Written questions by Leadbitter.

What estimate he has made of long-term storage costs of nuclear waste; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his Department's policies on those costs.

Nuclear power is central to our ambitions for clean energy and to meet our net zero commitments. It is therefore important that we have in place effective plans to manage the associated wastes that arise from nuclear operations. Approximately 94% of nuclear waste by volume is low in radioactivity and will be disposed of safely in existing facilities. For the remaining more hazardous radioactive waste, the UK Government’s policy is to implement geological disposal. A geological disposal facility is expected to be available for intermediate level waste in c.2050-2060 and c.2075 for high level waste and Spent Fuel. We require interim storage to manage this waste until disposal facilities are available - these interim stores vary depending on the nature of waste they are designed for.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's policy on hydrogen on the (a) demand and (b) supply of water.

We require projects to have robust plans in place for sustainable water sourcing, including gaining abstraction licenses from the EA in England and SEPA in Scotland where required, and assess these when support is sought under Hydrogen Allocation Rounds. The Government’s forthcoming Hydrogen Strategy will build on previous work to elaborate on how water supply constraints are being considered in planning for the hydrogen economy.

Whether he raised animal welfare issues in relation to trade during his visit to China in September 2025.

The Secretary of State for the Department of Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, visited China from 10-11 September to co-chair the first UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission since 2018 and the UK-China Industrial Cooperation Dialogue. The visit delivered over £1bn market access wins in potential additional exports over 5 years, including the signing of a Pet Food Protocol in the agrifood sector.Animal welfare was not discussed during the Secretary of State’s visit. The Government raises concerns about the welfare of animals with other Governments and international organisations when appropriate.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Airspace modernisation, published on 22 October 2024, whether her Department and the Civil Aviation Authority plan to deploy the Scottish cluster's airspace change proposal first.

The Government’s priority is to deliver the benefits of airspace modernisation alongside the critical technology upgrades to the UK’s air traffic control systems. The Department for Transport is working closely with Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and NATS to ensure that the airports can continue to make progress with their Airspace Change Proposals in line with the CAA’s airspace change process. The next stage in this process is for the airports to consult on their proposals.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing peak fares for rail passengers.

We are overhauling the fares and ticketing system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are buying the right ticket and getting the best fare, with the move to Great British Railways passengers will be able to receive a more consistent offer across the network. The amount of taxpayer subsidy provided to the railway industry has increased from under a quarter in 2018/19 to almost half of total income following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023/24. We need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on the Scotch Whisky industry.

Over 90% of scotch is exported, and so will not be directly affected by the Budget measures, but the industry is set to be among the biggest beneficiaries from the trade deal with India, which is set to reduce tariffs from 150% to 75% initially, and then 40% over time.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has raised concerns on (a) animal welfare issues and (b) feline welfare with the Chinese Government.

The UK Government and the public share a high regard for animal welfare. Whilst the UK Government cannot guarantee that other countries will adopt similar welfare standards as our own, we encourage others to do so through membership of international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office raises concerns about the welfare of animals with other Governments and international authorities at suitable opportunities.

What progress her Department has made on reducing driving test wait times for test centres in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.There are two driving test centres (DTCs) in the Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey constituency, which are Elgin, and Grantown on Spey. As of August 2025, the average waiting time in weeks for Elgin was 19.5 weeks, and for Grantown on Spey 21.8 weeks. On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce driving test waiting times across the country.Further information on these actions and progress on the DVSA’s plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK. DVSA continues to run recruitment campaigns for new driving examiners (DE). From recent recruitment in Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey, DVSA has had one new DE begin in Elgin. From the most recent campaign, two potential new DEs are at the employment offer stage of the process.

What steps his Department is taking to commemorate Merchant Navy Day on 3 September 2025.

Merchant Navy Day honours the bravery, sacrifice, and service of the many men and women of the Merchant Navy, past and present, who have kept our nation afloat in times of peace, in crisis and during conflict. This Ministry of Defence is recognising its importance by raising the Red Ensign across the country on Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, at the Ministry of Defence Main Building on Whitehall and at Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth. There are also wreath laying ceremonies and services in locations across the country and a Merchant Navy Parade at Trinity Gardens in London on Sunday 7 September.

What assessment he has made of the risk of airborne attacks to the security of nuclear power stations; and whether such assessments are included in infrastructure resilience planning.

As these questions relate to civil nuclear infrastructure modelling and civil nuclear contingency planning, they are not a matter for Defence but should be directed to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of inheritance tax rules on housing supply.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) takes inheritance tax into account in its assessments of the housing market. Information can be found at https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/housing-market/. The estates of all individuals benefit from a £325,000 nil-rate band for inheritance tax. The residence nil-rate band is a further £175,000 for those passing on a qualifying residence on death to their direct descendants, such as children or grandchildren, and there are rules in place to accommodate those wishing to downsize. Information is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/how-downsizing-selling-or-gifting-a-home-affects-the-additional-inheritance-tax-threshold. The residence nil-rate band was introduced under the previous Government. The OBR’s assessment of its expected impact on the housing market was set out in its Economic and Fiscal Outlook published on 8 July 2015. This is available at https://obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-july-2015/.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of homeowners whose property is above the free home care threshold but below the £1 million Inheritance Tax Allowance; and whether her Department plans to take steps to change the incentive for these homeowners to leave their property empty.

Adult social care is a devolved policy area. In England, whether a person qualifies for any financial support towards their care costs depends on the results of a financial assessment. Where an individual is receiving care in a setting that is not a care home, such as where they receive care at home, the value of their main or only home must be disregarded during this financial assessment.

What steps she is taking to prevent the livestreaming of child sexual abuse.

The Government is unequivocal in its commitment to protecting children from online sexual abuse. Livestreamed abuse is a particularly abhorrent form of exploitation, and we are determined to ensure that offenders cannot use technology to harm children with impunity.The Online Safety Act introduces world-leading protections for children. It places robust duties on tech companies to prevent and swiftly remove illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, and to take proactive steps to protect children from harm. Ofcom, as the regulator, will have strong enforcement powers to ensure compliance.We also recognise the importance of device-level protections. I support the development and deployment of safety technologies that can help prevent abuse before it happens. This includes exploring the role of on-device tools that can detect and disrupt livestreamed abuse and other image-based harms, while respecting users’ privacy and maintaining end-to-end encryption.The Government continues to work closely with law enforcement, industry, and child protection experts to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of efforts to tackle online child sexual abuse.

If he will publish summary-level modelling of the (a) environmental and (b) public health impact of terrorist attacks at Sizewell C.

We do not publish modelling on the likely impacts of terrorist attacks on the UK’s civil nuclear sites beyond the information included in the public National Risk Register on the grounds of national security. DESNZ officials contribute detailed modelling on potential impacts as part of their contribution to the National Security Risk Assessment, which underpins the National Risk Register.

Whether her Department has provided guidance on government departments analogising UK Government expenditure to household budgets.

HM Treasury has not provided guidance to other government departments comparing UK Government expenditure to household budgets.

If his Department will publish nuclear infrastructure modelling for nuclear projects in the UK.

The Department conducts power market modelling using the Dynamic Dispatch Model (DDM). The DDM is a comprehensive fully integrated power market model covering the GB power market over the medium to long term. Analysis published using this model, such as Modelling 2050 – electricity system analysis - GOV.UK, has shown the importance of nuclear to obtaining low-cost low-carbon solutions to future electricity supply. The DDM has also been used to inform value-for-money assessments, such as the final investment decision on Sizewell C. Sizewell C: Value for money assessment - GOV.UK.

What engagement he has had with local authorities on the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant.

In developing policy areas for the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty Extension, Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials conducted an extensive programme of research and engagement. This included hosting roundtable discussions and workshops with more than 150 organisations, including a wide range of local authorities. This engagement is ongoing as the Extension to the Legal Duty progresses, with MOD officials maintaining regular engagement with key stakeholders, including Local Government Associations across the Devolved Administrations. I would encourage local authorities to continue participating with this engagement as we move to implementation. In addition, as well as organising an annual Conference, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders including local government representatives and Armed Forces Champions from across the nation to share best practices in delivering the Covenant, the MOD also co-chairs the Covenant Community Action Group (CCAG) which serves as a platform for local authority champions to exchange knowledge and showcase their initiatives. The CCAG meets quarterly and includes membership from local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on signing the Global Plastics Treaty.

For too long, plastic has littered our ocean and threatened our wildlife. We urgently need an ambitious and effective international agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040. The UK has been a leading voice in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee and as a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC), the United Kingdom is committed to achieving an ambitious treaty. Negotiations will resume in August with the aim of concluding negotiations on a new treaty. The UK is working with other countries, including allies in the High Ambition Coalition to achieve this.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce levels of plastic waste.

This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. We will publish proposals for the first ever Circular Economy Strategy for England this autumn. It will include a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis. One of the six sectors we will start with is the chemicals and plastics sector. As a part of the transition to a circular economy, managing and reducing plastic waste will be crucial. This will build upon the existing Collection and Packaging Reforms (CPR) programme which is central to the Government’s mission to minimise waste, promote resource efficiency and move towards a more circular economy. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of fossil fuel lobbying groups on the effectiveness of the Global Plastics Treaty.

The Government is committed to reaching agreement on an ambitious and effective treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025 and will be working closely with a range of countries both within the High Ambition Coalition and outside it to achieve this. The UK is committed to an open, transparent and inclusive approach to negotiations to ensure that all have equal opportunity for their views to be heard. The UK Government, at all stages of the INC process, has made it a priority to engage with a broad range of stakeholders. We partnered with the Ocean Plastics Leadership Network to run the UK Treaty Dialogues ahead of each round of negotiations. These brought together stakeholders from across the plastics value chain, including trade associations representing fossil fuel and petrochemical industries, but also academia, eNGOs and other civil society organisations.