Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 contribution of regenerative agriculture to the resilience of domestic agricultural supply chains and the long-term productivity of British farms.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Farming Roadmap, food security and restoring nature are, over the long term, inseparable. The most resilient farms are profitable because they work with the environment.
The Government is backing a shift towards lower input, more sustainable farming systems, with £310 million of funding allocated through SFI26 this year. SFI is largely aligned with regenerative agriculture, including actions for cover crops, no till farming and providing insect rich habitats.
The Roadmap also recognises the important role that the private sector and farmer-led collaboration can play in supporting the adoption of sustainable farming practices.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
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 has made of the potential contribution of business-led regenerative agriculture programmes to improving soil health, biodiversity and water management.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
As set out in the Farming Roadmap, food security and restoring nature are, over the long term, inseparable. The most resilient farms are profitable because they work with the environment.
The Government is backing a shift towards lower input, more sustainable farming systems, with £310 million of funding allocated through SFI26 this year. SFI is largely aligned with regenerative agriculture, including actions for cover crops, no till farming and providing insect rich habitats.
The Roadmap also recognises the important role that the private sector and farmer-led collaboration can play in supporting the adoption of sustainable farming practices.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of welfare and family support available to personnel serving in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and their families; and whether he has considered extending eligibility for support schemes available to Armed Forces families, including Service Pupil Premium funding and wraparound childcare provision, to the children of Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Ministry of Defence recognises the importance of supporting Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) personnel and their families. RFA personnel and their families have access to a range of welfare and family support services, and we continue to keep these arrangements under review to ensure they remain appropriate to the needs of the workforce.
Support available for RFA personnel and their families includes enhanced leave entitlements and tailored assistance through mechanisms such as Occupational Health, keep-in-touch days, and reasonable workplace adjustments. Further support is delivered through the Employee Assistance Programme, the Defence Health and Wellbeing Portfolio, and Family and People Services, with the RFA workforce also benefitting from an extended welfare network under the umbrella of expert services, including the Navy Families Federation, ensuring holistic support for employees and their families.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of UK participation in the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is undertaking a comprehensive review of the transport case and the practicalities of rejoining the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS), with the aim of determining how to best take this policy forward by the end of the year.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has (a) made an assessment of the underlying causes of the gender pension gap and (b) considered developing a cross-government strategy to address those causes and reduce the gap.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.
The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.
A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.
The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of career breaks and periods out of paid employment on women’s pension savings and retirement outcomes.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government recognises that the gender pensions gap reflects a range of factors, including differences in earnings, working patterns, labour market participation and the accumulation of private pension savings over working lives.
The Department for Work and Pensions has assessed differences in pension outcomes between men and women through its published analysis of the Gender Pensions Gap in Private Pensions: 2020 to 2022, which found that the Gender Pensions Gap for those approaching retirement (aged between 55 and 59) between 2020 and 2022 stood at 48%. This publication also highlights underlying causes of the gender pension gap and that the differences in pension outcomes between men and women become most apparent once women reach their 30’s, a trend driven by childcare responsibilities.
A range of activity is already underway across Government that could help improve pension outcomes for women. This includes a Government review of the parental leave and pay system and the appointment of Mariella Frostrup as Women’s Employment Ambassador in April 2026. The Ministry of Justice has also consulted on proposals to support greater use of pension sharing on divorce, where appropriate.
The Pensions Commission is exploring how to improve retirement outcomes, especially for those on the lowest incomes and at the greatest risk of poverty or under saving, including women. The Government will consider their recommendations carefully on publication of the Pension Commission’s final report in early 2027.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to prescription dispensing services provided by GP practices in rural and remote areas.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No such assessment has been made.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of persistent overcrowding on CrossCountry rail services on passenger safety, accessibility and journey quality; and what steps she is taking to increase capacity on heavily used CrossCountry routes serving the South West, Midlands and North of England.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Passenger safety, accessibility and customer experience impacts are monitored on a continuing basis through contractual oversight, operator reporting and the wider rail regulatory framework.
The Department regularly monitors the operator’s capacity and passenger experience, whilst passenger safety is regulated by the Office of Rail and Road.
The Government has been taking action to increase capacity on CrossCountry routes by funding twelve additional Voyager trains, equivalent to 60 additional carriages, which began entering passenger service in May 2025 and provide thousands of additional seats each week across the network. DfT Operator (DFTO) officials are also working with CrossCountry to introduce further additional Voyager trains to the CrossCountry fleet. The Department is also funding a £75 million refurbishment of CrossCountry’s entire fleet to improve passenger comfort and the overall travel experience.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a comprehensive fire risk management and reporting system; and whether she plans to require relevant landowners to consider all properties that could be affected by fire outbreaks, establish and maintain appropriate firebreaks, and ensure adequate access for firefighting crews.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is taking forward a range of measures to reduce wildfire risk and improve the resilience of our landscapes and communities. Land managers are encouraged to assess wildfire risk and implement proportionate wildfire management plans, including measures such as managing vegetation and fuel loads, creating and maintaining fire and fuel breaks, restoring peatlands and wetlands, and improving access for firefighting. These measures are supported through Environmental Land Management schemes and Countryside Stewardship options.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is working closely with Defra and other partners to consider further measures to reduce wildfire risk, including approaches to land management, access for firefighting and the protection of communities and property. This work will inform the Government’s forthcoming Wildfire Summit and Action Plan.
Asked by: Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat - Tiverton and Minehead)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if the Government will consider requiring National Lottery tickets and scratchcards to be sold only through separate transactions paid for by debit card or cash, in order to ensure consistency with restrictions on credit card gambling.
Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The National Lottery continues to lead the gambling sector with robust, industry-leading consumer protections and consistently low rates of gambling-related harm.
The Gambling Commission actively monitors rates of gambling-related harm and provides regular updates to DCMS on trends related to the National Lottery. There are currently no plans to change payment methods for in-person National Lottery play.