Virginia Crosbie

The Hydrogen Strategy sets out the important role that low carbon hydrogen could play in decarbonising vital UK industrial sectors, providing flexible deployment across power, transport and potentially heat. The Government is providing significant support for research and development across these sectors.

The Government is supporting industry to deliver a hydrogen heating trial in Fife and the Tees Valley Hydrogen Hub, and discussing a potential village trial in Redcar, to understand hydrogen’s future uses better. The Government is working with industry partners to engage the public, informing them about hydrogen and what to expect. The Government will continue public engagement as hydrogen technology matures.

The Government has committed to outlining an approach to gas and electricity price rebalancing by the end of 2023/24.

The Government aims to make heat pumps as cheap to buy and run as a gas boiler by 2030 at the latest. The Government will do this by growing the heat pump market to support 600,000 installations per year by 2028 and expanding UK manufacturing with the aim of reducing costs by at least 25-50% by 2025.

Funding models, including the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) and Contract for Difference (CfD) are being considered for SMRs. The appropriate funding model for each new nuclear project will be determined in due course.

GBN will work across Government to support access to potential sites for new nuclear projects to achieve its long-term ambition. There is growing local and regional interest in a number of sites for further nuclear development. GBN would welcome any conversations with stakeholders who are considering whether their land might be suitable for the deployment of nuclear facilities in future.

New nuclear power is central to our plans for ensuring UK energy security and reaching Net Zero. Modelling in the 2020 Energy White Paper indicated that low-cost electricity system solutions at very low carbon intensities are far more likely to be achieved with a combination of new nuclear and gas CCUS.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 27th March 2023 to Question 171588. The Government aims to publish a second Review of Electricity Markets (REMA) consultation in Autumn 2023 and will take decisions on shorter-term reforms more quickly where it is viable to do so throughout the REMA programme.

REMA’s overall timescale will depend on the extent of reform found to be necessary and could range from those that could be taken relatively quickly, to reforms that could take a number of years to implement – depending on the nature and complexity of the reform.

The promotion of energy efficiency is devolved to Wales. The Welsh Government provides funding for home energy efficiency improvements.

The UK Government works with the Welsh Government in respect of regulatory measures providing funding for energy efficiency, including the Energy Company Obligation which covers Wales, and the forthcoming £1 billion Great British Insulation Scheme, which could save around 300,000 of the least energy efficient homes £300-£400 each year.

The UK Government recently announced the extension of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme until 2028, to support the installation of heat pumps in domestic and small non-domestic buildings in England and Wales.

The Government works with Ofgem and network companies to accelerate connections by releasing network capacity and improving the connections process. As part of this work, the Electricity System Operator is seeking expressions of interest, by 30 April 2023, from developers who are willing and able to connect earlier than their allocated connection date. The Government will publish a Connections Action Plan in the summer, which will articulate actions by government, Ofgem and network companies to accelerate network connections, including for renewable energy and battery storage projects.

The Government recently published the “Powering Up Britain” publications which reaffirm the Government's commitment to accelerating delivery of electricity network infrastructure across Great Britain, as a critical enabler for energy security and net zero. The Government will publish an action plan to accelerate network connections in the summer and will respond to networks commissioner Nick Winser’s recommendations later this year.

The Government’s January 2023 response to the Welsh Affairs Committee’s inquiry also highlights work to upgrade grid capacity in Wales, including measures specific to offshore wind such as the Holistic Network Design, where Welsh Government officials are invited to attend relevant governance forums.

As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme, the Government is considering a range of potential options to shield consumers from the impacts of potential future commodity price spikes and to ensure they benefit from lower cost renewables.

The CfD scheme already insulates consumers against electricity price spikes. Over time this scheme will significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuelled power generation, lowering consumer exposure to gas prices.

The Holistic Network Design was produced independently by National Grid ESO as a key output of the government led Offshore Transmission Network Review. This process has identified a new network need between North and South Wales (PNSC). Detailed design work by the relevant Transmission Owner is ongoing and will consider the potential for both onshore and offshore options.

Final parameters for Allocation Round 5 (AR5) are currently under development. This involves a careful analysis of all technologies available in AR5, including tidal stream energy, against the Government's legal obligations. The Government is considering the appropriate parameters to ensure a competitive auction and the sufficient deployment of all technologies. Budgets set will reflect parameter decisions. A Budget Notice for AR5 with the full auction and budgetary details will be published in March 2023.

The Government consulted on phasing out the installation of heating systems using high carbon fossil fuels in homes, businesses and public buildings in England off the gas grid during the 2020s. The Government published impact assessments alongside these consultations. The Government will set out further details on these proposals when it responds to these consultations in due course. As this relates to a devolved matter it is for the Welsh Government to consider steps to decarbonise heat off the gas grid in Wales.

The Government consulted on phasing out the installation of heating systems using high carbon fossil fuels in homes, businesses and public buildings in England off the gas grid during the 2020s. We will set out further details on these proposals when we respond to these consultations in due course.

The Government launched the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) which is considering a range of wholesale market reforms that could help to reduce the link between the gas and electricity price.

Suppliers should take action to encourage all traditional pre-payment customers to redeem their EBSS payment during the scheme month. Replacement credit can be issued up until the scheme closing date of 30 June 2023.

Suppliers have an obligation, and must be able to evidence, that they have attempted to make a minimum of three attempts to contact customers who have not redeemed their payment by at least two different methods – including at least one month before the expiry of the unredeemed EBSS payment. If a customer requests an expired voucher be reissued, suppliers should comply with the request.

Tidal stream is a home-grown industry of considerable promise, and the UK remains the world leader in tidal stream generation technologies, with almost half of the world's deployment of this cutting-edge approach situated in UK waters.

The Government announced on 7 July that over 40MW of new tidal stream power has been secured in Scotland and Wales via the flagship Contracts for Difference scheme. This will quintuple the UK’s installed capacity and could treble the global capacity of installed tidal stream capacity by 2027.

It provides the industry with the opportunity to demonstrate the cost-efficiency and proof of scalability that the Government needs to see from our sources of renewable electricity.

The Government is currently developing auction parameters for Allocation Round 5 of the Contracts for Difference scheme, including any for tidal stream, taking into account evidence of the pipeline of available projects. The Government will publish details of these parameters ahead of the round opening in March 2023.

The Government has no plans to introduce a price cap on alternative fuels.

On the 11th June, the then Secretary of State wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to request an urgent review of the fuel market, as well as a longer-term market study under the Enterprise Act 2002, to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely affected consumer interests.

The CMA published their report on 8 July. Their initial findings indicated that the market for the supply of retail fuel in the UK appeared to be relatively competitive. On that basis we would expect reductions in wholesale costs to be passed onto consumers. Previous BEIS analysis has shown that both falls and rises in costs are passed through over the course of a few weeks.

The CMA did find some areas that warrant further investigation, and immediately launched a Market Study into the supply of road fuel in the UK. The study will enable the CMA to consider what more can be done to improve outcomes for consumers. It has said that it aims to complete this work well within the statutory 12 month time limit.

The Government continues to work at speed to determine the most practical and tested routes to deliver this support and will provide more details in due course.

The Growth Plan announced significant reforms to the planning system to accelerate delivery of major infrastructure projects. This builds on commitments to accelerate offshore wind deployment in the British Energy Security Strategy.

This will facilitate timely development of UK offshore windfarms including in the Irish Sea. Measures will reduce planning consent time from up to four years to one. They include a fast-track consenting route, strengthening Renewable National Policy Statements, streamlining habitats regulations assessments, and enabling strategic consideration of environmental issues. The Government will continue to work with the Offshore Wind Acceleration Task Force on further options for acceleration.

The Government is investing over £6.6 billion over this parliament to improve energy efficiency and decarbonise heating. The Government will deliver upgrades to over half a million homes in the coming years through our Social Housing Decarbonisation, Home Upgrade Grant Schemes and Energy Company Obligation Scheme, delivering average bill savings of £500, based on recent price cap estimates.

The Government also launched a digital service providing impartial, tailored advice on energy efficiency. This will be supported by the launch of additional support for homeowners through telephone advice and specific local area advice for energy consumers.

In the British Energy Security Strategy, the Government announced a Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition worth up to £30 million. This aims to secure private investment to boost the competitive manufacturing of heat pumps and components in the UK, build supply chain resilience and support jobs in the green economy.

Training is available for existing heating engineers to install heat pumps, and can be completed in one week.

The Government intends to act at pace to address extraordinary profits that certain renewable generators are receiving from high wholesale electricity prices. We will act to break the link between high global gas prices and charges for low carbon electricity generation, enabling consumers to benefit from low-priced clean electricity while ensuring fair returns for generators.

The Government understands fuel prices are an important component of UK household and business expenditures, and understands the negative impact of domestic fuel costs on UK consumers.

The Government has announced a new energy price guarantee to reduce bills for households on gas and electricity by an average of £1,000 for the typical household. For households who do not use gas for domestic heating, the Government has committed to provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil..

The Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), first announced in the British Energy Security Strategy, will consider how the long-term role of gas as a price setter for electricity could be reduced.

Meeting the UK’s net zero target will require virtually all heat in buildings to be decarbonised. The Government is working with the Welsh Government (and the other devolved administrations) to address the challenges of decarbonising heating. This includes building the evidence to support a decision on the future use of the gas grid.

The Government is aware of the programme of local area energy planning underway in Wales, which will identify the changes needed to the local energy system to decarbonise heat and local transport, support strategic network planning and realise opportunities for local renewable energy production.

The Government has carefully considered the introduction of a price cap to help domestic fuel customers with high fuel prices, however the Government’s analysis indicates that a cap would not be in the long-term interests of consumers.

The existing gas and electricity price cap was designed to protect consumers on default tariffs from the loyalty penalty, which the Competitions and Markets Authority warned was causing customers to be overcharged. The structure of the heating oil and LPG markets are different and imposing a price cap below wholesale costs would drive companies out of the market, reducing competition and possibly result in supply shortages.

The Government remains firmly committed to the renewables industry across the UK, including in Wales. Future Contracts for Difference auctions will provide further opportunities for developers of low-carbon electricity projects in Wales to secure contracts and expand the amount of offshore wind capacity supported by the scheme in Wales.

One of the successful projects in the Crown Estate’s Round 4 seabed leasing is located off the North-East of Anglesey.

BEIS officials engage in regular discussions with Devolved Administrations, including the Welsh Government, on matters of mutual interest. The Celtic Sea constitutes a major development opportunity for the offshore wind sector and is set to create significant opportunities for development in Wales.

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the Government’s main mechanism for supporting renewable generation in Great Britain. The latest round is the largest yet and will support technologies including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, tidal and floating offshore wind. The next CfD round will be held in March 2023, and future rounds will run annually, rather than every two years, helping to drive deployment of renewable power.

The Government’s policy levers for hydrogen, including the Hydrogen Business Model, are designed to unlock significant private sector investment to reach the 10GW by 2030 production ambition.

Drivers should be getting a fair deal for fuel across the UK. Healthy competition between forecourts is key to achieving this, with competition working to keep pressure on prices. The Government has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to conduct an urgent review of the fuel market, as well as a longer-term market study under the Enterprise Act 2002, to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely affected consumer interests. As part of this, the Government has asked for the CMA’s advice on the extent to which competition has resulted in the fuel duty cut being passed on to consumers and the reasons for local variations in the price of road fuel.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer on 28 February to Question 125141.

The UK remains well-supplied for diesel from a diverse range of sources. UK demand for diesel is met by a combination of domestic production and imports. In 2021 UK production could have met over half of our demand for diesel. Imports in the same year came from a diverse range of reliable suppliers beyond Russia including the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden.

BEIS monitors the fuel supply market to remain aware of current supply levels, and publishes weekly national average forecourt stock levels. There is no shortage of diesel in the UK.

In the Heat and Buildings Strategy, published in October 2021, the Government sets out actions for the reduction of emissions from buildings in the near and longer term. This includes a package of measures to reduce the costs of buying and running a heat pump and how the Government plans to scale up the deployment of heat pumps to 600,000 installations per annum by 2028. The new Boiler upgrade scheme, opened for grant applications 23 May, gives £5000 discounts towards installing a heat pump. The Government is also taking action to grow the market for heat networks and continues to invest in research for hydrogen heating.

The Government works closely with Ofgem and network companies to ensure there is necessary capacity for renewable generation in Wales and across Great Britain and is engaging with the Welsh Government on this. As part of the Government’s Offshore Transmission Network Review, the National Grid Electricity System Operator will publish a Holistic Network Design by June 30^th, which will accommodate 1GW of floating offshore wind capacity in the Celtic Sea.

As part of the Government’s ambition to set up the Great British Nuclear Vehicle this year, officials are working to scope the functions of this entity – building on UK industrial strengths and expertise.

The UK has a proud nuclear tradition across many regions, with expertise to match. The Government continues to recognise the strong interest for nuclear power in North Wales and will consider all appropriate locations.

It is important that communities can participate in and benefit from the deployment of new low carbon energy technologies in their local areas. As set out in its recent British Energy Security Strategy, the Government is developing onshore wind partnerships in England that will enable supportive communities to host new onshore wind infrastructure and enjoy the benefits of doing so, through developers supporting for example, local energy discounts and new community infrastructure projects.

Renewable and nuclear projects can also bring wider socio-economic benefits to local people and businesses, including increasing local employment, creating regional supply chains and investing in new training facilities in the community.

According to Ofgem, environmental and social policy costs totalled 25.48 percent on electricity bills and 2.46 percent on gas bills in 2020. Over the past 10 years their net effect has reduced consumer energy bills.

These levies fund vital support schemes and energy efficiency measures which benefit low income and vulnerable households as well as investing in the UK’s home-grown renewable energy sector, reducing reliance on gas and therefore volatile gas prices.

The Government continues to monitor the efficiency and value of green policies.

The Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy included £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings. This brings existing Government spending to a total of £6.6 billion across the lifetime of this parliament. This money is supporting energy-efficiency schemes including the Local Authority Delivery Scheme, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and the new £450 Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which provides discounts on the costs of installing a heat pump. The Government’s Energy Company Obligation Scheme has also been extended from 2022 to 2026 and its value increased from £640 million to £1 billion a year.

The British Energy Security Strategy, announced on 7 April, outlined the intention to take one new nuclear power project to Final Investment Decision (FID) this Parliament, and two projects to FID in the next Parliament (including potentially at Wylfa). The ambition in the strategy could see our nuclear sector progressing up to 8 reactors by 2030. The statement also announced proposals for a new body to develop a resilient pipeline of new build nuclear projects, and a plan to launch the £120m Future Nuclear Enabling Fund in April, to award funding to projects which may potentially be part of future decisions.

The Government’s British Energy Security Strategy sets out measures to accelerate the connecting onshore network infrastructure required to support targets for electricity generation. These measures could reduce timelines for delivering network infrastructure by around three years.

Communities will retain their voice in decision making and planning decisions will still be robust. The Government has consulted on amending the energy National Policy Statements to strengthen the mitigation of landscape and visual impacts from network infrastructure. This includes the need to follow ‘good design’ principles and a starting presumption to underground electricity cables in designated areas, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Government has no current plans to change the well-established and accepted arrangements for bank holidays in the UK. The Government remains committed to working together with all the Devolved Administrations to ensure that the UK’s institutions are working collectively as one United Kingdom.

The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity remains an accurate overview of the plans and processes across the energy sector for emergencies.

The National Emergency Plan for Downstream Gas and Electricity is planned to be updated this year. While the document currently references EU law and regulation, these have been succeeded by UK law and regulation as part of a wider statutory instrument package brought in when the UK left the EU.

The latest English Housing Survey suggests 14% of English homes were rated EPC C+ in 2010 and 46% rated EPC C+ in 2020.

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1054775/2020-21_EHS_Headline_Report_Section_2_Stock_Annex_Table_revised.ods

Tab AT2.8, Cells C37:D38

BEIS publishes the Levelized Costs of Electricity (LCOE) for all generating technologies in the Generation Cost Reports (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-2020). The LCOE of offshore wind turbines and gas plants (both CCGT and OCGT) are derived from their lifetime electricity generation, capital costs, and operational costs (including fuel).

The setting of energy tariffs including the standing charge is a commercial matter for individual suppliers. The standing charge is a daily flat rate passed on to consumers which covers the costs energy suppliers incur to provide a live supply to each household. It includes charges from network companies for using pipes and power lines to carry gas and electricity supplies, the maintenance and installation of meters and billing and accounting. A small proportion of the standing charge also goes towards Government initiatives that help vulnerable households and reduce emissions.

For millions of households the level of the standing charge is protected by the energy price cap rate set by Ofgem. The energy unit rate and the standing charge together for a supplier’s default and standard variable tariffs must not exceed the level of the price cap. For consumers looking for a new fixed deal for the energy, suppliers can offer a range of tariffs including some with a low or even a zero standing charge and a higher energy unit rate to attract low energy users.

Energy security is an absolute priority for this Government. The Government has highly diverse and flexible sources of gas supply and a diverse electricity mix, which ensure that households, businesses and heavy industry get the energy they need. Despite the high prices, the market continues to balance supply and demand.

The Government already receives regular shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Qatar, and other LNG suppliers, as part of existing commercial arrangements between buyers and sellers.

The Government has regular discussions with key energy partners around the world ahead of winter and to discuss the global transition to clean energy.

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the Government’s main mechanism for supporting new low-carbon electricity generation projects in Great Britain. The fourth allocation round of the CfD scheme (AR4) opened on 13 December 2021 and aims to secure more low-carbon electricity capacity than the previous three rounds combined. AR4 is open to an expanded number of renewable technologies, including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, tidal stream and floating offshore wind. In February, the Government also announced that the next CfD allocation round will be brought forward to March 2023, and future rounds will run annually, rather than every two years, thereafter. This will support renewable electricity producers and further drive deployment of renewable power.

In 2019 BEIS launched the Storage at Scale competition, which funded demonstration facilities for two innovative energy storage facilities. In 2021, BEIS launched a further programme, The Longer Duration Energy Storage competition. In February 2022, BEIS announced funding for 24 projects under this competition to perform engineering design or feasibility studies of their technologies. The Government is reviewing the responses to the Call for Evidence on large-scale, long-duration electricity storage, alongside analysis the Department commissioned on the role of this type of storage in the electricity system. The Government will publish a response in due course.

The Government has allocated £1.1 billion to the Home Upgrade Grant over the next three years, which will be delivered from early 2022 to March 2025. The Home Upgrade Grant will provide energy efficiency upgrades and low-carbon heating to low-income households living off the gas grid in England, tackling fuel poverty and helping households meet net zero.

Consumers of heating oil and liquified petroleum gas will be eligible for the £200 energy rebate as long as they are also domestic electricity customers. Financial support remains available for heating oil customers with energy bills, if eligible, through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment schemes. More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/browse/benefits/low-income.

The Government has committed to spend more than £6.6 billion in this Parliament to decarbonise heat and buildings, including across all housing tenures. Support is especially targeted at lower-income households through schemes such as the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Local Authority Delivery Scheme. In addition to this, the Government has committed to a four-year £4 billion extension to the Energy Company Obligation. This aims to accelerate efforts to improve lower-income homes to meet fuel poverty targets.

Meanwhile, the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme will support homeowners with the cost of installing new lower-carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, in their homes. The Government is also working with lenders to ensure homeowners can access green finance to improve their homes through measures such as insulation and new heating systems. As part of this work, the £1.8million Green Home Finance Innovation Fund will be complete by March 2022.

The Government has consulted on reforming the Warm Home Discount scheme to better target fuel poverty and to provide the rebates automatically to households, as announced in the Energy White Paper. The reforms include focusing support on households in receipt of qualifying means tested benefits and with high energy costs.

Disability benefits like the Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are not means tested. The incomes of Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment recipients therefore tend to be higher than the incomes of the intended beneficiaries of the reformed Warm Home Discount. The Government’s analysis shows that around 62% of these recipients are also in receipt of a qualifying means-tested benefits and so would be considered low income under the new criteria. Introducing disability or other non-means-tested benefits would mean that households on lower incomes and in deeper fuel poverty would lose out.

My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned a post-incident review into Storm Arwen to identify lessons and best practice for communications, resourcing and system resilience.

As the independent regulator for energy, Ofgem has also announced it will undertake a review into the impact of Storm Arwen. This will focus on the role of the network companies in maintaining the resilience of the system and their emergency response.

The Government is committed to maintaining high levels of energy resilience as the sector decarbonises. Great Britain benefits from a diverse electricity mix and is therefore not dependent on any one technology or market participant to ensure security of supply.

The Government continues to finalise the arrangements and parameters for the fourth Contracts for Difference allocation round (CfD AR4), including any technology-specific budget ringfencing. In line with statutory timescales, the Government will announce these finalised arrangements before CfD AR4 opens in December 2021.

Thermal hydraulic testing is essential for designing safe and efficient nuclear power stations and in ensuring their safe operation throughout the many decades they are expected to generate electricity.

The Government are currently considering the business case for national thermal hydraulic research and testing facility, including the economic and strategic benefits such a facility might bring to the UK.

The Government is grateful to my Hon. Friend and other local stakeholders in Anglesey for their active input to this proposal.

The Department is currently considering the business case for a National Thermal Hydraulic Facility in North Wales. Officials are in regular contact with key stakeholders, including with my Hon. Friend the member for Ynys Mon, to assess possible sites in North Wales.

The Government is consulting on new regulations to phase out the installation of heating systems using high carbon fossil fuels in homes, businesses and public buildings in England off the gas grid during the 2020s. As Building Regulations are an area of devolved competence it would be for the Welsh Government to consider steps to enable the decarbonisation of oil heated homes in Wales.

The Department is aware of the potential benefits that could be brought by having a National Thermal Hydraulic Facility close to potential sites for new nuclear deployment and is considering those as part of the business case for such a facility.

There is inherent uncertainty in any cost estimate for the thirty-year transition to net zero, but it is clear the cost of inaction is much higher than the cost of action on climate change. The Stern Review estimated the impacts of unmitigated climate change at equivalent to 5-20% of global GDP.

Ahead of COP26, the Government has committed to publish a Net Zero Strategy, setting out the Government’s vision for the transition to a net zero economy and outlining our path to meet the UK’s emissions targets. HM Treasury are also conducting a review on the costs of reaching net zero, to inform the Government’s approach to achieving a transition in a way that works for households, businesses and public finances, and maximises growth opportunities.

The UK has an ambitious carbon pricing mechanism through our new UK Emissions Trading Scheme, launched at the start of this year to increase our carbon pricing ambition over the EU scheme it replaces. The scheme includes the energy generation sector. The UK ETS will be the world’s first net zero carbon cap and trade market, and a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We also have the Carbon Price Support mechanism for power generation. Emissions trading and the CPS have helped clean up our electricity generation and will be key to achieving the total phase out of coal by October 2024 and meeting the Government’s 78% 2030 emissions reduction target.

Nuclear power is a proven technology which currently represents the UK’s second largest provider of low-carbon electricity.

On 9 November 2020, we announced we would develop a UK Green Taxonomy, which will define those economic activities that can be considered to be environmentally sustainable.

We will be discussing the evidence supporting nuclear energy’s inclusion in the UK’s Green Taxonomy with the newly established Energy Working Group, and the Working Group’s feedback will help inform our decision on including nuclear in the taxonomy.

The government will then consult on draft Technical Screening Criteria in the Green Taxonomy ahead of finalising the Taxonomy.

The UK has an ambitious carbon pricing mechanism through our new UK Emissions Trading Scheme, launched at the start of this year to increase our carbon pricing ambition over the EU scheme it replaces. The UK ETS will be the world’s first net zero carbon cap and trade market, and a crucial step towards achieving the UK’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We have committed to explore expanding the UK ETS to other sectors.

We are also consulting on a business model to provide revenue support to low carbon hydrogen production plants in order to unlock private investment in hydrogen projects.

This will be complemented by the £240m Net-Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF), aimed at supporting multiple low carbon production routes that can realistically deploy in the 2020s to contribute to our 5GW ambition. As described in our recent Hydrogen Strategy, electrolysis using low carbon power, renewable or nuclear, will have an important role as we scale up UK hydrogen production.

The United States is our closest strategic partner and we regularly discuss clean energy policy with them, including on nuclear energy. For example, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Biden announced a new Strategic Dialogue in advance of the G7 Summit. The Dialogue will build upon our existing extensive co-operation, deepening it in areas such as the development and deployment of innovative, clean energy technologies such as nuclear energy, industrial decarbonisation, energy security and resilience, joint priorities in multilateral energy forums, and shared science, research, and innovation cooperation.

The 2016 Oxford Economics’ Nuclear Activity Report suggested that, in 2016, the nuclear sector contributed approximately £6.4bn GVA to the UK economy, where each civil nuclear worker contributed an average of £96,600 – significantly higher than the UK average of £56,200.

The Nuclear Skills Strategy Group – of which BEIS is a member – published the Nuclear Workforce Assessment 2019 and estimated that the sector employed approximately 89,000 full-time equivalents across the UK. This Group is expecting to update its assessment later this year.

In 2018, the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group – of which BEIS is a member - estimated that the sector employed approximately 89,000 full-time equivalents across the UK. The 2016 Oxford Economics’ Nuclear Activity Report suggested that, in 2016, the nuclear sector contributed approximately £6.4bn GVA to the UK economy, where each civil nuclear worker contributed an average of £96,600 – significantly higher than the UK average of £56,200.

The Government believes that nuclear could have a role in low-carbon hydrogen production and is aware of industry proposals showing how current nuclear technologies could play a role during the 2020s, while small and advanced modular reactors could unlock greater efficiencies in the production process.

While work continues to better understand the role that emerging technologies could play in our net zero future, the recent Nuclear Industry Association hydrogen roadmap suggests nuclear could provide up to a third of anticipated 2050 demand for hydrogen and modelling from the Energy Systems Catapult predicts a similar outcome.

We will say more on the role of various hydrogen production technologies in our forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy.

The UK has a wealth of expertise and capability in civil nuclear power. In 2018, the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group – of which the Department is a member - estimated that the sector employed approximately 89,000 full-time equivalents across the UK, including North Wales. The development and deployment of next generation technologies such as Small and Advanced Modular Reactors, will create new, exciting opportunities both for our existing highly skilled workforce and for those outside of the sector wishing to pursue a career in nuclear to support net zero.

This Government is committed to progressing new nuclear projects, including advanced nuclear technologies, to help decarbonise the UK energy system. In his Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an up to £385 million Advanced Nuclear Fund to invest in the next generation of nuclear technologies. The Advanced Nuclear Fund includes up to £215 million to develop a domestic Small Modular Reactors (SMR) design and up to £170 million for an Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) research and development programme, with an aim to build an AMR demonstrator by the early 2030s.

We are also committed to supporting the wider UK nuclear energy sector to help deliver advanced nuclear technologies to market. That is why, in addition to the Advanced Nuclear Fund, we have committed to invest in the nuclear regulatory frameworks and support UK supply chains.

In May 2021, we published new guidance for Advanced Nuclear Technologies to apply to enter the Generic Design Assessment (GDA). GDA allows the UK’s independent nuclear regulators to assess new reactor designs and provide the confidence that these new designs are capable of meeting the UK’s statutory regulatory requirements.

This Government is committed to progressing new nuclear projects, including advanced nuclear technologies, to help decarbonise the UK energy system. In his Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an up to £385 million Advanced Nuclear Fund to invest in the next generation of nuclear technologies. The Advanced Nuclear Fund includes up to £215 million to develop a domestic Small Modular Reactors (SMR) design and up to £170 million for an Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) research and development programme, with an aim to build an AMR demonstrator by the early 2030s.

We are also committed to supporting the wider UK nuclear energy sector to help deliver advanced nuclear technologies to market. That is why, in addition to the Advanced Nuclear Fund, we have committed to invest in the nuclear regulatory frameworks and support UK supply chains.

In May 2021, we published new guidance for Advanced Nuclear Technologies to apply to enter the Generic Design Assessment (GDA). GDA allows the UK’s independent nuclear regulators to assess new reactor designs and provide the confidence that these new designs are capable of meeting the UK’s statutory regulatory requirements.

This Government is committed to progressing new nuclear projects, including advanced nuclear technologies, to help decarbonise the UK energy system. In his Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced an up to £385 million Advanced Nuclear Fund to invest in the next generation of nuclear technologies. The Advanced Nuclear Fund includes up to £215 million to develop a domestic Small Modular Reactors (SMR) design and up to £170 million for an Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) research and development programme, with an aim to build an AMR demonstrator by the early 2030s.

We are also committed to supporting the wider UK nuclear energy sector to help deliver advanced nuclear technologies to market. That is why, in addition to the Advanced Nuclear Fund, we have committed to invest in the nuclear regulatory frameworks and support UK supply chains.

In May 2021, we published new guidance for Advanced Nuclear Technologies to apply to enter the Generic Design Assessment (GDA). GDA allows the UK’s independent nuclear regulators to assess new reactor designs and provide the confidence that these new designs are capable of meeting the UK’s statutory regulatory requirements.

We recognise the highly skilled jobs Advanced Nuclear Technologies could create in local communities across the UK, in construction, manufacturing and support services.

We are also delighted by the recent announcement that the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) will be opening its first formal base in North Wales at the Menai Science Park (M-Sparc) in Anglesey. This announcement demonstrates their commitment to driving nuclear innovation, investment and the employment of a skilled workforce in Wales.

The Department regularly engages with the Department for Transport on tackling climate change and delivering our net zero commitments.

The Government is investing £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Our grant schemes and the £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK.

Government and industry have supported the installation of almost 25,000 publicly available charging devices. This includes more than 4,500 rapid devices. In order to ensure the private sector can continue to expand the charging network at pace in the 2020s, the Government will invest £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network and launching a £90 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund to support the roll out of large on-street schemes and potentially rapid charging hubs in England.

However, we have not set an overall target for the number of chargepoints. Having a “target” number risks assuming technology stands still and creating a uniform approach to charging mixes and needs across the country.

Later this year we will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy to set out the vision and action plan for charging infrastructure rollout needed to achieve the 2030/35 phase out successfully.

Electricity network companies are responsible for building, owning and operating the onshore electricity network, and are regulated by Ofgem, the independent energy regulator, in doing so. Ofgem sets a price control, called RIIO, which sets allowances and revenues for the networks during the price control period, incentivising networks to act efficiently in consumers’ best interests. This ensures there is sufficient capacity on the network to meet demand, including connecting to new renewable generation.

The Offshore Network Transmission Review (OTNR) is reviewing how offshore transmission can be better coordinated to support the Government’s target of 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, and net zero by 2050. This will support investment in transmission over the coming decades to accommodate the changing electricity generating mix.

Tidal and wave technologies could have a potentially important role in the long-term decarbonisation of the UK, however, they will have to reduce their costs sufficiently, to compete with other renewable technologies. We are committed to growing a development of a competitive UK supply chain in parallel with our plans for increasing the deployment of renewable electricity generating technologies. We are continuing to consider policy related to these technologies in light of the information received from the recent Marine Energy Call for Evidence on the potential of marine energy projects.

Wave and tidal stream projects remain eligible to compete in Pot 2 for Contracts for Difference auctions. We are currently developing parameters for Allocation Round 4 and will publish these well in advance of the next auction, including consideration of technology-specific minima.

As with the business cases for all major projects and programmes, the case for a large-scale nuclear power project will be assessed consistent with the approach set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book and Guide to Developing Project Business Cases:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-green-book-appraisal-and-evaluation-in-central-governent.

Before entering into commitments to support any nuclear project, as stated in the nuclear Regulated Asset Base (RAB) consultation document, the Government will assess the project business case on whether the project was expected to contribute to the target of net zero emissions by 2050 and deliver security of supply, at a lower total electricity system cost for consumers than alternatives without the project.

Once operational, Hinkley Point C will provide 3.2 gigawatts of secure, low carbon electricity for around 60 years, meeting around 7% of the UK’s current electricity requirements and providing enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 6 million homes.

BEIS analysis of the electricity system in 2050 – published alongside the Energy White Paper in December 2020 – shows that in the majority of modelled scenarios, more new nuclear beyond Hinkley Point C will be required to achieve net zero at low cost by 2050. That is why the Government confirmed in the Energy White Paper that it aims to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to a Final Investment Decision by the end of this Parliament (subject to clear value-for-money and all relevant approvals), and that it will provide up to £385m in an Advanced Nuclear Fund (subject to future Spending Reviews) for the next generation of nuclear technology aiming, by the early 2030s, to develop a Small Modular Reactor design and to build an Advanced Modular Reactor demonstrator.

BEIS analysis of the electricity system in 2050 – published alongside the Energy White Paper in December 2020 – shows that in the majority of modelled scenarios, more new nuclear beyond Hinkley Point C will be required to achieve net zero at low cost by 2050. That is why the Government confirmed in the Energy White Paper that it aims to bring at least one large-scale nuclear project to a Final Investment Decision by the end of this Parliament (subject to clear value-for-money and all relevant approvals), and that it will provide up to £385m in an Advanced Nuclear Fund (subject to future Spending Reviews) for the next generation of nuclear technology aiming, by the early 2030s, to develop a Small Modular Reactor design and to build an Advanced Modular Reactor demonstrator.

The Government is aware of a number of international projects to produce low carbon hydrogen from nuclear energy. International collaboration is an important part of Government’s policy to successfully develop nuclear technology and Government is engaged in international initiatives such as the Clean Energy Ministerial, Mission Innovation and the Generation IV International forum where opportunities for low carbon hydrogen production from nuclear energy are being considered.

The Government welcomes the UK nuclear industry’s growing ambition to support low-carbon hydrogen production and the forthcoming UK Hydrogen Strategy will provide further detail on the role of production technologies in meeting our 5GW ambition. The Strategy will set out how the UK will position itself as a leader in the production, use and export of low carbon hydrogen, alongside the export of skills, technology and expertise. It will also set out our strong ambition to collaborate with key partners. By sharing expertise, building common standards and working together to remove deployment barriers, we can expedite hydrogen’s contribution to tackling climate change and creating green jobs. We look forward to engaging in more detailed discussions with overseas partners, including on nuclear-linked production, in light of the Strategy’s publication.

We are determined to seize the once-in-a-generation economic opportunities of the net zero transition by creating new business opportunities and, by one estimate, supporting up to 2 million green jobs by 2030 across all regions of the UK. The UK has a strong base to build upon, in 2019 there were already over 410,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country.

Through the Ten Point Plan, we will support a further 90,000 green collar jobs across the UK by 2024, and up to 250,000 by 2030. The Plan announced that we will invest up to £1 billion to support the establishment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) in at least two industrial clusters by the mid-2020s, and four by 2030 at the latest, creating ‘SuperPlaces’ in areas potentially including south Wales. The UK Community Renewal Fund will also provide £220 million of additional funding over 2021-22, to better support people and communities in need across the whole of the UK, including Wales.

In order to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver net zero and our Ten Point Plan, we have launched the Green Jobs Taskforce. The Taskforce will conclude its work in summer 2021, with the actions feeding into our Net Zero Strategy to be published later in the year.

There is no legislation in the Insolvency Act or Company Directors Disqualification Act that would disqualify a business owner from obtaining insurance and other business support solely as a result of their previous company being subject to liquidation proceedings. A business owner in this position would have access to support from the Government, such as that provided through Growth Hubs and the free Business Support Helpline, on the same terms as any other business. Individual lenders and insurers may have policies in place that would take account of a previous insolvency and this would be a commercial matter for them.

Businesses of all sizes and all stages of growth can access free support and advice from their local Growth Hub, led by Local Enterprise Partnerships in England. Contact details can be found online: www.lepnetwork.net/local-growth-hub-contacts/. Firms based in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have access to similar support through their devolved governments: www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline.

Meeting our carbon goals will require the vast majority of the UK’s homes and non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon by 2050, through a combination of energy efficiency measures and moving to low carbon heating.

(a) We are supporting a range of research, development and testing projects designs to help determine the feasibility of using low carbon hydrogen as an alternative to the use of natural gas for heating. The Government has been supporting the development of hydrogen-ready boilers through the Hy4Heat programme. The programme includes ongoing projects to assess the timelines for the scale up of hydrogen-ready boiler production and their potential future costs. We will be consulting on the potential role of hydrogen-ready boilers in the transition to Net Zero later this year.

(b) The Government is bringing forward a wide-ranging package of policies to support the development of the heat pump market towards our ambition for 600,000 installations per year by 2028 including targeted regulations and financial support. We are working closely with industry to grow the supply chain, manage any impacts on the electricity network and provide support to consumers. Furthermore, the Government is helping to drive wider consumer acceptance and demonstrating the suitability of heat pumps, including hybrid heating systems, across the UK housing stock, through the £14.6 million Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project.

(c) The Government is keen to ensure that households and businesses are aware that all energy users are fairly sharing in the benefits and costs of the UK’s transition to Net Zero. Ensuring costs of the transition are allocated fairly is a priority for this Government, and we will shortly begin a dialogue on this between Government, consumers and industry, by publishing a call for evidence on affordability and fairness.

(d) Transitioning away from fossil fuels will not be simple and will require clear, long-term policy. The Government will shortly unveil a comprehensive policy package to support this ambition, including targeted regulatory, market-based and public investment measures, and will set out further detail on this in our forthcoming Heat and Buildings Strategy.

As we stated in our response to the consultation on a Regulated Asset Base (RAB) for nuclear published on 14^th December 2020, the Government is continuing to explore a RAB model. We will also continue to consider the potential role of Government finance during construction, provided there is clear value for money for consumers and taxpayers and subject to relevant approvals.

We believe that a RAB remains a credible model for large-scale nuclear projects, including future projects proposed for Wales, as it has the potential to help reduce the cost of raising private finance and thereby reduce consumer bills in the long run.

The UK Government has made available £4.8 million, subject to business case and other approvals, to support the development of the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub. The project proposes a hydrogen pilot production plant that would supply hydrogen fuel to the heavy goods and maritime vehicle markets on Ynys Môn. Officials are liaising with the developer and expect to consider the business case for the project in due course.

Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in transport decarbonisation, but it is likely to be most effective in the areas ‘that batteries cannot reach’, where energy density requirements or duty cycles and refuelling times make it the most suitable low carbon energy source. This might include its use in heavy goods vehicles, buses, rail, shipping and aviation. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will continue to work closely with the Department for Transport to explore the possibilities hydrogen can offer across different transport modes.

The Morlais project is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and has received funding through the North Wales Growth Deal. Since 2003, various bodies across Government have provided innovation funding of £175m to the wave and tidal sectors.

The Climate Change Act 2008 introduced our framework of carbon budgets to mitigate climate change by ensuring continued progress towards our emission reduction target, capping emissions in successive five-year blocks. Through this legal framework and ambitious policy action, we have shown that cutting emissions and growing the economy go hand-in-hand – reducing our emissions by over 43% since 1990 while growing the economy by 78%.

We are going further and faster to mitigate climate change. This year we will set the sixth carbon budget in legislation and publish a Net Zero Strategy ahead of COP26, setting out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy.

The Government remains committed to its manifesto pledge to invest £9.2 billion in the energy efficiency of homes, schools, and hospitals, helping to decarbonise buildings to keep us on track to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is a government-funded grant scheme to help public sector organisations in England, including schools, colleges and universities, and reserved public services across to the UK to install low carbon heating and energy efficiency measures on their estates. On 17th March 2021, £75m of funding was announced for Phase 2 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is unlawful. Redundancies which are based on unlawful discrimination are unacceptable. Legislation is in place to ensure processes are fair and reasonable - and informed by appropriate equalities considerations. Employees who believe their redundancy was unfair may be able to complain to an employment tribunal.

The Government is determined to do more to ensure pregnant women and new mothers are not disproportionately affected by redundancy. Following a consultation last year, the Government has committed to extend the statutory redundancy protection which a mother currently enjoys while on maternity leave, shared parental leave or adoption leave for a period for six months following a return to work. We will bring these measures forward as soon as there is an appropriate opportunity.

The Government is committed to the development of hydrogen as a strategic decarbonised energy carrier. We are currently developing our strategic approach to hydrogen and its potential to deliver against our net zero goals.

We are investing up to £121m (between 2015 and 2021) in hydrogen innovation across the value chain. We are developing new policy, in partnership with industry, to bring forward the technologies and supply chain we will need to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes business models to support the deployment of, and investment in, low carbon hydrogen production, and a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund to stimulate capital investment.

We are closely monitoring international hydrogen developments and participate in a range of international fora, including the International Partnership for Hydrogen for Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial where we engage with partners including the EU. This is informing our own strategic approach to the development of hydrogen in the UK context, including the role of Government in ensuring that the UK can harness opportunities for partnership and economic benefit.

The Government is already investing up to £121m (between 2015 and 2021) in innovation across the hydrogen supply chain to grow the UK hydrogen economy. This includes the £33m Hydrogen Supply competition, supporting projects including renewable hydrogen at scale through offshore floating wind (Dolphyn), and the world’s largest electrolyser production facility (ITM Gigafactory). The HyDeploy project has been commissioned by Gas Network Operators to investigate the option of blending up to 20% hydrogen with natural gas in the gas grid, while the Government’s £25m Hy4Heat programme is exploring the safety and feasibility of using 100% hydrogen for heat in homes.

In addition, a £100m Low Carbon Hydrogen Production Fund was announced in August 2019, to stimulate capital investment in new low carbon hydrogen production, and at the Budget this year we announced at least £800m to support carbon capture and storage infrastructure that could help enable production of low carbon hydrogen at scale.

The government is strongly supportive of community radio. Community stations such as Môn FM have played a key role in keeping listeners informed and entertained during the coronavirus pandemic, and we are extremely grateful for the level of commitment shown by the sector in continuing to make connections within its communities during these difficult times.

We are, of course, very conscious of the impact that the pandemic has had on revenues within the sector, which is why we released a total of £600,000 in emergency funding through the Community Radio Fund in 2020/21 to help a significant number of stations to meet their immediate financial obligations. While the application windows for that funding have now closed, the Community Radio Fund will be allocating a further £400,000 in 2021/22 to support stations that can demonstrate that a grant would help to further their financial stability and future sustainability. Ofcom administer this Fund on behalf of DCMS, and further information about it can be found on their website.

Good progress has been made in the Ynys Mon constituency, with over 93% of premises in the constituency able to access superfast broadband. This is up from 6% in March 2013. Gigabit-capable coverage in the constituency stands at 19%, above the Welsh coverage figure of 16%.

The Ynys Mon constituency is included in the North Wales Wave 3 project as part of the Local Full Fibre Networks programme. The project is connecting 413 public sector sites across the six local authorities (Conwy County Borough Council, Denbighshire County Council, Flintshire County Council, Gwynedd County Council, Isle of Anglesey County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council) that make up North Wales.

In addition, there is a Rural Gigabit Connectivity project that is looking to connect a further 103 public sector sites across Wales - the Ynys Mon constituency is included in this project too.

For those premises that are still struggling from slow speeds, DCMS runs a voucher scheme that can be used by rural communities across the UK to reduce the cost of installing gigabit-capable connectivity. This provides a voucher worth up to £3,500 for eligible small businesses and vouchers worth up to £1,500 for residents. Increased funding is available for eligible small businesses and residents in Wales, where the Welsh Government is ‘match funding’ the vouchers, doubling the above figures.

Furthermore the government has pledged £5 billion to invest in the hardest to reach areas of the UK. Supplier engagement has taken place over the summer, and their feedback will be used to refine and finalise the delivery vehicle of the programme.

The government meets with the BBC on regular occasions to discuss a wide range of issues, including the over 75 concession. The Government has consistently made clear its disappointment with the BBC's decision to restrict the over 75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s and believe they should be funded by the BBC.

The BBC remains responsible for the administration of the concession and it will be responsible for setting out what those affected will need to do. It must look urgently at how it can use its substantial licence fee income to support older people and deliver for UK audiences of all ages.

On 25 May 2023, we announced that the Animal Sentience Committee has been established. The Committee is chaired by Michael Seals CBE, who was appointed on 02 September 2022. He is joined by five experts in animal welfare, who were appointed on 25 May 2023.

The five new members are Professor Richard Bennett, Richard Cooper, Dr Penny Hawkins, Professor Anna Meredith and Professor Christine Nicol.

The UK is committed to protecting the marine environment from all human-induced stressors, including marine litter such as abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG). We are exploring methods to recycle and reuse ALDFG as well as end of life gear at ports and aquaculture farms with the intention of moving the sector towards a circular economy model. This involves assessing all potential options and considering proportionality and value for money. We will consult on the most appropriate solution to managing end of life fishing gear.

In addition the UK is also working collaboratively at the International Maritime Organisation to further address actions that have been identified under its 2018 Action Plan and 2021 Strategy on marine plastic litter from ships, in particular ALDFG.

The Government confirmed earlier this year that the first three Highly Protected Marine Areas in English Waters will be designated before 6th of July 2023 and further sites will be identified by the autumn.

The Government recognises that protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing coastal and marine habitats such as saltmarsh, seagrass and native oyster reefs can provide benefits for society, biodiversity and climate adaptation, as well as for carbon sequestration.

We are working to protect these habitats, including through the Marine Protected Area network, which already contains the majority of saltmarsh and seagrass habitats in the UK. A number of estuarine and coastal habitat restoration initiatives are also underway including the Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative which aims to reverse centuries of coastal habitat decline by restoring seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reefs to bring benefits to people and nature. The Environment Agency’s restoration handbooks and restoration potential maps are also a key tool to support restoration of coastal blue carbon habitats in the UK and beyond.

In addition, the Government’s £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund has supported a range of nature recovery projects across England, some which have included saltmarsh and seagrass restoration.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy

All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules. The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.

Responsibility for assessing business compliance with the majority of food legislation rests with Local Authorities (LAs). The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a framework for LAs to regulate food businesses. A key aspect of this is the statutory Food Law Code of Practice (Code) and associated Practice Guidance, which establish a set of expectations for the activities LAs are responsible for under food law and how these are to be delivered.

Food law provides a robust framework that protects public health and requires food businesses that produce, process, and distribute food to apply food safety controls that ensure food they place on the market is safe. The FSA completed a Post Implementation Review of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England ) Regulations 2013 in 2020.

Last year, Defra issued a call for evidence on booking systems at household waste recycling centres alongside the consultation on preventing charges for DIY waste at household waste recycling centres. The consultation and call for evidence closed on the 4th of July 2022. Alongside this, we commissioned research into the use of booking systems at household waste recycling centres to see if they have had an impact on fly-tipping levels. The government’s position on booking systems will be outlined shortly as part of the government response to the consultation on preventing charges for DIY waste at household waste recycling centres.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy

All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules. The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food.

Responsibility for assessing business compliance with the majority of food legislation rests with Local Authorities (LAs). The FSA provides a framework for LAs to regulate food businesses. A key aspect of this is the statutory Food Law Code of Practice (Code) and associated Practice Guidance, which establish a set of expectations for the activities LAs are responsible for under food law and how these are to be delivered.

The FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) works closely with the Food Industry Intelligence Network (FIIN), whose members include supermarkets and many businesses within their supply chains.

The Government is concerned about the effects on the marine ecosystem from the removal of forage fish, like sandeels, by industrial fishing. Defra is presently consulting on spatial management measures for industrial fishing for sandeel in English waters of the North Sea. These proposed measures will deliver greater resilience for our sandeel stocks, as well as species which rely on them as a food source, including vulnerable seabirds, commercially valuable fish and marine mammals.

We are considering our policies for large pelagic trawlers, commonly known as supertrawlers, and working to develop more robust management of the non-quota species which these vessels are targeting alongside quota stocks. Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) continues to monitor fishing activity in English waters with dedicated enforcement and surveillance work to protect fisheries, including offshore patrol vessels for at-sea surveillance.

Defra is in the process of analysing and assessing its retained EU law stock to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, and what should be repealed, or amended. This work will determine how we use the powers in the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, including in relation to the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.

We are considering our policies for large pelagic trawlers, commonly known as supertrawlers, and working to develop more robust management of the non-quota species which these vessels are targeting alongside quota stocks.

In 2022, the UK Government and Devolved Administrations published the UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative. This sets out how we will work collaboratively with the fishing industry and other stakeholders to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species, such as dolphins.

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. We are in the process of considering further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras and we have been gathering information and evidence to inform our approach.

We have committed to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare and have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties.

We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade.

The Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat sets out the Government’s commitment to improve the resilience of water supplies in England. This requires water companies to take a twin track approach of increasing water supplies, such as building new reservoirs, and reducing demand for water, including leakage reduction.

Water companies are investing £469 million in the current price review period (2020-2025) to investigate the strategic water supply infrastructure required to improve water supply resilience in England. Water companies are now consulting on their statutory draft water resources management plans, which set out in detail the new water supply and demand management measures needed to secure supplies in the long term.

We were deeply concerned about Russian fishing activity under Faroese licences in the shared UK-Faroes Special Area last year and made this point very clear to the Faroese Government. We have formally requested urgent discussions with them on the issue, which we anticipate will take place in the coming weeks.

The Government is committed to exploring the phasing out of cages, supporting the industry to do so in a way which underpins UK food production and does not have unintended animal welfare or business impacts. We will progress with plans to consult on the use of cages in farming systems as soon as the time is right.

We are commissioning new research to examine the risks that sky lanterns pose to the environment and potential avenues for mitigating any significant risks. We expect this new research to be completed in the new year, following which we will be in a position to consider next steps.

Local authorities already have powers to apply local controls to restrict or ban the use of sky lanterns on council or public land. A number of councils have already introduced a ban in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Action Plan for Animal Welfare noted that HM Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese which have been force fed raises serious welfare concerns and that the production of foie gras by force feeding is already illegal in the UK. The Action Plan also noted that now that the UK has left the EU, we are committed to building a clear evidence base to inform decisions on banning the import or sale of foie gras and other products derived from low-welfare systems.

HM Government is currently continuing to build this evidence base. No specific deadline has been set for this exercise, and further evidence that people may wish to share with HM Government would be gratefully received.

Restoring our nation’s rivers and seas by improving water quality is a government priority. We are tackling sewage overflows with the biggest infrastructure programme in water company history; investing in farm infrastructure, advice and action to help farmers tackle run off; restoring riparian habitats; and reviewing our Bathing Water regulations to support more designations. As the pressures of climate change and population growth are increasing, so too will our response to ensure we leave our water environment in a better state for future generations.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

We have built a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and are focused on making sure they are properly protected. Now that we have left the European Union and the Common Fisheries Policy, we can use new powers in the Fisheries Act 2020 to manage damaging fishing activity in our 40 English offshore MPAs. It is only fishing activity that might damage the legally protected habitats and species in MPAs that requires management. We have already introduced byelaws in the first four English offshore sites which ban bottom towed gear over sensitive habitats. We have also published a call for evidence relating to the next thirteen sites. We are aiming to have all MPAs in English offshore waters protected from damaging fishing activity by 2024.

Since 2019, the United Kingdom has led the Global Ocean Alliance (GOA) of countries in support of ambitious ocean action within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the adoption of a target to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030 (‘30by30’).

The GOA now has over 70 country members who have pledged to support the adoption of the 30by30 ocean target at the 15^th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the CBD in December this year. The United Kingdom also serves as Ocean Co-Chair of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature & People (HAC), alongside Costa Rica and France, which champions 30by30 for both land and ocean. Between these two United Kingdom-led and complementary alliances, 120 countries now support 30by30 in the ocean.

The ocean is essential for all life on Earth, yet has historically been underrepresented in the CBD. The GOA’s activities - which span meetings, co-hosting events and promoting joint initiatives - are therefore extremely important to raise the profile of ocean issues to ensure COP15 delivers the necessary outcomes for the protection, restoration and sustainable management of the ocean. For example, at the UN Ocean Conference in June 2022, the GOA and HAC supported the United Kingdom/Fiji-led side event “Driving Positive Ocean Action”, which saw the mobilisation of further ocean finance.

As we approach COP15, the United Kingdom will continue working with Costa Rica and France, galvanising members of the HAC and GOA, to ensure these coalitions have the strongest possible impact as we call for this crucial target to be enshrined in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Environment Agency's National Framework for Water Resources, published in March 2020, sets out the strategic water needs for England up to 2050 and beyond, taking account of climate change and population growth. The Framework sets out how we will reduce demand, halve leakage rates, develop new supply infrastructure, move water to where it is needed, increase drought resilience of water supplies and abstract water sustainably, including from boreholes. Water companies are now preparing their statutory Water Resources Management Plans for consultations, late in 2022. The plans will show how water companies will deliver secure water supplies sustainably, over at least a 25 year period. The statutory plans are reviewed annually, to ensure they are maintained.

The proposed new legally binding target under the Environment Act 2021 aims to support the sustainable use of water further by reducing the public demand for water.

This will be enabled through the policies set out in the Written Ministerial Statement on reducing demand for water, including the introduction of mandatory water efficiency labelling and further work to reduce water use in new developments and retrofits.

The Government takes the issue of livestock worrying very seriously, recognising the distress this can cause farmers and animals, as well as the financial implications. Those in charge of dogs are already responsible for ensuring that they are kept under control, and it is an offence under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in any place.

New measures to crack down on livestock worrying in England and Wales are to be brought in through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021. The new measures will enhance enforcement mechanisms available to the police and expand the scope of livestock species and locations covered by the law.

Dog owners are legally responsible for their dog’s behaviour even when not accompanied. These reforms should provide dog owners with sharper incentives to ensure their dogs are trained well to behave acceptably in all circumstances. Owners who have concerns about controlling their dog’s behaviour may take advice from their vet or a suitably qualified dog behaviourist or trainer. The Animal Behaviour and Training Council maintains national registers of appropriately qualified trainers and behaviourists. The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs also details best practice methods of training.

In addition to the current legislative measures laid before Parliament, the Countryside Code will continue to be publicised to ensure constant messaging to the public and landowners.

Allotments are a hugely important part of many communities, connecting people with the land, food and each other. We are pleased to see that the interest in allotments remains high, alongside other types of community growing and gardening. There are no plans to review existing arrangements or policies.

The UK Government is strongly opposed to shark finning, the practice of removing the fins of a shark at sea and returning the finless body to the water. We are committed to banning the import and export of detached shark fins and shark fin products. This ban will ensure that shark fins obtained through unsustainable and cruel finning practices are not entering the UK.

The UK does not oppose the sustainable fishing of sharks or the sale of shark fins and shark fin products, if obtained through sustainable fishing practices. Therefore, we do not support a total ban on the sale of shark fins and shark fin products if landed or imported into the UK with their fins naturally attached.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government has invested £3.5m in the last year to combat food waste. That includes funding the Waste and Resources Action Plan (WRAP) and through them we work to address food waste in households and supply chains. We support the Courtauld 2030 Commitment, a voluntary agreement with industry to tackle food waste, which includes a target of a 50% per capita reduction in food waste by 2030 against a 2007 baseline. Action through Courtauld includes working with businesses to measure and reduce food waste through the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap and the key tool to Target Measure and Act on waste. Courtauld signatories also play a key role in providing consumers with support in reducing food waste at home for instance through offering storage advice and appropriate labelling.

https://wrap.org.uk/taking-action/food-drink/initiatives/courtauld-commitment

The Government also funds WRAP’s citizen campaigns such as Food Waste Action Week and Love Food Hate Waste, which aim to raise public awareness of food waste and the ways in which citizens can reduce it. This includes advice on how to shop for, store and cook foods in ways that minimise waste.

https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

From 2025 the Government also plans to introduce separate weekly food waste collections for every household in England. Research has shown that helping people to understand what they throw away can help them to cut down on food waste.

(a) Food Information to Consumers Regulations apply to all food sold on the UK market, including imported food, and require many foods to declare the origin on the label. This includes where the consumer would be misled if it were not given, and always for specific foods such as beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, goat, and poultry. Additionally, there are rules that help prevent the consumer from being misled about the origin of the primary ingredient of the food, although the majority of meat products sold at retail voluntarily provide the origin of the meat ingredients. The Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, including country of origin, so that they can make informed choices. We are actively working to improve labelling.

(b) Retained legislation is in place to ensure the safety of meat and meat products from both domestic production and imported products. All imported meat and meat products are required to come from countries that have been approved as ensuring compliance with these food hygiene requirements and, specifically, from establishments that are approved and listed for export to the UK. Part of this approval is that the countries have an agreed plan to limit the use of, and residues from, veterinary medicines.

The Government has committed to consult on what can be done through labelling to promote high standards and high welfare across the UK market. To this end, we recently ran a call for evidence to assess the potential impacts of different types of animal welfare labelling reform, including how this might apply to imported products as well as domestic products. We will publish a summary of responses and our proposed next steps in due course.

In November, the Government announced a substantial increase to our international agri-food capability, through the recruitment of eight new agriculture, food and drink attachés.

Since then Defra officials have worked with colleagues across Government and the international network to design this expanded agri-food attaché network, and determine the most impactful locations and portfolios for these roles. We will launch the recruitment of these new roles imminently, and aim to appoint and induct the new agri-food attachés rapidly in the coming months.

The agri-food attachés themselves represent a significant commitment from the Government to increase our agri-food export capability. To support this expanded international network, we are laying the groundwork to ensure the agri-food attachés are well connected to all relevant Government stakeholders and policy levers, ensuring that the additional capability that they bring is as impactful as possible for all parts of the UK.

This will build on the successful work of our existing Agriculture Counsellor roles in China and the Gulf. For example, the Agriculture Counsellor in China was pivotal to securing lucrative market access for pork, and protecting agri-food exports when new import conditions were applied last year.

The UK's high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, including strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. In addition, the UK has nearly 100% sufficiency in poultry, carrots, and swedes.

Recognising the importance of food production, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It recognised the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience, and the importance of strong domestic production to our food security. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.

The Food Strategy White Paper will set out Government's ambition and priorities for the food system - to support our exceptional British food and drink producers, and to protect and enhance the nation's health and the natural environment for generations to come. The Government will consider the evidence of Henry Dimbleby's independent review throughout the development of Food Strategy. Given ongoing wider circumstances we are postponing publication of the food strategy until after the pre-election period for the local elections.

Plastic pollution is a global challenge, and the UK engages across multilateral forums and organisations to raise global ambition and drive action to minimise plastic pollution from both land and sea-based sources, including the G7 and G20, the OSPAR Convention, the World Trade Organisation and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Through the £500 million Blue Planet Fund the UK is funding developing countries to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty, including the Global Plastic Action Partnership to address plastic pollution. Through the UK and Vanuatu-led Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance, 34 Commonwealth nations have now committed to taking action on plastic pollution in the ocean.

The UK co-sponsored the ambitious proposal that led to the resolution adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022 to develop a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution, and the UK has joined the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution to drive a comprehensive and effective treaty.

A second consultation on introducing a deposit return scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was published in 2021 and is now closed. The Government is analysing the responses to that consultation, with a view to publishing a Government response soon.

We are very much aware of the disruption to supply chains that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will have both globally and here in the UK and are closely monitoring the market situation.

The UK food chain is very robust and adaptable. Our initial assessment is the principal impact on UK farmers will be an increase in the cost of a range of inputs including red diesel, animal feed, fertiliser, and energy.

We are working with the industry to identify where mitigations are available and continue to keep the situation under review.

Food prices are influenced by a range of factors - from currency fluctuations to commodity prices. While recent pressures have been sustained, we have a highly resilient food supply chain. Direct food imports from Eastern Europe are low, and we do not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply. However, we will continue to speak with the industry to understand any potential pressures.

The UK sources fertiliser from a wide range of countries and also produces fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate domestically. The situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, from current high fertiliser prices, are being monitored closely.

There are nutrient management techniques and technologies that can be used alongside fertiliser products that help the efficacy of fertilisers and help maintain high yield and good quality produce. Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices.

Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the NFU, fertiliser producers and importers, and the key sector representative body for fertilisers, the Agricultural Industries Confederation. We are continuing to monitor the security and stability of fertiliser and other supply chains, and working closely with colleagues across Government and devolved administrations as well as industry figures to share knowledge and discuss all options available to tackle these issues. This will help inform how Defra and other industry bodies can best support farmers.

Defra is committed to promoting the use of less environmentally damaging fertilisers and better nutrient use efficiency. The current shortage of inorganic fertilisers provides an opportunity for farmers to continue exploring increasing their use of environmentally sustainable products and more efficient nutrient management methods.

It remains the farmer/keeper’s responsibility to ensure that birds are kept in a suitable environment, as required by Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which includes the provision of suitable protection from adverse weather conditions.

The Code of Practice for the welfare of Gamebirds reared for Sporting Purposes states that when birds are housed or penned, the accommodation should be well constructed and managed and of sufficient size to ensure good health and welfare; which is best achieved by ensuring protection from adverse weather conditions and extremes of temperature. The code also states that there should be a contingency plan to prevent or deal with emergencies which would include extremes of temperature.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out targeted inspections on gamebird units in response to intelligence received. In determining whether a temperature range is suitable, APHA inspectors conduct a case-by-case assessment based on the birds’ environment, including any clinical signs in the birds, to verify compliance with the legislation. APHA also assess stockmanship and contingency actions that have been put in place to protect bird welfare.

The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare. We are delivering a series of ambitious reforms, as outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We are actively exploring options for improving the welfare of farmed animals and are considering the case for introducing further reforms, in areas such as the use of cages for gamebirds.

We need to gather evidence on the welfare of gamebirds and the use of cages in the sector to inform future policy development. The expectation is that we will be calling for evidence later this year.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carry out targeted inspections on gamebird breeding and rearing units in response to intelligence received. Intelligence led monitoring and offering advice on compliance are key components of all APHA inspections. Where welfare regulations are breached, appropriate action is always taken.

According to APHA records, 10 inspections took place in England and Wales in 2021. One inspection in England resulted in non-compliances being identified and a follow up inspection was carried out to ensure corrective action had been taken.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The UK is at the forefront of marine protection with 372 MPAs protecting 38% of UK waters. We have built a comprehensive network of MPAs and are focusing on making sure they are protected properly. Ninety-eight of our inshore English MPAs now have management measures in place to protect sensitive features from bottom towed fishing gears. We are also developing an ambitious three-year programme for assessing sites and implementing byelaws, where necessary, to manage fishing activity in all English offshore MPAs.

Our manifesto was clear that no changes will be made to the Hunting Act. The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs, except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law.

Issuing a license or giving permission for trail hunting is an operational matter for the landowner and those organisations with a land lease or agreement in place for Government land.

The Government is fully committed to tackling the issue of accidental bycatch of sensitive marine species, as seen in the Fisheries Act through the ecosystem objective which seeks to ensure “incidental catches of sensitive marine species are minimised and, where possible, eliminated”. The Joint Fisheries Statement and UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative will set out policies in more detail to help achieve this objective, including improving our understanding of where and how much bycatch occurs and effective mitigation measures to reduce bycatch of sensitive marine species.

We are currently examining our wider policy on supertrawlers. Any action needs to be evidence-based and in line with the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Marine Management Organisation continues to monitor fishing activity in English waters with dedicated enforcement and surveillance work to protect fisheries, including offshore patrol vessels for at-sea surveillance.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 23 November 2021: PQ UIN 76872.

The Marine Management Organisation publishes annual statistics on catch, effort and fleet data in aggregated from which includes catch by gear type:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/marine-management-organisation/about/statistics. The UK discard/bycatch information, derived from scientific fisheries observer programmes in each of the UK administrations, is the EU Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) database. Data collected up to the end of 2020 have been submitted to the EU STECF in accordance with UK obligations and can be found here: Fisheries Dependent Information - European Commission (europa.eu)

All wild-capture commercial fishers are required to report incidental mortality or injury (bycatch) of marine mammals during fishing operations to the Marine Management Organisation. These data are used in UK bycatch monitoring programmes to help identify and where possible reduce potential impacts with sensitive marine species. The UK government funds a comprehensive and well-respected bycatch monitoring programme, which provides essential observer data on incidents of sensitive species bycatch. Annual reports are published online here: Defra, UK - Science Search.

UK regulations require fishery and aquaculture product labelling to indicate the production method, area where the product was caught or farmed, and category of fishing gear used in capture of fisheries.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has provided advice on managing farm manures to reduce antibiotic resistance. The guidance from APHA recognises that the anaerobic digestion process destroys bacteria and is considered to be the best approach for reducing spread of bacteria to the environment. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has provided practical advice on how to reduce the risk of contamination of ready-to-eat crops when using farm manures to improve soil fertility. The FSA guidelines are based on research, largely funded by the FSA, on pathogen occurrence and survival in farm manures during storage and following land spreading.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Animal by-products regulation classifies manure as a category 2 Animal by-product. However, there is no requirement to use an approved anaerobic digestion site for the disposal of manure (unlike other materials such as food waste). If the Animal and Plant Health Agency (which enforces the ABP regulations in question) does not consider there to be a risk of spreading any serious, transmissible disease, manure can be applied to land without processing (Authorisation B1). Nonetheless, the stacking and storage of manure, composting of manure and/or anaerobic digestion are recommended as best practice and should be adopted wherever possible to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Environment Agency Position Statement 029: Anaerobic digestion of agricultural manure and slurry, Version 1.0, October 2010 has been assessed as part of a current waste quality protocols review. In December 2020 the Environment Agency published its first outcome of a review of the Anaerobic Digestate Quality Protocol. This concluded that, amongst other issues, the Environment Agency needs to review its position on the waste status of manure-based digestates (as detailed in Position Statement 029). The review is ongoing. The Environment Agency has set up a task and finish group with industry representation and the revision process has started. Details of this work can be found here.

Although we have not made any recent assessments on the benefits to soil health of banning mineral based fertilisers the Nutrient Management Expert Group (NMEG) is independently reviewing and analysing existing policy, alongside up-to-date technical and scientific evidence on fertilisers and nutrient management. It is considering the multiple challenges surrounding nutrient management (reaching Net Zero by 2050, protecting and enhancing soil health, improving water and air quality, protecting natural biodiversity and managing resources sustainably) and developing recommendations on the optimal policy approaches to minimise nitrogen-based and other pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from fertiliser use.  The Group is engaging with sector sounding boards, including industry representatives and other key stakeholders, to ensure its recommendations have practical merit.

The findings and recommendations of NMEG will be published in the new year. They will feed into our review of fertiliser regulation and inform wider Defra policy development and delivery plans.

The Government is developing a Soil Health Action Plan for England. It will look at how land management practices and planning can be adapted to help protect soil from the impact of climate change, and will deliver a single, strategic and coherent plan for multiple outcomes that prevents soil degradation and improves soil health.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is a key focus of the Action Plan and will support sustainable approaches to farm husbandry that deliver for the environment and improve soil health. For example, SFI will pay farmers for actions they take (going beyond regulatory requirements) to manage their land in an environmentally sustainable way. Actions will be grouped into simple packages set out as standards, to make it as easy as possible for farmers to identify the actions that are best suited to their land and their business.

Two of the standards that are being piloted in the SFI are the Improved Grassland Soils Standard and the Arable and Horticultural Soils Standard. These standards focus on soil management and health and will also be available under the early roll out of the SFI from 2022.

We are seeking agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain ‘Part 1’ listed status and recognition of the UK’s tapeworm-free status. Achieving these would alleviate the most onerous pet travel rules for all travellers and we see no valid animal health reason for these to not be granted. We have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity and have submitted a detailed technical case setting this out and are continuing to engage with the EU on a workable solution.

Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) fees are set by veterinary practices and are a private matter between individual practices and their clients and neither the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the UK regulator of the veterinary profession, nor Defra intervenes in the level of fees that are charged.

We are engaging with the British Veterinary Association to address concerns on veterinary capacity to complete and issue AHCs. We are working to ensure that the process of issuing pet travel documentation is as efficient as possible.

The AHC format is mandated by the EU, but the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has taken steps to help Official Veterinarians (OVs) complete them including the development of a model certificate and accompanying printable guidance. APHA has publicised the availability of the required training course on completing AHCs and has made it easily available on-line which can be accessed by all qualified OVs at any time.

The Department believes that the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is a fit for purpose regulator. The Department does not consider an independent ombudsman would improve the regulation of the veterinary profession. RCVS have been developing recommendations on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, including an overhaul of the disciplinary framework and fitness to practise regime. We will carefully consider their proposals.

The current EU rules for the production of animal feed are more stringent than those of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

The EU’s forthcoming changes are in line with the OIE and with the EU TSE Roadmaps. The Roadmaps are a programme of stepwise relaxations in line with the latest scientific advice which the UK, an EU Member State at the time, supported. They would permit the feeding of porcine Processed Animal Protein (PAP) to poultry and poultry PAP to pigs, and ruminant gelatine and collagen and protein derived from insects to pigs and poultry.

Now that we have left the EU, the restrictions on feeding of livestock in the UK will not be altered by EU legislation and they apply whether the feed is imported or produced here.

The UK does not ban the imports of animals or products of animal origin from countries where the feed rules comply with the OIE requirements. This means that imports of animals or products of animal origin from the EU or Northern Ireland will continue to be accepted into Great Britain.

The Government is in the process of assessing the implications of these changes for the UK and will use the latest scientific evidence to decide if any policy changes should be made in England.

Fisheries protection is a devolved matter. Nonetheless, Defra, the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive continue to work together to share information and ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring, compliance and enforcement across UK waters.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement requires both Parties to share information on such matters. The two parties exchange information on records of catches of quota species from the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on a monthly basis, supplemented with International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)-rectangle (geographical areas) level data to provide assurance of the robustness of the EEZ-level data.

We are working closely with counterparts in EU Member States to ensure effective coordination of intelligence-sharing and inspections. It is a legal requirement for all registered fishing vessels over 12m operating within UK waters, including EU vessels, to be fitted with a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) device. Data from this device is relayed via the flag member states providing the UK Fisheries Authorities with live positional data.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU provides for a significant uplift in quota for UK fishers equal to 25% of the value of the average annual EU catch from UK waters and will be phased in over five years, with the majority of this value (15%) being transferred in the first year (2021). It ensures a smooth and managed transition to new quota sharing arrangements and a framework for annual negotiations between the UK and the EU.

We set out how the additional quota would be apportioned between the four administrations on 24 March. How each administration distributes that to industry is a devolved issue.

For England we set out the new distribution method on 14 April and this provided significant uplifts for under 10 metre vessels.

Full details, including what has been allocated to Wales, have been published on the Marine Management Organisation’s website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fishing-quota-allocations-for-2021-for-england-and-the-uk

Country of origin information is required for all prepacked food where its omission would be misleading to consumers, and is required for fresh and frozen meat of beef, sheep, goat, pigs and poultry, as well as for uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, honey, olive oil and wine. For processed food, where the origin of the primary ingredient is different to that of the food itself and the origin of the food is given, an indication that the origin of the primary ingredient is different or the specific origin must also be provided. In any case, where an indication, in words of pictures, of origin or provenance is given this must be accurate.

For method of production, an indication must be provided on shell eggs when sold as such and in the case of poultry, where it is stated must meet strict criteria. For other species and for dairy products, any claims around method of production either in words or pictures must not be misleading.

We have the opportunity to review food labelling now we are no longer bound by EU rules to ensure information supports UK consumers' food choices and the marketing of quality British food products. This review will be made in the context of the government’s food strategy white paper which will be published following Henry Dimbleby’s independent review of the food system later this year.

The Government has further committed to consult on what can be done through labelling to promote high standards and high welfare across the UK. There will be a call for evidence launched this summer which will look to address evidence gaps on the impact, costs and deliverability on different types of labelling reforms. This, alongside Henry Dimbleby’s review, will inform a full consultation later this year which will seek stakeholder and public views on how welfare information should be presented to consumers.

Illegal fishing in UK waters by vessels of any nationality is an extremely serious matter which endangers the sustainability of our stocks and the long-term interests of the UK fishing fleet. Given that fisheries management is a devolved matter, the four UK fisheries authorities work together to combat illegal fishing by a range of means. These include: applying scientific data and evidence to fisheries management to ensure sustainable fishing; sharing intelligence and coordinating assets when required through the Joint Maritime Security Centre; significantly increasing the number of onshore personnel and maritime surveillance assets; ensuring that all commercial fishing vessels operating in UK waters are licenced in a way which means that, regardless of nationality, they must all abide by the same regulations as UK vessels; and working closely with counterparts in EU Member States to ensure effective coordination of intelligence-sharing and inspections.

The Government is fully committed to the sustainable management of our seas, whilst enabling a successful UK fishing fleet. The objectives in the Fisheries Act 2021 collectively reaffirm our commitment to achieving sustainable fishing and protecting the marine environment while tailoring our approach to our unique seas. This commitment will be delivered through the Joint Fisheries Statement and Fisheries Management Plans.

We set out policy how additional quota would be allocated in March. This is now included in the UK Quota Management Rules for 2021. Quota allocations have taken place and are available on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fishing-quota-allocations-for-2021-for-england-and-the-uk

The UK has been a strong advocate for the sustainable management of fisheries and will continue to collect data to support this. The regulations that enable us to collect data have been rolled over into UK law and funding has been maintained in line with manifesto commitments. This ensures continuity and consistency of data collection in the short-term. We have now commenced work on developing a new fisheries' monitoring programme that supports UK priorities as well as our international commitments.

Restoring the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act would be inconsistent with wider government policy which welcomes foreign investment in UK industry. Our investment commitments under the UK / EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement reflect this policy.

We believe that ensuring all vessels over 10 metres in length that land more than 2 tonnes of per annum and are fishing against English quota demonstrate a link to the UK would provide a stronger benefit to the UK economy. We consulted on proposals to strengthen the economic link licence condition for English vessels last year and intend to publish the government response this summer.

UK fishing quota is not held by EU registered vessels. It is only allocated to UK registered vessels.

We do not keep records of the nationality of UK registered vessel owners.

UK fishing quota is not held by EU registered vessels. It is only allocated to UK registered vessels.

We do not keep records of the nationality of UK registered vessel owners.

Full details, including what has been allocated to Wales, have been published on the Marine Management Organisation’s website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fishing-quota-allocations-for-2021-for-england-and-the-uk

The UK greenhouse gas (GHG) Inventory will be used to report progress against the UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). UK NDC performance will be assessed in 2032 based on the UK 1990-2030 GHG Inventory submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The UK does not currently have the required data to report on anthropogenic activities impacting saltmarsh and seagrass (blue carbon habitats), as set out in the 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Wetlands Supplement, and they are therefore not currently included in the UK GHG Inventory. We continue to build the evidence base on blue carbon habitats to help inform future, robust GHG reporting and accounting.

The Government recognises the role that blue carbon habitats, such as saltmarsh and seagrass, can play to prevent biodiversity loss and support adaptation and resilience to climate change, alongside carbon sequestration benefits. The importance of marine habitats was acknowledged in the UK NDC’s information to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding, as well as in the UK’s Adaptation Communication.

The UK recognises the important role that blue carbon habitats – such as saltmarsh and seagrass - can play to prevent biodiversity loss and support adaptation and resilience to climate change, alongside carbon sequestration benefits. The protection and restoration of these habitats therefore provides a nature-based solution.

The UK is a global leader in ocean protection with 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas, covering the majority of saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. Our focus is now on ensuring these are effectively protected.

The Government recently published its response to the Benyon Review into Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), accepting the central recommendation that we should identify a number of locations to pilot this approach. HPMAs will be identified on the basis of their ecological value, including areas with potential to recover, and blue carbon habitats. Social and economic principles will then be used to help us understand and minimise the impacts on sea users.

In addition, a number of coastal and estuarine habit restoration initiatives are underway. The Environment Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative is working to restore our estuarine and coastal habitats, including blue carbon habitats, to benefit people and nature. Natural England is also leading the EU-funded LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES (Reducing and Mitigating Erosion and Disturbance Impacts affecting the Seabed) project, which aims to restore seagrass and maerl habitat in five Special Areas of Conservation.

We are also introducing three schemes that reward the delivery of environmental benefits, including for coastal habitat: the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the Local Nature Recovery scheme and the Landscape Recovery scheme. We are working with stakeholders and end users to determine the specific land management actions that will be paid for under our new schemes. The Agricultural Transition Plan set out examples of the types of actions that we envisage paying for under the schemes, including creating, managing, and restoring coastal habitats such as wetlands and salt marsh.

There have been no changes in our import conditions for scrapie, Annex IX chapter H of regulation (EC) No. 999.2001 details the requirements for import of ovine and caprine semen, oocytes and embryos, which was adopted into UK law. These germinal products of non-ARR/ARR prion protein genotypes may be imported provided they meet the other scrapie requirements set out in the legislation and corresponding import health certificate.

Ovine and caprine germinal products: health certificates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The UK maintains its own sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) imports regime to protect public, animal and plant life and health and the environment. We have repatriated the functions of audit and inspections to ensure that trading partners, including those we secure trade deals with, continue to meet our import conditions. This provides a standing, robust system that works alongside border controls to maintain our high standards going forward.

This Government takes the conservation of endangered species very seriously, which is why we will be banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered species. Our approach will be comprehensive, robust and effective and will deliver the change we promised to help protect thousands of species worldwide. We will be setting out plans soon.

There is no requirement in the Environment Bill for a deforestation target. This does not preclude the Government from setting one if it is judged to be the best way to deliver long-term environmental outcomes. The Bill framework allows for long-term targets to be set on any aspect of the natural environment, or people’s enjoyment of it. The Government is committed to setting targets through a robust, evidence-led process that seeks independent expert advice, provides a role for stakeholders and the public, as well as scrutiny from Parliament.

We have commissioned the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to develop a global environmental footprint indicator to help us understand the UK’s global footprint. The first phase of this work was published in May 2021, with further development following in the summer. The outcomes of this work will help inform our future thinking on the most appropriate approach to drive change in this area.

On finance, delivering our net zero objective will require deep decarbonisation of all sectors. We know that financial services will be a critical enabler in mobilizing green investment at the pace and scale required – and that is why green finance is a key priority for this Government.

Furthermore, the UK will become the first G20 country to make Taskforce on Climate- related Financial Disclosures-aligned disclosures fully mandatory across the economy, with most requirements introduced in the next three years. The Government is also actively supporting the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures.

Finally, the UK will implement a green taxonomy, a common framework for determining which activities can be defined as environmentally sustainable, which will improve understanding of the environmental impact of firms’ activities and investments.

Although there has been research reporting the presence and impacts of microplastics in the marine environment, little is known about their sources, release and impact on rivers. Defra has published research to contribute to better understanding of these issues, and will use the outcomes from this and other studies to develop policy options to help mitigate the impact of microplastics in the environment.

Defra is also working with the Environment Agency, academics and the UK water industry to understand the scale of the microplastic pollution problem and to establish detection methods to identify, characterise and quantify the types of microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants; evaluate the efficiency of treatment processes for the removal of microplastics from domestic wastewaters, and assess the fate and biological effects of microplastics in receiving rivers.

With regards to discharges of untreated waste water, tackling the harm caused by sewer overflows is a top priority for this department.

To achieve this, the new Storm Overflows Taskforce - bringing together Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs - has agreed to set a long-term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce is meeting regularly and working on plans to start making progress towards that goal, and they have commissioned research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.

We are also introducing new duties in the Environment Bill that will require the Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and to report progress to Parliament on implementing that plan. We are also introducing duties requiring water companies and the Environment Agency to publish data on storm overflow operations on an annual basis. These legally binding obligations on water companies and Government will help reduce pollution in rivers, including microplastic contamination, protecting wildlife and public health.

Water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-25) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.3 billion.

Analysis carried out by ADAS consultants in 2020 showed planting hedgerows has a range of environmental gains, including positive impacts on biodiversity, landscape character and protection from, and mitigation of environmental hazards.

Recent reports and research from Natural England and Defra have further evidenced that hedgerows can deliver habitat and resources for a range of important wildlife, support ecosystem services, and sequester and store carbon.

In England, the Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) schemes are currently our primary tools in delivering environmentally beneficial hedgerow management and hedgerow creation, which support the goals of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Hedgerow management is one of the most popular options within the CS scheme.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly on 15 April 2021, PQ UIN 178842.

We are aware of the concerns around the use of glue traps, which can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals.

It is an issue we are looking at very closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

Anyone using glue traps has a responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to act within the law to ensure their activities do not cause any unnecessary suffering.

Tackling the harm caused by sewer overflows is a top priority for this Department.

During periods of significant rainfall untreated sewage diluted by rainwater will discharge through storm overflows to avoid streets, premises and sewage treatment plants from being flooded. Water companies are committed in the five-year business planning period (2020-2025) to a significant programme of improvements to the monitoring and management of storm overflows at a cost of around £1.1 billion. This investment includes undertaking 800 investigations and 798 improvement schemes to provide environmental improvements by reducing spills from frequently spilling overflows.

I recognise that there is more to do to manage sewage pollution. I met water company CEOs and made clear that the volume of sewage discharged into rivers and other waterways in extreme weather must be reduced.

To achieve this, the new Storm Overflows Taskforce - bringing together Government, the water industry, regulators and environmental NGOs - has agreed to set a long term goal to eliminate harm from storm overflows. The Taskforce is now working on plans to start making progress towards that goal, and they have commissioned research to gather evidence on the costs, benefits and feasibility of different options.

We are introducing new duties requiring the Government to publish a plan by September 2022 to reduce sewage discharges from storm overflows and to report progress to Parliament on implementing that plan. We are also introducing duties requiring water companies and the Environment Agency to publish data on storm overflow operations on an annual basis. These legally-binding obligations on water companies and government will reduce pollution in rivers – protecting wildlife and public health.

Water companies are currently producing for the first time comprehensive Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans to assess the capacity of their wastewater networks. We are also taking key steps through the Environment Bill to require water companies to produce such Plans on a statutory basis. These plans will be another tool to help address the risks that storm overflows pose to the environment.

The Environment Agency uses a range of enforcement options ranging from warning letters to prosecutions. The Environment Agency has brought 44 prosecutions against water companies in the last five years, securing fines of £34 million. £7.9 million has also been donated to environmental and wildlife trusts organisations in the same period through enforcement undertakings. The Environment Agency will continue to prosecute water companies which fail to uphold the law or cause serious environmental harm.

The Horse Welfare Board’s five-year Horse Welfare Strategy (HWS) A life well-lived was published on 20 February 2020. The HWS contains 20 recommendations for improving the welfare of horses bred for racing. The HWS recommends that, as a minimum, the penalties for misuse of the whip need to increase and that the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) should conduct a consultation on the use of the whip. The Strategy also recommends that this consultation should gather views on future restrictions on whip use and on a possible ban. Defra has been informed by the British Horse Racing Authority that the delayed opening of the consultation due to COVID-19 disruption will take place later in 2021.

Defra officials will remain engaged with the BHA on the progress being made with the consultation. I would encourage anyone with evidence that a racehorse has suffered unnecessarily from being whipped to get in touch with the BHA and share their concerns. In the most severe cases of misuse, an individual may be investigated under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act, as well as receiving significant sanctions from the sport.

This pandemic has had a huge impact on businesses up and down the country

We are continuing to monitor the pig sector recognising the challenges it has faced as a result of both Covid-19 outbreaks in processing plants and the end of the Transition period. The Secretary of State and I held a roundtable with the pig industry on 9 February to discuss these issues.

A further roundtable with the retail sector is planned for this week. Approving and maintaining the approvals of UK Food Business Operators (FBOs) for pork exports to China is a decision for the Chinese Authorities but Defra will continue to work closely with UK industry and the British Embassy in Beijing with the aim of securing China’s agreement to reinstate the approval of pork exports from de-listed UK FBOs. The Government has already made available considerable support for businesses impacted by the pandemic. Where appropriate, we would encourage pig farmers to access these funds.

African swine fever remains one of our key priorities in terms of exotic notifiable diseases. Whilst we have never had an outbreak in the UK, we continue to prepare for this eventuality.

We are committed to improving our already high standards of animal welfare and are examining the evidence around the use of cages in farming, including their use for breeding pheasants and partridges.

The welfare of gamebirds is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes offers additional protection and provides keepers with guidance on how to meet the welfare needs of their gamebirds as required by the 2006 Act. It recommends that barren cages for breeding pheasants and small barren cages for breeding partridges should not be used and that any system should be appropriately enriched.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) carries out targeted inspections on gamebird farms. Advice on compliance is a key component of all APHA inspections.

APHA game bird inspections conducted and action taken:

Marine protection is a devolved matter and the information below relates to England only.

No such assessments have been made as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) commonly protect seabed habitats and are generally not the best method of protecting commercial fish stocks, which need to be protected across their range and not just within the boundaries of an MPA. In addition, the impact a fishing vessel has on a site is determined by how damaging the fishing method is, rather than the size of the vessel.

Vessels fishing in the 6-12nm tend to be smaller and more local day boats. Their catches are limited by quotas, effort limits or local rules. Larger vessels have more flexibility about where they can fish and tend to go further off-shore. There are restrictions on gear types and engine size in the zone, for example restricting the size of beam trawlers, and these apply to UK and EU vessels.

The Government recognises that a healthy ocean is vital to life and livelihoods on Earth. Tackling climate change is vital for ocean health and as COP26 President we are pushing for ambitious and accelerated action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Ocean conservation and the protection of marine biodiversity are particularly important for building resilience and adapting to the impacts of climate change, as well as supporting climate change mitigation.

The UK Marine Strategy is vital in achieving the Government's vision for 'clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse ocean and seas' and our climate change objectives. It provides the framework for monitoring, assessing and taking measures to achieve and maintain Good Environmental Status in our seas. Marine nature-based solutions, including marine protection, restoration and sustainable management, have a crucial role to play as part of measures to prevent biodiversity loss and support climate change adaptation, resilience and mitigation.

We are a global leader in ocean protection, with 38% of UK waters in Marine Protected Areas. We have also stated our intention to pilot Highly Protected Marine Areas in Secretary of State waters and look forward to publishing the Government's response to Richard Benyon's review in due course.

The UK Government is committed to reducing the impact of the fishing industry on the marine environment. The Climate Change Objective in clause 1 of the Fisheries Act ensures that consideration is taken of how fisheries management policy can mitigate against the effects of climate change, where appropriate, as well as adapting to any future impacts of climate change. Fisheries Administrations will introduce policies to achieve this objective in the legally binding Joint Fisheries Statement.

The Government’s ambition is for world-class fisheries management to achieve sustainable fisheries, safeguarding stocks and the marine environment. This commitment is clearly set out in the Fisheries Act 2020 objectives and the 25 Year Environment Plan.

The bycatch objective in the Fisheries Act underlines the UK's commitment to avoid or reduce bycatch and the wasteful practice of discarding. It also sets out a commitment to ensure that any unavoidable bycatch is recorded and accounted for. There are rules in force (commonly referred to as the ‘landing obligation’) that prohibit the discarding of fish.

We also manage other bycatch through a comprehensive and well-respected bycatch monitoring programme which helps to protect sensitive marine species and to monitor and reduce any potential fisheries impacts on these species. The UK has an additional observer programme that collects data on fisheries catch and bycatch for scientific advice and management. Additionally, the Government funds Clean Catch UK which is a collaborative research programme dedicated to better monitoring, reducing, and, where possible, eliminating the bycatch of sensitive marine species in UK fisheries.

The latest ‘Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’ estimates red squirrel populations in Britain as 287,000.

The conservation of red squirrels is a devolved matter and this response is with regards to England only. Defra, Natural England and the Forestry Commission are signatories to the United Kingdom Squirrel Accord, working with over 30 other signatories to secure and expand red squirrel populations.

The Environment Bill contains measures that will help improve the status of threatened species. This will include setting at least one biodiversity target in law, as well as enhancing duties for public authorities to carry out strategic assessments of the actions they can take to enhance and conserve biodiversity.

The Government committed, in its 2019 manifesto, to introduce a deposit return scheme to incentivise people to recycle drinks containers.

On 24 March we published our second consultation on implementing a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. The materials we propose would be in-scope of the scheme are PET plastic containers, aluminium and steel cans, and glass bottles. Further details of the proposed deposit return scheme are presented in this second consultation.

Timelines have been reviewed to ensure we allow sufficient time for the roll out of a complex policy, and we therefore propose to implement the scheme in 2024, with views on this being taken in the consultation.

Powers from the Environment Bill will give us the option to establish deposit return schemes for other materials in the future and we will continue to consider these as policy options.

There is no scientific or technical justification for the European Commission banning this trade in live bivalve molluscs from GB from Class B waters. Our exports remain of high quality. We are continuing to apply the same rules that we did before EU Exit, exactly reflecting those of the EU. We are willing to provide additional reassurances to demonstrate shellfish health within reason, but this must recognise the existing high standards and history of trade between us.

We know this is an important trade for shellfish exporters in Great Britain and the EU ban has had a significant impact on the businesses. This includes those in Ynys Môn and I have met representatives from the area. We are working with the Food Standards Agency, Cefas and others to look at grading of the waters as this may provide some help to the businesses.

The current restrictions are affecting businesses on each side of the channel and we are talking to Member States in the EU whose businesses are also damaged by the ban.

The latest ‘Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’ estimates the hedgehog populations in the UK is 522,000.

Wildlife policy is a devolved issue and this response is with regard to England only.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 sets out a legal duty for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to undertake a review of Schedule 5 and 8 (protected species) every five years to determine whether any further species warrant inclusion, and for the Secretary of State to lay this advice before Parliament. This review process is science led and evidence based, with criteria for consideration of species agreed across the jurisdictions of the UK. The JNCC is currently reviewing schedule 5 and will make recommendations for any additions at the end of this year.

Fisheries management is largely devolved and specific measures to support local industry would be a matter for each Fisheries Administration.

The introduction of the Fisheries Bill will allow the four Fisheries Administrations to reform the management of fisheries over time, creating a flexible and adaptive regime that is better suited to the individual needs of our fisheries. Defra has worked very closely with the Devolved Administrations during the development of the Fisheries Bill. At their requests, the Bill contains significant new powers for the Devolved Administrations that in most cases mirror those of the Secretary of State.

The UK Government will put in place new, domestic, long-term arrangements to support the UK’s fishing industry from 2021, through the creation of four new schemes comparable to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to deliver funding for each nation.

Seafish is working with industry from across the UK to develop a tool box of measures that can be used to better manage inshore fisheries and to develop more effective management for shellfish.

Fisheries management is of course devolved. The extent to which the benefits of the Fisheries Bill and the fisheries negotiations on access and quota will be felt across the UK, will largely be a matter for each fisheries Administration.

The Joint Fisheries Statement will provide an opportunity to describe how the Administrations will jointly or individually as appropriate deliver policies to achieve the eight fisheries objectives in the Bill. The objectives cover fish as a food source and the national benefit objective.

In England, we will shortly be consulting on strengthening the economic link criteria to ensure the UK benefits from the additional quota we intend to negotiate to secure for the UK. This will boost opportunities for fishers.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been promising signs that the public are eating more locally caught fish. The "Sea for Yourself" campaign being run jointly by the Sea Fish Industry Authority and Defra aims to increase consumption of seafood caught in UK waters.

The Government is clear that it wants to secure a Canada-style free trade deal with the EU which has at its heart a zero tariff trading regime.

At the end of the transition period, the UK will leave the EU’s customs area and the EU’s single market which means that traders will have to comply with new processes to trade with the EU, whether or not we reach an agreement with the EU.

Planning for the end of the transition period is well underway and the Government is working closely with businesses and other partners across the UK to ensure that the trade of seafood with the EU can continue as smoothly as possible.

The Department’s officials meet Avanti West Coast’s senior management weekly to review its performance. We are holding Avanti West Coast to account for matters within its control and will continue to use all contractual levers to drive the best outcomes for passengers.

We are continuing our discussions on bilateral agreements with our near European neighbours, including Ireland, as a matter of priority. These negotiations are focusing on how we can collaborate to improve seafarer welfare and how we can work through international organisations to create a step change in seafarer welfare. We are also exploring the creation of minimum wage equivalent corridors to ensure seafarers receive fair pay whilst working in our respective territorial waters.

By improving regional connectivity, the Integrated Rail Plan will unify labour markets so that people can access a much wider range of jobs; bring businesses closer together; and improve access to key international gateways and markets so that they become even more attractive locations for business investment. The Crewe Northern Connection would improve connections from North Wales to the HS2 network, potentially bringing many passengers within 2 hours 15 minutes of London. Our plans will enhance connectivity to much of the West Midlands, Cheshire and North Wales not directly served by HS2.

The Eastern Leg of HS2 as previously planned would have gone from the West Midlands to Leeds via the East Midlands. Given the geography of the line, the impact of changes to the route upon commuters in North Wales will be minimal as the new proposed route will go from the West to East Midlands with upgrades to the existing rail network to allow high speed services to reach Nottingham and Sheffield (via Derby and Chesterfield) and a further study of how best HS2 services could reach Leeds.

We will build the Western Leg of HS2 as previously planned, which will allow the Crewe Hub to be realised,helping enhance connectivity to much of the West Midlands, Cheshire and North Wales not directly served by HS2.

The UK and Spanish Governments are working to reach an agreement on driving licence exchange as a priority. The Secretary of State for Transport discussed the issue with Spanish ministers on 29 April 2022 and talks have rapidly accelerated since.

The quickest and easiest way to apply for a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)’s online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.

However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. To help reduce waiting times for paper applications, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. These measures are having a positive impact and customers should continue to see an improving picture in terms of waiting times for paper applications. Applications where the driver has a medical condition that must be investigated before a licence can be issued will take longer.

The majority of applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online here.

We are working with industry to consider options for accredited training that could offer a standardised non-statutory testing approach. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has received strong support for an accreditation training scheme which is also generating considerable interest from companies who tow as part of their business. We are progressing discussions urgently.

Businesses that require help and support should contact the Business Support Helpline at https://www.gov.uk/business-support-helpline

Road safety remains of paramount importance, and we are already working with training providers to explore options for an industry-led accreditation scheme for trailer training. This could offer a standardised training and assessment approach, keeping driving and towing skills current and of a high standard.

The reversing exercise of HGV driving tests and the uncoupling and recoupling exercise of the lorry and trailer test will still be tested but separately by third party assessors. This will enable the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to carry out more on-road tests without compromising the overall standard of driving required to pass the test. The DVSA is working with the training industry to develop the necessary robust accreditation, assessment and audit processes.

One of the changes announced is to enable new drivers to take a category C+E test without having to take a category C test first. Existing category C licence holders will still need to pass their C+E practical test to demonstrate their competency to drive these larger vehicles.

The DVSA does not hold information on the number of people who have booked or cancelled a trailer training course as individuals book these courses directly with the training provider. The DVSA stopped conducting B+E tests from 20 September.

We have made provision in the regulations for post implementation review of the change in the rules, with the first review after three years. We will gather data during that period and monitor the impact on road safety and make changes if needed in the light of that review.

Road safety remains of paramount importance, and we are already working with training providers to explore options for an industry-led accreditation scheme for trailer training. This could offer a standardised training and assessment approach, keeping driving and towing skills current and of a high standard.

The reversing exercise of HGV driving tests and the uncoupling and recoupling exercise of the lorry and trailer test will still be tested but separately by third party assessors. This will enable the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to carry out more on-road tests without compromising the overall standard of driving required to pass the test. The DVSA is working with the training industry to develop the necessary robust accreditation, assessment and audit processes.

One of the changes announced is to enable new drivers to take a category C+E test without having to take a category C test first. Existing category C licence holders will still need to pass their C+E practical test to demonstrate their competency to drive these larger vehicles.

The DVSA does not hold information on the number of people who have booked or cancelled a trailer training course as individuals book these courses directly with the training provider. The DVSA stopped conducting B+E tests from 20 September.

We have made provision in the regulations for post implementation review of the change in the rules, with the first review after three years. We will gather data during that period and monitor the impact on road safety and make changes if needed in the light of that review.

Road safety remains of paramount importance, and we are already working with training providers to explore options for an industry-led accreditation scheme for trailer training. This could offer a standardised training and assessment approach, keeping driving and towing skills current and of a high standard.

The reversing exercise of HGV driving tests and the uncoupling and recoupling exercise of the lorry and trailer test will still be tested but separately by third party assessors. This will enable the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to carry out more on-road tests without compromising the overall standard of driving required to pass the test. The DVSA is working with the training industry to develop the necessary robust accreditation, assessment and audit processes.

One of the changes announced is to enable new drivers to take a category C+E test without having to take a category C test first. Existing category C licence holders will still need to pass their C+E practical test to demonstrate their competency to drive these larger vehicles.

The DVSA does not hold information on the number of people who have booked or cancelled a trailer training course as individuals book these courses directly with the training provider. The DVSA stopped conducting B+E tests from 20 September.

We have made provision in the regulations for post implementation review of the change in the rules, with the first review after three years. We will gather data during that period and monitor the impact on road safety and make changes if needed in the light of that review.

Government is investing £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Our grant schemes and the £400 million Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK.

We have set ambitious targets for chargepoints on our strategic road network in England to support long distance journeys. By 2023, we aim to have at least 6 high powered, open access chargepoints (150 - 350 kilowatt capable) at all motorway service areas and by 2030, we are planning for there to be around 2,500 high powered chargepoints across England’s motorways and major A roads. However, we have not set an overall target for the number of chargepoints. Having a “target” number risks assuming technology stands still and creating a uniform approach to charging mixes and needs across the country.

Government and industry have supported the installation of almost 25,000 publicly available charging devices. This includes more than 4,500 rapid devices. To ensure the private sector can continue to expand the charging network at pace in the 2020s, the Government will invest £950 million in future proofing grid capacity along the Strategic Road Network and launching a £90 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund to support the roll out of large on-street schemes and potentially rapid charging hubs in England.

Later this year we will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy to set out the vision and action plan for charging infrastructure rollout needed to achieve the 2030/35 phase out successfully. This will set expected roles for different stakeholders and how government will intervene to address the gaps between the current market status and our vision.

The Department recognises the vitally important role NHS and other keyworkers have played in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there are currently no plans to extend or launch any new railcards at this time.

On 15 March the Government launched England’s long-term National Bus Strategy, setting out a bold vision for bus services across the country. Backed by £3 billion of transformational funding, the strategy’s central aim is to get more people travelling by bus, by making services more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, better co-ordinated and cheaper. The Williams-Shapps Rail Review was launched in May and set out a series of measures to support the government’s vision for the UK to have a world-class railway, recognising that the railways must become better at meeting passenger needs to avoid a society dependent on the car.

We recognise the need to provide better value and a more convenient option to meet the needs of flexible commuters, which is why we are introducing new rail flexible season tickets across England. These tickets will be available to purchase on 21 June and valid from 28 June, and will offer most 2 and 3 day per week commuters savings against buying daily tickets or traditional seasons. Transport for Wales Rail currently offers the Multiflex product to support flexible commuters in Wales.

The Maritime 2050 Strategy highlights the importance of new technologies to the future of the maritime sector and sets out the ambition to become a world leader in marine innovation. To support this, DfT has provided over £5m in funding to Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK), which acts as a national body to coordinate research and development in maritime innovation.

Technology development is also critical to support the UK’s wider decarbonisation agenda. The Department’s Clean Maritime Plan (CMP), published in July 2019, outlined the UK’s pathway to zero carbon emissions in the domestic maritime arena. In March, DfT launched the £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) to enable the development and commercialisation of novel solutions for clean maritime technologies. Further details of our policies will be set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which will be published this year.

My Department recently launched a £20 million Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, building on the vision set out in the Clean Maritime Plan published in 2019 and will announce further policy proposals in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan this Spring.

The UK and EU have agreed a high-level Aviation Safety Agreement, with an annex on Airworthiness. We are aware that there is interest in further annexes on topics such as licencing recognition between the UK and EU. There is potential to negotiate further annexes to the agreement in the future, and the UK will continue to engage with the EU on this matter.

HS2 will free up capacity on the existing West Coast Main Line which could be used for additional services. Current plans would see North Wales passengers benefiting from an HS2 interchange at Crewe, with shorter journey times than those currently possible on the West Coast Main Line to Holyhead.

In addition, we are progressing the development of a line speed enhancement scheme for the North Wales Coast Line, and the Prime Minister has asked Sir Peter Hendy CBE to undertake an independent review into transport connections across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. The review will make recommendations on how the UK Government can level up transport infrastructure, boosting access to opportunities and improving people’s everyday connections.

My officials or I have had a number of discussions with ferry, port and haulage operators in relation to Irish Sea traffic since 1 January, encompassing reductions in traffic at Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke compared with equivalent weeks in previous years. A significant proportion of these reductions is likely to be attributable to the expansion and take-up of direct services recently introduced and strongly promoted between the Republic of Ireland and other EU ports. It is, however, too early to identify any longer term trends or say what the longer term impacts will be. The Government is, however, confident that Welsh ports, and Holyhead in particular, will continue to provide critical routes to and from the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe, irrespective of direct links for haulage between Ireland and France. The land bridge route has significant advantages for hauliers over maritime routes and the Government is confident that Welsh ports will continue to thrive as we build on the opportunities provided by being an independent trading nation.

My officials or I have had a number of discussions with ferry, port and haulage operators in relation to Irish Sea traffic since 1 January, encompassing reductions in traffic at Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke compared with equivalent weeks in previous years. A significant proportion of these reductions is likely to be attributable to the expansion and take-up of direct services recently introduced and strongly promoted between the Republic of Ireland and other EU ports. It is, however, too early to identify any longer term trends or say what the longer term impacts will be. The Government is, however, confident that Welsh ports, and Holyhead in particular, will continue to provide critical routes to and from the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe, irrespective of direct links for haulage between Ireland and France. The land bridge route has significant advantages for hauliers over maritime routes and the Government is confident that Welsh ports will continue to thrive as we build on the opportunities provided by being an independent trading nation.

The Department set how it will evaluate rental e-scooter trials in its guidance to local areas and rental operators in September 2020. As stated in the guidance, the primary areas of focus for DfT and its monitoring and evaluation contractors include:

• safety outcomes for e-scooter users and what influences this

• interaction with, and effect on, other road users

• public perceptions of e-scooters, including by people with disabilities and related groups

• nature of modal shift and new journeys that have been enabled

• characteristics of users, and how uptake and outcomes differ for different groups

• The evidence gathered during trials, the responses to the Future of Transport regulatory review call for evidence and other research will inform legal changes that may be necessary after the trial period ends.

The Department is working with unions and industry to understand what steps can be taken to further protect jobs and livelihoods in the sector. However, no recent in-depth assessment has been made on the impact of Covid-19 on rates of pay for seafarers or maritime workers.

Local and harbour authorities already have powers to introduce measures controlling personal water craft and boat use in the waters they manage. They are best placed to consider what provisions are necessary in their local areas to ensure safety and deliver an appropriate balance between the requirements and priorities of different water users.

While the majority of personal watercraft riders use their craft sensibly and safely, we are currently considering the introduction of new enforcement measures to ensure that any who willfully or neglectfully cause accidents or endanger the safety of others can be prosecuted.

The review will identify and understand the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce and/or resulting in people leaving the workforce early. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a key focus of the review.

This review will build on the government’s existing package of support to help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.

The review will identify and understand the barriers preventing people from joining the workforce and/or resulting in people leaving the workforce early. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a key focus of the review.

This review will build on the government’s existing package of support to help disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.

The Government wants to do all it can to alleviate the pressures on those nearing the end of their lives, and on their families.

The Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill completed all Commons and Lords stages on 8^th September 2022 and is now awaiting Royal Assent.

The Bill will enable people who are thought to be in the final year of their life to get fast-tracked access to Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance (AA). It amends the definition of end of life in existing legislation, which is based on the claimant having six months or less to live, replacing it with a new twelve-month definition that aligns with the end-of-life approach taken across the NHS. Similar changes were made to the definition of end of life used in Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance in April 2022.

The Government has consistently said that the best way to support people’s living standards is through good work, better skills, and higher wages. We want people to see their income increase when they start working or earn more, so we reduce their Universal Credit award by less than they are earning.

These policies are kept under regular review with the most recent changes announced at the Autumn Budget 2021 when decisive action was taken to make work pay by cutting the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, meaning that claimants will keep more of their earnings. We also increased the Work Allowance by £500 a year, this is the amount that households with children or a household member with limited capability for work can earn before their Universal Credit award starts to be tapered, meaning many claimants will be able to earn over £550 each month before their Universal Credit begins to be reduced.

These two measures mean 1.7m households will keep on average, around an extra £1,000 a year. These changes represent an effective tax cut for low income working households in receipt of Universal Credit worth £1.9 billion a year in 2022-23. They will allow working households to keep more of what they earn and strengthen incentives to move into and progress in work.

In January 2022, the High Court declared that the Strategy was unlawful because the UK Disability Survey, which informed it, was held to be a voluntary consultation that failed to comply with the legal requirements on public consultations

We strongly disagree with the finding and the Work and Pensions Secretary of State has sought permission to appeal the High Court’s declaration. We are awaiting the Court of Appeal’s decision on whether permission to appeal is granted.

To comply with the High Court’s declaration pending the outcome of the appeal, the Government has paused the delivery, implementation and communication of some policies, activities, and actions that are contained in the Strategy. The Work and Pensions Secretary of State wishes to minimise the risk of acting inconsistently with the declaration. This means that out of over 100 policies in the strategy, we have paused 14. A full list of these policies is as follows:

• BEIS will publish proposals to ensure that every disabled person who wants to start a business has the opportunity to do so.
• BEIS and the Cabinet Office will set up an Extra Costs Taskforce, bringing together disabled people, regulators and businesses, to better understand the extra costs faced by disabled people, including how this breaks down for different impairments - by summer 2022.
• DWP will work with the Disability Confident Professional Advisers Group (PAG) and the Business Leaders Group this year to review and strengthen levels 2 and 3 of the scheme, to support employers to increase disabled people’s employment opportunities.
• DCMS will build the evidence base about the nature and scale of the inaccessibility of private sector websites, and explore how the government can effectively intervene including possible legislative options.
• MOD will explore how to increase opportunities for disabled people to serve as part of the Armed Forces reserves by the end of 2023, including guaranteeing interviews for disabled reservists who meet the minimum requirements when recruiting for those roles.
• DHSC will establish a new disability data working group in 2021 to look at health and social care datasets and address priority areas where there are gaps in the data.
• DU will publish an annual report which summarises the progress we have made in implementing the strategy.
• DU will oversee the implementation of the 5 elements featured in the strategy and report on progress.
• By summer 2022 the Disability Unit will publish, following engagement with disabled people, a set of indicators and a dashboard to track the impact of the National Disability Strategy.
• DU will review the way the UK government engages with disabled people, in discussion with disabled people, disabled people’s organisations and charities.
• The Disability Unit will invest up to £1 million in 2021 to 2022 to develop a new Centre for Assistive and Accessible Technology, reporting on progress by summer 2022.
• Cabinet Office will consult on workforce reporting on disability for large employers, exploring voluntary and mandated workplace transparency, and publish a set of next steps.
• Cabinet Office will appoint a Disability Crown Representative to help unlock the innovation and economic benefits of disability inclusion through the government’s commercial activities.
• Cabinet Office will consider how we can best support those standing for public office and those who hold public office.

I will set out further detail in a letter and I will place a copy in the House library.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer given to PQ19742.

The £650 means-tested benefit one-off Cost of Living Payments have been designed to target support for 8 million households with low incomes, on means-tested benefits. Personal Independence Payment and Carer’s Allowance are not means tested, but customers in receipt of these, and other, non-means tested who are also entitled to an eligible means-tested benefit will receive the payment. This means nearly 60% of those who are working age on Carer’s Allowance will get a Cost of Living Payment.

In addition, 6 million disabled people who receive an eligible non-means tested disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payments, will receive a one-off disability Cost of Living Payment of £150. Where people met the criteria for both types of payments, they will receive both the £650 and the £150, and carers living in the same household as the disabled person for whom they care will benefit from the disability Cost of Living Payment. The payments will be made automatically in September, bringing total support for households this year to £37 billion.

These payments are part of the government’s £15bn package of support and sits alongside the £400 per household universal support being provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme, an increased Winter Fuel Payment and the extension of the Household Support Fund, on top of the £22bn the government has already announced to support households with the cost of living.

No such assessment has been made.

A Universal Credit award is calculated on the basis of the set benefit rate against money coming in to ensure fairness of treatment for all claimants against the money that they have earned. This means as earnings increase Universal Credit is gradually reduced. This is a long-standing principle of means-tested benefits.

Bonuses are earnings and are treated in the same way as any other earnings. This is already true for tax and other purposes, regardless of whether or not an individual is claiming a benefit. All earnings, above any applicable work allowance, are subject to the 55% taper and the Universal Credit award is calculated on that basis.

Entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself. Award rates and their durations are set on an individual basis, based on the claimant’s needs and the likelihood of those needs changing. Award reviews allow for the correct rate of PIP to remain in payment, including where needs have increased as a consequence of a congenital, degenerative or progressive condition.

We announced in the Shaping Future Support: Health and Disability Green Paper that we will test a new Severe Disability Group (SDG) so that those with severe and lifelong conditions can benefit from a simplified process to access PIP, ESA and UC without needing to go through a face-to-face assessment or frequent reassessments. We will consider the test results once complete to influence thinking on the next stages of this work.

There is a wide range of disability-related financial support, including benefits, tax credits, payments, grants and concessions.

The Department recognises the extra costs disabled people can face in their everyday lives. Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Carer’s Allowance are intended to help with these extra costs. Claimants are able to use their benefit according to their own priorities. These benefits are tax-free, non-contributory and are uprated annually in line with inflation. They are paid in addition to other benefits such as Universal Credit, which someone may be entitled to claim.

The Department believes it will be crucial that new claims are made to Universal Credit because we need to ensure data is as accurate and as up-to-date as possible when claimants move to Universal Credit. This will ensure that any errors will not be migrated from the existing benefit system to Universal Credit. In addition, as Universal Credit replaces legacy six different existing benefits, the Department may not have sufficient information to determine the full Universal Credit entitlement because some of this information is not available from the existing benefit data. For example, no information on capital or other benefits received is held in respect of tax credit claims.

Universal Credit is a different regime so the Department cannot simply assume that all existing claimants will want to make a claim, some form of consent from each claimant would be required. Requiring a claim to be made will provide that and it will be important that claimants understand the new Universal Credit regime into which they are moving and the corresponding responsibilities this will bring. This is especially important for vulnerable groups.”

On the first question, I refer the Hon member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2022 to Question Number 142004.

On the second question, I refer the Hon member to the answer I gave on 10 February 2022 to question number 120937.

Citizens Advice is funded by various Government departments, public bodies, private companies, local authorities as well as charitable trusts. Details regarding their sources of funding can be found on their website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/our-work/annual-reports/.

We expect this would cost around £6bn per year. The cost of funding one year of the uplift is the equivalent of adding 1p on the basic rate of income tax in addition to a 3p increase in fuel duty.

No such assessment has been made. The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic.

There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced with the success of the vaccine rollout. Now the economy is reopening and as we continue to progress with our recovery our focus is on helping people back into work.

Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for UC claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; we have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job; and introduced Restart which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to UC claimants who are unemployed for a year. Our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.

It is vital that the voices of disabled people are at the centre of health and disability policy development. Over the past 18 months I have personally led a series of events in which I have heard directly from disabled people about their lived experiences with the benefits system. The forthcoming Health and Disability Green Paper will reflect themes coming out of those conversations and ask for views on how best to address them.

Given the necessary focus on the departmental response to Covid-19, we are working to a longer timescale than previously anticipated. We will continue the engagement with disabled people and their representatives and plan to publish the formal consultation document in the coming months.

The Department is committed to delivering an improved benefit system for claimants that are nearing the end of their lives and is working across Government to bring forward proposals following the evaluation. The Department remains committed to implementing the key areas identified in the evaluation and will announce the outcome in due course.

On 18 March 2003 the UK government formally recognised that British Sign Language (BSL) is a language in its own right. Provision for accessing services by users of BSL are covered by the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Existing equality legislation already means employers, service providers and public bodies have to provide services in BSL and other formats when it is reasonable to do so. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, when carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the needs of a range of protected characteristics, including disability.

The Department is committed to delivering an improved benefit system for claimants that are nearing the end of their lives and is working across Government to bring forward proposals following the evaluation. I remain committed to implementing the key areas identified in the evaluation; a consensus to change the six-month rule; improving ​consistency with other services used by people nearing the end of their lives; and raising awareness of the support that is available.

The Department is committed to delivering an improved benefit system for claimants that are nearing the end of their lives and is working across Government to bring forward proposals following the evaluation. I remain committed to implementing the key areas identified in the evaluation; a consensus to change the six-month rule; improving ​consistency with other services used by people nearing the end of their lives; and raising awareness of the support that is available.

The Department will respond to the written request from Canada for a reciprocal social security agreement in due course.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 09 February to question number 149299.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) places duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report certain workplace injuries, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).

The timescales for submitting reports under RIDDOR are contained within Schedule 1 to the regulation. In respect of injuries, fatalities and dangerous occurrences the responsible person must notify the relevant enforcing authority of the reportable incident by the quickest practicable means without delay; and send a report of that incident in an approved manner to the relevant enforcing authority (the Health and Safety Executive) within 10 days of the incident occurring.

Should there be either a failure or significant delay in a report being made by the responsible person, then the Enforcing Authority would include this factor as a line of enquiry in any subsequent investigation.

Failure to report under RIDDOR is a criminal offence and the responsible person can be sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court with a fine up to £20,000, or in the Crown Court with an unlimited fine.

This Government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially. We have taken steps to strengthen that safety net so that people are supported to do the right thing where they are required to self-isolate. We have extended eligibility for SSP, and made it payable from day 1 – rather than day 4 – for employees who are sick or need to self-isolate because of covid-19. Employers can choose to pay more than SSP and many do.

SSP is just one part of our welfare safety net and our wider government offer to support people in times of need. Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on individual circumstances. Working people on low incomes who are required to remain at home by NHS Test and Trace to help stop the spread of the virus and cannot work from home could be eligible for a £500 payment to financially support them while self-isolating.

Background

• SSP is paid entirely by the employer at £95.85 per week for up to 28 weeks.
• Approximately 60% of employees receive more than the statutory minimum from their employer.
• If an individual claims Universal Credit while receiving SSP their SSP will be taken into account when calculating their Universal Credit.
• We have strengthened our wider safety net by temporarily increasing the standard allowance of Universal Credit by the equivalent of £20 per week, meaning that claimants will be up to £1,040 better off for the 20/21 tax year.

We are focused on transforming the PIP claimant journey overall to provide a more streamlined and user-friendly approach. We are committed to providing a digital channel - “PIP Apply” - to widen claimants’ choices on how to make a new claim for PIP. Using the digital channel is optional and we will ensure we provide effective alternatives for those who are unable or prefer not to use our online services. We are aiming to provide this service by the end of the year.

Face-to-face assessments for health and disability related benefits continue to be suspended since 17 March. This temporary suspension was brought in to protect vulnerable people (and assessment centre staff) from unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19. We are regularly reviewing this position in line with public health advice, and will also review our estates requirements as part of this work.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment providers are responsible for supplying their own estate. Whilst the use of the Storiel venue has been a temporary arrangement, Capita has confirmed that it is suitable for use as it meets all contractual requirements in terms of size, location and access. The department is exploring options for securing a long term lease with a view to this becoming a more permanent fixture in the future.

Analysts at the department have reviewed the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on excess deaths every week since the start of the pandemic. There are a range of different organisations producing different estimates of excess deaths based on different methodologies. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within the department analyses the same source data as ONS to produce and publish its own estimates. Using an alternative methodology to the ONS estimates, OHID analysis provides further breakdowns of excess deaths, including by age group, ethnic group, level of deprivation and cause of death.

Analysts at ONS and OHID meet regularly to discuss the analysis produced by both organisations, including the methods used and any issues which may affect the quality or accuracy of the mortality data.

The Government has decided not to procure Evusheld for prevention through emergency routes at this time. This is a decision based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group, which considered a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies. It concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend deployment at this time.  The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and agrees that it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation.

The Department wrote to patient groups on 5 September 2022 with information on this decision and evidence considered. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

The national ‘Help us help you’ Cervical Screening Saves Lives campaign ran in February and March 2022 to urge individuals not to ignore a cervical screening invitation and to contact their general practitioner (GP) where an invitation has been missed. In some Primary Care Networks, appointments can be made in any primary care setting in addition to the patient’s GP practice for evenings and weekends and via integrated sexual health clinics.

To support improved uptake, the effectiveness of human papillomavirus self-sampling is being evaluated. This initiative could address some barriers which prevent people from attending for screening, such as physical disability or trauma.

The information requested is not held centrally, as this is a devolved matter.

We have had no specific discussions with the Welsh Government on this issue, as this is a devolved matter.

The white paper ‘People at the Heart of Care’ sets out how we will invest up to £25 million in the services provided to unpaid carers, which could include respite, breaks, peer group and wellbeing support. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any carer who appears to have a need for support. If a carer is assessed as having eligible needs, the local authority has a legal duty to meet these needs on request from the carer.

Since February 2021, free personal protective equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 needs has been provided to unpaid carers who do not live with the person they care for. This is available for unpaid carers until March 2023. The Carer’s Allowance and income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit, can also provide financial support to carers on low incomes. Legislation to introduce one week of unpaid leave for unpaid carers in work will be brought forward when Parliamentary time allows. In addition, all employees with 26 weeks continuous service have the statutory right to request flexible working which can assist unpaid carers to balance caring and work.

Officials have met Alzheimer’s Research UK to discuss this proposal and considered routes for accelerating access to such medicines for patients with NHS England and NHS Improvement, including the experiences of the Vaccines Taskforce.

We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, including on diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research. The strategy will include ambitions for research to develop new disease-modifying treatments. We will continue to engage with stakeholders, including Alzheimer’s Research UK, throughout the development of the strategy.

NHS England and NHS Improvement have commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network to investigate the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates in specific areas in England. This will include a focus on social and economic deprivation; rurality; demographic characteristics including age, ethnicity and educational attainment; and general health and life expectancy.

In 2021, factsheets were published to encourage local conversations to understand patterns and potential reasons for any trends in dementia diagnosis rates and identifying specific areas for support. In 2021/22, we also provided £17 million to clinical commissioning groups to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and those who have a diagnosis but are unable to access support services due to the pandemic. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.

We have committed to expand the provision of all-age mental health liaison services in all acute hospitals in accident and emergency (A&E) departments and inpatient wards. We are also establishing acute frailty services in all hospitals with a major A&E department to ensure that dementia patients can be assessed, treated and supported by skilled multidisciplinary teams.

The Department has asked the UK Clinical Research Collaboration to convene a subgroup on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) with a range of stakeholders, including research funders, to ensure high quality applications for research into ME/CFS and support the research community to build capacity and capability.

On 12 May 2022, we announced the intention to develop a cross-Government Delivery Plan for ME/CFS in England. The delivery plan will build on the recommendations of the ME/CFS Priority Setting Partnership and the recently updated guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to ensure that people living with ME/CFS have the appropriate support.

NHS England and NHS Improvement are establishing a task and finish group to produce guidance on the provision of high-quality services for people living with long term pain by September 2022. The guidance is aimed at integrated care systems to provide core principles which can be used to inform the development of local models of care to support people living with chronic pain.

The Department funds research into rare genetic conditions, such as Usher Syndrome, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Funding is not usually ring-fenced for specific topics, with applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition and awards made based on the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. The UK Rare Diseases Framework aims to meet the needs of patients with rare diseases, including Usher Syndrome. Each United Kingdom nation has committed to publish an action plan by the end of 2022, outlining how the Framework will be implemented. England and Northern Ireland have recently published action plans, with those from Scotland and Wales to follow later this year.

Data from Cancer Alliances in March 2021 showed that approximately 83% of all cancer multi-disciplinary teams had implemented Personalised Care and Support Planning based on Holistic Needs Assessments. This will ensure that all cancer patients, including those with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, are empowered to self-manage their care where appropriate and providing a route back into the system if they notice any worrying changes or need to seek help.

The National Health Service is supporting adults experiencing cancer with access to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) mental health services. IAPT services provide evidence-based psychological therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression. IAPT Long Term Condition pathways have been identified as a priority to support integration of mental health and physical health services for people with co-morbid long-term conditions, such as cancer.

The Government accepted the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s advice to offer a further booster dose to those aged 75 years old and over, residents in care homes for older adults and the immunosuppressed. The UK Health Security Agency’s data shows that as of 10 April 2022, more than 1.3 million people aged 75 years old and over and more than 35,000 immunosuppressed people in England have received at least three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination appointments are available via NHS.UK or 119. Hundreds of walk-in centres are also available to those eligible without an appointment. In addition, local National Health Service teams are also offering vaccinations in care homes.

No estimate has been made and there are no plans to ask the National Health Service to recognise this as a syndrome. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare is the body responsible for providing clinical guidance on contraception, including female sterilisation. As set out in the Faculty’s clinical guidelines, there is no evidence that tubal ligation results in significant changes to hormone levels, nor is there evidence that it directly causes changes to menstrual symptoms or increased risk of subsequent hysterectomy. As such, post tubal ligation syndrome is not currently recognised by professional bodies in their clinical guidance. Any woman experiencing complications following surgery should seek advice from their general practitioner.

The United Kingdom will not send Observers to the First Conference of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Government has been clear it will not sign the TPNW. We do not believe this Treaty will bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons. The Government believes that the best way to achieve our collective goal of a world without nuclear weapons is through gradual multilateral disarmament negotiated using a step-by-step approach, under the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The UK has responded to requests by the Greek Government to provide specific humanitarian goods for the migrants affected by the Moria fires. UK support will help nearly 2,000 vulnerable families prepare, cook and serve food, and solar lanterns will help people to stay safe. We will work with our partners to ensure these supplies are fairly distributed and reach those most in need.

The UK has been clear that those responsible for serious human rights violations should be held to account. We will continue to shine a spotlight on gross human rights violations committed by the Myanmar Military across the country. This includes horrific violence against children. The UK has been at the forefront of international demands for accountability. We have used our role on the UN Security Council to increase international attention on the Rohingya crisis and continue to lead calls for accountability. On 23 June, I spoke to the Myanmar Minister for International Cooperation. I encouraged Myanmar to continue to engage with the International Court of Justice process in a transparent way. The UK has worked with partners to try and implement the Fact Finding Mission recommendations, including establishing the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism on Myanmar to collect and preserve evidence of atrocities. On 6 July, the UK's Global Human Rights sanction regime (GHR) listed the Myanmar military's Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, for overseeing the systematic and brutal violence against the Rohingya and other minorities, as set out in the Independent Fact Finding Mission Report. This is in addition to the sanctions which the UK secured through the EU, against 14 members of the Myanmar military responsible for serious human rights violations.

The UK is committed to protecting the most vulnerable populations around the globe including the Rohingya, and especially children. We work with humanitarian partners such as UNICEF in the Rohingya response to deliver robust child protection systems. UK aid is helping run community-based child protection and child-friendly centres in the Rohingya camps and supporting 3,000 children living with foster families, including victims of trafficking, to receive cash assistance, case management and psycho-social support. Improving access to and quality of education also remains a priority, including the roll out and expansion of the Myanmar curriculum.