Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of retaining the legal framework of the Precision Breeding Act as part of any future Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government introduced the Precision Breeding Regulations to realise the benefits of precision breeding, and Defra remain committed to implementing the Precision Breeding Act. These Regulations are subject to ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU as part of the SPS agreement. The EU has accepted there will need to be some areas where we retain our own rules.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the production and sale of British precision bred products.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government introduced the Precision Breeding Regulations to realise the benefits of precision breeding, and Defra remain committed to implementing the Precision Breeding Act. These Regulations are subject to ongoing negotiations between the UK and the EU as part of the SPS agreement. The EU has accepted there will need to be some areas where we retain our own rules.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many SFI26 Window 2 applicants secured the maximum available sum.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The number of applicants who secured the maximum available funding of £100,000 under Window 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 will only be known once farmers have accepted their agreement offers.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applicants began a SFI26 Window 2 application but were unable to finalise and submit that application before the budget was fully allocated.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Of the 15,063 applications created for SFI26 Window 2, 12,204 were submitted before the window closed on 22 September. At the point of closure there were 2,859 applications that had been started not submitted.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the department is taking to support high growth-potential businesses in the creative industry sector in the East of England.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Creative industries clusters across the UK, including in Norwich, play a crucial role in delivering the growth agenda.
Our Creative Industries Sector Plan published last year includes a strong universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in every place in the UK, including Norwich and the wider East of England region. It outlines measures to break down barriers such as access to finance, supply of skills, and new support to kickstart innovation and support high-growth potential businesses.
In addition, Arts Council England (ACE) focuses funding on the areas of the cultural sector most at risk, using both dedicated funds and wider investment. Its £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund is focused on supporting organisations, particularly in underserved areas, to protect vulnerable cultural infrastructure and local venues, ensuring access nationwide. This includes a flagship Norwich investment in ‘Creative Arts East'.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2026 to Question 17560, how much money from the Border Biosecurity Campaign in 2027/28 will be allocated to a) visible information campaigns in major ports and airports, b) information campaigns in small ports and private airports and c) information campaigns on risks from personal meat and animal product imports.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Up to £1,000,000 from the Cabinet Office Integrated Security Fund will be managed by Defra in financial year 2027-2028, to deliver an integrated biosecurity communications campaign at borders. Work is taking place during this financial year (2026-2027) to gather insights and develop the campaign plan.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her department has made of a) the current value and b) the potential value of the creative industry sector in a) the UK, b) London, and c) Norfolk.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Creative Industries generated £145.8 billion in gross value added (GVA) in the UK in 2024, accounting for 5.5% of total UK GVA. The sector continues to grow, with Creative Industries GVA growing by 2.9% in the three months to June 2026 compared to 0.4% growth across the UK economy.
In London, the Creative Industries generated £64.1bn in GVA in the East of England in 2023, representing 11.1% of the capital's total GVA.
Estimates on GVA generated by the Creative Industries are not available for Norfolk. However, the Creative Industries generated £6.3bn in GVA in the East of England in 2023, accounting for 3.1% of the region's total GVA.
There are no official estimates of the potential GVA contributed by the Creative Industries. However, the Creative Industries Sector Plan sets an annual investment target of £31 billion by 2035 across the UK.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consumer protections are in place where newly installed heat pumps do not adequately meet consumers' heating needs and Building Regulations prevent the reinstallation of higher-carbon heating appliances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
All government supported heat pump installations are required to be certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). This provides consumers with access to additional redress routes within the MCS framework.
In the first instance, all consumers should raise their concerns with their installer, relevant consumer code or certification body.
We are committed to reforming the consumer protection system for Government supported home upgrades and are consulting on proposals.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Building Regulations preventing the reinstallation of higher-carbon heating appliances on vulnerable, elderly and low-income consumers where it is necessary to change technology.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Low carbon heating systems are already an effective way to reduce household energy bills and are widely deployed across Government grant schemes to support low-income households. Analysis suggests a typical home could save around £130 a year compared with a gas boiler if they use a well-installed, efficient heat pump alongside a suitable smart tariff.
In terms of building regulations, heating systems such as boilers and heat pumps are defined as fixed building services. Their replacement in existing dwellings is covered by Part L and associated statutory guidance, which states the new system should not produce more emissions or consume more energy per kWh of heat than the system being replaced. This supports important principles not just in relation to carbon emissions but also to energy efficiency and affordability.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consumer protections are in place for vulnerable and low-income households unable to afford electrical heating solutions where Building Regulations prevent the reinstallation of higher-carbon heating appliances.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling high energy costs is a central priority for the Government. We are removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, building on the average £150 reduction in energy bills announced at the last Budget. Around 6 million families are benefiting from the expanded Warm Home Discount.
All Government-supported heat pump installations must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), giving consumers access to additional redress routes. Consumers should first raise concerns with their installer, consumer code or certification body.
We are committed to reforming the consumer protection system for Government supported home upgrades and are consulting on proposals.