Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of poor digital access on levels of financial exclusion among women living in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which outlines the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including rural areas. We recognise the financial impact digital exclusion can have on many different groups including women and men living in rural areas.
These will be targeted at local initiatives for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.
More widely, HM Treasury is developing a Financial Inclusion Strategy to address the barriers consumers can face in accessing the products they need. This includes a focus on digital inclusion and access to banking and the Digital Inclusion and Skills Unit in DSIT is working closely with HM Treasury to ensure appropriate coordination.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring everyone has access to the banking services they need and is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK which will provide cash access and a range of face-to-face banking services.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels registered to ports in South East Cornwall constituency use (a) bottom trawls and (b) other bottom towed gear.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
UK fishing vessels are registered by port of administration. The nearest port of administration to this constituency is Plymouth, to which 330 fishing vessels were registered as of 1 June 2025.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress she has made on extending the protection of the Cornish language from Part II to Part III of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of protecting and celebrating the unique cultural heritage and minority languages which exist in the UK. We note the request for greater recognition and protection for the Cornish language and we continue to support Cornish language and culture through a range of measures – from our work to ensure that indigenous and minority languages - including Cornish - form part of the public service remit for television in the UK through the Media Act 2024; to funding of £500,000 for Cornish language and culture work as part of Cornwall’s Devolution Deal.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of banking hubs on women at risk of domestic abuse.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the ability to access cash and in-person banking support remains essential for many, which is why we have secured the industry’s commitment to roll out 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, ensuring that access to face-to-face banking is protected. Over 230 hubs have been announced so far, and over 170 are already open.
Banking hubs offer everyday counter services, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services.
The Government is committed to tackling domestic abuse through our mission to halve Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade. Addressing economic abuse is an integral part of this and is also being considered within the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy, which will examine where industry and Government can go further to support financially excluded people, including victim-survivors of economic abuse.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding pilot schemes in banking hubs to provide targeted financial education sessions for (a) women and (b) women at risk of economic abuse.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Banking hubs are a voluntary service which were developed by the financial services sector in the context of legislation to protect access to cash under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023.
These hubs offer everyday counter services, allowing people and businesses to withdraw and deposit cash, pay bills and make balance enquiries. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out wider banking services.
While banking hubs do not focus on providing financial education sessions, they do offer the opportunity for customers to disclose additional needs and discuss support in a private space with the community banker. This may include signposting to relevant money guidance or advice services.
The Government is committed to ensuring that people build financial capability and recognises that certain groups – including women and those at risk of economic abuse – may face specific barriers.
To support those facing such challenges, the Government is developing a Financial Inclusion Strategy, which will have a key focus on financial education and capability. Economic abuse is a cross-cutting theme of this strategy to ensure the needs of victim-survivors are considered across wider relevant interventions to support financially excluded people.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on meeting the good environmental status indicators set out in the report entitled Marine Strategy Part One, published in October 2019.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a UK-wide consultation on 20 June this year, which details the latest assessment on the state of UK seas and progress toward Good Environmental Status. This follows publication of the updated UK Marine Strategy Programme of Measures in January this year, which sets out measures for achieving GES.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support seagrass restoration programmes to scale-up.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is supporting the scaling up of seagrass restoration programmes by identifying and overcoming barriers.
The Environment Agency with partners is working to restore 15% of saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reef in England by 2043 through the Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) programme. Defra have boosted the capacity of ReMeMaRe by funding a programme office, which is supporting a pipeline of practical restoration projects.
The annual ReMeMaRe Conference gives partners from across the country an opportunity to engage with and learn from each other. ReMeMaRe has also worked with partners to produce restoration guidance and map restoration opportunities. It is also funding the development of an estuarine and coastal restoration platform, which will enhance collaboration opportunities for partners, aiming to scale up restoration activity on the ground.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to merge the proposed Nature Restoration Fund with the Marine Recovery Fund.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Recovery Fund is being established as a voluntary mechanism to deliver strategic compensation for offshore wind developers.
The Nature Restoration Fund will offer a new way for developers to discharge existing environmental obligations related to protected sites and species, using resources strategically to maximise positive outcomes for nature.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how the proposed Nature Restoration Fund will interact with the Marine Recovery Fund.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Marine Recovery Fund is being established as a voluntary mechanism to deliver strategic compensation for offshore wind developers.
The Nature Restoration Fund will offer a new way for developers to discharge existing environmental obligations related to protected sites and species, using resources strategically to maximise positive outcomes for nature.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent forest fires in tropical forest biomes.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Wildfires were responsible for record-breaking levels of tropical forest loss in 2024, as highlighted in a recent World Resources Institute (WRI) report (https://gfr.wri.org/latest-analysis-deforestation-trends). Rising temperatures and environmental degradation are increasing the likelihood, severity and frequency of wildfires globally.
Protecting and restoring tropical forest biomes makes them more resistant to damaging wildfires. The UK is supporting delivery of the shared commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. We are working with partners to protect, restore, and sustainably manage tropical forest biomes, as well as supporting deeper collaboration to prevent wildfires through the G7 and the Food and Agriculture Organization's Global Fire Management Hub.