Written questions by Hinchliff.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she has plans to implement the RSPB's Action Plan for Curlew published April 2025.

This Government is committed to recovering our threatened native species, such as curlew, and we welcome the UK Curlew Action Plan which sets out actions which will drive recovery of the species in the UK. Defra officials are carefully considering the Plan’s proposals for action across the six key areas identified and, with Natural England (NE) colleagues, we will continue to engage with the Curlew Recovery Partnership to understand how we can support delivery of the Plan. We are however, already taking action to support recovery of this species. Agri-environment schemes are providing funding to deliver habitat for wading birds such as curlew. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and the Sustainable Farming Incentive include actions for the management of key habitats used by curlew, including wet grasslands, hay meadows and moorlands. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier also pays for additional support for threatened species that can fund tailored actions to benefit curlews such as later cutting dates in silage fields. In addition, many of the Landscape Recovery projects currently in development aim to implement targeted actions to support curlews. Furthermore, through their Species Recovery Programme, NE have funded projects to identify causes of decline and are trialling conservation measures to benefit curlew. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is co-ordinating the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement’s (AEWA) International Working Group for Curlew. The group aims to deliver AEWA’s International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Eurasian Curlew, and to co-ordinate action across the flyway to restore the conservation status of the curlew.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has discussions planned with nature organisations including the Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trusts and Wildlife and Countryside Link on potential secondary legislation arising from the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

The government has engaged closely with a range of stakeholders, including nature and conservation groups, throughout the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and looks forward to further external engagement as we implement its various provisions.

Innovation and Technology, what plans the Government has to help ensure that local communities receive long-term economic benefits from new AI and data centre developments.

TechUK estimate that the gross value added of data centres is currently £4.7bn in the UK. This government encourages data centre developers to consider the local benefits that data centre build can bring, especially in areas with favourable conditions for heat offtake, or where skills and training can be provided. Last year, the government reformed the National Planning Policy framework to ensure that local planning authorities integrate data centres into an area’s local plan, ensuring alignment with local and national long-term economic goals.Through the AI Growth Zones initiative, we aim to crowd-in tens of billions of pounds in private investment and drive growth through job creation and by creating opportunities such as creating skills and apprenticeships pathways, R&D partnerships with local universities and creating investment opportunities for British businesses to participate in major AI projects.We are ensuring that local communities benefit by providing £5m for each AI Growth Zone to support skills and adoption in the area, and by ensuring that local authorities keep 100% of all business rates generated by sites where pre-existing arrangements do not exist.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that taxpayer-funded support, including grants and tax reliefs, for AI and data centre funding provides benefits to the public.

Through AI Growth Zones we are ensuring that local communities benefit by providing £5 million for each AI Growth Zone to support skills and adoption in the area, and by ensuring that local authorities in England keep 100% of all business rates generated by sites where pre-existing arrangements do not exist.The AI Growth Zones programme aims to crowd-in tens of billions of pounds in private investment and drive growth through job creation and by creating opportunities such as creating skills and apprenticeships pathways, R+D partnerships with local universities and creating investment opportunities for British businesses to participate in major AI projects.

Whether the Jet Zero Strategy (JZS) is still used for policy-making on aviation decarbonisation, or whether it has been replaced or superseded by the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP).

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050. We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the Department plans further modelling beyond that contained within the CBGDP for beyond 2037.

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050. We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Regarding aviation decarbonisation, what discussions have been had within the Department about the updating or replacing of the Jet Zero Strategy with other policy documents or approaches.

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050. We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the CBGDP represents the latest modelling of how the Government will achieve a Net Zero pathway for the aviation sector, and supersedes the modelling underpinning the JZS.

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050. We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Regarding aviation decarbonisation, if she will set out the differences in targets, technological approach, and decarbonisation pathways between the JZS and the CBGDP.

This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050. We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.

Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to distinguish between diffuse landscape issues, such as nutrient pollution, and protected sites and species in the context of environmental delivery.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features – a specific protected feature of a protected site, or a specific protected species. The EDP will also set out the amount of the nature restoration levy to be paid by developers to Natural England based on what is required to pay for the measures. Alongside the levy rate payable, the EDP will set out the relevant environmental obligations that will be discharged, disapplied or modified as a result of making the payment. The EDP may also include areas within a development area where development is excluded from the EDP – for example, within the protected site itself. The EDP will also specify particular types and amounts of development that it can cover. Once the threshold for the amount of development allowed under the EDP is reached, without an amendment new development will no longer be able to rely upon the EDP. Natural England can define an amount of development in a variety of ways. An EDP must specify a start date when development can start paying into the EDP, and an end date – the point at which the overall improvement test must have been met. The end date must be no later than 10 years following the start date, so that benefits can start to be realised within a reasonable timeframe. EDPs will be able to include back-up conservation measures that could be deployed, if needed, to secure the desired environmental outcomes. That is not only important for nature, but part of ensuring that the Secretary of State can be confident that EDPs will deliver conservation measures that materially outweigh the impact of development. This shift from the status quo towards active restoration. Importantly, planning conditions can be imposed on development as a conservation measure. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. No provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill reduce those protections. An EDP that would cause irreversible or irreparable impact to a protected site or species could not be approved by a Secretary of State, as it would fail to secure the overall improvement of the conservation status of the relevant environmental feature. Similarly, under the Bill network measures could never be used where to do so would result in the loss of an irreplaceable habitat as this would inherently not pass the overall improvement test. EDPs will define the environmental impacts they cover, such as nutrient pollution or the impact development might have on a protected species. On 24 November, during consideration of Commons Reasons and Amendments in the House of Lords, the government made clear that the first EDPs will address nutrient pollution only and that Ministers would return to the House once the first nutrients EDPs are in place to issue a statement on their progress. It will only be after the House has seen this statement that the Secretary of State will make any further EDPs on other environmental issues. Whilst Natural England may wish to undertake preparatory work in parallel on potential future EDPs, this approach would ensure that any learning from the first nutrients EDP is considered before any EDPs beyond nutrients are made and operational.

Communities and Local Government, whether the overall improvement test in Environmental Delivery Plans will ensure that irreplaceable habitats and species cannot be included; and whether he will publish a list of environmental features he considers to be irreplaceable.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features – a specific protected feature of a protected site, or a specific protected species. The EDP will also set out the amount of the nature restoration levy to be paid by developers to Natural England based on what is required to pay for the measures. Alongside the levy rate payable, the EDP will set out the relevant environmental obligations that will be discharged, disapplied or modified as a result of making the payment. The EDP may also include areas within a development area where development is excluded from the EDP – for example, within the protected site itself. The EDP will also specify particular types and amounts of development that it can cover. Once the threshold for the amount of development allowed under the EDP is reached, without an amendment new development will no longer be able to rely upon the EDP. Natural England can define an amount of development in a variety of ways. An EDP must specify a start date when development can start paying into the EDP, and an end date – the point at which the overall improvement test must have been met. The end date must be no later than 10 years following the start date, so that benefits can start to be realised within a reasonable timeframe. EDPs will be able to include back-up conservation measures that could be deployed, if needed, to secure the desired environmental outcomes. That is not only important for nature, but part of ensuring that the Secretary of State can be confident that EDPs will deliver conservation measures that materially outweigh the impact of development. This shift from the status quo towards active restoration. Importantly, planning conditions can be imposed on development as a conservation measure. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. No provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill reduce those protections. An EDP that would cause irreversible or irreparable impact to a protected site or species could not be approved by a Secretary of State, as it would fail to secure the overall improvement of the conservation status of the relevant environmental feature. Similarly, under the Bill network measures could never be used where to do so would result in the loss of an irreplaceable habitat as this would inherently not pass the overall improvement test. EDPs will define the environmental impacts they cover, such as nutrient pollution or the impact development might have on a protected species. On 24 November, during consideration of Commons Reasons and Amendments in the House of Lords, the government made clear that the first EDPs will address nutrient pollution only and that Ministers would return to the House once the first nutrients EDPs are in place to issue a statement on their progress. It will only be after the House has seen this statement that the Secretary of State will make any further EDPs on other environmental issues. Whilst Natural England may wish to undertake preparatory work in parallel on potential future EDPs, this approach would ensure that any learning from the first nutrients EDP is considered before any EDPs beyond nutrients are made and operational.

Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.

As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year. This will ensure that chalk streams are explicitly recognised as features of high environmental value in national planning policy and that clear expectations are set for plan-makers and decision-makers in respect of managing the impacts of development on these sensitive waterbodies.

Communities and Local Government, whether any Environmental Delivery Plans are currently under consideration or development by Natural England or have been proposed by the Government.

Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features – a specific protected feature of a protected site, or a specific protected species. The EDP will also set out the amount of the nature restoration levy to be paid by developers to Natural England based on what is required to pay for the measures. Alongside the levy rate payable, the EDP will set out the relevant environmental obligations that will be discharged, disapplied or modified as a result of making the payment. The EDP may also include areas within a development area where development is excluded from the EDP – for example, within the protected site itself. The EDP will also specify particular types and amounts of development that it can cover. Once the threshold for the amount of development allowed under the EDP is reached, without an amendment new development will no longer be able to rely upon the EDP. Natural England can define an amount of development in a variety of ways. An EDP must specify a start date when development can start paying into the EDP, and an end date – the point at which the overall improvement test must have been met. The end date must be no later than 10 years following the start date, so that benefits can start to be realised within a reasonable timeframe. EDPs will be able to include back-up conservation measures that could be deployed, if needed, to secure the desired environmental outcomes. That is not only important for nature, but part of ensuring that the Secretary of State can be confident that EDPs will deliver conservation measures that materially outweigh the impact of development. This shift from the status quo towards active restoration. Importantly, planning conditions can be imposed on development as a conservation measure. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists. No provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill reduce those protections. An EDP that would cause irreversible or irreparable impact to a protected site or species could not be approved by a Secretary of State, as it would fail to secure the overall improvement of the conservation status of the relevant environmental feature. Similarly, under the Bill network measures could never be used where to do so would result in the loss of an irreplaceable habitat as this would inherently not pass the overall improvement test. EDPs will define the environmental impacts they cover, such as nutrient pollution or the impact development might have on a protected species. On 24 November, during consideration of Commons Reasons and Amendments in the House of Lords, the government made clear that the first EDPs will address nutrient pollution only and that Ministers would return to the House once the first nutrients EDPs are in place to issue a statement on their progress. It will only be after the House has seen this statement that the Secretary of State will make any further EDPs on other environmental issues. Whilst Natural England may wish to undertake preparatory work in parallel on potential future EDPs, this approach would ensure that any learning from the first nutrients EDP is considered before any EDPs beyond nutrients are made and operational.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of potential impact of the proposed changes to the Protection of Badgers Act on shooting badgers.

These amendments standardise licences for development purposes under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 with those for other species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, 2017. This is intended to facilitate strategic-level Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) as provided for in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. We are legislating that licences issued under the Act to derogate from the protection afforded to badgers will be subject to strict tests required by the Bern Convention, which set a high bar. For licences under the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), against an EDP for badgers, an overall improvement in the conservation status of badgers will be required. Killing badgers would remain exceptional and only permissible under strict conditions, such as disease control, and would not become routine for development purposes. A specific assessment of the potential impact on shooting badgers has not been undertaken as the impact of these provisions will depend on practical application by Natural England through EDPs or individual licences.

What steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of organised crime in North East Hertfordshire constituency.

The cost of organised crime is pervasive, whether this is impacting our economy or exploiting the vulnerable. This week the government has launched a crackdown on shops on our high streets, as part of Operation Machinize. These shops are fronts for serious organised crime, money laundering and illegal working, risking the future of the British High Street.Law enforcement work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to dismantle criminal networks across the UK including in Hertfordshire, and relentlessly pursue those who use dirty money for personal gain.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 11 July to Question UIN 65893 on Water Restoration Fund, whether the reinvestment of £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies into projects to clean up our waters will be progressed by (a) a second round of the Water Restoration Fund and (b) by other means.

The Water Restoration Fund is now delivering on-the-ground improvements for water quality through 51 projects, directly benefiting the communities and the environment which have been harmed by water company rule-breaking. The programme runs for 3 years from FY 2025-26 until 2027-28.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for urgent pelvic ultrasounds.

We inherited a broken National Health Service, and reducing elective waiting lists is a key part of getting it back on its feet and building an NHS that is fit for the future. To that end we have committed to achieving the NHS Constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029. Cutting waiting times for diagnostic tests including those for urgent pelvic issues is a crucial step in reducing the elective waiting list.In the Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor announced £600 million of capital funding to support the reduction of diagnostic waiting lists, including continued investment in new and expanded Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs), new acute hospital diagnostic equipment, and investment in digital diagnostic capabilities.Abdomen or pelvic ultrasounds are one of five imaging tests for which general practitioners (GPs) can now make direct referrals, meaning patients can get the scan they need sooner at their local hospital or other NHS facility, whichever offers this service. The General Practice Direct Access Guidance advises how GPs can make the most of GP direct access especially where specific diagnostic tests are under the threshold for referral under the urgent suspected cancer referral pathway.Patients can also be referred for pelvic ultrasounds for a number of reasons, including suspected urological malignancies, and other gynaecological cancers. Improved performance on the Faster Diagnosis Standard means that 135,000 more people have had cancer diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days between September 2024 and August 2025, compared the same months in the previous year.We have also already made excellent progress turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, including tackling gynaecology waiting lists using the private sector.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) preparing and (b) publishing a national strategy for (i) palliative and (ii) end-of-life care.

The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable integrated care boards to address challenges in access, quality and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of verifications of catch certificates accompanying seafood imports undertaken by UK authorities.

Defra and the Marine Management Organisation work closely with Devolved Governments, Local Authorities and Port Health Authorities to ensure illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing documentary checks are completed at the border and appropriate verifications are conducted on seafood imports to the UK . Verifications, defined under Article 17 of the UK's IUU Regulation, are formal checks beyond standard documentary reviews. Competent Authorities conduct risk-based checks, and if concerns arise, the MMO may hold consignments and carry out verifications.

Whether he has had discussions with industry stakeholders on growing UK-based manufacturing of hydrogen and fuel cell equipment by 2030.

The Government announced a public finance offer for clean energy industries to crowd private investment into sustainable UK supply chains. This includes: a £1bn Clean Energy supply chain fund; £5.8bn for the National Wealth Fund to invest across this Parliament in clean industries including low-carbon hydrogen; and a £4bn British Business Bank Industrial Strategy Growth Capital scale up and start up financing package.My officials in the UK and overseas are working closely with UK-based companies to showcase the UK's leading capabilities and unlock opportunities across the hydrogen value chain both at home and overseas. I look forward to working with the industry on these shared ambitions.