Written questions by Hudson.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the police grant for 2025-26 on crime in Epping Forest constituency.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.5 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £1.1 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement.This includes funding to support the costs of the 24-25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, funding for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.Essex Police’s funding will be up to £433.3 million in 2025-26, an increase of £27.1 million compared to 2024-25. This represents a 6.7% cash increase and 4.2% real terms increase when compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement.

When she plans to respond to the Review of the RSHE statutory guidance published in 2024.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools. As such, the department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.The results of the consultation and the department’s response will be published in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to support mental health provision in schools.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.That is why the department has committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. We will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are continuing to roll out in schools and colleges across the country. As of April 2024, MHSTs covered 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. MHSTs are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025.The department has also provided a resource hub for mental health leads, signposting practical resources and tools to embed effective whole-school approaches. To further help schools identify and embed the most effective targeted support options for their setting, the department also launched a targeted mental wellbeing toolkit. This practical guide and tool covers a range of evidence-based interventions.On top of this, schools are also able to arrange their own mental health interventions that are best suited to their pupils. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an additional £2.3 billion for the core schools budget for the 2025/26 financial year compared to 2024/25. This means that core schools funding will reach over £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Schools are also able to spend pupil premium funding on providing mental health support. Schools must use pupil premium in line with the department’s menu of approaches, which can be found on page 13 of the department’s publication ‘Using pupil premium: guidance for school leaders’. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cf69384239310011b7b91f/Using_Pupil_Premium_-_Guidance_for_School_Leaders.pdf.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) adult and (b) foal (i) horses and (ii) ponies have been seized at the UK border following attempts to illegally export them to Europe since 1 July 2024.

In the time period between the 1st of July 2024 and the present date, there was one case at Dover Port where an illegal consignment of horses and ponies was identified and detained by APHA. The details of the animals involved in that case are as follows: 1 intercepted consignment of 20 equine animals of which 12 were horses, 7 were ponies, and 1 was a foal (less than 6 months old).

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the National Insurance measures in the Autumn Budget 2024 on businesses in (a) Epping Forest and (b) England.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts. Estimates of the impact on businesses in Epping Forest from changes to Employer NICs announced at Autumn Budget 2024 are not available.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with emergency services providers on the provision of services during (a) storm and (b) flooding incidents.

Defra regularly engages with other government departments and operational partners during flooding incidents, and storms with flooding impacts. This includes the Home Office, the Department for Health and Social Care, and National Resilience. The National Police Coordination Centre and National Fire Chiefs Council are members of the Floods Resilience Taskforce and contribute to discussions on flood resilience, preparedness and response.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the Flood Re Scheme is accessible for people impacted by flooding.

Flood Re is a joint Government and industry flood reinsurance scheme established specifically to help UK households at high risk of flooding to access affordable insurance through their insurance provider. Many household insurers also now offer Build Back Better (BBB). This can provide an additional up to £10,000 as part of a claim to enable installation of property level resilient measures, which can help properties be more resilient to future flooding. We advise that homeowner ask their insurance provider whether this is included in the policy they are considering.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help improve flood preparedness.

Protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. To ensure we protect the country from the devastating impacts of flooding, the Government will invest £2.4 billion in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to improve flood resilience, by building, maintaining, and repairing flood defences. The list of projects to receive Government funding will be consented over the coming months in the usual way through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, with local representation. The Environment Agency’s recent Flood Action Week encouraged people to prepare by checking their flood risk, signing up for warnings and knowing what to do if a flood happens. The Environment Agency offers a free flood warning service and provides information on alerts, warnings, and river level conditions via ‘check for flooding service’ on gov.uk which has seen over 2.2 million users since Sept 2024. In addition, the Government’s new Floods Resilience Taskforce sets out a new approach to preparing for flooding by working cross-government and with external stakeholders. The Taskforce first met in September 2024 and discussions included flood preparedness. It plans to meet again in early February 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of avian influenza.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and carry out assessments (published on gov.uk) of disease risks in the UK and globally, to help the Government anticipate future threats to animal health. Both highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) HPAI H5N5 and H5N1 have been detected in both wild and kept birds in Great Britain this winter. Currently, the risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Great Britain is assessed as very high (event occurs almost certainly). While the risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 in Great Britain is assessed as high where there is suboptimal or poor biosecurity and medium where good biosecurity is consistently applied at all times. It is too early to predict the outlook for future seasons and risk levels may remain heightened for some time or increase further this winter, associated with the migratory pattern of waterfowl and environmental conditions becoming more favourable for virus survival over winter. Forecasting the future number of HPAI outbreaks is difficult. Uncertainty includes how effective biosecurity is on poultry farms, whether wild bird populations have now been exposed in high enough numbers to reduce the impact, and whether pre-exposure reduces transmission in wild birds.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of risk of incursion of African Swine Fever to the UK.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Under the new Government, Defra has already announced further safety controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain. Updated risk assessments are on Gov.UKAfrican swine fever: how to spot and report the disease - GOV.UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, what additional checks have been put in place at UK border ports for animals, animal products and vehicles coming from (a) the area affected by Foot and Mouth disease and (b) Germany.

The Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), following a case being confirmed in Germany. The import of cattle, pigs and sheep and their untreated products from Germany to GB have now been banned to protect farmers and their livelihoods. GB health certificates will no longer be issued for animals susceptible to FMD including all live animals and fresh meat and relevant animal products. Defra has issued instructions to officials at Border Control Posts in respect of import restrictions put in place following confirmation of foot and mouth disease in Germany. These are available at APHA Vet Gateway - OVS Notes. All commodities that are impacted are being selected for checks at the border. We will continue to keep the situation under review working closely with the German authorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth disease to the UK.

Following the confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The risk of incursion of FMD to Great Britain has increased to MEDIUM. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has published on GOV.UK its preliminary outbreak assessment which contains further information on the evidence which supports this risk level. The UK has been free of FMD without vaccination since 2007 and has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. The Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to protect our farmers from FMD.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of capability for (a) sourcing and (b) deploying a vaccine in relation to an outbreak of foot and mouth.

The UK has been free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) since 2007 and has plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep preparedness under continual review but are refocusing efforts following the confirmation of FMD in Germany. In the event of an outbreak, alongside culling and movement controls, vaccination would be considered as a control option. To that end, the UK has a vaccine bank for a variety of FMD serotypes. Any decision to vaccinate will be based on expert advice across a range of factors. APHA leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans in place. These include measures to contract companies to support eradication and provide additional veterinary capacity. Response times are kept under regular review, and APHA is in the planning stages of a national exercise to test and validate our response to an outbreak of FMD, scheduled for 2025/26. In response to the outbreak of FMD in Germany, Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK from FMD by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals and untreated products of animal origin from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. We continue to review our preparedness and will take the necessary action to protect our FMD freedom.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Germany.

Following confirmation of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Germany on the 10 January 2025, the Government took rapid action to protect the UK including suspending from Germany, the commercial import of susceptible animals, their untreated meat, dairy products and animal by-products, and hay and straw, and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has been free of FMD since 2007 and has plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England. Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) keep preparedness under continual review but are refocusing effort following the confirmation of FMD in Germany. APHA leads government action on animal disease control and is in the planning stages of a national exercise to test and validate our response to an outbreak of FMD, scheduled for 2025/26.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of tracing of movement of animals, animal products and vehicles to the UK, in the context of the Foot and Mouth outbreak in Germany.

Whilst we have never had an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the UK, it remains a key priority in terms of exotic notifiable disease preparedness. The overall risk of an incursion is currently assessed to be medium, and we continue to prepare for a possible outbreak. To safeguard the UK’s pork and pig industries, Defra, Devolved Governments, together with the pig industry and veterinary bodies have been working together to raise awareness of the risks of the introduction of ASF to the UK. Defra announced further controls in September 2024, restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain. The risk of incursion of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to Great Britain was increased to medium following the confirmation of disease in Germany on the 10 January 2025. The Government has taken decisive and rapid action to protect the UK by suspending the commercial import of susceptible animals from Germany and restricting personal imports of animal products from across the EU. The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of this disease as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain(opens in a new tab) supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England(opens in a new tab).

What steps her Department is taking to support the maintenance of highways in Essex.

The Government takes the condition of our country’s roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. Essex County Council, as a local highway authority, is responsible for the condition and maintenance of its local road network. The Government has a manifesto commitment to enable local highway authorities to fix up to a million extra potholes a year. As announced on 20 December 2024, the Government has allocated Essex County Council £45.8 million during 2025/26 to help them carry out their local highway maintenance responsibilities. This is an increase of around 36% over the current financial year and includes a share of the additional £500 million announced in Budget 2024. It is Essex County Council’s responsibility to decide how that funding is used, based on local needs and priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the funding allocated to local authorities to improve air quality.

The department works closely with local authorities to develop approaches to reducing air pollution. Under the NO2 Programme, the Government’s DfT-Defra Joint Air Quality Unit has provided significant funding to support local authorities to improve air quality in areas of NO2 exceedances, for example recently agreeing Greater Manchester’s £86m Clean Air Plan. We continue to work closely with local areas as they implement their plans. Local authorities have funding allocated to them as part of the local government settlements. Any future, additional funding for local authorities will be subject to the Government’s spending review process.

What steps he is taking to help protect older people from health impacts of cold weather.

The UK Health Security Agency publishes the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England, which sets out a framework for action to protect the population, including the elderly, from harm to their health from adverse weather, including excess cold.With hospitals facing record pressures this winter, we advise elderly and vulnerable people to be careful if heading out in the snow and ice, and to try and keep as warm as possible. We urge people to continue to use NHS 111 if they need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend accident and emergency in life-threatening emergencies.The Government is committed to a preventative approach to the public’s health. Keeping people warm and well at home, and improving the quality of new and existing homes, will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives, and thereby reduce pressure on the National Health Service.The 2021 fuel poverty strategy is currently under review. In the meantime, the Government has kickstarted delivery of our Warm Homes Plan, including an initial £1.8 billion to support fuel poverty schemes over the next three years. Support is also available through the Warm Home Discount schemes which provide eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate off their winter energy bill.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to winter fuel payments on hospital admissions of older people in (a) Epping Forest constituency and (b) nationally.

An impact assessment of the cut in winter fuel payments on hospital admissions of older people in Epping Forest and nationally this winter has not been produced. The Government has taken action to ensure low-income households are protected this winter.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to make Round 1 payments from the Water Restoration Fund.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Bill, including giving environmental regulators powers to impose penalties on the civil standard of proof, in addition to new automatic penalties. The regulators will also be able to recover costs for a much greater range of enforcement activities. In October 2024, the Secretary of State, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, launched an Independent Commission on the water sector regulatory system. This is a wide-ranging review to fundamentally transform how our water system works and clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good. Defra is continuing to work with His Majesty’s Treasury regarding continued reinvestment of the water company fines and penalties on water environment improvement.