Written questions by Robertson.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 20097, on road Environment Agency: Motor Vehicles, how much the Environment Agency has spent on vehicle livery broken down by (a) vehicle type, (b) fuel type, and (c) the proportion allocated to branding and decorative elements in each of the last three financial years.

The Environment Agency does not specify a colour for wheel lug nuts on its vehicles and does not cosmetically alter them. All wheel nuts on the Environment Agency’s commercial vehicles have plastic wheel nut indicators attached, which act as a safety feature to indicate if any wheel nuts have come lose. These plastic caps are yellow as standard but can be found in green or orange. Very occasionally, the Environment Agency uses red wheel nut indicators to indicate when a wheel has been changed but has not yet been torqued. All vehicles owned by the Environment Agency have Chapter 8 markings to comply with Department for Transport codes of practice. The Environment Agency logo is also added to owned vehicles; this is regarded as essential for any public serving organisation, particularly for vehicles being used to respond to incidents where the Environment Agency needs a physical presence. The Environment Agency cannot provide a breakdown of the costs of applying chapter 8 markings and logos. The Environment Agency does not have a specific budget allocated solely for vehicle branding.

If he will take steps to ensure that fees paid by commissioners take into account changes in the costs faced by not-for-profit social care providers.

Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the needs of their population, which is why, under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care market to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes negotiating and ensuring fee levels take into account the costs of delivering care, including inflationary and other pressures, to support market sustainability and provider viability.The Government recognises the important role councils have in commissioning and delivering adult and children’s social care services. To support social care authorities to deliver these key services in light of pressures, the Government has this week announced a further £200 million for adult and children’s social care.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2024 to Question 16662 on NHS: Public Consultation, what the total budget is for deliberative engagement in the 2024-25 financial year.

Following an invitation to tender competition process, we appointed Thinks Insight, Kaleidoscope Health and Care, and IPPR to support us to run the 10-Year Health Plan engagement exercise. The awarded value of the contract is up to £2.96 million, and includes running online and in-person engagement activities, the Change NHS online portal, and analysis of the insight received.The current contract start date is 13 September 2024 with an end date of 31 March 2025, with an option to extend by three months. This means that final costs, such as those to undertake analysis, are dependent on the level of engagement that takes place.The details of this award and redacted contract are available at the following link:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/80963989-c4d6-4a16-8e12-c31b43a81ddaWe will be able to provide full costs of the exercise once it is complete.

What representation not-for-profit social care providers will receive on the proposed Adult Social Care Negotiating Body.

As currently drafted, the Employment Rights Bill requires that membership of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body must include, “officials of one or more trade unions that represent the interests of social care workers” and “persons representing the interests of employers of social care workers”. Further details on membership of the Negotiating Body, including on employer representation, will be subject to engagement with the sector and then set out through secondary legislation.

Whether the refreshed NHS workforce plan will include policies on the palliative care sector.

The refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and will ensure that patients get the treatment they need, when and where they need it, including those at the end of their lives. In the development of the plan, we will engage with a range of stakeholders to ensure their needs are considered.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 14178 on Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the removal of the minimum residual bin collection requirement in the final Simpler Recycling policy on the prevalence of local waste collection authorities moving to three-weekly or monthly bin collections.

Local authorities are already legally required to deliver waste collection services to all households in their area. Simpler Recycling in England will go further by mandating weekly food waste collections under the Environment Act 2021. Local authorities have always had flexibility to choose residual waste frequency, depending on local need. Local authorities are best placed to determine the effective delivery of local services. We recognise that as recycling services are expanded and improved under Simpler Recycling, local authorities may choose to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing best value for money in line with local need. The Government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard, as they do now. Defra recently published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained. These include ensuring that there are no disamenity impacts, such as the build-up of odorous waste at the kerbside or an increase in fly-tipping of residual waste. We expect local authorities to monitor any changes to collection frequencies to ensure there are no unintended adverse consequences.

Whether the 10-year health plan will include policies on palliative care.

We have committed to developing a 10-year plan to deliver a National Health Service fit for the future. We will carefully be considering policies, including those that impact people with palliative and end of life care needs, with input from the public, patients, health staff, and our stakeholders, including those in the hospice sector, as we develop the plan.The engagement process has been launched, and I would encourage the palliative and end of life care sector, including hospice providers, service users, and their families, to engage with that process to allow us to fully understand what is not working as well as it should, and what the potential solutions are. Further information is available at the following link:https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/On 19 December the government announced the biggest investment in a generation for hospices to help ensure that hospices can continue to deliver the highest quality end of life care possible for their patients, families, and loved ones. We are supporting the hospice sector with £100 million funding for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. Children and young people’s hospices will also receive a further £26 million revenue funding for 2025/26. This is a continuation of the funding which until recently was known as the children and young people’s hospice grant. We will set out the details of the funding allocation and dissemination in the new year.

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent on custom wheel lug nuts for Agency vehicles in each of the last three years; and for what purpose.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, what the ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency (a) is and (b) was in each of the last three years.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency spent on road vehicle fleet maintenance by (a) vehicle type, (b) fuel type and (c) non-essential modifications in each of the last three financial years.

A breakdown of how much the Environment Agency spent on its commercial fleet’s maintenance by vehicle type and fuel type in the last three financial years is shown in the table below. This does not include leased vehicles as maintenance costs are included in their monthly costs. Data on ‘non-essential modifications’ is not available. Vehicle and Fuel Type21/2222/2323/24Car£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56HYDROGEN£671.17£2,089.80£2,344.56Small Van£197,643.65£197,404.86£227,939.27DIESEL£197,643.65£197,404.86£224,646.14ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£3,293.13Medium Van£86,972.06£99,222.66£103,457.00DIESEL£81,230.17£91,656.48£73,595.68ELECTRIC£5,741.89£7,566.18£29,861.32Large Van£301,630.69£382,204.70£451,251.81DIESEL£301,630.69£382,204.70£423,340.53ELECTRIC£0.00£0.00£27,911.28Small 4x4£208,105.55£231,725.88£285,599.07DIESEL£54,821.86£45,706.05£34,994.41PLUGIN P£153,283.69£186,019.83£250,604.66Medium 4x4£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74DIESEL£126,009.05£114,164.04£120,265.74Large 4x4£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82DIESEL£898,377.91£1,130,997.98£1,243,435.82HGV£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97DIESEL£264,550.99£284,979.48£295,272.97Grand Total£2,083,961.07£2,442,789.40£2,729,566.24 The Environment Agency does not purchase customised wheel lug nuts. The ratio of staff to road vehicles in the Environment Agency, for the last three financial years, is shown in the below table: Financial YearStaff CountCommercial VehiclesRatioLease CarsRatio21/2211,6451,4518.033,6413.2022/2312,5391,4158.863,2293.8823/2414,0721,5229.252,8484.94

Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) his Department’s policy is and (b) what guidance has been given to local authorities on the use of microchips in household wheelie bins.

No, the department has not outlined a policy relating the use of microchips in household wheelie bins and has not issued guidance to local authorities in relation to this topic.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delay to community pharmacy funding negotiations on community pharmacies.

As identified by Lord Darzi’s review, primary care is under pressure and in crisis. The Government inherited a system that has been neglected for too long, and it remains very difficult for pharmacists to deliver for patients at a local level. I am committed to working with the sector to achieve what we all want, a service fit for the future.Now that the Budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the frequency of residual waste household collections on (a) public health and (b) local amenities.

Under section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, there is a duty on local authorities to keep land and highways clear of litter. We recognise that as recycling services are expanded and improved under Simpler Recycling in England, local authorities may choose to review residual waste services to ensure they are providing the most appropriate service for local circumstances. The government’s priority is ensuring that households’ needs are met, and we expect local authorities to continue to provide services to a reasonable standard. Defra recently published guidance to ensure that local authorities consider certain factors when they review services, to ensure that reasonable standards are maintained. These include ensuring that there are no disamenity impacts, such as the build-up of odorous waste at the kerbside or an increase in fly-tipping of residual waste.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024, to Question HL2390, on Waste: Codes of Practice, when his Department plans to respond to the consultation on making the Code of Practice a statutory code.

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse is already a statutory document, and Local Councils must have regard to it when carrying out their duty to keep relevant land clear of litter and refuse. Separate guidance on enforcement was published in 2019 and attached to the Code of Practice but is not statutory. Under the previous Government a consultation was run on making this enforcement guidance statutory. At this stage, the Government has not yet made an assessment of how it can further support local authorities to tackle litter. Any decisions or updates will be communicated in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the frequency of household residual bin collections by local waste collection authorities.

Defra does not routinely collect data on the frequency of household residual bin collections by waste collection authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance has been produced by his Department on the issuing of fines by local authorities on householders who leave items by the curtilage of their property to be given away and re-used.

The department has not produced guidance for local authorities on issuing fixed penalty notices for householders who leave items by the curtilage of their property to be given away and re-used. The principles of the Regulators’ Code applies, however, to enforcement action local authorities undertake. This states that regulatory activity should be carried out in a way which is proportionate, transparent, accountable and consistent. We are considering whether further guidance is necessary with regards to fly-tipping enforcement.

How much funding (a) his Department and (b) NHS England has provided for the Global Majority Fellowship Programme in the last year for which figures are available.

There is no such thing as the Global Majority Fellowship Programme. The NHS Global Fellowship programme offers volunteer reciprocal leadership development opportunities for clinical and non-clinical staff to experience health systems across the globe.NHS England provided £441,773.27 for the NHS Global Fellowships Programme for the financial year 2023/24.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information (a) his Department and (b) its agencies holds on the number of household receptacles required for rubbish and recycling collections by each local waste collection authority.

Defra and the Environment Agency do not routinely collect data on the number of containers required for waste and recycling collections by each waste collection authority.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether any (a) grant scheme, (b) core departmental and (c) other funding for local authorities is linked to their recycling rates of household waste.

From 1 January 2025, the Producer Responsibility (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, alongside simpler recycling and the deposit return scheme, will deliver transformational change, creating thousands of new jobs, helping communities to clean up their local areas, and stimulating billions of pounds’ worth of investment. This will require obligated producers to pay the full end of life costs including managing the efficient and effective collection and disposal costs of waste associated with the packaging that they place on the market. That will bring more than £1 billion of investment into local Government waste collections. The majority of the funding provided from central Government to councils through the Local Government Finance Settlement is un-ringfenced, including funding for waste management. For 2025-26, funding that local authorities receive from the Extended producer responsibility scheme will be additional income that is separate to income received through the local government finance settlement. The Government will assess the impact of additional pEPR income on the relative needs and resources of individual local authorities, and how we factor it into our measurement of local authority spending power, ahead of the 2026-27 Settlement. We will consult local councils on any expected changes.

What steps he is taking to support community pharmacies to ensure (a) financial sustainability, (b) consistency in the provision of services, and (c) dispensing of prescriptions.

Pharmacies play a vital role in our healthcare system. We are committed to expanding the role of pharmacies and better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. That includes making prescribing part of the services delivered by community pharmacists, as part of the shift from hospital to community, and from treatment to prevention. Now that the budget for Government has been set, we will shortly be resuming our consultation with Community Pharmacy England regarding the funding arrangements for community pharmacy.