Written questions by Bool.

How many cases of gift card fraud were there between 2023-2025.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions has his Department had with Trading Standards on gift card fraud.

DBT regularly engages in discussions with Trading Standards on a variety of consumer protection issues. However, there have not been any discussions specifically on gift card fraud. The City of London Police and UK Finance recently authored a report on Gi...

What assessment he has made on the suitability of a regulatory body for aestheticians.

The Government is committed to addressing longstanding concerns around the safety of the cosmetics sector. In August 2025, the Government announced its plans to introduce legal restrictions which will ensure that the highest risk cosmetic procedures are b...

How much Government funding to the National Wealth Fund is unspent.

The government has set the National Wealth Fund (NWF)’s total capitalisation at £27.8 billion which the NWF plans to deploy by 2030-31. This will help unlock economic growth and clean energy across the UK economy. As of the 1 June 2026, the NWF has commit...

What steps his Department is taking to support the development of green hydrogen from ammonia.

In line with our current priorities, the Hydrogen Production Business Model is intended to support domestic, primary methods of hydrogen production, such as electrolytic and CCUS-enabled production. The production of green hydrogen from ammonia through ‘a...

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the removal of tariffs on US ethanol imports on the UK's bioethanol industry.

The 1.4 billion litre duty free tariff rate quota (TRQ) for US ethanol imports was introduced as part of the negotiation of the General Terms for the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD).Discussions on the EPD are ongoing, covering tariff and non-tariff b...

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on increasing domestic production of fertilisers on energy security.

Supply of nitrogen fertiliser to the UK is competitive and the proportion that is met by domestic production varies from year to year. As well as domestic production, the UK typically imports fertiliser products from a wide range of countries which means ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress she has made towards establishing a national fertiliser recording system.

Defra is aware of the merits of having a national fertiliser recording system and will consider if it is appropriate to have one for Great Britain.

What steps his Department is taking to help increase the domestic production of ammonia.

We are constantly working with industry to monitor both the overall supply and pricing of ammonia in the UK, including the derivative products.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with industry to make organic manures and slurries pelletisable.

There are significant opportunities for innovation in the fertiliser sector, particularly development of newer fertilising products that are made from non-conventional materials, such as wastes. The Government has committed £120 million in funding in 2026...

Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on UK CBAM for fertilisers and ammonia.

The Government remains committed to implementing the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from 1 January 2027. CBAM will apply to imported goods from the fertiliser sector, and the rate charged will reflect the final carbon price paid by domestic ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help support farmer cash flow and access to credit.

The Government has allocated a record £11.8bn to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament. This is being targeted to a range of grants and schemes which farmers can use to support cashflow. Defra grants include the Sustainable Farming ...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the impact of changes to red diesel prices during peak harvest season.

To support farmers with fuel cost pressures during peak harvest, this Government is taking decisive action to support farmers by cutting red diesel to its lowest rate in over 20 years, reducing the rates on red diesel by a third. We're committed to protec...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the availability of fertiliser, including in response to sudden increases in demand.

Defra is assessing the impact on farmers and fertiliser suppliers of high prices, and impacts in the wider supply chain. Defra is working closely with industry and farmers to understand risks and issues, and options for action where needed. Current fertil...

Food and Rural Affairs, what contingency plans her Department has made for red diesel availability and costs if the conflict in Iran becomes a long-term issue.

Food security is a priority for the Government, and Defra is taking the impacts from the Middle East conflict seriously. The Government has increased the frequency of official fertiliser price reporting, now published by the AHDB on a weekly basis. This w...

With reference to recommendation R/2026/074 of the Health Services Safety Investigations Body Report 'Insulin: supporting safe self-administration in vulnerable patient groups in the community with

NHS England has shared new draft guidance with systems, the Mental Health Personalised Care Framework. The framework sets out how services must effectively assess, plan, and manage people's care in collaboration with all relevant teams, including how they...

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, to support the agri-food sector.

The development and adoption of innovative UK agri-technologies is key to supporting the UK agri-food sector to boost farm productivity and economic growth. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and Defra work closely together to su...

What discussions he has had with the NHS Business Services Authority on extending the duration of Medical Exemption Certificates for those with long-term conditions.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has had no such discussions.

What evidence her Department considered on graduated driving licenses as part of the Road Safety Strategy; and whether she will publish that evidence.

We used published and publicly available evidence in developing young driver policy in the Road Safety Strategy. Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driver Licensing with further restrictions on newly qualified drivers such as carrying passengers or driving at night, we are consulting on a Minimum Learning Period in England, Scotland, and Wales before learner drivers can take their test. We know that introducing a Minimum Learning Period has potential to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries. This is why we are consulting on the introduction of pre-test measures and combining these with the post-test measures already in place through the New Drivers Act. Additionally, we are considering further post-test measures as part of the motoring offences consultation, where views are being sought on a lower blood alcohol limit for novice drivers in England and Wales. Once the consultations have concluded, we will publish our responses in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a graduated driving license.

We have had to strike a balance between protecting young people and not overly impacting their opportunities to access work and education and social activities. Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driver Licensing with further restrictions on newly qualified drivers such as carrying passengers or driving at night, we are consulting on a Minimum Learning Period in England, Scotland, and Wales before learner drivers can take their test. This would allow learners more time to gain essential experience, for example in different weather conditions, before driving independently and so reduce the risk to themselves and other drivers. We know that introducing a Minimum Learning Period has potential to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries. This is why we are consulting on the introduction of pre-test measures and combining these with the post-test measures already in place through the New Drivers Act. The New Drivers Act has a form of “probationary period” of 2 years for novice drivers of all ages in Great Britain. During this time, instead of the standard 12 points, if 6 or more points are received, including in the learning period, a driver's licence is revoked and they must apply again for a provisional licence, re-entering the learning stage. Additionally, we are considering further post-test measures as part of the motoring offences consultation, where views are being sought on a lower blood alcohol limit for novice drivers in England and Wales.