Written questions by Brickell.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps she is taking to support (a) civil society and (b) a free press in Georgia.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 July 2025 to Question 66922.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the international Summit on Countering Illicit Finance Summit will take place.

I refer the Hon. Member to the written statement made to the House on 22 July 2025 (UIN HCWS877).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions her Department has had with international counterparts on democracy in Georgia.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 July 2025 to Question 66922.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of rescheduling psylocibin to allow for research into its potential merits in the treatment of mental health issues.

Psilocybin is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) and placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’). Drugs are typically placed in Schedule 1 when there is no established medical use in the UK. Drugs that have an established medical use are typically placed in another schedule to enable prescribing.The Government recognises that studies into the potential use of psilocybin as part of the treatment for mental health conditions have been or are being conducted in the UK. However, medicines based on psilocybin have to date not been assessed on the basis of their safety, quality and efficacy and granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).The MHRA supports the safe and scientifically sound conduct of trials in this area and provides regulatory and scientific advice to companies at all stages of developing medicines. Should a company apply for a marketing authorisation (a product licence), it will ultimately be a decision for the MHRA whether to license a psilocybin-based medicine as a therapy. Reconsideration of scheduling under the 1971 Act would ordinarily follow such an assessment by the MHRA.Research into Schedule 1 drugs, including psilocybin, proceeds in the UK under Home Office licence. On 16 July, the Government responded to recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on how best to reduce barriers to research with Schedule 1 drugs. The Government intends to trial an approach whereby a domestic controlled drug licence is not required in universities, university colleges and hospitals, nor for clinical studies with relevant approval from the Health Research Authority or MHRA. These measures will support the Government’s aim of facilitating access to Schedule 1 controlled drugs for legitimate research into potential uses in healthcare, while minimising the risk of harm, diversion and misuse.Ministers are under a duty to consider advice from the ACMD prior to making regulations under the Misuse of the 1971 Act, for example if the Government were minded to reschedule a drug to enable it to be prescribed. The Government has no current plans to commission the ACMD to assess the scheduling of psilocybin.

If his Department will take steps to publish a national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Department and NHS England are currently looking at how to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.Additionally, we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care.We are also providing £26 million in revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26. I am pleased to confirm the continuation of circa £26 million, adjusted for inflation, for the next three financial years, 2026/27 to 2028/29 inclusive, to be distributed again via integrated care boards. This amounts to approximately £80 million over the next three years.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish a water reform white paper.

The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding access rights for (a) swimming and (b) non-motorised craft on inland waterways.

The government recognises the importance of providing access to nature and is considering the approach to improving that, including access onto unregulated inland waterways. We are committed to working with stakeholders as this develops, and a further update will be provided in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward a Water Reform Bill.

The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what her planned timetable is for the abolition of Ofwat.

The Government will publish a White Paper and introduce a new water reform bill, early this parliament, bringing forward root and branch reform to secure better outcomes for customers, investors and the environment, and restore trust and accountability. As part of this reform the Government has committed to create a single powerful regulator responsible for the entire water sector. Ofwat will be abolished, and the new regulator will take responsibility of water functions across Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England and Drinking Water Inspectorate.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on banning foie gras imports.

The Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Foie gras production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation. Defra is continuing to consider the evidence and options in relation to foie gras.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) strengthening, (b) publicising and (c) enforcing the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation.

The Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation issued in May 2000 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20030731231207/http://www.defra.gov.uk:80/environment/water/industry/copcar/chapter1.htm) sets clear expectations of how water and sewerage companies are expected to comply with statutory duties under sections 3-5 of the Water Industry Act 1991, covering concerns such as conservation and public access. The Environment Agency must have regard to this Code of Practice.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the (a) number and (b) differing typologies of incidents of transnational repression in the last five years.

This Government is committed to addressing foreign state directed threats, including those actions which amount to transnational repression (TNR). We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and a key focus of the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Review of transnational repression was to understand the scale and nature of TNR in the UK. I set out the findings of the Review and Government’s response in my statement to the House on 14 May.This Government works closely with law enforcement and other partners to continue to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies of TNR to ensure sufficient safeguards and mitigations are in place to prevent, detect and counter the threat. Attempts by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) recognising and (b) including low-grade brain tumours in the forthcoming National Cancer Plan.

The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve the experience and outcomes for all cancer patients, including those with brain tumours.Although low-grade brain tumours are generally non-cancerous, they can have similar, serious symptoms and require surgery or radiotherapy to treat. The Government has invested in new lifesaving and life-improving research, supporting those diagnosed and living with brain tumours.The plan will include further details on how we will speed up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49987, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there is no funding gap between the end of Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme and the opening of the application window for Environmental Landscape Management schemes for landscape-scale restoration of upland peatland areas.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as wetlands and peat bogs. This will contribute to ensuring nature’s recovery, one of Defra’s five priorities. We have ambitions to restore hundreds of thousands of hectares of peatlands across the country, and we are working to ensure that we have the most effective mechanisms in place to go further than we have before. Peatland restoration is currently funded via the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. We will continue to work with partners, farmers and land managers to enable the delivery of peat restoration, supported by agri-environmental schemes that provide long-term funding to support restoration projects. We are providing advice and guidance to enable partners to transition to new funding arrangements.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the horticultural industry in transitioning to peat-free growing.

Ministers are committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs and are looking at next steps for measures to end the use of peat in horticulture. We continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to support progress on the peat free transition. This includes support for the Royal Horticultural Society’s peat free transition fellowship amounting to £330,000 over three years.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of existing levels of central government funding for fire and rescue services.

On 3 February, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. These allocations, which include the National Insurance Contribution Grant, will see standalone fire and rescue authorities receiving an increase in core spending power of £69.1 million in 2025/26. This is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. Overall, fire and rescue authorities received around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. In addition to settlement funding, the Government has provided Fire and Rescue Authorities with several grants intended for specific purposes, such as the Fire Pensions Grant and Protection Uplift Grant.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to equip local authorities to (a) identify and (b) appropriately respond to (i) United Front activity and (ii) transnational repression.

This Government works closely with law enforcement and other partners to continue to strengthen our understanding of reporting trends and methodologies of transnational repression to ensure sufficient safeguards and mitigations are in place to prevent, detect and counter the threat. Attempts by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country. I refer the hon Member to Written Statement HCWS632 made on 14 May 2025 by the Security Minister signalling the conclusion of the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s Transnational Repression Review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to provide (a) urgent aid and (b) longer-term climate adaptation support to Pakistan following recent floods.

The UK was among the first countries to respond to the floods in Pakistan, approving £2.53 million in emergency funding to date across the seven most affected districts reaching over 400,000 people with search and rescue, emergency medical care, food, water, hygiene, and household items. Additionally, the UK has contributed to the Start Ready Disaster Risk Financing system in Pakistan. £500,000 has been released, reaching 20,000 people across Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to anticipate and mitigate humanitarian impacts from future flooding.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of increasing public access to the outdoors on public health.

The Government recognises health and wellbeing benefits of outdoor access and is taking action to increase opportunities for everyone to engage with nature through nine new national river walks and three new national forests. We work closely with DHSC to embed improved access to nature as part of preventative healthcare through, initiatives such as green social prescribing.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support councils to establish food partnerships.

Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK Government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK. As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. We are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems. The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the food system.