Written questions by Davies.

When he expects the rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to make its initial set of recommendations.

In June 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services, which will be chaired by Baroness Amos.The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. These recommendations will take previous recommendations into consideration and will therefore take primacy over previous recommendations.

What steps his Department is taking to consult (a) the Maternity Safety Alliance and (b) other bereaved families’ groups as part of the national maternity review.

On 23 June 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies and families experience unacceptable care.He has held a series of meetings with harmed and bereaved families from across the country, and has committed to ensuring the voices of women and families are at the heart of improving standards.On 14 August 2025, he announced the appointment of Baroness Amos as Chair of the Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. Baroness Amos was selected after feedback from bereaved families who expressed a preference for someone with distance from the NHS.Baroness Amos’ investigation will put families at the heart of the work and affected families were asked to provide input to the draft terms of reference of the investigation. These have been developed to focus on understanding the experiences of affected women and families, identifying lessons learned and driving the improvements needed to ensure high quality and safe maternity and neonatal care across England.The Government is also establishing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to be made up of a panel of experts and family, charity and staff representatives.The taskforce will use the recommendations from the independent investigation to develop a national plan to drive improvements across maternity and neonatal care, and will work closely with families in developing the action plan, ensuring their voices are central to this work.

On what date his Department will publish the terms of reference for the national maternity review.

The Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation’s Terms of Reference were published on 15 September 2025 and are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-maternity-and-neonatal-investigation-terms-of-referenceThe Chair of the Investigation, Baroness Amos, engaged with families on their development.

When he expects the rapid national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services to complete.

In June 2025, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services, which will be chaired by Baroness Amos.The investigation will produce an initial set of national recommendations by December 2025. These recommendations will take previous recommendations into consideration and will therefore take primacy over previous recommendations.

When he last met with the Patient Safety Commissioner.

There has been no formal meeting between my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the Patient Safety Commissioner. However, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Baroness Merron), in her previous role as the minister with responsibility for patient safety and patient voice, met with the Patient Safety Commissioner in January 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing long term funding through (a) grants and (b) discounts to small abattoirs.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain. We continue to work to simplify and rationalise our grant funding from 2026 onwards following the Spending Review and ensuing business planning to ensure our grants are targeted towards those who need them most and where they can deliver the most benefit for food security and nature. Any future opportunities will be announced in due course. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is conducting an evaluation of the support to abattoirs provided via the current discount scheme which is in its tenth financial year of operation. The FSA Board reviewed progress at its public meeting on 18 June, informed by a paper prepared in the light of stakeholder engagement and economic analysis. The Board noted the importance of the discount to the viability of small abattoirs and how these businesses can support the interests of consumers, businesses and the wider rural economy. The FSA will continue engagement with stakeholders and assess the impact of any proposals for change arising from the evaluation. The paper and a video of the Board meeting can be viewed at: https://www.food.gov.uk/board-papers/fsa-board-meeting-june-2025-agenda-and-papers https://www.food.gov.uk/about-us/fsa-board-meetings#video-of-the-most-recent-fsa-board-meetings

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps has he taken to reduce regulations on (a) small-scale abattoirs and (b) other rural food producers in Sussex.

Defra is working closely with industry stakeholders and the Food Standards Agency to maintain high standards of public and animal health while identifying opportunities to ease regulatory and administrative burdens on small-scale abattoirs and rural food producers, including those in Sussex.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help expand the network of small abattoirs in (a) the South East and (b) England.

England benefits from an established and resilient meat processing sector which continues to deliver high-quality products, supporting food supply and food security. The Government has full confidence this will continue. While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is dedicated to working collaboratively with the sector to help, where possible, alleviate pressures faced by small abattoirs. Defra remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance accessibility to slaughter facilities in the South East and more widely across England.

Whether he considered introducing (a) carbon leakage protections and (b) carbon border adjustment mechanisms before extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme beyond 2030.

The Government is taking action to continue to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage for UK industry, including working with our international partners to develop a coordinated approach to carbon leakage. The Government also continues to provide protection against carbon leakage through domestic measures, currently reviewing with the UK ETS Authority the approach to the provision of UK ETS free allocation to industrial sectors to ensure it remains fit for purpose, and introducing a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in 2027. The Government is committed to ensuring that industry can invest in decarbonisation with confidence that this will not be undermined by the risk of carbon leakage throughout the decarbonisation process.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support small abattoirs.

Defra recognises the vital role smaller abattoirs play in supporting local livestock producers and maintaining a resilient and competitive food supply chain. Defra works closely with industry stakeholders including through the Small Abattoirs Working Group and the Small Abattoirs Task and Finish Group. These groups bring together government and industry representatives on a regular basis and provide a forum for identifying the challenges and opportunities that the sector faces, and for collaborating on practical solutions to support the long-term sustainability of small and medium sized abattoirs.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of small abattoirs on food (a) safety and (b) security.

Ensuring the safety of food that enters the supply chain is of vital importance to the Government. Likewise, the Government considers food security a matter of national security and is committed to maintaining a resilient and diverse food supply chain. The contribution smaller abattoirs make to the UK food supply chain for meat products in England, is approximately 7% of overall production and 0.3% of throughput. While we have seen the closure of several smaller abattoirs in recent years, this has not impacted national food security or food supply. The national abattoir network remains resilient, continuing to deliver high-quality and safe meat products. Nonetheless, we recognise that small abattoirs play an important role in supporting regional food systems, providing routes to market for local producers, particularly those rearing native and rare breeds and sustaining diversity in the meat processing sector. While the Government does not intervene in individual business decisions, it is committed to working with the smaller abattoir sector to help, where possible, mitigate pressures that these abattoirs face.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of making commercially viable decarbonisation solutions available.

The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is our flagship programme for deploying renewables. We have introduced a suite of reforms to the scheme, which are vital to our mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower. The reforms are intended to balance the need for significant renewables deployment to deliver an independent and clean power system, whilst minimising costs to consumers.

Whether she plans to take steps to help reduce regional differences in SEND funding.

The government is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to over £12 billion. Of this, West Sussex Council is being allocated over £140 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of over £11 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.The operation of the high needs funding system is currently under review. The department's aim is to establish a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, taking account of the different levels of need in different parts of the country, and to enable improved support for children and young people with SEND in line with the reforms that we intend to set out in a White Paper in the autumn.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of an independent review of inheritance tax changes for family farms.

Ministers and officials from multiple Government departments have had several meetings with organisations on this matter since Autumn Budget 2024. After listening, the Government believes the approach set out is an appropriate one. 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. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the SEND funding allocation system for children in West Sussex.

The government is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to over £12 billion. Of this, West Sussex Council is being allocated over £140 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of over £11 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.The operation of the high needs funding system is currently under review. The department's aim is to establish a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, taking account of the different levels of need in different parts of the country, and to enable improved support for children and young people with SEND in line with the reforms that we intend to set out in a White Paper in the autumn.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed inheritance tax changes to family farms on (a) rural communities and (b) East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

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. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional or national breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact.

What discussions he has had with the brick-making industry on replacing the EU Carbon Leakage List.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

If she will take steps to ensure that the proposed reforms of the student finance system include (a) refinancing and (b) reform options for historic student loan repayments.

The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter higher education (HE) can do so. Student loan debt is not like other debt, as monthly repayments depend on earnings, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed. No-one who earns under the student loan repayment threshold is required to make any repayments at all. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, is be written off. This write-off is a deliberate investment in our people and the economy. No commercial loan offers this level of protection.The department aims to publish our plans for HE reform soon as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White paper.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Food Standards Agency (a) inspection charges and (b) regulations on small abattoirs.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) conducts and charges for official controls, namely inspections, which help ensure that food hygiene and animal welfare standards are met in accordance with a legal framework, which has been in place for many years. The controls are an intrinsic component in our food system which provides reassurance for the wider food industry and consumers as well as trading partners to facilitate meat exports.Information on the 2025/26 charge rates for official controls conducted in meat premises is available on the FSA’s website at the following link:https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/charges-for-controls-in-meat-premises As in previous years, the impact of charges is offset by a taxpayer-funded discount which provides the greatest proportional support to smaller businesses. The impact of the support on different sized food businesses in England and Wales for 2025/26 is set out in the Cost Data Slides the FSA has published. The FSA is currently conducting an evaluation of the support provided via the discount and will assess the impact of any changes it might propose in the light of this evaluation.The FSA recognises the regulatory and administrative challenges smaller abattoir operations face. We proactively identify and engage with local issues working closely with industry stakeholders and participating in national forums such as the Partnership Working Group led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Through these collaborations, we explore opportunities to ease burdens on small-scale operators, such as reducing daily administration by introducing a daily diary to replace numerous operational checks, while maintaining high standards of public and animal health.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme Authority's analysis of the ceramics sector’s carbon leakage risk.

The UK ETS Authority is currently conducting a review into free allocations, the UK’s primary carbon leakage mitigation method. As part of this review, in December 2024 the UK ETS Authority consulted on two approaches for assessing carbon leakage risk. The UK ETS Authority invited feedback and engaged with industry representatives, including those in the ceramics sector, on the robustness of the data and methodology used. An Impact Assessment will be conducted and published alongside final decisions by the end of 2025.The UK Government and the ceramics sector have also recently inaugurated a working group, enabling direct dialogue with ceramics manufacturers.