Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the temporary ban on disposable barbecues on eliminating sales by retailers.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Government has engaged extensively with businesses, representative trade bodies and local authorities following the introduction of the statutory guidelines on the sale of disposable barbecues on 14 August. Feedback from local authorities, retailers and representative organisations, indicates that disposable barbecues have generally been removed from sale. Local authorities are responsible for enforcement at a local level and can take appropriate action where non-compliance is identified. The guidelines have been welcomed by Fire and Rescue Services as a proportionate measure supporting wider efforts to reduce the risk of wildfires and fire-related incidents.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of training for GPs on recognising and managing type 1 diabetes in infants.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Getting It Right First Time National Report for Diabetes: Children and Young Adults, published in July 2026, sets out the training requirements for delivering high-quality diabetes care and the processes that should be put in place to deliver that training. Further information is available at the following link:

Children-and-Young-Adults-Diabetes-report-July-2026-UPDATED-04.08.26.pdf

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of diabetes distress amongst mental health professionals working in NHS Talking Therapies.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure psychologists are embedded in NHS diabetes multidisciplinary teams in England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of NHS mental health support for diabetes distress in England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department will take steps to develop a dedicated treatment pathway for patients who have Ehlers-Danlos syndromes with craniocervical instability.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 July to Question 10869 and to the answer given on 8 July to Question 10871.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve awareness amongst GPs of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 6 July to Question 10869 and to the answer given on 8 July to Question 10871.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to raise awareness of diabetes distress amongst professionals working in NHS Mental Health Support Teams in schools.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the need to do more to support people experiencing diabetes distress. That is why the National Institute for Health and Care Research is investing £2.9 million in partnership with Diabetes UK to support the development and evaluation of the ‘D-stress’ programme, in order to identify the most effective way to prevent and treat diabetes distress, helping to improve the management of the condition, and the quality of life for those living with it. We will take into account the results of this programme in considering what more can be done in this area.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the progress the Forestry Commission has made towards achieving its target of improving the semi-natural score of plantation in ancient woodland sites by at least one class by 2044.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Progress towards the target is assessed annually through Forestry England's semi-natural scoring of plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS), which is reported in Forestry England's Natural Capital Accounts. Between April 2024 and April 2026, 337 hectares moved out of semi-natural score 4 and 303 hectares moved into semi-natural score 1, demonstrating progress towards the 2044 target of improving the semi-natural score of PAWS by at least one class.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking with the Department of Education to ensure mental health support is available for parents of children with profound special educational needs and disabilities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 17 July in response to Question 11834.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress her Department has made on decarbonising heating in off-grid homes.

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

The Government is making strong progress in supporting off-gas-grid homes to switch to cleaner heating.

In response to the Middle East situation, the Government increased grants available for heat pump installations to up to £9,000 for homes currently heated by oil or LPG.

In total the Boiler Upgrade Scheme has supported over 90,000 installations across England and Wales, with 49% of funding delivered to rural areas and 38% to off-grid areas. The average cost of a heat pump installation has fallen by 11% in real terms since the Scheme launched in 2022.

The Warm Homes: Local Grant is also supporting low-income households living in EPC D-G homes, both on and off the gas grid, with energy performance improvements and low-carbon heating.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to tackle regulatory barriers to the creation of new co-operatives.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to reducing regulatory barriers to establishing and growing co-operatives. We will shortly publish our response to the call for evidence on business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals, which will set out our approach to easing regulatory barriers more generally.

In September, the Department published a consultation on modernising corporate reporting, including considering how reporting requirements can be made more proportionate and better suited to member-owned businesses.

Separately, the Law Commission is reviewing co-operative and community benefit society law, including provisions on share capital and external investment, and is expected to report in early 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Forestry Commission to achieve its target of improving the semi-natural score of plantation in ancient woodland sites by at least one class by 2044.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is providing support to expand training, monitoring, and on-the-ground restoration work. Targeted Defra funding of £5.9m for 2026–2029 is accelerating PAWS restoration on the Public Forest Estate, with progress closely monitored and a target to work towards doubling the recent restoration rate.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of off-grid homes which are suitable for a hydronic heat pump.

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

A home’s suitability for a heat pump depends on several factors such as sufficient internal and external space, peak current draw of the grid connection, and the home’s peak heat loss.

Evidence suggests the vast majority of GB homes have sufficient insulation and electricity connections to install a heat pump, considering developments like heat pumps operating with higher flow temperatures enabling installation in less well insulated homes.

We have commissioned research on understanding different approaches to decarbonising complex housing archetypes, including alternative low carbon heating solutions, and expect it to be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote farming practices which create and preserve habitats for farmland birds.

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

Through Environmental Land Management schemes, Defra supports farming practices that provide food and habitats for farmland birds. Sustainable Farming Incentive actions include winter bird food on arable and horticultural land, while Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier supports targeted habitat and species management.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to increase post-consumer sorting and processing capacity in the UK in the context of the time taken to introduce mandatory kerbside collection of flexible plastics under Simpler Recycling.

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

Defra is launching a Plastic Film Forum. Work will focus on collections, sorting, recycling and markets, with the objective of developing a roadmap to support 2030 implementation. Membership will reflect diverse perspectives, including local authorities, waste management, producers, retailer and reprocessors, devolved administrations and other government departments.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the context of the delay to mandatory kerbside collection of flexible plastics under Simpler Recycling, what steps her Department is taking to work with industry to stimulate end-market demand for recycled flexible plastic.

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

Defra is launching a Plastic Film Forum. Work will focus on collections, sorting, recycling and markets, with the objective of developing a roadmap to support 2030 implementation. Membership will reflect diverse perspectives, including local authorities, waste management, producers, retailer and reprocessors, devolved administrations and other government departments.

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 impact of lost income from recycling credits from the introduction of the deposit return scheme in October 2027 on local authority budgets.

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

The impact of DRS on local authorities was considered as part of the Final Impact Assessment (The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2024) The government is continuing to assess the impacts of the Deposit Return Scheme on local authorities, including any changes in income from diverted recyclable material and associated savings.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to incentivise collaboration between farmers.

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

The new £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund helps farmers and land managers work together to share knowledge, reduce costs and build more resilient businesses. We plan to inform successful applicants for round 1 in early November and open round 2 in Spring 2027.

Defra is also supporting collaboration on water resilience through Water Abstractor Groups, which help abstractors identify collective solutions to local challenges.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of industrial gill netting on fish stocks in British waters.

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

No assessment has been made of these impacts. The activities of fishing vessels operating in English waters, including industrial gill netters, are monitored by the Marine Management Organisation. Where evidence indicates that fishing activity is having an adverse impact on fish stocks, appropriate management measures can be introduced, including through fishing vessel licence conditions or byelaws.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of charges levied on abattoirs to fund meat hygiene inspections since the High Court ruling on that matter on 3rd June 2026.

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

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) respects the Court's judgment but disagrees with aspects of it and is seeking permission to appeal. The FSA’s priority is to maintain effective official controls inspections that provide essential assurance for the domestic and export markets and to minimise disruption for businesses and consumers. The FSA is considering the impact on chargeable activities and its response to the Judgment’s conclusions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to remove barriers to the creation of water storage shared between multiple farms.

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

We are supporting collaboration on water resilience through Water Abstractor Groups, which help abstractors identify collective solutions to local challenges including shared storage.

The Environment Agency via the Local Resource Options Screening Studies are encouraging farmers to identify practical local water solutions, including opportunities for shared water storage and other collaborative infrastructure.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of support for small and medium-sized abattoirs since the closure of the Smaller Abattoir Fund in September 2024.

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

Defra engages regularly with representatives from the small and medium-sized abattoir sector through formal groups to understand the challenges facing the industry and consider what support may be required. This engagement has informed work on issues including regulatory flexibilities, labour and workforce challenges, and animal by-product management, helping support a resilient and sustainable abattoir sector.

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 has taken with Cabinet colleagues to support energy intensive businesses with energy costs.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The British Industry Supercharger cuts electricity costs for around 600 of the most electricity-intensive businesses, including Goodfish, a plastics manufacturer in Cannock. Last April, the Government uplifted relief from network charges for Supercharger recipients from 60% to 90%, raising the average electricity discount to around £65 to £87 per megawatt hour.

Around 120 of the most electricity-intensive and trade-exposed businesses also benefit from the EII Compensation Scheme, which provided a discount of around £24 per megawatt hour in 2025.

From 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs for over 10,000 manufacturers by up to £40 per megawatt hour.

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 enabling producers to transfer their first right of refusal to material recovered under the deposit return scheme to a third party processor.

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

The Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) regulations 2025 require Exchange for Change to offer registered scheme producers first refusal on scheme material. The Regulations do not provide for transfer of that right. Any arrangements involving third-party processors are an operational matter for Exchange for Change.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to raise public awareness of the deposit return scheme due to come into force in October 2027.

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

The Government is working closely with Exchange for Change, the Deposit Management Organisation, to support business and consumer readiness for the Deposit Return Scheme. Exchange for Change is engaging retailers, drinks producers, environmental organisations and the public, and is developing communications to raise awareness and understanding of the scheme.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure co-operative business models are promoted through courses at agricultural colleges and universities.

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

We recognise the importance of collaboration between farms. Our £30m Farmer Collaboration Fund enables groups of farmers to work in partnership to improve business and environmental sustainability. We also recognise gaps in business skills and are working with the land-based education sector and DfE on qualification reform to address them.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to finance for people wishing to set up co-operatives.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to removing barriers to the sustainable growth of the co-operative and mutuals sector, including barriers to accessing finance.

Co-operatives and mutuals can access British Business Bank-backed Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme, while Community ENABLE Funding supports community development finance institutions serving co-operatives, social enterprises and other underserved businesses.

The Department will also shortly be publishing its response to the call for evidence on business support co-operatives and non-financial mutuals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of funding awarded to Landscape Recovery projects has gone to farms under 50 hectares in size.

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

All land types and land managers were eligible for the first 2 rounds of Landscape Recovery, provided they could pull together a 500+ hectare project. Successful projects involve a wide range of participants, including farmers, tenants, charities, and local authorities.

Funding is awarded to a single legal entity (SLE) for each project, e.g. a farmer cluster or eNGO. The SLE is required to work with land managers to agree how funding is disbursed fairly.

Because of this, and the fact that land managers can enter whole or part holdings into the scheme, we do not hold the information requested.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the levels of household participation in weekly food waste collections under Simpler Recycling.

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

The WRAP UK Recycling Tracker indicates increasing participation in food waste recycling. In 2025-26, around two in five respondents reported receiving a food waste collection service for the first time, while 39% reported disposing of uneaten food in a food waste recycling bin, up from 35% in 2025 and 33% in 2023.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the merits of introducing regulations on the use of greywater in agriculture.

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

In our Water White Paper, we committed to enabling water reuse in homes and businesses. As part of this work, we will consider the opportunities across different business sectors including agriculture.

Household wastewater (greywater) reuse for agricultural benefit may require Environmental Permitting Regulation controls. The Environment Agency offers pre-application advice before environmental permit applications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the health of Britain's bird population.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Technical report paper: the wild bird indicator for the UK and England provides trends for our bird populations, including farmland birds.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the trends in farmland bird numbers in Britain.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Technical report paper: the wild bird indicator for the UK and England provides trends for our bird populations, including farmland birds.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of using Community Needs Index data in selecting the areas that receive funding under the Pride in Place programme on rural areas.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through the Government's Pride in Place Programme, up to £5.8 billion is being invested over ten years in 284 neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of need.

Neighbourhoods across England, Scotland and Wales were selected using methodologies which combine measures of deprivation and community need. In England, this includes the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and the Community Needs Index (CNI), which together provide a broader picture of local need. Our allocation methodology targets need everywhere, regardless of type of community, and includes a number of rural communities. By targeting census geographies (MSOAs) and capping the number of areas targeted per parliamentary constituency, this methodology has also ensured that funding is geographically spread to a variety of different communities.

The IMD is the Government's established measure of relative deprivation and captures a range of factors including income, employment, education, health, crime, housing and the living environment. The methodology underpinning the IMD has been developed to identify concentrations of deprivation wherever they occur, including in rural, urban and mixed communities.

The CNI provides a complementary measure of community need by assessing factors such as civic and community assets, connectivity and levels of community engagement. It therefore captures aspects of need which are not reflected in deprivation measures alone. These factors can affect communities in rural, urban and mixed areas, and therefore provide a complementary perspective to deprivation measures such as the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The Government's methodology combines multiple measures of need rather than relying on a single indicator.

The full list of areas and place selection methodology is set out here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding the role of sheep shearer to the Temporary Shortage List.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.  This approach is important to enabling delivery of the Government’s broader agenda.

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) does not include agricultural contractors or sheep shearers. It is only made up of occupations which are key to the Industrial Strategy or delivering critical infrastructure, and where ambitious jobs plans are in place to maximise the use of the UK workforce.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the role of agricultural contractor to the Temporary Shortage List.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.  This approach is important to enabling delivery of the Government’s broader agenda.

The Temporary Shortage List (TSL) does not include agricultural contractors or sheep shearers. It is only made up of occupations which are key to the Industrial Strategy or delivering critical infrastructure, and where ambitious jobs plans are in place to maximise the use of the UK workforce.