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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115602 on Nature Conservation: Planning Permission, what monitoring requirements are required for developments located near hydrologically sensitive wetlands.

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

Any monitoring requirement would depend on the nature of both the development and the wetland’s protected status.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what scientific evidence Natural England is using to determine whether a development has a potential hydrological impacts on hydrologically dependent Sites of Special Scientific Interest, including wetlands such as Wolborough Fen.

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

Natural England assesses all available information on both impacts and mitigation and uses professional judgement and scientific expertise to provide advice to decision-makers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment Natural England has made of hydrological impacts on wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest being mitigated through post‑construction monitoring or compensation measures.

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

Post-construction monitoring or compensation measures are secured by the local planning authority through mechanisms such as conditions. Natural England has a programme of SSSI monitoring through feature assessments and the results are available on Designated Sites View.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to ask the Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115602 on Nature Conservation: Planning Permission, what guidance her Department issues to Natural England on assessing hydrological risks to wetland Sites of Special Scientific Interest when providing advice on major housing developments.

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

This is determined by various legislation and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of its data-collection arrangements; and what steps he is taking to ensure that his Department is made aware of all high-value and cross-departmental contracts.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950 on Palantir: Contracts, what data his Department collects on the cumulative cost to the public purse of suppliers not classified as strategic that have contracts with more than one Government department with a total value in excess of £100 million.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating Palantir Technologies a strategic supplier.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 111950, whether his Department plans to classify Palantir Technologies as a strategic supplier.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to assign Palantir Technologies a Crown Representative.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Palantir's Government contract revenues will exceed £100 million in a single financial year from 2025-26 onwards.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Strategic suppliers are selected based on the scale, scope and criticality of the services they provide, and are overseen centrally to observe their performance in the delivery of public services. Palantir is not a strategic supplier to government and there are no plans to classify the company as a strategic supplier at this time.

The two largest UK public sector contracts with Palantir are the NHS Federated Data Platform contract (FDP) and the MOD Palantir Enterprise Agreement (EA). These contracts were initially awarded by the previous government.

Further information on Crown Representatives and the strategic suppliers they work with is published on gov.uk. This list is under regular review and suppliers are added or removed as part of larger supplier segmentation exercises.

Details of central government contracts above £12,000 for procurements commenced before 24 February 2025 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts procured under the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, are published on the Central Digital Platform Find a Tender service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to measure the potential impact of NHS dental contract reforms on improving access to dentistry in rural and coastal communities.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural and coastal areas. From April 2026, we will be implementing reforms to the current National Health Service dental contract to improve access for patients with urgent and complex needs. A full impact assessment on the reforms has been published and is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/42

The Department will monitor the impact of the reforms post-implementation, including through the monitoring of annually published statistics.

We are committed to delivering further, fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of when NHS dental contract would increase the availability of NHS dental appointments in areas currently experiencing limited access.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Over the past year, integrated care boards have been commissioning additional urgent dental appointments and there is now an urgent care safety net available in all areas of the country. 1.8 million additional courses of National Health Service dental treatment have been delivered in the seven months between April to October 2025 compared to the corresponding months prior to the general election.

We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. And from April 2026, we will be implementing reforms to the current NHS dental contract which are expected to improve access for patients with urgent and complex needs. A full impact assessment on the reforms has been published and is available at the following link:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/42

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what date did the partnership between Palantir and the UK armed forces start.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence’s relationship with Palantir Technologies has developed over the last decade. The first formal Enterprise Agreement between Defence and Palantir was signed in November 2022 under the previous government following earlier operational use of Palantir software within Defence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been waiting more than 4 months for UPE phase 1 extension.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

A range of processing data including case outcomes on Ukraine visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure full transparency regarding meetings Ministers and senior officials have held with Palantir Technologies; and whether records of those meetings are held centrally.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

Government departments are required to publish details of Ministers’ and certain senior officials', including Permanent Secretaries and Director Generals, meetings with external individuals and organisations every quarter.

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 using real-time water quality monitoring on improving bathing water management.

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

The Government introduced the Water Special Measures Act (2025), requiring real-time monitoring at every emergency overflow so the public can see what is happening locally, including in many bathing waters.100% of storm overflows have been fitted with event duration monitors (EDMs) since the end of 2023, and since the 1st of January 2025, water companies have been required to publish this data in near real-time.

The Environment Agency’s existing practices for monitoring and classification of bathing waters in England are based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the management of recreational waters and exceed the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters.

All sample results are made available to the public as soon as they are analysed via the Swimfo website, so the public can make informed decisions about bathing. Throughout the bathing season, the EA also makes daily pollution risk forecasts for bathing waters where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide.

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 is taking steps to help support the expansion of real-time bathing water quality monitoring.

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

The Government introduced the Water Special Measures Act (2025), requiring real-time monitoring at every emergency overflow so the public can see what is happening locally, including in many bathing waters.100% of storm overflows have been fitted with event duration monitors (EDMs) since the end of 2023, and since the 1st of January 2025, water companies have been required to publish this data in near real-time.

The Environment Agency’s existing practices for monitoring and classification of bathing waters in England are based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for the management of recreational waters and exceed the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters.

All sample results are made available to the public as soon as they are analysed via the Swimfo website, so the public can make informed decisions about bathing. Throughout the bathing season, the EA also makes daily pollution risk forecasts for bathing waters where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors such as heavy rainfall, wind or the tide.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to maintain bathing water quality standards in line with international benchmarks, including those of the World Health Organisation and the Blue Flag programme.

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

The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it.

The Environment Agency’s practice for monitoring water quality at bathing water sites reflects the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive and the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. There are no plans to change this.

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 ensure that bathing water quality standards are not reduced.

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

The Government is committed to improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it.

The Environment Agency’s practice for monitoring water quality at bathing water sites reflects the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive and the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. There are no plans to change this.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste at the University of Exeter on bathing water monitoring and standards.

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

The Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency presented at the ‘Safe to Swim Forum’ meeting at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste in September 2025 on the Environment Agency’s science relating to bathing waters. Existing practices for monitoring and classification in the UK mirror the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive which is based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with Torbay Council on its development of a localised bathing water framework.

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

The Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency was present at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) ‘Safe to Swim Forum’ in September 2025, where the Director of Operations for Devon and Torbay combined County Authority presented on the economic and social importance of bathing waters in the region.

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 has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of locally developed bathing water frameworks that differ from national and international standards.

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

The Environment Agency has an ongoing statutory duty to monitor the water quality at designated bathing water sites in England in line with the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. I would encourage any local authority that is interested in developing a local framework to share their plans with Defra officials so that Defra can understand any interaction with national legislation.

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 local bathing water monitoring frameworks developed by local authorities on national policy.

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

The Environment Agency has an ongoing statutory duty to monitor the water quality at designated bathing water sites in England in line with the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. I would encourage any local authority that is interested in developing a local framework to share their plans with Defra officials so that Defra can understand any interaction with national legislation.

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 increase the involvement of voluntary and citizen science groups in bathing water monitoring programmes.

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

The Environment Agency has carried out a number of initiatives involving citizen scientists. For bathing waters it has recently rolled out the ‘Hello lamppost’ initiative where people can scan QR codes at specific bathing waters to provide it with information on the number of bathers at that location as well as get access to customised AI driven responses to any questions they have. It is also considering how to develop the Blueprint initiative which allows anyone with a smartphone to provide it with information linked to the water body they are at.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions has she had with voluntary organisations and citizen science groups play in monitoring bathing water.

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

The Environment Agency has carried out a number of initiatives involving citizen scientists. For bathing waters it has recently rolled out the ‘Hello lamppost’ initiative where people can scan QR codes at specific bathing waters to provide it with information on the number of bathers at that location as well as get access to customised AI driven responses to any questions they have. It is also considering how to develop the Blueprint initiative which allows anyone with a smartphone to provide it with information linked to the water body they are at.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what criteria is being used to identify areas as critical mineral areas in Cornwall.

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

“Potential for Critical Raw Material Prospectivity in the UK” was a 2023 study undertaken by the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by the British Geological Survey. This report identifies target areas of potential for critical minerals within the UK, including in Cornwall. As a preliminary assessment, its findings do not mean that the prospective areas identified will necessarily be targeted for exploration and mining. The Government is working with the British Geological Survey to understand any possible next steps.

Historical building safeguarding in Scotland

President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement

Signing of the Hamburg Declaration

UNESCO World Heritage status for chalk streams in England

Gas leaks in rural areas

Protection of historic green spaces

Bluebell House care home and person-centred care

Windermere

Indy Wokingham and support for small independent businesses

UNESCO World Heritage Status and the River Marden

Student finance system reform

Funding for rural Britain

Fife Best Bar None Awards

Conflict in Lebanon

Coniston Hydro

LGBTQ+ veterans

Inverness City of Culture

Sign Language Week

New Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision in Wokingham

NHS funding for mental health services

25th anniversary of the Voluntary Initiative

St Neots Walk and Talk 4 Men 5th anniversary

Outdoor learning specialist apprenticeships

Cyprus and UK Sovereign Base Areas

Water sector reform

Online abuse and exploitation of Ukrainian refugees

Ané Kritzinger Physics Gold Medal at STEM for BRITAIN Awards

Stans of St Martins

State visits to the US

Found: Martin Wrigley: I am talking in general.

Found: Freeman; Kit Malthouse; Freddie van Mierlo; Samantha Niblett; Dr Lauren Sullivan; Adam Thompson; Martin Wrigley

Exposure to digital technologies is an everyday experience for children, in how they play, learn, and connect with their families, friends and wider society. This exposure results in a complex picture of benefits and risks related to children’s physical and cognitive development and physical and mental health. There is a lot of data about device use and online habits but how the use of a wide range of digital devices affects development in childhood and adolescence is less clear.