Written questions by Mierlo.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward the implementation timing of policy proposals to strengthen controls on waste-carrier registration; and what steps is his department currently taking to prevent unregulated operators entering the waste sector and engaging in illegal dumping.

Work has begun to draft the necessary legislative amendments for reform of the carriers, brokers, dealers regime and these will be progressed as soon as parliamentary time allows. Our planned reforms to the waste carriers, brokers and dealers regime and the waste permit exemptions regime will make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. Our planned digital waste tracking reforms will make it harder than ever to mis-identify waste or dispose of it inappropriately. In addition, the Environment Agency’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased and includes £15.6m for waste crime enforcement.  This is a more than 50% increase from 2024/25. Overall, the EA has been able to increase its frontline criminal enforcement resource in the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and area environmental crime teams across England by 43 full-time staff.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of biodiversity net gain on the UK's progress in meeting its legally-binding biodiversity targets.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) plays a vital role in protecting nature and the Government expects it to make an important contribution to meeting legally binding environmental targets. We have heard from developers, local authorities, and ecologists that BNG needs to work better for some of the smallest developments. Recently announced reforms will make the process simpler for small developers while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full response to the BNG consultations is expected in the new year.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of delaying business rates revaluations for hospitality businesses.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the Rateable Value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency, and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. The next revaluation will take effect from 1 April 2026 based on values from 1 April 2024.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of exempting all small sites from biodiversity net gain on the UK's progress in meeting its legally-binding biodiversity targets.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) plays a vital role in protecting nature and the Government expects it to make an important contribution to meeting legally binding environmental targets. We have heard from developers, local authorities, and ecologists that BNG needs to work better for some of the smallest developments. Recently announced reforms will make the process simpler for small developers while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full response to the BNG consultations is expected in the new year.

Whether the she plans to apply the proposed salary threshold and RQF Level 6 requirements for Skilled Worker visas retrospectively to people already in the UK under existing visa conditions when they apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain; and whether she plans to implement transitional protections for families who entered the UK legally under previous rules.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of mainstream political engagement on reducing vulnerability to extremism; and if she will bring forward policy proposals to improve mainstream engagement to help prevent extremism.

Improving mainstream political engagement can have a positive impact on reducing vulnerability to extremism. It is so important that an all-party approach is taken to address the incredibly important issue of extremism. We are exploring options to improve our response to extremism.This Government takes extremism seriously. Efforts to counter extremism span a broad range of Government and law enforcement activity and we must persist in our efforts to challenge extremist narratives, disrupt the activity of radicalising groups, and directly tackle the causes of radicalisation.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91728 on Broadband: Henley and Thame, what spending she plans between the end of the current contract period for South Oxfordshire delivery of Project Gigabit in 2026 and the end of the spending review period in 2030.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) is working with suppliers to review future Project Gigabit delivery plans across the UK including in Oxfordshire. Further Project Gigabit procurements will be undertaken to complete the remaining delivery necessary to achieve nationwide coverage by 2032. This will be taken forward using the funding that is already available through the 2025 Spending Review, and any further funding that is made available through future Spending Reviews.At the 2025 Spending Review, £1.8 billion of funding was allocated for Project Gigabit from 2026/27 to 2029/30, enabling delivery of existing contracts, the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, and ongoing procurements with the Devolved Administrations. This is in addition to almost £1 billion of funding which will have been spent on Project Gigabit by March 2026.Commercial delivery in a competitive market has and will remain essential to the delivery of the overall gigabit broadband ambition, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially. DSIT will continue to work in partnership with industry as it develops its ongoing commercial delivery plans. This includes removing barriers to delivery and working with Ofcom to maintain a stable pro-competition regulatory environment to support private investment.

What assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report by the Chartered Management Institute entitled The CMI Managers Voice September 2024: Managers Voice Pulse Point Poll, published in September 2024.

The Government has not made a specific assessment of the implications of the report for the upcoming bereavement leave entitlement.Due to the sensitive nature of bereavement leave we are currently consulting on details of the final entitlement, engaging with key stakeholders to make sure bereavement leave is constructed with the needs of both employers and employees at the forefront.An impact assessment of the policy has been conducted, which covers the impact on businesses and workers. This is available on gov.uk.

What steps he is taking to improve access to legal aid in short notice cases.

We recognise that in certain circumstances individuals may need to access legal aid services urgently and the Government provides specific support to facilitate this.In criminal legal aid, those who are to be interviewed under caution by the police are entitled to advice and assistance from a solicitor, which is arranged through the Defence Solicitor Call Centre on a 24/7 basis. Court duty solicitors are available to provide immediate advice to individuals on a first appearance in the magistrates’ court, except for certain minor offences such as summary motoring offences.We have committed up to £92 million per year additional investment for criminal legal aid solicitors. As part of that, we are harmonising the fixed fee for all police station schemes at £320 excluding VAT. This is above the current highest fee paid, meaning all police station attendance fee schemes will see an uplift. In addition, we are uplifting magistrates’ court fees by 10%. This significant investment will support duty solicitors who work on short notice cases, and the sustainability of the profession.In civil legal aid, providers can apply to the Legal Aid Agency for Emergency Legal Representation to cover emergency legal advice if individuals need urgent representation in court.In public family proceedings, legal aid is available means-free for parents and those with parental responsibility in most public family law special Children Act 1989 cases, including for interim care orders and emergency protection orders. A light-touch merits test is applied, so that only the need for representation is considered.An eligibility waiver is available for victims of domestic abuse applying for urgent protection. This means they can receive legal aid even if they would not otherwise pass the means test, though they may then have to pay a financial contribution towards their legal costs.For people facing the loss of their home, in-court advice and representation is available on the day of the possession hearing via the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service.Individuals held in Immigration Removal Centres and immigration detainees held in prisons are provided with a 30-minute triage appointment through the Detained Duy Advice Scheme. This initial appointment supports detained individuals to make contact with a legal provider that may provide further advice (subject to merits and eligibility).We are uplifting legal aid fees for immigration and housing work, injecting an additional £20 million per year, which will support swift access to legal aid in these areas, including for short notice cases.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding the National Curriculum to embed (a) critical and creative thinking, (b) problem solving, (c) communication and (d) collaboration skills to support the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.

The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review sets out our plan to ensure that all pupils develop the knowledge and skills that we know are essential for life, work and innovation.When refreshing the national curriculum, we will identify where subject-specific disciplinary skills are not clearly described or not emphasised adequately, and then ensure that these are properly reflected in those subjects’ programmes of study. For example, creative thinking in computing, critical thinking in history or problem solving in maths.Furthermore, we will be extending citizenship to primary schools to introduce important financial literacy to pupils from an earlier age; reforming computing education to equip more young people with the digital skills they need for the future; and creating a new oracy framework to help pupils become confident, fluent speakers, setting them up for leadership roles in the workplace.

If she will bring forward policy proposals to make access to PE and sport at school a right for all disabled children.

The department is committed to giving every pupil the chance to participate in PE and sport while at school. This government has committed funding of up to £300,000 this financial year to the Youth Sport Trust to deliver Inclusion 2028, a programme to upskill the school workforce to deliver high quality, inclusive PE, school sport and physical activity to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The programme also funds the Inclusive Education Hub, an online platform of resources to help schools make their PE and sport more inclusive.Schools also receive capital funding directly through core funding. The government is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.Following my right hon. friend, the Prime Minister’s announcement on 19 June 2025, we are establishing a new PE and school sport partnerships network to ensure all children and young people, including those with SEND, have access to high quality PE and school sport.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the time taken by NICE to assess Givinostat.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) aims wherever possible to publish recommendations on new medicines close to the point of licensing. NICE’s appraisal of givinostat has been more complex and has required additional work to ensure that it is able to make a recommendation on its use for the NHS. The timeline was extended following discussions with the company in order to facilitate a suitably comprehensive and robust submission and to incorporate a four-week targeted call for evidence from stakeholders. This call was to address specific areas where additional evidence was required to support the NICE appraisal committee to make a fully informed decision. NICE’s Appraisal Committee met to consider its recommendations on 23 October 2025. Stakeholders in the appraisal will be kept informed of the outcome and the next steps for the appraisal of givinostat as it progresses.

What steps she is taking to improve decision making times at the Valuation Office Agency.

The VOA is meeting the majority of its performance targets. In the areas where it isn’t, it has robust service recovery plans in place. These include moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand and upskilling its workforce in a wider range of casework, to ensure greater flexibility. It continues to prioritise any cases where a customer is facing financial hardship. The VOA reports monthly on performance to the HMRC Executive Committee and Board. The decision to move the VOA’s functions into HMRC next year will strengthen direct accountability to ministers. Integration is being carefully managed by a joint HMRC and VOA team, with detailed transition plans in place and appropriate oversight from my department.

What assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of the uptake and (b) effectiveness of the Victim Right to Review pilot.

In June 2025 the CPS began a pilot in the West Midlands which offers victims of rape and serious sexual assault the opportunity to have a separate prosecutor review the case before any final decision is taken to stop the case in court. If that prosecutor concludes that the Full Code Test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors is met, the case will continue.The number of decisions eligible for review under the pilot have so far been low. These volumes have meant an evaluation of the pilot has not been possible to date. Evaluation is essential, and the pilot will continue to allow enough evidence to be gathered to assess its effectiveness.Consideration is also being given to expanding the pilot to support a thorough evaluation.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that climate adaptation is considered alongside decarbonisation in policy planning; and whether his Department plans to develop and publish a National Climate Resilience Plan that incorporates nature-based solutions, updates infrastructure standards, provides support for local authorities and promotes public awareness through a coordinated strategy to manage climate-related risks.

Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP), setting out actions by relevant government departments to address the risks identified in the latest risk assessment. The next NAP will include local climate adaptation and support public awareness of climate risks. While Defra coordinates this work, this is a whole of government effort. In DESNZ, we are working to ensure that homes are fit for the future and the Department has been carrying out research to respond to the relevant climate change adaptation risks identified by the third Climate Change Risk Assessment. This research is closing evidence gaps identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat and where these are located, as well as appropriate adaptation solutions. This is informing the development of the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon. Maintaining a secure and resilient energy supply is also a top priority. We work continually with industry to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure, considering a range of evolving risks and hazards as well as future system changes – including changing climate. This includes publishing an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026, setting out Government’s long-term priorities to maintain energy resilience now and in the future.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91728 on Broadband: Henley and Thame, how much funding is required to meet the 99% goal.

Commercial delivery in a competitive market has and will remain essential to the delivery of the overall gigabit broadband ambition, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially.At the most recent Spending Review we announced £1.8 billion in funding for Project Gigabit to cover the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.This investment will support the delivery of all existing Project Gigabit contracts, voucher projects and areas currently in procurement. This includes the South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East Berkshire contracts referenced in the response to Question 91728.We are refreshing our delivery plans ahead of the 2027 Spending Review and will continue to apply Project Gigabit subsidy in areas that are not expected to be reached commercially.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91728 on Broadband: Henley and Thame, what steps her Department is taking to secure additional funding to complete that project.

Commercial delivery in a competitive market has and will remain essential to the delivery of the overall gigabit broadband ambition, as most gigabit-capable connections will be delivered commercially.At the most recent Spending Review we announced £1.8 billion in funding for Project Gigabit to cover the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.This investment will support the delivery of all existing Project Gigabit contracts, voucher projects and areas currently in procurement. This includes the South Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East Berkshire contracts referenced in the response to Question 91728.We are refreshing our delivery plans ahead of the 2027 Spending Review and will continue to apply Project Gigabit subsidy in areas that are not expected to be reached commercially.

What steps he is taking to improve energy security and ensure that households reduce energy demands.

The Government is reducing dependency on volatile fossil fuel markets, with investment in homegrown energy. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan estimates £40 billion per year for clean energy projects, with significant upgrading of a dysfunctional grid system, ending delays by expanding the renewable auction process, and speeding up planning decisions to prioritise critical infrastructure. To reduce energy demands the government announced an additional £1.5 billion for the Warm Homes Plan, bringing total investment to almost £15 billion. This major step forward in the government’s plans will upgrade millions of homes over this Parliament and cut bills for good.

If he will set and publish plans for ensuring that the most disadvantaged people can transition to clean energy with the Clean Power plan.

Last December, the Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action plan. The Plan provides the foundation for the UK to build an energy system that can bring down bills for households and businesses for good, including those who are most disadvantaged. We are also delivering improvements to home energy efficiency through a number of targeted schemes including the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant, which support low income and fuel poor households, alongside the continuation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme which is providing grants to thousands of households to help upgrade their heating systems. As more homes are made energy efficient this will reduce carbon emissions, reduce overall energy demand and reduce energy bills for consumers. We will share more details on our plans to upgrade up to 5 million homes across the country as part of our upcoming Warm Homes Plan to cut energy bills for good. At almost £15bn, the Warm Homes Plan is the single biggest public investment programme in energy efficiency in UK history. We will publish more details soon.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the tender process for the New Medium Helicopters to replace the Puma fleet.

The second stage of the New Medium Helicopter competition commenced on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Airbus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK.Only Leonardo Helicopters UK elected to submit a tender which has been evaluated but since the procurement process is still active, it is too early to assess the effectiveness of the competition.Officials continue to consider the New Medium Helicopter business case as part of the Government’s approval process, with a decision to be made as part of the upcoming Defence Investment Plan.