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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Government steps in to save historic rights of way from being lost to the nation, published on 26 December 2024, what her Department's planned timeline is for the (a) planning stages and (b) implementation of the nine new river walks.

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

The Government has repealed the 2031 cut-off date, safeguarding hundreds of miles of historic rights of way so they remain available for public enjoyment. This change will be formally enacted when parliamentary time allows.

The Department plans to designate nine National River Walks across England are progressing. Defra is working with stakeholders to identify suitable locations and develop a delivery mechanism. Several delivery options are under consideration, and further details on planning and implementation will be provided in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of high energy costs on households in rural areas that are not connected to the mains gas grid.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently.

The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.

We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030, including those in rural communities.

We are currently supporting rural and off gas grid homes through schemes including the Warm Homes: Local Grant, which is aimed at low income and vulnerable consumers.

Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount which has been expanded for this winter, – increasing the total number of households that will receive the discount from 3.2 million to around 6 million.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the taxation of inherited pensions before transfer into trusts on the long-term financial security of disabled beneficiaries.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Certain types of trusts for vulnerable people, including disabled persons trusts, are exempt from inheritance charges which normally apply to other types of trusts. No inheritance tax is charged on payments made to a beneficiary from a disabled persons trust. These are longstanding rules and are not changing.

From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and death benefits payable from a pension will form part of a person’s estate for inheritance tax purposes. This removes distortions resulting from changes that have been made to pensions tax policy over the last decade, which have led to pensions being openly used and marketed as a tax planning vehicle to transfer wealth, rather than as a way to fund retirement.

Following these changes, any unused pension funds or death benefits left to a disabled persons trust on the settlor’s death, will therefore be in scope for inheritance tax in the same way as other assets in the settlor’s estate, such as cash or property. This is the longstanding position for assets settled into a disabled persons trust following the settlor’s death.

The government estimates that more than 90% of estates will continue to have no inheritance tax liability following these changes and the transferable tax-free nil-rate bands mean that estates can continue to pass on up to £1 million without an inheritance tax liability.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that households in (a) North Cornwall and (b) other rural areas can connect to (i) solar panels and (ii) other renewable energy systems without having to directly fund local grid upgrades where needed.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Under connection charging rules set by Ofgem, domestic connection customers are not liable for any network upgrade costs to accommodate renewable generation up to 3.68kW per phase. For larger systems, the customer may be liable for a proportion of the upgrade costs.

The Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including rural areas. In the current electricity distribution network price control, RIIO ED2, Ofgem has allowed £22.2bn for upfront network investment, including £3.1bn for upgrades. The next price control (2028–2033) will require distribution network operators to produce long-term regional network plans.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department will assess the potential merits of providing funding to upgrade local energy networks to support at-home renewable energy generation in (a) North Cornwall constituency and (b) rural areas.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government works with Ofgem to ensure grid investment supports all communities, including rural areas. The current electricity distribution price control (RIIO-ED2, 2023-2028) has allowed £22.2bn for upfront investment in low voltage networks, including £3.1bn for network upgrades. For the next price control ED3 (2028 to 2033), Ofgem will use Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESPs) to inform investment ahead of need and ensure a reliable local power grid fit for the net zero transition. These measures will enable timely upgrades and connections for rural communities, supporting renewable generation and other low-carbon technologies, while maintaining affordability for consumers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding per capita her Department provided for NHS dentistry in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards. The dental ringfenced budget is set net of patient charge revenue. It is the total spend for dental, with less expected revenue from patients, and includes primary, secondary, and community dentistry.

In 2024/25, the National Health Service dental ringfenced budget was £3.97 billion, and the population of England was assumed to be 62.1 million as per published NHS Technical Guidance. Therefore, the spend per capita was £63.93.

In 2025/26, the NHS dental ringfenced budget increased to £4.13 billion. The population of England is assumed to be 63.8 million, as per published NHS Technical Guidance. Therefore, the spend per capita is £64.78.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding per capita her Department provided for NHS dentistry in the last financial year.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards. The dental ringfenced budget is set net of patient charge revenue. It is the total spend for dental, with less expected revenue from patients, and includes primary, secondary, and community dentistry.

In 2024/25, the National Health Service dental ringfenced budget was £3.97 billion, and the population of England was assumed to be 62.1 million as per published NHS Technical Guidance. Therefore, the spend per capita was £63.93.

In 2025/26, the NHS dental ringfenced budget increased to £4.13 billion. The population of England is assumed to be 63.8 million, as per published NHS Technical Guidance. Therefore, the spend per capita is £64.78.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a ring-fenced budget specifically for geothermal projects in the next round of Contract for Difference funding allocations (AR8).

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Auction parameters and budget are set based on a wide range of factors, including an assessment of the potential project pipeline and progress towards decarbonisation targets. The Government will confirm the details of Allocation Round 8 budget and parameters closer to the time.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to improve regulatory support for geothermal energy.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

We know there is promising potential for geothermal energy in the UK and particularly as a low carbon source of heat. However, it is too soon to regulate such a small and nascent sector. Therefore there are no immediate plans to make any changes in the regulatory space.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his Department will consider the potential merits of developing a national roadmap with targets for the development of geothermal energy for (a) heat and (b) power generation.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government knows that to achieve net zero, we must look at how we can accelerate the potential of all low carbon technologies including geothermal.

However, the UK Geothermal industry is nascent when compared to other heat and power renewable technologies such as heat pumps and offshore wind. While it seems too soon to assign a target, we will keep this under review. We will continue to gather evidence to inform any future decisions on geothermal and the role it can play in decarbonising heat and power.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will launch an independent public inquiry into the Lowermoor Water Poisoning with scope to cover (a) the role water privatisation played in the events, (b) the handling of the incident by Government and (c) reports of pressure applied to those affected by the poisoning to settle.

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

The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will consider the potential merits of a financial (a) redress or (b) scheme, for those affected by the Lowermoor Water Poisoning incident.

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

The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.

Schools Residential Outdoor Education (Scotland) Bill (No. 2)

Warm Homes Plan

Tenth anniversary of Storm Desmond

Buying community energy locally

Gambling executives' profits

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Found: Hobbhouse: Cost of Energy • Gideon Amos and Melanie Onn: Future of local Post Office services • Ben Maguire