Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the total (a) energy and (b) water demands of all proposed AI data centres.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department’s published Energy and Emissions Projections include growth in power demand from computing services like data centres. To ensure a comprehensive view, the methodology projects at a broader sector level, not disaggregating specific estimates for data centres.
Water use comes under the remit of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Its Water Delivery Taskforce is building an evidence base of data centre water use across England. The Government encourages data centre developers to consider use of non-potable water, embed water efficiency or reuse in design, and contact their proposed water and wastewater supplier early in the planning process.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to publish an answer to Question 118227, tabled on 5 March 2026, on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
An answer to Question 118227 was published on 16 April 2026.
Asked by: Sarah Russell (Labour - Congleton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of domestic abuse services in semi-rural areas.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Every victim of violence against women and girls (VAWG), whether in a city or a rural village, should be able to access the help they need. In the 'Freedom from Violence and Abuse’ Strategy, we committed to developing a new cross-government statement on the commissioning of VAWG services. This statement aims to strengthen the quality of commissioning from local commissioners, and it will support local areas to tailor their provision to their local communities, including rural victims.
Last year (2025/26), the Home Office invested over £6m into specialist helplines to support victims of VAWG and we are expanding our investment into the VAWG helplines this financial year. The helplines are accessible across England and Wales and provide advice and support to victims and assist in signposting and referrals to appropriate local services.
Last year, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) commenced a call for evidence across a network of rural stakeholders to inform our understanding of the availability of support services and effective practice to provide support in rural areas. This research will help to confront the disparities in the provision and inform our future work to address the disparities of provision.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 101774 on DEFRA: Secondment, on what date is the secondment of the Second Permanent Secretary due to end.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The secondment agreement end date is 19 July 2026.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Civil servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
In 2024 and 2025, a total of nine civil servants were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers on the level of protests outside their members' premises.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy, and people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law. The Public Order Act 1986 grants the police powers to manage protests by imposing conditions on public processions and assemblies to prevent serious disorder, disruption, or intimidation, while balancing the right to peaceful protest. It is for local police forces to determine whether to impose conditions.
The Home Office engages with policing partners and relevant stakeholders, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on issues relating to public order and protest activity. The policing of protests, including any activity outside commercial premises, is an operational decision for the police who must balance the right to peaceful protest with the rights and safety of others.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reasons why the Consumer Council for Water's (CCW's) annual report and accounts for 2023–24 and 2024–25 have not yet been published; and whether any issues regarding CCW's governance, internal control, regularity, propriety, remuneration, expenses or audit have been raised by the National Audit Office, the council's board or officials in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The delay on CCW’s annual report and accounts for 2023-24 and 2024-25 is due to an issue requiring clarification regarding charging. CCW are cooperating with the National Audit Office and are working closely to ensure a sign-off on the accounts is completed as soon as possible. CCW has stated they have not gone over budget. Defra regularly carries out performance reviews with CCW, as required by the CCW Framework Document, to ensure CCW is delivering on its objectives and providing value for money, including on complaints handling. Putting customers first is a key pillar of the Government's White Paper and Defra will continue working with CCW to deliver strengthened consumer advocacy.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times, since 5 July 2024, the Government has attended meetings of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group has met 4 times since 5 July 2024. The Group is chaired by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and so the Department has been present at each of the last 4 meetings.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with local authorities, including Somerset Council, on strengthening sentencing to tackle fly tipping in rural areas such as Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Waste crime blights communities, harms the environment, and undermines legitimate businesses.
The Government is clear, penalties for waste crime must match the harm it causes. As part of the Waste Crime Action Plan, published on 20 March, the Ministry of Justice has committed to work closely with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to explore what more can be done to further ensure that those who commit these types of offences are appropriately punished. This would aim to reinforce the effectiveness of current systems and strengthen our overall approach to tackling illegal behaviour.
Sentencing decisions in individual cases are a matter for the independent judiciary and it would therefore not be right for the Ministry of Justice to engage with individual local authorities on sentencing decisions in specific local areas. Parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders, and the courts take into account any aggravating and mitigating factors in line with any relevant sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council.
In 2014, the Council issued guidelines on environmental offences for individuals and organisations which capture offences involving the unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste as well as illegal discharges to air, land and water. The guidelines are designed to increase consistency and transparency in sentencing for these offences. In 2016, it published an assessment of the impact of the guideline on sentencing trends.
The Council keeps its guidelines under regular review. In 2024, following consultation and after carefully considering representations from those concerned with prosecuting fly-tipping offences, the Council updated the guideline for individuals to provide for greater use of community orders (over fines) in recognition of the seriousness of this offending. Further information is available on the Council’s website: https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/crown-court/.