Written questions by MacDonald.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential risks to pets from ingesting antifreeze products.

The RSPCA and Cats Protection offer advice on how to keep pets safe from accidental poisoning and what to do if someone suspects their pet may have been poisoned. The intentional poisoning of a protected animal is a criminal offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 increased the maximum sentence to five years imprisonment and/or unlimited fine for animal cruelty offences, including administering a poison to animal.

What support is available to households with legacy gas heating systems for the cost of (a) repairs and (b) replacements; and what steps he is taking to (i) encourage and (ii) support those households to transition to zero-carbon heating systems.

The Energy Company Obligation delivers household energy efficiency retrofits across Great Britain. Subject to eligibility, these retrofits may include measures such as heating controls, insulation, or improvements to legacy heating systems. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme supports property owners in England and Wales with grants up to £7,500, to replace fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and biomass boilers, with property owners in Scotland supported via the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan scheme. The Home Upgrade Grant supports lower-income households off the gas grid, and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, support social housing providers and tenants, and lower-income homeowners.

What assessment his Department has made of the (a) adequacy of EV charging infrastructure in (i) rural and (ii) remote areas and (b) potential impact of that infrastructure on the phasing out of cars with internal combustion engines.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle. As of 1st of January 2025, the Government and industry have supported the installation of over 73,334 publicly available charging devices (including 14,448 rapid charging devices). The matter is devolved to the Scottish Government. In England, the Government is also delivering the £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund which supports local authorities to work with industry to significantly transform the availability of affordable public chargepoints across the country, including in rural and remote areas. At least 100,000 new public charging points are planned to be installed in England by local authorities under the fund.

If he will take steps with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to implement a national brain cancer strategy.

Health Services across the United Kingdom are devolved. In England, we are developing a 10-year plan to radically reform the National Health Service, and my Rt Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that there needs to be a national cancer plan, which will include brain cancer. We are currently in discussions about this plan and its relationship to the 10-Year Health Plan and the Government’s wider health mission.UK Government Ministers regularly engage with their counterparts in the Devolved Governments. No discussions have been had about a UK-wide national brain cancer strategy.

If he will take steps with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to implement a national strategy for treating neurological conditions.

There are no current plans to implement a national strategy for neurological conditions. We have, however, announced that we are setting up a new United Kingdom-wide neuro forum, facilitating formal, biannual meetings across the Department, NHS England, the devolved administrations and health services, and the Neurological Alliances of all four nations in the UK.The new forum will bring key stakeholders together to share learning across the UK, discuss important neurology services’ transformation and workforce challenges, as well as best practice examples and potential solutions that will add to both the existing programmes of work and wider health plans.

Whether she has had discussions with the Leader of the House on scheduling a parliamentary debate on compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age.

Sir John Hayes MP (Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings) has secured a Westminster Hall general debate on the topic of ‘Compensation for women affected by changes to the State Pension age’ on Wednesday 15 January 2025.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to business property relief on (a) plant hire companies and (b) the ability of those companies to help meet housebuilding targets.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill. The Budget set out a series of new investments to kickstart the biggest increase to social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. This is an important step to providing the conditions needed for the market to deliver 1.5 million homes - homes that are desperately needed. To deliver on the commitment to get Britain building the government added £500 million to the Affordable Homes Programme in 2025-26, increasing it to £3.1 billion, the biggest annual budget for affordable housing in over a decade. This is part of over £5 billion total housing investment in 2025-26 to boost supply. This package helps provide certainty for investors ahead of the government’s long-term housing strategy which will be published alongside Phase 2 of the Spending Review.

What steps her Department is taking to increase transparency in the (a) management and (b) adjustment of pension schemes.

Trustees have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the scheme membership, and are required by law to provide members with information about how the scheme has been managed. This includes legal duties about transparency and disclosure of information. There are also clear legal requirements around a trustee or sponsoring employer’s ability to make changes to a pension scheme, including requirements that members must be properly consulted before a change is made if it will affect their benefit rights. The Pensions Regulator has powers to investigate and take the necessary action if there is evidence these obligations are not being met. The Pensions Regulator’s 2024 revised General Code of Practice sets out detailed requirements which all occupational pension schemes are expected to follow in order to maintain an effective system of governance.

What steps his Department is taking to support the Data Communications Company in the (a) development and (b) testing of the Virtual Wide Area Network; and whether he plans to make funding available to ensure that consumers in rural areas can access smart meters.

The Data Communications Company (DCC) is required to assess opportunities to increase the overall level of communications network coverage for Great Britain beyond its currently provisioned minimum level of 99.25%. To enable the DCC to increase network coverage, the Department has recently consulted upon and indicated its intention to proceed with changes to the regulatory framework that will support implementation of the DCC’s Virtual Wide Area Network solution. The necessary funding for this, including in rural areas, is provided for by the energy industry, as is the case with other smart metering costs.

If he will make an estimate of the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths in each of the last two years.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) does not collect data on the potential impact of levels of fuel poverty on levels of excess deaths. The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and we...

Whether his Department has had recent discussions with the Scottish Government on ensuring that bereaved families in Scotland are provided with a key worker to support them after the loss of a child.

The UK Government is committed to supporting those who have experienced the loss of a child through a range of reserved measures, including Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave.My officials have regular discussions with their Scottish Government c...

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact of uprating the pensions of British pensioners overseas whose state pensions are currently frozen.

No assessment has been made. The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK State Pension is payable worldwide and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so, for exa...

If his Department will introduce a medal for (a) seriously injured and (b) medically retired service personnel.

Service personnel who are injured and evacuated from a medal earning operational deployment are awarded the relevant Campaign, Operational, or General Service medal regardless of whether or not they have served the required number of days for the medal. W...

What steps his Department is taking with the devolved Administrations to help (a) reduce waiting times for gynaecological services and (b) address menstrual health inequalities.

Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend to work closely with our partners across the devolved administrations in providing support and sharing best practice, to reduce waiting lists and fix the National Health Service. Cutting waiting lists, includin...

What steps he is taking to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food and drink products; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing fiscal measures to support the produ

The Government has committed to tackling the childhood obesity crisis, which includes taking action on the promotion and advertising of less healthy products to children.The Food (Promotion and Placement) (England) Regulations 2021 restrict the promotion ...

What assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the differences in the amounts received by recipients of the old and new State Pension.

We are absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.It is not possible to make direct, like for like comparisons between State Pension amounts received under the pre 2016 State Pension s...

Whether she has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on the adequacy of fiscal support for local councils across the UK, in the context of (a) recent trends in levels of demand for services, (b) the imp

Funding for local councils is a devolved responsibility and it is for the Devolved Governments to decide on their level of funding. I met with all Devolved Government Finance Ministers in Belfast on 3rd October at a meeting of the Finance: Interministeria...

If he will take steps to work with his counterparts in the devolved Administrations to help (a) increase the flexibility of NHS appointment systems and (b) reduce the number of missed appointments

This government is committed to putting patients first. This means making sure that patients are seen on time and have the best possible experience during their care, no matter where they are treated in the UK. Whilst health is a devolved issue, we intend...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his policy is on Saudi Arabia’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The UK does not disclose voting positions on multilateral elections. However, we expect all members elected to the Human Rights Council to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of rising transaction fees for non-European Economic Area cards on small businesses in (a) the Highlands and (b) other tourist areas; and whether

The Government is committed to promoting competition in the payments sector and recognises the importance of ensuring the fees charged for card payments are fair for all parties, including merchants. Card transaction fees are made up of different componen...