Written questions by Darling.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has undertaken modelling of wastewater discharges from the Meadfoot sewage outfall in Torquay to assess the interaction of those discharges with tidal movements within the last five years.

The beach is monitored by the EA during the bathing season which runs from mid-May to September. The EA monitors the bathing water for bacteria. The results from Meadfoot Beach put it in the highest class for clean water quality: it is rated as excellent.The EA’s local Bathing Water data teams look at all data as they become available through the bathing season. Should they see any results that fall short of what is expected for that beach they will investigate the reasons and act on any findings. Polluting our waterways is unacceptable. We have published the Water White Paper, a new once-in-a-generation plan to overhaul the water system. It sets out clear powers for the new regulator, delivering tougher oversight and stronger accountability for water companies.

Whether she plans to standardise delay repay thresholds across operators.

There are no current plans to standardise across all train operators. We have one of the most generous delay repay systems in Europe and continue to make progress on improving the ease with which passengers can claim Delay Repay with the majority of the Department’s contracted train operators offering automated 'one-click' compensation. Delivering Great British Railways will make it even easier and more convenient for passengers to claim Delay Repay, including through the upcoming Great British Railways website and app.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of compelling landlords to allow electric vehicle meters to be connected to a leaseholder’s residential supply.

The Government is committed to ensuring an electric vehicle (EV) transition that works for all. In October 2025, we announced that we will consult on improving renters and leaseholders' ability to charge. This consultation will consider how to make domestic EV charging for renters and leaseholders easier and more straightforward.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has considered a) regulating the cost of veterinary procedures, and b) requiring increased transparency around costs of veterinary procedures for pets.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are finalising a market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. On 15 October, they released a Provisional Decision Report, which included proposed remedies such as increased transparency of veterinary fees, requiring vets to publish price lists, and a cap on the price of written veterinary prescriptions. The proposed remedies are subject to the CMA’s final report which is due to be released in the Spring. Defra welcomes the CMA’s market investigation into the veterinary sector and will consider any remedies from the CMA’s final report. Currently, businesses providing veterinary services are not regulated. Reforms to the Veterinary Surgeons Act (which are currently being consulted on) will bring in regulation of veterinary and other animal healthcare businesses and empower the regulator to ensure competition within the market.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the financial impact of participating in GCSE exams on home-schooled students.

Parents who choose to educate children at home bear the financial responsibility for doing so, including covering the costs of their exam entry. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will not change this.However, the Bill does introduce a new support duty. For the first time, local authorities will be required to provide advice and information on accessing GCSE examinations when requested by parents, unless it would be unreasonable to do so.This advice should help parents understand how the exam system works, identify any suitable centres, and plan their child’s education and approach to exams in a timely and informed way.

What steps she has taken to support adopted children’s recovery from early years trauma.

Professionals working with adopted children should receive appropriate trauma-informed training. The department has funded Adoption England with £8.8 million this year to develop national approaches for adoption services, helping ensure consistently high‑quality support across the country. Adoption England is also strengthening trauma‑informed practice across its workforce and with key partners, including schools. In addition, we have recently consulted on new social work standards that include recognising and responding to trauma, which will underpin an enhanced early‑career support offer.On 10 February, we announced that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will continue up to 2028, with £55 million in 2026/27, enabling children to continue to benefit from access to specialist trauma and attachment‑focused therapies. In addition, our new ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation provides a positive opportunity for families and professionals to help shape the long‑term future of adoption support.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of trauma-informed training undertaken by professionals working with adopted children.

Professionals working with adopted children should receive appropriate trauma-informed training. The department has funded Adoption England with £8.8 million this year to develop national approaches for adoption services, helping ensure consistently high‑quality support across the country. Adoption England is also strengthening trauma‑informed practice across its workforce and with key partners, including schools. In addition, we have recently consulted on new social work standards that include recognising and responding to trauma, which will underpin an enhanced early‑career support offer.On 10 February, we announced that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will continue up to 2028, with £55 million in 2026/27, enabling children to continue to benefit from access to specialist trauma and attachment‑focused therapies. In addition, our new ‘Adoption Support that Works for All’ consultation provides a positive opportunity for families and professionals to help shape the long‑term future of adoption support.

What modelling (a) she and (b) the OBR has carried out on the distributional impact of measures on salary sacrifice for pensions in the Autumn Budget 2025.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice. Almost all – 95% - of those earning £30,000 or less who use salary sacrifice will be entirely unaffected by the changes. 74% of basic rate taxpayers using salary sacrifice will be protected by the cap. Everyone using salary sacrifice will still benefit from the NICs advantages available up to the £2,000 cap.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government are taking to tackle the environmental impact of data centres.

The Government is taking a coordinated approach to address the environmental impact of data centres as it seeks to promote sustainable sectoral growth. Through the AI Energy Council, we are working with industry, regulators and the energy system to improve efficiency and reduce carbon intensity. UK Data and AI infrastructure is subject to the UK’s environmental and planning frameworks, which require assessment of impacts such as energy use, water consumption, land use, and local environmental factors. Larger data centres, which will be able to apply through the recently introduced Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project route, will also be subject to these requirements.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans does the UK Government have to support overseas states experiencing severe droughts and difficulty in accessing water.

The UK works with partner governments to strengthen water resilience, including resilience to severe drought, and to expand access to safely managed water services. For example, through the Just Transitions for Water Security programme, we have supported developing countries to build resilience to climate change and nature loss by strengthening sustainable water management.Through the Enhanced Water Leadership in a Changing Climate programme, we have worked with the World Bank and others to strengthen national systems and mobilise finance to improve access to water, and through the Climate Adaptation and Resilience programme, we have supported climate adaptation research, including taking action to improve understanding of and responses to water insecurity and drought.

For what reason Access to Work advisers no longer accept supporting evidence by email for new and renewal applications, and instead require applicants to submit documents by post; what assessment has been made of the potential impact of this change on processing times; and what steps are being taken to ensure that disabled people are not subject to related increases in the time taken to access or retain employment.

As has been the case for many years under successive administrations, DWP does not generally allow evidence for health and disability benefits to be submitted via email. This is because this evidence often contains sensitive personal data, which must be submitted via more secure means. Contact methods, including evidence submission, for Access to Work was brought into alignment with this policy. We do, however, support alternative methods of communication, including the use of email, for customers who, because of their disability or health condition, are unable to submit evidence by other means. We do not anticipate any significant impact on processing times for Access to Work customers. We also continue to prioritise employed and self-employed applicants who are due to start work within the next four weeks or renewing existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform and ensure Access to Work is tailored to the needs of all customers.

What assessment has he made of the adequacy of dental care given to (a) veterans and (b) those suffering with long-term illnesses.

We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers defending our country.We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.ICBs are also recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reformsFree NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; andreceiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to dentistry services for (a) veterans and (b) people suffering with long-term illnesses.

We are aware of the challenges faced by many in accessing a National Health Service dentist, including people suffering with long-term illnesses, and valued members of the Armed Forces community, such as our respected veterans who have spent their careers defending our country.We have asked integrated care boards (ICBs) to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.ICBs are also recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reformsFree NHS dental care is available to people who meet the following criteria:under 18 years old, or under 19 years old and in full-time education;pregnant or have had a baby in the previous 12 months;being treated in an NHS hospital and the treatment is carried out by the hospital dentist, although patients may have to pay for any dentures or bridges;receiving low-income benefits, or under 20 years old and a dependant of someone receiving low-income benefits; andreceiving War Pension Scheme payments, or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and the treatment is for your accepted disability.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the adequacy of plastic recycling provision in supermarkets including where products are sold in packaging which needs to be recycled in-store.

Simpler Recycling came into force on 31 March 2025 requiring all workplaces in England with more than 10 full-time employees to separate their waste before collection, including any waste produced by employees, customers and visitors. This includes dry recyclable materials (i.e. plastic, metal, glass, paper and card) and, separately, food waste. Supermarkets are therefore required to comply and separately collect plastic as well as the other recyclable materials. Defra has not assessed the plastic recycling provision in supermarkets. Whilst supermarkets collect plastic film on their premises (e.g. plastic bags) this is not currently a requirement. However, additional waste streams that are not included in the Simpler Recycling legislation, may be collected in advance of 31 March 2027 when plastic film collections from all households and workplaces will also become mandatory.

Whether he plans to reform the family court system to ensure children's best interests are prioritised.

The Children Act 1989 states that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration when making decisions in relation to a child's upbringing. This Government is committed to reform of the family court to improve the experience and outcomes for children and families. Central to this is the expansion of the private law Pathfinder model, which amplifies the voice of the child through a Child Impact Report and ensures a higher proportion of children are directly engaged by social workers during proceedings. The model is supporting the court in making safe decisions which prioritise the best interests of the child, without delay. The Pathfinder pilot was launched in Dorset and North Wales in February 2022 and is now operating across 10 court in England and Wales, which accounts for around a quarter of relevant private law proceedings. Plans for further expansion will be announced in due course.

How many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those assessments in each of the last three years.

The Department does not hold data on how many applicants for (a) new Access to Work awards and (b) the renewal of existing awards who undertook holistic workplace assessments received support in line with the recommendations of those assessments in each of the last three years. Determining this information would require manually reviewing individual applications which would incur disproportionate cost.

For what reason Access to Work advisers no longer accept supporting evidence by email for new and renewal applications; what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that change on processing times; and what steps he is taking to ensure that disabled people are not subject to delays in accessing and retaining employment as a result.

As has been the case for many years under successive administrations, DWP does not generally allow evidence for health and disability benefits to be submitted via email. This is because this evidence often contains sensitive personal data, which must be submitted via more secure means. Contact methods, including evidence submission, for Access to Work was brought into alignment with this policy. We do, however, support alternative methods of communication, including the use of email, for customers who, because of their disability or health condition, are unable to submit evidence by other means. We do not anticipate any significant impact on processing times for Access to Work customers. We also continue to prioritise employed and self-employed applicants who are due to start work within the next four weeks or renewing existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform, and ensure Access to Work is tailored to the needs of all customers.

When he plans to hold the consultation on proposed changes to NDAs under the Employment Rights Bill; and what is the planned timeline for implementation.

The Employment Rights Act 2025 will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers who want to silence workers about harassment and discrimination in the workplace.The Government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made (known in the legislation as ‘excepted agreement’). We will also consult on the individuals that a worker with an excepted agreement can speak to (e.g. the police, or medical professionals).We will bring forward the consultation shortly. The consultation will inform the policy detail in order to draft the regulations and commence this measure in due course.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on media literacy and citizenship education of the findings of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation, UK Democracy, and Attitudes toward Ukraine & Russia in the UK, published in January 2026, on passive exposure to misinformation via social media.

Improved media literacy builds resilience to misinformation and disinformation and fosters critical thinking. The government is improving media literacy through coordinated cross-government work, including funding innovative community-based interventions and launching an awareness campaign to build digital resilience and critical thinking skills online. The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy. This includes raising the awareness and understanding of misinformation and harmful content, especially where it affects vulnerable groups. The government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, published on 5 November 2025, emphasised the value of secure knowledge, the process of questioning and critical enquiry and weighing up evidence across information and sources. The government’s response to the review committed to strengthening media literacy content in the curriculum to ensure vital applied knowledge and skills in media and digital literacy are embedded into the revised curriculum, that subject-specific disciplinary skills including critical thinking and problem solving are clearly articulated in the refreshed programmes of study.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Resilience and Reconstruction entitled Disinformation, UK Democracy, and Attitudes toward Ukraine & Russia in the UK, published on January 2026; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of social media platform algorithms on the spread of misleading or hostile state-aligned narratives in relation to (a) the war in Ukraine and (b) other matters.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 January to Question 105450. As concerns the algorithms of social media platforms, the Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the power to request information on their design, including as this relates to allegations of illegal mis- and disinformation.