Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of wildfires in summer 2026.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Wildfires are an increasing threat to people, properties, infrastructure, and the environment. The level of risk in summer 2026 will depend on many factors, such as weather, vegetation condition and human activity.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government works closely with the Met Office, fire and rescue services, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and other partners to monitor wildfire risk and preparedness throughout the year.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what is the (a) average and (b) maximum time between a Section 38 agreement being signed and formal road adoption by highway authorities in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected data on the average or maximum time between a Section 38 agreement being signed and formal road adoption by highway authorities.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the (a) average and (b) maximum time is between a Section 38 agreement being signed and formal road adoption by Devon County Council in Exmouth and Exeter East constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected data on the average or maximum time between a Section 38 agreement being signed and formal road adoption by highway authorities.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what duty exists between developers and highway authorities to ensure roads on new residential developments that are subject to a Section 38 agreement are gritted and made safe during the winter weather before formal adoption takes place.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There is no statutory duty set out in the Highways Act 1980 that requires developers or highway authorities to carry out winter maintenance, such as gritting, on roads subject to a Section 38 agreement prior to formal adoption.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times has a Section 38 highway bond proved insufficient to cover the costs of bringing an unadopted road up to an adoptable standard following the insolvency of the developer in each of the last five years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected data on the number of occasions where a Section 38 highway bond has proved insufficient to cover the costs of bringing an unadopted road up to an adoptable standard following the insolvency of a developer.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the number of roads currently blocked from adoption under Section 38 solely because the underlying sewer or drainage infrastructure has not been adopted by a water company.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected data on the number of roads awaiting adoption under Section 38 of the Highways Act 1980 due to the underlying sewer or drainage infrastructure not having been adopted by a water company.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what consideration his Department made of the evidence submitted to the consultation regarding the setting of the threshold for trade union access to SMEs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade carefully considered the evidence submitted through the public consultation on the operational details of the trade union right of access framework, including views on a proposed exemption from statutory access provisions for employers of a certain size.
The government published its response to this consultation on 8 April, setting out the final approach and rationale, including an exemption for employers with fewer than 21 workers. This is consistent with the statutory recognition framework, and strikes a balance between ensuring unions can access workplaces where there is the greatest potential for recognition, while limiting administrative burdens on smaller employers.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what meetings did his department hold with trade unions regarding the setting of the threshold for trade union access to SMEs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade held several roundtable discussions with business and industry groups throughout the development of the trade union right of access policy. In these meetings the threshold for trade union access to SMEs was discussed. This has included discussions before and during the relevant consultations on the secondary legislation and the new Code of Practice on access.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions were had with business and industry groups regarding the threshold for trade union access to SMEs.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade held several roundtable discussions with business and industry groups throughout the development of the trade union right of access policy. In these meetings the threshold for trade union access to SMEs was discussed. This has included discussions before and during the relevant consultations on the secondary legislation and the new Code of Practice on access.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legal basis is for allowing UK forces to interdict sanctioned shadow fleet vessels transiting UK territorial waters; and whether that legal basis has been confirmed in writing by the Attorney General.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
UK forces operate in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and domestic law.