Written questions by MacDonald.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to work with devolved Administrations to improve the sharing of data on badger (a) ecology and (b) population health.

Chief Veterinary Officers from all four devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, along with policy officials, meet routinely to discuss shared priorities. This includes the TB Liaison Group, which provides a platform for coordination and updates on policy developments. This includes sharing data on badger population health, particularly in relation to TB.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on coordinated approaches to monitoring badger populations.

Chief Veterinary Officers from all four devolved administrations of the United Kingdom, along with policy officials, meet routinely to discuss shared priorities. This includes the TB Liaison Group, which provides a platform for coordination and updates on policy developments, such as monitoring badger populations. The latest badger population survey began in England in February 2025, and findings from such initiatives will be shared across administrations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage data sharing on hedgehog populations between governments and wildlife organisations.

In 2024 the first National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy was published with contributions from Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Forestry Commission. The strategy, which has identified several actions to facilitate and encourage data sharing on hedgehog populations, involves collaboration with stakeholders to include leading conservation NGOs, academics, and organisations within the transport and farming sectors. In addition, Natural England is co-funding the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. The information gathered will produce insights into the factors causing hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into hedgehog ecology and conservation.

Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Forestry Commission have contributed to the first National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy. This strategy has identified several actions to facilitate and encourage data sharing on hedgehog ecology and conservation. In addition, Natural England is co-funding the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. The information gathered will produce insights into the factors causing hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the devolved Administrations on collaborative efforts to halt hedgehog decline.

Yes, Defra works collaboratively with devolved administrations on efforts to halt hedgehog decline. In 2024, Britain’s first National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy was published. The strategy highlights the factors causing a decline in our native hedgehog populations, and is supported by Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and NatureScot. In addition, Natural England is co-funding the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. The information gathered will also produce insights into the factors causing hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.

What steps her Department is taking to support autistic people into work.

We are committed to supporting neurodivergent people, including autistic people, get into and thrive in work. Our Jobcentres have a range of support available, including Disability Employment Advisors. On 6th March 2025 we announced that we will deploy 1000 work coaches to help people with health conditions and disabled people towards and into work. This will build and expand on existing measures like additional work coach support which delivers personalised support for some customers on the health journey.In January this year we launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate, making their recommendations to government later this summer.The Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade have asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review. While not specific to neurodiversity, this review is considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more disabled people and people with health conditions, promote healthy and inclusive workplaces, and how to support more people to stay in or return to work. Sir Charlie Mayfield will deliver his final report in the autumn.Our voluntary, locally led Supported Employment Programme, Connect to Work, is rolling out across England and Wales, as we agree local delivery plans with lead delivery authorities. The programme will provide specialist employment support to over 300,000 disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment over the five-year duration of the programme. Connect to Work follows the Local Supported Employment programme, where £12.3 million has already been invested into 27 lead Local Authority areas to provide support to autistic, neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities.We are also supporting employers to be more inclusive in their workplace practices. Our support to employers includes a digital information service, called Support with Employee Health and Disability, which provides tailored guidance on supporting employees in common workplace scenarios involving health and disability, and the Disability Confident scheme, which as of May this year has 19,000 members employing approximately 12 million paid employees in total.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support UK-wide research into European pine marten ecology and conservation.

A Long-term strategic recovery plan for pine martens in Britain was produced in 2021, which presents a summary of what has been achieved so far and sets out a continuing strategic recovery plan for pine martens across Britain, while emphasising the importance of conserving recovering populations in Scotland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the population status and ecological role of European pine martens across the UK.

There are approximately 100-200 pine marten in England. This estimate is based on a recent pine marten reintroduction in the Forest of Dean and monitoring of records in Northumberland and Cumbria. There are also a few other scattered and sporadic records across the country, some of which are a result of unofficial releases. In 2024 two further pine marten reintroductions took place in Devon and Cumbria. However, as this was very recent and populations are not yet established, they have not been included in this population estimate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with land managers in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency on the (a) management and (b) conservation of red deer.

As this is a devolved matter, any conversations with Scottish landowners on management of red deer would be conducted by the Scottish Government.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on sustainable red deer management.

The Secretary of State regularly meets colleagues in the Devolved Governments through the Interministerial Group. No specific discussions on sustainable red deer management have taken place.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of uncoupling Carer’s Allowance and Blue Badges from PIP.

It is a long-established principle that in order for an unpaid carer to receive Carer’s Allowance the person they are caring for should be receiving a “trigger” disability benefit. This link acts as a proxy for establishing that care needs exist. We have no plans to break this link. Support for unpaid carers is, of course, a devolved matter to the Scottish Parliament. Access to Blue Badges is a matter for the Department for Transport and the Devolved Administrations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Scottish Government on conservation of red squirrels in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

We have not held discussions with the Scottish Government regarding the conservation of red squirrels specifically in the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. The Government continues to work and engage proactively with the UK Squirrel Accord, which plays an important role in bringing stakeholders and governments across the UK together towards conserving our iconic native red squirrel species.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into red squirrel conservation.

The UK Squirrel Accord, to which Defra, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission are signatories, is working to better understand the appropriate strategies for conserving the red squirrel. This work includes identifying, protecting, and strengthening existing red squirrel populations, expanding their current range, and promoting better understanding and support for their conservation. Future conservation actions will be informed by this work. Defra also continues to support the development of novel control methods for grey squirrel such as the fertility control research led by APHA and the UK Squirrel Accord.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on measures to protect red squirrel populations.

The UK Squirrel Accord, to which Defra is a signatory, is working to better understand the appropriate strategies for conserving the red squirrel. The Accord is UK-wide, and signatories include Scottish Government, Natural England, Forestry England as well as other nature conservation organisations. This work includes identifying, protecting, and strengthening existing red squirrel populations, expanding their current range, and promoting better understanding and support for their conservation. Future conservation actions will be informed by this work.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support red squirrel conservation.

The Government is committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species, including red squirrels, especially through the delivery of our biodiversity targets, which will benefit many of our native species including red squirrels.We know that red squirrel decline is being driven by the squirrel pox virus, habitat availability and competition from non-native grey squirrels. To address these pressures, we are supporting research into grey squirrel fertility and have put management measures in place to control grey squirrels to aid red squirrel conservation.We are considering how to go further to reduce the impacts of grey squirrels on our woodlands and red squirrel populations and shall have an update in due course.

What her Department's planned timetable is for publishing its review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.

External engagement on the review ended in May 2025 and the Home Office is currently considering the feedback received.Any resulting decisions will be announced in the normal way in due course.

What her planned timeline is for completion of the review of the Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy.

External engagement on the review ended in May 2025 and the Home Office is currently considering the feedback received.Any resulting decisions will be announced in the normal way in due course.

What steps she is taking to assist low-income families with living costs in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

The Plan for Change committed to improving living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. Helping people into good work and financial independence is at the heart of our approach to supporting people on the lowest incomes. This is why we increased the National Living Wage by 6.7%, are tackling poor job security and working conditions through our plan to Make Work Pay, and are investing an additional £1 billion by 2029-30 in employment, health and skills support in the Pathways to Work Green Paper. Beyond this, the government has introduced a Fair Repayment Rate which lowers the cap on deductions in Universal Credit from April 2025, benefitting 1.2 million households by an average of £420 a year. The Warm Home Discount is also being expanded to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, meaning 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter. Moreover, the Child Poverty Taskforce is working with the Devolved Governments to develop a comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy, which will deliver for children in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the use of ultra-processed foods through the implementation of the Government Food Strategy.

The food strategy will identify root causes of key problems such as food poverty and unhealthy diets and articulate the outcomes we want from the food system, enabling Government, civil society, and the food industry work to shared goals and priorities. Health is one of our four priority areas. A key outcome will be more easily accessible and affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food to tackle diet-related ill health, helping to give children the best start in life and help adults live longer healthier lives, including people on low and middle incomes. Delivering the food strategy means changing the way the food system works for the better and replacing the junk food cycle’ identified by Henry Dimbleby with a ‘good food cycle’. The food strategy is aligned with and supports the Government programme, Plan for Change and Missions. The food sector has a crucial role to play in supporting our health Mission by tackling diet-related ill health and addressing poor diets. The government respects individual autonomy in making dietary choices and also wants to encourage food manufacturers to provide nutritious, sustainable food options and empower consumers to make informed decisions about their diets, to deliver better health outcomes for consumers.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of homes with heat pumps in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

Heat policy is devolved to Scotland, the Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. We will partner with devolved governments to roll out this plan. Further support for energy efficiency measures and clean heating systems, including heat pumps, in Scotland is available on the Home Energy Scotland webpage [https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/].