Written questions by Chowns.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the amount of social housing available for families in need of housing support who need four or more bedrooms.

Data is collected on the number of households on local authority housing registers requiring three or more bedrooms. This stood at 69,434 as of 31 March 2024. Data on households requiring four or more bedrooms is not collected but will be a subset of this number (Source: Section C, Local Authority Housing Statistics 2023-24. Please note the data in the table covers both general needs and supported housing lettings).In 2023/24 there were 41,159 new general needs social housing lettings with three or more bedrooms, of which 4,163 were lettings with 4 or more bedrooms. (Source: Table 2c (Social_housing_lettings_in_England_tenancies_summary_tables_April_2023_to_March_2024.ods. Please note the data in the table only covers general need lettings as the number of bedrooms is not collected for supported housing lettings).

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the issuing of licenses to export endangered European eels.

The international trade in eels is regulated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Because the European eel is critically endangered, any international movements are subject to rigorous scrutiny, including through assessments of legal acquisition and non-detriment. The UK’s approach to international trade of any endangered species is kept under constant review to ensure legality, sustainability, and alignment with global conservation efforts.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 on Question 16304, how many pensioner households who are in receipt of Housing Benefit and who have been identified as being potentially entitled to, but not claiming, Pension Credit her Department has targeted in North Herefordshire constituency; and how many of (a) those pensioner households and (b) the 120,000 pensioner households directly targeted by her Department overall have since claimed Pension Credit.

151 pensioner households were targeted in the North Herefordshire constituency as part of the Invitation to Claim initiative. The letters sent to these households encourage them to claim Pension Credit by 21 December which is the latest date for making a successful backdated claim and still receive a Winter Fuel payment. Data on the number of claims received from the households targeted as part of the initiative, and the number of awards made will be established once the Department has completed processing all those applications and the necessary analysis is completed.

When she plans to update the Cabinet Office Guide to Making Legislation to provide guidance on the environmental principles duty in section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021.

The Guide to Making Legislation will be updated shortly and will include references to environmental principles. Leading up to the commencement of the statutory duties contained within the Environment Act 2021, guidance was circulated to all Whitehall departments. This guidance related to both sections 19 and 20 of that Act.

Whether (a) templates and (b) guidance for (i) ministerial submissions, (ii) the write round process, (iii) post implementation reviews of legislation and (iv) the preparation of departmental business cases have been updated to refer to the environmental principles duty in section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021.

Each Government department is responsible for its own ministerial submission templates and guidance. Departments have been advised to amend their submission templates to reflect the EPPS duty through the Defra-led Environmental Principles Working Group.Ministers may seek collective agreement from the Cabinet or its committees through correspondence, or the ‘write round process’. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, including through correspondence, is not normally shared publicly.In May 2024, the Department for Business & Trade published revised guidance, Producing post-implementation reviews: principles of best practice, which provides advice on the consideration of environmental impacts and specifies that departments should have due regard to the environmental principles policy statement when completing a post-implementation review of legislation.It is mandatory for government departments to make proportionate use of the Green Book, and its supplementary business case guidance, when they develop spending proposals. Where the EPPS duty applies, it is relevant for appraisals that are conducted in line with the Green Book. This is made clear on the Green Book webpage and will be reflected in the Green Book when the document is next updated.

Whether he plans to update guidance for the Better Regulation Framework to include section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021.

Consistent with section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021, the new template for regulatory impact assessments, published under the reformed Better Regulation Framework, states, “All policies, where relevant, must have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement, and demonstrate how the policy will affect the achievement of the legally binding Environment Targets set out in the Environment Act.”

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking with local authorities to ensure that tied accommodation provided to seasonal agricultural workers meets the Housing Health and Safety Rating System standards.

The government appreciates the importance of all seasonal workers living in safe accommodation.The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) provides a framework for identifying hazardous condition in residential premises. Local authorities in England and Wales have a duty to keep the housing conditions in their area under review and have enforcement powers if they identify a hazard through an HHSRS assessment. This applies to accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers that is within scope of the HHSRS. However, as the HHSRS is a system designed for buildings, it does not apply to caravans or other non-building accommodation types.Guidance for sponsors of seasonal agricultural workers on a Seasonal Worker visa, which can be found on gov.uk here, is also issued. It sets a requirement that scheme operators must ensure that safe and hygienic accommodation is in place, that complies with all relevant UK laws.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the standard of accommodation provided to seasonal agricultural workers on UK farms in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

The government appreciates the importance of all seasonal workers living in safe accommodation.The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) provides a framework for identifying hazardous condition in residential premises. Local authorities in England and Wales have a duty to keep the housing conditions in their area under review and have enforcement powers if they identify a hazard through an HHSRS assessment. This applies to accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers that is within scope of the HHSRS. However, as the HHSRS is a system designed for buildings, it does not apply to caravans or other non-building accommodation types.Guidance for sponsors of seasonal agricultural workers on a Seasonal Worker visa, which can be found on gov.uk here, is also issued. It sets a requirement that scheme operators must ensure that safe and hygienic accommodation is in place, that complies with all relevant UK laws.

Whether her Department plans to collect data on the number of children in care that are living in placements that are not in line with their care plan.

Information on whether a looked after child is currently living in a placement that is not in line with their care plan is not held by the department. Information on the numbers of children looked after who were moved to a new placement during the reporting year ending 31 March 2024 and the reasons why the placement changed, including a change to or implementation of a care plan, is submitted by local authorities. This information was recently published on 14 November 2024 in the department’s statistical release and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/f2f7a002-bc22-40de-ada3-08dcedcfecfd.The department is working to improve the data available about children’s social care, including making it more relevant to the experiences of children, young people and families. A core part of this work includes understanding the data needs of the children’s social care sector as a whole and identifying ways in which data gaps may be addressed over time. Addressing data gaps in children’s social care is a long term endeavour due to the need to agree data definitions and standards, as well as redesign local authority and departmental systems before rolling out nationally.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the disbanding of Multi-Agency Assurance Panels on independent assurance of National Referral Mechanism decisions in the review of negative Conclusive Grounds decisions by the Single Competent Authority and Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority to identify victims of modern slavery; and if she will make it her policy to reinstate a MAAP assurance process that (a) tests consistency of decision-making and (b) protects the individual concerned.

The number of referrals into the National Referral Mechanism has continued to grow year on year (17,004 individuals were referred into the NRM in 2023), and the pressure on the timeliness of decision-making in the NRM has only continued to increase. The previous government concluded that the design of the Multi-Agency Assurance Panels (MAAPs) process contributed to the number of days being added to the decision-making timelines for those exiting the NRM as non-victims, and therefore, to help provide greater certainty sooner to that cohort of individuals, MAAPs were removed in December 2022. To further improve the timeliness of decision-making in the NRM, this Government has made arrangements for an additional 200 Home Office decision makers to be recruited in order to eradicate the backlog of decisions on modern slavery cases within 2 years. Regarding assurances of decision making, both competent authorities employ a Quality Strategy intended to support the vision of delivering quality outcomes for victims of modern slavery by regularly reporting quality assurance outcomes to decision making teams.All negative decisions taken by Competent Authorities are reviewed by a second caseworker or manager in line with statutory obligations. This includes negative Reasonable Grounds decisions, negative Conclusive Grounds decisions, and Public Order Disqualification and Bad Faith disqualification decisions. The quality assurance of decisions made also includes random sampling of positive decisions.The Home Office continues to keep the assurance of decision making in the competent authorities under review, including whether independent assurance would be beneficial to decision making outcomes.

What his expected timetable is for the publication of an updated list of significant public appointments; and whether this will include the Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection.

The list of significant public appointments is updated by the Cabinet Office, in consultation with individual departments and the Commissioner for Public Appointments. A refreshed list will be updated in due course. As set out by the previous government, the role of Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection is considered to be a significant appointment.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether data collected through his Department’s farm practices survey informs the assessment of progress on meeting legally binding targets set out in the Environment Act 2021.

Reporting against statutory targets is being developed primarily through data on activities that farmers have volunteered to do as part of schemes. Defra uses survey data, including the results from the farm practices survey, to build assumptions and understand more about land that has not been entered into schemes.

Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish regulations to implement Schedule 17 of the Environment Act 2021 to introduce a due diligence scheme for products of illegal deforestation.

We recognise 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.

Whether any environmental (a) policies and (b) programmes are impacted by the UK Internal Market Act 2020.

The UK Internal Market Act provides the practical framework that facilitates businesses and people to trade and purchase goods and services freely across the UK. It supports economic growth and protects jobs and investment across all four nations of the UK. The Act does not prevent the UK Government or Devolved Governments from legislating in any areas of reserved or devolved policy, including environmental policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question 4844 on Land Use, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of establishing a national land use authority to work on a cross-departmental basis on the proposed land use framework for the purpose of integrating government priorities on (a) housing, (b) energy infrastructure, (c) farming, (d) community ownership and (e) other related matters.

The Government will publish a consultation on land use to inform the publication of a Land Use Framework for England. The land use framework will support farmers and nature recovery, based on an evidence base and spatial analysis. We will set out our approach to governance in due course.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a citizens assembly to consider the future relationship between the UK and the EU.

The Government has no plans to establish a citizens’ assembly to consider the future relationship between the UK and EU. We fully recognise the importance of maintaining an effective dialogue encompassing a broad range of views across civil society, including through the TCA Civil Society Forum and Domestic Advisory Group, as we work to reset our relationship with the EU.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to require all newbuild homes to include solar photovoltaic panels.

Future standards next year will set our new homes and buildings on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and ensures they are fit for a net zero future. This will support our ambition that the 1.5 million homes we will build over the course of this parliament will be high quality, well designed and sustainable. That is why the Deputy Prime Minister and I are clear that rooftop solar should play an important role, where appropriate, as part of the future standards for homes and buildings.

If he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the report by the Food Foundation entitled Broken Plate Report 2023, published on 27 June 2023; and what steps he is taking to tackle misleading health claims on baby and infant food.

We face a childhood obesity crisis, and the Government is committed to raising the healthiest next generation ever. It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and young children and ensure that claims made about infant food or drink are accurate and not misleading. This will help to better support parents and carers to make the best choices for feeding their young children.The independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), for their 2023 report Feeding Young Children aged 1-5 years, recommended that foods, including snacks, that are high in salt, free sugars, saturated fat, or are energy dense, should be limited in the diets of children aged one to five years old, and that commercially manufactured foods and drinks marketed specifically for infants and young children are not needed to meet nutrition requirements.This is why baby and infant foods are already subject to robust regulations which set nutrition and composition standards through the Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (England) Regulations 2003 and its parent Regulation (EU) No 609/2013 on food for specific groups.Under our health mission and shift to prevention we are considering what further action is needed to respond to the SACN’s commercial baby food recommendations, in order to establish healthy habits as early as possible. We will continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start vouchers.

The Healthy Start scheme is kept under review. There have been no discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on introducing auto-enrolment for Healthy Start.The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies, and young children under four years old, from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk, and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four years old. Healthy Start now supports over 355,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme.The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, the NHS Business Services Authority is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, we remain open to all viable routes to improve uptake.

What steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) manage the standard of food provided by schools.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. School Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.The government’s ambition is to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or from growers certified to meet higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set best practice in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The government has also committed to supporting schools to improve the sustainability of school food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include advice around sustainable sourcing.Ministerial teams are working with department officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. Our aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to school food under continued review.