Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to WPQ 26651, when she expects to publish the findings of the external evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Strategy Unit has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes. Further details will be set out in due course, and more information on the unit’s work is available at the following link:

https://www.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to WPQ 26651, who her Department has commissioned to complete the external evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Strategy Unit has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes. Further details will be set out in due course, and more information on the unit’s work is available at the following link:

https://www.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to WPQ 26651, on what date the external evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes (a) was commissioned and (b) will report back.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Strategy Unit has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes. Further details will be set out in due course, and more information on the unit’s work is available at the following link:

https://www.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 September 2026 to WPQ 26651, what the terms of reference are for the external evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Strategy Unit has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of Advice and Guidance and Single Point of Access processes. Further details will be set out in due course, and more information on the unit’s work is available at the following link:

https://www.strategyunitwm.nhs.uk/

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with foundation strategic authorities and mayoral strategic authorities on a communications strategy which sets out the reasons for the introduction of an overnight visitor levy; and how the levy will support local growth.

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

The Government will provide non-statutory guidance to support foundation strategic authorities and mayoral strategic authorities that are considering introducing an overnight visitor levy. It will be for strategic authorities to decide whether to introduce a levy in their area, following consultation, and to set out how revenues would support local growth and other local priorities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the DEFRA Farming Blog article dated 16 June 2025, what assessment has she made about how the budget for SFI26 schemes aligns with Government ambitions to increase funding for farmers under the ELM schemes to £2 billion by 2028/29.

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

SFI is funded through the wider farming budget, to which the Government has committed an average of £2.3 billion per year until 2028/29. In 2026/27, indicative funding includes £1.95 billion for Environmental Land Management schemes. The farming budget is managed as a single portfolio rather than a collection of ring-fenced scheme budgets. SFI26 Window 2 had a budget of £253 million for new agreements.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 28048 answered on 8 September 2026 about 'Fruit, Horticulture,' with reference to the National Drought Group [i] when will the next meeting of the Group take place and [ii] are there opportunities for external stakeholders to feed in topics for discussion.

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

[i] The next National Drought Group (NDG) will be 19 October 2026

[ii] On 21 October 2026, the Agriculture, Environment & Land Management sub-group meeting will be held. This is the collation forum for agricultural and horticultural stakeholders to feed into, which can then be escalated to main NDG.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the DEFRA Farming Blog article dated 16 June 2025, what assessment has she made about how the budget for SFI26 schemes aligns with Government ambitions to invest more than £2.7 billion in sustainable farming and nature recovery a year from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

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

SFI26 Window 2 had a budget of £253 million for new agreements, representing a total of £759 million over three years. The Government has committed an average of £2.3 billion a year for farming until 2028/29, with funding decisions for future SFI offers made within the overall farming budget. Future decisions will take account of affordability, value for money, demand and the contribution schemes make to farming and environmental objectives.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to determine a plan for SFI27 that will cover expiring agreements and support farmers to deliver environmental improvements.

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

The Government plans to offer SFI in 2027, in keeping with the Farming Roadmap 2050. Detailed scheme arrangements and timings will be published once design and delivery planning have been completed. Defra is exploring alternatives to first-come, first-served allocation and will consider fairness, accessibility and deliverability when designing the next offer.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps has she taken to determine a timescale for farmers to apply for SFI26 whose environmental agreements expire after February 2027.

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

Eligible farmers who did not obtain an SFI26 agreement will have another opportunity to apply in 2027. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier remains available through its expression-of-interest process for appropriate land and activities. Defra is working to bring forward the 2027 SFI offer as early as possible and details will 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, pursuant to WPQ 28048 answered on 8 September 2026 about 'Fruit, Horticulture,' with reference to the National Drought Group, [i] who are the members of the Group, [ii] when did the Group last meet and [iii] what were the conclusions of the meeting.

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

[i] The National Drought Group (NDG) includes the Environment Agency, government, Met Office, regulators, water companies, the NFU, Canal & River Trust and conservation organisations.

[ii] On 15 October 2026.

[iii] Members agreed to continue coordinated drought action, support farmers, and water users, and maintain water-saving communications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of visitor levies on children's social mobility and the ability of low- to middle-income families to afford residential stays for their children as part of their child's participation in youth groups and school groups.

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

It will be for Mayors and local leaders to decide whether to introduce a visitor levy, as they best understand which investments can support local economic development, including the visitor economy. This may include passing on receipts to local authorities.

Our approach balances local flexibility with simplicity and consistency for business.

Local decisions on the levy rate, any local exemptions and spending priorities will be informed by consultations, and will need to balance local priorities, affordability, and certainty for businesses. The precise impacts will depend on these local decisions.

These decisions will be made within a national framework which includes that levies must be set as a percentage rate, meaning low-cost stays stay low cost. Government will also work with Strategic Authorities as they develop their plans to drive further consistency and simplicity for business.

Our approach to caps is set out in the consultation response: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/overnight-visitor-levy-in-england.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 26981 on Mental Health Services, if she will publish the criteria used to determine the location of the proposed mental health emergency departments.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 26981 on Mental Health Services, whether issues surrounding (a) self-referral to new community mental health centres, (b) the need for additional mental health access points on existing patient pathways, and (c) multiple assessments across different mental health services will be referred to in her forthcoming mental health strategy.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to WPQ 26981 answered on 15 September 2026 about Mental Health Services, what recent conversations she had with Integrated Care Boards to assess the physical estate capacity to deliver the proposed 59 mental health emergency departments announced on 5 August 2026.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 26981 on Mental Health Services, what recent discussions she has had with integrated care boards on whether staffing new mental health centres will be achieved through (a) new recruitment and (b) redeployment of NHS mental health services.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to WPQ 26981 answered on 15 September 2026 about Mental Health Services, what steps she is taking to monitor the performance of Integrated Care Boards to deliver on the £343 million announced for community mental health centres and mental health emergency departments.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2026 to Question 26981 on Mental Health Services, if she will publish the (a) estimated additional staff and (b) professional groups that will staff the (i) community mental health centres and (ii) mental health emergency departments.

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

I thank the Hon Member for his continued interest in the Government’s roll-out of new community-based mental health centres and mental health emergency departments. I do not have anything further to add at this time to the public statements that the Department has issued on this programme, and the previous answers I have provided to his questions, but as and when there are further updates to provide, I will ensure that Parliament is properly informed.

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 about the number of farmers with environmental agreements expiring before the end of February 2027, that may apply for the SFI26 Scheme.

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

The Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) Window 2 was open to all eligible farmers and land managers in England. Defra assessed that demand for Window 2 was likely to be strong because more than 20,000 existing Environmental Land Management revenue agreements were due to expire before the end of the financial year. To support these agreement holders, Defra introduced functionality allowing eligible applicants with soon-to-expire agreements to apply for SFI26 before their existing agreement ended. Around 12,500 applications were submitted before the available Window 2 budget was fully allocated, of which around 8,800 were from businesses with agreements due to expire on or before 28 February 2027.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had discussions with the Foreign Secretary on the compatibility of his statutory consent role for petroleum licences in the Falkland Islands with the Government's policy on new oil and gas exploration licences in UK waters.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

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 European Commission's proposed derogation for historic firearms, including muzzle-loaders and their replicas, from restrictions on lead ammunition.

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

Where lead ammunition has been restricted, the availability and suitability of non-lead alternatives were considered. The Health and Safety Executive recommended derogations to the restriction, including for elite athletes and outdoor shooting ranges with risk management measures, based on key criteria including enforceability. No derogations were recommended for historic firearms.

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 whether suitable and affordable non-lead alternatives are available for use in historic muzzle-loading firearms.

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

Where lead ammunition has been restricted, the availability and suitability of non-lead alternatives were considered. The Health and Safety Executive recommended derogations to the restriction, including for elite athletes and outdoor shooting ranges with risk management measures, based on key criteria including enforceability. No derogations were recommended for historic firearms.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of UK Hospitality's analysis: Government set to announce unlimited taxation of family holidays (September 2026) which predicts of a loss of 33,000 jobs after the introduction of overnight visitor levies.

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

The impacts of the overnight visitor levy will depend on local decisions, and it will be for strategic authorities to decide whether to introduce a levy, subject to local consultation on specific proposals. Strategic authorities will also be expected to assess the impact of their proposals locally before implementation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 28039 answered on 15 September 2026 about Chagos Islands Sovereignty and the Statement of the Prime Minister on 22 September 2026, when will [a] he, [b] his ministers and [c] his officials next meet with the US Government to discuss the the Chagos Treaty.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

The United Kingdom Government continues to engage with the US and Mauritius on issues related to the UK-Mauritius Chagos Treaty.  We do not intend to provide a running commentary on these conversations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times Council Leaders from non Mayoral authorities have had meetings with the [i] Prime Minister and [ii] Prime Minister's Officials at Number 10 North since July 2026.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Ministerial meetings with external organisations, including those held by the Prime Minister, are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times Mayors from devolved Mayoral authorities have had meetings with the [i] Prime Minister and [ii] Prime Minister's Officials at Number 10 North since July 2026.

Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Ministerial meetings with external organisations, including those held by the Prime Minister, are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to WPQ 28039 answered on 15 September 2026 about Chagos Islands Sovereignty and the Statement of the Prime Minister on 22 September 2026, if [a] he, [b] his ministers and [c] his officials will raise the issue of the UK Government's costs arising from the Chagos Treaty during their next meeting with US Government counterparts.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to question 26637 of 2 September 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Secretary of State for Work and Pensions during the Westminster Hall Debate of 15 June 2026 on State Pensioners Personal Allowance, Column 270WH, whether further measures to reduce administration for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via simple assessment from 2027-28 will be announced in the forthcoming Finance Bill.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

In line with the commitment made at Budget 2025, pensioners whose incomes only just exceed the Personal Allowance will not have the administrative burden of paying small amounts of tax in this Parliament.

The Government will set out further detail at Budget 2026.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will conduct an assessment of public satisfaction with the Fuel Finder app to inform motorists about the price of fuel at local petrol stations.

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

Fuel Finder is an open data scheme, estimated to save consumers £10.4bn over ten years.

Consumers access fuel price data through independent navigation and price comparison apps and websites, rather than a specific government-sponsored app.

Fuel Finder data is being used in well-known services including Google Maps, Waze, Petrol Prices, RAC and AA, making fuel price information available to millions of UK consumers.

DESNZ monitors public attitudes towards its policies, including Fuel Finder, on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of levels of public engagement with the Fuel Finder app.

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

Fuel Finder is an open data scheme, estimated to save consumers £10.4bn over ten years.

Consumers access fuel price data through independent navigation and price comparison apps and websites, rather than a specific government-sponsored app.

Fuel Finder data is being used in well-known services including Google Maps, Waze, Petrol Prices, RAC and AA, making fuel price information available to millions of UK consumers.

DESNZ monitors public attitudes towards its policies, including Fuel Finder, on an ongoing basis.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, What recent conversations has she had with the fire and rescue authorities about their operational needs following the wildfires of September 2026.

Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As announced by the Prime Minister during the extreme heat experienced across the UK in the summer, we will be hosting a Wildfire Summit. The summit will focus on the actions required to reduce the risk of wildfire, improve preparedness, strengthen frontline response, and support communities to become more resilient.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the visitor levy on the additional costs to parents of their children attending [i] residential camps [ii] and sleepovers as part of their child's participation in youth groups and school groups.

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

The Government set out its response to the Overnight Visitor Levy consultation on 10 September 2026. Whether a levy is introduced will be a matter for strategic authorities, following local consultation. The levy is intended to apply to short-term overnight stays in commercially let accommodation. Strategic authorities will be able to exclude particular categories of accommodation in their area, including options such as tent pitches, touring caravan pitches and dormitory-style accommodation like hostels. This will allow local leaders to take account of local circumstances, including impacts on affordability and on different types of venue. Strategic authorities will also be expected to consider the effects of any proposal on businesses and local communities before implementation.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential administrative impact of processing the Visitor Levy on small residential activity venues.

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

The Government set out its response to the Overnight Visitor Levy consultation on 10 September 2026. Whether a levy is introduced will be a matter for strategic authorities, following local consultation. The levy is intended to apply to short-term overnight stays in commercially let accommodation. Strategic authorities will be able to exclude particular categories of accommodation in their area, including options such as tent pitches, touring caravan pitches and dormitory-style accommodation like hostels. This will allow local leaders to take account of local circumstances, including impacts on affordability and on different types of venue. Strategic authorities will also be expected to consider the effects of any proposal on businesses and local communities before implementation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Question 21878 answered on 22 September 2026 On the Productivity Gap in the East Midlands, what recent conversations he has had with [i] local political leaders [ii] local educational leaders and [iii] local business community about developing place-based growth in [a] Leicestershire and [b] Hinckley and Bosworth constituency.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

Growth in every postcode is one of the Government’s key priorities. The Government is committed to working with local leaders, educational institutions and businesses to unlock the potential of places across the UK, including through greater local decision-making and support for investment and innovation.

In his speech on 7 September, the Chancellor specifically highlighted Leicestershire as an example of where local leaders, universities, investors and businesses have helped create clusters of innovation. He made clear the Government’s ambition to support local leaders to boost private investment and deliver growth that reflects local needs.

The Government’s ambition is that every area in England has, or is in the process of establishing, a strategic authority by the end of 2027, with strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028.

The Government has written to all areas without Mayoral devolution, including Leicestershire, seeking confirmation of their devolution ambitions and preference for mayoral devolution.

As part of this wider engagement, on 21 August I met with the Mayor of the East Midlands, alongside the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and other regional mayors for a discussion on devolution and place-based growth .

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to UK Hospitality's analysis: Government set to announce unlimited taxation of family holidays, published in September 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of an overnight visitor levy on GDP.

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

Visitor levies are common in Europe and the rest of the world. Mayors and local leaders who best understand their regions will decide whether to introduce a levy. Introducing a visitor levy, if they think this is the right decision for their area, allows them to tailor investment towards growing the local economy and making their areas better for people to visit and enjoy. The impact of any local levy will depend on local circumstances and decisions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2026 to Question 32911 on Offshore Industry: Falkland Islands, if she will list the (a) dates and (b) people in attendance of her discussions on the Falkland Islands and the Sea Lion Field with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the last 12 months.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2026 to Question 32911 on Offshore Industry: Falkland Islands, if she will list the (a) dates and (b) people in attendance of her discussions on oil and gas drilling with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the last 12 months.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps has she taken to consider the impact of the amount of budget assigned to SF126 on [i] levels of demand and [ii] the ability for farmers to business plan for long term environmental delivery.

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

Defra expected strong demand for SFI26 Window 2 and increased funding before and during the application window, bringing the budget to £253 million. The Government plans to offer SFI in 2027 and is working to bring forward the 2027 offer as early as possible. The Government is also considering lessons from SFI26, including alternatives to first-come, first-served allocation, and has committed to stabilising the main design of SFI for the duration of this Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with local leaders on the potential role of her Department in determining the membership of local scrutiny committees.

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

The Department has engaged extensively with Mayors and Mayoral Strategic Authorities on proposals to strengthen local accountability. These discussions have informed the development of proposals for Local Scrutiny Committees, including their powers, functions and membership arrangements

Legislation will set out that Local Scrutiny Committee membership must reflect the political balance of the constituent councils, with at least 60% of members being elected councillors from constituent local authorities.

The appointment of committee members will be determined locally through the Mayoral Strategic Authority’s governance and constitutional arrangements.

The Chair of a Local Scrutiny Committee must either be an independent person appointed through a fair and open process, or a councillor from a different political party to the mayor. This is intended to ensure that Local Scrutiny Committees are able to provide independent and effective challenge.