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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in developing her Department’s peatland calculator for carbon losses, whether the Government will include peat destruction caused by (i) wind farm developments and (ii) wildfires caused by excess vegetation.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is working with the Scottish Government on the development of an updated carbon calculator tool for England, similar to that used in Scotland. This will assess for the carbon impacts of peatland disturbance associated with onshore wind developments.

Peatland damaged through wildfire is not a factor being assessed through the peatland carbon calculator.

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 Biodiversity Net Gain and peatland restoration funding on land subsequently developed for onshore wind.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra's peatland funding includes grants to address different challenges across England's peatlands.

Protections for peatland include the National Policy Statements for major renewable energy developments, guiding developers to avoid peatland, and where not possible, mitigate or compensate for impacts.

The National Planning Policy Framework states relevant development proposals should contribute to creation or restoration of habitats which can act as carbon stores, and contribute positively to the natural environment, and supporting nature’s recovery.

Normal biodiversity net gain (BNG) processes apply to onshore wind development. For large schemes consented through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project route, mandatory BNG applies from November.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to review VAT on school uniforms.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events, and does not routinely comment on proposals.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of restrictions on the mowing, burning and grazing of vegetation on (i) its volume, (ii) its age structure, (iii) its moisture content and (iv) its flammability.

Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Restrictions on burning through The Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 aim to reduce the impacts of unnecessary repeated burning on peatlands. Repeated burning can alter species composition and hydrology, resulting in peatlands that are often dominated by heather or Molinia.

As part of its delivery of the Third National Adaptation Programme, Defra has commissioned a wildfire and peatland study, which includes looking at the effectiveness of a range of peatland land management systems and practices in creating wildfire resilience including practices such as grazing, mowing and controlled burning. Defra will continue to monitor these results and engage with key stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals identified as members of organised grooming gangs have been charged with and convicted of rape offences in the United Kingdom in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold the information requested. Information on criminal offences and criminal justice outcomes is not routinely recorded or published in a way that identifies whether an offender was a member of an organised grooming gang.

Data on the total number of charges for rape offences, not specifically those relating to grooming gangs, recorded in England and Wales for each of the last ten years is shown below. As policing is devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Home Office does not hold equivalent data for those jurisdictions.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on convictions for rape offences in its Criminal Justice System statistics. These data do not identify whether offenders were members of organised grooming gangs. Ministry of Justice date is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-march-2026

The Government is committed to improving its understanding of, and response to, group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. This includes investing in specialist policing capabilities through the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme and the Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce to improve the identification of offenders, support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. The Government is also implementing all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations following her National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Cammell Laird 37

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National Suicide Memorial Day for Health and Care Workers

Modern Service Framework for neurological conditions

Funding of Jodrell Bank Observatory

Support for hospices

Right to peaceful protest against illegal immigration

Amnesty International UK report on the anti-rights movement in the UK

Memorial plaque for Ann Widdecombe

Richard Pengelly

Five-year indefinite leave to remain pathway for Skilled Worker visa holders (No. 2)

Toxicity testing on animals

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

Found: Sojan Joseph; Manuela Perteghella; Adrian Ramsay; Martin Rhodes; Dr Roz Savage; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Found: ; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson; Adrian Ramsay; Martin Rhodes; Blake Stephenson; John Whitby; Sammy Wilson

Submit Evidence (by 21 Oct 2026)

In its latest advice to the government, the CCC said that climate change is already disrupting life in the UK and said that the UK’s national approach to climate adaption is “not fit for purpose”. It has also argued that the government’s third National Adaptation Plan (NAP3) is not adequately preparing the UK for climate change.