Written questions by Wrigley.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of existing levels of pesticide pollution on (a) (i) terrestrial and (ii) aquatic ecosystems and (b) public health.

A pesticide may only be sold in Great Britain if it has been authorised by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following thorough scientific risk assessment. Pesticides that pose unacceptable risks to the environment or human health are not authorised. Defra funds monitoring that provides information on the levels of pesticides found in the environment, as well as development of the UK Pesticide Load Indicator (UK PLI). The PLI outputs help us to understand the potential pressures from pesticide use on the UK environment. The Environment Agency regularly test water sources across the UK to measure chemical and pesticide concentrations. The GB pesticide Maximum Residue Level (MRL) regime sets high standards of consumer protection to ensure that residues in food do not harm human health. An MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue in or on food that is legally tolerated. MRLs are always set below the level considered safe for people eating the food. HSE report that compliance is high, at 98%. There are very strict limits on the levels of pesticide residues legally tolerated in drinking water. Water company tests reported by the Drinking Water Inspectorate indicate compliance is high, at nearly 100%.

What steps he plans to take to tackle the causes of the shortage of Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy medication.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within local areas is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production and mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredients resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to prescribe unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure that local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.

If he will take steps to intervene on the planned closure of the cardiac catherisation laboratory at Torbay Hospital.

Responsibility for the delivery, implementation, and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body. All service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better outcomes for patients. Any substantial, planned service change is subject to a full public consultation and must meet the Government and NHS England’s ‘tests’ to ensure good decision making.The Health and Care Act 2022 provided new powers that allow for increased oversight and ministerial involvement in the reconfiguration of NHS services. These powers were commenced on 31 January 2024. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will decide whether to intervene if a call-in request has been submitted to the Department. There is an expectation that all avenues of local resolution are exhausted before a call-in request is accepted.The Department has not received a call-in request to intervene in the closure of the cardiac catherisation laboratory at Torbay.

If he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) drugs; and if he will take steps to tackle shortages.

The Department monitors and manages medicine supply at a national level so that stocks remain available to meet regional and local demand. Information on stock levels within local areas is not held centrally.The Department is continuing to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production and mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredients resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market. In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This directs clinicians to prescribe unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable, and includes actions for integrated care boards to ensure that local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented. The Department, in collaboration with NHS England, has created a webpage to include the latest updates on PERT availability and easily accessible advice on the prescribing and ordering of alternative PERT products.

If his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) inflation, (b) changes to National Insurance contributions and (c) local authority fee uplifts on healthcare providers.

Each year, the cost of providing healthcare changes because of changes in wages, inflation other inputs over which providers have little control. NHS England publishes a cost uplift factor to reflect these expected cost changes that forms part of the NHS Payment Scheme, and all payment arrangements must have regard to the figure.The 2025/26 NHS Payment Scheme is out for consultation until midnight on 28 February 2025. The proposed cost uplift factor for 2025/26 is 4.15%, and is broken down into costs affecting pay, drugs, capital, clinical negligence and other factors.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed changes to business property relief on the construction plant-hire sector in (a) Devon, (b) the South West and (c) the UK.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to be affected in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those only relating to holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27.

If the Government will make an assessment of the (a) adequacy of and (b) lessons learned from the security response to the Russian invasion of Crimea; and if he will make an assessment of the impact of that response on the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House on 25 February 2025 that this Government is actively responding to the security situation regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We have already commissioned a Strategic Defence Review (SDR) to examine the whole of Defence and identify where reprioritisation of roles, capabilities, activities, and support may be made in the current Defence programme to allow new investment, achieve better value for money, and secure greater economic gain for the UK. The Reviewers will make their final report to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State in the spring of this year. The Secretary of State will then subsequently report to Parliament. This Government is also beginning the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, reaching 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, maintaining that level for the rest of this Parliament, and then setting a clear ambition for defence spending to rise to 3% in the next Parliament.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to shift to using the Impress regulator.

The Government is committed to protecting press freedom, which is essential to a strong and functioning democracy. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is crucial to maintain press freedom.The Government therefore does not use, intervene in or oversee the work of Impress or other independent press regulators.

If his Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of staffing levels in care providers in Devon.

English local authorities have responsibility under the Care Act 2014 to meet social care needs and statutory guidance directs them to ensure there is sufficient workforce in adult social care.The Department continues to monitor adult social care workforce capacity, bringing together national data sets from Skills for Care’s monthly tracking data, the Capacity Tracker tool and intelligence from key sector partners.

If his Department will make an assessment of the financial reasons for care providers closing.

Adult social care services are provided through a largely outsourced market of commercial organisations and charities. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations, and to develop and build local market capacity.Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities also have a temporary duty to ensure continuity of care in the event of business failure. This means that people continue to receive the care and support they need if their adult social care provider is no longer able to carry on delivering services.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the provisions in the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on the ability of children with special educational needs and disabilities requiring home-to-school transport to attend lessons.

I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.

Communities and Local Government, if she will ensure that building management companies covering new developments have adequate (a) investment funds and (b) fees for continued (i) maintenance and (ii) rejuvenation of public spaces.

As part of our manifesto commitment to bring the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private housing estates to an end, the government intends to consult on options to reduce the prevalence of private management arrangements for new estates which are the root cause of the problems faced by many residential leaseholders.The government is clear that new housing estates must have a sustainable plan for their long-term maintenance, upkeep and regeneration. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, which are both part of the suite of planning practice guidance that supports the National Planning Policy Framework, emphasise that well designed places consider management and maintenance regimes from the early stages of the design process and set them out in a management plan.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Licensed Private Hire Car Association on the potential impact of the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on future provision of home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs beyond March 2025.

Departmental officials engage regularly with local authorities to understand the challenges they face and will continue to monitor this situation. We do not expect there to be a significant impact on home-to-school travel for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel and deliver this through a range of in-house services and external providers. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not met with the Licensed Private Hire Car Association on this topic.The government has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500 which means that more than half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. Businesses will still be able to claim employer National Insurance contributions relief, where eligible.

If she will take steps to ensure the adoption and special guardian support fund can continue to offer support beyond March 2025.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.

Whether her Department has plans to continue funding the adoption and special guardianship support fund for financial year 2025-26.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will (a) support and (b) meet with the community organisation Friends of the River Teign, in the context of South West Water's plans for tackling levels of overflow along the River Teign.

The Government commends the work of community groups in bringing attention to environmental issues, such as the state of our rivers. The local Environment Agency Team last met with the Friends of the River Teign (FORT) through the South Devon Catchment Partnership in December 2024. The next meeting is arranged for Thursday 6 March. It will include an update on water quality testing including additional monitoring of the Teignmouth Back Beach, Defra’s bathing water consultation, and wider Environment Agency work to improve water quality in the River Teign.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of cutting funding for Adoption South West on parents of adopted children in Devon; and when the funding for 2025-26 will be announced.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will submit an environmental information request to South West Water seeking to obtain details of the (a) testing and (b) monitoring they have carried out along the River Teign in the last five years.

Access to testing and monitoring data is vital for transparency and to hold water companies to account to deliver protections for our rivers, lakes and seas. There are a number of provisions to ensure that Government, regulators and the public have access to the information about discharges from water company assets. The Environment Agency undertakes statutory bathing water samples to test for microbiological water quality including faecal indicator organisms at Teignmouth Town, Shaldon and Ness Cove, and six additional freshwater sites along the River Teign, during the bathing water season. High readings will be investigated. This data is published on the EA’s Swimfo bathing waters website so that the public can make an informed decision before swimming. Since 1 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This data can be found on the South West Water website.

What estimate she has made of the number of (a) Russian (ii) shadow fleet and (ii) trade vessels and (b) other vessels that have travelled to and from Russian ports that have entered UK waters in the last 12 months.

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 07 February 2025, to Question 27704.

Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to introduce a community right to buy for (a) social landlords and (b) community-led housing organisations.

Through the English Devolution Bill, we will introduce a ‘right to buy’ to empower local people to bring community assets, such as shops, pubs and community centres, into community ownership. There are no plans for this to apply to social or community-led housing.