Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle the (a) supply and (b) use of sodium nitrite.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Certain chemicals can be used in the illicit manufacture of explosives or to cause harm. These are called explosives precursors and poisons.

The Poisons Act 1972 sets out the legal obligations in relation to the sale, purchase, and use of these chemicals for suppliers, professional users, and members of the public.

Sodium nitrite is a reportable poison listed in Part 4 of Schedule 1A of the Poisons Act 1972; this means it is lawful to sell this substance in Great Britain without further controls, however suppliers have a legal obligation to report any suspicious transactions.

The Home Office work with retailers to raise awareness and emphasise their legal obligation to report suspicious activity for regulated and reportable substances.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) Liskeard and (b) other rural communities to maintain access to (i) banking and (ii) other essential services after the closure of local post offices.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government provides an annual £50m Network Subsidy funding to support the delivery of a minimum number of branches, including Liskeard and other rural & urban communities and to provide a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, Post Office delivers essential services, including banking and cash services, across the UK via its network of 11,500 branches.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all. We have committed to work closely with banks to roll out at least 350 banking hubs, which will provide individuals and businesses up and down the country with critical cash and banking services.

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Anna Gelderd

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Anna Gelderd

Found: present: Mr Toby Perkins (Chair); Olivia Blake; Julia Buckley; Ellie Chowns; Barry Gardiner; Anna Gelderd

Submit Evidence (by 20 Dec 2024)

The Environmental Audit Committee is seeking views on how the Government’s proposed reforms to national planning policy and housebuilding targets might affect environmental protections and current approaches to sustainable development.Read the terms of reference and find out how to submit written evidence through the Committee's evidence portal here.

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The Environmental Audit Committee in the 2024 Parliament has revived the predecessor Environmental Audit Sub-Committee on Polar Research’s inquiry into The UK and the Antarctic Environment.

Submit Evidence (by 13 Jan 2025)

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on flood resilience in England, focusing on how flood resilience can be strengthened in response to increasing risks from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and evolving flood hazards.

Submit Evidence (by 17 Jan 2025)

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on governing the marine environment, which will focus on the UK's environmental obligations under marine treaties and how the UK is delivering on them, as well as the Government's strategy for marine planning and protection in its domestic waters.