Written questions by Taylor.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Home Office on fire safety and the use of flammable materials in indoor entertainment venues.

No such discussions have taken place. The Home Office is the department responsible for fire safety policy and the enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which governs the safety of all non-domestic premises, including indoor entertainment venues. Building regulations regarding the use of materials are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Whether he has considered introducing a ban on the use of indoor pyrotechnics in nightclubs.

To inform any future decisions in relation to all fireworks, I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and the impact of fireworks. Particularly given the recent tragic events in Switzerland, this will include any evidence on the risks and use of indoor firework products.

On what date the Government intends to launch the public consultation on wedding law reform.

We will be undertaking the consultation on the reform of weddings law in England and Wales early this year. The exact publication date is yet to be confirmed.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to prevent the illegal killing of hen harriers.

The illegal killing of hen harriers is unacceptable. Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against birds of prey, including hen harriers. Defra supports the work of a national Tactical Delivery Group which brings stakeholders together to tackle such criminality. Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime and directly assists law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £494,000 for NWCU this year. In 2024, the NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force (HTF) – a partnership designed to help tackle the illegal persecution of hen harriers. Through the HTF, more efficient channels of communication, cooperation, and data sharing between partners such as Natural England, the RSPB, and the NWCU expedites the coordination of effective enforcement response. This also supports efforts to successfully prosecute criminals and deters other would-be offenders. The HTF represents a pivotal shift in combating wildlife crime; it is using innovative technology (such as tracking drones and specialised detection dogs) to overcome logistical challenges and enhance evidence collection in remote areas.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of bereavement payments not being payable to cohabiting partners.

Bereavement Support Payment is currently available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. A marriage or civil partnership is a legal contract associated with certain rights, including entitlement to benefits derived from another person's National Insurance contributions such as Bereavement Support Payment. The Government keeps the eligibility of all benefits, including Bereavement Support Payments, under review.

If he will publish in full the UK-US pharmaceuticals deal, including a full assessment of the cost implications for the NHS and wider public purse.

In December 2025 we agreed a landmark deal with the US that results in 0% tariffs on pharmaceutical exports to the US for 3 years – the lowest rate offered to any country. As you’d expect, there will now be further work to finalise underpinning details. Costs will start smaller but will increase over time as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approves more life improving and lifesaving medicines. Total costs over the spending review period are expected to be around £1bn. The final costs will depend on which medicines NICE decides to approve and the actual uptake of these.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the 10% wear and tear allowance for child minders within Making Tax Digital on the level of complexity for users of the system.

At Budget 2025 the Government confirmed that the standard rules for calculating income tax would apply to childminders within Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. We will phase in this change between 2026 and 2028, in line with MTD for Income Tax thresholds. The threshold from April 2026 is £50,000 of qualifying income, reducing to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business. HMRC engaged with stakeholders before the Budget and continue to engage with them, and will produce updated guidance for childminders in early 2026. Guidance on business expenses and on MTD for Income Tax is already available on GOV.UK. Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers.

When she plans to share guidance for child minders as a targeted profession as part of proposed changes in Making Tax Digital.

At Budget 2025 the Government confirmed that the standard rules for calculating income tax would apply to childminders within Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. We will phase in this change between 2026 and 2028, in line with MTD for Income Tax thresholds. The threshold from April 2026 is £50,000 of qualifying income, reducing to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business. HMRC engaged with stakeholders before the Budget and continue to engage with them, and will produce updated guidance for childminders in early 2026. Guidance on business expenses and on MTD for Income Tax is already available on GOV.UK. Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers.

What assessments and consultation have been undertaken to understand the potential impact of the removal of the 10% wear and tear allowance within Making Tax Digital on the daily running of childminding businesses.

At Budget 2025 the Government confirmed that the standard rules for calculating income tax would apply to childminders within Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. We will phase in this change between 2026 and 2028, in line with MTD for Income Tax thresholds. The threshold from April 2026 is £50,000 of qualifying income, reducing to £30,000 from April 2027 and £20,000 from April 2028. Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business. HMRC engaged with stakeholders before the Budget and continue to engage with them, and will produce updated guidance for childminders in early 2026. Guidance on business expenses and on MTD for Income Tax is already available on GOV.UK. Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has assessed the potential impact of preparing for scheduled elections that have been cancelled on costs and council officer time.

Spend on elections is a matter for local authorities. Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The Government has listened to councils, as we said we would. Postponement also avoids the cost of holding elections to councils that are proposed to be abolished.

What research his Department is undertaking into the treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease.

The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including polycystic kidney disease.These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money, and scientific quality. Welcoming applications on polycystic kidney disease to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of the amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.Details of NIHR funding allocated to individual research awards are openly published and updated quarterly on the ‘Open Data’ site of the NIHR website, at the following link:https://nihr.opendatasoft.com/explore/

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for kidney transplants for people with Polycystic Kidney Disease.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is the organisation responsible for organ donation services in the United Kingdom, including management of the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) and the transplant waiting list.NHSBT is working to reduce the kidney transplant waiting list, including for patients with polycystic kidney disease, by promoting living donation and ODR registration, as well as taking action to increase donation consent rates. Current activity includes: high profile year-round campaigns including Living Donation Week, Organ Donation Week, and World Kidney Day, in partnership with a wide range of charities and community groups; year-round national and regional media and public relations, focusing particularly on the need for more Black and Asian organ donors to reduce current inequities in access to transplants; and funding Community Grants Programmes and partnering with trusted community organisations to support leaders with expertise in organ donation in delivering culturally and religiously sensitive messaging.The Organ Donation Joint Working Group, formed jointly between NHSBT and the Department, recently published recommendations to improve organ donation consent rates, increase societal action for organ donation, and increase the pool of potential donors in its report published on 21 January 2026. The report is available at the following link:https://nhsbtdbe.blob.core.windows.net/umbraco-assets-corp/38066/odjwg-report.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help people with food prices.

Defra is taking forward a range of actions to help address food prices by tackling the underlying drivers of cost and supporting access to affordable food. The department is working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to assess how regulation affects food businesses and food prices, through the Food Inflation Gateway. This work is helping to identify where burdens can be reduced or sequenced more effectively. Alongside this, through the Good Food Cycle, Defra set out priority outcomes focused on improving access to healthy, affordable food and strengthening local food systems. More broadly, the Government is providing targeted support to help households manage food costs. From April, the value of Healthy Start will rise by 10% to provide greater support for pregnant women and young children, alongside work with retailers to expand access to healthy, affordable food. Free School Meals will be extended to around half a million additional pupils, saving families up to £495 per child annually and lifting approximately 100,000 children out of relative poverty. The Holiday Activity and Food Programme will also continue with £600 million in funding.

Whether he plans to require supermarkets to publish data comparing food price increases with payments to suppliers.

The Government has no current plans to require supermarkets to publish data comparing food price increases with payments to suppliers.The Government continues to work closely with retailers, suppliers, trade associations and regulators to monitor developments in this sector and to understand any issues that may affect transparency, competition and outcomes for consumers and businesses.

Whether he will review current fireworks legislation in relation to noise levels.

The Government recognises that many people are concerned about the use of fireworks. Ministers will consider how best to minimise harm while recognising the role that fireworks play in cultural and community life. Any work will take into account experiences from individuals alongside the data provided by local authorities, emergency services, animal welfare organisations and the fireworks industry.No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of fireworks noise or the impact on pets or on the welfare of people living with PTSD and other noise-sensitive health conditions.I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on issues relating to fireworks, including noise, to inform future action.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of fireworks noise on the welfare of people living with PTSD and other noise-sensitive health conditions.

The Government recognises that many people are concerned about the use of fireworks. Ministers will consider how best to minimise harm while recognising the role that fireworks play in cultural and community life. Any work will take into account experiences from individuals alongside the data provided by local authorities, emergency services, animal welfare organisations and the fireworks industry.No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of fireworks noise or the impact on pets or on the welfare of people living with PTSD and other noise-sensitive health conditions.I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on issues relating to fireworks, including noise, to inform future action.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Groceries Code Adjudicator in protecting consumers from rising food prices.

The Government is undertaking the fourth statutory review into the effectiveness of the GCA and the report will be published as soon as practicable. The Groceries Code, a competition measure owned by the Competition and Markets Authority, aims to ensure the fair treatment of direct suppliers to large grocery retailers but does not regulate prices paid by consumers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of fireworks noise on the welfare of pets.

The Government recognises that many people are concerned about the use of fireworks. Ministers will consider how best to minimise harm while recognising the role that fireworks play in cultural and community life. Any work will take into account experiences from individuals alongside the data provided by local authorities, emergency services, animal welfare organisations and the fireworks industry.No recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of fireworks noise or the impact on pets or on the welfare of people living with PTSD and other noise-sensitive health conditions.I will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on issues relating to fireworks, including noise, to inform future action.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) customs checks and (b) regulatory barriers in UK-EU trade on food prices.

Consumer food prices depend on a range of factors including import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs, and Sterling exchange rates. Some of these factors are influenced by our trading arrangements with other countries. Changes in food prices are dependent on changes in one or more of these factors. One source of barrier facing UK-EU trade are SPS checks. The Government estimates the measures introduced through the Border Target Operating Model would have a minimal impact on consumer food price inflation of less than 0.2 percentage points in total over a 3-year period. Final_Border_Target_Operating_Model.pdf

Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of some local election on (a) communities and (b) local authorities.

In reaching his decisions on 2026 elections, as set out to the House on 22 January 2026, the Secretary of State adopted a locally led approach and carefully considered all the representations made. He heard from councils across the country about the capacity challenges they face as they seek to deliver local government reorganisation and how postponement would release essential capacity. Postponement will enable those councils to focus work on reorganisation, and setting up new councils ready to deliver public services from day one. Where councils have asked for their elections to go ahead, those elections are going ahead. The vast majority of local elections will go ahead across England in May.