Written questions by Heylings.

If she will seek information from the EHRC on which (a) people and (b) organisations were consulted before the issue of the EHRC interim guidance on the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of the government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that any consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.The EHRC’s interim update provides a perspective on how the judgment and Equality Act are practically applied in some areas. It is a snapshot reflection, rather than full guidance. The EHRC has already committed to supporting service providers with its updated statutory Code of Practice; we will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.

If she will ask the EHRC to publish their full plans for consulting (a) the transgender community and (b) people who are intersex before publishing their full guidance in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is independent of government. It is for the EHRC to ensure that the consultation process is appropriate and meaningfully engages with varied stakeholders.The Government expects them to do this widely and broadly, listening to diverse voices.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing Apprenticeship Levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on the number of people using the apprenticeship route to obtain higher-level qualifications; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this change on young people.

I refer the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43275.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to adapt farming subsidy schemes to encourage farmers to (a) house farmed animals in woodlands and (b) plant woodlands in permanent pasture.

Our in-field agroforestry offers under the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes include support for establishing and maintaining silvopastoral systems, where trees are planted in pasture to realise their multiple benefits such as enhanced animal welfare and supporting biodiversity. Under Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT), land managers can plant and maintain in-field agroforestry systems up to an average of 400 trees her hectare, as well create, manage and restore Wood Pasture and Parkland systems. Land managers can be supported to design agroforestry in a way that meets their objectives through the Agroforestry Plan capital item.

Whether she conducted an impact assessment on restrictions to support through the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

The new criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which will be made available in the House Libraries in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect blue carbon habitats from damaging human activities.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Poole, Neil Duncan-Jordan, in February 2025, PQ 28248. In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats. Defra set up the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership in partnership with DESNZ and the Devolved Administrations to address evidence gaps around these important habitats. We are funding a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage and sequestration, the impact of human activities and to model potential management interventions. Initial outputs from this work were published in January 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the UK’s declining wild bird populations.

This Government remains committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species including wild birds. That is why, on the 30 July 2024 the Government announced a review of the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) and the intention to develop a revised EIP to protect and restore the natural environment with delivery information to meet the Environment Act targets. This includes reversing the decline in species and reducing the risk of extinction. Government actions to restore and create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat by 2042 will support a wide range of native bird species. In addition, under the Environmental Land Management scheme we have several offers to support the management, restoration and creation of habitats that support a range of bird species.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislation to end retail sales of horticultural peat.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra is committed to protecting our nature-rich habitats, including peat bogs, and is looking at next steps regarding measures to ban horticultural peat. The Department will continue to work alongside the horticultural sector to accelerate progress on the peat free transition.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a licensing system for grouse shooting in England.

The Government recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy, providing direct and indirect employment. It also appreciates that many people hold strong views on the issue of grouse shooting and there is evidence to suggest a link between it and crimes against birds of prey. While Defra has not yet made any formal assessment of the potential merits of the licensing of grouse shooting in England, it will continue to work to ensure a sustainable, mutually beneficial relationship between grouse shooting and conservation

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to tackle persecution of birds of prey.

Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against birds of prey and other wildlife. Where any wild bird of prey is killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to proven perpetrators of the crime. Defra supports the work of the national Bird of Prey Crime Priority Delivery Group, which brings together police, government and stakeholders from conservation and country sports organisations to tackle bird of prey persecution. Furthermore, Defra is a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime (including bird of prey crime) by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £424,000 for NWCU in 2025-2026. In addition, Defra provides funding to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme, which makes enquiries into the death of wildlife that may have resulted from pesticide or rodenticide poisoning. We have also provided funding to Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) to develop DNA forensic analysis for the police and other organisations investigating crimes against peregrine falcons.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the carbon storage potential of natural blue carbon habitats; and what steps he is taking to help protect these habitats.

To progress the evidence base on blue carbon habitats in UK waters the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership (UKBCEP) was established in 2022. Through the UKBCEP, Defra is working together with Devolved Governments and DESNZ to address key blue carbon research questions including assessing their carbon storage potential. A working group was set up under the UKBCEP to help to address the evidence gaps preventing the inclusion of saltmarsh in the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory (UKGHGI). In January 2025, Defra published a roadmap towards the potential inclusion of saltmarsh in the UKGHGI. We also published initial outputs from a multi-year research project to increase our understanding of UK seabed sediment carbon storage in January 2025. In England, we have established a comprehensive network of 181 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which cover the majority of our saltmarsh and seagrass habitats. While blue carbon habitats may not always be an explicitly designated feature, MPA protection may still yield benefits. Our focus is now on ensuring that these MPAs are effectively protected to allow the designated features to achieve favourable condition. Three Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMAs) designations in English waters came into force in summer 2023. Two of the three designated sites, Allonby Bay and North East of Farnes Deep, contain blue carbon habitats.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to meet climate change adaptation commitments.

Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, and as such it is responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. Defra is the owning department for about half of the 61 risks and opportunities identified in the third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) and works closely with the eleven other departments which own the remaining risks. We are in the process of delivering the third National Adaptation Programme which was published in 2023 and covers how Government will meet the challenges posed by climate change to key sectors including infrastructure, natural environment, health, communities the built environment, business and industry. We are committed to strengthening the nation’s resilience including by taking steps which: Improves governance and monitoring processesTranslates evidence into action, andAssess and strengthen the framework of objectives. The department is also exploring how to set out stronger objectives to drive action to increase our preparedness for the impacts of climate change up to and beyond the next National Adaptation Programme in 2028.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help restore peatlands.

The Government recognises the importance of England’s peatlands, and in our manifesto, we committed to expanding nature-rich habitats such as peatlands. 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, and going forwards will be primarily funded through Environmental Land Management schemes, such as the Landscape Recovery and Countryside Stewardship schemes. Private finance will also be vital if we are to meet our peatland restoration ambitions. To support peatland restoration, the Government is implementing a range of policies that will mobilise private investment. These include working with the IUCN to attract investment through the Peatland Code.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK meets its 2030 nature recovery targets.

Our biodiversity targets, alongside other statutory targets on tree canopy and woodland cover, water and air quality, marine protected areas, and resource efficiency, will drive action for nature recovery.We have pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration over the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26, benefiting nature and biodiversity.Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being prepared and published across England by responsible authorities. They will enable effort to be focussed on the actions and locations which will have most benefit to nature and the wider environment.Our Environmental Land Management schemes will restore, maintain and enhance existing ‘high value’ biodiversity assets, create new wildlife rich habitats, incentivise nature friendly and sustainable farming measures to reverse declines in farmland species and support bespoke species recovery actions.At COP16, we confirmed our vision for protecting and effectively managing 30% of land for nature by 2030 (30by30).The Government has concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23). We published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025, to be followed by publication of a revised EIP. The revised EIP will focus on cleaning up our waterways, reducing waste across the economy, planting millions more trees, improving air quality and halting the decline in species by 2030.

What role the Treasury holds in approving new oil and gas fields.

The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including development consents) under the Petroleum Act 1998. The NSTA requires Secretary of State’s agreement under relevant environmental regulations prior to granting any licence, consent or authorisation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to take steps to help support authorities responsible for local nature recovery strategies to (a) facilitate partnership working, (b) collate a pipeline of nature recovery projects and (c) monitor delivery progress of local nature recovery strategies.

The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed 48 responsible authorities to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) across England. Responsible authorities must follow the LNRS regulations when preparing the strategies and use the statutory guidance provided. Once complete, each responsible authority will publish the LNRS for their area. Two strategies have been published so far, in the West of England and North Northamptonshire. LNRSs will be delivered through a combination of legal duties, funding and incentives. The Government has set out a clear leadership and coordination role for responsible authorities in the English Devolution White Paper.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide guidance to authorities responsible for local nature recovery strategies on the delivery of those strategies.

The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed 48 responsible authorities to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) across England. Responsible authorities must follow the LNRS regulations when preparing the strategies and use the statutory guidance provided. Once complete, each responsible authority will publish the LNRS for their area. Two strategies have been published so far, in the West of England and North Northamptonshire. LNRSs will be delivered through a combination of legal duties, funding and incentives. The Government has set out a clear leadership and coordination role for responsible authorities in the English Devolution White Paper.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the delivery of local nature recovery strategies by responsible authorities.

The Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has appointed 48 responsible authorities to prepare Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) across England. Responsible authorities must follow the LNRS regulations when preparing the strategies and use the statutory guidance provided. Once complete, each responsible authority will publish the LNRS for their area. Two strategies have been published so far, in the West of England and North Northamptonshire. LNRSs will be delivered through a combination of legal duties, funding and incentives. The Government has set out a clear leadership and coordination role for responsible authorities in the English Devolution White Paper.

Who approves new oil and gas fields.

The Oil & Gas Authority (operating as the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA)) are the licensing authority for offshore oil & gas. The NSTA are also responsible for granting consents and authorisations for subsequent activities (including development consents) under the Petroleum Act 1998. The NSTA requires Secretary of State’s agreement under relevant environmental regulations prior to granting any licence, consent or authorisation.

Whether he plans to announce further steps to help reduce waiting times for mental health treatment.

Nationally, we plan to recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services in England to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. We will also introduce access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.Despite the challenging fiscal environment, the Government has chosen to prioritise the funding to deliver expansions of NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement & Support schemes, demonstrating our commitment to addressing the root cause of mental health issues and providing support for people with severe mental illness to contribute to the economy by remaining in or returning to work.In addition, people of all ages who are in crisis or who are concerned about a family or loved one can now call NHS111, select the mental health option, and speak to a trained mental health professional. National Health Service staff can guide callers with next steps such as organising face-to-face community support or facilitating access to alternative services, like crisis cafés or safe havens, which provide a place for people to stay as an alternative to accident and emergency or a hospital admission.