Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they held with domestic animal producers before the animal welfare strategy for England was published.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare Strategy was developed in conjunction with key stakeholders including representatives of the companion, wild companion, wild animal and farming sectors along with Non-Governmental Organisations, and those involved in enforcement. Defra held roundtable discussions on priorities whilst working to understand the underlying issues that lead to poor welfare. Defra also received input from a wide range of other interested parties.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether imports of lamb from New Zealand and other countries meet animal welfare standards required of domestic producers.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the Noble Baroness to the reply given on 25 February 2026 to Question UIN HL14606.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that imported food products meet the same animal welfare standards as those which are domestically produced.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring that imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards.
The Government shares the public’s high regard for the high welfare standards we have in this country. As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, we will not lower food standards and will uphold high animal welfare standards.
The Government recognises concerns about methods of production which are not permitted in the UK. While production methods vary in line with different climates, diseases and other contextual reasons, the Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage and any impact that may have. Where necessary, we will be prepared to use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the status of the Border Inspection Post at Stansted Airport and what assessment they have made of the long-term future of the current site.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Border Inspection Post at Stansted Airport is currently active. Defra is aware that Stansted has signalled an intention to relocate its Border Inspection Post to another site and that the timing of this remains uncertain. This is a commercial decision for the airport’s owners. No application to de-designate the existing site or designate a new site has been received. The Department stands ready to help progress such applications when received. A routine audit is due to be undertaken of the Live Animal facility in March. Further information may become available as part of the discussions of the day.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to hospitality businesses in rural areas by improving access for young people to travel to work in pubs and hotels.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government knows how important affordable and reliable public transport services are in ensuring access to employment opportunities and keeping communities connected, including for hospitality businesses in rural areas. We know that bus services can often be the only means of accessing work and leisure opportunities in rural areas, where alternative modes of transport are limited.
We have introduced the Bus Services Act 2025 to give local leaders the tools they need and empower them to choose the model that works best for their communities, including tackling the unique challenges faced by rural areas.
In addition, the Government has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators to improve bus services over the spending review period. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) totalling nearly £700 million per year. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish, to deliver better services for passengers, including expanding services and improving reliability. This could also include improving links between rural villages and nearby towns and enhance services that help young people travel to work in the hospitality sector.
The formula used to calculate LABG allocations for 2026/27 onwards includes consideration of the rurality of local areas for the first time, in addition to population size, levels of deprivation, and the extent of existing bus services.
The Government also intends to publish its integrated national transport strategy soon to set the long-term vision for domestic transport across England. It will focus on creating a transport network that works well for people, including those in rural areas.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources they will make available to fire services in England to tackle fires at battery storage plants.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Fires at battery storage plants are rare and government expects any related fire services costs to be resourced from overall budgets.
Last year the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they have taken to prevent thermal runaway at battery storage plants.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Thermal runaway risks at battery storage plants are mitigated through a regulatory framework overseen by the Health and Safety Executive. This framework sets legal requirements for battery developers and operators, requiring them to maintain health and safety throughout all stages of a battery’s deployment. This includes the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations which sets minimum requirements for the management of explosion risks.
To complement this framework, government has recently consulted on the principle of including batteries within scope of environmental permitting legislation. Government will publish a consultation response in due course.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fire risks of battery storage plants.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government takes fire safety extremely seriously. The risk of a fire starting at grid-scale battery sites is lower than those at non-domestic buildings in general from all sources. Existing regulations and guidance limit the impact of a fire were one to occur, in particular with respect to location and operating conditions.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what compensation is available to residents who have to evacuate due to a fire at a battery storage unit.
Answered by Lord Whitehead - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Government is not aware of any evacuations which have been required in Britain because of fire at a battery site and does not consider the development of any specific compensation arrangements to be necessary.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the judgment in Gladman Developments Limited v Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government and Lancaster City Council [2026] EWHC 51 (Admin), which sets aside the sequential test allowing planning authorities to disapply the national standards for sustainable drainage systems published in June 2025.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Due to ministers' role in the planning system, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the details of a specific legal case.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is however clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk (whether existing or in the future). Where development is necessary in such areas, it should be made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere.
The Government is committed to securing the delivery of high-quality sustainable drainage systems to help manage flood risk and adapt to the effects of climate change. The NPPF sets out that developments of all sizes are expected to make use of sustainable drainage techniques where the development could have drainage impacts.
We are consulting on a new framework that includes clearer, more ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making, designed to make planning policy easier to use and underpin the delivery of faster and simpler local plans. The consultation includes a dedicated chapter on planning for flood risk and a proposed new requirement for SuDS to be designed in accordance with the National Standards for SuDS published last year.
The consultation on changes to the NPPF is available (attached) here: National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system - GOV.UK and will remain open for responses until 10th March 2026.