Written questions by Newbury.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has engaged the Sport, Leisure and Culture Consultancy (SLC) as an external provider.

The Department has not engaged the Sport, Leisure and Culture Consultancy (SLC) as an external provider.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of battery enabled boilers could make on decarbonising domestic heating in smaller homes.

Heat batteries, sometimes referred to as ‘battery enabled boilers’, can utilise time-of-use tariffs and do not require outside space; however, they are less efficient than heat pumps. Heat batteries could meet the needs of some smaller homes, however if they do not have sufficient storage capacity they could draw electricity at peak times, adding burden on the electricity network and increasing energy bills. Government will continue to review our position on heat batteries, as the supporting evidence base develops, including considering evidence from the Homes for Net Zero project.

What recent steps she has taken with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to reform the Gender Recognition Certificate process.

We are absolutely clear that trans people should be able to live openly with dignity and respect.We have set out our immediate priorities in our Plan for Change. Our priorities for trans people are to pass a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, strengthen protections from hate crime for trans people and improve their healthcare. This Government is committed to delivering gender recognition reform, and we will deliver on that.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with the Northern Ireland Executive to support sustainable agriculture.

Agriculture is a devolved policy in the UK. Defra and the other UK nations work closely together through the consensus-based and well-established governance arrangements we have set up and operate under the Agricultural Support Framework. The regular meetings established under this Framework provide an opportunity for Defra and Northern Ireland Government officials to meet regularly and discuss emerging issues, share good practice, and proactively discuss and coordinate policy innovation.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of mandating blunt-tipped kitchen knives for domestic use on rates of knife crime.

The Government’s mission to halve knife crime over a decade will be delivered through tougher enforcement and stronger prevention. However, we have been clear nothing is off the table when it comes to getting lethal blades off our streets and keeping people safe. We are actively exploring options and pursuing changes in this area, and I will be meeting with retailers and manufacturers to develop next steps on the promotion of rounded tipped knives.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the foster to adopt pathway for (a) adopted children and (b) the stability of adoptive placements.

Fostering to adopt, also known as early permanence, is a crucial way to offer children stability at a very early stage, preventing multiple moves in the care system. The department has provided funding of £250,000 in 2025/26 for Adoption England to promote this practice and it is encouraging that the number and proportion of early permanence placements has increased from 14% (400) in 2020/21 to 23% (676) in 2023/24. This is avoiding delays and minimising disruption for more children, allowing them to bond with their adoptive family at an earlier stage. Adoption England have also published national standards in this area. The purpose is to promote and shape effective early permanence practice in all adoption agencies across the country to ensure families receive a consistent and high-quality approach no matter where they live, and enable more children to benefit from early permanence placements.

What steps she is taking to ensure local authorities use the foster to adopt pathway for children in care.

Fostering to adopt, also known as early permanence, is a crucial way to offer children stability at a very early stage, preventing multiple moves in the care system. The department has provided funding of £250,000 in 2025/26 for Adoption England to promote this practice and it is encouraging that the number and proportion of early permanence placements has increased from 14% (400) in 2020/21 to 23% (676) in 2023/24. This is avoiding delays and minimising disruption for more children, allowing them to bond with their adoptive family at an earlier stage. Adoption England have also published national standards in this area. The purpose is to promote and shape effective early permanence practice in all adoption agencies across the country to ensure families receive a consistent and high-quality approach no matter where they live, and enable more children to benefit from early permanence placements.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of implementing schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 on the (a) number and (b) effectiveness of sustainable drainage systems in new developments.

The Government is strongly committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, offer reuse opportunities, reduce run off and help to improve water quality, amenity and biodiversity. It is also important to ensure appropriate adoption and maintenance arrangements are in place. We believe that these outcomes can be achieved through either improving the current planning led approach using powers now available or commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on the way forward will be made in the coming months. We will review the planning system holistically and consider whether further changes are required to address SuDS when we consult on further planning reform, including national policy related to decision making, in 2025.

How many and what proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles.

As of 19th May 2025, 2,588 of the Ministry of Defence's 11,572 vehicles leased through the Phoenix II contract are fully electric, representing 22.36% of the fleet. This does not include hybrid vehicles as the Department is moving towards 100% zero emission vehicles by 2027 in accordance with the Greening Government Commitment.

How many and what proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

The Department currently leases 705 vehicles; of which 57 are electric. This equates to 8% of total leased vehicles.The Ministry of Justice is committed to transitioning towards full electrification of its fleet vehicles in line with the Government Greening Commitment 2027.

Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

The Department makes use of the Government Car service, which provides vehicles to a number of Government departments. MHCLG does not hold information on the number of electric vehicles utilised.

What proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles.

None of the 14 vehicles hired by the Department during the 2023/24 financial year were fully electric. The Department is setting up a vehicle hire contract with a new supplier that will increase the availability of electric hire vehicles for staff.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of land-based fish farms which use indoor tanks instead of ocean- or lake-based pens on animal welfare.

Current legislation already provides protection for farmed fish kept for the production of meat or other products whilst on farm. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any protected animal, including fish, or to fail to provide for the welfare needs of a protected animal, for which that person is responsible. The Farm Animal Welfare Committee’s Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish was also published in 2014. The potential impact of land-based recirculating aquaculture systems on fish welfare is an issue we are considering.

What proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles.

In FY24-25, DESNZ had 149 hires, including 6 electric vehicles. The data for FY25-26 to date is not yet available. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was formed in February 2023, therefore there is no data for DESNZ prior to that date. Additionally, for FY23-24 the car hire contract used was still under DESNZ’s predecessor department, Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and all bookings were assigned to BEIS cost centres. It is not possible to determine which of these hires related to DESNZ.

What proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

Carbon emission details, including vehicles rented, will be published later this year within in the Sustainability Report section of HM Treasury 2024-25 Annual Report and Accounts. This will be published at the following link. HMT annual report and accounts - GOV.UK

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consult on introducing animal welfare standards for farmed fish.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for North Herefordshire, Ellie Chowns, on 6 March 2025, PQ 34489.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of phasing out the use of (a) enriched cages and (b) farrowing crates on English farms.

We remain firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. The use of cages and other close confinement systems for farmed animals is an issue which we are currently considering very carefully.

Media and Sport, what proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

For security reasons, specific details in relation to the use of official cars, including the make and model of vehicles, are not released.Guidance relating to the use of official cars in the Government Car Service is set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

What proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles.

Under the previous contract, which ended on 31 March 2025, the contract’s Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) did not differentiate between Electric Vehicle or Internal Combustion Engine hires so the Department for Transport does not hold the requested information. However, the Department for Transport has recently started a new 3 year vehicle hire contract as of 1 April 2025. Within this contract it is mandated that EV provision is available to all hirers and the related data will be available quarterly going into the future.

Innovation and Technology, what proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles.

The Department does not hold this information.