Written questions by Rosindell.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure new build housing allows for sufficient soundproofing against external noise pollution.

The Government is continually assessing the efficacy of Building Regulations to ensure that our new homes and buildings are safe and provide healthy living environments for their occupants. Part E of the Building Regulations requires protection against sound from other parts of a building, adjoining buildings and within a dwelling-house, and prevention of unreasonable reverberation in common internal parts of buildings with residential flats or rooms. For guidance on reducing the passage of external noise into buildings the government published the National Model Design Code: Part 2 – Guidance Notes (MHCLG, 2021) and we encourage designers to note the Association of Noise Consultants’ Acoustics, Ventilation and Overheating: Residential Design Guide (2020). Installing background ventilators such as trickle vents, may increase noise pollution where façades face noisy environments. Approved Document F, volume 1 recommends that noise attenuating background ventilators are fitted in these circumstances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote tree coverage in (a) the borough of Havering and (b) England.

The Government is working towards the statutory target to reach 16.5% tree canopy and woodland cover in England by 2050. Defra is funding a significant package of grants and supporting activity across England to increase tree coverage. This includes funding a national network of fifteen Community Forests. These Forests are planting thousands of hectares of new trees and woodland in and around our towns and cities providing social, economic and environmental transformation. The Thames Chase Community Forest is one of this network with tree planting sites in Havering.

What steps she plans to take to improve transport connectivity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Whilst transport is devolved, the Department for Transport is committed to is enhancing links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The Department is providing funding for Transport Scotland’s feasibility study to explore options to bypass the villages of Springholm and Crocketford on the A75 and is supporting the Windsor Framework to streamline transport and customs processes. The Government is also supporting key aviation routes, including the Public Service Obligation between City of Derry Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure new build housing follows high build standards.

We need historic levels of housebuilding to address the housing crisis. It is vital that the homes we deliver are high-quality, well-designed places where people can work and thrive.The Building Safety Act enables the design and construction of more high quality homes and aims to ensure that all new homes meet stringent safety standards. It also requires the Building Safety Regulator to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review. Government is continually assessing the efficacy of Building Regulations to ensure that our new homes are safe and provide healthy living environments for their occupants.Building control procedures that came into force in October 2023 also provide strengthened regulatory oversight of Building Regulations before, during, and on completion of higher-risk building work. This will ensure safer, better-quality buildings, without systemic defects.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle shoplifting.

In the last year of the previous government, shop theft soared to a twenty-year high, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers. We will not stand for this.Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work and the Government is committed to tackling retail crime.We will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity, introduced by the previous Government, granted to shop theft of goods of and under £200. This will remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment.We will provide £100k additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics.We will continue to crack down on the organised gangs targeting retailers. We will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the National Policing Intelligence Unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to stop the accidental poisoning of wildlife.

Defra itself is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit which helps prevent and detect unlawful poisoning. Defra also provides funding for England’s Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme which determines the underlying cause of death of wildlife where illegal use of rodenticides is suspected. To help ensure wildlife is not accidentally poisoned, Defra would advise anyone managing rodents to consider a range of effective, alternative methods to rodenticides including elimination of harbourage, food and water. Spring traps and live capture traps are also inexpensive, reusable and widely available.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of travel arrangements between British Overseas Territories and the Caribbean constituent countries of the Netherlands.

There are a number of direct and indirect connections between the British Overseas Territories and the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Both Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands have direct flights to Sint Maarten. Anguilla and Sint Maarten are also connected via ferry. Regular flight connections between Montserrat and Sint Maarten will operate in February and March this year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what was discussed between his Department and his Chilean counterparts during the delegation to Santiago and Punta Arenas in January 2025.

Baroness Chapman, Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, visited Chile 7-9 January to meet with Chilean political and business leaders, and to strengthen bilateral and trade ties following the UK's recent accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In Santiago, Baroness Chapman met her ministerial counterpart, Gloria de la Fuente, and visited the Chilean headquarters of Anglo American to discuss the growing use of carbon-neutral technologies within the mining sector. Baroness Chapman also visited Punta Arenas to celebrate the longstanding and enduring UK-Chile relationship on Antarctica, and our strong naval partnership.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of British citizens travelling in Central America.

Through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) consular prevention work, we aim to provide information and guidance to help British nationals make informed decisions and take responsibility for themselves when they are living and travelling abroad. FCDO Travel Advice for countries in Central America is kept under regular review and provides information to help British nationals make informed decisions. The FCDO also works closely with host authorities in Central America to reduce risks, share expertise, and build capacity to improve the support British people receive.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant of the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23271 on Faroe Islands and Greenland: Politics and Government, what the Minister of State for Europe and North America discussed with his counterparts from Greenland in those meetings.

I have met with Greenlandic Foreign Minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, twice since taking office. The first time, at the Arctic Circle Assembly in October 2024, we discussed the UK's Arctic policy, security, trade and bilateral relations. The second time in London, in January 2025, we discussed the Kingdom of Denmark's chairship of the Arctic Council in 2025, Arctic policy, security, trade as well as bilateral relations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect native wildlife on South Georgia in the context of the potential risk of a collision of the iceberg A23a with the island.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close contact with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) about the movement of iceberg A23a. BAS and GSGSSI are both actively monitoring the movement of the iceberg and are working to identify a range of likely future scenarios and potential implications, including for the region's wildlife. It is currently anticipated that A23a will run aground on the continental shelf before it reaches the landmass of South Georgia, and that any impacts on wildlife are likely to be localised and transient, but we will keep this assessment under review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had any discussions with his counterparts in Colombia regarding the ongoing conflict in the Catatumbo region.

The UK continues to monitor the concerning escalation of conflict in the Catatumbo region of Colombia. At the UN Security Council meeting on the Colombian Peace Process in January, we condemned the violence between the National Liberation Army (ELN in Spanish) and General Staff of Blocks and Front (EMBF in Spanish), which has left many dead and thousands displaced. Senior Embassy officials have been in contact with government negotiators and the relevant government ministries to express our concern at the situation. The START fund is providing £150k of aid, and the UK is one of its largest donors.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with opposition figures in Venezuela since the Presidential election in that country in July 2024.

Since the elections in July, the Foreign Secretary has discussed the concerning situation in Venezuela on multiple occasions, including with international partners and members of the opposition. On 10 January, he announced that Maduro's claim to power was fraudulent and announced new sanctions designations against members of the Maduro regime. The UK will continue to engage internationally in order to achieve a peaceful solution that respects the will of the Venezuelan people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant of the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22594 on Western Sahara: Politics and Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the policies of the (a) US, (b) French and (c) Spanish governments on this matter.

Officials regularly discuss the Western Sahara with international partners, including the US, France, Spain, and the United Nations (UN), and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process. The UK believes the UN-led process is the best way to solve the long-standing dispute by delivering a solution agreeable to all parties, one which would contribute significantly to regional security and prosperity.

Pursuant of the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23276 on Energy: Investment, what steps his Department is taking to help support British companies with investments in Mexico during the period of regulatory change.

My Department is following this period of regulatory change in Mexico closely. We are utilising all tools available, through the British Embassy and through dialogue with our respective counterparts within the Mexican government, including encouraging engagement on the reforms with businesses.

What recent discussions she has had with the retail banking sector on the accessibility of high street banks.

The Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets, and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this parliament. Over 200 hubs have been announced so far, and over 100 are already open.Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office. The Post Office Banking Framework allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.The treatment of customers by UK banks is governed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which requires firms to provide a prompt, efficient, and fair service to all of their customers. This includes special considerations for vulnerable customers, such as the elderly and disabled. Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, banks must make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible to all.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, What steps he is taking to help improve (a) healthcare infrastructure and (b) provision within Montserrat.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to supporting the healthcare infrastructure and provision in Montserrat. It has continued its commitment to the building of the new hospital in Montserrat by providing up to £39.9 million through the Capital Investment Programme for Resilient Economic Growth. The new hospital will have a dedicated acute mental health room, plus two operating theatres including endoscopy and full diagnostic suite. The FCDO is also funding two ambulances for Montserrat which will arrive in the next few months and, working with the UK Health Security Agency, we are providing an epidemiologist from March.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help improve sea access infrastructure on Montserrat.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is supporting the development of the port in Montserrat by providing a grant of £28.3 million from the UK's Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF), which is delivered in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank. The project also includes £7 million funding from the EU. The new pier will supplement the existing pier that was constructed after the volcanic eruptions. Additionally, the FCDO's has funded the acquisition of new dual-view scanners and explosion detection scanners for the seaport (and airport). The new scanners are to ensure Montserrat can meet the minimum standards for border controls. It also includes training of officials and decommissioning of the old equipment.

What steps his Department is taking to help safeguard consumer protection within the private publishing sector.

Consumer legislation, such as the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, apply to businesses across all sectors where consumers are transacting with traders. This includes the private publishing sector. DBT is strengthening consumer law enforcement through the implementation of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with local authorities to maintain community libraries in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources. DCMS Secretary of State has a duty to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England” under the Public Libraries and Museum Act 1964.I understand that Havering had 10 static libraries as of December 2023, all local authority run, with three (Collier Row, Gidea Park and Romford) in Romford constituency.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available £69 billion for local government, which is a 3.5% real terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.