Written questions by Chadwick.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of protections for landowners entering into option agreements with renewable energy developers.

Awaiting answer.

Whether he is considering proposals from the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme to distribute the £1.1 billion of undistributed surplus currently held within the Scheme to members.

The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once...

Whether he has made an estimate of the potential additional pension income that would be received by Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members in Wales if the Trustees’ proposals on the distributio

The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once...

Whether the Government supports changes to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme rules to ensure that bonus pensions awarded to members cannot subsequently be withdrawn.

The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible, and will make an announcement once...

What assessment he has made of the potential economic merits to former coalfield communities of distributing the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme's undistributed surplus to members through higher

I recognise the benefits to coalfield communities of higher pension payments. The Government has already transferred £3.8bn to members of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme which has already made a significant imp...

Whether his Department has considered the introduction of full inflation linking for Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme pensions as part of the Scheme's next valuation.

The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this issue as swiftly as possible and will make an announcement once ...

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential fiscal implications of reforming the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme surplus sharing arrangements.

I have conversations with my colleagues on a range of issues. The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on their proposed changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. The Government is mindful of the need to resolve this is...

What recent discussions he has had with the Trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme regarding the review of the Scheme’s surplus sharing arrangements; and what his planned timetable is fo

The Government is keen to reach agreement with the MPS Trustees on changes to the arrangements to benefit scheme members. I met the Trustees on 30 April for a constructive discussion of the proposals and how they might be taken forward. The Government is ...

When the HGV road tax holiday will commence and finish; what the eligibility criteria are for that scheme; and how the application process will work.

The government will introduce a 12-month holiday from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, also known as road tax). This will apply to the majority of HGVs renewing their VED between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Eligible vehicles will pay just £1 for their annual V...

What assessment has been made of the opportunity for the UK to develop domestic hydrogen fuel cell supply chains.

Hydrogen is an Industrial Strategy frontier industry, assessed as one of the sectors with the greatest growth potential over the next decade. As we set out in the Clean Industries Sector Plan, the hydrogen industry will create investment and jobs across the UK’s industrial heartlands, and the UK is well placed to be a global leader in hydrogen supply chains, including for fuel cells. We are working closely with UK companies to highlight the UK’s strengths, attract investment, support scale‑up, and boost domestic hydrogen production, helping grow fuel cell supply chains both in the UK and overseas.

What assessment has been made of the role that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could play alongside electric vehicles in achieving net zero transport, particularly in light of vehicle weight, raw material availability and grid capacity constraints.

The Government is technology neutral in its approach to road decarbonisation. Road transport accounts for 90% of domestic transport greenhouse gas emissions, making the transition to zero emission vehicles essential to achieving our climate obligations.The market will decide which zero emission technologies are ultimately successful, and it is likely that battery electric vehicles will be the most cost effective and practical in the majority of applications. Battery electric vehicles with vehicle to grid capability are likely to play an important role in managing grid capacity, providing grid flexibility. However, hydrogen technology may be adopted in some cases where it makes sense to do so.

Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement measures have been implemented at Dover since September 2024.

Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority (PHA) to improve the interception of illegal products of animal origin entering England via the port of Dover. Enforcement measures implemented at Dover since September 2024 have included seizure and destruction, and these are implemented by Border Force and Dover PHA. To enable this operational activity by Dover PHA, Defra has provided over £14.4m provided since October 2022.

What steps his Department is taking to help ensure that British steel is not undercut by high-emission imports.

As set out in the steel strategy, the government is committed to creating a fair and competitive market for UK steel by addressing carbon leakage. The Government will introduce the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from January 2027. The UK CBAM is an environmental measure designed to tackle the risk of carbon leakage by ensuring that some of the most emissions intensive industrial goods imported to the UK face a comparable carbon price to what is paid domestically. UK CBAM is led by HM Treasury, and the Department for Business and Trade are engaging with them on this measure.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring adequate veterinary staffing at ports.

The Home Office is not responsible for veterinary staffing at ports and therefore the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this. Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority to improve the interception of illegal meat entering England, this includes considering capacity and capabilities.

If he will make it his policy to extend the trade protection measures for steelmakers to their customers in the steel intensive manufacturing supply chain.

This Government recognises the distinct value of downstream users, including in the manufacturing supply chain, alongside the importance of maintaining a resilient domestic steel sector. The steel trade measure has been designed to addresses the serious threat posed by global steel overcapacity, which undermines the viability of UK steelmaking and, in turn, our critical national infrastructure and defence.We have carefully balanced the needs of producers and downstream industry, and the product scope of the measure reflects this. There are no current plans to extend this scope, but we will continue to engage with downstream industry as the measure is implemented.

What assessment his Department has made of the comparative level of the steel power price gap with competitor nations, following the recent increase in network compensation charging.

As set out in the recently published steel strategy, UK steel producers that benefit from British Industry Supercharger support and the current Network Charging Compensation scheme paid industrial electricity prices of £93 per MWh in 2025 (a 60% relief). The increase in compensation for network charges from 60% to 90%, which was announced in the Industrial Strategy and implemented from 1 April 2026, will reduce electricity prices for steel producers by a further £7 to £10 per MWh approximately.The equivalent cost faced by industrial electricity users in France and Germany is £69/MWh and £60/MWh respectively. Using average electricity intensity factors for electric arc furnace-based steel production, the difference to UK producers equates to approximately £8-£13 per tonne of crude steel.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to implement effective oversight of biosecurity border controls.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department does not oversee import controls for biosecurity, but Border Force is responsible for identifying and seizing illegally imported illegal animals, illegal animal products, illegal plants and plant products in some scenarios. Defra and the Home Office are in active dialogue around practical improvements, including at a recent ministerial bilateral meeting and at meetings of the Goods Border Small Ministerial Group.

Whether his Department plans to expand the Energy Supercharger package to include a larger proportion of the steel industry and related sectors including scrap.

The Department for Business and Trade will conduct its review of the British Industry Supercharger this year, which will include a review of eligibility criteria. Any changes to eligibility criteria, or other parts of the policy, are subject to public consultation and ministerial approval. I encourage all stakeholders, including those in the steel and scrap sectors, to engage with this review when the opportunity arises and present all relevant evidence.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen domestic supply chains for steel, following the publication of the Defence Industrial Strategy.

This Government is committed to creating the right conditions in the UK for a competitive and sustainable steel industry. The sector provides vital support to the UK’s defence capabilities, including specialist cast and forged steel components for a range of defence programmes. The department publishes its future pipeline for steel requirements, enabling UK steel manufacturers to better plan and bid for upcoming contracts. The National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review, and Defence Industrial Strategy set out how a strong industrial base is critical for maintaining our national security infrastructure. While steel used in our major Defence programmes is generally sourced by our prime contractors from a range of UK and international suppliers, MOD procurement activity will continue to apply PPN 022, a policy aimed at increasing the use of British-produced steel in public contracts. The MOD also supports the recently published UK Steel Strategy which sets out a long-term plan to revitalise the UK steel sector and restore domestic production to sustainable levels.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the volume of diverted high-emission steel imports into the UK.

Charges under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for relevant goods entering the EU Single Market have applied since January 2026. This includes EU imports of steel goods within scope of EU CBAM. We are monitoring the EU CBAM and continue to engage with businesses. The EU CBAM may influence trade flows by changing relative costs between markets, with impacts remaining uncertain and dependent on commercial and policy factors. The UK Government will introduce its own CBAM from January 2027 to protect against carbon leakage.