Written questions by Savage.

Whether her Department has plans to introduce dedicated capital investment funding for fire and rescue services to help improve (a) infrastructure, (b) fleet renewal and (c) training facilities.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates. As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April.

Whether she has plans to allocate additional funding to fire and rescue services to improve their wildfire and flood response rates.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates. As a recommendation in phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Prime Minister has announced a Machinery of Government change, which will see all responsibility for fire and rescue transfer to MHCLG from 1st April. Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. Additionally, Government supports fire and rescue authorities in responding to flood incidents by providing national resilience High Volume Pump (HVP) capability comprising 45 HVPs. These are available to be used by fire & rescue services across the country during major flood incidents. The Government maintains regular engagement with the National Fire Chiefs Council to monitor and review sector led improvements to wildfire response and mitigation. In addition, the Government will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What steps the Government is taking to improve the finances of fire and rescue services.

Government funding for fire and rescue services is provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the Local Government Finance Settlement in the form of revenue support grant (RSG) and retained business rates. MHCLG published the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26 on 3 February 2025 which sets out grant allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue. Standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of up to £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. Officials will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase to employer National Insurance contributions on fire and rescue services; and whether her Department has plans to provide additional funding to cover such costs.

To repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. The rate of employer NICs will increase from 13.8% to 15% and the per-employee threshold at which employers start to pay National Insurance (the Secondary Threshold) will be reduced to £5,000.At the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, the government announced an additional £515 million of support for local government to manage the impact of changes to employer NICs announced at the Autumn Budget. Fire and rescue authorities will receive a share of the overall funding provided to local government. Payments will be not be ringfenced to allow funding to be used across direct, commissioned, and externally provided local services.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support (a) farmers and (b) landowners wishing to restore wild beavers on their land.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Farmers and landowners who would like to reintroduce wild beavers on their land must first submit an Expression of Interest, which will be assessed by Natural England (NE). Projects likely to meet the licensing criteria will be invited to make a full application. A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage participation in the wild beaver reintroduction program in (a) areas prone to downstream flooding and (b) England; and whether he plans to provide additional (i) support and (ii) resources to farmers in those regions.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Government recognises that beavers can bring many benefits for the environment including reducing downstream flooding. A licence is needed to release any beavers into the wild. Applications will be considered against comprehensive wild release criteria. These criteria have been designed to ensure only high-benefit, low-risk projects are licenced, and that beavers are reintroduced at a measured pace in a well-managed way. Support for farmers, landowners and local communities will be provided through a rigorous risk assessment in the application process and the existing management framework laid out in our 5-step beaver management approach. This will be backed up by support through local beaver management groups and Environmental Land Management options.

Media and Sport, if she will make funding available to support the creation of a Covid-19 memorial in South Cotswolds constituency.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will never be forgotten, and the recent COVID-19 Day of Reflection was an opportunity for communities to come together to remember the lives of those who died, and the sacrifices made by so many. The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration consulted on how to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. This Commission made a number of recommendations, including the creation of new COVID-19 memorials in local communities.This government wants to carefully consider all the Commission's recommendations, working closely with Bereaved Family groups, other departments and the Devolved Governments to do justice to the hard work of the Commission, and will publish a response in due course.

What the total acreage of land is in the UK that is currently covered by solar farms; and what the acreage is for which planning permission for solar farms has been granted.

According to a report on energy trends published by DESNZ, as of September 2024 ground-mount solar PV panels covered an estimated 21,200 hectares (52,000 acres), which is only around 0.1 per cent of the total land area of the UK. While such information is not currently available for projects that have been granted planning permission, we are working on expanding the coverage of the data to all projects in the pipeline. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6762f035e6ff7c8a1fde9b48/Land_utilised_by_solar_PV__September_2024.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for the implementation of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.

The Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme is an EU legacy scheme, and in England, legislation is in place to close the scheme to English POs on 31 December 2025. The Government has committed to championing British farming, whilst protecting the environment, and is currently considering the best way to support our farming sectors in the future, including horticulture. We will make further announcements in due course.

How many families receive the Healthy Start scheme in (a) Cotswold and (b) Wiltshire.

The NHS Business Services Authority operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly figures for the number of people on the digital Healthy Start scheme are published on the NHS Healthy Start website, which is available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/In February 2025, the number of people who were on the digital Healthy Start scheme in the Cotswolds was 260, and in Wiltshire was 1,875.

What data her Department holds on the proportion of (a) healthy and (b) unhealthy food provided to (i) schools and (ii) school caterers.

The department does not hold data on the proportion of healthy and unhealthy food provided to schools and school caterers.The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014, known as school food standards. Schools are responsible for their school meals service and governing boards have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the standards. The standards can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on independent pharmacies.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of 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, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.The Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.  Primary care providers – general practice, dentistry, pharmacy and eye care – are valued independent contractors who provide nearly £20bn worth of NHS services. The Department for Health and Social Care has entered into consultation with Community Pharmacy England (CPE) regarding the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework, and the final funding settlement will be announced in the usual way following this consultation.

If his Department will take steps to provide financial support for pension-age carers, in the context of increases in the price cap for energy bills.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently, including pension-age carers. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past.We recognise that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we are delivering the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households this winter. Last week, we published a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount scheme for next winter, where we propose to remove the high cost to heat threshold, making all those on means tested benefits eligible for the scheme. This would make those of pension age, who claim the Saving Credit element of Pension Credit, eligible for a rebate next winter.In addition, I have also worked with energy suppliers to agree a £500 million Winter Commitment to help customers struggling with bills this winter. I would urge any consumers struggling with their energy bills to contact their energy supplier, local authority, or Citizens Advice to see what support they can receive.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Record investment to protect thousands of UK homes and businesses, published on 4 February 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of new flood prevention infrastructure on (a) wildlife and (b) river ecosystems.

The Environment Agency ensures that all its flood projects assess their impact on the environment and biodiversity, with support from the National Environmental Assessment Service. The impact of any new scheme will be undertaken in due course as part of each schemes’ assurance process. Defra has established protocols to assess the potential environmental impacts of flood prevention infrastructure on wildlife and river ecosystems. These assessments are carried out through Strategic Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments, which are integral to the planning and implementation of flood risk management projects.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle trends in the levels of (a) noise pollution and (b) emissions from motorcycles and cars.

The Government takes the impact of noise pollution on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Strict noise regulations for motorcycles and cars are harmonised at an international level and require vehicles to demonstrate compliance before being placed on the market.Poor air quality poses a significant risk to public health. Delivering greener transport is a priority for the Department for Transport and we are committed to cleaning up our air and protecting the public from the harms of pollution.The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate sets a clear pathway for the decarbonisation of new cars and vans and is the largest carbon saving measure across government. The Department is committed to decarbonising other vehicle categories and is exploring options for implementation that meet the needs of each segment of the market. Non-ZEV motorcycles and cars are also subject to stringent emissions standards, including strict limits on pollutant emissions such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will provide clarity on the law on the public rights of navigation on non-tidal waterways; and if he will make a comparative assessment of his policy and Magna Carta.

I refer the Hon Member to the reply previously given on 21 January 2025 to PQ 24394.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the operation (a) Rosebank and (b) Jackdaw oil fields on the UK's (a) carbon budgets and (b) commitments under the Paris Agreement.

I refer the Hon Member to the regulatory decision documents on the environmental effects of the Rosebank and Jackdaw projects. Those regulatory decisions were subject to Judicial Review and were found to be unlawful by the Court of Session in light of the Supreme Court’s judgment in Finch. Should the developers of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields choose to re-apply for consent, and submit supplementary environmental information required in light of the Court of Session’s judgment, it will be assessed in line with supplementary Environmental Impact Assessment guidance that the government is finalising and will publish soon.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of reforms to the taxation of (a) rental income, (b) shareholder dividends and (c) other passive income on the levels of funding for local authorities.

Income tax is the largest source of Government revenue and helps to fund the UK’s schools, hospitals, and other essential services that we all rely on. In 2024-25, the Office for Budget Responsibility expect income tax to raise around £302.7 billion. Taxes can be raised to support the Government’s priorities, but income tax is not formally hypothecated for specific uses, such as for local authorities.The additional funding announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Budget and through the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement will provide over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above local council tax. We are delivering a Settlement that begins to fix the foundations of local government by providing significant investment redirecting funding towards the services and places that need it most. The Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

What steps he is taking to encourage the adoption of low-cost, room-based air conditioner heat pumps; and if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) reducing VAT and (b) introducing carbon reduction heat pump grants for those pumps.

There is a 0% rate of VAT on the installation of heat pumps, including air-to-air systems, due to last until 2027. The Government wants to target grant support at technologies that offer the greatest potential to decarbonise our buildings, and in most cases air-to-air heat pumps only provide space heating, with many installations still reliant on another less efficient appliance to provide hot water. The Government will, however, keep its position on alternative electric heating technologies under review, utilising the latest evidence before making any decisions.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle potential barriers to trade for UK consultancy businesses operating in the EU; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of differing requirements for work permits in individual EU countries on those businesses; and what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleague to help improve the (a) competitiveness of those businesses in and (b) access of those businesses to the EU market.

To grow the economy and boost living standards, we need to build export and investment opportunities for UK businesses, including consultancy firms, and reduce barriers to trade with the EU.The Government recognises the importance of mobility for UK businesses, and regularly engages other EU Member States to address any bilateral mobility issues and to ensure the visa information they provide is clear. To help businesses navigate the visa and work permit rules of EU Member States, the Government has also published guidance on GOV.UK on entry requirements, as well as for Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.