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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what process her Department will use to invite and assess bids for the proposed new national river walks.

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

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department expects to make decisions on the allocation of new national river walk routes following the planned bidding process.

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

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will use to evaluate proposals for the nine new propossed national river walks.

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

The Government continues to progress plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature. We will identify locations for the next tranche of river walks through a competition that will be launched before the end of 2026. We will give further details relating to the competition, selection and assessment criteria in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing funding to support the installation of sustainable slurry systems on farms.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Slurry Infrastructure Grant first opened in 2022 and has run for two rounds. The grant supports farmers to build 6-month slurry storage and to cover stores with impermeable covers to reduce ammonia emissions. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2026 grant supports farmers, growers, foresters and contractors to buy equipment and technology that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management.

Through the Environmental Improvement Plan, published last year, the Government has committed to work with stakeholders to reduce water pollution and ammonia emissions from farming through streamlined regulation and develop detailed proposals on the extension of environmental permitting for dairy and intensive beef farms for consultation. Slurry covers are one of the mitigation measures that will be considered as we develop these regulatory proposals.

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 impact of slurry storage technologies on reducing agricultural methane emissions.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has assessed slurry storage systems and their ability to reduce agricultural methane emissions, including retrofitted permeable and impermeable covers. These are detailed in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (2025). Available scientific evidence found that the methane reduction potential of slurry storage technologies is variable depending on the technique deployed.

Defra is currently reviewing the scientific evidence relating to other slurry storage technologies, including biogas capture.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department expects all eligible retired members of public service pension schemes under its responsibility to receive their McCloud remedy payments; and what steps she is taking to expedite payments to affected pensioners.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Scheme managers of the individual public service pension schemes are responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of the McCloud remedy to affected members. I have written to scheme managers to remind them of their responsibilities to implement the remedy as quickly as possible and ensure that scheme members and the Pensions Regulator are kept informed of progress and plans.

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 fair pricing practices for (a) domestic heating oil and (b) liquefied petroleum gas.

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

The Government remains committed to supporting those households most affected and to addressing the rising costs linked to the ongoing conflict in Iran.

The Energy Secretary welcomes the Competition and Market Authority’s comprehensive examination of the heating oil industry to ensure customers are treated fairly. Wholesale prices for heating oil have risen more sharply than for LPG and concerns in the heating oil sector were raised immediately. The CMA will apply its person-centred, needs-based approach as appropriate, and its general operating principles extend to addressing any potential concerns in the LPG market. The Government will continue to monitor the situation and will not tolerate profiteering or unfair practices.

As part of the Chancellors announcement on 16 March, £53 million has been made available to assist low-income families facing rising fuel costs. Households using LPG will be eligible for the £27 million of this support available in England, which will be distributed by local authorities through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) from 1 April.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the prevalence of price gouging for (a) domestic heating oil and (b) liquefied petroleum gas.

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

Price gouging will not be tolerated. That is why the Chancellor has written to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to ask it to remain vigilant on heating oil prices and support action to tackle unjustified price increases.

Wholesale prices for heating oil have risen more sharply than for LPG and concerns in the heating oil sector were raised immediately. The CMA will apply its person-centred, needs-based approach as appropriate, and its general operating principles extend to addressing any potential concerns in the LPG market. The Government and the CMA will not hesitate to take action if companies are found to have breached consumer protection laws.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken towards beginning the process of ratifying the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, including any regulatory blocks that have led to the current delay; and what his planned timetable is for ratification.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The UK was proud to be among the first signatories to the Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer in May 2025, demonstrating our strong and longstanding commitment to the rule of law, the independence of the legal profession, and access to justice.

My Department is considering our next steps to prepare for ratification. This includes ongoing work across Government to assess the steps required to ensure compliance with the Convention’s provisions, including its application across the UK’s jurisdictions as well as any potential extension to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, in line with usual treaty practice.

Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday

Protection and restoration of ancient woodland

UK defence bonds

MS Awareness Week 2026

Mountain rescue in Cumbria

Food Bill

Upland farmers and common land

Introduction of reforms to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief

Covid Day of Reflection 2026

Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026

Meta and YouTube and legal liability for addictive design and online harms

Outdoor learning specialist apprenticeships

King's Guard's ceremonial bearskin caps

Water sector reform

Royal Mail's performance

Palantir and the NHS

Windermere

Conflict in Lebanon

Funding for rural Britain

Coniston Hydro

LGBTQ+ veterans

Sign Language Week

NHS funding for mental health services

Student finance system reform

State visits to the US

Found: Chair) Lewis Atkinson (Labour; Sunderland Central) Mr Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat; Wimbledon) Ben Maguire

Found: Climate Risk and Resilience Practitioner 07909 530 730 Sent to: Jayne Kirkham MP Perran Moon MP Ben Maguire

Found: The claimant emailed Ben Maguire Boyle of the respondent on 23 November 2021 in response to his email