra regularly publishes an annual report, setting out commitments in the previous financial year, including Farming and Countryside Programme spend broken down by each scheme. The latest report covers the financial year 2024/25, and can be accessed here: Farming and Countryside Programme annual report [see attached].

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Whitehead on Thursday 26 February (HL Deb col 742), what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the protocol to surround a fire with safety measures and allow it to burn out in controlling and extinguishing fires and thermal runaways caused by battery energy storage facilities.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

It is the responsibility of fire and rescue services to determine an appropriate firefighting strategy in the event of a battery thermal runaway event. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has published guidance for local fire and rescue services on grid-scale batteries, to enable effective operational pre-planning.

Government has confidence in the NFCC and local fire and rescue services being best placed to make these assessments.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the procedure by which fire and rescue services are consulted at the planning stages of battery energy storage facilities to advise on site design, minimising fire risk and emergency response planning.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in the Planning Practice Guidance, government recommends that developers of battery storage facilities engage with fire and rescue services ahead of the submission of the relevant planning application. This is so that issues relating to the siting of the development can be considered ahead of planning.

The guidance also recommends that local planning authorities consult with fire services as part of the formal period of public consultation prior to reaching a planning determination, as well as considering guidance published by the National Fire Chiefs Council.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the animal welfare strategy, published on 22 December 2025, on domestic livestock producers; and what steps they will take to prevent third country producers from having a competitive advantage in not having to meet the standards in that strategy.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government will continue to build on existing high welfare standards in our farming sector in a measured way, while supporting the farming sector to be profitable and contribute to UK food security. The Government recognises that assessing the impacts of measures in the strategy is an important part of the process as proposals are brought forward. The Government will also continue to build on the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway to make sure farmers have access to the right advice and support.

As set out in the UK’s trade strategy, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and, where necessary, will be prepared to use the full range of powers at the government’s disposal to protect the UK’s most sensitive sectors.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to source more oil and gas through the North Sea, given the current disruption to energy supplies caused by hostilities in the Middle East.

Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We are confident that we have multiple and sufficient sources of supply.

Oil and gas are traded on international markets, therefore greater domestic production of oil and gas would not take a penny off bills.

The North Sea is a highly mature basin. Production is naturally declining and has been for the last 25 years. We no longer have the reserves available to support domestic energy demand.

The only route to energy sovereignty and energy security for Britain is our mission for clean, homegrown power that we control.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to strengthen penalties for uninsured driving following the Road Safety Strategy consultation; and what their timetable is for implementation.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government published a consultation on motoring offences alongside the Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026. It is split into four sections, exploring drink and drug driving, non-seatbelt use, failure to stop and report, and introducing new penalties for certain offences and other road traffic matters, including whether the minimum penalties for driving without motor insurance should be increased.

Once the Motoring Offences Consultation concludes, we will confirm any changes to the policy on penalties for driving uninsured.

The timelines for bringing forward any changes, including those relating to uninsured driving, will then depend on legislative time.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost to motor insurance policyholders of compensating victims of collisions involving illegally used e-scooters and e-bikes; and what steps they are taking to address this.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State has made no such assessment. The setting of premiums is a commercial decision for insurers, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timetable for bringing forward legislation to create a regulatory framework for micromobility vehicles, as committed to in the Road Safety Strategy.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As stated in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government has made a commitment to pursue legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows.

We understand the importance of now providing a clear legislative timeline and we are working with colleagues across government to deliver this. We will provide an update when a timeline has been agreed.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, what plans they have to carry out an awareness campaign of the Highway Code for cyclists, in light of the sentencing on 11 March of an e-bike rider following the death of a pedestrian.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

Like other road users, cyclists are required to comply with road traffic law in the interest of their own safety and that of other road users. Cycling on the pavement and on footpaths is an offence under Section 72 of the Highway Act 1835, other than in designated areas such as on bridleways and shared use routes.

Rule 64 of The Highway Code states that you must not cycle on a pavement.

As set out in the Road Safety Strategy published on 7 January, more work is needed to raise overall awareness of the Highway Code. We are considering options in this area, and further details will be shared in due course.