Written questions by Savage.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of sewage treatment infrastructure capacity when planning authorities consider new housing developments in areas where sewage treatment works have recorded frequent storm overflow discharges.

The Government has recently consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making. The consultation included policies that will support the development and operation of energy and water infrastructure that meets the needs of existing and future development. These policies emphasise the need for early engagement between relevant plan-making authorities, utility providers, regulators, and network operators. This will ensure that development plans align with the capacity and future requirements of water infrastructure, and support the delivery of water supply, drainage, and wastewater infrastructure. The consultation seeking views on a revised version of the NPPF closed on 10 March. Following analysis of the responses received, we will publish the final version in summer 2026. Shifting the focus towards ‘pre-pipe’ solutions such as rainwater management and tackling sewer misuse will be key to reducing sewage discharges from storm overflows.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance her Department provides to water companies and planning authorities on determining when sewage treatment works have sufficient capacity to accommodate additional development.

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of statutory Water Resources Management Plans, and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). The decision on whether to approve a development lies with the relevant Local Planning Authority, in line with guidance such as the National Planning Policy Framework. Sewerage undertakers must ensure that they have planned infrastructure need to meet both existing demand, and planned levels of household and non-household growth, as informed by local development plans and relevant modelling. In May 2025, Defra published guidance for the next round of DWMPs instructing sewerage undertakers on how they should prepare their statutory plans, setting out how they intend to manage and develop their infrastructure to meet current and future demand.

Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will take steps to help ensure that development is not approved where wastewater infrastructure capacity is insufficient.

Water companies are under a statutory duty to provide new water and sewerage connections to residential properties, as well as planning to meet the needs of growth as part of statutory Water Resources Management Plans, and Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs). The decision on whether to approve a development lies with the relevant Local Planning Authority, in line with guidance such as the National Planning Policy Framework. Sewerage undertakers must ensure that they have planned infrastructure need to meet both existing demand, and planned levels of household and non-household growth, as informed by local development plans and relevant modelling. In May 2025, Defra published guidance for the next round of DWMPs instructing sewerage undertakers on how they should prepare their statutory plans, setting out how they intend to manage and develop their infrastructure to meet current and future demand.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the public's understanding of increasing climate change and biodiversity loss; and what steps she is taking to help raise public awareness.

Government works with the cultural and heritage sector through the National Adaptation Programme to understand and address the impacts of climate change on the UK’s cultural heritage, including supporting heritage sites to assess physical risks such as flooding, coastal erosion and overheating The Met Office supports public understanding of how climate change affects biodiversity by publishing accessible blogs and media content, and by working with partners such as The Wildlife Trusts and NatureScot to explain impacts on ecosystems in the UK and globally. [metoffice.gov.uk], [metoffice.gov.uk], [nature.scot] Met Office science and communications also highlight practical risks to nature from a warming climate, including rising threats from pests and diseases and shifting species distributions. This work links climate science with biodiversity protection and supports wider public awareness, including through engagement with international processes such as IPBES. The Amazon: a hot spot for biodiversity and climate regulation - Met Office Natural England works to build the evidence base on climate change in the context of biodiversity loss and provides advice to national and local government and professionals working in conservation and land management. The Climate Change Adaptation Manual - NE751 and Carbon Storage and Sequestration by Habitat 2021 - NERR094 illustrate this.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of risk assessments undertaken in relation to house purchases that consider climate change, in particular with regard to the disclosure of flood risk.

Flood risk assessments used in property transactions are typically drawn from environmental searches obtained through commercial search organisations. The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) is the leading trade association for search organisations. Members are required to adhere to a code of practice which sets standards across the search industry. Conveyancers share search results with clients in line with their duty to act in the client’s best interests. Where clients have concerns, the Law Society recommends conveyancers should advise seeking further input from environmental experts. On 6 October, my department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. These contained proposals to ensure buyers receive comprehensive upfront property information, including information on flood risk. The consultations can be found on gov.uk here and here.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to publish the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science report on the number of Total Allowable Catches that follow scientific advice.

Defra has published annual reports from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) setting out the number of Total Allowable Catches of internationally shared stocks that follow scientific advice for UK fishing opportunities since 2020. Defra will continue to track and publish progress of the UK’s approach to sustainable fisheries management.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of overfishing on costs to the fishing industry.

The Government is committed to maintaining or restoring our stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry. This aligns with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement. We work with international partners to set annual catch limits for shared stocks, using the best available scientific advice and balancing this with social and economic factors, including the risks of overfishing. If catch limits are exceeded in a quota year, deductions can be applied the following year. Since 2021, the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs has published a report assessing the outcomes of annual fishing negotiations. The 2025 report can be found at the following link: Economic outcomes of negotiations for UK fishing opportunities 2025 - GOV.UK. As it covers negotiated outcomes rather than actual catches, it does not assess industry costs from exceeding limits.

Food and Rural Affairs, which sites she plans to designate as high seas marine protected areas.

Under the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the Conference of the Parties can establish area-based management tools (ABMTs), including marine protected areas, in areas beyond national jurisdiction. Once we have ratified the Agreement, as a Party the UK will be able to participate fully in decisions on the establishment of such tools. The UK has been working proactively to support global efforts to consider where future ABMTs under the Agreement may be proposed, including through the publication of Defra-funded research which produced a shortlist of ABMTs that could be considered for development into future proposals. The UK has a long-standing interest in the Sargasso Sea, with Bermuda – an overseas territory – being the only land territory within it. Together with the Government of Bermuda, we support science-led conservation of the Sargasso Sea, including as signatories to the Hamilton Declaration (2014) which established the Sargasso Sea Commission. We have recently circulated (to BBNJ signatories) a draft Hamilton II Declaration, which acknowledges the global importance of conserving the Sargasso Sea and provides a mechanism to signal political support for developing a collective ABMT proposal under the BBNJ Agreement. Separate to the BBNJ Agreement, as a Contracting Party to the Oslo and Paris Convention (OSPAR) the UK works collaboratively with the other 15 Contracting Parties to designate marine protected areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction in the OSPAR maritime area.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many reports of marine mammal bycatch were made by fishermen in the last three years.

Marine mammal bycatch is required to be reported under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to continue to export fisheries products to the United States (US), and to assist conservation efforts in mitigating marine mammal bycatch. According to the Marine Management Organisation, fishermen made a total of 40 reports of marine mammal bycatch across the last three years from 2023 to 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many infraction notices have been issued for illegal discarding in the fishing sector in the last three years.

In England, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has issued a total of 34 infraction notices for illegal discarding or for incorrectly recording discards in logbooks in the years 2023-2026. Information on infraction notices or inspection activity undertaken by the Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish authorities in the waters for which they are responsible can be obtained directly from the respective devolved Governments.

Food and Rural Affairs, how her Department incorporates discard estimates into the setting of total allowable catches in the fishing industry.

Total Allowable Catches (TACs) are set through a process bringing together science, economics, stakeholder input, and discards information. For most TACs, scientific bodies, e.g. the International Committee for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), provide scientific advice on how much fish can be harvested (catch advice) to achieve agreed sustainability objectives. Where data availability allows, ICES assessments of fish stocks incorporate discarding estimates into the catch advice, and where this occurs, the allocated TACs represent all components of the catch, including discards. Under the Landing Obligation, legal discarding is permitted for specific stocks under defined circumstances. For these, the UK applies deductions from its TACs prior to their allocation, using estimates of discarding levels to account for expected legal discards. Defra is reforming discards management in England, which includes developing an approach to account for total catches, discards as well as landings, against quota.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Voluntary Code of Practice for Food on the Go in reducing litter; and whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reviewing and (b) strengthening the Code, including through statutory measures.

No assessment has been made of the code of practice. Councils and others have powers to tackle persistent, unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative effect on a community’s quality of life. They can issue Community Protection Notices which can be used to require the owner of premises, such as fast-food outlets, to take certain actions to tackle litter created by their activities. To support local councils to make good use of their powers for littering and related offences we have laid new Statutory Guidance: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers. Guidance published by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government clarifies the powers available to councils to ensure new hot food takeaways do not increase the impact of litter on local communities. The guidance gives councils advice on what rules they can enforce when new takeaways open, such as ensuring they install more bins and anti-litter signs around shops or have staff members pick up litter regularly.

Whether she plans to review the legislative status of special constables to help ensure clarity on police powers, rank structures and professional standards across all Home Office forces.

In the Police Reform White Paper the Home Secretary announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. As part of this, we have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing.Forces are responsible for the local delivery of training and managing promotion processes for special constables. The College of Policing supports forces on the development and progression of special constables’ learning alongside guidance on continuous professional development. It also sets the Special Constable Policing Professional Profile, which outlines the core training, skills, and responsibilities for special constables in line with the national police curriculum.Special constables’ powers and responsibilities are set out in legislation, and forces are responsible for deploying special constables in a way that reflects local operational need while maintaining public confidence and officer safety.

What discussions she has had with the College of Policing on access for special constables to national promotion exams and PEQF pathways; and whether she plans to standardise eligibility criteria across forces.

In the Police Reform White Paper the Home Secretary announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. As part of this, we have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing.Forces are responsible for the local delivery of training and managing promotion processes for special constables. The College of Policing supports forces on the development and progression of special constables’ learning alongside guidance on continuous professional development. It also sets the Special Constable Policing Professional Profile, which outlines the core training, skills, and responsibilities for special constables in line with the national police curriculum.Special constables’ powers and responsibilities are set out in legislation, and forces are responsible for deploying special constables in a way that reflects local operational need while maintaining public confidence and officer safety.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce levels of variation between police forces in relation to training, deployment, equipment and operational roles for special constables.

In the Police Reform White Paper the Home Secretary announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. As part of this, we have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing.Forces are responsible for the local delivery of training and managing promotion processes for special constables. The College of Policing supports forces on the development and progression of special constables’ learning alongside guidance on continuous professional development. It also sets the Special Constable Policing Professional Profile, which outlines the core training, skills, and responsibilities for special constables in line with the national police curriculum.Special constables’ powers and responsibilities are set out in legislation, and forces are responsible for deploying special constables in a way that reflects local operational need while maintaining public confidence and officer safety.

What assessment she has made of trends in the number of special constables in England and Wales since 2012; and what steps her Department is taking to help increase volunteer officer numbers.

The number of special constables has declined year on year, falling from a peak of 20,343 in March 2012 to just 5,304 as of September 2025. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government is committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, and building a resilient, community focused policing model.The Police Reform White Paper set out our ambition to work with policing partners to identify and remove barriers to recruitment, streamline processes, and better integrate special constables into wider policing. We also set out that we will be working with organisations such as the Fire Service and the Armed Forces to assess alternative and innovative volunteering models, learning lessons to inform the continued development of police volunteering.The Government, in collaboration with policing, has established a Special Constables Taskforce to deliver on our ambitions, bringing together senior policing leaders to develop and implement innovative solutions to grow special constable numbers.

Whether the Government plans to increase the role of volunteer policing within neighbourhood policing strategies; and what role she envisages for special constables and any future reserve model.

The number of special constables has declined year on year, falling from a peak of 20,343 in March 2012 to just 5,304 as of September 2025. As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government is committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables, and building a resilient, community focused policing model.The Police Reform White Paper set out our ambition to work with policing partners to identify and remove barriers to recruitment, streamline processes, and better integrate special constables into wider policing. We also set out that we will be working with organisations such as the Fire Service and the Armed Forces to assess alternative and innovative volunteering models, learning lessons to inform the continued development of police volunteering.The Government, in collaboration with policing, has established a Special Constables Taskforce to deliver on our ambitions, bringing together senior policing leaders to develop and implement innovative solutions to grow special constable numbers.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of employment protections for special constables undertaking mandatory training or deployment; and whether she plans to introduce statutory employment rights comparable to those available to Reserve Forces personnel.

Special constables are not employees of police forces and therefore do not fall within the scope of employment legislation in the same way as paid staff. There is currently no statutory requirement on employers to provide paid or unpaid leave for employees undertaking special constable duties, including mandatory training or deployment. However, many employers choose to support special constables voluntarily, including through the Employer Supported Policing scheme.As part of the Employment Rights Bill, the Government has committed to undertake a statutory review of the civic roles covered by section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, including whether special constables should be included. This review will consider the existing arrangements and the case for additional statutory protections.

Whether her Department has considered proposals to replace or reform the Special Constabulary through the creation of a national police reserve or auxiliary force; and if she will publish any internal reviews or policy papers relating to alternative volunteer policing models.

The Home Office currently has no plans to introduce a formal police reserve or auxiliary force. However, as part of the Police Reform White Paper, we are committed to working with policing partners and organisations such as the Fire and Rescue Service and the Armed Forces to assess alternative and innovative volunteering models, learning lessons to inform the continued development of police volunteering.The department does not routinely publish internal reviews, policy advice or options papers relating to volunteer policing models.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent trends in Special Constabulary numbers on diversity and representation within the wider police workforce.

Police forces that reflect the communities they serve are crucial to tackling crime in a modern diverse society. The police have and continue to work hard to improve equality and diversity and the workforce is more representative than ever before.The Special Constabulary is more ethnically diverse than other parts of the police workforce. As at 31 March 2025, 13% of Specials belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group, compared with 8.5% of officers. However, this is still lower than the general population, where 18% of people identify as belonging to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group.As at 31 March 2025, 25% of special constables were female, compared to 36% of regular officers. We will continue to work with policing partners to improve representation.The Government’s Police Reform White Paper acknowledges that volunteers bring fresh perspectives, skills and increased diversity into policing and outlines our ambition to grow the number of special constables. This includes working closely with policing to identify ways to improve and streamline recruitment processes and learning from other volunteering models to inform the continued development of police volunteering.