Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of funding in the consolidated low income household energy efficiency scheme will be allocated to (a) private sector homes and (b) social housing properties.

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

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion targeted investment for home upgrades for low-income and fuel poor households. This will initially be delivered via the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) and the Warm Homes: Local Grant (WH:LG), which support social housing tenants and low-income homeowners respectively. The WH:SHF has been allocated up to an extra £295 million for 2026/27, in addition to the £1.3billion previously committed. £500 million has been allocated for the WH:LG.

From 2027/28 onwards the Government intends to integrate these schemes into a single low-income capital scheme, shifting towards area-based delivery. The Government will say more about the evolution of our low-income schemes in Spring 2026.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much funding within the consolidated low income household energy efficiency scheme will be ringfenced for community level low carbon heat technologies, including (a) Shared Ground Loops and (b) heat networks.

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

The Government’s Warm Homes Plan includes £5 billion targeted investment for home upgrades for low-income and fuel poor households. As part of this offer, from 2027/28 the Government intends to integrate the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant into a single low-income capital scheme, which will shift toward area-based delivery. The Government will say more about the evolution of our low-income schemes this Spring, including the scope of funded technologies.

In addition to any forthcoming funding from these schemes the Government is investing £1.1bn in low-carbon heat networks over this Parliament, and accelerating their rollout through Heat Network Zoning. We have also taken action to strengthen consumer protection through appointing Ofgem as the Heat Network regulator.

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 effectiveness of the UK Port Waste Reception Facilities regime in supporting the disposal of fishing gear; and whether he plans to strengthen or standardise requirements across ports.

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

Defra engages with ports, the fishing sector and Devolved Governments on a range of marine litter and waste issues. Defra has not made an assessment of UK Port Waste Reception Facilities, which are managed by the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) sets international regulations covering the various sources of ship-generated waste pollution within individual Annexes of the Convention. To protect the marine environment further and to strengthen the prohibition requirement under the Merchant Shipping Regulations implementing MARPOL, the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003 set requirement for ports and terminals to provide adequate reception facilities for the delivery of ships-generated waste.

The UK is working collaboratively at the International Maritime Organisation to address actions that have been identified under its 2025 Action Plan and 2021 Strategy on marine plastic litter from ships, in particular abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria her Department will apply when deciding which organisations are invited to participate in the forthcoming consultation on banning trail hunting; and whether bodies which have disregarded existing hunting law will be ruled out of playing a role in shaping future hunting law.

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

The Government intends to hold a consultation on its plans to ban trail hunting. Defra will be guided by the Government's consultation principles in shaping the proposed consultation.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the changes to the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands on the protection of the marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 November 2025 in response to Question 90684.

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 (a) define and regulate the classification of ocean plastic and related environmental claims and (b) tackle marketing practices where products are marketed as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials that are sourced from conventional consumer plastic waste or unrelated recycled materials.

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

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), businesses are prohibited from misleading consumers and must have evidence to substantiate any claims made. Where a business markets a product as made from ocean plastic or beach clean materials, but either does so falsely, or does not have evidence to substantiate the claim, the business may be infringing the consumer protection provisions of the DMCCA and could be subject to enforcement action.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. We will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The plan will set out the biggest opportunities in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics.