Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential cost to the public purse of lowering the VAT rate payable by hospitality businesses to (a) 15 per cent, (b) 10 per cent and (c) 5 per cent.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC estimates that the cost of changing the 20 per cent Standard Rate of VAT on all accommodation and food and beverage services to the Reduced Rate of 5 per cent would be around £17 billion in 2026-27, rising to £19.5 billion in 2030-31.

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph TR7 of the proposed revised version of the National Planning and Policy Framework, what criteria he is using to determine an acceptable environmental effect.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The reference to acceptable environmental effects in proposed policy TR7 is couched in general terms, but the consultation is clear that when using the Framework, the draft policies need to be read as a whole, including in this instance the more specific policies found elsewhere in the Framework for assessing certain environmental impacts.

The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026, and all responses received will be considered before finalising our policy proposals.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will update guidance titled ‘BB101: Ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality 2018’ for the latest available technical standards.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

All new department-delivered schools are designed and constructed to the department’s own school building standards. These standards include ventilation, thermal comfort and air quality and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-requirements-part-b-generic-design-brief.

The standards are reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to meet industry best practice and any relevant legislation. An updated set of standards will be published in early 2026.

The department’s publication, ‘Building Bulletin 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ (BB101), provides non-statutory guidance, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.

The department reviews non-statutory guidance regularly and publishes updates only when necessary.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to tackle online harassment; and what steps she plans to take to protect individuals from such abuse.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must protect all users from illegal harassment and children from harmful content, including hateful and abusive content. These duties are now in force and Ofcom conducts regular surveys to track user experiences. DSIT and Ofcom are developing a longer-term evaluation framework to assess the Act’s impact.

Additional duties will require the largest services to offer adults optional tools to reduce engagement with legal abuse. In October, the Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom and asked it to use all its levers to tackle hateful content online and maintain urgent momentum in implementing these remaining duties.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to (a) ensure that online platforms are held accountable under the Online Safety Act 2023 for hosting content that promotes the torture of animals and (b) reassure farming communities that animal welfare standards are protected online.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government takes animal welfare very seriously. Under the Online Safety Act 2023, platforms must remove illegal content swiftly, including material promoting or facilitating animal torture, which is a designated priority offence. Services must also implement systems and processes to protect children from harmful depictions of animal cruelty, even where it is not illegal. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, enforces these duties and can issue fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether research is being conducted into the potential association between Gabapentin use and the development of attentional amnestic disorders or other cognitive impairments.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Gabapentin is authorised to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain, or nerve pain. The known side effects of gabapentin are outlined in the product information, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet which is provided in each pack of the medicine.

The SPC states that in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, efficacy and safety have not been examined in clinical studies for treatment periods longer than five months. If a patient requires the medication for longer than five months to treat peripheral neuropathic pain, the treating physician should assess the patient's clinical status and determine the need for additional therapy. Epilepsy normally requires long-term treatment and the SPC states that the dosage for gabapentin should be determined by the treating physician according to the clinical response and side effects experienced by the individual patient.

The product information for gabapentin lists amnesia as a common side effect and mental impairment as an uncommon side effect. Dementia is not a known side effect of gabapentin.

Gabapentin can cause drug dependence, and the product information includes warnings that patients treated with gabapentin should be monitored for symptoms of misuse, abuse, or dependence. After discontinuation of short- and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed, and gabapentin should be discontinued gradually over a minimum of one week.

As with all medicines, the safety of gabapentin is kept under continual review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using a number of data sources including reports of suspected side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme, data from marketing authorisation holders, and research published in the scientific literature.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of prolonged use of Gabapentin on long-term neurological risks, including dementia and brain damage.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Gabapentin is authorised to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain, or nerve pain. The known side effects of gabapentin are outlined in the product information, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet which is provided in each pack of the medicine.

The SPC states that in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, efficacy and safety have not been examined in clinical studies for treatment periods longer than five months. If a patient requires the medication for longer than five months to treat peripheral neuropathic pain, the treating physician should assess the patient's clinical status and determine the need for additional therapy. Epilepsy normally requires long-term treatment and the SPC states that the dosage for gabapentin should be determined by the treating physician according to the clinical response and side effects experienced by the individual patient.

The product information for gabapentin lists amnesia as a common side effect and mental impairment as an uncommon side effect. Dementia is not a known side effect of gabapentin.

Gabapentin can cause drug dependence, and the product information includes warnings that patients treated with gabapentin should be monitored for symptoms of misuse, abuse, or dependence. After discontinuation of short- and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed, and gabapentin should be discontinued gradually over a minimum of one week.

As with all medicines, the safety of gabapentin is kept under continual review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using a number of data sources including reports of suspected side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme, data from marketing authorisation holders, and research published in the scientific literature.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether prescribing guidelines for Gabapentin include warnings about potential risks associated with extended use.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are a number of resources available to prescribers to advise them on the potential risks associated with extended use of gabapentin.

The British National Formulary (BNF) for adults provides healthcare professionals with a range of information on the selection, prescribing, dispensing, and administration of medicines. The BNF monograph for gabapentin provides information on the cautions and side effects relating to use of the medicine. The BNF also provides important safety information, such as advice from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on the risks associated with use of gabapentin.

In addition, the known side effects of gabapentin are outlined in the product information, the Summary of Product Characteristics for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet which is provided in each pack of the medicine. These provide prescribers with special warnings and precautions regarding the use of gabapentin to inform decision-making.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of premature deaths in (i) England and (ii) the UK attributable to (a) smoking, (b) air pollution, (c) alcoholism and (d) obesity in the last 12 months.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 5th of January is attached.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the difference is in legal duties and obligations between limit values under the Air Quality Standards Regulations and air quality targets for PM2.5 concentrations set in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025.

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

The Air Quality Standards Regulations (AQSR) 2010 establish legally binding standards across the UK, for numerous air pollutants, including PM2.5. The AQSR limit value for PM2.5 concentrations is 20 micrograms per cubic meter in England and responsibility for meeting the target lies with the Secretary of State.

Targets established through the Environment Act 2021 (The Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) (England) Regulations 2023) set legally binding targets of annual mean concentration of 10 micrograms per cubic meter or lower by 2040, and a 35% reduction in population exposure by 2040 (compared to 2018 levels). These apply to England only and responsibility for meeting the targets lies with the Secretary of State. The Environmental Improvement Plan also sets out non-legally binding interim targets.

Some AQSR standards are mirrored in the Local Air Quality Management framework. This is not the case for the Environment Act 2021 targets, although local authorities are required through the Air Quality Strategy to contribute to targets being met.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps are being taken to inform patients and healthcare professionals about the potential long-term risks of Gabapentin use.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Gabapentin is authorised to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain, or nerve pain. The known side effects of gabapentin are outlined in the product information, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet which is provided in each pack of the medicine.

The SPC states that in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, efficacy and safety have not been examined in clinical studies for treatment periods longer than five months. If a patient requires the medication for longer than five months to treat peripheral neuropathic pain, the treating physician should assess the patient's clinical status and determine the need for additional therapy. Epilepsy normally requires long-term treatment and the SPC states that the dosage for gabapentin should be determined by the treating physician according to the clinical response and side effects experienced by the individual patient.

The product information for gabapentin lists amnesia as a common side effect and mental impairment as an uncommon side effect. Dementia is not a known side effect of gabapentin.

Gabapentin can cause drug dependence, and the product information includes warnings that patients treated with gabapentin should be monitored for symptoms of misuse, abuse, or dependence. After discontinuation of short- and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed, and gabapentin should be discontinued gradually over a minimum of one week.

As with all medicines, the safety of gabapentin is kept under continual review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using a number of data sources including reports of suspected side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme, data from marketing authorisation holders, and research published in the scientific literature.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures are in place to monitor patients on Gabapentin for signs of neurological or cognitive decline during treatment.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Gabapentin is authorised to treat epilepsy and peripheral neuropathic pain, or nerve pain. The known side effects of gabapentin are outlined in the product information, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for healthcare professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet which is provided in each pack of the medicine.

The SPC states that in the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, such as painful diabetic neuropathy and post-herpetic neuralgia, efficacy and safety have not been examined in clinical studies for treatment periods longer than five months. If a patient requires the medication for longer than five months to treat peripheral neuropathic pain, the treating physician should assess the patient's clinical status and determine the need for additional therapy. Epilepsy normally requires long-term treatment and the SPC states that the dosage for gabapentin should be determined by the treating physician according to the clinical response and side effects experienced by the individual patient.

The product information for gabapentin lists amnesia as a common side effect and mental impairment as an uncommon side effect. Dementia is not a known side effect of gabapentin.

Gabapentin can cause drug dependence, and the product information includes warnings that patients treated with gabapentin should be monitored for symptoms of misuse, abuse, or dependence. After discontinuation of short- and long-term treatment with gabapentin, withdrawal symptoms have been observed, and gabapentin should be discontinued gradually over a minimum of one week.

As with all medicines, the safety of gabapentin is kept under continual review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency using a number of data sources including reports of suspected side effects through the Yellow Card Scheme, data from marketing authorisation holders, and research published in the scientific literature.

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 Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91935, what she is seeking to achieve from revisions to the Gothenburg Protocol including Annex IX.

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

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland continues to engage with other Parties to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long‑Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the ongoing revision of the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol, including obligations regarding ammonia emissions. The United Kingdom is committed to supporting effective action on transboundary air pollution across the region, while ensuring the Protocol is fit for the future and can be ratified and implemented by more Parties to the Convention.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the press notice by the Royal College of Physician of 13 November 2025, which called for a UK-wide public health campaign on air pollution.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Clean air is a key part of our shift from ‘sickness to prevention’ as per the 10-Year Health Plan for England, which sets out action to further improve the quality of the air we breathe.

Alongside the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Environmental Improvement Plan, published in December 2025, outlines commitments to improve the communication of air quality information.

Government action is being informed by the recommendations from the Air Quality Information System review report published in 2025, which specifically considered ways to increase public awareness about air pollution.

We will continue to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to reduce the health harms of air pollution and to help make air quality part of everyday conversations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Commitment 19 in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 should refer to emissions of oxides of nitrogen rather than nitrogen dioxide.

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

Commitment 19 of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP25) relates to The National Emission Ceilings Regulations 2018 national reduction commitments for 2030 and should correctly be referenced as oxides of nitrogen.

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 Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 91935 on Air Pollution: International Cooperation, whether she is seeking to agree (a) reductions or (b) increases for each of the national emission reduction commitments (ceilings) listed in Annex IX of the Gothenburg Protocol.

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

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland continues to engage with other Parties to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s Convention on Long‑Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the ongoing revision of the 2012 amended Gothenburg Protocol, including obligations regarding ammonia emissions. The United Kingdom is committed to supporting effective action on transboundary air pollution across the region, while ensuring the Protocol is fit for the future and can be ratified and implemented by more Parties to the Convention.

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 effectiveness of the Clean Air Act 1956, the Clean Air Act 1968 and the Clean Air Act 1993.

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

The Clean Air Act is kept under continuous review to ensure it remains fit for purpose. A number of amendments have been made since its introduction in 1956. The most recent changes were introduced under the Environment Act 2021, which included the strengthening of existing enforcement powers for local authorities in smoke control areas and the introduction of new legally binding targets for fine particulate matter.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the largest environmental risks are to public health in the UK.

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

There are a number of environmental risks to public health in the UK, including air pollution, noise pollution, climate change and extreme weather, emerging chemical and biological risks and water quality.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department provides guidance on whether premises are permitted to emit visible smoke in England.

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

We provide guidance for local authorities on enforcement of SCAs - Smoke control area enforcement by local authorities in England and to the public to help them understand the requirements within SCAs – Smoke control areas: the rules.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, How many people in each of the following regions are expected to be exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding each of (a) 5 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3), (b) 6 ug/m3 and (c) 7 ug/m3 or more in 2030: (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (j) England.

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

Defra does not publish air quality data in the form requested.

The recently published Environmental Improvement Plan set out a target to reduce average exposure to PM2.5 in England by 30% by 2030 compared to the 2018 value. The emphasis of this approach is to continue reducing exposure across the whole of England.

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 effectiveness of the Domestic Solid Fuel Regulations 2020.

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

In November 2025, we published the Post Implementation Review of the Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) (England) Regulations 2020, which assesses the effectiveness of the Regulations.

Data suggest that the Regulations have led to consumers moving from more polluting fuels to less polluting fuels. The review concluded that this has led to a reduction in emissions of PM2.5 and SO2 with environmental and public health benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which areas in the following zones her Department assesses may delay compliance with the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value beyond 2024 and until when in (i) West Midlands Urban Area; (ii) Greater Manchester Urban Area; (iii) Liverpool Urban Area; (iv) Bristol Urban Area; and (v) Coventry/Bedworth.

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

The results of the UK’s air quality assessment for 2024 are published online on the UK-Air website (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/). Projections of future compliance for locations in exceedance of the nitrogen dioxide annual mean limit value in 2024 are being developed as part of updates to the national model.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any hotspots in zones other than the five zones identified in the Compliance Assessment Summary 2024 exceeded the nitrogen dioxide annual limit value in calendar 2024.

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

The localised hotspots identified through Defra’s national modelling and monitoring networks are published annually on UK Air (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/) as part of the national compliance assessment under the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010. Localised hotspots that have been identified by local authority-owned monitoring are published in their respective annual status reports.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what Government guidance there is on technical standards to be applied in dwellings and other buildings to improve indoor air quality.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government sets standards for indoor air quality mainly through Parts F (Ventilation) and L (Conservation of fuel and power) of the Building Regulations which apply primarily to new buildings with detailed guidance provided in Approved Documents. Approved Document F sets minimum ventilation requirements to provide fresh air and reduce risks from pollutants, moisture, condensation and mould. These standards were strengthened in 2021 and took effect in June 2022.

Indoor air quality in existing properties is addressed separately, including through Awaab’s Law which requires social landlords to investigate and remedy damp and mould hazards within set timescales. Government policy is also informed by the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) which provides independent advice on air quality and health.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from conditions related to obesity in England in each year since 2021.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people died from alcoholism in England in each year since 2021.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many deaths there were from cardiovascular causes in (a) East Midlands, (b) East of England, (c) Greater London, (d) North East, (e) North West, (f) South East, (g) South West, (h) West Midlands, (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (j) England in each year since 2021 for which figures are available.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 6th January is attached.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many water outage incidents have occurred in each of the last five years.

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

Water companies are Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have duties to plan for emergencies, including water outage incidents. In England, the Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) is the main legislative framework specific to water companies for emergency planning.

This Government has been clear there is no excuse for poor performance, and that water companies must take seriously their role in meeting the public and regulators’ expectations. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regulates water company performance against SEMD requirements. The DWI has a range of tools to hold companies to account, including serving companies with enforcement orders.

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 levels of resilience of water treatment works.

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

Ofwat has a legislative duty to further the resilience of water companies’ water supply and wastewater systems to enable them to meet long-term need.

The Government is preparing to respond to the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission, including on asset health and resilience. Reforms outlined in this response will form the basis of a new water reform bill to be introduced during this Parliament.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans are in place for periods of water shortage and supply outages.

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

In England and Wales, The Security and Emergency Measures Direction 2022 (SEMD) is the main legislative framework specific to water companies for emergency planning. It requires water companies to ensure continuation of their water distribution functions during an emergency. Separate arrangements apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Companies are required under the SEMD framework to plan for a wide range of disruptive scenarios, including continuous monitoring of risks such as severe winter weather. In addition to SEMD requirements, companies are also incentivised under Ofwat’s performance targets regime to minimise supply interruptions and resulting customer impacts. The Drinking Water Inspectorate regulates water company performance on SEMD performance.

Water companies are also Category Two Responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and have duties to plan for emergencies and cooperate with other organisations in their Local Resilience Forums in understanding risk, planning and exercising.

Defra maintains regular strategic engagement with water companies on resilience planning. This includes in advance of forecast periods of severe weather. Water companies also engage with their Local Resilience Forums during responses to water outages.

Defra undertakes strategic risk assessment, planning and engagement with the water sector and other government departments to regarding water outage risk.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the number of people leaving the agricultural sector.

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

Defra produces statistical estimates of the number of people working on commercial [see a below] agricultural holdings in England. Defra does not monitor the numbers leaving and entering the sector separately, therefore estimates show the net change in the workforce.

Estimates in the table below show a decrease of 1.9% in the agricultural workforce in England between June 2024 and 2025.

Agricultural workforce in England at 1 June:

Notes

(a) Commercial holdings are those registered with the Rural Payments Agency for payments or livestock purposes and with significant levels of farming activity.

Full data series for England and the UK are published here:

Agricultural workforce in England at 1 June - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Agricultural Workforce in the United Kingdom at 1 June - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the Department's budget is allocated to work on flood defences and mitigation.

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

Delivering on the Plan for Change, this government is investing at least £10.5 billion until 2036 to construct new flood schemes and repair existing defences, protecting communities from the devastating impacts of climate change.

The proportion of Defra Group’s total budget allocated to Floods in 2025/26 is 20%. This remains the second largest area of the Defra Group budget.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to help tackle water scarcity.

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

The Government recognises the importance of having enough water through the Environment Improvement Plan – ‘Goal 3: Water - We will ensure English waters are clean, resilient and plentiful.’ Within this plan, there are stretching targets to reduce demand for water.

The Government is playing its part by introducing a new mandatory water efficiency label and reviewing building standards to help people use a little less water.

In addition, water companies are required to publish water resources management plans (WRMP) that set out how the companies will provide secure public water supplies for a 25-year period. The recently published 2024 WRMPs set out how water supplies would be maintained over the coming years through demand management, leakage reduction and enhancing supplies from river and groundwater sources in the time period before new strategic sources of water, such as large reservoirs, come online.

The Environment Agency (EA) published the National Framework for Water Resources in June 2025, which sets out the current and future pressures on water resources and the main actions needed across government, regulators, regional groups, water companies and all sectors of use to address the challenge of water scarcity. This includes the need for joined-up planning between different water-using sectors to identify collaborative solutions for water resources.

The EA is carrying this work forward, with a programme of resilience workstreams across sectors, including for public water supply, agriculture, energy, and data centres.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what progress his Department has made in implementing the advice in Table 1 on numbered page 19 of the Climate Change Committee’s report titled ‘Biomass in a low carbon economy’ (November 2018).

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The department’s schemes support biomass installations only in rural areas and if additional eligibility criteria are met.

New ecodesign standards setting higher minimum efficiency standards for solid fuel space heaters, including wood burning stoves, have been in force since 2022.

The government is also consulting on alternative heating solutions, including solid biomass, to gather evidence on the role they could play in ensuring every household has a low-carbon option that is right for them. The consultation runs until 10 February

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with ‘Heating, ventilation and air conditioning’ (HVAC) professionals and facilities managers to understand how they reduce air pollution in dwellings and non-domestic buildings while minimising energy use and heat loss.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and the UK Health Security Agency engage with a range of stakeholders on ways to reduce the health impacts of both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

This includes engagement by officials with relevant bodies in the United Kingdom and internationally, such as the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre, which operates under the International Energy Agency, on issues related to indoor air quality, including ventilation.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people died from smoking in England in each year since 2021.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The latest estimates for smoking-attributable mortality in England are for the period 2017 to 2019. The Smoking Profile, produced by the Department, reports 191,903 smoking-attributable deaths of people aged 35 years old and over in the period 2017 to 2019 in England, which is just under 64,000 deaths each year. Further information on the Smoking Profile is available at the following link:

https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/tobacco-control/data#page/1/gid/1938132887/pat/159/par/K02000001/ati/15/are/E92000001/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will update the Health and Technical Memorandum 03-01 for the latest technical standards.

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

Published guidance on ventilation in healthcare settings includes the Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises. It gives comprehensive advice and guidance on the legal requirements, design implications, maintenance, and operation of specialised ventilation in healthcare premises providing acute care. Further information is avaiable at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/

NHS England will update Health Technical Memorandums, including HTM 03-01, when necessary.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which public health factors created the 10 largest direct cost impacts on the NHS in 2024; and how much the NHS spent in 2024 on tackling the health impacts of the following public health factors: (a) air pollution, (b) alcoholism, (c) obesity, (d) excessive salt consumption and (e) smoking.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Global Burden of Disease data considers the top ten public health factors in the United Kingdom in 2023 in order of importance to be: tobacco, high body mass index, dietary risks, high fasting plasma glucose, high blood pressure, high alcohol use, high cholesterol, occupational risks, kidney dysfunction, and drug use. Further information on the Global Burden of Disease data is available at the following link:

https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare/

The following table shows the various estimates of the cost to the National Health Service of the five factors specified:

Comparisons of costs should not be made between these estimates because of the different methodologies used in their construction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding farmers are offered for flood management.

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

The Government is funding environmental land management (ELM) schemes, which include measures to support farmers with managing flood risks or investing in natural flood management. The Government has committed to investing £11.8 billion in the farming budget over the course of this Parliament, with funding for ELM increasing from £800 million in 2023/24 to £2 billion by 2028/29.

Data on the uptake and spend on individual actions in these schemes is regularly published and available at: Agri-environment scheme uptake data - GOV.UK

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 May 2023 to Question 183643 on Public Health, what methodologies were used to estimate the costs to the NHS for each of the five risk factors specified.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The applicable methodologies for the National Health Service cost attributed to each of the risk factors outlined are explained in the following reports.

The estimated air pollution related costs to the NHS can be found in the Public Health England report ‘Estimation of costs to the NHS and social care due to the health impacts of air pollution: summary report’ , from 2018, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-a-tool-to-estimate-healthcare-costs

An estimate of the NHS and healthcare costs of alcohol from 2021/22, produced by the Institute of Alcohol Studies, can be found at the following link:

https://www.ias.org.uk/factsheet/economy/

Estimated obesity related costs to the NHS can be found in the Frontier Economics report for NESTA, published in July 2025, ‘The Economic and Productivity Costs of Obesity and Overweight in the UK’, which is available at the following link:

https://media.nesta.org.uk/documents/The_economic_and_productivity_costs_of_obesity_and_overweight_in_the_UK_.pdf

Estimated Hypertension related costs to the NHS can be found in the Optimity Matrix Cost-effectiveness review of blood pressure interventions, ‘A Report to the Blood Pressure System Leadership Board’, published November 2014, available at the following link:

https://cleanair.london/app/uploads/vdocuments.site_cost-effectiveness-review-of-blood-pressure-cost-effectiveness-review-of-blood.pdf

The most recent estimated smoking related costs to the NHS can be found in the press release, ‘New figures show cost of smoking to society in England dwarfs tobacco tax revenue’. This is available at the following link:

https://ash.org.uk/media-centre/news/press-releases/new-figures-show-cost-of-smoking-to-society-in-england-dwarfs-tobacco-tax-revenue

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 flooding risk to farms; and what percentage of farms are at high flood risk.

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

Our new national flood risk assessment (NaFRA) shows that of the 85,000 square kilometres of agricultural land in England, over 11,000 square kilometres is in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and sea.

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 expanding flooding support eligibility for farmers.

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

The Government is funding environmental land management (ELM) schemes, which include measures to support farmers with managing flood risks or investing in natural flood management. The Government has committed to investing £11.8 billion in the farming budget over the course of this Parliament, with funding for ELM increasing from £800 million in 2023/24 to £2 billion by 2028/29.

Data on the uptake and spend on individual actions in these schemes is regularly published and available at: Agri-environment scheme uptake data - GOV.UK

Sustainable and Integrated Transport for Ullswater

In Memory of Gerry Keating

UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations

Farmgate milk price reduction

Found: Written questions and answers – Written questions, answers and statements – Tim Farron Nitrogen Dioxide