Written questions by Anderson.

Food and Rural Affairs, what is her proposed timetable for publishing a decision on restricting bottom-towed fishing in 41 English marine protected areas as consulted on in 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.

Food and Rural Affairs, what amount of bottom-towed fishing has taken place since June 2025 within each of the 41 English offshore marine protected areas subject to public consultation in summer 2025.

While the Marine Management Organisation can record data on gear type in MPAs as it did for the 41 English offshore marine protected areas consulted on in summer 2025, this takes significant time to compile and quality‑check.

Whether the Government still plans to allocate £1 billion through the Structures Fund for the repair of critical transport infrastructure such as bridges, flyovers and tunnels.

The Government remains committed to the plans it set out at the Spending Review, including in relation to providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads. This also includes £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run-down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn-out tunnels.The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and other transport stakeholders on the criteria for prioritising structures for investment through the Structures Fund in February 2026. The Department is currently considering responses to the survey and will confirm further detail on the Structures Fund and the funding available for the 2026/27 financial year in due course.

How much of the Structures Fund is available to be released in the 2026/27 financial year.

The Government remains committed to the plans it set out at the Spending Review, including in relation to providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads. This also includes £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run-down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn-out tunnels.The Department for Transport surveyed local highway authorities and other transport stakeholders on the criteria for prioritising structures for investment through the Structures Fund in February 2026. The Department is currently considering responses to the survey and will confirm further detail on the Structures Fund and the funding available for the 2026/27 financial year in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what efforts have her department made to engage with local women’s led organisations in support of survivors of violence against women and girls in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February following her recent visit to the Chad-Sudan border, and to the answer she was provided on 2 March in response to Question 114073.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications of her policies of flows of weapons into Sudan, supported by external parties.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February following her recent visit to the Chad-Sudan border.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of committing the UK to supporting the development of a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons.

I refer the Hon Member to the response provided on 4 March 2025 to Question 33140.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure accountability for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the offensive to capture El Fasher in October 2025.

I refer the Hon Member to the speech and accompanying statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the UN Security Council on 19 February, links to which can be found below:www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretarys-statement-on-the-un-fact-finding-mission-report-on-el-fasherwww.gov.uk/government/speeches/let-this-be-the-time-that-the-world-comes-together-to-end-the-cycle-of-bloodshed-in-sudan-uk-statement-at-the-un-security-council.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allocating Official Development Assistance to support the upcoming replenishment of the Global Partnership for Education.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 9 December 2025 in response to Question 95975.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK funding for support of communities in Sudan has gone to local organisations.

UK support to channels which provide direct funding to local responders (including through international organisations) totals £55 million from our total £146 million in aid funding for Sudan this financial year. This includes £28 million to the OCHA-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) - to which the UK is the second largest donor - and over £21 million to the Mercy Corps-led Cash Consortium who provide significant support to local actors. The SHF channels 30 per cent of its funding to local actors. We have also recently launched two new partnerships totalling £6 million, through Proximity to Humanity and the First Response Fund, through which we can channel funding more directly to local responders. Under our new programme, HELP-S, we will continue increasing our support to local actors, with the aim that at least 30 per cent of programme spend goes to local actors by the end of the programme in 2029.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has considered introducing a licensing system for gamebird shooting in England.

The Government recognises well-managed gamebird shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment. It also appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of gamebird shooting and there is evidence to suggest a link between it and crimes against birds of prey. It is vital that wildlife and habitats are protected and that the law is respected by those involved in the activity. While Defra has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of licensing gamebird shooting in England, it will continue to work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between gamebird shooting and conservation.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of UK sanctions on Sudanese military actors in stopping conflict in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 February. We keep the impact of all our sanctions designations under constant review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her planned timetable is for disbursing the humanitarian assistance package for El Fasher.

In response to the humanitarian crisis in El Fasher, the Foreign Secretary announced on 1 November a £5 million uplift to UK humanitarian support, including £3 million to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund and £2 million to the International Rescue Committee. We also mobilised £23 million in existing UK humanitarian aid to further support the emergency response in North Darfur. In total, the UK has provided £146 million in this financial year.The distribution of our funding is ongoing and we continue to work through a combination of multilateral organisations, international non-governmental organisations, and local responders to ensure that our support reaches those most in need, including people in hard-to-reach areas such as El Fasher, delivering life-saving food and health assistance, as well as support for survivors of sexual violence through partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Sudan Humanitarian Fund, and Cash Consortium Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty.

Following Royal Assent of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act (BBNJ), further secondary legislation is required before the BBNJ Agreement can be ratified by the UK. This will happen when the parliamentary timetable allows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in South Kordofan, Sudan; and what steps she is taking to help protect (a) civilians and (b) access to aid in South Kordofan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 January in response to Questions 106571-78.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking through the (a) the Quad and (b) other diplomatic routes to help find a cessation to conflict in Sudan.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 January in response to Questions 106571-78.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of reports of UK arms export licences being linked to the conflict in Sudan; and whether she plans to suspend any UK arms export licences linked to arms use in Sudan, including via intermediaries.

I refer the Hon. Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on the Conflict in Sudan on 5 November 2025, where these issues were discussed at length.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made on developing the proposals in the 2024 Fairer Food Labelling consultation.

As set out in the animal welfare strategy, the Government is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, the department will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare. Defra will set out next steps in due course. The Government will continue to review origin labelling and aim to use the outcomes of the Fairer Food Labelling consultation as supporting evidence for future labelling policy.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will convene an expert group of industry representatives, animal welfare organisations and other stakeholders to advise on developing a method of production labelling scheme.

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, the department is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, Defra will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare. The Government will set out next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with retailers and animal welfare organisations on introducing method of production labelling on domestic and imported animal products.

The Department engaged with a range of animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of the animal welfare strategy, which was published in December 2025. As set out in the strategy, Defra is committed to ensuring that consumers have access to clear information on how their food was produced. To support this, we will continue working with relevant stakeholders, including the farming and food industry, scientists and NGOs to explore how improved animal welfare food labelling could provide greater consumer transparency, support farmers and promote better animal welfare.