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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of hectares of forestry land that will be made available for energy generation, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

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

The forestry renewables measure, announced as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aims to integrate renewable energy into our natural landscape. Provisions will be in place to ensure that renewable energy developments on forestry land are not at the expense of our natural environment. Forestry England’s general duty to promote the interests of forestry and development of afforestation, as set out by the Forestry Act, will be unchanged.

The Public Forest Estate comprises a mixture of woodland and non-woodland areas. Only projects at suitable locations within the Public Forest Estate will be taken forward to deliver energy generation projects. Renewable energy developments will be subject to the planning process which will include environmental screening, surveys, and mitigation measures on any potential impacts on landscapes and ecology. The estimated footprint of these projects will be relatively small, and we expect no net loss of woodland area.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to provide guidance to forestry authorities on prioritising energy generation in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

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

The forestry renewables measure, announced as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aims to integrate renewable energy into our natural landscape. Provisions will be in place to ensure that renewable energy developments on forestry land are not at the expense of our natural environment. Forestry England’s general duty to promote the interests of forestry and development of afforestation, as set out by the Forestry Act, will be unchanged.

The Public Forest Estate comprises a mixture of woodland and non-woodland areas. Only projects at suitable locations within the Public Forest Estate will be taken forward to deliver energy generation projects. Renewable energy developments will be subject to the planning process which will include environmental screening, surveys, and mitigation measures on any potential impacts on landscapes and ecology. The estimated footprint of these projects will be relatively small, and we expect no net loss of woodland area.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29957 on Bank Services and Banking Hubs, if her Department will direct the Financial Conduct Authority to require the creation of banking hubs in new towns without banking services.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in new towns and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open.

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash access facility such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, including in new towns, LINK independently assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub.

A community request can be submitted to LINK via its website.

Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the increased investment in maintenance of flood defences will allow the Environment Agency to keep 98% of its high-consequence assets in the required condition over the next two years.

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

This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left just 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at required condition, meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk.

The Environment Agency (EA) is reprioritising £72 million from capital programme funding, for the 2025/26 financial year, to maintain high consequence assets at target condition. This funding will ensure assets are as resilient and reliable as possible and operate as expected in flood events.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund will support courses available in Bedfordshire.

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

The Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund is currently closed for applications. The Forestry Commission is collecting feedback from those who have attended the course and will be working with key stakeholders to deliver the Forestry Sector Skills Plan.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of planned housing developments in Bedfordshire on Thameslink services.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Any assessment on the impacts of housing developments on public transport is a matter for local partners through development of their local plans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of SEN children fined for school absences in the last academic year.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The information requested is not held by the department.

The department collects aggregate data on penalty notices from local authorities in England through the annual ‘parental responsibility measures’ attendance census. Information is not collected on the characteristics of the children concerned.

The available data are published in the following statistical release: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures.

The most recent data was published in January 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the (a) housebuilding and (b) construction industry of her proposed changes to the level of employer National Insurance contributions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer; the economic impacts of the policy; and the impacts on individuals, businesses and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what would happen to funds provided by developers towards environmental delivery plans that are unspent at the conclusion of the environmental delivery plan period.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Nature Restoration Levy will be set to secure the conservation measures necessary to outweigh the negative effect of development covered by the Environmental Delivery Plan. In the event that there are unspent funds that are not required to secure the conservation measures under the Environmental Delivery Plan, these funds will be directed towards additional conservations measures and securing additional positive environmental outcomes. Should the Environmental Delivery Plan period elapse before this outcome is achieved, the funds will continue to be invested until the required environmental outcome is achieved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of waiting times for visas on (a) the super priority service and (b) other processes.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

As outlined on GOV.UK, using the ‘super priority service’ for visa and settlement applications means a decision is usually made by the end of the next working day.

Using the ‘priority service’ means a decision is usually made within 5 working days, or 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK.

If there is a delay, for example due to the information provided not being accurate or further evidence being required, the customer will be notified of this within the current processing times.

Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of fast-tracked passport applications taking longer than one week.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of passport applications taking longer than three weeks.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information you have requested is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of waiting times at the Passport Office.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

His Majesty’s Passport Office consistently exceeds the performance indicator for its standard service within the UK, with over 98.5% of customers receiving their passport within three weeks where no further information is required.

Information about the performance of HM Passport Office can be found within the latest transparency data release, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of teachers employed in state schools in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers employed in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication. This publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

As of November 2023, the latest date for which data are available, there were 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers employed in state-funded schools in England.

Figures for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in June 2025 at the link above.

Each year, the department calculates the number of trainees needed via postgraduate initial teacher training to meet future teacher demand. As part of these calculations, the department’s model makes a short-term estimate of future teacher numbers required. The most recently published version, that makes such estimates for 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively, is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets-2024-to-2025.

An updated version, for 2025/26 recruitment targets will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27313 on Private Education: Special Educational Needs, if she will make a separate assessment for SEN pupils.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

HM Treasury has published a tax information and impact note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes pupils with special educational needs.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the economic contribution of live theatre to the creative industry.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government recognises the importance of theatre in providing high-quality culture and stimulating growth.

DCMS economic estimates of GVA provide a measure of the contribution made by the DCMS sectors to the UK economy. The Arts subsector, of which theatres are part, contributed £9 billion GVA and supported around 230,000 filled jobs in 2023. DCMS economic estimates do not separately measure the contribution of live theatre to GVA.

According to a 2023 study by SOLT & UK Theatre, the theatre sector as a whole generated £2.39bn in GVA and generated a total turnover of £4.44 billion.

Data collection plays an integral role in how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport assesses the economic contribution of its sectors to the UK economy. DCMS publishes official statistics (DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates) including data on Gross Value Added, employment and business demographics, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimates

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 29563 on General Practitioners: Finance, what his planned timetable is for confirming funding for GP surgery projects.

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

Integrated care boards were informed of their allocations in the planning guidance issued on 30 January 2025. The final element to be confirmed is the operation of a small element of incentives funding.

The Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund was announced during the 2024 Spending Review and provides new capital funding of £102 million for the 2025/26 financial year, to support improvements in the primary care estate.

Systems have also received their indicative allocations relating to this specific fund through the planning guidance, and have submitted the priority schemes they wish to support to NHS England for assessment at the regional level. The assessments are due to completed by 31 March 2025, and the systems will be notified shortly afterwards about successful schemes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 29563 on General Practitioners: Finance, what his planned timetable is for confirming the allocations for integrated care boards.

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

Integrated care boards were informed of their allocations in the planning guidance issued on 30 January 2025. The final element to be confirmed is the operation of a small element of incentives funding.

The Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund was announced during the 2024 Spending Review and provides new capital funding of £102 million for the 2025/26 financial year, to support improvements in the primary care estate.

Systems have also received their indicative allocations relating to this specific fund through the planning guidance, and have submitted the priority schemes they wish to support to NHS England for assessment at the regional level. The assessments are due to completed by 31 March 2025, and the systems will be notified shortly afterwards about successful schemes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of call waiting times for emergency support for suicidal people in Bedfordshire.

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

People experiencing suicidal thoughts can access emergency support through a variety of services. These include accident and emergency, mental health crisis services via NHS 111, the police, mental health street triage services, ambulance services, general practitioners, and voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations.

While waiting times data is published by NHS England across many of these services, information on the reason for the call is not available.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport,on the potential impact of removing the Theatres Trust as a statutory consultee on the creative industries.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing the Theatres Trust as a statutory consultee on the creative industries.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2025 to Question 26151 on Schools: Admissions, what estimate she has made of the (a) number of pupils and (b) school capacity for (i) Central Bedfordshire, (ii) Bedford Borough and (iii) Luton Borough for each of the next five years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Data on state-funded school places is published at local authority level in the annual ‘School capacity’ publication. The full release can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity.

The latest available data for the number of pupils and school capacity, as at 1 May 2023, for Central Bedfordshire, Bedford borough and Luton borough can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/190afba3-869e-4ef0-f219-08dd5cc661f7.

Local authority pupil number forecasts for Central Bedfordshire, Bedford borough and Luton borough for the five academic years from 2023/24 to 2027/28 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9631024d-157e-4b93-0eb3-08dd5ccbf23a.

The linked table also includes numbers on roll for 2022/23 as at January 2023, which differs to the numbers on roll in the capacity table that relate to May 2023. Forecasts were submitted to the department through the School Capacity survey 2023.

School capacity estimates are made for three academic years ahead, in this case 2023/24 to 2025/26, as part of the department’s estimate of future school place shortfalls and surpluses. These estimates can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b12c3f30-c22c-4b88-b5b2-2c1848981b4e. These estimates reflect the position reported by local authorities at May 2023 through the School Capacity survey, supplemented with the department’s internal data on central programmes.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of ADHD assessments in identifying that condition in girls.

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

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

NICE guidelines on ADHD, published and updated in September 2019, aim to improve the diagnosis of ADHD, recognising that ADHD may be under-diagnosed in women and girls, and to improve the quality of care and support that people of all ages who are diagnosed with ADHD receive.

NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors. The taskforce is working to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the final report expected in the summer.

In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press notice entitled New deal for GPs will fix the front door of the NHS, published on 28 February 2025, whether the funding announced in that notice is in addition to funding allocated to his Department at the Autumn Budget 2024.

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

We have made necessary decisions to fix the foundations of the public finances in the Autumn Budget. Resource spending for the Department will be £22.6 billion more in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, as part of the Spending Review settlement.

As a part of this allocation, we are investing £889 million in core general practice (GP) funding, and up to £80 million for the use of Advice and Guidance between GPs and consultants. This brings the total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26, the biggest increase in over a decade. We are pleased that the General Practitioners Committee England is supportive of the contract changes.

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 his Department's policy paper entitled Wild release and management of beavers in England, published on 28 February 2025, whether he has plans to take steps to release beavers in Bedfordshire.

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

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

On 28 February 2025, Defra announced its new approach to beavers, including opening a licensing scheme for beaver wild release.

A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way. Any project proposing wild beaver reintroductions in Bedfordshire must therefore meet the criteria.

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 17 February 2025 to Question 30413 on Farmers: Income, if he will make an estimate of median income for farmers in the 2023-24 financial year.

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

Published data for England 2023/24 are based on mean average incomes, rather than medians and are available at: Farm business income - GOV.UK. These show that, in 2023/24, average (mean) Farm Business Income (in simple terms, the output generated by the farm business minus total farm costs) across all farm types was £45,300.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Flood Resilience Taskforce Model to consider wider resilience challenges.

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

Protecting communities around the country from flooding is one of the Secretary of State’s five priorities. That’s why we set up a Floods Resilience Taskforce which is a new approach to preparing for flooding. It brings together representatives from national, regional and local Government, the Devolved Governments, emergency services, businesses and environmental interest groups. The Floods Resilience Taskforce is working on a range of actions including warning and informing and vulnerable groups.

The Government has robust governance in place for improving the UK's national resilience. The Prime Minister established a dedicated Cabinet Committee on resilience, chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the Cabinet Office is responsible for the coordination of resilience, civil contingencies planning, and crisis management working with Lead Government Departments like Defra and the Devolved Governments.

Defra is responsible for a range of resilience challenges including flooding, water supply, animal and plant health, and food supply. There is frequent sharing of experience across Defra including on the model of the Floods Resilience Taskforce.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the recruitment of additional ecologists in local government.

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

Since November 2021, the Government has committed over £35 million to Local planning authorities (LPAs) to help them prepare for and implement biodiversity net gain. Defra has confirmed funding up to the end of 2024/25 and will confirm for 2025/26 shortly. Information on funding beyond 2025/26 will be provided following the spending review. Individual LPAs are best placed to decide how to use the funds in the most effective way, but recruitment of ecologists is one of the areas they could choose to allocate money to.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of apprenticeship levy reforms on Chartered Town Planner Level 7 Apprenticeships.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of removing Sport England as a statutory consultee on grassroots sport.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of AXA UK's report entitled Extreme weather risks: An analysis of England’s vulnerability to flooding and heat, published on 27 November 2024.

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

The UK has a legal framework for managing climate risks under the Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme, setting out actions by government to address the risks identified. While Defra coordinates this work, this is a whole of government effort. Each department is responsible for managing the risks that apply to their sectors and responsibilities. Defra has a Minister responsible for the cross-government coordination of climate change adaptation, who works with Ministers across Government to build the UK’s climate resilience.

Defra also has overall national responsibility for policy on flooding and coastal erosion.

The Environment Agency recently published its updated National Assessment of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk. It shows that 6.3 million homes and businesses in England are at risk of flooding, which could increase to 8 million by the middle of the century.

Combined with the fact that this Government inherited flood defences in their worst condition on record, it is vital we invest in protecting our communities.

That is why we have committed £2.65 billion over the next two years to maintain, repair and build flood defences.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government's Flood Resilience Taskforce has made on improving flood resilience in high-risk areas.

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

The Floods Resilience Taskforce is a new approach to preparing for flooding which brings together representatives from national, regional and local government, the devolved Governments emergency services, businesses and environmental interest groups.

The first meeting on 5 September provided all organisations with a shared understanding of the flood risk for the autumn and winter, to inform preparatory action. The second taskforce meeting on 5 February looked at lessons from the winter flooding and informed the forthcoming consultation on long-term investment reform.

The Taskforce is developing Action Groups on flood warnings, flood recovery and insurance services to drive work on these issues.

This Government inherited flood assets in their poorest condition on record, as years of underinvestment and damaging storms left just 92% of the Environment Agency’s 38,000 high-consequence assets at required condition, meaning approximately 60,000 properties are at a higher risk.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to introduce a ban on pavement parking in non-metropolitan areas.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has been considering all the views expressed in response to the consultation in 2020 and is currently working through the policy options and the appropriate means of delivering them. As soon as the Government has decided its preferred way forward, we will announce the next steps and publish our formal response. In the meantime, local authorities can make use of existing powers to manage pavement parking.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 29563 on General Practitioners: Finance, what projects he has discussed with the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund was announced during the 2024 Spending Review, and provides new capital funding of £102 million for the 2025/26 financial year to support improvements in the primary care estate.

The Department and NHS England have worked with the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board to prioritise high-impact projects where investment can unlock significant productivity gains and additional usable space from existing buildings. We are unable to publish the details while the assessment of those schemes is still ongoing, to ensure each project is judged on its own merit.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, columns 631-634, if she will provide a breakdown of the funding sources for the proposed increase in defence spending.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Prime Minister’s announcement in February is fully funded - we are reducing ODA to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI to fund the additional spend required to ensure we reach 2.5% of GDP on defence spending in 2027-28.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how often the Ancient Woodland Inventory is audited.

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

The Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) was originally surveyed in the 1980s. Counties in the south-east of England were reviewed and updated between 2005 and 2015. The AWI is currently being audited with 35 counties in England being reassessed and where necessary boundaries are being redrawn to reflect changes in land use. Nine county revisions have been completed and published as the Revised Ancient Woodland Inventory (England). The remaining 26 counties are expected to be published over the coming months. Natural England also has a process in place to amend the AWI on a site-by-site basis where evidence for a change is supplied. You can find the original dataset here: Ancient Woodland (England) - data.gov.uk and updated and audited counties are being published here: Ancient Woodland - Revised (England) - Completed Counties.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of AXA’s report entitled Extreme weather risks: An analysis of England’s vulnerability to flooding and heat.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the Third National Adaptation Plan, MHCLG has shared responsibility with Defra and DESNZ for addressing risks to buildings from extreme heat and flooding.

On overheating, MHCLG introduced Part O of the Building Regulations in 2021, which requires that new buildings are built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Part O came into force in June 2022.

On flooding, statutory guidance to the Building Regulations in Approved Document C, already promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 also sets out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including overheating, storm and flood risk. Planning should help to ensure that development minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of geographic detail available on the number of (a) A&E and (b) Urgent Care Centre admissions.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England publishes accident and emergency admission data for a range of different geographical footprints. This includes at an integrated care board, regional, and provider level. We will continue to keep the range of data available to support the improvement of National Health Services under review. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Natural England will be expected to consult Internal Drainage Boards in the preparation of Environmental Delivery Plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) will be subject to public consultation, providing relevant organisations and bodies with the opportunity to comment on their content.

Natural England will be able to proactively seek the views of any public authority it considers necessary when consulting on an EDP. This may include Internal Drainage Boards where appropriate.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether environmental delivery plans would be (a) replaced and (b) lapse at the end of the specified period.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Developments coming forward after the expiry of Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) will not be able to utilise the Nature Restoration Fund.

Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is due to expire, the Secretary of State may make the decision to either update or replace it following the process set out in the Bill.

Whether an environmental delivery plan is replaced at the end of its duration will depend on the context and specific circumstances.

Where an environmental impact has been resolved, such as securing the restoration of a Habitats Site to a favourable condition, the need for an Environmental Delivery Plan may fall away as development may not be having a negative effect.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether development would be considered on a first-come-first-served basis up to the maximum amount specified.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government would expect Environmental Delivery Plans to operate on a first-come-first-served basis.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what would happen to projects not completed as part of the environmental delivery plan at the end of the specified period.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Where a developer has been granted permission relying on the payment of the Nature Restoration Levy, Natural England will be responsible for securing the necessary conservation measures to outweigh the negative effects of the development.

This model does not require development benefiting from the Environmental Delivery Plan to be completed before the end date of the Environmental Delivery Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to clause 49(7)(b) of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, who will be responsible the ongoing maintenance of conservation projects implemented through environmental delivery plans at the end of the specified period.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Natural England will secure and deliver conservation measures as part of an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) to address the environmental impact of the development in question.

When preparing an EDP, Natural England will give consideration to the lifespan of the development to which the EDP applies and the period over which conservation measures need to be secured and managed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Environmental Delivery Plans will support the use of nature-based solutions to tackle flooding.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When implementing Environmental Delivery Plans, Natural England will be able to use nature-based solutions, as well as other appropriate interventions, in their efforts to maximise the impact of conservation measures in addressing the negative effects of development.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 49.5 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether development will be permitted beyond the maximum amount specified by Environmental Delivery Plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

An Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) would only enable development up to the maximum amount specified in the EDP.

Where an EDP is reaching the maximum capacity, the Secretary of State would be able to request that Natural England amend the EDP or put a new EDP in place to address additional demand following the procedure set out in the Bill.

Where the full capacity of an EDP has been utilised, development would be required to come forward under the existing system.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment on the potential impact of Environmental Delivery Plans on levels of access to nature.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through the delivery of conservation measures, Environmental Delivery Plans provide the opportunity to improve access to nature. The scale of improvement will depend on the local context and circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any measures within the Planning and Infrastructure Bill relate to (a) flooding and (b) sustainable drainage.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Hard copies of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill are available from the Vote Office and an electronic copy of Bill can be found online here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Environmental Delivery Plans will support the development of (a) community forests and (b) the forest of Marston Vale.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When preparing Environmental Delivery Plans, Natural England will consider relevant strategies and plans. These may include strategies or plans for community forests.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of green space maintenance standards by developers after the construction of new housing developments.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National design guidance supports the National Planning Policy Framework and emphasises the importance of considering management and maintenance regimes, including for open and public spaces, from the early stages of the design process, set out in a management plan.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, columns 631-634, if she will make an estimate of the savings to the public purse by reducing the amount spent on official development assistance as a proportion of gross national income.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of Europe and must increase our security and defence spending now. To fund this increase, the government has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. Future ODA allocations will be decided at Phase 2 of the Spending Review and the ODA savings trajectory will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing the Theatres Trust as a statutory consultee on the creative industries.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, whether there will be a dedicated statutory consultee assessing the potential impact of development on historic (a) parks, (b) gardens and (c) designed landscapes following the removal of the Gardens Trust.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of Sport England as a statutory consultee on new sports facilities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, which statutory consultees she plans to consult on removing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to publish an impact assessment on the impact of the increase in class one employer National Insurance contributions on the charity sector within the first six months of the introduction of that change.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate support for people with postural tachycardia syndrome in Bedfordshire.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Improving health outcomes for people who live with long-term conditions, including postural tachycardia syndrome, is a key part of the Government's mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future.

The integrated care boards (ICBs), including the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB, which serves Bedfordshire, are responsible for commissioning services that meet the needs of their population. The Government expects ICBs to take account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and other best practice in designing their services to meet the needs of their local populations.

The NICE publishes guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of long-term conditions for use by healthcare professionals and commissioners. The NICE has produced a clinical knowledge summary on the clinical management of blackouts and syncope, which sets out how clinicians should assess and diagnose postural tachycardia syndrome.

This was last updated in November 2023, and is available at the following link: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/blackouts-syncope/diagnosis/assessment/

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29193 on Hospitality Industry: Employment, whether her Department has done a sector specific analysis of the projected impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on employment in hospitality.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances and fund public services.

The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.

For example, a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

As set out previously, the Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28608 on Employers' Contributions: Public Sector, whether the funding provided will offset the full impact.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside funding to support the public sector with the additional cost of employer National Insurance Contributions. This support funding amounts to £4.7 billion in 2025-26, inclusive of Barnett consequentials.

This funding was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. This funding has since been allocated to departments and other public sector employers, with shares based on data covering headcount, wage and salary costs, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.

The Government plans to publish the allocations for departments alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 as part of Mains estimates.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support university-partnered venture capital investment companies outside the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle; and whether Ministers in his Department have met with those companies.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to driving innovation and economic growth across the UK. DSIT Ministers regularly meet with investors in science and technology sectors. Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund (CCF) has supported university collaborations, leading to the Northern Gritstone and Midlands Mindforge venture capital funds, and the Northern Accelerator. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships programme supports investors like Northern Gritstone and Qantx with R&D funding for their companies. The government supports venture capital through tax reliefs such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and programmes from the British Business Bank who are an investor in Northern Gritstone. Government continues to assess opportunities to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation-led investment.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35021 on Motor Vehicles: Dangerous Driving and Noise, if she will make an assessment of the potential connection between excessively noisy vehicles and dangerous driving.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not have plans to carry out an assessment of the potential connection between excessively noisy vehicles and dangerous driving.

The Department takes the impact of excessive noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously and conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022-February 2023. Reports of these trials, including detailed assessment of the technology’s performance and potential merits, were published on 17 March 2024. Overall, the trials demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published 13 February 2025, whether the £51.5m funding to increase regeneration and brownfield delivery is additional to funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The £51.5 million package announced on 13 February 2025 is additional to the funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with the NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board on the proposed Wixams GP surgery.

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

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice (GP) services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. The Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB has advised that they updated the Central Bedfordshire Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee about the ICB’s intention to deliver a permanent healthcare facility in Wixams, with a further update to follow in the spring. The ICB has committed to undertaking further analysis with the new developers of Wixams town centre, to understand the dependencies, such as roads and power connections, and to assess the facility's delivery timeline against the likely costs and affordability. Further information about the Central Bedfordshire Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee is available at the following link:

https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/31/meetings/231/social_care_health_and_housing_overview_and_scrutiny_committee_-_meetings_and_agendas

We know that there is pressure on primary care estates and service provision in areas of high population growth. At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the press notice entitled Nearly fifty thousand extra pensioners receiving vital Pension Credit support following surge in claims processed, published on 27 February 2025, if she will make an estimate of the number of people who were (a) eligible for and (b) not in receipt of Pension Credit on 24 March 2025.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department does not have this data for the period up to March 2025.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2022 to 2023 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2023 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to increase the number of new homes built to high standards of environmental resilience by 2030; and what proportion of existing housebuilding projects are meeting these standards.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG has already taken a number of steps to deliver climate resilient homes, including:

Revising the National Planning Policy Framework (published on 12 December 2024) to set out that the planning system should take full account of all climate impacts, including overheating, storm and flood risk. Planning should help to shape places in a way that minimises vulnerability and improves resilience to the effects of climate change though suitable adaptation measures, including through incorporating green infrastructure and sustainable drainagesystems.

Building regulations are intended to protect people’s safety, health and welfare through setting a minimum acceptable standard for the design and construction of properties. Introducing Part O of the Building Regulations, which came into force in June 2022, to require that new homes are built to mitigate the risk of overheating. Whilst Approved Document C promotes the use of flood resilient and resistant construction in flood prone areas.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a clawback option for agricultural property relief and business property relief where 100% relief is reinstated but inheritance tax is applied where assets are disposed of and the resulting wealth is not re-invested in the business.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to UIN 32918.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Institute for Public Policy Research's report entitled Strategic planning for green prosperity, published on 14 February 2025.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has not made an assessment of the potential implications of the Institute for Public Policy Research’s report in question.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will provide guidance to councils on balancing the needs for (a) new housing and (b) nature recovery.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in Paragraph 7 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the purpose of the planning system is to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, including the provision of homes, commercial development and supporting infrastructure in a sustainable manner. Sustainable development should be pursued both through the preparation and implementation of local development plans, and the application of policies in the framework.

Paragraph 187 of the Framework also makes clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment. The revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024 included several changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as swifts, bats, and hedgehogs.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared across England to set out priorities for nature recovery, map important habitats and identify opportunities for improvements. The government recently updated its Planning Practice Guidance to explain the role of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in the planning system and made clear as part of that update that these strategies will form an evidence base which may be a material consideration when making planning decisions.

When it comes to development and the environment, we know we can do better than the status quo, which too often sees both sustainable housebuilding and nature recovery stall. Instead of environmental protections being seen as a barrier to growth, we want to unlock a win-win for the economy and for nature. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will introduce a new Nature Restoration Fund that will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond simply offsetting harm to unlock the positive impact development can have in driving nature recovery.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government partners with young people to help develop new national youth strategy, published on 5 March 2025, whether any Democracy Cafes will take place in Bedfordshire.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

As part of the development of the National Youth Strategy, we have conducted nine Democracy Cafes, one in every region of the country, as well as online focus groups. No Democracy Cafe was held in Bedfordshire, but one was delivered in Cambridge. There are no plans to conduct further Democracy Cafes, but we are planning larger in-person events called ‘Hacks’. Details of these will be on our website for the Strategy in due course. We also encourage as many young people across the country as possible to respond to the National Youth Strategy survey or to complete the ‘digital postcards’.

Submit Evidence (by 24 Apr 2025)

The Environmental Audit Committee is undertaking an inquiry on airport expansion and climate and nature targets. In this inquiry the Committee is seeking to:

Submit Evidence (by 26 May 2025)

Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large, complex group of about 14,000 synthetic chemicals used in a wide variety of everyday products. For example, PFAS are used to keep food from sticking to packaging or cookware, make clothes and carpets resistant to stains, and create firefighting foam that is more effective.