Written questions by Perkins.

What steps she is taking to ensure that children being home schooled are receiving (a) a high level of education and (b) in a safe environment.

The department has collected data on compulsory school-aged children in elective home education from local authorities on a termly basis since autumn 2022. Figures are available by local authority in the publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.In most cases, there is no legal obligation on parents to request permission or notify the school or local authority that they are withdrawing their child from school to home educate them.As parents currently have no legal duty to inform local authorities when they are home educating, local authorities cannot be assured that they are fulfilling this duty towards all children living in their areas.This is why the Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords, will introduce compulsory Children Not in School Registers in every local authority in England and Wales. These measures will help local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas, including those not in receipt of safe or suitable education, and to act where this is the case.

How many children have been removed from schools rolls for home elective education for each school in Derbyshire in each of the last six years.

The department has collected data on compulsory school-aged children in elective home education from local authorities on a termly basis since autumn 2022. Figures are available by local authority in the publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.In most cases, there is no legal obligation on parents to request permission or notify the school or local authority that they are withdrawing their child from school to home educate them.As parents currently have no legal duty to inform local authorities when they are home educating, local authorities cannot be assured that they are fulfilling this duty towards all children living in their areas.This is why the Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords, will introduce compulsory Children Not in School Registers in every local authority in England and Wales. These measures will help local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas, including those not in receipt of safe or suitable education, and to act where this is the case.

How many children have been removed from schools rolls for home elective education by local authority in each of the last six years.

The department has collected data on compulsory school-aged children in elective home education from local authorities on a termly basis since autumn 2022. Figures are available by local authority in the publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.In most cases, there is no legal obligation on parents to request permission or notify the school or local authority that they are withdrawing their child from school to home educate them.As parents currently have no legal duty to inform local authorities when they are home educating, local authorities cannot be assured that they are fulfilling this duty towards all children living in their areas.This is why the Children’s Wellbeing and School Bill, which is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords, will introduce compulsory Children Not in School Registers in every local authority in England and Wales. These measures will help local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas, including those not in receipt of safe or suitable education, and to act where this is the case.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement entitled Outcomes from Nature COP16, Cali, Colombia of 6 November 2024, HCWS196, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) increase funding to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund and (b) join the Legacy Landscapes Fund.

At COP16, the UK pledged an additional financial contribution of £45 million to the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund to help countries across the globe to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The UK also continues to encourage other countries and non-sovereign organisations to provide financial contributions. In December 2024, Defra joined the Legacy Landscapes Fund as a donor and has so far invested just over £10 million, helping to protect biodiversity, promote climate resilience and foster equitable development in some of the world’s most outstanding landscapes.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging fees on (a) food and (b) drink costs.

The Department has assessed the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on both producers and consumers, including the potential effect on the affordability of food and drink. This assessment is included in Section 8 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. We are closely monitoring the potential impact of these costs on consumer prices and remain committed to balancing environmental goals with economic considerations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in levels of Official Development Assistance spending on levels of funding for (a) the Darwin Initiative, (b) the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and (c) Darwin Plus.

No decisions have been made regarding future levels of funding for the Darwin Initiative, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, or Darwin Plus. Defra will allocate budgets to its Official Development Assistance programmes for future Financial Years after Defra receives its Multi-Year Spending Review settlement. The UK has a strong and pioneering record in overseas development and will continue to play a vital humanitarian role in crises such as those in Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza, while tackling global challenges including climate change and biodiversity loss.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (a) the design of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging and (b) its interaction with wider economic and fiscal policy.

The Government is committed to moving towards a circular economy that delivers sustainable growth. Implementing the Collection and Packaging Reforms, including the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for packaging is a critical step in this transition and will create a substantial incentive for investment in new and improved recycling services in the UK. HM Treasury is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the lead department, on the delivery of these reforms.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging on SME beverage producers.

In October 2024 the Government published a final impact assessment on the pEPR scheme. The impact assessment did not look at the specific impacts of the pEPR scheme on individual sectors. The Government recognises the importance of protecting small producers from direct cost obligations. This is why the regulations include a de-minimis threshold of £2 million turnover and 50 tonnes which exempts approximately 70% of the producers supplying packaging in the UK from paying scheme fees.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to meet commitments to contribute to the global target of $30 billion a year in international financial resources for biodiversity by 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Global Biodiversity Framework, working to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The Government recognises the importance of the collective global target of mobilising at least $30 billion per year in international financial resources for biodiversity, part of the broader commitment to mobilise $200 billion per year from all sources of finance by 2030. The Government continues to support developing countries on climate and nature action through the UK’s International Climate Finance. We will set out our spending plans for future years following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of treating biomethane in the same way as (a) other renewable fuels and (b) renewable electricity under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

The Government recognises biomethane as a practical and cost-effective way of contributing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) applies a zero emissions factor to combustion of biomethane where supplied directly to ETS installations. Where biomethane is injected into the gas grid, there is not currently a mechanism to ensure biomethane is accounted for separately. The ETS prices emissions from electricity generation but not from electricity use as emissions are only priced at the point of combustion. As outlined in the future policy framework for biomethane production call for evidence, the Government is working with the ETS Authority to consider whether the ETS could account for biomethane injected into the gas grid and will provide an update on this in due course.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of anaerobic digestion plants following the end of the Renewable Obligation Certificates and feed in tariffs on (a) energy security and (b) net zero.

The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including anaerobic digestion plants. We are continuing to assess the situation to understand the impact that the end of Renewables Obligation support will have on security of supply, clean power 2030, carbon budgets and the environment. No decisions have been made yet on potential further support.

Whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating anaerobic digestion plants as critical national infrastructure.

The Department recognises the importance of anaerobic digestion plants. Where low carbon energy infrastructure, including anaerobic digestion plants, meets the threshold for being a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, the National Policy Statements already define such projects as being of Critical National Priority.

Whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that anaerobic digestion plants supported by renewable obligation certificates and feed in tariffs remain open following the end of those schemes.

The Government is aware that the expiration of Renewables Obligation accreditation may affect the commercial viability of generators from a range of technologies, including anaerobic digestion plants. We are continuing to assess the situation to understand the impact that the end of Renewables Obligation support will have on security of supply, clean power 2030, carbon budgets and the environment. No decisions have been made yet on potential further support.

Food and Rural Affairs, what engagement he has had with glass manufacturers on the business impact of the forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

The UK’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) policy has been in development since 2019. This is underpinned by extensive consultation and engagement with industry stakeholders, including the glass manufacturing sector, to provide businesses with a clear indication of the scheme’s design and implementation. Consultations were held in 2019 and 2021, concluding with a final consultation on reforms to the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system in 2022. In 2023, the four nations of the UK jointly consulted on the operability of the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Feedback from stakeholders during this process directly informed a number of amendments made prior to final regulations. Throughout this period, Defra officials engaged closely with industry experts, including the glass industry. This collaboration has helped to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs used within the scheme reflects the practical realities of waste management operations. We have made a full assessment of the expected business impacts of the policy, including on the glass sector. This is detailed in the official impact assessment for the Producer Responsibility Obligations (packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, which remains publicly available: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. The Government remains committed to ongoing engagement with manufacturers and other stakeholders to support the successful and fair implementation of the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the proportion of product liable for extended producer responsibility that will be sold to the on trade.

Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. We are planning next steps as a priority and will share more information soon.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed fee structure for the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on economic growth.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.

How many (a) oral statements, (b) urgent questions, (c) end of day adjournment debates and (d) Westminster Hall debates each Department has responded to since 5 July 2024.

Urgent questions, adjournment debates and Westminster Hall debates are a matter for the House. Information relating to each of these is available on the Parliament website.The Government is responsible for the arrangement of oral statements. As of 3rd April 2025, there have been 129 oral statements from the following departments:DepartmentNumber of oral statementsDepartment for Business and Trade8Cabinet Office9Department for Culture, Media and Sport4Ministry of Defence7Department for Education8Department for Energy Security and Net Zero8Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs4Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office20Department of Health and Social Care8Home Office15Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government8Ministry of Justice6Northern Ireland Office2Prime Minister6Department for Science, Innovation and Technology2Department for Transport5Treasury6Department for Work and Pensions3

What estimate she has made of the number of working people in receipt of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) who will be forced to leave work if they cease to receive PIP.

No estimate has been made. The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost, as it would require a bespoke survey of claimants.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the definition of household waste under the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme to apply exemptions to products consumed and disposed of within hospitality venues.

The Government has been engaging extensively with stakeholders from various sectors, including the hospitality sector, to develop a better understanding of the potential impacts of a change in the definition of household packaging. The government will set out its intended next steps on the definition shortly.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme that will be introduced in April 2025 on the drinks industry.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I provided to PQ 33304 on 4 March 2025.