Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58330 on Poverty: Children, when the Child Poverty Strategy will be published; and when she plans to begin implementing that strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the Autumn. It is important we take the time to get it right to ensure we deliver fully funded measures which tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund, supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2bn including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.Our commitments at SR 2025 come on top of the existing action we have taken, including expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Taskforce is working with the Devolved Governments alongside strategic, combined and local authorities to develop a comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy. Local authorities have also been a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway.The Taskforce recognises the distinct challenges of poverty faced by children living in rural and coastal areas, and we are considering all children across the UK in the development of the strategy. To shape and inform these plans, the Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners and engaging with families, charities, and leading organisations across the UK, including rural and coastal communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58330 on Poverty: Children, how the (a) rollout of free breakfast clubs and (b) extension of free school meals will be (i) implemented and (ii) monitored in (A) rural and (B) coastal constituencies.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. In order to test and learn about how best to support schools in implementing new free universal breakfast clubs, we have selected over 750 early adopter schools who began delivering from the start of the 2025 summer term, ahead of national roll out to all schools with primary-aged children.Schools have been selected to ensure a representative sample, to ensure the early adopter scheme learns from a variety of schools in a range of locations, including schools in rural and costal constituencies.​By taking this approach, we will be able to gain insights into any challenges and barriers schools may face, in order to develop solutions ahead of breakfast clubs national roll out.We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

What the average (a) age and (b) condition ratings are for (i) all Ministry of Defence-managed residential properties and (ii) Ministry of Defence-managed residential properties in Fylde constituency.

The average age of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) can be found in the table below: Ministry of Defence managed residential propertiesAverage AgeAll SFA64 YearsSFA in Fylde constituency68 YearsAll SLA46 YearsSLA in Fylde constituency40 Years The Government's Decent Homes Standard is the current benchmark for SFA condition used by the Ministry of Defence. This standard is currently being reviewed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Subsequently, the condition ratings for SFA will be revised in line with any new recommendations. The average condition ratings for SLA can be found in the table below: Ministry of Defence managed residential propertiesAverage condition ratingAll SLAGrade 3*SLA in Fylde constituencyGrade 3 *The information concerning the condition grading is only held for 46% of sites with SLA. All existing SLA within Weeton Barracks were built in 1985. A condition grading inspection for Weeton Barracks is currently underway and there are three new SLA blocks currently being constructed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58330 on Poverty: Children, whether the Child Poverty Strategy will include targeted (a) funding and (b) initiatives for (i) rural and (ii) coastal constituencies.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the Autumn. It is important we take the time to get it right to ensure we deliver fully funded measures which tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund, supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2bn including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.Our commitments at SR 2025 come on top of the existing action we have taken, including expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Taskforce is working with the Devolved Governments alongside strategic, combined and local authorities to develop a comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy. Local authorities have also been a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway.The Taskforce recognises the distinct challenges of poverty faced by children living in rural and coastal areas, and we are considering all children across the UK in the development of the strategy. To shape and inform these plans, the Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners and engaging with families, charities, and leading organisations across the UK, including rural and coastal communities.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58330 on Poverty: Children, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the views of (a) families and (b) children from (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas are adequately represented in the development of the Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and the Child Poverty Taskforce is developing an ambitious child poverty strategy which we will publish in the Autumn. It is important we take the time to get it right to ensure we deliver fully funded measures which tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.As a significant downpayment ahead of strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through the Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund, supported by £1bn a year including Barnett impact, investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2bn including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.Our commitments at SR 2025 come on top of the existing action we have taken, including expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.The UK Government is committed to tackling child poverty across the UK where progress is contingent on reserved, devolved, and local levers. The Child Poverty Taskforce is working with the Devolved Governments alongside strategic, combined and local authorities to develop a comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy. Local authorities have also been a key part of our approach to learning directly about the experience of poverty in different communities and solutions already underway.The Taskforce recognises the distinct challenges of poverty faced by children living in rural and coastal areas, and we are considering all children across the UK in the development of the strategy. To shape and inform these plans, the Taskforce is listening to experts and campaigners and engaging with families, charities, and leading organisations across the UK, including rural and coastal communities.

How many Ministry of Defence managed properties are currently leased to third parties; and what criteria are used to determine leasing arrangements.

The number of properties which are currently leased to third parties is not held in the format requested and could only be provided by retrieving and interrogating large amounts of data which could only be completed at disproportionate cost. There is no set criteria used by MOD to determine leasing arrangements.Leasing arrangements are dependent on various factors including the type of lease, the use of the property, its location, proximity to military infrastructure, the condition of the property and the proposed length of the agreement.

Innovation and Technology, if his Department will work with wireless broadband operators to develop technology that is in keeping with local environments where it is installed.

Planning legislation requires operators to minimise the visual impact of new network deployments on the surrounding area as much as possible. We have set out guidance on how operators should do this in the Wireless Code of Practice. Operators have also committed to place additional antennas and cabinets at existing sites where possible, and only where additional capacity and/or coverage is needed will additional sites be built.The Government is actively working with industry through our R&D programmes to support companies developing telecoms technologies in the UK, including equipment that matches local environments.

Innovation and Technology, what plans his Department has to review the Electronic Communications Code on (a) broadband infrastructure and (b) local visual amenity.

I wrote to operators on 16 August 2024 calling on them to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice to take into account communities’ concerns. The industry answered my call by convening the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations for operators who plan to deploy telegraph poles, including how to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of the local area. My department will monitor the impact of this new guidance before taking any further steps.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has provided guidance to telecommunications companies on addressing community concerns on the visual impact of broadband poles.

I wrote to operators on 16 August 2024 calling on them to consider revising the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice to take into account communities’ concerns. The industry answered my call by convening the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which has published best practice recommendations setting out expectations for operators who plan to deploy telegraph poles, including how to minimise the impact on the visual amenity of the local area. My department will monitor the impact of this new guidance before taking any further steps.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with farming representative organisations on the (a) efficiency and (b) responsiveness of the Rural Payments Agency.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) meets regularly with a range of farming representative organisations at a strategic and operational level to discuss effectiveness, ideas for improvement and upcoming delivery plans. Meetings take place each month alongside organisations having an open dialogue with the RPA, sharing valuable insight and feedback to help continuously improve their services.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many complaints the Rural Payments Agency has received from farmers in the last 12 months; and what the most common issues raised were.

Between 01 June 2024 & 31 May 2025 the Rural Payments Agency, received 363 complaints. The most common issues raised were regarding the application and claims process for the Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes and outstanding payments. During the 2024/25 Financial year 01/04/2024 to 31/03/2025 The number of complaints received decreased by 7.7% compared to the previous year.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the support provided by the Rural Payments Agency for (a) new and (b) young farmers who apply for funding under new environmental land management schemes.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) administer agreements and issue payments for Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Both a) new and b) young farmers were eligible to apply for agreements under the SFI Expanded Offer, whilst the scheme was open for applications until March 2025. RPA issues a range of supporting communications including online 'how to apply' videos and regularly shares reminders and updates across their channels. Direct communications are issued to agreement holders, and the Rural Payments Helpline is available Monday - Friday.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 58327 on Beer: Sales, when he expects the assessment of the beer market to be completed; and whether the findings will be published.

The intention is to complete the review this summer. Ministers will then consider the report’s findings and, following discussions with those parties that have contributed to the review, whether any further steps should be taken.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of Government-supported agri-science programmes to small and medium-sized farms in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

Since 2021, the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) has been Defra’s flagship programme for supporting research and innovation in farming in England to help farmers, growers and foresters increase productivity, sustainability and resilience. FIP encourages smaller organisations to be involved in the innovation process. Of the 603 organisations that have received funding through the programme to date, 480 have been small or medium in size. In February the Secretary of State announced a further £63 million for competitions starting in 2025/6. This includes the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund with £20.6 million across 2025/6 which is focussed on farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods on farms. ADOPT is aimed at on farm trials which can deliver quick results, with project costs between £50,000 and £100,000. We have funded a support hub, led by ADAS, to encourage famers to collaborate and to increase participation rates. In addition to this we will also pay support grants of £2,500 to allow smaller farming operations to access our grants by covering professional fees related to applications.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of agri-science on (a) improving soil health and (b) reducing chemical inputs in farming in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

Defra has not made any assessments or carried out any research on soil health or reducing chemical inputs in farming in (i) Fylde constituency or (ii) Lancashire, specifically. Defra understand the importance of soil health and will be developing a soil health indicator which can be applied nationwide to assess soil health. The indicator will assess soil health over time and track changes in the abilities of soils to deliver sustainable food production, carbon storage, reduction in runoff and soil biodiversity. The Department is funding research into exploring the impact of agriculture on soil health and reducing chemical inputs to farming. However, none of these field sites are in Lancashire or the Fylde constituency.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 58327 on Beer: Sales, whether his assessment of the beer market will include consideration of (a) tied house arrangements and (b) their impact on market access for guest beers.

The beer market review, with specific reference to market access for small brewers, will cover all subcategories of the pub sector, including leased and tenanted pubs. It will not however consider the merits of different pub models.The government is separately conducting a statutory review into the operation of Pubs Code and the performance of the Pubs Code Adjudicator. Interested parties can submit their views to the call for inputs until 14 August 2025. The Pubs Code applies to large pub-owning businesses with 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales, covering around 8,000 pubs.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending permitted developments rights to require local consent for the installation of wireless broadband masts.

The government is committed to supporting investment in high-quality, reliable digital connectivity so that communities can benefit from faster economic growth and greater social inclusion. My Department continues to keep permitted development rights under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in agri-science to improve farming (a) productivity and (b) sustainability in (i) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Since 2021, the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) has been Defra’s flagship programme for supporting research and innovation in farming in England to help farmers, growers and foresters increase productivity, sustainability and resilience. In February the Secretary of State announced a further £63 million for new competitions starting in 2025/6. Competitions currently open include low emissions farming and precision breeding with up to £12.5 million across each; the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies fund with £20.6 million across 2025/6 which provides farmer-led, smaller-scale innovation grants and supports trialling new technology and methods on farms; and a £5 million Investor Partnerships programme which will blend government grant money with private investment to bring cutting edge technology to market, giving farmers and food producers faster and more widespread access to state-of-the-art innovations.

Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local planning authorities on the installation of wireless broadband masts.

The government is committed to supporting investment in high-quality, reliable digital connectivity so that communities can benefit from faster economic growth and greater social inclusion. Chapter 10 of the National Planning Policy Framework sets out the government’s policy on supporting high quality communications infrastructure and on how telecommunications and mobile network infrastructure should be considered. The Code of Practice for Wireless Network Development in England (April 2022) sets out the considerations that operators should follow when deploying infrastructure, including how infrastructure should be sited.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the Rural Payments Agency in delivering timely payments to farmers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Rural Payment Agency (RPA) makes payments for schemes and grants against published performance indicators and continues to look at opportunities to issue payments as promptly as possible. Performance in relation to the financial year (1 April to 31 March) is reported each year within the RPA Annual Report and Accounts and will be published next month.