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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish an Access to Nature White Paper and whether they will engage with stakeholders representing public access and recreation.

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

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and we are working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors.

We are considering our approach to improving access to nature and are committed to working with our stakeholders as we develop this thinking. We will provide a further update in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of a voucher scheme for people on low incomes to buy a cycle, proposed in Sustrans' report The Cycling Opportunity, published on 11 September.

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

The Government has not made a detailed assessment of the costs and benefits of such a scheme but will consider it carefully as it develops its future plans for active travel.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure energy efficiency improvements can be undertaken in private blocks of flats that are subject to lease constraints.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government remains committed to meeting its net zero emissions targets by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it.

Reforms in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 will make it easier and cheaper for more leaseholders to buy their freehold or take over the management of their building, if they wish to do so. This will provide them with greater control over their building to make alterations in support of energy efficiency improvements in accordance with the terms of the lease.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of market distortion and lack of parity between England and Scotland, specifically in terms of delivering off-shore wind power, if Crown Estate Scotland does not have equivalent powers to the Crown Estate following the enactment of the Crown Estates Bill.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The management of the crown estate in Scotland is a devolved matter. In the first instance it is a matter for the Scottish Government to consider any proposed changes they may want to make to Crown Estate Scotland, including, for example, changes to its existing borrowing powers or investment powers.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Livermore on 14 October (HL Deb col 30), what progress they have made in their discussions with the Scottish Government on the nature and content of the Crown Estate Bill, and whether those discussions include extending the benefits of the Bill in relation to new borrowing powers to Crown Estate Scotland.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK Government was initially in contact with the Scottish Government, before the introduction of the bill, to confirm that no legislative consent motion was required. This is on the basis that the bill does not legislate on devolved matters and the management of the crown estate in Scotland is devolved.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to tabling amendments to the Crown Estate Bill to extend its provisions to Crown Estate Scotland, and what discussions they have had with Scottish Government about the possibility of a legislative consent motion being put before the Scottish Parliament.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The management of the crown estate in Scotland is a devolved matter. In the first instance it is a matter for the Scottish Government to consider any proposed changes they may want to make to Crown Estate Scotland. There have been no discussions with the Scottish Government on this matter.

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