Written questions by Hayes.

What steps she is taking to support police forces to prevent lead theft in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas.

Theft, including the theft of lead, is a deeply damaging crime and this Government recognises the distress and disruption it can cause, not only to businesses, but also to local communities and critical infrastructure.The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 was introduced to reduce metal theft by strengthening regulation of the scrap metal industry. The Act requires scrap metal dealers to obtain a licence from their local authority and to verify the identity of those selling the scrap metal; it also bans dealers from paying cash.Following the introduction of the Act, there was an overall downward trend in metal-related theft offences. The latest figures for the year ending March 2024 are 64% lower than in the previous year.Furthermore, the sentencing guidelines on theft have been amended to highlight that where theft is of heritage assets or causes disruption to infrastructure, this should be taken into account when assessing the harm.Historic England is leading on a number of initiatives to tackle heritage crime, particularly theft from church roofs and other buildings primarily in rural locations, and the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council are continuing to work closely with them.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy on household energy bills in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

In an unstable world, the only way to guarantee energy security and protect billpayers is to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. That is why government has a mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. We have a sustainable, long-term plan to protect all UK billpayers, including households in South Hollands and the Deepings, and in Lincolnshire more widely, from volatile international gas markets. Backed by £8.3 billion, Great British Energy is part of this plan, driving the deployment of the clean, homegrown energy we need to boost our energy independence. As a publicly-owned company, Great British Energy will ensure UK taxpayers, billpayers, and communities reap the benefits of this.

If (a) his Department and (b) Ofgem will make an estimate of the cost of the construction of (i) National Grid's proposed Grimsby to Walpole pylon scheme and (ii) alternative schemes to transmitting electricity on the route including underground cabling.

The Department cannot comment on specific projects which will come before the Secretary of State for a final planning decision. It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects – in this case National Grid Electricity Transmission - to propose a route and obtain planning permission for that route. Ofgem reviews proposed project costs and ensures that network companies spend efficiently, protecting consumers from unduly high costs. In general, undergrounding costs an estimated 5 to 10 times more than overhead lines. The cost of building this infrastructure is borne by electricity bill payers so it is key we keep costs down.

How many households used the radio teleswitch service for their energy meter connections in Lincolnshire in the latest period for which data is available.

The Department does not hold unitary authority or county level data on the number of remaining RTS meters. However, we are regularly engaging with energy suppliers, Ofgem and the industry body Energy UK to review local plans for the switch-off. Energy suppliers have contacted all premises with RTS meters and Ofgem is encouraging customers to book an appointment to ensure they are provided with a replacement meter ahead of the switch-off.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many properties received Farming Recovery Payments in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) can confirm that no payments were made to properties under the Farming Recovery payments in a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in (i) 2023 RPA can confirm that 1889 payments were made to properties under the Farming Recovery payments in a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in (ii) 2024.

What information her Department holds on the number of exclusions from schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24 academic years.

Information on suspensions and permanent exclusions is published at local authority level in the ‘Suspension and permanent exclusion in England’ statistics publication. The publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2022-23.The number and rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions in Lincolnshire for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f3101754-5b43-45c4-f1c2-08dd5cc661f7.The number and rates of suspensions and permanent exclusions in Lincolnshire for the autumn term 2023/24 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3293a161-d7dd-414d-0e59-08dd5ccbf23a. Data for the full 2023/24 academic year will be published in July 2025.Suspensions and permanent exclusions data is also published at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About School’ (GIAS) to identify Parliamentary constituency. GIAS currently reflects the changes made following the general election parliamentary constituency changes. GIAS is available at the following link: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

What proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in the UK.

To date, the Government has not held information on where publicly procured food is sourced from.Starting right away, for the first time ever, this Government will review the food currently bought in the public sector to determine the standards that it is meeting, where it is bought from and look to introduce monitoring for transparency and accountability within those supply chains to ultimately get the best food for the consumer.This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies as we want to help make it an equal playing field for British producers to bid into the £5 billion spend each year on public sector catering contracts.

What proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in the UK.

To date the Government has not held information on where publicly procured food is sourced from. Starting right away, for the first time ever, this government will review the food currently bought in the public sector to determine the standards that it is meeting, where it is bought from and look to introduce monitoring for transparency and accountability within those supply chains to ultimately get the best food for the consumer. This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies as we want to help make it an equal playing field for British producers to bid into the £5 billion spent each year on public sector catering contracts.

What proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in the UK.

During 2023/24, 72% of the food procured by the Department was produced in the United Kingdom.

What proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in (a) the UK and (b) Scotland.

The Department does not operate any catering outlets. It holds a small number of official functions for which food is served. Catering for these is provided by third parties, who source and procure all supplies. The Department does not hold any data about the origin of any of the food procured or served by those third parties. The Department hosts trade promotional events supporting Brand Scotland, where Scottish food producers and suppliers serve their products to invited guests.

What proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in the UK.

Under the terms of Ministry of Defences’ (MOD) food contracts, the procurement of all produce is the is the responsibility of the prime contractors. Although the contracts do not specify the use of British produce, the MOD encourages contractors to source locally wherever possible. All food procured for MOD personnel must comply with MOD food quality standards, which, in turn, comply with all UK and EU production standards, Farm Assurance or equivalent.

What proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in (a) the UK and (b) Wales.

The Wales Office does not procure food directly.

What proportion of food procured by his Department is sourced in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Office does not operate any catering outlets, cafes or cafeterias within our office estate. Documentation provided by suppliers who cater official functions and events does not typically feature a proportional breakdown of food items per country of production.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support all-weather sports facilities in Lincolnshire.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from high-quality, inclusive sports facilities. The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. We are also supporting more players in getting onto the pitch wherever they live via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which has invested £123 million UK-wide throughout 2024/25. Projects funded through the programme include artificial grass pitches, new changing facilities, and floodlights, helping sites to improve availability and increase participation all year round. Funding from the Programme continues to be invested in England through our delivery partner, the Football Foundation. This funding is designed so that areas that need it most are prioritised, taking account of deprivation and inactivity rates on a local level. The Football Foundation plans their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs). These plans have been developed in partnership with local authorities and are in the process of being refreshed to reflect the current landscape. The LFFP for South Holland can be found here, and a full list of LFFPs covering Lincolnshire can be found on the Lincolnshire FA website. At Autumn Budget, the Government committed to continued support through future investment for elite and grassroots sport. Further details will be confirmed in due course.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, what proportion of food procured by the Houses of Parliament is sourced in the UK.

The Commission is unable to give the exact proportion of procured food that is sourced in the UK due to the size and volume of goods procured. However, when contracts are put out to tender, they stipulate that preference will be given to bidders with robust environmental and local sourcing policies, and those with strong links to British farming organisations such as the English Farming and Food Partnership, and the Red Tractor scheme.The vast majority of fresh products, such as meat, poultry, dairy, eggs, bread, ice cream, and most fruit and vegetables when in season are sourced from within the UK. This includes a commitment to ensure that menus showcase seasonal variation and that in-season produce be highlighted to customers, as well as championing local producers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support recycling (a) efforts and (b) infrastructure in Lincolnshire.

We are improving recycling services across England through our upcoming Simpler Recycling reforms, which will ensure that across England, people will be able to recycle the same materials, whether at home, work or school. From 1 January 2025 the cost of managing household packaging when it becomes waste was transferred from taxpayers to producers placing that packaging material on the market. PackUK will make payments to local authorities (Approximately £1.4 billion across the UK) to cover the cost of the efficient and effective management of household packaging waste. In England, these payments will help local authorities to fund improvements to household recycling collections, enabling the consistent collection of all dry materials from every household. Additionally, through Simpler Recycling we have disbursed around £318 million of transitional funding to local authorities to support roll out of weekly food waste collections across England. In February 2025, Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) published a Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis with anticipated waste arisings and associated infrastructure needs to 2035; this will support industry and decisions on investment in necessary infrastructure.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 32918 on Agriculture and Business: Inheritance Tax, how much revenue the Treasury has modelled a clawback mechanism for agricultural property relief and business property relief would raise if it was implemented (a) seven, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years after death.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has not certified costings for the revenue that would be raised by a clawback mechanism since it is not Government policy. However, a clawback mechanism would raise significantly less than the reforms announced by the Government at Autumn Budget 2024 for the reasons outlined in the previous answer.

What proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in the UK.

I refer the Rt Honourable member to the answer he was given on 10 March 2025 to Question UIN 34773.

What proportion of food procured by her Department is sourced in the UK.

To date the Government has not held information on where publicly procured food is sourced from.Starting right away, for the first time ever, this government will review the food currently bought in the public sector to determine the standards that it is meeting, where it is bought from and look to introduce monitoring for transparency and accountability within those supply chains to ultimately get the best food for the consumer.This work will be a significant first step to inform any future changes to public sector food procurement policies as we want to help make it an equal playing field for British producers to bid into the £5 billion spent each year on public sector catering contracts.

Whether Fujitsu has been awarded any Government contracts since 5 July 2024.

Details of all contracts valued above £12,000 and awarded by central government under the Public Contracts Regulation 2015 are published on Contracts Finder. The Procurement Act 2023 requires contracting authorities to publish more information on tenders and contracts let, and this will be stored on the central digital platform, Find a Tender, enabling greater transparency going forward. In addition to extensions available under Fujitsu’s existing contracts, Contracts Finder provides details of seven new Fujitsu contracts since July 2024. All of these contracts were with existing customers and in line with Fujitsu’s bid approach. Three of these contracts were direct awards of services that Fujitsu was already providing and were done to ensure continuity of public services, whilst competitive procurements are being set up, as appropriate.In January 2024, Fujitsu said it would withdraw from bidding for contracts for work with new Government customers until the Post Office Horizon Inquiry concludes or with prior consultation and support from such new customers. Fujitsu also said it would only bid for work with existing Government customers where it already has an existing relationship with them, or where there is an agreed need for Fujitsu’s skills and capabilities.Fujitsu's bid approach is detailed in this letter, deposited in Parliament. For more details, please see here.