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 through the water reform white paper to consider potential options for increasing access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft.

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

The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users. We will respond to the recommendations published in the final report of the Independent Water Commission through a White Paper and will bring forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for the environment and restore trust and accountability. The Government’s full response to the Commission’s recommendations will be published through the White Paper.

The Government has already responded to a number of Sir Jon’s recommendations, as set out in the statement made by the previous Secretary of State on 21 July.  This set out the Government’s intention to establish a single regulator for water, to include a regional element within the new regulator, to establish a new statutory water ombudsman, to end operator self-monitoring and transition to Open Monitoring, and to issue an interim Strategic Policy Statement to Ofwat and give Ministerial directions to the Environment Agency, setting out our expectations and requirements.

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 method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester Rusholme, Afzal Khan, on 20 October 2025, PQ UIN 78472.

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 consult with recreational user groups during the development of the proposed White Paper on water reform.

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

The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature, including for recreational water users, and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops.

Extensive consultation with stakeholders took place during the Independent Water Commission’s review of the water sector. The government will continue to engage key stakeholders as it develops its full policy response to the recommendations.

A new partnership between Government, the sector, investors and communities will deliver the change the public expects.

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 potential implications for her policies of the Environment Agency's Chief Scientist’s Group report entitled Exploring recreational water use in England, published in July 2025.

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

The Government is considering the approach to improving access to nature and is committed to working with stakeholders as this develops. The Environment Agency’s report on recreational water use will help to inform that process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will publish ​the data on the number of patients treated in (a) corridors and (b) other inappropriate spaces.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the unacceptable practice of corridor care in our National Health Service. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June, set out the steps that we are taking, including the commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. This information will be published following a review of data quality, and we will consider how this data could be published on a regular basis.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will publish regular data on patients treated in (a) corridors and (b) other inappropriate spaces.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to tackling the unacceptable practice of corridor care in our National Health Service. Our Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, published in June, set out the steps that we are taking, including the commitment to publish data on the prevalence of corridor care.

NHS England has been working with trusts since 2024 to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. This information will be published following a review of data quality, and we will consider how this data could be published on a regular basis.

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Future of the BBC

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

Two-child limit

Kashmir Black Day and self-determination

Freezing of Local Housing Allowance