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Written Question
Fisheries: Regulation
Tuesday 21st October 2025

Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)

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 adopting a EU-style carding system to (a) warn and (b) sanction states that are not sufficiently combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

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

The UK’s Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Regulation (1005/2008) includes provisions that support a carding system, to warn and sanction states identified as non-cooperative in combating IUU fishing. Currently, the UK bans imports of seafood from Cambodia, Comoros and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.


Division Vote (Commons)
20 Oct 2025 - Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Hinchliff (Ind) voted No and in line with the House
One of 11 Independent No votes vs 1 Independent Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 83 Noes - 319
Division Vote (Commons)
20 Oct 2025 - Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Hinchliff (Ind) voted No and in line with the House
One of 11 Independent No votes vs 3 Independent Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 174 Noes - 321
Division Vote (Commons)
20 Oct 2025 - Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Hinchliff (Ind) voted Aye and in line with the House
One of 10 Independent Aye votes vs 3 Independent No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 320 Noes - 171
Division Vote (Commons)
20 Oct 2025 - Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Hinchliff (Ind) voted No and in line with the House
One of 12 Independent No votes vs 2 Independent Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 172 Noes - 322
Division Vote (Commons)
20 Oct 2025 - Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill - View Vote Context
Chris Hinchliff (Ind) voted Aye and in line with the House
One of 7 Independent Aye votes vs 6 Independent No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 318 Noes - 174
Written Question
Rivers: Environment Protection
Monday 20th October 2025

Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to increase nature-rich spaces by rivers to (a) reduce agricultural pollution and (b) protect and (c) enhance chalk streams.

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

Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to addressing the multiple pressures facing chalk streams and restoring them to better ecological health. This Government has announced an ambitious programme of reforms to clean up our rivers, lakes, and seas for good: we will ensure that chalk streams benefit from this era of reform.

Our Environmental Land Management schemes funding will increase by 150% to £2 billion by 2028/2029, providing incentives for farmers and land managers to farm more sustainably – six of our Landscape Recovery projects are being developed in chalk stream catchments.

Additionally, we have committed to a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan which will set out how Defra will deliver our legally binding targets. The Government will develop a new, statutory plan to protect and restore our natural environment with delivery plans to meet each of our ambitious Environment Act targets.


Written Question
Parental Leave: Terminal Illnesses
Monday 20th October 2025

Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish a timetable for launching a consultation on financial support for parents of seriously ill children.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has already committed to publish a terms of reference and timeline for its ongoing review of employment rights for unpaid carers this autumn. This will also outline the scope and include a timeline for consulting on employment rights for parents of seriously ill children.


Written Question
Parents: Government Assistance
Monday 20th October 2025

Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is the potential scope of their proposed consultation on financial support for parents of seriously ill children.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government has already committed to publish a terms of reference and timeline for its ongoing review of employment rights for unpaid carers this autumn. This will also outline the scope and include a timeline for consulting on employment rights for parents of seriously ill children.


Written Question
Fuel Cells and Hydrogen: Exports
Monday 20th October 2025

Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Independent - North East Hertfordshire)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans his Department has to support exports of UK-manufactured hydrogen and fuel cell technologies to international markets.

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

As a frontier sector in the Industrial Strategy, the government has committed targeted support to boost exports of world leading hydrogen technologies into new and established markets, by increasing the visibility of UK capabilities to projects and investors and unlocking greater participation in international supply chains. The Trade Strategy also commits to supporting exports through building on existing and exploring new and deeper clean energy sector agreements.

Officials in my department will continue to showcase UK capabilities through our global network, increasing access to international supply chains. UK Export Finance can offer a range of support for overseas sales, aims to deliver £10bn in clean growth financing by 2029.