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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times his Department has met representatives of (a) Greenpeace, (b) Just Stop Oil and (c) Extinction Rebellion since 4 July 2024.

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

Ministers have met with Greenpeace and discussions continue at an official level. There have not been any meetings with Just Stop Oil or Extinction Rebellion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 5 February 2025, HCWS417 on the Flood Investment Announcement, whether he plans to provide additional support to local authorities impacted by increases to Internal Drainage Board special levies.

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

The government supports the important work internal drainage boards (IDBs) do in managing water and flood risk, benefiting communities, businesses and the environment.

The government announced as part of the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement, that it will provide £5 million in funding for the local authorities most impacted by IDB levies.

On 31st March 2025 the government also announced an additional £16 million boost to the IDB Fund to support greater flood resilience for farmers and rural communities. The Fund has increased from £75 million to £91 million to provide opportunities to modernise and upgrade assets and this will help reduce future cost increases. Defra has also committed to work with the IDB sector and MHCLG to review IDBs’ current funding and costs.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to explore alternative funding models of Internal Drainage Boards.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 43491 on Internal Drainage Boards: Finance.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what national formula will be applied in calculating national distribution of the debt from county councils that are disbanded; and by what date that will be published.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 5 February 2025 I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area. It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets, and it is standard for councils to borrow and to hold debt, which they will do in the normal course of business. Local government re-organisation does not change this.

As set out in the invitation, the default position is that assets and liabilities remain locally managed by councils. In general, as with previous restructures, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation. For areas where there are exceptional circumstances where there has been failure linked to capital practices, proposals should reflect the extent to which the implications of this can be managed locally, including as part of efficiencies possible through reorganisation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to help improve the career progression of (a) nurses from Agenda for Change Band Five to Band Six and (b) other nurses in the context of plans not to introduce a separate pay spine for nursing.

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

Evidence submitted through the separate nurse pay spine call for evidence highlighted that career progression issues relating to the pay system do not uniquely impact nurses.

We have therefore accepted several recommendations from workstreams committed to in the 2023 Agenda for Change (AfC) pay deal, which focus on ensuring all AfC staff are in the correct pay band, as well as specific measures to improve career progression for nurses. We have also committed to providing the NHS Staff Council with a funded mandate to address issues with the pay structure.

Found: (Chair) Debbie Abrahams (Labour; Oldham East and Saddleworth) Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour; Gower) Steve Barclay

Found: In a March 2024 letter to Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP (then-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and

Found: Cardiff, CF99 1SN SeneddHealth@senedd.wales senedd.wales/SeneddHealth 0300 200 6565 Rt Hon Steve Barclay