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 reintroducing beavers on landscape recovery and natural flood management.

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.

Government has assessed the impact of reintroducing beavers on landscape recovery and natural flood management. This includes an evidence review of the impacts of beavers on the natural and human environment in England.

The evidence shows that beavers can transform landscapes, improve water quality, reduce the risk of flooding, increase biodiversity, and increase climate resilience in landscapes. At the river catchment scale, beaver activity has the potential to benefit agricultural land through flood attenuation, slowing the flow of water and maintaining baseflow. Beavers also contribute to the Environment Improvement Plan objectives through wetland creation and restoration.

Beavers can both positively and negatively impact agricultural land, with factors like topography, soil structure and texture, hydrology, type of agriculture and proximity to watercourses affecting the likelihood of impacts.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the interim government of Bangladesh to strengthen security in and around Rohingya refugee camps.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to improving the security of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and we regularly engage with the Interim Government in Bangladesh about security in and around Rohingya refugee camps. In November 2024, during Minister Wests' visit to Bangladesh, she discussed the situation of Rohingya refugees with Chief Adviser Yunus. The UK Government continues to work closely with UN agencies and the Interim Government in Bangladesh to provide basic services to Rohingya refugees while they remain in Bangladesh. UK funding (£405 million since 2017) is providing life-saving assistance including food, repairs to shelters and water and sanitation infrastructure, healthcare and community-based protection services for women and children.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Thailand regarding Uyghur asylum seekers detained there.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The United Kingdom has raised the issue of the Uyghurs detained in Thailand with the Thai authorities on multiple occasions, most recently in January 2025. The United Kingdom remains committed to upholding the principle of non-refoulement, and has repeatedly urged other countries to honour their obligations in line with international law, and not to force people to return to a country where they are likely to face torture or ill treatment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take in response to reports of abductions of Rohingya refugees from camps in the Teknaf area of Bangladesh.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to support Rohingya refugees and the communities which host them. In Bangladesh, this includes engaging with the UN and non-government organisations to address protection risks. We are closely monitoring the reports of abduction of Rohingya refugees in Teknaf. We continue to engage with the Interim Government in Bangladesh and other partners on the security situation in the camps, including on the need to improve policing in the camps. As a leading donor to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh, we have provided £405 million to support the Rohingya and host communities since 2017.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have decided not to introduce a formal wild release licensing system for beavers, and if so, what assessment they have made of the implications for their climate change and sustainability strategies.

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.

Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of parents illegally accessing cannabinoid epilepsy treatments for their children.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

To date no assessment has been made. Both licensed cannabis-based medicines (i.e., those with a marketing authorisation granted in accordance with the medicines legislation applicable in the UK) and unlicensed cannabis-based products for medical use (CBPMs) can be lawfully prescribed. Anyone buying medicines from illicit or unregulated markets cannot be sure what they contain or whether they will cause them harm.

CBPMs are placed in Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. They are available for prescribing by specialist clinicians. All other cannabis-based products containing controlled drugs, other than licensed cannabis-based medicines that have been separately scheduled, remain in Schedule 1 under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and cannot ordinarily possessed except under a Home Office licence.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and the penalties for unauthorised possession, supply and production remain unchanged.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to prevent the illegal release of beavers into the wild.

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.

Recent speculation in the media was factually incorrect. Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes consideration of how to prevent further unauthorised release of beavers into the wild.

It is an offence to release a beaver in England without a licence from Natural England. Doing so without a licence carries a penalty of either an unlimited fine or up to six months in prison.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments; and what plans they have to restrict their use.

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

1) Parasiticides play an important role in the protecting of animal health from fleas, ticks, and vector-borne diseases, and in protecting human health from zoonotic transfer of disease. Therefore, their regulation requires a careful balance between effective parasite control for animal health and welfare and human health whilst minimising potential risks to the environment.

To address environmental safety, every veterinary pharmaceutical undergoes an environmental exposure assessment, with products for companion animals usually ending in a Phase 1 assessment. If exposure is deemed high, a more detailed Phase II risk assessment is conducted, evaluating potential environmental impact based on expected exposure and toxicity. The findings from these assessments are considered as part of the final benefit/risk assessment during the approval process. There are also warnings that accompany products advising on use and to mitigate against dogs entering water courses directly after treatment. Environmental assessments are conducted in accordance with international guidelines and data standards.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is conducting a number of research activities to provide further evidence on environmental impacts and causes. Furthermore, the VMD supports a review of the international environmental risk assessment guidelines for companion animal parasiticides, which has been proposed and is currently under consideration by the body for International Cooperation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Veterinary Medicinal Products (VICH).

2) At this stage, there are no plans to restrict the use of flea and tick treatments. Any future regulatory decisions will be based on robust scientific evidence to ensure both environmental protection and continued access to essential veterinary medicines.