Written questions by Shelbrooke.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the misclassification of waste into the wrong landfill tax band by the operators of licensed sites on the level of unpaid landfill tax.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. These statistics are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The latest estimate for England and Northern Ireland of the Landfill Tax gap is 14.5% of the theoretical Landfill Tax liabilities, or £100 million, in the 2022 to 2023 tax year. The illustrative estimates of the monetary components of the 2022-23 Landfill Tax gap are £75 million at unauthorised sites and £90 million of misclassified plus £35 million underdeclared waste at authorised sites less £100 million compliance yield (tax gap estimates are calculated net of compliance yield).

If he will amend schedule 14 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 to allow the hospitality sector to advertise on rural roads.

The Department has no plans to make changes to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions to allow for the hospitality sector to advertise on rural roads.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of incinerators to public health.

In England, waste incinerators cannot operate unless issued with an environmental permit by the Environment Agency (EA). The EA assesses the emissions from new incinerators as part of its permitting process and consults the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on every application received. The UKHSA’s position is that modern, well-run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local and national concentrations of air pollutants.

When she plans to publish a Remediable Service Statement for the Police Pension Scheme.

Remediable Service Statements are produced for each scheme member by the relevant scheme administrator.While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces.It is for each chief constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable. This includes the timetabling of when scheme members’ Remediable Service Statements will be distributed.

If his Department will take steps to accelerate the (a) clearance and (b) restoration of legacy nuclear sites.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) mission is to clean up the UK's legacy nuclear sites safely, securely, and cost effectively and release them for beneficial reuse. Due to the nature and scale of the mission, delivery remains subject to significant challenges and complexities. The NDA works with stakeholders including government, regulators, and local communities to ensure that the decommissioning of their sites is safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable, and enables their beneficial reuse as early as possible. An example of where reuse has already happened is the former Berkeley Technology Centre by South Gloucestershire Council.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help tackle (a) illegal landfill sites and (b) waste crime.

The Environment Agency (EA) has a range of powers to tackle waste crime and take enforcement action. These powers, coupled with those of their partners ensure that it can confront criminals. Over the last 3 years the EA has stopped more than 1500 illegal waste sites and is now implementing powers from the Environment Act 2021 to increase funding available for enforcement work against waste crime. This Government is committed to tackling waste crime. We are considering how to continue to increase the pressure on illegal waste operators.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release of 26 September 2024 entitled Immediate measures to step up safeguards against African swine fever from Europe, what additional resource has been allocated to (a) Border Force and (b) Port Health Authorities to help implement those measures.

Defra continues to monitor and review the impact of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), including the Border Control Post at Sevington. We are working closely with industry, trade partners and enforcement agencies to minimise disruption and costs to trade, while continuing to protect our biosecurity. The effectiveness of the import controls has been demonstrated throughout September and October by the interception at Sevington of 34 consignments of plants infested with Pochazia Shantungensis, a fruit tree pest native to China but now present in mainland Europe. The consignments were destroyed, preventing the potential for a damaging outbreak for UK fruit growers. The BTOM is designed to assure the biosecurity of commercial imports. Illegal imports of products of animal origin are dealt with through separate intelligence led checks, conducted at the border by Border Force, in Border Force facilities, with the assistance of Port Health Authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release of 26 September 2024 entitled Immediate measures to step up safeguards against African swine fever from Europe, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of banning all personal imports of (a) pork and (b) pork products including those manufactured and packaged to EU commercial standards.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to PQ 12666 on 5 December 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) likelihood of an African Swine Fever outbreak in the UK and (b) potential economic impact of such an outbreak.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Epping Forest on 28 October 2024, to Question 10798.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question 12061 on Agriculture: Land Use and with reference to the approval of the solar farm development at Honiley Road solar farm by the Minster of State, dated 23 July 2024, what the evidential basis is for the report that that solar farm has delivered 135% Biodiversity Net Increase.

The full reasons for the decision to grant the permission in question are set out in the published decision letter and Inspector’s Report. The Inspector’s Report provides a complete list of the evidence which was before the Inquiry. Having issued this decision, the Secretary of State has no further jurisdiction in the matter, and it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the new Border Target Operating Model and (b) threat of its use as a route to illegally import products of animal origin.

Defra has made additional funding of £1.9 million available to Dover District Council for the Port Health Authority, for the remainder of this financial year (2024 to 2025), to support Border Force to conduct safeguarding checks on the illegal import of products of animal origin. This is in addition to the £1.2 million already committed. This total funding of £3.1m million is based on the existing staffing costs provided by Dover Port Health Authority. This funding is only for this financial year. Defra has also contributed operational equipment to support Border Force with relevant checks.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 November 2024 to Question 12061 on Agriculture: Land Use, if he will commission research into the potential impact of solar farms on soil (a) carbon storage, (b) structure and (c) biodiversity.

Defra has no current plans to undertake research on the specific impact of solar farms on soil properties. We have undertaken an evidence review evaluating opportunities for agrivoltaic systems in England and Wales. Impacts on soil were not considered.

What steps his Department is taking to help mitigate the risk of thermal runaways in battery energy storage facilities.

Grid-scale batteries are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) within a framework which requires battery designers, installers and operators to take the necessary measures to ensure health and safety throughout all stages of the system’s construction, operation and decommissioning. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering options, including environmental permitting, to further mitigate thermal runaway risk in battery storage facilities. The Department’s officials are supporting this work.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a dedicated hydrogen pipeline across Great Britain.

The Government is assessing hydrogen pipeline transport options, including the possibility of a core network, in its strategic planning of hydrogen transport infrastructure. Hydrogen transport will be critical to the development of the hydrogen economy and to meeting our net zero ambitions and carbon budgets. The hydrogen economy will also unlock economic benefits and increase energy security and resilience. In December 2023, Government published its ambition for the first allocation round of the hydrogen transport and storage business models to support up to two storage projects at scale and associated regional pipeline infrastructure to be in operation or construction by 2030.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of hydrogen blending to (a) decrease hydrogen production costs, (b) decrease wind curtailment costs, (c) scale hydrogen production and (d) align with EU plans to blend hydrogen into gas transmission pipelines.

The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.

When he plans to publish his decision on whether to allow hydrogen blending into the gas transmission network.

The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.

How many people in the Health and Safety Executive are evaluating the safety case for blending hydrogen in the transmission network; and what the Health and Safety Executive's planned timetable is for a decision.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a strategic objective to enable industry to innovate safely to prevent major incidents, supporting the move towards Net Zero. As part of this objective HSE is working to review and understand key technologies, such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. HSE is currently reviewing the evidence on safety for the potential use of 100% hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. HSE understands that the full evidence base for blending hydrogen in the transmission network is not due to be completed until December 2024. HSE is working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure HSE's resources are appropriately deployed to support Government’s net zero priorities.

Whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Health and Safety Executive’s evaluation of the safety case for blending hydrogen in the transmission network.

The Government remains committed to examining the case for hydrogen blending and is reviewing plans. This work aims to gather evidence on the feasibility, costs and benefits of hydrogen blending that can inform decisions on its potential role.

Whether it is his target to produce 10GW of green hydrogen by 2030; and if he will take steps to publish a roadmap for meeting this target.

This Government is focussed on getting the UK’s first low carbon hydrogen production projects built, which is why in the Autumn Budget we committed £2.3bn in revenue funding for 11 green hydrogen projects from the first Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1). The second Hydrogen Allocation Round is now underway to support further green hydrogen production capacity. The Government is also supporting carbon capture and storage enabled hydrogen production and in October 2024 we announced up to £21.7bn of available funding over 25 years to launch the UK’s new CCUS industry. We will publish a Hydrogen Strategy Update to the Market this winter, including further information on recent hydrogen developments and a forward look.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of solar farms on soil (a) carbon storage, (b) structure and (c) biodiversity.

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of solar farms on soil. When considering development proposals that affect agricultural land and soils, the Government encourages developers and local planning authorities to refer to relevant Government policies and legislation that aim to protect all soils by managing them in a sustainable way. The previous Government did not commission research into this space, so it is currently unclear what impact solar panels may have on soil properties such as carbon storage, structure and biodiversity across England. However, a solar farm development near Kenilworth (Honiley Road solar farm) reports that it delivered 135% Biodiversity Net Increase.