Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help protect businesses facing (a) scams and (b) fraudulent activity.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We remain absolutely committed to protecting all of society from the threat of fraud, including businesses. The Home Office is currently developing a new fraud strategy which will include additional measures to protect businesses and educate them on the threat of fraud.

Fraud against business frequently starts with a cyber-attack. The Government also supports the network of cyber resilience centres which provide guidance to businesses to help them protect themselves against cyber threats. There are 10 centres in England and Wales with a particular focus on sole traders, micro companies and small companies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to create more national parks.

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

Natural England have the statutory responsibility for identifying areas for new National Park designations. The Government is committed to supporting our existing Protected Landscapes to become greener, wilder and more accessible.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in what way he plans to help tackle the environmental impact of vapes.

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

On 1 June 2025 we banned the sale and supply of single-use vapes due to the harm that they cause to the environment, with over 5 million of these products being thrown away each week in 2023. This will help to prevent the environmental harms caused by vapes, including littering, the leaching of harmful chemicals into the soil and the risk of fires.

In addition, on the 12th of August we introduced legislation to create a new category under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations specifically for vapes (including reusable vapes). This will ensure that the costs of collection and treatment fall fairly on vape producers.

We will continue to monitor the impact of these changes to ensure that they have the desired positive environmental impact and will not hesitate to act further to tackle the environmental impact of vapes if needed.