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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of standardised access for residents of all local authorities to to Household Waste and Recycling Centres in in Strategic Authorities.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

There are no plans to standardise access to Household Waste and Recycling Centres. Household Waste and Recycling Centres play an important role in helping people manage the waste they produce in a convenient and sustainable way.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 section 51 requires waste disposal authorities to provide places at which residents in their areas may deposit their household waste free of charge. Local Authorities are responsible for determining how best to manage and operate sites in their area, taking into consideration their local requirements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Finance Bill will contain the proposed changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances.

Legislation implementing this policy will be brought forward in the Finance Bill ahead of the measure taking effect.

Local Government

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Emily Thornberry (Chair); Alex Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth; Phil Brickell

The Foreign Affairs Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Government’s proposed reset of the UK-EU relationship. The inquiry will consider all facets of the reset, across the three “pillars” articulated by the Government (security, safety and prosperity) with a particular focus on how the reset process can be engaged to ensure the UK-EU partnership is able to respond to the challenging international context and the shared strategic challenges that the UK and EU face. The Committee will also consider the role of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in shaping and managing that relationship.

Submit Evidence (by 18 Apr 2025)

This inquiry considers how effectively the UK uses its position at the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) to influence and bring about an end to global conflict, whilst advancing its goals for a rules-based international order. It will focus on countries for which the UK is a ‘Penholder’ at the UN. This includes (but is not limited to) Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The inquiry asks how the UK, as Penholder for these countries, has sought to reduce conflict and instability, and considers practices that have brought about previous successes, drawing upon lessons learned. It also asks how this position may be used more effectively. In its assessment of the UNSC, this inquiry examines the extent to which the Security Council is an effective tool to further conflict resolution, and considers how increasing polarisation on the Security Council may hinder this objective. Finally, this inquiry assesses the relationship between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the UK’s representation at the UN.  

Submit Evidence (by 5 May 2025)

Although China is the UK’s fifth largest trading partner, the UK Government has, in recent years, described China as an “epoch-defining and systemic challenge”. Last November, the Foreign Secretary told the Committee that we need a consistent approach to China.