Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to respond to the hon. Member for Twickenham's correspondence, reference MC2024-00009674.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I thank the hon. Member for highlighting concerns about affordable software licenses for public libraries. This is a complex issue that has arisen from a change in Microsoft’s policy regarding the transition of libraries from Education to Not-for-Profit (NFP) pricing.

Since the issue has been raised with DSIT, my officials have been working with DCMS, as the Department with responsibility for libraries, and with Microsoft, to address the practical challenges that these important public institutions face in renewing their software licenses without a charity or company number. Microsoft provided library services with initial guidance to assist in obtaining the not-for-profit discounts to which they are entitled.

In the months since this guidance was issued, it has been tested with library services and DCMS have rendered assistance in navigating the process. DCMS have identified areas where improvements can be made to guidance for both library services and resellers, which we will continue to discuss with Microsoft to ensure libraries can access affordable licenses going forward.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the rise in Employer's National Insurance Contributions on businesses hiring women and young people.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2026, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances. The OBR expect that employment levels will rise in every year of the forecast, reaching 35.3m in 2030-31.

The Government is committed to supporting young people to earn and learn. That is why we have recently announced that we will offer a guaranteed job to young people on Universal Credit, who are unemployed for over 18 months. This will provide an opportunity for young people to gain essential skills and experience and prevent the damaging effects of long-term unemployment. This initiative forms a key part of the Government’s Youth Guarantee and will build upon existing employment support and sector-based work academies (SWAPs) currently being delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Employers can claim a number of employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. This means employers will pay no employer NICs for apprentices under 25 or employees under 21 on earnings up to £50,270.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the policy paper entitled, Review of the Airports National Policy Statement engagement update, updated on 18 February 2026, on what date it made the requests to Heathrow Airport Ltd, and what date it received a reply.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department provided Heathrow Airport Ltd with a provisional list of requests on 5 February 2026 prior to publishing the list on 18 February 2026. The Department received a response from Heathrow Airport Ltd on 20 February 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the position paper by the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities entitled The challenges around the increasing residential use of waterways.

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

Navigation authorities are not housing authorities. Defra will consider the matters raised in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities position paper about the residential use of inland waterways, and will engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the housing-related and other issues that fall within its policy responsibilities.

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 requiring boat owners using canals and rivers to generate their own renewable energy power.

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

Consideration of the inland waterways sector is included in the Department for Transport’s Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy (page 29) and accompanying Analytical Annex (page 12), published in 2025.

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 taking steps to help protect animals from the grindadrap.

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

The UK strongly opposes the hunting of all cetaceans other than some limited activities by indigenous people for clearly defined subsistence needs. Cessation of the grindadrap, or “The Grind” would be a positive step in improving the conservation and resilience of these cetacean populations.

The UK will maintain its strong support for the global moratorium on commercial whaling at this year’s International Whaling Commission (IWC70) meeting. UK Ministers and officials also continue to highlight our strong opposition to the practice at every appropriate opportunity, including during formal UK-Faroe Islands bilateral fisheries negotiations in November 2025, and through our diplomatic channels with the Faroese Representation in London.

The UK will continue to advocate for the end of cetacean hunts in the Faroe Islands at every appropriate opportunity. The Faroese Government is in no doubt as to the strength of feeling and opposition in the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including the weight of the vehicle in the review of Vehicle Excise Duty.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Vehicle Excise Duty is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. For certain vehicle classifications, VED liability is partially calculated in accordance with the vehicle’s weight, reflecting the greater road damage caused by heavier vehicles. For example, Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) VED rates are set based on a vehicle’s weight, suspension and trailer.

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Twickenham of 17 November 2025 on the Teddington Direct River Abstraction.

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

I thank the Honourable Member for Twickenham for writing and apologise for the delay in response. I have followed this up with the department will and respond shortly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to stop operator self monitoring of the water industry.

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

The Government has committed to ending ‘operator self-monitoring’ so water companies will no longer mark their own homework on pollution incidents.

We are developing a new strengthened Open Monitoring approach for monitoring wastewater. This will be driven by greater digitisation and automation, making data accessible to the public in near-real time, and helping to restore public trust in the system.

In parallel, we are optimising the current monitoring framework to improve our ability to assess the condition of the whole water environment.

These measures build on the significant transparency reforms already delivered, including full coverage of event duration monitoring at storm overflows and the public release of near-real time spill data. By 2035, the government has committed to complete the rollout of continuous water quality monitors on all storm overflows. This work will support a transition to a more modern and transparent monitoring system and underpin future decisions on ending operator self‑monitoring.

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 the Environment Agency's decision to introduce charge funded regulation.

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

The Environment Agency’s (EA) decision to introduce charge-funded regulation is enabled by the Water (Special Measures) Act, which allows the EA to recover the full costs of a broader range of enforcement activities from water companies.

This approach is grounded in the polluter-pays principle and is intended to ensure that those responsible for environmental harm meet the costs associated with addressing it.

Allowing the EA to recover these costs provides a more sustainable and transparent basis for funding its regulatory and enforcement work. This includes activities such as undertaking prosecutions and civil sanctions, responding to pollution incidents, revoking permits where necessary, and meeting future enforcement needs.

The Government believes that increasing cost recovery in this way helps ensure that regulation of the water sector is both robust and properly resourced, supporting stronger environmental protections and more effective oversight.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what external organisations are feeding into the review of the Airports National Policy Statement.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We have procured external experts to help inform our understanding of the links between air connectivity and the economy, and to undertake an Appraisal of Sustainability, Habitats Regulations Assessment, Health Impact Analysis and Equalities Impact Assessment to consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of Heathrow expansion.

We are engaging with a range of external stakeholders to discuss the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) review process and understand their views, as per the published Statement of Approach on Engagement. We have also requested technical information from Heathrow Airport Limited, as a potential promoter of the scheme informing the ANPS review, and as current airport operator, to inform the ANPS review, which has been published here.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the (a) Aviation Night Noise Effects study and (b) Aviation Noise Attitudes Survey before the review of the Airports National Policy Statement is completed.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Aviation Night Noise Effects and Aviation Noise Attitudes studies are currently being completed and are expected to be ready for publication before the review of the Airports National Policy Statement is concluded.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the economic review of Heathrow expansion is seeking input from external experts.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 11 February 2026, to Question UIN 108285.

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