Written questions by Rosindell.

What steps she has taken to work with the relevant authorities to ensure food hygiene standards are (a) maintained and (b) improved in cafeterias in state education facilities.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the government body with policy responsibility for food safety. All supply of food is required by law to be safe. School cafeterias that provide food on a regular basis are registered food businesses and inspected periodically by the local authority environmental health service to ensure hygiene procedures are compliant with the food hygiene regulations. Departmental officials engage with the FSA on a range of topics.

Whether he has taken steps to create a sovereign hypersonic missile capability.

Building on previous research and development, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has established a Programme Team - Team Hypersonics (UK) - to cohere MOD, industry and academia around the development of a sovereign hypersonic offensive strike capability. Team Hypersonics (UK) has established the Hypersonic Technologies and Capability Development Framework (HTCDF). This bespoke £1 billion Commercial Agile Route to Market is the mechanism to facilitate a spiralled approach to technology development through to a sovereign capability. Over 120 suppliers including defence primes, small and medium enterprises (SME) and academic institutions are now signed up. Hypersonics is included in UK contribution to AUKUS Pillar 2, collaborating trilaterally to increase the pace of innovation alongside our allies as part of the Hypersonic Flight Test and Experiment Project Arrangement (HyFLiTE). With these enablers in place, the testing of critical sovereign-designed and manufactured missile sub-system technologies continues, including a novel hypersonic propulsion system. Several contracts have been awarded and several invitations to tender have been released to develop a range of technologies. These contracts and future ITTs will allow the development of technical demonstrators and onwards into a capability.

Food, and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to prevent heat-related deaths of household pets in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (the Act), owners and keepers must protect their animals from harm and provide for their welfare needs in line with best practice. The Act is supported by Codes of Practice for Dogs and Cats. The Codes include guidance on providing a suitable environment for the animal, including information on protecting the animal from extreme temperatures and weather conditions. Local authorities and the police have powers to enforce the Act and can intervene where an animal is suspected to be suffering.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of pub closures; and what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of closures.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities, providing accessible jobs and supporting economic growth across the UK.The Government is creating a fairer business rate system and reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper later this year.We are working with the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges facing the sector. We are also working with Pub Is The Hub to help rural pubs adapt to the changing needs of their communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of extended producer responsibility charges on the viability of brewers participation in the glass bottle market.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector. The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing sector, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). Feedback from stakeholders was factored into finalising the regulations, including formally consulting stakeholders on a draft of the pEPR regulations in 2023.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of regulating the (a) crypto and (b) digital asset sector on the economy.

HM Treasury is proceeding with plans to deliver a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets as soon as practicable this year. This will support UK growth by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and drive innovation in our financial services sector. In developing the regime, the Government has sought to strike the right balance between attracting business to the UK while facilitating the UK’s access to global markets. HM Treasury will publish full impact assessments alongside its final legislation.

What steps her Department is taking to help attract attract inward investment into the (a) cryptocurrency and (b) digital assets sector.

HM Treasury is proceeding with plans to deliver a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets as soon as practicable this year. This will support UK growth by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and drive innovation in our financial services sector. In developing the regime, the Government has sought to strike the right balance between attracting business to the UK while facilitating the UK’s access to global markets. HM Treasury will publish full impact assessments alongside its final legislation.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that the UK is competitive with overseas jurisdictions in relation to (a) crypto and (b) digital asset regulation.

HM Treasury is proceeding with plans to deliver a new financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets as soon as practicable this year. This will support UK growth by giving cryptoasset firms the regulatory certainty needed to invest here, and drive innovation in our financial services sector. In developing the regime, the Government has sought to strike the right balance between attracting business to the UK while facilitating the UK’s access to global markets. HM Treasury will publish full impact assessments alongside its final legislation.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that regulation of the (a) crypto and (b) digital asset sector helps to (i) protect consumers and (ii) foster innovation in the sector.

On 29 April, HM Treasury published draft legislation for the future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets. The Government intends to bring forward final legislation before the end of the year.The Government’s approach seeks to strike the right balance between protecting consumers and giving firms regulatory certainty, while ensuring the sector has the space and flexibility to innovate.

How many (a) crypto and (b) digital asset firms have been granted licences to operate by the Financial Conduct Authority; and how many and what proportion of applications were rejected in the last three years.

The Government launched an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime for cryptoassets in January 2020. This means UK cryptoasset exchange providers and custodian wallet providers are now in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations (MLRs) and must register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Applications for registration are considered on a case-by-case basis. The length of time taken is a matter for the FCA and depends on the individual circumstances of the firm. To date, 51 cryptoasset firms have been registered with the FCA under the MLRs and there are 48 firms with current registration.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance to banks on providing access to bank accounts for crypto and digital asset businesses in the UK.

The Government recognises that access to banking services is critical for operating a business, and is a matter of concern for certain sectors in particular such as the digital asset industry.The Government continues to engage with the banking sector and affected industries to better understand the existing and emerging issues in this area.The Government also welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) work to date on the factors leading banks to reject or close bank accounts. Where the FCA has found areas where firms need to improve customer outcomes, the Government expects firms to consider the FCA’s findings and act accordingly.With regard to account closures, the Government expects businesses to be treated fairly, and has brought forward legislation to enhance relevant protections in cases where consumers and businesses have their bank account terminated by their provider.

What steps she is taking to ensure continual engagement with the crypto and digital asset industry.

HM Treasury engages regularly with a range of stakeholders in the crypto and digital asset sectors, and the progress Government has made on developing a financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets has been made possible by this constructive, ongoing engagement with industry.

Whether she plans to bring forward regulations to ensure that crypto and digital asset businesses can open a UK bank account.

The Government recognises that access to banking services is critical for operating a business, and is a matter of concern for certain sectors in particular such as the digital asset industry.The Government continues to engage with the banking sector and affected industries to better understand the existing and emerging issues in this area.The Government also welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) work to date on the factors leading banks to reject or close bank accounts. Where the FCA has found areas where firms need to improve customer outcomes, the Government expects firms to consider the FCA’s findings and act accordingly.With regard to account closures, the Government expects businesses to be treated fairly, and has brought forward legislation to enhance relevant protections in cases where consumers and businesses have their bank account terminated by their provider.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on (a) crypto and (b) digital asset regulation of policies on those matters in overseas jurisdictions.

On 29 April, HM Treasury published draft legislation for the future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets. The Government intends to bring forward final legislation before the end of the year.In developing the regime, the Government has sought to strike the right balance between attracting business to the UK while facilitating the UK’s access to global markets (and vice versa).The UK – through representation from HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – has played an active role in the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) workstreams on cryptoassets and will continue to engage with the FSB’s future cryptoasset workstreams.The Government remains committed to working closely with international partners, and through global fora, on our response to developments in the cryptoasset sector as they emerge.

Whether she is taking steps to help ensure that (a) UK crypto and digital asset businesses and (b) businesses and sectors associated with the digital asset industry are able to open UK bank accounts.

The Government recognises that access to banking services is critical for operating a business, and is a matter of concern for certain sectors in particular such as the digital asset industry.The Government continues to engage with the banking sector and affected industries to better understand the existing and emerging issues in this area.The Government also welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) work to date on the factors leading banks to reject or close bank accounts. Where the FCA has found areas where firms need to improve customer outcomes, the Government expects firms to consider the FCA’s findings and act accordingly.With regard to account closures, the Government expects businesses to be treated fairly, and has brought forward legislation to enhance relevant protections in cases where consumers and businesses have their bank account terminated by their provider.

What recent steps the Financial Conduct Authority has taken to register (a) crypto and (b) digital asset businesses.

The Government launched an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime for cryptoassets in January 2020. This means UK cryptoasset exchange providers and custodian wallet providers are now in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations (MLRs) and must register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Applications for registration are considered on a case-by-case basis. The length of time taken is a matter for the FCA and depends on the individual circumstances of the firm. To date, 51 cryptoasset firms have been registered with the FCA under the MLRs and there are 48 firms with current registration.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that applications to the Financial Conduct Authority for licences to operate in the UK by (a) crypto and (b) digital asset businesses are processed in a timely manner.

The Government launched an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regime for cryptoassets in January 2020. This means UK cryptoasset exchange providers and custodian wallet providers are now in scope of the UK’s Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Regulations (MLRs) and must register with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).Applications for registration are considered on a case-by-case basis. The length of time taken is a matter for the FCA and depends on the individual circumstances of the firm. To date, 51 cryptoasset firms have been registered with the FCA under the MLRs and there are 48 firms with current registration.

Whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on (a) crypto and (b) digital assets.

On 29 April, HM Treasury published draft legislation for the future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets. The Government intends to bring forward final legislation before the end of the year.The Government’s approach seeks to strike the right balance between protecting consumers and giving firms regulatory certainty, while ensuring the sector has the space and flexibility to innovate.

What discussions she has had with overseas regulators on the development of global standards for crypto and digital assets.

On 29 April, HM Treasury published draft legislation for the future financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets. The Government intends to bring forward final legislation before the end of the year.In developing the regime, the Government has sought to strike the right balance between attracting business to the UK while facilitating the UK’s access to global markets (and vice versa).The UK – through representation from HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – has played an active role in the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) workstreams on cryptoassets and will continue to engage with the FSB’s future cryptoasset workstreams.The Government remains committed to working closely with international partners, and through global fora, on our response to developments in the cryptoasset sector as they emerge.

What recent discussions he has had with the UK crypto and digital asset industry.

Details of any meetings and engagements with the UK crypto and digital asset industry can be found in the Department’s quarterly transparency returns on Gov.uk.