Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of improved access to nature on the health and wellbeing of local communities.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the important role that access to nature plays in supporting physical health, mental wellbeing and wider quality of life. As set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, we are committed to improving access to nature through a range of measures, including creating nine National River Walks, establishing three new National Forests and publishing an Access to Nature Green Paper.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to reduce instances of civil servants wearing a) ideologically controversial and b) party political symbols.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Each Government department operates as an individual employer with delegated authority to manage their own HR systems and it is for them to set policies that relate to this. All civil servants are bound by the civil service code.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve access to nature in a) Romford and b) other constituencies where over 20% of properties are located more than 15 minutes’ walk away from green and blue spaces.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to improving access to nature through measures set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, including National River Walks, National Forests and an Access to Nature Green Paper. We are also using the new 15-minute access data to help target action towards areas with poorer access to green and blue space.
Through the Pride in Place Programme, Harold Hill East in Havering will now receive up to £20 million. A neighbourhood Board will work with the community to decide how this funding is spent, which could include investments in parks and green spaces. In Romford, Raphael Park and Cottons Park have received Green Flag Awards in 2026, a recognised accreditation setting the national standard for green spaces across the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans her department has for implementing the reforms to the microchipping system announced in 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, the Department is committed to working with the pet microchipping sector to improve the effectiveness of the microchipping regime, including by improving the accuracy and accessibility of pet microchip records and strengthening oversight of microchip databases.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Access to Nature Green Paper will be published.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government committed in the 2025 Environmental Improvement Plan to bringing forward an Access to Nature Green Paper. This will explore options for improving and expanding access, test potential approaches, and gather robust evidence before any decisions are taken.
A timetable for publication has not yet been confirmed.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to begin mapping the presence and activities of Chinese state-linked entities operating within the UK; and whether consideration will be given to establishing a public register of such entities following the rollout of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS).
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Upholding national security and keeping the public safe is the first duty of Government.
China poses a series of threats to UK national security – from cyber-attacks, foreign interference and espionage targeting our democratic institutions, to transnational repression of Hong Kongers and China’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and we challenge these robustly.
The Government, working alongside operational partners, keeps potential threats to the UK and its residents, including from China, under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to limit the number of prison escapees and mistaken releases.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is taking action to reduce both releases in error and the risk of prisoners escaping from custody.
Following the independent review led by Dame Lynne Owens on release in error, published on 15 April 2026, all 33 recommendations were accepted in principle. Work is underway to address the issues identified in the review, including improvements to governance, data, processes, accountability, staff guidance and training. This includes introduction of strengthened pre-release checks across prisons, including clearer assurance by authorising governors. The department has also established stronger governance to maintain momentum on the review through a Release Accuracy Board and operational delivery is supported by a specialist headquarters team to offer direct help to prisons, provide guidance and help mitigate the risk of early or late release.
The Government has also committed to simplifying release policy through the Sentencing Act 2026 and is investing in new technology to reduce human error, digitise paper-based prison systems, strengthen manual checks across courts and improve information sharing and tracking of offenders from arrest to release. This includes work to develop Justice ID and a digital rapid response unit focused on options to improve digital systems.
To limit the risk of escapes, HMPPS requires all prisons to maintain a Local Security Strategy, based on local risk assessment, which sets out the security measures in place. These include searching procedures for prisoners, vehicles and cells, accommodation fabric checks to identify vulnerabilities, and use of the Escape List for prisoners assessed as presenting an escape risk.
In February 2026, HMPPS also introduced enhanced management assurance for prisoners escorted from prison to hospital, including additional restraint requirements where needed, strengthened checks on restraint procedures and refreshed competency training for operational staff involved in escort duties.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made (a) an estimate of the cost of the Hornsea windfarm project in the North Sea and (b) a comparative assessment of the efficiency of the project with drilling oil in the same area.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Offshore wind continues to play a key role in the future electricity system. There are several different Hornsea offshore wind farms, each developed privately and supported through different competitive allocation rounds, with project-specific costs known to their respective developers. Hornsea 4 remains in development and has not yet secured government support; it will need to demonstrate value for money through a future allocation round. The latest Allocation Round (AR7) secured offshore wind capacity at a price 40% lower than the cost and operating a new gas-fired generation.
The Department has not made a comparative assessment of the efficiency of the project against drilling for oil in the same area.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department has spent on legal fees opposing legal actions brought by Misley Mandarin and other Chagossians living in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Any publication of the legal fees incurred will be made at the end of the proceedings in question.Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2026 to Question 9319, if he will ensure that guidance on the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 is published with sufficient time for retailers to understand and prepare for their obligations; and what engagement his Department has had with retailers on this matter.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
We plan to publish guidance on the Tobacco and Vapes Act shortly which will give significant time for retailers to understand and prepare for their obligations.
The Department has been engaging with representative bodies, including the Association of Convenience Stores and the British Retail Consortium, and will continue to engage with them on this matter.