Written questions by Farron.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with UN officials to ensure aid supplies are able to enter Gaza.

The UK has held regular discussions with UN agencies, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP), to support aid delivery and address access challenges in Gaza. On 19 May, the UK issued a joint statement calling for full aid resumption and for Israel to allow UN and non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners to operate independently. We will continue to convene international partners to increase pressure and take further steps to address the catastrophic situation on the ground. We have committed £101 million this financial year in humanitarian support to trusted partners including UN agencies and NGOs.

How many convictions under the Equal Pay Act there have been; and what the scale of the fines issued is.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold information on how many convictions under the Equal Pay Act there have been; or what the scale of the fines issued is.

What steps he is taking to ensure that the interests of UK (a) beef and (b) ethanol producers are represented in the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

On 8 May, the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the US. The US has committed to further negotiations, and we will continue our extensive engagement with businesses from across the UK throughout these remaining negotiations.For the first time ever, this deal will open up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market. We are engaging extensively with the agricultural and food sector and will put the UK’s national interest first.Senior officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been meeting representatives of the domestic bioethanol industry, and the Secretary of State has met with bioethanol businesses. We are committed to working with the domestic bioethanol industry about their concerns.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to represent the interests of farmers in the negotiations for the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests. We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure food security in relation to the ongoing negotiations for the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests. We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of beef imports from the US that will be (a) carcass and b) valuable cuts following the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.

On 8 May, the UK Government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to reach an agreement with President Trump. This delivers on the commitment by the Prime Minister and the President on 27 February to agree an economic deal in our respective national interests. This deal has created a reciprocal agreement to lower tariffs for British beef exporters to the US, while acting in the UK’s national interest by ensuring that we uphold our rigorous food standards while protecting our farmers. The agreement on beef means that around 1.5% of the UK beef market could come from the United States, and the same quantity of British beef can be exported to them. We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, secure our food security, and uphold our high food, animal welfare, and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the adequacy of his Department's guidance on the (a) labelling and (b) information on country of origin for beef products in (i) food service and (ii) retail.

The UK maintains high standards on the information provided both online and on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. A range of Defra guidance is available on the Gov.uk platform for both consumers and retailers. This guidance sets out the requirements for general food labelling and specific product labelling, including details on the country of origin for beef and other meats. Defra guidance on food labelling, including country of origin for beef products, is kept under regular review to ensure it remains accurate, up to date, and in line with current labelling regulations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has provided to Natural England’s National Landscapes programme in each year since 2015.

We are unable to provide detailed information prior to 2022 due to time/cost involved. Limited landscape designation work was delivered and funding for this was from Natural England’s baseline’ settlement. Defra provided direct funding of £1.1 million per annum for years 2022/23 - 2024/25. As well as the four National Landscape designation cases, this covered wider work on landscape designations and alternatives. For 2025/26 the direct funding for National Landscape designation work was not continued. Natural England is using baseline budget to fund a reduced programme of landscape designation work.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of increased regulation on the nutritional value of baby food.

Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influences many aspects of wellbeing in later life.It is vital that we maintain the highest standards for foods consumed by babies and infants, which is why we have regulations in place that set nutritional and compositional standards for commercial baby food. The regulations also set labelling standards to ensure consumers have clear and accurate information about the products they buy. We continue to keep these regulations under review to ensure they reflect the latest scientific and dietary guidelines.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the total area of land was in (a) entry-level agreements, (b) mid-tier countryside stewardship agreements, (c) higher tier countryside stewardship agreements and (d) higher-level stewardship schemes in each year since 2022.

Total area of land covered by Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship agreements: For Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (hectares), the figures were: 2022 - 453,7892023 - 513,2882024 - 603,6262025 - 574,676 For Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (hectares) the figures were: 2022 - 459,3342023 - 567,4822024 - 660,5352025 - 594,952 For Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were: 2022 - 70,7292023 - 63,1632024 - 53,8322025 - 51,792 For Entry Level plus Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were: 2022 - 975,3072023 - 851,9672024 - 683,2712025 - 633,248 For Organic Entry Level plus Higher Level Stewardship (hectares), the figures were: 2022 – 63,2402023 – 44,5482024 – 22,8742025 - 19,736 Please note the following points: Year dates have been taken, as the agreement not being closed as of 01st Jan of each yearThe sum of each area-based revenue option capped at parcel total area has been used to calculate areasNote also that Rotational Options have not been included for either schemeDifferent agri-environment schemes and types of agreement can be carried out on the same physical piece of land, so the columns should not be summedThese figures are estimates based on the available dataThe numbers provided here do not match previously published figures from FCP on area under agri-environment schemes in England in 2024, due to slight differences in date and methodology, particularly around rotational optionsThe numbers provided here do not match figures from Agriculture in the UK due to methodological differences.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the availability of dental appointments for women.

We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist and are committed to reducing health inequalities.The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards across England.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, in which year the (a) West Midlands urban area, (b) Bristol urban area, (c) Sheffield urban area and (d) the Potteries are expected to become compliant.

Predicting when locations will comply with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide is inherently uncertain. Our current estimates reflect the impact of agreed local Clean Air Plans and are based on 2023 data from Defra’s national monitoring networks and national modelling, as well as local authority-owned air quality monitoring and modelling. 2023 is the most recent year of fully ratified monitoring data available. As additional years of data become available or where additional measures are agreed some of these predictions are likely to change. Current estimates for when the following reporting zones will become compliant are: West Midlands Urban Area2032Bristol Urban Area2031Sheffield Urban Area2031The Potteries2032South East2028West Yorkshire Urban Area2029Coventry and Bedworth2026Liverpool Urban Area2029Greater London Urban Area2024Greater Manchester Urban Area2026Nottingham Urban Area2024Portsmouth Urban Area2026Reading and Wokingham Urban Area2024

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Air Quality Standard Regulations 2010 in achieving reductions in nitrogen dioxide levels in ambient air.

There are currently no plans to assess the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010. We assess the effectiveness of schemes to reduce nitrogen dioxide through the NO2 Programme’s evaluation programme. In addition, the revised Environmental Improvement Plan, due to be published later this year will review and clarify targets set under the Environment Act 2021.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which road links within 10 miles of Gatwick airport are expected to exceed the nitrogen dioxide limit value in each of the last five calendar years of their non-compliance period.

The most recent national compliance assessment for 2023 did not report any road links within 10 miles of Gatwick Airport to be in exceedance of the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide. There were also no exceedances reported through the Local Air Quality Management process in 2023.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, whether he has held discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection on the timescales for expected compliance of each reporting zone.

There have been no discussions with the Office for Environmental Protection on this topic.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which road links within 10 miles of Heathrow Airport are expected to exceed the nitrogen dioxide limit value in each of the last five calendar years of their non-compliance period.

The most recent national compliance assessment for 2023 did not report any road links within 10 miles of Heathrow Airport to be in exceedance of the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide. Local monitoring as part of the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process shows a small number of measurements in 2023 above 40µg/m3 at sites within a 10-mile radius of Heathrow Airport. There were single measurement sites above 40µg/m3 in the London Boroughs of Brent (A404), Wandsworth (A3), Richmond (A205), Merton (A219) and Kensington & Chelsea (A3220), and three measurement sites in Ealing (A4020, A40 and A406). National Highways’ assessments also indicated concentrations above 40µg/m3 at four road links on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). These are in the London Boroughs of Hounslow (two road links on the M4), Hillingdon (M4), and Spelthorne (A316). Air quality assessments under LAQM are assessed differently to the national assessment as they are focused on targeting local pollution hotspots which may occur in locations that don’t meet the data quality requirements for the national assessment.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, whether his answer is consistent with the 2023 National Compliance Assessment.

The answer to Question 39816 was based on a combination of data from the 2023 national compliance assessment and additional local monitoring data that does not typically meet the requirements for formal national reporting but was included in the response for completeness. The national assessment is designed to meet the location and data quality requirements of the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 which seek to represent general exposure to air pollution, rather than local pollution hotspots. For this reason, the answer to Question 39816 captured some additional locations where nitrogen dioxide concentrations in 2023 were above 40µg/m3.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which localised hotspot is expected to delay compliance with the nitrogen dioxide limit value in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The localised hotspot in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is located on Stephenson Road A1058. The high nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations observed here are due to several local factors including high traffic volumes, queuing traffic, an incline in the road that requires vehicle acceleration and overhanging trees that partially trap pollution. There is considerable uncertainty in the estimate of when this location will become compliant with the annual mean NO2 limit value. The rest of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is expected to become compliant by 2029.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, which road links within the South East non-agglomeration zone are expected to exceed the nitrogen dioxide limit value in each of the last five calendar years of the non-compliance period.

The most recent national compliance assessment for 2023 reported one road link in the South East non-agglomeration zone as being in exceedance of the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide. This road link is a stretch of the A34 in the Vale of White Horse. We don’t hold up-to-date detailed modelled projections to predict the impact of all current policies on future NO2 concentrations, however current indicative estimates suggest that this road link will become compliant with the limit value in 2028.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39816 on Nitrogen Dioxide: Pollution Control, in which year he estimates that the (a) West Yorkshire urban area; (b) Coventry and Bedworth, (c) Liverpool urban area, (d) Great London urban area, (e) Greater Manchester urban area, (f) Nottingham urban area, (g) Portsmouth urban area and (h) Reading and Wokingham urban area will become compliant.

Predicting when locations will comply with the annual mean limit value for nitrogen dioxide is inherently uncertain. Our current estimates reflect the impact of agreed local Clean Air Plans and are based on 2023 data from Defra’s national monitoring networks and national modelling, as well as local authority-owned air quality monitoring and modelling. 2023 is the most recent year of fully ratified monitoring data available. As additional years of data become available or where additional measures are agreed some of these predictions are likely to change. Current estimates for when the following reporting zones will become compliant are: West Midlands Urban Area2032Bristol Urban Area2031Sheffield Urban Area2031The Potteries2032South East2028West Yorkshire Urban Area2029Coventry and Bedworth2026Liverpool Urban Area2029Greater London Urban Area2024Greater Manchester Urban Area2026Nottingham Urban Area2024Portsmouth Urban Area2026Reading and Wokingham Urban Area2024