Written questions by Maguire.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that details of (a) the geographical location of production and (b) ownership of brands is included on (i) labels and (ii) point of sale materials for (1) beer and (2) other food and drink products.

The UK aims to maintain high standards on the information that is provided on food labels. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for the name and address of the food business operator that is responsible for the food. Food origin information is mandatory for some, but not all foods. It is not required for beer products, but many producers in the UK state where the beer is brewed. If there is a recognised regional style of beer, it may be possible to protect that heritage through the geographical indications scheme. In any case, where an indication of origin or provenance is given on food and drink, either in words or pictures, this must be accurate. The Government has no current plans change country of origin rules. The ownership of brand is not required under food labelling rules.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact on consumers of breweries (a) stating and (b) implying that their products are being brewed in one location when they are produced in another location.

The Department for Business and Trade has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on consumers of breweries misleading them on where their products are brewed.The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions, that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decision. This could include breweries misrepresenting where their products are produced. Misrepresentation may be taken as an unfair trading practice and constitute an offence.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the level of prevalence of multinational companies marketing (a) beers and (b) brewery brands as being from (i) small and independent brewers and (ii) from a specific geographical location.

The Department for Business and Trade has not made a specific assessment of the level of prevalence of multinational companies marketing beers and brewery brands as being from small and independent brewers or from a specific geographical location. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 prohibits unfair commercial practices, including misleading actions that are likely to impact the average consumer’s transactional decision. This could include multinational beverage companies misrepresenting where their alcohol products are produced. Misrepresentation may be taken as an unfair trading practice and constitute an offence.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local and regional (a) breweries and (b) beer brands on the tourism economy in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England.

The Government recognises the vital role of breweries and beer brands in both local communities and the attractiveness of the UK as a visitor destination. While DCMS has not made a formal assessment, we continue working with other Government departments to ensure that targeted support is provided for the sector.The Government is committed to helping breweries grow through exports and supports all businesses, including exporters, via the new Business Growth Service (Business.gov.uk) which has integrated our support in a single, accessible platform, designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally. The Chancellor also announced in January that pubs will get a 15% cut to new Business Rates bills from April followed by a two-year real-terms freeze.The Government also provides showcase opportunities for the British Beers such as at embassy tastings, trade missions and global trade shows that connect producers directly with buyers and distributors. Breweries of all sizes can also access UK Export Finance (UKEF), which offers a wide range of financial products to support exporters and export-ready businesses.The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will set out a long-term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth. Central to this strategy is the delivery of greater regional dispersal, ensuring that visitor income is spread effectively across regional destinations, including rural and coastal communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of Sharp's brewery in Rock, North Cornwall on (a) jobs, (b) the local economy and (c) consumer choice.

Defra has not completed an impact assessment regarding the proposed closure of Sharp’s brewery. Molson Coors are conducting a consultation process on this proposed closure, and no further decisions will be made until this has finished. The department remains in regular contact with Molson Coors on this matter.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a geographic indication scheme for beers traditionally brewed in a specific location.

The Government recognises the economic and cultural importance of geographical indications (GIs) and remains committed to ensuring their continued protection. The family of UK produced GIs already includes beer - Kentish Ale, Kentish Strong Ale, and Rutland Bitter, in addition to East Kent Goldings, a variety of hops used in the production of beers and ales. Those are proudly produced to specific recipes and processes in a defined place, and the Government welcome applications for GI protection from producers of other beers.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether underspend in the current financial year’s Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier budget will be (a) protected, and (b) carried forward into next year’s allocation.

Defra expects to increase both the numbers of farmers and land managers coming into the scheme and related spend on the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme over the course of the coming year. The scale of ambition for the number of agreements in this first phase remains unchanged. To support this, Defra has been carefully rolling out Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier over the course of 2025 and into 2026. Since January 2025, Natural England and the Forestry Commission have offered pre-application advice to over 2,400 farmers and land managers. The application service opened on 18 September 2025, and so far over 650 sites have been invited to apply. Defra is continuing to work with farmers and land managers to support completion of their pre-application advice and, where agreed, invite them into the service to apply over the coming months.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to confirm the date from which farmers currently in legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements will be able to exit those agreements and enter Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier without repayment.

Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) customers can submit a request to end their existing agreement at any time during the calendar year, but they may need to repay any money received. Defra will work with customers whose HLS agreements will expire over the next 2-3 years to support them to continue management of key habitats and to look at how delivery of these sites can be further enhanced. More details about the further roll out of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) will be confirmed in due course, including which cohorts will be invited into CSHT next.

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department is supporting farmers who cannot afford the costs of feasibility studies (e.g. PA2 for a feasibility study) which prevents them from accessing the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier offer.

Payment for completion of feasibility studies can be claimed as soon as the work has been completed. The PA2 grant funds 100% of the costs of completing the study and so farmers and land managers will receive payments back for all costs incurred.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of payment parity between (a) legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements, and (b) current Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements.

In February last year, Defra recognised that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates had fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Defra invested £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside. Defra raised 157 options by 34.4% of the difference between the HLS rate set out in an agreement holder's document and the equivalent CSHT or Sustainable Farming Incentive action, to bring them more in line with those schemes. This includes equivalent payment rates for agreements above the moorland line.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans adjustments to ensure parity between (a) legacy Higher Level Stewardship agreements, and (b) current Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements, for those delivering equivalent environmental outcomes above the moorland line.

In February last year, Defra recognised that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates had fallen behind the rates offered through other schemes including Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). Defra invested £30 million to increase payment rates so farmers in HLS agreements can continue to restore habitats, support rare species, preserve historic features and maintain traditional landscape features in our iconic countryside. Defra raised 157 options by 34.4% of the difference between the HLS rate set out in an agreement holder's document and the equivalent CSHT or Sustainable Farming Incentive action, to bring them more in line with those schemes. This includes equivalent payment rates for agreements above the moorland line.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the (a) accessibility and (b)) ease of access of online consultations held by his Department.

Consultations at MHCLG are published on GOV.UK using the ‘consultations’ content type. This page type has been designed by Government Digital Service (GDS) to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 standards. Teams are supported to follow GDS guidelines for creating accessible web documents when creating consultations. Wherever possible, MHCLG publish consultation documents in HTML format to maximise accessibility. Respondents can comment on a consultation via an online survey that is hosted on MHCLG’s consultation platform, Citizen Space. The Citizen Space platform has been developed to meet WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards and is commonly used by central and local government to conduct accessible consultation processes. Most consultations at MHCLG also give users the opportunity to make enquiries and to respond to the consultation via email and/or by post.

Whether his Department plans to assess the compatibility of existing bilateral investment treaties containing Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions with the UK’s (a) net zero commitments and (b) climate policy objectives.

The UK draws on the full range of investment commitments and international best practice in our international investment agreements to promote growth, deliver our clean energy goals, and continue to uphold the UK’s right to regulate.Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments’ right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to the environment.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement claims arising from climate-related planning and regulatory decisions on public finances.

Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.An independent Tribunal determines the level of liability, if any, in any Investor State Dispute proceedings. The Government has never faced a successful ISDS claim.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact of requiring the use of commercial software to submit Corporation Tax Returns on Community Amateur Sports Clubs.

I recognise some Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) have raised concerns about the requirement to use commercial software to submit Company Tax Returns. HMRC does not expect these requirements to impose significant ongoing costs. CASCs are not required to file a Company Tax Return every year. They only need to submit a return if HMRC issues a notice to deliver one, or if they have taxable income or gains that give rise to a Corporation Tax liability. HMRC will continue to work with providers to explore low-cost options for the very smallest organisations needing to file Corporate Tax Returns, including CASCs.

What discussions her Department has had with (a) national sporting bodies and (b) cricket governing bodies on changes to Corporation Tax Return filing arrangements for Community Amateur Sports Clubs.

I have assumed this is a reference to the closure of the joint-filing web-based service offered by HMRC and Companies House, which Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) can use to file Company Tax Returns should they need to. HMRC announced the closure of the service in February 2025, adding messaging within the service to all users. During April and May 2025 HMRC also wrote to those impacted with support on how to transition. HMRC have engaged directly with users of the service and with representative bodies about its closure.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the role of commercial laundries in the resilience of the hospitality supply chain, including the extent to which hotels and the wider hospitality sector depend on them for the supply of linen.

DCMS recognises that commercial laundries provide an essential service that supports the daily operations of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries.DCMS has not made a formal assessment of the role of commercial laundries in the resilience of the hospitality supply chain. However, officials maintain regular engagement with a wide range of business stakeholders and trade associations to monitor the health of the hospitality supply chain and to understand the interdependencies between service providers and the wider economy.The Government remains committed to ensuring a resilient business environment and continues to keep the challenges facing these interconnected sectors under review.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.

The Government recognises that commercial laundries provide an essential service that supports the daily operations of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries.The Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment, nor does it have any current plans to, on the contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.

Whether his Department plans to undertake an assessment of the potential economic impacts on (i) Cornwall, and (ii) the wider UK economy, arising from capacity constraints in the commercial laundry sector during peak seasonal demand in areas with high levels of tourism.

The Government recognises that commercial laundries provide an essential service that supports the daily operations of the UK’s hospitality and tourism industries.The Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment, nor does it have any current plans to, on the contribution of the commercial laundry industry to the economy.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the resilience of NHS services to disruptions within the commercial laundry sector.

The NHS England estates, commercial, and emergency preparedness, resilience, and response teams are undertaking an assessment of the provision of laundry services, in-house and out-sourced, in the National Health Service. This includes the NHS requirements for laundry services, available capacity, and the most efficient approach to their provision.