Asked by: Baroness Griffin of Princethorpe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to support elected mayors and devolved authorities in tackling climate change in the light of COP 30.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government’s English Devolution White Paper (attached) sets out Environment and Climate Change as a core area of competence for Strategic Authorities. It commits to strengthening their role in leading Local Nature Recovery Strategies and supporting wider environmental delivery. The White Paper also highlights opportunities for Strategic Authorities to influence energy system planning, act as heat network zoning coordinators, and embed climate adaptation principles in local services.
Alongside this, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill introduces a ‘Right to Request’, enabling Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities to seek additional devolution, including in relation to climate and environmental responsibilities. Departments across government will work with Strategic Authorities to ensure they have the tools they need to tackle climate change.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86469 Ministry of Justice: Social Media, if he will publish a breakdown of all non-commercially sensitive information on (a) influencers paid and (b) amount paid to each influencer in the last five financial years.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Given the nature of working with influencers, there are sensitivities surrounding all aspects of this expenditure. Sharing any information could compromise commercial interests, as the Department has engaged with only 10 influencers where it has enhanced our communications. All influencer activity is subject to strict Cabinet Office spending controls to ensure that we achieve an appropriate balance between effectiveness and value for money for taxpayers.
The Ministry of Justice uses social media influencers to help deliver its communications and operational priorities. This includes activity to support recruitment campaigns for prison officers, probation officers and magistrates, ensuring that frontline services are effectively staffed to maintain public safety and deliver swift access to justice. Our digital comms team are also increasingly collaborating with content creators/influencers to help reach new audiences with justice content on a no-cost basis.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent offences against protected species.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government takes crimes against wildlife seriously and there is a range of legislation in place to protect it. Most notably, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales.
Under this Act, as well as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and species-specific legislation such as the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, there are a range of offences around deliberate attempts to kill, injure or inflict harm on protected species of wildlife.
Additionally, Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £424,000 for NWCU in the financial year 2025-26.
Furthermore, the UK Wildlife Trade Regulations (WTRs) implement the UK’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure trade in protected species is legal and sustainable. Breaches can lead to prosecution with penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment or unlimited fines, providing a strong deterrent against wildlife crime.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of opening paths on disused railway lines to increase public access to nature.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The management and maintenance of public rights of way (RoW), including keeping them free from obstructions, are the responsibility of local highway authorities. These authorities are best placed to understand local priorities and allocate funding for rights of way activities accordingly.
Local authorities are required to maintain a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP), which sets out how they intend to improve the rights of way network in their area for all users. These plans include assessments of the condition of the network and are typically available on the authority’s website.
Where disused railway lines exist within a local authority’s catchment area, it is for the authority to consider whether these can be integrated into the existing rights of way network. Decisions regarding such integration rest with the local highway authority, not central Government.
Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs on the potential impact of removing the quarry exemption and lower rate of Landfill Tax on (a) the cost of nature restoration projects at former quarry sites and (b) levels of biodiversity.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recently consulted on proposals to reform Landfill
Tax following a call for evidence in 2021 under the previous government, to ensure the regime remains effective in encouraging waste to be diverted away from landfill and to support the government’s circular economy objectives. The consultation closed on 28 July and the government is considering responses and will set out next steps in due course.
As part of the consultation, the Government has received a wide range of views from stakeholders, including representatives from the mineral products and aggregates sector.
Asked by: Baroness Coffey (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the letter from the Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection to the Deputy Prime Minister on 2 May concerning the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which stated that “In our considered view, the bill would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law”, on what basis they made a statement under section 20(3) rather than subsection (4) of the Environment Act 2021.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill concerning development and nature recovery will not reduce overall levels of environmental protection.
Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can only be put in place where the Secretary of State is satisfied the delivery of conservation measures are likely to outweigh the negative effects of development.
EDPs and the conservation measures they propose must be evidence-based and properly scrutinised before being put in place. EDPs may include back-up measures that can be deployed if monitoring shows the environmental outcomes are not being achieved.
Natural England will be empowered and given the tools to deliver the conservation measures needed to secure the aims of the EDP.
The government is confident that this more strategic approach to the assessment of negative effects, and delivery of conservation measures, strikes the right balance and will result in better environmental outcomes that go further than simply offsetting harm as required under current legislation.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the continued suspension of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farmers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are currently record numbers of farmers taking part in farming schemes, including the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). As of April 2025, they supported 885,000 hectares of arable land being farmed without insecticides; 330,000 hectares of low input grassland managed sustainably; and 85,000 kilometres of hedgerows protected and restored.
We have allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. Overall farmers and land managers will benefit from an average of £2.3bn a year through the Farming and Countryside Programme. And up to £400m from additional nature schemes.
Defra is working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future SFI offer that will better target SFI in an orderly way towards our priorities for food, farming and nature. Further information about the reformed SFI will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Andy MacNae (Labour - Rossendale and Darwen)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to make it easier to create more routes (a) to and (b) through green spaces.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of access to nature for health and wellbeing and is committed to making it easier for people to reach and enjoy green spaces.
We are delivering on our manifesto commitments by creating nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, while also working with partners to develop further policies that improve access.
Key initiatives already underway include the King Charles III England Coast Path, which has over 2,600 miles approved, 1,855 miles already open, and is creating 250,000 hectares of new open access land. Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route has now been designated as a National Trail across northern England. The £33 million Access for All programme is actively improving inclusivity across trails, landscapes, forests, and the wider countryside. Additionally, the repeal of the cut-off date for registering historic rights of way is helping to protect hundreds of miles of paths for future generations.
Together, these actions are helping to create and retain routes to and through green spaces across the country.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to create new river trails for multi-use access.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the importance of supporting access to nature, including along our rivers. We are actively engaging with stakeholders to identify suitable locations for the nine new national river walks. Wherever possible, we aim to incorporate multi-user access to ensure inclusivity.
Asked by: Callum Anderson (Labour - Buckingham and Bletchley)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to (a) monitor and (b) report progress on establishing new national forests.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All grants funded by the Nature for Climate fund are subject to the appropriate scrutiny as outlined in Defra’s Integrated Assurance and Approvals Strategy including checks on feasibility and value for money.