Written questions by Gelderd.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his speech at the 2025 Oxford Farming Conference on 9 January 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed permitted development rights on farms.

Ministers are holding Ministerial round tables in June with a diverse range of agricultural stakeholders to understand how existing planning measures are supporting farmers and to better understand the key asks to go further.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the merits of including traceability requirements in the UK Forest Risk Commodities regulations.

The UK is committed to supporting the progress of traceability and transparency in global supply chains, as we appreciate they play an essential part in supporting sustainable commodity production, trade and consumption. The UK Government recognises the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.

When he plans to publish a green paper on the long-term future of the Post Office.

We aim to publish a Green Paper later this year which will set out several proposals for discussion on the future direction of the Post Office. As part of this work, Government will be carefully considering what customers, communities and postmasters would like to see from a modern Post Office network.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase in biomass of Octopus vulgaris on (a) lobster and (b) crab stocks in Cornwall.

I recently visited the fishing industry in Plymouth and was made aware of reports of an unusual abundance of octopus in the Southwest including Cornwall. Defra understands this ‘octopus bloom’ is impacting shellfish potting fisheries and causing concern to the fishing industry in the Southwest. Government scientists, the Marine Management Organisation and local Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities have met with Defra on the 20th of May to discuss this phenomenon, the evidence, the impacts on the crab and lobster stocks as well as possible actions.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to PIP on people living with Multiple Sclerosis.

No assessment has been made. Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’. Impacts of the proposed changes depend on many factors including how the mix of conditions among claimants evolves over time, and behavioural responses. These impacts are uncertain at an overall England and Wales level, and it would not be possible to make an informed assessment at such a granular level as individual primary medical conditions. Changes to PIP eligibility aren’t coming into effect immediately. Our intention is these changes will start to come into effect from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. PIP changes will only apply at the next award review after November 2026. The average award review period is about three years. We are consulting on how best to support those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met. PIP is not based on condition diagnosis, but on functional disability as the result of one or more conditions and is awarded as a contribution to the additional costs which result. We have also announced a wider review of the PIP assessment which I will lead, and we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review. We will provide further details as plans progress.

What steps she will take to support people with (a) Multiple Sclerosis and (b) other fluctuating or progressive neurological conditions under the proposed reforms to PIP.

I recognise the vital role played by carers and family members in supporting individuals with MS. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements because of proposed changes to PIP daily living and what this support could look like. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system. In the Green Paper, we committed to a review of the PIP assessment which I will be leading. Through the review, we want to make sure that the PIP assessment is fit for the future. This includes considering the PIP assessment criteria – including descriptors - and how the PIP assessment can play a role in unlocking wider support to enable better health, good work, higher living standards and greater independence. We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process. I will work closely with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and others, to ensure that the voices of those who go through the PIP assessment, those who support them, and those with expertise in the system are embedded in the review. The scope and timing of the review will be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. I have now begun the first phase of this work, inviting stakeholders with a range of experience and expertise to roundtables to consider the scope and timing. I will then publish the Terms of Reference for the review in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) carers and (b) family members of people with Multiple Sclerosis are (i) supported and (ii) recognised in the context of proposed changes to disability-related benefits.

I recognise the vital role played by carers and family members in supporting individuals with MS. Through the Green Paper we are consulting on the support needed for those who may lose any entitlements because of proposed changes to PIP daily living and what this support could look like. We will also work closely with the DHSC and others on how the health and eligible care needs of those who would lose entitlement to PIP could be met outside the benefits system. In the Green Paper, we committed to a review of the PIP assessment which I will be leading. Through the review, we want to make sure that the PIP assessment is fit for the future. This includes considering the PIP assessment criteria – including descriptors - and how the PIP assessment can play a role in unlocking wider support to enable better health, good work, higher living standards and greater independence. We outlined our commitment to improving the PIP assessment in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. We will take action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits. This includes recording health assessments as standard to build greater trust in the system. The aim is to create greater transparency, using recordings as a learning opportunity to consider potential improvements to the quality of the assessment process. I will work closely with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and others, to ensure that the voices of those who go through the PIP assessment, those who support them, and those with expertise in the system are embedded in the review. The scope and timing of the review will be developed in close collaboration with stakeholders. I have now begun the first phase of this work, inviting stakeholders with a range of experience and expertise to roundtables to consider the scope and timing. I will then publish the Terms of Reference for the review in due course.

If she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of the potential merits of amending legislation on Orchestra Tax Relief (a) to include voice as an eligible acoustic instrument and (b) to extend eligibility to (i) professional and (ii) amateur choirs consisting of 12 or more performers.

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and through the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) provides tax relief on productions costs and provided £33 million of support in 2022-23. To qualify for OTR, a concert must be performed by a group of at least 12 instrumentalists. The voice is not considered to be an instrument. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra also contains at least 12 instrumentalists, not including the voice, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. These rules help ensure OTR fulfils its objective of supporting and incentivising orchestra concerts specifically.

What steps her Department is taking to simplify the tax-free childcare eligibility process for self-employed parents in line with the system in place for employed claimants.

The Government is committed to ensuring eligible parents, whether they are employed or self-employed, can access Tax-Free Childcare as efficiently as possible. To be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, a parent and their partner (if they have one) must expect to earn at least the National Minimum or National Living wage for 16 hours a week on average and earn no more than £100,000 per year. The process to access Tax-Free Childcare for self-employed and employed parents is the same. Both are required to apply and reconfirm each quarter that they meet the same eligibility criteria. In instances where stated expectations differ from the information HMRC holds through PAYE or Self-Assessment Records, at times HMRC may need information from customers to confirm their eligibility. The Government recognises that evidencing income can be more complex for self-employed individuals, particularly for those with variable or seasonal earnings. That is why self-employed parents are only expected to meet the minimum income requirement over the entire tax-year (and not quarterly as is the case for employees). In addition, parents who have started new self-employment are also exempted from meeting the minimum income requirement in their first 12 months in Tax-Free Childcare.

Whether her Department plans to continue funding Level 3 vocational qualifications in music and the arts beyond 2026; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing these qualifications on access to creative careers for students who do not follow A-Level routes.

On 12 December 2024, the government published the review of level 3 qualifications reform which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-level-3-qualifications-reform-provisional-outcomes. The review aimed to ensure that qualifications reform supports the government’s missions of spreading opportunity and delivering economic growth, and considered all qualifications that were due to have funding removed in either 2024 or 2025.The routes in scope of this review were:Health and science.Education and early years.Construction and the built environment.Agriculture, environment and animal care.Digital.Engineering and manufacturing.Creative and design.Legal, finance and accounting.Business and administration.Qualifications at level 3 in other subjects, such as music and the arts, will continue to be funded as before. No decisions have been made to defund these qualifications. When we published the results of this review, we were clear this provided certainty on which qualifications will remain funded up to 2027.We will consider the future of level 3 qualifications following the recommendations from the Curriculum and Assessment Review, due later in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Global Biodiversity Framework commitment to reduce excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half by 2030, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of domestic targets (a) to reduce (i) nitrogen, (ii) phosphorous and (iii) sediment from agriculture by 40% and (ii) to reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80% by 2038.

The UK has published a full National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and UK National Targets that commit us to achieving all 23 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at home, including Target 7 which features a pledge to reduce excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half by 2030. An assessment of progress toward achieving the UK National Targets and implementation of the GBF will be set out in the UK 7th National Report, due to be published in February 2026.

What steps his Department is taking to improve access to defibrillators in rural communities; and whether he has considered providing additional support for the (a) installation and (b) maintenance of publicly accessible defibrillators in these areas.

To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.Applications to the fund were allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or providing additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the United Kingdom.There are now over 100,000 defibrillators in the UK registered on The Circuit, which represents an increase of 30,000 since September 2023. 58.6% of the over 100,000 defibrillators are accessible on a 24/7 basis.The Circuit is operated independently by the British Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Resuscitation Council UK, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, and the National Health Service.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding for junior mineral exploration companies in the UK; and if he will introduce financial incentives to increase exploration of critical minerals.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the challenges that junior mining companies face when fundraising for mineral exploration projects. A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy ambitions, and clean energy transition. As we work through our industrial and critical mineral strategies, we will further explore funding mechanisms which will encourage UK companies to play a role in securing our supplies and capitalise on economic opportunities, as the demand for resilient and responsible sources of critical minerals grows. UK junior mining companies have already benefitted from HMG funding including grants available through the Automotive Transformation Fund.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to maintain the level of financial support for research to achieve the (a) replacement, (b) refinement and (c) reduction of animals in research and (d) develop non-animal alternatives.

The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has a diverse portfolio of investments that support research which can lead to alternatives, such as organ on a chip and computer modelling. They invest £10m annually to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). UKRI also supports ‘human-specific’ research, for example a £15m call on Novel human in vitro models of disease with NC3Rs and Wellcome.The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that sea users are not adversely impacted by offshore energy development.

The Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. Through the cross-government Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme (MSPri), the Department is engaging across government and with marine users to improve its understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location. The Department is working with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for marine sectors, to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed as we develop future offshore wind.

What steps his Department is taking to integrate critical minerals recycling into the circular economy strategy; and if he will support the development of a processing hub for (a) tin and (b) other critical minerals in the South West.

A secure supply of critical minerals is vital for the UK's economic growth and security, industrial strategy, and clean energy transition. We recognise the importance of recycling critical minerals and as we work with DEFRA to develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England, we will consider the evidence for action and evaluate what interventions may be needed.The South West of England is home to significant deposits of tin, tungsten and lithium, and the new Critical Minerals Strategy, which will be published this year, will set out how we will enhance the UK’s domestic capabilities, including mining, processing and recycling. The National Wealth Fund’s recent investment of £28.6m into the South Crofty tin mine will support our endeavour to onshore more of the value chain for critical minerals.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the deployment of offshore energy does not adversely impact (a) the fishing industry and (b) marine (i) habitats and (ii) ecosystems.

Further to the written statement I made on 29th January 2025, this Government has committed to deliver an Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package, which supports the Clean Power 2030 Mission. This will support the accelerated deployment of offshore wind developments while protecting our marine habitats and ecosystems. This includes establishing a Marine Recovery Fund to deliver strategic environmental compensation for unavoidable impacts to Marine Protected Areas. More broadly the Department is leading the cross Government marine spatial prioritisation programme. This is looking at how to take a more strategic approach to managing the increased demands on the marine space, including from future offshore wind, alongside nature’s recovery in English waters. This Government will ensure that the fishing industry is supported to adapt to the increased spatial pressures.

If he will review the UK Export Finance model to ensure that financial support available to overseas critical minerals projects is accessible to UK-based critical minerals producers.

In addition to its critical minerals supply finance facility, which guarantees a commercial loan to an overseas project which has an offtake agreement in place with a UK exporter, UK Export Finance (UKEF) can support UK-based critical minerals producers in a variety of ways. These include through its Export Development Guarantee and General Export Facility if the company is an exporter, and also in certain circumstances where the producer in question supplies UK exporters. Through these two products, UKEF can provide guarantees to commercial loans for working capital, which can be used to pay suppliers or staffing costs, invest in research and development or support bids for higher value contracts.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 43003 on Chemicals Regulation, if he will publish the projected cost of UK REACH to the Environment Agency in the 2025-26 financial year.

The Environment Agency has been allocated £1.8 million from Defra in 2025/26 to deliver its statutory duties under UK REACH.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list the project (a) title, (b) code and (c) cost of International Climate Finance projects under the international forest (i) indigenous peoples and local communities, (ii) Congo basin and (ii) Amazon pledge in (A) 2021-22, (B) 2022-23, (C) 2023-24 and (D) 2024-25 financial year.

At COP26, the UK committed £1.5 billion International Climate Finance (ICF) for forests from April 2021 to March 2026, including £200 million for the Congo Basin (to 2029) and £300 million for the Amazon. This forms the UK's contribution toward the Global Forest Finance Pledge, Congo Basin Pledge, and Indigenous People and Local Communities Forest Tenure Pledge. The UK invested £682 million over financial years 2021/22 (£155 million), 2022/23 (£200 million), 2023/24 (£327 million). Data is not yet finalised for 2024/2025. The UK Government publishes detail of ICF programmes through our online resource DevTracker and pledge reports can also be found online for consultation.