Written questions by Arthur.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts on regulatory convergence regarding EV battery traceability, performance and carbon footprint reporting requirements.

I have not had discussions with my EU counterparts on regulatory convergence regarding EV battery traceability, performance and carbon footprint reporting requirements. Working alongside the Devolved Governments, we are reviewing the UK's producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, we are considering aligning with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation which includes provisions on traceability, performance and carbon footprint. My officials held a series of workshops with industry earlier this year to explore this further. The EU Batteries Regulation already applies directly in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a statutory national register of heritage trees.

Ancient and veteran trees are our most important trees and considered irreplaceable habitats. They are protected through planning policy, and local authorities can grant additional protections to individual high-value trees through Tree Preservation Orders. Defra is continuing to focus on improving how these protections are implemented, to ensure these trees are safeguarded in practice as well as in policy, while also considering what further measures could be included in a new Trees Action Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of retailers withdrawing from the Better Chicken Commitment on her Department's Animal Welfare Strategy.

As set out in the animal welfare strategy, the Government remains committed to supporting a move away from the use of fast-growing breeds of meat chickens. The Government welcomes the fact that those supermarkets who made Better Chicken Commitment pledges have fulfilled them, but it is disappointing to hear of the decision of various restaurant groups to withdraw their commitments to improve animal welfare in this way.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to undertake similar evidence gathering to Food Standards Scotland's Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment on braille food labelling in England.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what evidence her Department is gathering on braille food labelling in England; and what discussions her Department has had with a) vision impaired consumers, b) braille users and c) disability organisations on braille food labelling.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with counterparts in the European Union regarding regulatory alignment on battery passports for electric vehicles.

The Secretary of State has not had discussions with counterparts in the European Union regarding regulatory alignment on battery passports for electric vehicles. Defra is currently reviewing the producer responsibility legislation for batteries. This review will explore potential alignment with the requirements of the European Union Batteries Regulation which applies in Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework, and which includes provisions on digital battery passports. We are in the process of engaging further with industry and other stakeholders on the review.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the feasibility and cost implications of braille food labelling, including a) the pharmaceutical sector's mandatory braille implementation since 2005 and b) businesses that have voluntarily adopted braille labelling such as as the Co-operative.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with Food Standards Scotland and the Food Standards Agency on braille food labelling under the UK Food Compositional Standards and Labelling Common Framework; and what steps she is taking to ensure coordination in approaches across the four nations.

The availability and accessibility of essential food information to all consumers is vitally important. All food sold on the UK market must comply with food labelling rules, which include the requirement for specific information to be presented in a specific way.Defra has met with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to discuss options for improving accessible labelling on food products. Defra is also working with stakeholder groups, including the Business Expert Group on Food Standards and Labelling (BExG), which provides structured dialogue between government, industry and enforcement bodies on food labelling, and with GS1 as they progress work on the transition from traditional barcodes to QR codes. This transition has the potential to support consumers with visual impairments to access not only the basics, but the full range of information available on the label, as well as additional information provided via the App or QR code.We are aware that some retailers are beginning to offer braille on food products. Through the Food Compositional Standards and Labelling (FCSL) Common Framework, officials across the four nations are coordinating on the accessibility of food labelling, including QR codes and braille. Food Standards Scotland (FSS) regularly provide updates on its work exploring the use of braille for key information such as product name and use‑by date. The Government is interested in the findings of this work, including how it may impact businesses, associated costs and potential alternative approaches to accessibility labelling to aid all consumers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that less potable water is used for non-potable purposes.

This Government recognises the importance of water re-use systems to alleviate pressure off the potable water system by moving to non-potable supplies and are taking forward measures to support this. We have a consultation on amending the Building Regulations (2010) and a Call for Evidence on reuse in homes live for responses. Alongside this, we are considering the recommendations set out in the Independent Water Commission including the ask for Government to work with regulators to develop a new policy and regulatory framework to drive the adoption of water re-use infrastructure in the household and non-household commercial market.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the article by the University of Edinburgh entitled Rescuing the cities of the deep: Corals from oil platforms find new homes off Shetland, published on 16 September 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the research undertaken by the University of Edinburgh into the use of corals harvested from subsea structures to establish artificial reefs as part of seabed restoration projects.

The UK is home to cold-water corals off our coast and tropical coral reefs within our Overseas Territories. With 4,700 square kilometres of corals across our UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, the UK is responsible for the twelfth largest area of coral reefs in the world. Coral reefs host about a quarter of all known marine species and are a key source of food, livelihoods and economic opportunities to people in more than 100 countries around the world. We are engaged with this initiative from the University of Edinburgh and continue to consider all relevant evidence concerning the status and management of coral reefs, such as the 2025 global coral reef status report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to further restrict the (a) sale or (b) use of (i)perfluorooctanoic acid and (ii) products which contain it.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds are already banned in the UK under the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation 2019/1021, as amended. That legislation prohibits the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of POPs, including PFOA.

Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to enact Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.

The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and we are looking at what additional steps might be taken to support this Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. A final decision on this matter will be made in the coming months. We intend to consult on national planning policy related to decision making later this year, including policies on flood risk and SuDS. Also, this year, we will consult on ending freehold estates, which will include options to reduce the prevalence of private management arrangements for community assets, including SuDS.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps is he taking to help promote access to green spaces for girls.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. This is why we have set out our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England, expanding access to the great outdoors. We know that particular groups, including women and girls, can disproportionately experience barriers to accessing nature, and we are committed to tackling this inequity so that everyone can benefit from spending time in green and blue spaces. Our Green Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide offers detailed guidance on creating accessible, multifunctional green spaces that deliver a wide range of benefits. Specifically, for teenage girls, it emphasises the need for designing spaces that are not only safe and inclusive but also comfortable and welcoming. In addition, the Government licenses and oversees the Green Flag Award scheme, which recognises well-managed, inclusive and welcoming green spaces. Parks are assessed against criteria such as safety, accessibility, environmental management and community involvement, helping to ensure high standards are maintained across thousands of parks and open spaces and that these remain inclusive and accessible for all, including women and girls.