Lord Bishop of St Albans

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we want to ensure levy rates are charged fairly, proportionately, and in a way which accounts for the higher fixed operating costs, levels of harm associated with some products compared to others, and the licensing regime.

We will conduct a formal review of the levy system within 5 years, where the structure and health of the levy system will be assessed. We also recognise that the needs, demands and priorities of the system may change over time, and are committed to regularly monitoring the system to ensure it is delivering on its objectives. Should we see evidence of issues in the system, we will take appropriate action.

As I set out in my speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, I want to see the gambling industry further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. This work will be monitored closely. We are also committed to reviewing the best available evidence on the impact of gambling advertising from a wide range of sources in order to ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.

Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.

Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.

The Department monitors the implementation and impact of the grant scheme through the regular reporting of the grant administrator. Since 2010, the grant scheme has returned over £350 million to listed places of worship.

Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process. We have made no specific assessment in the terms set by the Lord Bishop, but we are fully aware of the importance of the scheme to all listed places of worship, including Anglican churches across England and the rest of the UK.

The Department monitors the implementation and impact of the grant scheme through the regular reporting of the grant administrator. Since 2010, the grant scheme has returned over £350 million to listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples.

Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.

The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism and DCMS officials have met with a range of heritage bodies since July and this has included discussions on the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

The Department has received correspondence from religious organisations regarding the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and the views of congregations and communities as a result of funding. In addition, a couple of Church of England bishops have approached the Minister for the Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism at events to mention the scheme.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that the sector can thrive, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

Creative education and a career in the Creative Industries should never be the preserve of a privileged few. The Government will support the aspiration of every person who wants to go to further and higher education. Universities and conservatoires are autonomous bodies, independent from government and are responsible for their own admissions decisions. Where providers deem it necessary for applicants to undertake auditions, interviews or other admissions tests, it is their responsibility to ensure these additional admissions processes are not creating or reinforcing barriers to opportunity and the ways they will ensure this are detailed in their Access & Participation plans.

In 2018, there were 3 fines imposed by the Gambling Commission on gambling companies for failing to meet their social responsibility obligations. For the years 2019 to 2023, I refer the noble Lord to the answer I provided to your question HL1825:

The total number of fines imposed by the Gambling Commission on operators for failing to meet their social responsibility obligations in each of the last six years is detailed below:

The total number of fines imposed by the Gambling Commission on operators for failing to meet their social responsibility obligations in each of the last six years is detailed below:

We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. The National Gambling Clinic (NGC) supports people aged 13 - 18 years old in England who are experiencing harm from gambling, and offers a Family and Friends service which provides support to those impacted by someone else’s difficulty with gambling.

As stated in the Government’s manifesto, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk. We will consider the best available evidence in future decisions regarding the fulfilment of that important commitment.

The Government is committed to using all the evidence available from a range of sources, including the GambleAware survey, to better understand the true picture of gambling behaviours and treatment in Great Britain.

We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and, as stated in the Government’s manifesto, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk. We will consider the best available evidence in future decisions regarding the fulfilment of that important commitment.

The Arts in the UK are funded by a mixture of direct national and local public funding, arm’s length funding, charitable giving, commercial income and tax reliefs but we recognise that all of these income streams have been under extreme pressure in recent years.

For instance, net expenditure on cultural services by local authorities - the largest funder of culture across England - has fallen by 42% in real terms between 2009-10 and 2022-23. Likewise, Arts Council England spent over £700 million in 2023/24 on supporting arts and culture, through a mix of grant-in-aid funding from government and proceeds from the National Lottery. But this was significantly less than in 2010.

We are grateful to the Campaign for the Arts for their work and are carefully examining the report. It is encouraging to read that 91% of adults in England engaged with the arts in person between October 2022 and December 2023, and 77% attended events, but concerning to read the report’s analysis that between 2018 and 2023 there was a 23% fall in the number of music, theatre, dance and comedy events in the UK.

The government will work with arm’s-length bodies and the cultural sector at large to understand their needs and the pressures on culture and creativity in the UK - and work to put them on a more sustainable footing.

The use of debit cards and digital payment wallets is currently permitted for a range of gambling and non-gambling activities in land-based gambling venues in Great Britain. The Gaming Machines (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 prohibit the direct use of debit cards on gaming machines. The full regulations can be seen here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/2319/contents/made

In our manifesto, we set out our intention to reduce gambling-related harm, strengthen protections for those at risk, and work with the industry to ensure responsible gambling. We are in the early stages of the new Government and are still considering the full range of gambling policy. We will consider the best available evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil our manifesto commitments.

The Gambling Commission’s formal guidance is clear about the inaccuracies of comparing the findings of the recent statistics released in the Gambling Survey for Great Britain with previous surveys. However, we recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and, as stated in the Government’s manifesto, we are committed to strengthening the protections for those at risk. The Gambling Commission’s new survey helps to show the wider picture of gambling experiences across Great Britain. The Government will consider these findings alongside the evidence from a wide range of sources to inform decisions on how best to fulfil its manifesto commitment.

HM Treasury receives no revenue from gambling operator application fees, operator annual licence fees, and personal licence fees. Licence fees are set by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and are collected and utilised by the Gambling Commission to cover the costs of regulation.

The Gambling Commission may impose financial penalties on gambling operators if a licence condition has been breached. The Treasury receives income from financial penalties imposed by the Gambling Commission on operators. The total amount received in each of the last five financial years is detailed below:

(Note: Due to reporting cycles, financial year is preferred to calendar year, with each period covering 1st April - 31st March).

In some circumstances, the Gambling Commission may agree a regulatory settlement in lieu of a financial penalty, which may include a financial element. Regulatory settlements are paid by an operator for socially responsible purposes and are not paid to the Exchequer. The Gambling Commission approves the destination of the financial element against set criteria. The destinations for regulatory settlements are published on the Gambling Commission’s website.

HM Treasury receives no revenue from gambling operator application fees, operator annual licence fees, and personal licence fees. Licence fees are set by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and are collected and utilised by the Gambling Commission to cover the costs of regulation.

The Gambling Commission may impose financial penalties on gambling operators if a licence condition has been breached. The Treasury receives income from financial penalties imposed by the Gambling Commission on operators. The total amount received in each of the last five financial years is detailed below:

(Note: Due to reporting cycles, financial year is preferred to calendar year, with each period covering 1st April - 31st March).

In some circumstances, the Gambling Commission may agree a regulatory settlement in lieu of a financial penalty, which may include a financial element. Regulatory settlements are paid by an operator for socially responsible purposes and are not paid to the Exchequer. The Gambling Commission approves the destination of the financial element against set criteria. The destinations for regulatory settlements are published on the Gambling Commission’s website.

Defra acted quickly to contain bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) when the first case this season was detected on 26 August, implementing zones with movement controls on susceptible livestock to prevent spread. Disease control restrictions have been adapted in response to new findings and there is now a single restricted zone (RZ) covering the east coast and some inland areas in England, including Hertfordshire where there have been 3 cases to date.

The movement of susceptible animals from the RZ to live elsewhere in England requires a specific licence and is subject to free pre-movement and post-movement testing. This helps to prevent the possible establishment of new pockets of disease from undetected spread via animal movements. Some animals were humanely culled to prevent establishment at the outset and infected animals in cases found in free areas outside the restricted zone have also been humanely culled.

Defra has permitted the use of vaccines for BTV-3 which are now available for vets to prescribe in England.

Defra and APHA continue surveillance and epidemiological assessments, remaining vigilant for any changes, and are working closely with key industry stakeholders to review how we approach controls for BTV-3 for the coming winter months, in 2025 and beyond.

The Government is working closely with the water industry regulators, including the Environment Agency (EA), to ensure they are properly equipped to carry out investigation and enforcement action against illegal sewage discharges.

The EA is recruiting up to 500 additional staff for inspections, enforcement and stronger regulation by March next year. This will enable them to increase compliance checks, quadruple the number of water company inspections and conduct more in-depth and independent audits to get to the root-cause of incidents.

The Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a requirement for water companies to publish information on discharges from emergency overflows in near real-time (within an hour of a discharge occurring). This data will be independently scrutinised by the regulators, supporting investigations into possible permit breaches, and will fulfil the government’s commitment to ensure independent monitoring of every outlet.

An independent commission on the water sector regulatory system was recently announced, in conjunction with the Welsh Government. The commission will make a set of recommendations which will include ensuring that water industry regulators are effective, have a clear purpose and are empowered to hold water companies to account.

The rural economy contributes over £315 billion a year to England alone, with over half a million businesses are currently registered in rural areas.

We welcome the report published by the Rural Coalition and Pragmatix Advisory on Reigniting rural futures: Rural communities’ capacity to boost economic growth (attached).

Whilst the rural economy makes a substantial contribution to England’s economy, we know that overall productivity is typically lower when compared to predominantly urban areas. Additionally, we know that productivity varies greatly across rural areas reflecting their diversity. Whilst some offer good examples of successful businesses, others consist of deprived areas.

The Government recognises that rural areas, therefore, offer significant potential to support economic growth, and the government has committed to improving the quality of life for people living and working in rural areas, so that we can realise the full potential of rural business and communities.

A prosperous rural economy will be underpinned by investment and improvements in rural infrastructure including transport, energy, digital, affordable housing and access to a diverse range of community services.

The rural economy makes a substantial contribution to England’s economy, and the government recognises that rural areas offer significant potential to support economic growth. Rural areas and the rural economy vary greatly across Europe, and it is difficult to make direct comparisons with other countries.

Defra has a team dedicated to developing the evidence base on rural areas. It publishes the Statistical Digest for Rural England to provide up-to-date analysis across a wide range of subjects including a Rural Economic Bulletin. At present this evidence base does not make any direct comparison between England and other countries in Europe.

Defra also routinely conducts research on the rural economy and is in regular contact with academic specialists in this field. This has included the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) who support collaboration between their member countries to address rural challenges.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes consideration of how to prevent further unauthorised release of beavers into the wild.

Apart from the River Otter population, all other wild living beavers in England are the result of unlawful releases, escapes from enclosures or their descendants. It is an offence to release a beaver in England without a licence from Natural England. Licences are available for the release of beavers into enclosures. Licenced projects are responsible for managing animals they have released and are also expected to follow the Code for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations in England.

All energy-from-waste plants in England are regulated by the Environment Agency (EA) and must comply with the strict emissions limits set down in legislation. The EA will only grant a permit if they are satisfied that the proposal would not give rise to any significant pollution of the environment or harm to human health. When the EA receives a permit application for a new plant, they carry out a comprehensive air quality modelling assessment of emissions from the plant and consult the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for their views on the application.

The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. UKHSA will continue to review its advice in light of any new substantial research on the health effects of incinerators published in peer-reviewed journals. To date, UKHSA is not aware of any evidence that requires a change in the position statement.

The Government will deliver a resilient and healthy food system with a new deal to ensures fairness in the supply chain across all sectors. Where farmers sell directly to retailers, their agreements will be covered within the scope of the sectoral regulations that we are introducing through powers in the Agriculture Act 2020. Farmers should always receive a fair price for their products and the Government is committed to tackling contractual unfairness wherever it exists.

In terms of how food is presented to consumers, all food sold in the UK must comply with food labelling rules: an underpinning rule of existing legislation is that food information, whether it be mandatory or is provided voluntarily, must not mislead. For example country of origin information is required for any food where its omission, when taking into account the labelling and presentation of the product as a whole, would be misleading to consumers.

Ministers will re-examine these regulations to ensure that they are working properly in due course.

The Government recognises the distress livestock worrying can cause animals and their keepers. We are considering the most effective ways to deliver our commitments in this area and will be setting out next steps in due course.

The Government recognises the impact which the crime of hare coursing has on rural communities.

Measures to strengthen law enforcement and increase the powers of the courts were introduced through the Police, Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. They have been widely welcomed. The new offences and higher penalties introduced by the Act are all being used and imposed by the courts.

Wildlife crimes such as hare coursing are not ‘notifiable’ so there are no official Home Office statistics or identifiable trends to judge robustly whether such crimes are increasing or decreasing across the country. Decisions on whether to make wildlife crimes notifiable sit with the Home Office. It is reasonable to assume the 2022 legislation, along with improved police tactics, intelligence and information sharing as well as the use of community protection notices (CPN) and criminal behaviour orders (CBO), has had an effect in terms of reducing levels of hare coursing.

No decisions have been made yet on the future of the Air Quality Grant.

The Government recognises the problems and distress which poaching can cause for local communities. Tackling it is one of the UK's national wildlife crime priorities.

The number of prosecutions for poaching in England can vary year from year due to a number of factors. For example, the levels of hare coursing, an abhorrent form of poaching, can be affected by the suitability of local ground conditions during a hare coursing ‘season’. If it is too wet, there is an increased risk that the vehicles used to facilitate coursing might get stuck in fields where hares are found so the activity is less likely to be carried out. If it is too dry, the dogs used by coursers are at an increased risk of injury. The numbers of prosecutions in a local area will also depend on effective enforcement. The level of resourcing assigned to tackle poaching may vary year from year depending on decisions taken by local police forces.

The difference in prosecutions between 2019 and 2023 might also have been affected by a key change in legislation. The 2019 figure provided by the Ministry of Justice in its answer of 21 March (HL3214) is from a time prior to the enactment of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This legislation increased police powers and sentences for a number of hare coursing offences. It is reasonable to suspect it had a deterrent effect on potential offenders and offences that may have led to prosecution. In combination with this new legislation, improved police tactics, intelligence and information sharing as well as the use of community protection notices and criminal behaviour orders may also have had an impact on recent poaching prosecution numbers. Finally, it must be noted that the 2023 figure of 34 used in the Lord Bishop’s question is not consistent with the other years as it only includes prosecutions for the months from January to June rather than, as with the years being compared with it, the full calendar year.

Precision agriculture and agri-robotics will play a vital role in supporting our farmers to boost Britain’s food security, drive productivity growth and improve environmental outcomes.

The UK has world-class science and innovation capabilities, and we want to further promote the UK as a great place for technology innovators to start and grow businesses, fuelling private investment, growth and the creation of high-skilled jobs.

We are committed to supporting the farming sector and we are looking carefully at how to position further investment and support to enable the benefits of agri-robotics to be further realised and integrated into farming practices.