Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the NHS capital estate, and according to what timeframe.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to delivering a National Health Service fit through the future through our 10-Year Health Plan. The first step in the process was Lord Darzi’s independent review of the NHS in England, which highlighted the undercapitalisation across the NHS. We are committed to reversing this trend and are due to publish an updated Capital Strategy in Autumn 2025.

The updated strategy will include clear funding assumptions for the NHS estate, accounting for the Government’s 10-Year National Infrastructure Strategy and the outcome of the 10-Year Health Plan.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many licences to release beavers they have granted since beavers were classified as a native species in October 2022.

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

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Since October 2022 Natural England has issued 13 beaver enclosure licences, 1 genetic reinforcement licence, and 1 wild release licence.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure any veterinary agreement with the EU includes a carve-out protecting the UK's ability to implement mandatory method-of-production animal welfare labelling, including imports.

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

The Government was elected on a mandate to improve animal welfare.

The Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate an SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. It’s too early to discuss any specific areas in detail and we will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve and update the regulation of fertility services.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 provides the legislative framework for regulating fertility treatments, and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the United Kingdom’s independent regulator of fertility treatments.

The HFEA published Modernising Fertility Law in November 2023, which outlines 15 recommendations under four key themes to reform the current fertility legislative framework. Additional analysis has been requested from the HFEA and will inform the Government’s position on how we might move forwards to improve the regulatory regime. Any law reform will need to be considered within the context of the Government’s broader legislative programme.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan for fixed recoverable costs for claimant legal costs in dental clinical negligence claims to come into effect.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Currently, the Government is considering the way forward on a wide range of matters, including clinical negligence costs reform, and we will announce our position in due course.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement on 25 February that they will invest £208 million in a new national biosecurity centre, whether those funds were previously committed to go directly to farmers as payments for 'public goods'.

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

The National Biosecurity Centre is the new name for the facility delivered at APHA Weybridge, previously known as the Science Capability in Animal Health programme. This funding has not been previously committed to other purposes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend funding for NHS Practitioner Health beyond March 2026.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has recently extended the NHS Practitioner Health service to the end of March 2026. Discussions around the mental health and wellbeing provision for future staff, including this service, are ongoing.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the speech by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the National Farmers Union on 25 February, when the requirements to favour high-welfare products in government catering contracts will come into effect, and what sectors other than hospitals and schools are being targeted.

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

As announced at the National Farmers Union Conference, the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), which sets out the Government’s strategic priorities for public procurement, came into effect alongside the Procurement Act on 24 February. The NPPS underscores the Government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards, supporting local suppliers and upholding ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts, including catering contracts. Defra officials are currently exploring the options for any future changes to public sector food and catering policy.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support the steel industry by reducing their electricity costs.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Government is committed to tackling high industrial electricity prices in the UK. This is why Government has taken action to mitigate high electricity costs for energy intensive industries by continuing the Energy Intensive Industries compensation scheme and implementing the British Industry Supercharger.

The Plan for Steel, which will be published in Spring, will address electricity prices for steelmakers. We are committed to providing up to £2.5bn to rebuild steel industry which will be available through the National Wealth Fund and other routes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to preserve productive farmland by encouraging the installation of solar panels on buildings and car parks rather than such farmland.

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

The deployment of rooftop solar is a top priority. Permitted development rights mean most rooftop projects do not require an application for planning permission, including non-domestic arrays of any size, and solar canopies on car parks. New buildings standards will ensure that all newly built houses and commercial buildings are fit for a net zero future. We expect these standards to encourage the installation of solar panels.

Ground mount solar is also needed to meet our 2030 clean power ambitions. Planning guidance makes clear that, wherever possible, projects should utilise previously developed land. Where the development of farmland is judged necessary, lower-quality land should be preferred.