Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to extend the Fruit and Vegetable Growers Scheme beyond December 31st 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Legislation introduced in July 2023 permanently closes the legacy EU Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme in England at the end of December 2025, The scheme was designed to help fresh fruit and vegetable growers increase their power in the supply chain, but it was only available to Producer Organisations, with around just over 20% of the sector accessing it and the vast majority not benefitting.
Future support for the sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.
The Government is committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the horticulture sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Wider Government support that we are providing for horticulture includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, further to her answer to Q92990 if she can break down the annual expenditure and the total £4.2 billion into capital and revenue.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are investing £4.2 billion over three years (2026/27 to 2028/29) to construct new flood and coastal erosion schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country.
This is £1.4 billion on average each year – a 5% increase on the current average of £1.33 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Further details will be published in due course, including the split between capital and revenue funding.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to Question 93370, if she will commission from HMRC an analysis of the tax contribution of the British nationals the ONS estimates have left the UK since July 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC does not hold data on all income sources of all individuals that have left the UK, and incomes of individuals vary each year. Individuals who have chosen to leave the UK may still be liable to pay tax in the UK.
HMRC published analysis on Income Tax Liabilities and Statistics annually. Income Tax statistics and distributions - GOV.UK
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 26 June to Question 61930, how many P85 forms have been submitted in each month from May 2025 to date.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The table below shows the number of P85 forms submitted to HMRC electronically from May 2025 to September 2025.
Month | P85 iForms |
May 2025 | 4,500 |
June 2025 | 4,500 |
July 2025 | 4,900 |
August 2025 | 5,200 |
September 2025 | 6,300 |
Figures rounded to 100
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to devolve the District Council power to evict travellers and illegal encampments from council-owned land to Town and Parish councils.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government currently has no such plans. Policy announcements will be made in the usual way.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to reduce the cost of groceries by reducing tariffs on fruit and vegetables not (a) grown and (b) processed in the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the Budget, the Government launched an application window for new duty suspensions on 26 November to help reduce import costs. Stakeholders have until 4 February 2026 to apply for the UK Global Tariff rate to be temporarily suspended on goods which are not produced, or not produced in sufficient quantities, in the UK and Crown Dependencies, including on fruit and vegetables. As a result of the previous application window announced in March 2025, the Government suspended tariffs on a range of food and drink products including fruit juices, pine nuts and raisins.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis she has commissioned from HMRC of the tax contribution made by the 257,000 British nationals who the ONS estimates left the UK in 2024.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor has not commissioned any analysis from HMRC on the tax contribution of the ONS estimate of 257,000 British nationals who left the UK in 2024.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
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 break down the total £4.2 billion to flood defence spending in the Spending Review 2025 into capital and resource spending.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are investing £4.2 billion over three years (2026/27 to 2028/29) to construct new flood and coastal erosion schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country.
This is £1.4 billion on average each year – a 5% increase on the current average of £1.33 billion over 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has conducted a sectoral impact analysis of the potential UK accession to the PEM Convention.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, the Government recognises that PEM accession could bring benefits to British businesses but that the potential benefits and risks will likely vary both within and across sectors. Our Call for Evidence, launched on 17 November, seeks input from business directly to better understand these sectoral impacts. It will end on 15 December.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits and risks to UK exporters of joining the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As set out in the UK’s Trade Strategy, joining the PEM Convention could simplify rules of origin across the UK’s nearest neighbours and increase supply chain flexibility for UK exporters. However, the Government recognises the benefits and risks of accession could vary both within and across sectors. We have therefore launched a Call for Evidence to seek direct business and partner input on the opportunities and risks that might flow from joining PEM. This will run until 15 December.