Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 107238 what the timeline is for her review of the Greening Government commitments.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with Government priorities, including on the use of AI. Departments are expected to continue to take action to reduce their impact on the environment.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with his Swiss counterpart on the assessment conducted by the (a) Swiss army and (b) Swiss Armed Forces of Palantir, including that company's safeguards for handling sensitive data.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
While no meetings have yet taken place with the Defence Secretary's Swiss counterpart, he recognises the significance of UK defence engagement with Switzerland. He hopes to arrange a meeting in the near future.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
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 New Decent Homes Standard: policy statement, updated 28 January 2025, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of the 2035 implementation date for the New Decent Homes Standard on the wellbeing of children in accommodation not at a decent standard.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regularly engages with other government departments, including the Department for Education, in respect of policy development.
The wellbeing of children was a key consideration in the development of the new Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Its Impact Assessment, which can be found on gov.uk here, sets out the tenant impacts of implementing the updated DHS.
Prior to the implementation of the new DHS, landlords must continue to comply with the existing DHS and address non-decency wherever it exists.
The 2035 implementation deadline will give landlords the time they need to meet new duties, including those under Awaab’s Law, and will enable them to balance the cost implications of improving the quality of existing rented homes with the need to increase social and affordable housing supply given the importance of the latter to moving people, including many vulnerable children, out of unsuitable temporary accommodation. The implementation period is also consistent with the time social landlords were given to roll out the first iteration of the DHS.
The government encourages landlords to consider the benefits and feasibility of bringing properties up to the new DHS at the earliest opportunity. They should not delay all action until the end of the implementation period.
Asked by: Carla Denyer (Green Party - Bristol Central)
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 potential impact of the the crude oil and diesel spill from the Piper Bravo Platform on 6 January 2026 on the marine environment.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The crude oil and diesel spills on the Piper Bravo Platform on 6th January 2026 were reported to the Health & Safety Executive in accordance with their hydrocarbon release reporting requirements. Both spills were contained on the installation with no spill to the marine environment.