Siân Berry Portrait

Siân Berry

Green Party - Brighton Pavilion

14,290 (27.3%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024


4 APPG memberships (as of 7 May 2025)
City Regions Transport, Eating Disorders, Humanist, Poverty and Inequality
Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill
12th Feb 2025 - 18th Mar 2025


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Siân Berry has voted in 172 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Siân Berry Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Andrew Western (Labour)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
(15 debate interactions)
Liz Kendall (Labour)
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
(6 debate interactions)
Judith Cummins (Labour)
(5 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(41 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(13 debate contributions)
Ministry of Justice
(13 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Siân Berry's debates

Brighton Pavilion Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

We believe the government should change legislation to make it easier for trans people of all ages to change their legal gender without an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

We believe social media companies should be banned from letting children under 16 create social media accounts.


Latest EDMs signed by Siân Berry

19th May 2025
Siân Berry signed this EDM on Monday 2nd June 2025

World Bee Day (No. 2)

Tabled by: Monica Harding (Liberal Democrat - Esher and Walton)
That this House celebrates 20 May 2025 as World Bee Day, designated by the United Nations in order to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in promoting individual and planetary health; recognises the centrality of bees to the British way of life, from the quiet …
43 signatures
(Most recent: 2 Jun 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 33
Plaid Cymru: 4
Labour: 3
Independent: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Green Party: 1
19th May 2025
Siân Berry signed this EDM on Monday 2nd June 2025

Gary Lineker's contribution to Match of the Day

Tabled by: Shockat Adam (Independent - Leicester South)
That this House pays tribute to the extraordinary career and enduring legacy of Gary Lineker as he retires from his role on Match of the Day; celebrates him not only as one of England’s greatest ever goal scorers and a former England team captain, but as the beating heart of …
13 signatures
(Most recent: 2 Jun 2025)
Signatures by party:
Independent: 6
Labour: 6
Green Party: 1
View All Siân Berry's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Siân Berry, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Siân Berry has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Siân Berry has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Siân Berry


A Bill to provide for the prohibition of the use of professional plant protection products by local authorities and other public authorities for amenity purposes; to require the Secretary of State to publish guidance in connection with that prohibition; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Monday 21st October 2024
Next Event - 2nd Reading
Friday 17th October 2025

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the percentage change in real terms of the average cost per kilometre to an individual of travelling by (a) private car, (b) bus, (c) train and (d) domestic aeroplane since (i) 1997, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2015, (iv) 2017 and (v) 2019.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Lady’s Parliamentary Question of 30/07/24 is attached.

Georgia Gould
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
6th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the (a) start and (b) finish date was of each overseas trips taken by Prince Andrew in his role as a trade envoy.

I understand that the Duke of York visited multiple overseas states in his role as a Special Representative. To note the Duke of York was the Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment and not a Trade Envoy.

2002 - 2004

4-9 Feb 02

18-21 Mar 02

2-10 May 02

25-26 Jun 02

29-30 Jan 03

12-13 Feb 03

9-13 Sept 03

23-27 Sept 03

19-26 Oct 03

27 Nov-8 Dec 03

09-Jan-04

08-Mar-04

2004/05

26 Mar-4 Apr 04

19-25 Apr 04

24-26 May 04

07-Sep-04

25-27 Oct 04

3-9 Oct 04

24 Nov-5 Dec 04

22-23 Nov 04

12-27 Feb 05

2005/06

4-5 Apr 05

18-25 Apr 05

17-18 May 05

11-14 Oct 05

28-30 Nov 05

13-17 Nov 05

03-Mar-05

14-Mar-05

30-Mar-05

21-25 Jan 06

14-Feb-06

2006/07

25 Mar-2 Apr 06

3-7 Jun 06

3-7 Jul 06

25-30 Sept 06

29 Oct-4 Nov 06

23-24 Nov 06

11-Oct-06

24-May-06

15-May-06

07-Nov-06

08-Nov-06

25-27 Jan 07

05-Feb-07

12-13 Feb 07

26-27 Feb 07

28 Feb-13 Mar 07

2007/08

11-18 Apr 07

28 May-1 Jun 07

07-Jun-07

27-29 Aug 07

03-Sep-07

1-4 Oct 07

23-26 Oct 07

1-10 Nov 07

24-Apr-07

14-May-07

25-Jun-07

15-Oct-07

22-Oct-07

13-15 Jan 08

20-22 Jan 08

23-25 Jan 08

5-16 Feb 08

2-7 Mar 08

9-15 Mar 08

2008/09

30 Mar-3 Apr 08

13-May-08

18-20 May 08

03-Jun-08

30 Jun-1 Jul 08

16-Jul-08

5-12 Sept 08

28 Sept-3 Oct 08

29 Oct-7 Nov 08

10-Dec-08

28-30 Jan 09

02-Feb-09

17-18 Feb 09

13-Mar-09

14-20 Mar 09

2009/10

18-21 May 09

1-4 Jun 09

22-24 Jun 09

22-24 Sept 09

29 Sept-8 Oct 09

19-Oct-09

24 Oct-4 Nov 09

14-16 Dec 09

27-29 Jan 10

7-12 Feb 10

8-13 Mar 10

23-26 Mar 10

26-28 Mar 10

2010/11

13-14 April 10

16-22 April 10

3-11 May 10

16-20 May 10

18-May-10

8-10 June 10

07-Jul-10

6-11 Sept 10

8-20 Oct 10

12-16 Jan 11

26-28 Jan 11

6-16 Feb 11

2011/12

4-8 Apr 11

16-19 May 11

14-Sep-11

18-23 Sept 11

26 Sept-2 Oct 11

06-Oct-11

23-28 Oct 11

30 Oct-1 Nov 11

20-23 Nov 11

26-28 Jan 12

27 Feb-3 Mar 12

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much was spent on (a) transport, (b) hotels, (c) official gifts and (d) other costs for overseas trips taken by Prince Andrew in his role as a trade envoy.

The Duke of York was the Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment and not a Trade Envoy.

The Department for Business and Trade does not hold details of the specific costs for the Duke of York’s (a) transport, (b) hotels, (c) official gifts and (d) other costs for overseas trips taken in his capacity as a Trade Representative.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether L3Harris has used the provision under Section 4. part (2) of the open general export licence for exports for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II to export equipment where the end-user is Israel since 2 September 2024.

Usage against Open General Export Licences (OGEL) is only recorded and held on an annual basis, and therefore it is not possible to report on the number of times an OGEL has been used from part way through the year.

The Export Control Joint Unit’s searchable database allows bespoke searches of published data to be conducted. This includes open licence usage broken down by specified year(s), separated by country; licence type; end user type and usage count. This database can be accessed at https://www.exportcontroldb.trade.gov.uk/sdb2/fox/sdb/. Please note that we do not publish open licence usage of specific companies.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had discussions with (a) L3Harris on and (b) other UK-based companies using the open general export licence for exports for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II since 5 July 2024.

The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has regular discussions with UK exporters on Open General Export Licences (OGELs) including the OGEL: exports in support of Joint Strike Fighter: F-35 Lightning II.

Exporters registered to OGELs have specific reporting obligations. More information on how ECJU works with exporters on OGELs can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/open-general-export-licences-ogels.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether L3Harris held any of the export licences to Israel suspended on 2 September 2024

L3Harris did not hold any of the Standard Individual Export Licence or Open Individual Export Licences that were suspended on 2 September 2024.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies on renewable electricity generation of the Royal Society's report entitled Net zero aviation fuels: resource requirements and environmental impacts published on 28 February 2023.

The report in question considers four potential net zero aviation fuels: hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels (efuels) and biofuels. Recommendations include the need for further Research and Development of the efficient production, storage and use of green hydrogen and efuels.

The government is committed to delivering greener transport and supporting its missions to kick start economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower, and we will continue to work together with industry to consider the best way to support the aviation industry to decarbonise, including through the Jet Zero Taskforce.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
3rd Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff in his Department are working primarily on (a) fossil fuels, (b) renewables excluding biomass, (c) biomass, (d) carbon capture and storage, (e) nuclear energy, (f) energy networks, (g) energy storage, and (h) energy efficiency.

The Department has around 4600 full time equivalents (FTE) working across multiple policy areas and programmes. These include renewables, biomass, carbon capture and storage, nuclear, energy networks, oil and gas, energy storage and energy efficiency, amongst others. The Department’s resourcing is recorded and aligned to its organisation structure, rather than to portfolios. This means we are unable to provide a detailed breakdown for each of the areas mentioned.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
7th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the Royal Collection Trust on the ownership of the Royal Stamp Collection.

We have no plans to do so, nor are Ministers in discussions with the Royal Collection Trust, which is an independent charity, with control over its own collections, policies and management. The public can enjoy the Royal Collection across official royal residences, former royal residences, and through an extensive lending and touring exhibitions programme. Over 280,000 object records in the Collection can be accessed via the Royal Collection Trust website.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
7th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the Royal Collection Trust on the potential merits of publishing a list of items which are held in right of the Crown.

We have no plans to do so, nor are Ministers in discussions with the Royal Collection Trust, which is an independent charity, with control over its own collections, policies and management. The public can enjoy the Royal Collection across official royal residences, former royal residences, and through an extensive lending and touring exhibitions programme. Over 280,000 object records in the Collection can be accessed via the Royal Collection Trust website.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question 14270 on Press: Regulation, what work her Department is undertaking on this issue; which other Departments have participated; and if she will publish the work completed to date.

DCMS works with a range of other Departments, including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Home Office, to support a free, plural, and financially sustainable press sector. This includes work to develop a Local Media Strategy and to deliver the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.

We will update Parliament in the usual way on any policy developments in this area and work will be published as appropriate.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
21st Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support grassroots music venues.

The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee's report on grassroots music venues outlines our commitment to working across the live music sector to support grassroots music.

We urge the live music industry to introduce a voluntary ticket levy for stadium and arena shows, to support a sustainable grassroots music sector. I am writing to the major players in the industry to underline the importance of swift progress, and on the need to unblock any remaining barriers to an effective industry-led solution.

Following the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to support Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, which provides grants, including to music venues and festivals.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a response to the recommendations of the report by the Press Recognition Panel entitled Press Intrusion and Regulation, published on 28 August 2024.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have policy responsibility for the Press Recognition Panel in order to ensure that there is no Government interference in its independent work.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the (a) revenue and (b) capital funding provided by each government department for youth work in England and Wales in each financial year since2010-11.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. In England, since 2010, DCMS has directly provided over £1.5 billion to the youth sector - mainly through three large programmes: MyPlace (capital); National Citizen Service (revenue) and the Youth Investment Fund (capital and revenue).

Over the current Spending Review Period, DCMS is investing £500 million of revenue and capital funding in youth services to deliver the National Youth Guarantee. This is in addition to revenue funding provided through DCMS Public Bodies, such as Sport England, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Community Fund, and other government departments. We do not hold the breakdown of youth work funding from other government departments.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, Local Authorities have a statutory duty to ‘secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people’. Details of all Local Authorities’ annual spending on youth services in England can be found in Section 251 data published on gov.uk.

The devolved administration of Wales is responsible for their own youth services and we do not hold the data requested.


Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Office for Students' regulatory case report for the University of Sussex, published on 26 March 2025, whether the Office for Students plans to issue guidance to higher education institutions following the report.

This government is committed to free speech as a non-negotiable, and expects universities to take their responsibilities to upholding it seriously.

The Office for Students (OfS) is an independent regulator responsible for ensuring that higher education (HE) in England delivers positive outcomes for students. While the OfS operates within the broader policy framework set by the department, it maintains operational independence in its regulatory decisions and activities.

Their core regulatory activity is funded primarily through fees paid by registered providers, rather than the public purse. The OfS may also require a provider in relation to which a sanction has been imposed, to pay the costs incurred by the OfS in relation to imposing the sanction.

Investigations on breaches to conditions of registration forms the core regulatory purpose of the OfS, it is therefore not possible to calculate the specific costs for individual investigations.

The OfS’s published policy on monetary penalties, ‘Regulatory advice 19', makes provision for a reduced penalty where a settlement is reached at an early stage of an investigation. This is intended to avoid the OfS and a provider needing to expend resources to complete the detailed work necessary to draft and respond to provisional and final decisions.

Whether the OfS sought external legal advice on any matter, including the investigation into Sussex, is a matter for the OfS, and it is strictly confidential.

The OfS plans to publish further guidance on providers’ duties to take steps to secure free speech shortly, ahead of new duties on HE providers under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 coming into force. This is currently planned for 1 August.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Office for Students commissioned external legal counsel in relation to their (a) regulatory case report for the University of Sussex, published on 26 March 2025 and (b) investigation which led to that report.

This government is committed to free speech as a non-negotiable, and expects universities to take their responsibilities to upholding it seriously.

The Office for Students (OfS) is an independent regulator responsible for ensuring that higher education (HE) in England delivers positive outcomes for students. While the OfS operates within the broader policy framework set by the department, it maintains operational independence in its regulatory decisions and activities.

Their core regulatory activity is funded primarily through fees paid by registered providers, rather than the public purse. The OfS may also require a provider in relation to which a sanction has been imposed, to pay the costs incurred by the OfS in relation to imposing the sanction.

Investigations on breaches to conditions of registration forms the core regulatory purpose of the OfS, it is therefore not possible to calculate the specific costs for individual investigations.

The OfS’s published policy on monetary penalties, ‘Regulatory advice 19', makes provision for a reduced penalty where a settlement is reached at an early stage of an investigation. This is intended to avoid the OfS and a provider needing to expend resources to complete the detailed work necessary to draft and respond to provisional and final decisions.

Whether the OfS sought external legal advice on any matter, including the investigation into Sussex, is a matter for the OfS, and it is strictly confidential.

The OfS plans to publish further guidance on providers’ duties to take steps to secure free speech shortly, ahead of new duties on HE providers under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 coming into force. This is currently planned for 1 August.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Office for Students’ staff hours were spent on work relating to the Office for Students' regulatory case report for the University of Sussex, published on 26 March 2025 broken down by grade.

This government is committed to free speech as a non-negotiable, and expects universities to take their responsibilities to upholding it seriously.

The Office for Students (OfS) is an independent regulator responsible for ensuring that higher education (HE) in England delivers positive outcomes for students. While the OfS operates within the broader policy framework set by the department, it maintains operational independence in its regulatory decisions and activities.

Their core regulatory activity is funded primarily through fees paid by registered providers, rather than the public purse. The OfS may also require a provider in relation to which a sanction has been imposed, to pay the costs incurred by the OfS in relation to imposing the sanction.

Investigations on breaches to conditions of registration forms the core regulatory purpose of the OfS, it is therefore not possible to calculate the specific costs for individual investigations.

The OfS’s published policy on monetary penalties, ‘Regulatory advice 19', makes provision for a reduced penalty where a settlement is reached at an early stage of an investigation. This is intended to avoid the OfS and a provider needing to expend resources to complete the detailed work necessary to draft and respond to provisional and final decisions.

Whether the OfS sought external legal advice on any matter, including the investigation into Sussex, is a matter for the OfS, and it is strictly confidential.

The OfS plans to publish further guidance on providers’ duties to take steps to secure free speech shortly, ahead of new duties on HE providers under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 coming into force. This is currently planned for 1 August.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Office for Students' regulatory case report for the University of Sussex, published on 26 March 2025, what was the cost to the public purse of the investigation which led to this report.

This government is committed to free speech as a non-negotiable, and expects universities to take their responsibilities to upholding it seriously.

The Office for Students (OfS) is an independent regulator responsible for ensuring that higher education (HE) in England delivers positive outcomes for students. While the OfS operates within the broader policy framework set by the department, it maintains operational independence in its regulatory decisions and activities.

Their core regulatory activity is funded primarily through fees paid by registered providers, rather than the public purse. The OfS may also require a provider in relation to which a sanction has been imposed, to pay the costs incurred by the OfS in relation to imposing the sanction.

Investigations on breaches to conditions of registration forms the core regulatory purpose of the OfS, it is therefore not possible to calculate the specific costs for individual investigations.

The OfS’s published policy on monetary penalties, ‘Regulatory advice 19', makes provision for a reduced penalty where a settlement is reached at an early stage of an investigation. This is intended to avoid the OfS and a provider needing to expend resources to complete the detailed work necessary to draft and respond to provisional and final decisions.

Whether the OfS sought external legal advice on any matter, including the investigation into Sussex, is a matter for the OfS, and it is strictly confidential.

The OfS plans to publish further guidance on providers’ duties to take steps to secure free speech shortly, ahead of new duties on HE providers under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 coming into force. This is currently planned for 1 August.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) spend was up to and including the 2023-24 financial year and (b) forecast spend is for the 2024-25 financial year on the T level programme.

Spend on the T Level programme was £994 million up to and including the 2023/24 financial year. Forecast spend for the 2024/25 financial year on the T Level programme is £253 million.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the 2024-25 pay award does not apply to teachers in (a) sixth form and (b) further education colleges; and if she will make it her policy to apply the award to those teachers.

Further education (FE) providers are not in scope of the School Teacher Review Body’s remit. The government neither sets nor makes recommendations about FE teacher pay, and it is instead the responsibility of individual colleges to make awards in line with their own local circumstances.

The fiscal situation that the government has inherited means that it has had to take incredibly difficult decisions about how to allocate scarce resources. However, I can assure you that this government knows the very important contribution of sectors where pay is not currently set by a Pay Review Body, including FE.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year spending review in Spring 2025. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.

The department will continue with plans to invest in FE teachers, as part of the c.£600 million funding across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years that was announced last autumn. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. We will also work with the FE sector to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges to raise standards for children and young people.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Aug 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students took the (a) BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business and (b) WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology in (i) Brighton and Hove and (ii) the UK in the 2023-24 academic year; and whether students will be able to enrol on these courses in the 2025-26 academic year.

The full-year participation data for the 2023/24 academic year is expected to be available in November 2024. After this point the department will be in a position to provide additional breakdowns.

Regarding student enrolment for the 2025/26 academic year, on 24 July 2024 the Secretary of State announced that the department is conducting a short, internal review of Post-16 qualifications reform at Level 3 and below. Defunding decisions for 2025 onwards will be confirmed after the short review and we will set out the position before the end of December 2024.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to monitor the effective implementation of Government consultation principles on the needs of people affected by air pollution.

Defra seeks to align its consultations with the Cabinet Office consultations principles, published in 2018, to ensure our consultations are accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders and gather the best possible information to assist with policy development.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
6th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 10174 on Pesticides, when he plans to publish the National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.

We intend to publish a Pesticides National Action Plan this year.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
21st Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to answer Question 23103 on Air Pollution, published on 9 January 2025.

The next review of our statutory Air Quality Strategy is due to be completed by mid-2028. We intend to bring forward that date whilst ensuring we have time to work closely with stakeholders to co-design the new strategy.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7788 on Air Pollution, if his Department will take steps to amend clean air targets to bring the UK in line with the European Union's Ambient Air Quality Directive.

The Government is committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harm of pollution. We recognise the importance of ambitious yet achievable air quality targets, supported by robust delivery plans, which is why the Government has launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment including for air quality.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he will publish the (a) interim and (b) final report from the Air Quality Information System Review.

The Air Quality Information System Review has now concluded. The final report and accompanying reports will be published shortly.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to involve communities and stakeholders in the development of a new Clean Air Strategy; and what his planned timetable is for completing the strategy.

The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them.

The Government launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) to revise our plan for significantly improving the environment, including for air quality. The Government concluded the review of the EIP at the end of last year and published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025.

We will continue to engage with stakeholders, communities and interested parties in meetings to develop a strategy to clean up our air and reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of emissions of nitrogen dioxide from ships at English ports on the annual mean concentration limits set out in the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010.

Domestic shipping contributed 11% to total UK nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions in 2022. The Air Quality Plan for NO2 addresses the primary cause of exceedances of the concentration limits set by the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 (AQSR): emissions from road transport.

The UK has been at the forefront of international action to reduce NO2 emissions from shipping through work at the International Maritime Organization, and from 2021 the UK gained additional protection as additional restrictions on NOx emissions came into force in the North Sea Emission Control Area.

Emma Hardy
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29617 on Heathrow Airport, if she will update her Department's Appraisal of sustainability for the proposed Airports National Policy Statement, published 5 June 2018, as part of her review of the Airports National Policy Statement.

The Secretary of State will determine the scope of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement. She will comply with any statutory requirements relating to carrying out an appraisal of sustainability of an amended National Policy Statement set out in the Planning Act 2008.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of agricultural land required for bio-aviation fuels to meet (a) existing and (b) potential demand to allow for expansion of (i) Heathrow airport and (ii) other UK airports.

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate scheme is driving the uptake of lower carbon fuels used in aviation. The scheme does not support the supply of biofuels made from food, feed or energy crops. SAF must be made from sustainable wastes or residues (such as used cooking oil or forestry residues), recycled carbon fuels (e.g. unrecyclable plastics), or be power to liquid fuels made using low carbon (renewable or nuclear) electricity. Given these feedstocks do not require land, no estimate has been made of the amount of agricultural land required for bio-aviation fuels, under current or future demands.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies on food production of the report by the Royal Society entitled Net zero aviation fuels: resource requirements and environmental impacts, published on 28 February 2023.

The report in question concluded that a significant proportion of the UK’s land would be required for fuel production if crops were used to decarbonise aviation. The UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate, which is designed to increase the amount of sustainable fuels used in aviation, prevents the diversion of resources away from food production. The Mandate includes strict sustainability criteria and SAF produced from food, feed or energy crops are not eligible under the scheme.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
28th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential cost of building one new runway at Heathrow Airport.

The Government is clear that any expansion scheme will be financed in its entirety by the private sector.

The exact cost of the runway will be determined by the parameters of any scheme brought forward by scheme promoters.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Independent report by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee entitled DPTAC position on the eligibility criteria for concessionary bus travel, published on 17 August 2022, whether she plans to carry out a review of the eligibility criteria for bus passes for disabled people.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and, while the Department keeps the scheme under review, any changes to the statutory obligations, such as extending the eligibility criteria, would need to be carefully considered for their impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
29th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to (a) reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants from ships at ports in England and (b) incorporate the requirements of the environmental principles policy statement into maritime policy.

Greening transport, which includes tackling air pollution, is a key priority for the Secretary of State. The UK has consistently supported ambitious international efforts to limit air pollutant emissions from global shipping at the International Maritime Organization, including adopting the North Sea ECA for SOx emissions in 2005 which was expanded to include NOx emissions in 2021. Since April 2010, the UK has also applied equivalent SOx regulations to inland-water vessels and ships at berth in all ports.

The Department considers the environmental principles policy statement across all policy areas, in line with our legal duty.

Mike Kane
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
4th Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to improve (a) step-free and (b) disabled access at railway stations; whether the Access for All funding scheme will continue; and what her planned timeline is to tackle access issues within the rail network.

We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) revenue and (b) capital funding her Department has provided for (i) walking, (ii) cycling, (iii) healthy and safer streets, (iv) disabled access and (v) other ways to support active travel in England in each financial year since 2010-11.

The table below outlines Departmental funding for active travel for the period 2011/12 to 2023/24. It is not possible to disaggregate this into separate amounts for walking, cycling, healthy streets and so forth. Comparable data for 2010/11 is unavailable. The figures do not include funding from wider sources within the Department such as the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) or the Levelling Up Fund.

Year

Capital

(£ million)

Revenue

(£ million)

Combined*

(£ million)

2011-12

39

64

54

2012-13

72

59

54

2013-14

131

63

54

2014-15

50

54

54

2015-16

74

57

54

2016-17

43

44

0

2017-18

72

30

0

2018-19

29

36

0

2019-20

3

37

0

2020-21

187

118

0

2021-22

205

74

0

2022-23

200

73

0

2023-24

54

58

0


 *Local Sustainable Transport Fund including wider sustainable transport spend.

Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
30th Jul 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish an updated Road Safety Statement; and whether that update will include a Vision Zero approach.

The Government has announced that it intends to publish a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade. Work is already underway on this and further details will be set out in due course.

Lilian Greenwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
6th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the report entitled Social insecurity: the devastating human rights impact of social security system failures in the UK by Amnesty International, published on 25 April 2025.

The UK Government takes its international obligations seriously and values the insights provided by Amnesty International and notes their recommendations.

The UK Government is committed to tackling poverty across the UK. Good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. The proposals in our plan for Making Work Pay and our Get Britain Working White Paper and our urgent work to bring forward our Child Poverty Strategy reflect our commitment to delivering lasting change.

Alongside this as announced in our Pathways to Work Green Paper we will establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work.

Alison McGovern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraphs 139 and 140 of her Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, what evidence base was used to determined that claimants who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity have higher needs.

PIP provides a contribution to extra costs, but, over recent years, claims have increased significantly, outstripping the growth in disability prevalence. Changes are needed to put benefit spending on a sustainable footing so it can be there for people who need it in the future, while continuing to support those people with higher needs relating to their long-term health condition or disability.

Some people get PIP from scoring 1, 2 or 3 points, arising from needs which could individually be managed with small interventions or the addition of an aid or appliance. Focusing PIP on those with a higher level of functional need in at least one activity - people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – will ensure that PIP is sustainable now and into the future.

Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. For those already on PIP, the changes to PIP eligibility will only apply at their next award review.   We are also consulting on how best to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Alongside the introduction of this new requirement, in the Green Paper, we promised to review the PIP assessment by working with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, and other experts. As announced by the Secretary of State in the House of Commons on 12 May, we have started the first phase of the review. I will be meeting with stakeholders to develop the scope and terms of reference of the review and will keep the House updated as this work progresses.

On decision making more broadly, we ensure a high standard is maintained for PIP assessments through having an Independent Audit function that continually monitors the performance of assessment providers. At the decision-making stage, we have a multi-tiered Quality Assurance Framework to ensure decisions are legal and payments are accurate.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
6th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 21 of her Department's publication entitled Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025, whether her Department conducted an internal audit of Personal Independence Payment decisions during the development of the proposal to require four points to be scored in at least one daily living activity.

PIP provides a contribution to extra costs, but, over recent years, claims have increased significantly, outstripping the growth in disability prevalence. Changes are needed to put benefit spending on a sustainable footing so it can be there for people who need it in the future, while continuing to support those people with higher needs relating to their long-term health condition or disability.

Some people get PIP from scoring 1, 2 or 3 points, arising from needs which could individually be managed with small interventions or the addition of an aid or appliance. Focusing PIP on those with a higher level of functional need in at least one activity - people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – will ensure that PIP is sustainable now and into the future.

Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. For those already on PIP, the changes to PIP eligibility will only apply at their next award review.   We are also consulting on how best to support those who lose entitlement due to the reforms, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.

Alongside the introduction of this new requirement, in the Green Paper, we promised to review the PIP assessment by working with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations, and other experts. As announced by the Secretary of State in the House of Commons on 12 May, we have started the first phase of the review. I will be meeting with stakeholders to develop the scope and terms of reference of the review and will keep the House updated as this work progresses.

On decision making more broadly, we ensure a high standard is maintained for PIP assessments through having an Independent Audit function that continually monitors the performance of assessment providers. At the decision-making stage, we have a multi-tiered Quality Assurance Framework to ensure decisions are legal and payments are accurate.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22765 on Pensions: Inflation, whether he has had discussions with American Express.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold individual occupational pension scheme data.

Discretionary increases in benefits above the statutory minimum and those required by scheme rules are a matter for the scheme sponsor and trustees.

Torsten Bell
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
27th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the number of American Express retirees in the UK impacted by the lack of statutory inflation protection for pre-1997 defined benefit pensions.

The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold individual occupational pension scheme data.

Discretionary increases in benefits above the statutory minimum and those required by scheme rules are a matter for the scheme sponsor and trustees.

Torsten Bell
Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
25th Nov 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households (a) are eligible and (b) have received Cold Weather Payments in 2024, broken down by week.

(a) Table 1 shows the number of estimated eligible qualifiers across 2024.

Table 1: Number of Estimated Eligible Recipients in England and Wales

Season (1st November-31st March)

Estimated Eligible Recipients (England and Wales)

2023/24

3,921,000

2024/25

4,116,000

Due to the nature of eligibility, we are unable to breakdown to the household level.

(b) Tables 2 and 3 show the breakdown of weekly payments made in 2024- these are from the 2023/24 season running from the 1st November 2023-31st March 2024 and the start of the 2024/25 season 1st-22nd November 2024.

Table 2: Payments made to estimated qualifiers in England and Wales, 2024- from the 2023/24 season.

Week Commencing

Triggers

Estimated Payments Made (England and Wales)

29 December 2023

0

0

5 January 2024

0

0

12 January 2024

3

11,000

19 January 2024

9

362,000

26 January 2024

5

204,000

2 February 2024

0

0

9 February 2024

0

0

16 February 2024

0

0

23 February 2024

0

0

1 March 2024

0

0

8 March 2024

0

0

15 March 2024

0

0

22 March 2024

0

0

29 March 2024

0

0

5 April 2024

0

0

Table 3: Payments made to Estimated Qualifiers in England and Wales so Far- from the 2024/25 season.

Week Commencing

Triggers

Estimated Payments Made (England and Wales)

1 November 2024

0

0

8 November 2024

0

0

15 November 2024

0

0

22 November 2024

3

6000

Please note-

1) Figures are estimated based on the number of individuals eligible at the start of the season. See the methodology document for further details,

and guidance on how to estimate the number of payments and expenditure, here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024/background-and-methodology-cold-weather-payment-estimates-2023-to-2024

2) Figures are shown by the week or month the payment was triggered - that is, the day that the recorded/forecasted temperatures for the seven

day period caused payments to be authorised. The recipient should receive the payment within 14 days.

3) All volumes are rounded to the nearest 1,000

4) The figures include claimants meeting the legacy benefit and Universal Credit eligibility criteria for Cold Weather Payments.

Future publications for the 2024-25 Cold Weather Season can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cold-weather-payment-estimates-2024-to-2025

Emma Reynolds
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will expand eligibility for Winter Fuel Allowance to older people ineligible for Pension Credit who receive (a) Housing Benefit, (b) Local Housing Allowance, (c) Council Tax Support, (d) any benefits related to having a disability, (e) Attendance Allowance and (f) Carer's Allowance.

Winter Fuel Payments will continue to be paid to pensioner households with someone receiving Pension Credit or certain other income-related benefits: Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. They will continue to be worth £200 for eligible households, or £300 for eligible households with someone aged 80 and over.  This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it most. The Government has no plans to change the eligibility conditions.

The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. As part of this, we have started a new drive to increase take-up of Pension Credit. We know there are low-income pensioners who are not claiming Pension Credit, and we urge those people to apply.

We will shortly be directly contacting approximately 120,000 pensioners who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who may be eligible for, but not currently claiming, Pension Credit. We will be inviting these pensioners to claim Pension Credit ahead of 21st December so that they may also be entitled to this year’s Winter Fuel Payment.

Emma Reynolds
Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Oct 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7923 on Housing Benefit: Young People, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of adjusting the housing benefit taper for people in supported accommodation; and with which stakeholders he plans to consider the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for people residing in supported housing and temporary accommodation.

As you are aware, there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in supported housing and temporary accommodation. We are considering options to improve work incentives for residents of supported housing and temporary accommodation, while taking into account the views of stakeholders.

We have engaged with a range of stakeholders including Centrepoint, St Mungo’s, BHT Sussex, the Cardinal Hume Centre, Your Place and Homeless Link about this issue and plan to continue conversations with these and other organisations in the future about this issue.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)