Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) outdoor learning and (b) horticultural education on the development of (i) children and (ii) young people.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department has not undertaken a specific assessment on the potential impact of outdoor learning and horticultural education on the development of children and young people.
However, access to green space has been shown to have positive impacts on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young people. The department is currently working closely with the University of Oxford on research intended to assess the evidence of the impact of nature-based programmes delivered through schools for mental health and wellbeing in children and young people.
Schools have the freedom to teach about horticulture in the curriculum. For example, in science, pupils are taught the topics of plants and living things and their habitats, giving them the opportunity to find out about plants and the environments in which they flourish.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what resources his Department has allocated to the policy (a) development and (b) implementation of the UK’s commitments to the Global Methane Pledge.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Tackling methane emissions is a priority for the department including as part of the Global Methane Pledge's target (to collectively reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030), and under the Climate Change Act. Resource is spread across a number of domestic and international teams in accordance with the priority areas and sectors set out in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan and Global Methane Pledge.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition's press release entitled United Kingdom Elected as co-chair of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, highlighting ambitious agenda to tackle super pollutants, published 21 February, 2025, what recent discussions he has had with his Brazilian counterpart on country-level methane action plans.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and Brazil recently co-chaired the first Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Board meeting of 2025. Taking ambitious action on methane remains a key focus for the CCAC and the UK and Brazil are working closely together on this shared objective, including ahead of COP30.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has made no assessment of the implications for the Department’s policies of the report entitled Mission Green Growth: A Strategic Plan from the Environmental Horticulture Group, published in Autumn 2024.