Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 impact of data centres on the natural environment.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency works with government and the data centre sector to ensure environmental considerations are reflected in planning and decision-making. They also engage with developers and planning authorities to help identify environmental constraints and opportunities at an early stage, supporting sustainable development while protecting water resources, habitats and wider environmental quality. Where appropriate, developments are also subject to environmental permitting, abstraction licensing or other regulatory requirements.
All new developments, including data centres, must consider local environmental impacts, such as water availability. New data centres will only be supplied with water where the relevant water company assesses that sufficient water resources are available.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help restore nature and biodiversity.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is investing in action for habitats and species to achieve biodiversity targets set in the Environment Act and Environmental Improvement Plan. Since 2023, action has been taken on an area twice the size of the Isle of Wight to create or restore wildlife-rich habitat
The new £30 million Wildlife-rich Habitat Fund is expected to deliver thousands of hectares of new habitat across England’s Protected Landscapes and we announced our largest ever investment in threatened species recovery. £90 million over three years, including £60 million for the Species Recovery Programme and £30 million for recovery on the national forest estate.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to resolve industrial disputes in his Department and ensure adequate consultation with unions.
Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) engages regularly and constructively with all its recognised trade unions on workforce matters. The Department is also meeting Public and Commercial Services (PCS) specifically on the dispute at their request, with the aim of addressing concerns through constructive dialogue. The FCDO remains of the view this dispute was triggered prematurely, given the restructure process is ongoing and no staff have yet been placed at risk of redundancy. Our restructure process was designed specifically to minimise the potential need for redundancy. The restructuring programme is necessary to ensure the FCDO can deliver on its objectives, remain within its financial settlement and respond more effectively to evolving global challenges.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made to improve diagnosis and care for people with osteoporosis.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 15 July to Question 17293.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote compliance with international humanitarian law in Mongolia.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Mongolia share a deep commitment to democracy and democratic values. Earlier this year, the former Minister for the Indo Pacific visited Mongolia and, together with Deputy Foreign Minister Gombosuren Amartuvshin reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the principles of the UN Charter, international law, and democratic values. The sides also renewed calls for all countries to refrain from using force against the territorial integrity and sovereign independence of any state.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve recruitment and retention of staff in London's Probation Service.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Recruitment and retention of probation staff remains a key priority and as a result, we have seen growth in the qualified probation officer workforce. We exceeded our commitment to onboard 1,300 trainee probation officers in 2025/26, successfully onboarding 1,389. We continue to deliver on our priorities to increase staffing and improve the quality of delivery, with a further commitment to onboard at least 1,300 trainees in 2026/27. The recruitment of most other probation roles is driven nationally through centralised recruitment to ensure a consistent approach. Since July this year, this is supported by a centralised forecasting model, which ensures targeted engagement with all regions, including London, to improve the service’s recruitment planning.
HMPPS addresses retention through a coordinated strategy, oversight process and evidence-based interventions. Exit interview insights, the retention toolkit and targeted deep dives at high-attrition sites help identify and address the drivers of attrition, while the Retention Delivery Committee supports nationally aligned action and the sharing of best practice.
Alongside national measures, London Probation has implemented a regional Recruitment and Retention Plan, supported by a wider London Plan, to address recruitment, retention and workforce sustainability challenges. Activity includes targeted recruitment campaigns, support for staff progression and professional development, measures to improve the recruitment process, and initiatives to retain experienced staff within the Probation Service.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international partners on tackling the surge in settler violence in the West Bank, including promoting compliance with international law.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 8 September in relation to Israel and Palestine.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of BBC job reductions on the BBC's ability to provide trusted public broadcasting.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Delivering significant savings requires the BBC to make difficult decisions, and the Government appreciates that this is concerning for staff and audiences. These decisions are rightly made independently of the Government. Through the Charter Review, we aim to put the BBC on a sustainable financial footing in future, so that it has the resources it needs to continue to deliver wide public value.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect jobs from emerging technologies, including driverless cars.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Emerging technologies, including AI and self-driving vehicles, will change some jobs but also create new opportunities, boost productivity and improve working lives.
Self-driving vehicle deployment will be gradual and subject to robust regulation. Automated Passenger Services pilot permits require the consent of the relevant local licensing authority or franchising body and the Government will build the evidence base through small-scale deployments, while supporting innovation and economic growth.
The Government will continue to engage closely with industry and the workforce to manage the potential risks and maximise the opportunities created by new technologies.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to safeguard UK food supply from salmonella outbreaks.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Food Standards Agency's (FSA) is responsible for food safety and food hygiene. One of the FSA’s primary objectives is to control foodborne disease, and the FSA collaborates across the food system to identify and manage risks. The food hygiene legislation, official controls, surveillance of foodborne disease, outbreak investigation, and consumer advice are focused on reducing foodborne illness.
Food businesses are required to comply with food hygiene legislation and implement food safety management procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles to identify and control food safety risks, including microbiological hazards such as Salmonella. Local authorities and the FSA deliver official controls to verify compliance with food hygiene requirements and take enforcement action where necessary.
The United Kingdom also operates Salmonella National Control Programmes in poultry populations, including breeding flocks, laying hens, broilers, and turkeys. These programmes require routine testing and surveillance to reduce the prevalence of Salmonella at primary production level and minimise the risk of contaminated food entering the supply chain.
The FSA works closely with the UK Health Security Agency, local authorities, and other partners to monitor and investigate foodborne disease outbreaks. Where food safety risks are identified, the FSA can issue Food Alerts and support product withdrawals or recalls to protect consumers.