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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the role of anaerobic digestion to secure rural economic growth.

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

British farmers are world-leaders and know their own land best - carefully planning their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy. It is not Government policy to determine which crops farmers should prioritise to include in their crop rotation.

We will continue to support farmers, so they can make the right decisions for them and the productivity of their land.

The demand for UK produced crops is subject to global market prices and supply. Crop varieties grown in the UK can be of a specification for food, feed and bioenergy standards, so that there is in-built flexibility for farmers to ensure an end-use market for their product.

The development of anaerobic digestion plants creates jobs and economic growth. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s most recent analysis shows that over two thirds of existing biomethane anaerobic digestion plants are located in rural areas.

Biomethane production via anaerobic digestion is currently supported by the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). It is estimated that when taking into account both direct and indirect jobs, the GGSS could support up to 1,600 jobs per annum during the construction phase of plants, and up to 1,000 jobs during the lifetime of the plants (assumed to be 20 years).

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last raised the case of Jimmy Lai with US counterparts.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government welcomes US President Trump's public support for Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai's case remains an utmost priority; his prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released. The Foreign Secretary and her officials remain in regular contact with the US Government on this matter.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage crop-based biomethane to support regenerative farming practices.

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

British farmers are world-leaders and know their own land best - carefully planning their planting to suit the weather, their soil type, and their long-term agronomic strategy. It is not Government policy to determine which crops farmers should prioritise to include in their crop rotation.

We will continue to support farmers, so they can make the right decisions for them and the productivity of their land.

The Government currently supports biomethane production through the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS). The GGSS will close for new applications in Spring 2028, and the Government is planning to consult on policy options for a future framework for biomethane during financial year 2025/26.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Eritrean authorities concerning the enforced disappearance and harassment of (a) religious leaders and (b) human rights defenders; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure their protection against transnational repression.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to raise the issue of human rights with the Eritrean government, both through our Embassy in Asmara and through multilateral fora. We advocate for the end of all discriminatory detentions based on religion or belief, as we have stated at the UN Human Rights Council, and call for all those unjustly incarcerated to be released, including human rights defenders. The UK supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2025. We previously called upon Eritrea to address allegations and concerns surrounding activities which could be identified as transnational repression (TNR), including at the UN Human Rights Council in February 2025. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) recently took part in a cross-government review of TNR and will continue to monitor this issue.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department has offered to British citizens accused of being co-conspirators in the closing days of the trial of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong; and what assessment his Department has made of the risks to (a) those people and (b) others named in the trial.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The prosecution in Jimmy Lai's politically motivated trial has sought to highlight Mr Lai's

relationships with foreign nationals, including British nationals. The naming of British

nationals in this manner is unacceptable. If individuals named in any overseas trial have

concerns, we advise them to seek independent legal advice.

National inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse

Police front counters in London