Written questions by Heylings.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that fishing catches are recorded and accounted for.

To ensure fishing catches are accurately recorded and accounted for, all English vessels must record their catches either in a logbook or, for vessels under 10 metres, using the Catch Recording application. These systems provide an accurate picture of how much fish is being taken from English waters. Compliance with this requirement is monitored through analysis of data and vessel inspections. Fisheries control and enforcement are devolved matters, with each Devolved Administration responsible for conducting inspections within its respective waters.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of how many jobs in the ecology and nature sectors could be lost as a result of small sites being excluded from BNG as proposed in the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course. The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2025 to question 83898, what incentives there are for volunteer participants in the design and test phase for demersal trawls using mesh sizes up to 120mm, over 10m; and how many vessels in that category have volunteered for 2026.

All vessels taking part in REM early adopter projects have the opportunity to shape Defra’s approach to roll out, participating in programme design and flagging implementation issues. Volunteers can also recommend information and data they would like us to collect and how they would like it reported back. Defra also funds REM equipment and installation for volunteer early adopters. At present there are no volunteers for Fishery C, Demersal trawls using mesh sizes up to 120mm, over 10m, English waters of the North Sea.

Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of developments BNG would apply to should small sites be excluded as proposed in the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course. The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

If she will promote multimodal literacy as part of the new curriculum rollout.

This government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative education.The department agrees with the Curriculum and Assessment Review that building the skills for young people to critically engage with and assess information from a range of sources, including multi-modal texts, is increasingly importantThe reformed English programme of study and English language GCSE will expose students to the study of a wider range of text types and genres, including transient texts, supporting them to analyse and challenge arguments, building media literacy.Media literacy is an increasingly important skill to enable young people to identify “fake news” and to spot different types of mis- and disinformation, especially online.Secure, well-founded knowledge is essential for students to understand how arguments are constructed across different types of media and to recognise the various ways in which language can be used to persuade.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry; and what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard the sector from potential risks associated with its use.

This Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the UK’s publishing sector - one of our most successful and long-standing creative industries, contributing over £11 billion to the economy.The Government is preparing to publish the Report and Impact Assessment required by Sections 135 and 136 of the D(UA) Act.This Impact Assessment will include an assessment of each of the options put forward in the government’s consultation on copyright and AI, including the economic impact of each option on copyright owners and AI developers. This will include the publishing sector.In the meantime, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have jointly chaired three meetings with representatives of the creative and AI sectors.We’re also convening expert working groups and parliamentary working groups as we consider all options.We are dedicated to protecting our world-leading creative industries and ensuring they continue to thrive in the age of AI.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) NHS and (b) hospice funding allocations in (i) Greater Cambridge and (ii) other high-growth areas.

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025, and allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be published in due course. Further information on allocations in 2025/26 is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2025-26/Palliative care services are included in the list of services an ICB must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care, including that provided by hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.We are supporting hospices in England with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. The Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge is receiving £941,496 from this funding.

What steps his Department is taking to improve coordination between hospital trusts, Integrated Care Boards and hospices to support patient transitions from hospital to community-based end-of-life care.

National Health Service bodies and local authorities have a duty to co-operate to provide appropriate discharge support according to local need to enable effective and timely discharge. This is of particular importance for individuals who may require palliative and end of life care services.The Hospital discharge and community support guidance outlines that health and care providers should collaborate to prevent common issues that could disrupt the provision of care as part of the discharge process. Providers should also have regard to the fast-track pathway tool for NHS continuing healthcare to ensure individuals receive timely, appropriate, and compassionate support following discharge. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidanceThe Department and NHS England are currently working to develop plans on how best 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.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure sustainable long-term funding for hospices through Integrated Care Boards.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best 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.We are supporting hospices in England with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Whether he has had discussions with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board on the (a) public petition and (b) campaign to safeguard Arthur Rank Hospice.

Ministers meet and engage regularly with integrated care boards (ICBs) to discuss local issues.Representatives of NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB meet Arthur Rank Hospice on a regular basis relating to the services it commissions from the organisation. The ICB and Arthur Rank Hospice work collaboratively to ensure that commissioned services meet contractual expectations and on continuous improvement of services for palliative care and end of life care patients. The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.

Media and Sport, when she plans to announce the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after 31 March 2026.

The future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after March 2026 will be announced when the outcome of the Spending Review and business planning processes have completed.

Whether she has plans to consult with representatives of choirs and other vocal ensembles on the scope of Orchestra Tax Relief.

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions. Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness. Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that small producers are not placed at a cash flow disadvantage compared with larger producers under the payment structures of the extended producer responsibility scheme.

pEPR in the UK has some of the most generous support measures for small businesses across any packaging scheme globally. These are exemptions from disposal fee and recycling obligations for producers with an annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes; and an exemption from data collection and reporting obligations for small businesses with turnover below £1 million and packaging tonnage below 25 tonnes. These exemptions apply to approximately 70% of businesses supplying packaging in the UK. To support businesses that are subject to disposal fee obligations we have also provided flexible payment arrangements to help obligated businesses manage cashflow, by paying fees in quarterly instalments. Where producers are a liable and struggle to meet payment plans outlined in the regulations, further options are available on request.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on community choirs of extending Orchestra Tax Relief to include vocal ensembles.

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions. Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness. Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

What steps she is taking to ensure parity of access to creative tax reliefs between orchestras and choirs.

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions. Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus. In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness. Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

What discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the impact of payment structures under the extended producer responsibility scheme on the cash flow of small producers.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade continues to have regular discussions with all Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

What recent discussions his Department has had with local Chambers of Commerce on the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill.

The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development of Make Work Pay policy and implementation. This will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill. We have engaged directly with over 250 stakeholders across 254 meetings since August 2024. We have engaged directly with 138 businesses of which 75 are Small and Medium Enterprises. Department officials meet routinely with the British Chambers of Commerce, as one of the key business stakeholders.We will continue to work closely with businesses and business organisations.

If he will issue guidance on the interaction between his Department's proposed probationary period and employees’ rights to claim unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Bill.

The Government’s Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap, published in July 2025, reiterated our commitment to producing guidance to ensure that employers and employees understand the Plan to Make Work Pay’s changes to employment law, including unfair dismissal day one rights and the statutory probation period. The Government will work alongside Acas and other partners to ensure the development of practical guidance. We will ensure there is time for employers to prepare and familiarise themselves with the requirements of these changes before they are implemented in 2027.

Whether he plans to provide targeted support for small employers to help meet the cost of day-one Statutory Sick Pay.

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. The Government believes that removing the waiting period is essential to ensure employees feel better able to take the time they need to recover from short term illness, without struggling in work and often spreading infectious diseases such as influenza. The government conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the changes to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay in the Employment Rights Bill, which was published on 21 October 2024. This includes the impacts on small businesses. The additional cost to business of the SSP reforms is around £15 per employee. The government intends to conduct a post-implementation review of the Employment Rights Bill within five years of implementation. Previous SSP rebate schemes that were available to employers, such as the Percentage Threshold Scheme were seen as complex, expensive to administer, underused by small businesses and did not encourage employers to support their employees during sickness absence. The Department for Business and Trade provides a range of offers that SMEs may wish to access.  They include the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, the network of 41 local Growth Hubs across England, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme to help improve leadership and management capabilities. The recently launched Business Growth Service (BGS) makes it easier for businesses across the UK to get the advice and support they need to grow and thrive.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Employment Rights Bill and (b) changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions on small and medium-sized businesses.

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments These include assessments on the impacts to micro, small and medium businesses in line with the Better Regulation Framework.The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.