Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward a ban on the use of snare traps.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver this commitment and will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's red lines are for negotiations on a UK–EU sanitary and phytosanitary agreement; and what assessment she has made of the the potential merits of retaining the ability to restrict the import and sale of animal products produced using methods that would be illegal in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers.
The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but the Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Government Department arranged the Prime Minister's meeting with Palantir on 27 February 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 7 November 2025 to question 86672.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will bring forward policies to ensure all Marine Protected Areas are returned to Good Ecological Status by 2030.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Good Ecological Status is an objective under the Water Framework Directive Regulations and applies specifically to inland, estuarine, and coastal waters up to 1 nautical mile from the coast and so covers only a small part of the entire MPA network. The Government has set out its new vision for water through a White Paper published on 20 January 2026. The White Paper sets out once in a generation reforms that will transform the water system for good, with a renewed focus on securing a fair deal for customers, investors, and the environment, to rebuild trust and secure a water system that works for everyone. It sets out how we will deliver on our promise to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas – not just for today, but for generations to come. In the meantime, we continue to work towards our obligation to secure continuous improvement for the water environment.
With respect to the wider MPA network in English waters, the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets out a programme of actions to support delivery of the statutory MPA target under the Environment Act. This includes implementing any necessary fisheries bylaws, non‑statutory fisheries measures and management measures for other damaging activities.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered using GB Energy to invest in reducing the carbon footprint of the general practice estate.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Great British Energy has funded rooftop solar for 250 schools and around 260 NHS sites. This is cutting bills for schools and hospitals, releasing money for frontline services.
For GPs that aren’t part of these NHS sites, they can access the Boiler Upgrade Scheme accessing £7,500 towards a heat pump and £5,000 towards a biomass boiler.
As set out in the Local Power Plan (Local Power Plan | Great British Energy) published on 10 February 2026 GBE will be announcing their new support schemes in Spring 2026. You can sign up on their website to find out more.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to improve GPs access to decarbonisation schemes to help them meet NHS Net Zero targets.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting the decarbonisation of the GP estate. Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, GP facilities can receive £7,500 for heat pumps and £5,000 for biomass boilers. We also help fund the UK Business Climate Hub, an online resource supporting SMEs identify and implement changes to their energy use.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government following the internal review of the upper limit for Disabled Facilities Grants.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, we continue to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is delivered by local authorities. This grant helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs.
The upper limit for DFG grant awards is currently set at £30,000, however local authorities have a high degree of flexibility to fund adaptations above this amount where they judge it is appropriate. Following an internal review of the upper limit, we have been working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on next steps and hope to provide an update in the spring.
We have recently announced an additional £50 million for the DFG in 2025/26. This could fund approximately 5,000 additional home adaptations supporting older and disabled people to live more independently in their homes, and brings the total DFG amount this year to £761 million.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take following the internal review of the upper limit for Disabled Facilities Grants; and what his planned timetable is for further action.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, we continue to fund the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) which is delivered by local authorities. This grant helps eligible older and disabled people on low incomes to adapt their homes to make them safe and suitable for their needs.
The upper limit for DFG grant awards is currently set at £30,000, however local authorities have a high degree of flexibility to fund adaptations above this amount where they judge it is appropriate. Following an internal review of the upper limit, we have been working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on next steps and hope to provide an update in the spring.
We have recently announced an additional £50 million for the DFG in 2025/26. This could fund approximately 5,000 additional home adaptations supporting older and disabled people to live more independently in their homes, and brings the total DFG amount this year to £761 million.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the amount of capital funding needed to ensure the provision of effective water services in each area of England in each year until 2030.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of Price Review 24, Ofwat, the independent water regulator, has made a thorough estimate of the amount of capital funding water companies will need to deliver services for the current spending period, to 2029. This assessment includes funding for routine costs and for ongoing improvements required to meet new statutory obligations and environmental standards.
Ofwat provides the requested estimate, including a company-by-company breakdown on its website: Final determinations in the 2024 price review - Ofwat.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when will he announce the next phase of Modern Service Frameworks, and what consideration has been given to including musculoskeletal conditions in the next phase of the Modern Service Frameworks.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board will oversee the development of a new series of service frameworks. These modern service frameworks will define an aspirational, long-term outcome goal for a major condition and will then identify the best evidenced interventions and the support for delivery.
Early priorities will include cardiovascular disease, sepsis, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. As advised by the National Quality Board, the Government will consider other conditions for future phases of modern service frameworks, and has recently announced a Modern Service Framework on Palliative and End of Life Care.
We are advancing modern service frameworks for those conditions where we can swiftly and significantly raise the quality of care and productivity. Future phases will address conditions that carry substantial health and economic consequences.
To support people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, we are working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to reduce MSK community waiting times, which are the highest of all community waits, and improve data and metrics and referral pathways to wider support services.