Written questions by Maguire.

If she will have discussions with the Royal Household on (a) transparency and (b) accountability of money provided from the public purse.

Since 2012, the Monarch has received the Sovereign Grant to fund their official duties as Head of State and maintain the Occupied Royal Palaces. No member of the Royal family receives a private income from the Sovereign Grant or any other public funds. The rules governing the Sovereign Grant have been set by Parliament in the Sovereign Grant Act 2011. The Act provides for oversight and accountability arrangements which subject the funding for the Monarch’s official duties to the same audit scrutiny as other government expenditure. The Sovereign Grant accounts are audited by the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament every year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s marine natural capital.

Defra’s £38 million marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme has investigated the state of our marine natural capital assets and the environmental, societal, and economic value they hold. This is informing decisions on managing and enhancing our marine natural capital in a way that benefits both people and nature.

What steps he plans to take to ensure that the the creation of offshore energy does not harm marine habitats and ecosystems.

The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided. The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.

If he will make it his policy that no offshore energy development projects will take place in the most sensitive marine habitats.

The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided. The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of investing in the marine economy.

The Department for Business and Trade recognises the critical importance of the marine economy to the UK, facilitating around 95% of the country’s trade in goods, directly employing 227,000 people and generating over £55bn in business turnover in 2019. This sector also plays a vital role in advancing the UK’s sustainability goals - highlighted by the Department for Transport's recent announcement of a further £30m investment into the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. My department works closely with the sector to support new investment opportunities and to help achieve sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate he has made of the value of UK’s marine natural capital to coastal communities.

Coastal communities derive social and economic benefits from marine natural assets, including through recreation, heritage, jobs, and tourism. The Office for National Statistics estimated the value of UK marine natural capital assets at £211 billion for 2018.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to consult with sea users on the development of offshore energy projects.

The UK 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) we are engaging across government and with marine users to improve our understanding of future demands and identify opportunities for greater co-location. The Department will work 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 he is taking with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) The Crown Estate to help ensure that the deployment of offshore energy does not negatively impact the marine environment.

The UK Government is committed to accelerating to net zero, delivering clean power by 2030, and to restoring nature. New energy infrastructure must be built in a way that protects the natural environment and supports nature recovery, by following a “mitigation hierarchy” to avoid damage to marine protected areas, and minimising, restoring and delivering compensation when damage cannot be avoided. The Department will work with Defra to bring together its ministerial colleagues, who share responsibilities for the marine environment and sectors, and The Crown Estate to discuss how best to consider wider demands on the seabed, including the marine environment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to introduce new measures to tackle perfluoroalkyl substances in the marine environment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were added to the OSPAR List of Chemicals for Priority Action in 2023. This list identifies substances considered to be a threat to the marine environment and the actions that OSPAR Contracting Parties (including the UK) should take to minimise those threats. We are also working closely with domestic regulators and key stakeholders to improve our understanding and approach to managing the risks from PFAS. This includes working with the Environment Agency (EA) to assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources, and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches.

Whether the Cornwall Newquay Airport to London Southend Airport route operated by Eastern Airways is part of a Public Service Obligation deal.

The Cornwall Newquay Airport to London Southend Airport route planned by Eastern Airways is a commercial service that is not part of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) contract. The Department for Transport along with Cornwall Council continues to fund the PSO between Cornwall Newquay Airport and London Gatwick.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to tackle perfluoroalkyl substances in the marine environment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were added to the OSPAR List of Chemicals for Priority Action in 2023. This list identifies substances considered to be a threat to the marine environment and the actions that OSPAR Contracting Parties (including the UK) should take to minimise those threats. We are also working closely with domestic regulators and key stakeholders to improve our understanding and approach to managing the risks from PFAS. This includes working with the Environment Agency (EA) to assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources, and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing legislation to ratify the UN Global Ocean Treaty.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Oceans Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Work is in hand on the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify.

What steps his Department is taking to address regional disparities in access to public electric vehicle charging points to ensure equitable access across the UK.

The £381 million Local EV Infrastructure Fund supports local authorities to work with industry and transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking. The funding, backed by substantial private investment, will support the installation of tens of thousands of local chargers, ensuring the rollout continues at pace to support drivers in every part of the country.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that heat pumps are a viable option for homes and businesses currently off the gas grid.

We expect most off-grid properties will ultimately transition to heat pumps as these are a proven technology. We are supporting deployment through a range of other policies including supporting growth in the supply chain through the reformed Clean Heat Market Mechanism, investing in new heat pump manufacturing capacity through the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator, and helping installers train up through the Heat Training Grant. Our Boiler Upgrade Scheme also offers consumers £7,500 in grant funding for a heat pump, enabling consumers to purchase a heat pump at an increasingly comparable price to a gas boiler.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the UK’s electric vehicle infrastructure keeps pace with the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road.

The Government continues to provide funding to local authorities, small businesses, schools and residential properties to support the installations of tens of thousands of public and domestic electric vehicle chargepoints. The Government is also making it easier, quicker and cheaper to install chargepoints. In December the Government announced: further changes to planning legislation to facilitate off-street chargepoint installations and to allow the use of street works permits for quicker charger deployment; guidance to help local authorities with cross-pavement charging solutions; and guidance to address common issues around EV infrastructure and grid connections.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the tax allowance for pensioners to £15,000.

The Government is committed to keeping taxes as low as possible for pensioners while ensuring fiscal responsibility, which is why it is not extending the freeze on personal tax thresholds that was implemented by the previous government, and is instead allowing them to rise with inflation from April 2028. At Autumn Budget, the Government announced that the basic and new State Pension will increase by 4.1% from April 2025. This means those on a full new State Pension will receive an additional £470 a year.

If his Department will undertake a review of the prescription charge exemption list to include more (a) chronic and (b) lifelong conditions.

There are no current plans to review the list of prescription charge exemptions, or the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place, for which those with long term or chronic conditions may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. Prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) are also available. PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with three-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in instalments.

What assessment his Department has made of the impact of the EU General Product Safety Regulation on UK small businesses exporting to the EU.

I appreciate that for some businesses, the updated EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) will require changes, and we take these concerns very seriously. Government is supporting small businesses to understand GPSR and is engaging directly with businesses to assess the regulation’s impact.We have published guidance on GPSR’s application in Northern Ireland, which we will keep under review. The responsibility for interpreting EU legislation lies with the European Commission. The Commission have published their own business guidance and impact assessment of the regulation.Small businesses exporting to the EU may also wish to contact the Government’s Export Support Service.

If he will make an assessment of the potential (a) merits and (b) impact on trade barriers of re-joining the EU (i) single market and (ii) customs union.

The Government is resetting the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to trade. We have been clear that there will be no return to the customs union or the single market.

If he will take steps to support small businesses with the costs of compliance with (a) EU general safety and performance requirements and (b) EU regulations.

UK businesses exporting medical devices to the EU should comply with EU General Safety and Performance Requirements (GSPR), which outline the criteria for medical and in vitro diagnostic devices marketed in the EU. These apply under the EU Medical Device Regulations (MDR) and the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR), which came into force in 2017.Responsibility for interpreting and providing guidance on EU legislation rests with the European Commission. For detailed guidance, businesses should refer to the European Commission's website. UK Government continue to assess implementation milestones of MDR and IVDR. Businesses experiencing EU market access issues, may seek support via the UK Export Support Service.