Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to protect owners of listed buildings from changes in insurance premiums.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Insurance providers make commercial decisions about the terms and price on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. For listed properties, insurers may consider factors such as the building’s grade and heritage value, alongside the higher costs of specialist materials and skilled labour required for repairs.

The Government is working with Historic England, our statutory advisor on heritage matters, to look at the impacts of increased insurance premiums for historic properties.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an assessment has been made of the potential disproportionate impact on the ability of female British National (Overseas) visa holders with childcare responsibilities to attain settlement, should the new income requirement under the earned settlement model be imposed.

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

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

We sought views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, which was open between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. We will now carefully review and analyse all responses received, and the findings will support the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures. Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model. They will consider the impacts on different groups and, will be published in due course.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any estimate has been made on the number of British National (Overseas) visa holders who will not meet the new proposed income requirements due to being in full-time education within the three-year period before they are due to apply for settlement.

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

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

We sought views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, which was open between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. We will now carefully review and analyse all responses received, and the findings will support the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures. Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model. They will consider the impacts on different groups and, will be published in due course.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the number of British National (Overseas) visa holders who will not meet the new proposed income requirements due to retirement, early or otherwise.

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

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

We sought views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, which was open between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. We will now carefully review and analyse all responses received, and the findings will support the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures. Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model. They will consider the impacts on different groups and, will be published in due course.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether recent developments in Iran will impact the timetable for the introduction of legislation relating to UK energy independence.

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

In an unstable world, the government is committed to driving for energy sovereignty with clean homegrown power. Conflict in the Middle East is yet another reminder that the only route to energy security and sovereignty for the UK is to get off our dependence on fossil fuel markets we do not control and onto clean homegrown power.

Where necessary, and subject to parliamentary time, we intend to pursue the primary legislative changes needed to deliver on our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower. We will set out our plans in due course.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the evidential requirements applied to planning applicants claiming exemption from the mandatory biodiversity gain condition under Article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Solicitor General has not had any such discussions.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential impact of proposed exemptions to Biodiversity Net Gain requirements on the Government’s statutory environmental targets.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Solicitor General has had no such discussions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if his department will make a formal recommendation to HM Treasury on extending VAT relief to heat batteries for domestic heating.

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

Tax treatment is the responsibility of HM Treasury and they keep all taxes under review.

This government has invested £15 billion in the Warm Homes Plan to help upgrade British homes and cut bills. Whilst we expect heat pumps to be suitable for the vast majority of properties, some may be less suitable and so we are supporting alternative low carbon technologies like heat batteries, air-to-air heat pumps, and biomass boilers. We are also expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to provide more options, including heat batteries.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether apprenticeships have been created through unspent Growth and Skills Levy funds.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department for Work and Pensions has responsibility for apprenticeships in England only. The English apprenticeships budget is set by HM Treasury and although closely linked, is distinct from the income collected from the Growth and Skills Levy.

The apprenticeships budget pays for apprenticeship training costs at both levy-paying and non-levy paying employers, as well as the costs of English and maths tuition for apprentices and additional payments to employers, training providers and apprentices.

The funds available to levy-paying employers, through their apprenticeship service accounts, are not the same as the annual apprenticeships budget, and while levy-paying employers can use all their levy funds, the majority do not. This allows the government to fund apprenticeship training for non-levy paying employers from the apprenticeship budget.

As a result, over the last four years, on average, 98% of the English apprenticeships budget has been spent.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any Ministers or officials in HM Treasury have met with representatives of oil and gas companies to discuss North Sea oil and gas extraction since 1 March 2026.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Treasury Ministers and officials regularly engage with multiple industry stakeholders. The Chancellor met the UK’s oil and gas sector this month following the events in the Middle East. This included discussing how to navigate this uncertain period and the desire to provide certainty to support jobs in the UK, particularly in Scotland.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of differential treatment of electric and internal combustion engine motorcycles under the proposed electric Vehicle Excise Duty framework on drivers; and whether he has considered extending any VED exemptions to all motorcycles on the basis their road surface impact.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

All UK-registered electric and plug-in hybrid cars will pay Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED). Other vehicle types such as vans, buses, coaches, motorcycles and heavy goods vehicles will be out of scope of the tax upon its introduction. This is because the transition to electric for these vehicle types is less advanced than for cars at this stage.

With regards to existing VED, the government has no current plans to exempt motorcycles on the basis of their impact on road surfaces. The taxation of motoring is a critical source of funding for our vital public services and investment in infrastructure, including upkeep of the roads.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether recent developments in Iran will affect the Government’s commitment to meeting its existing climate targets, including the UK’s net zero target and carbon budgets.

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

Making Britain a clean energy superpower is one of this government’s five missions - delivering clean power by 2030 and accelerating progress towards net zero.

The government remains committed to meeting its carbon budgets and net zero by 2050, as required by the Climate Change Act. This is the most effective way to reduce our exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets, protect bill payers and strengthen our energy independence.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish the (a) minutes and (b) summaries of meetings held with representatives of the European Union on oil and gas prices since 1 March 2026.

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

Details of the Secretary of State’s meetings 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, what his proposed timeline is for the introduction of community benefits applied to energy infrastructure.

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

In the Clean Power Action Plan, we made it clear that where communities host clean energy infrastructure, they should feel tangible and enduring benefit of doing so.

The Government has already announced bill discounts for communities living nearest to new electricity transmission infrastructure and published guidance on community funds from electricity transmission infrastructure and onshore wind in England.

Last year, the government published a working paper setting out proposals for mandatory community benefits. We will publish a response to the working paper shortly.

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 undertake a Special Protection Area review for the Marine Protected Area network for seabirds.

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

As part of the England Marine Protected Area (MPA) network review we are considering designations and MPA protection for seabirds. The review is mapping hotspots of seabird activity in English seas to understand how these relate to current Special Protection Areas (SPAs). This work will help to inform next steps for our approach to designations for seabirds.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the UK meets commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 2030.

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

The Government is committed to achieving the goals and targets adopted under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Domestically, in England, the Environmental Improvement Plan and delivery of the legally binding targets under the Environment Act form a core pillar of meeting the commitments. Internationally, the UK is increasing investment in biodiversity and works extensively through international partnerships to support global capacity development. A comprehensive assessment of our progress towards delivering the 2030 GBF targets can be found in the UK’s 7th National Report to the CBD, which was published on 27 February 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce seabird mortality from fisheries bycatch in UK waters.

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

Defra recognises that accidental bycatch in fisheries is one of the greatest threats faced by sensitive marine species such as seabirds.

To tackle this, Defra funds numerous programmes and projects including: Clean Catch, which is carrying out a seabird bycatch monitoring and mitigation trial in the North Sea whitefish fishery; the Bycatch Monitoring Programme (BMP) which provides essential observer data on incidents of sensitive species bycatch; the ongoing Bycatch Risk Prioritisation Framework to assess species vulnerability to bycatch in all fisheries in the UK; a Seabird Bycatch Action Plan for England.

Defra also plays an international leadership role, for example tabling a recent proposal to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommending modifications to fishing gear which have been proven to reduce seabird bycatch in longline fisheries. While not yet adopted, this helps lay the pathway for future work on addressing seabird bycatch in international tuna fisheries.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to improve the condition and management of protected sites for nature in England, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

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

The Department is taking action to improve the condition and long-term management of protected nature sites, including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). We have set an interim target in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP25) for 50% of SSSI features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition by December 2030. The EIP25 also reiterated this Government’s ambition to have 75% of protected sites in favourable condition by 2042. The published delivery plan sets out how we will achieve this and can be found online here: Protected sites Environment Act target delivery plan - GOV.UK

Natural England is improving how SSSIs are monitored and ensuring that action on the ground is focused where it is most needed. This covers practical work such as helping farmers adjust land management, supporting catchment-wide efforts to improve water quality, and using proportionate regulatory action to prevent further harm to sensitive sites.

Protected Site Strategies, which are spatially based restoration plans, will deliver targeted action for priority sites to restore and improve their condition by addressing environmental pressures such as pollution. The Nature Restoration Fund will provide a more strategic, long-term approach to managing impacts of new development on protected sites and species by pooling payments from multiple developers in order to deliver conservation measures at scale and maximise environmental outcomes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with European Union officials about the UK joining the EU's Internal Electricity Market since the exploratory discussions for the UK's possible participation.

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

Since the exploratory discussions concluded, the Secretary of State has continued constructive engagement with European Union counterparts on regional energy cooperation, including on the United Kingdom’s possible future participation in the Internal Electricity Market. These engagements have underlined shared ambitions to accelerate the development of clean, secure, and lower cost energy sources in the North Seas, which will enable us to reduce our reliance on expensive and volatile fossil fuel imports.

UNESCO World Heritage status for chalk streams in England

Energy prices for households and businesses

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication shortages

State visits to the US

UNESCO World Heritage Status and the River Marden

Windermere

Funding for rural Britain

Student finance system reform

Conflict in Lebanon

LGBTQ+ veterans

Coniston Hydro

Sign Language Week

NHS funding for mental health services

St Neots Walk and Talk 4 Men 5th anniversary

Water sector reform

Royal Mail delivery standards

Outdoor learning

NHS access to medical cannabis for children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Endometriosis Awareness Month 2026

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Heating oil prices

Durham District Prostate Cancer Group

Found: (Labour, South East Cornwall) (added 28 Oct 2024; removed 17 Nov 2025) 24 of 42 (57.1%) Pippa Heylings