Written questions by Perkins.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of co-locating solar and onshore wind farms access to battery energy storage systems.

A smart and flexible energy system is essential for meeting net zero. Co-locating solar and onshore wind farms with battery storage are a part of this, making it possible for the delivery of stored electricity when the wind is not blowing, or the sun does not shine.The Government is supportive of renewable energy deployment alongside other functions, such as energy storage, in order to maximise the efficiency of land use and network infrastructure.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the scope of the Environment Act 2021 to include more (a) sectors and (b) definitions of (i) legal and (ii) illegal deforestation.

The approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains is being considered and we will provide an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of broadening the scope of measures within the Environment Act 2021 to help tackle illegal deforestation.

The approach to tackling deforestation in UK supply chains is being considered and we will provide an update in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraphs 82 to 85 of the Fourth Report of Session 2023–24 of the Environmental Audit Committee, The UK’s contribution to tackling global deforestation, HC 405, whether she plans to implement the recommendation on human rights abuses in supply chains.

We note the committee’s recommendations regarding the rights of indigenous people and local communities, and customary land tenure. We will set out our approach in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on dredging rivers.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment; this includes flood risk management and watercourse maintenance. The EA focuses its efforts on those activities which will achieve the greatest benefit in terms of protecting people and property from flooding. Dredging and main river clearance are an important part of EA’s maintenance programme. Before undertaking dredging, the EA will work in close consultation with local communities to assess whether it is technically achievable and cost effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream, and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue.

If she will take steps to issue guidance to people with a Teachers' Pension on the application of tax for (a) under and (b) over payments in the context of benefit rollback choices for the transitional protection remedy period.

HMRC has published comprehensive guidance on managing the tax implications of the public service pensions remedy, both for impacted pension scheme members and for schemes administrators. This guidance covers the position for under and overpayments of tax following the remedy rollback and is available on GOV.UK.Members can also use the “Calculate your public service pension scheme adjustment” digital service to simplify the process of calculating whether they owe further tax or may be due a refund.HMRC have also issued guidance and updates directly to scheme administrators via pension scheme newsletters to support schemes with drafting their own internal member communications.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the council tax.

The Deputy Prime Minister holds regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues about a range of issues, including their shared interests on local taxation. The government is focused on keeping taxes on working people as low as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the decision-making process on whether to grant conditional emergency authorisation to use a product containing neonicotinoids includes an assessment of the potential impact of those neonicotinoids on butterflies.

Decisions on emergency authorisation applications must be taken in line with legal requirements. In making these decisions, Ministers take full account of the available evidence and expert advice, including on risks to pollinating insects. The Government will honour its manifesto commitment on this topic.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of neonicotinoids that have been used since 2020 following an emergency authorisation on wildlife.

Three neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – are not permitted for general use because of the risks they pose to pollinators. However, emergency authorisations were granted by the previous Government for the use of the thiamethoxam-containing pesticide Cruiser SB to treat sugar beet seed in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Environmental monitoring activities were undertaken as a condition of the emergency authorisations for the use of Cruiser SB granted by the previous administration, alongside government-funded monitoring projects. The results of this monitoring work can be found within the HSE’s emergency registration reports, published on GOV.UK. This year I rejected the application for an emergency authorisation to use Cruiser SB on sugar beet in England. I did not take this decision lightly, considering expert advice from the Health and Safety Executive and Expert Committee on Pesticides, the Defra Chief Scientific Adviser and Defra economists. In making my decision, I recognised that the potential adverse effects to bees and other pollinators could not be excluded if the Cruiser SB authorisation were to be granted. In December last year we published a policy statement outlining our intention to end the use of these neonicotinoid pesticides for good. We will update the guidance that sets out the approach to decisions on applications for emergency authorisations to take full account of the importance of pollinators. Further, we will identify legislative options to prevent future use of emergency authorisations for products containing clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, which are extremely toxic to pollinators.

With reference to the White Paper entitled Get Britain Working, published on 26 November 2024, what steps she plans to take to engage with disabled people in the development of the new jobs and careers service.

As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. We will embed the principles of accessibility and inclusivity into the design of the new service and through the entire user journey, recognising that people have different support needs. As part of the Get Britain Working White Paper reforms, we have committed to establishing a panel to consult disabled people, ensuring that their voices are at the heart of the design and delivery. The National Careers Service website contains a range of information for people with disabilities, including advice on job support for people with disabilities. All disabled people can access careers information and advice through the National Careers Service webchat, telephone helpline and website. People with disabilities are part of a priority group for the Service and can also access in-depth face-to-face support from locally based careers advisers. National Careers Service community-based contractors work with a range of organisations, including specialist providers, to reach customers who are furthest from the labour market, including disabled people.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support UK businesses to comply with (a) domestic and (b) EU regimes for the prevention of deforestation in supply chains.

Businesses are supported to comply with UK timber regulations through the Office for Product Safety and Standards. There is currently no domestic regime in place in relation to other commodities. Guidance in respect of complying with EU legislation is a matter for the European Commission.

With reference to the Get Britain Working White Paper, what steps she plans to take to ensure that (a) work coaches and (b) disability employment advisors understand the barriers to employment faced by disabled people.

This Government is committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to working with disabled people to design our reforms. The Get Britain Working White Paper announced that DWP will establish a panel to consult disabled people as part of our wider efforts to ensure that the views and voices of disabled people are at the heart of the design and delivery of the reforms set out in the White Paper. We will incorporate any changes identified by implementing the Get Britian Working White Paper into the new entrant learning journey and provide relevant learning products to support existing Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers if required. The Department will also launch a new coaching academy. This initiative will seek to build on our existing work coach offer and will provide further upskilling for colleagues to support customers to overcome barriers, making full use of the Jobcentre offer and wider support in our communities. All new Work Coaches and Disability Employments Advisors currently receive the necessary training and development to enable them to support all our claimants. The Department continually impacts, reviews and evaluates the training and development of Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors to ensure they have the most relevant training and skills to support disabled people. In addition to this Work coaches receive specialist support from Disability Employment Advisers on how to tailor their support to help disabled customers move closer or into the labour market. Disability Employment Advisers can also offer “direct support” to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions where additional bespoke support would benefit the customer.

With reference to the Get Britain Working White Paper, what steps she plans to take to ensure that disabled people can access specialist careers advice.

As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. We will embed the principles of accessibility and inclusivity into the design of the new service and through the entire user journey, recognising that people have different support needs. As part of the Get Britain Working White Paper reforms, we have committed to establishing a panel to consult disabled people, ensuring that their voices are at the heart of the design and delivery. The National Careers Service website contains a range of information for people with disabilities, including advice on job support for people with disabilities. All disabled people can access careers information and advice through the National Careers Service webchat, telephone helpline and website. People with disabilities are part of a priority group for the Service and can also access in-depth face-to-face support from locally based careers advisers. National Careers Service community-based contractors work with a range of organisations, including specialist providers, to reach customers who are furthest from the labour market, including disabled people.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on bringing forward the Forest Risk Commodities regulations to enact the Environment Act 2021 provisions on deforestation in supply chains.

We recognise the urgency of taking action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation. We will set out our approach to addressing deforestation in the UK’s supply chains in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations within the Environmental Audit Committee's report entitled The UK's contribution to tackling global deforestation, published on 4 January 2024.

We note the recommendations put forward by the committee and recognise the important work that there is to be done.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's policy is on the regular dredging of rivers.

The Environment Agency has no record of dredging the rivers Rother and Hipper during the last 10 years. The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes dredging to manage flood risk where it is technically effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue. Since 2009, the EA has spent the following amounts on dredging rivers. Note that more funding was used on dredging in 2016/17 mainly due the winter floods of 2015/16 and an additional £40 million resource funding that was announced in March 2016. This allowed teams to undertake more maintenance activities, including dredging. Financial YearChannel Maintenance (£M)Dredging (£M)2010/114552011/1239102012/134582013/143042014/1545122015/164792016/1759222017/185982018/194552019/204552020/213442021/222932022/233662023/24387

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the regular dredging of rivers on flooding.

The Environment Agency has no record of dredging the rivers Rother and Hipper during the last 10 years. The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes dredging to manage flood risk where it is technically effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue. Since 2009, the EA has spent the following amounts on dredging rivers. Note that more funding was used on dredging in 2016/17 mainly due the winter floods of 2015/16 and an additional £40 million resource funding that was announced in March 2016. This allowed teams to undertake more maintenance activities, including dredging. Financial YearChannel Maintenance (£M)Dredging (£M)2010/114552011/1239102012/134582013/143042014/1545122015/164792016/1759222017/185982018/194552019/204552020/213442021/222932022/233662023/24387

Food and Rural Affairs, when the (a) River Rother and (b) River Hipper was last dredged.

The Environment Agency has no record of dredging the rivers Rother and Hipper during the last 10 years. The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes dredging to manage flood risk where it is technically effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue. Since 2009, the EA has spent the following amounts on dredging rivers. Note that more funding was used on dredging in 2016/17 mainly due the winter floods of 2015/16 and an additional £40 million resource funding that was announced in March 2016. This allowed teams to undertake more maintenance activities, including dredging. Financial YearChannel Maintenance (£M)Dredging (£M)2010/114552011/1239102012/134582013/143042014/1545122015/164792016/1759222017/185982018/194552019/204552020/213442021/222932022/233662023/24387

Food and Rural Affairs, how much the Environment Agency has spent on dredging rivers in each year since 2009.

The Environment Agency has no record of dredging the rivers Rother and Hipper during the last 10 years. The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes dredging to manage flood risk where it is technically effective, does not significantly increase flood risk for others downstream and is environmentally acceptable. In most places there are much more effective and efficient ways to better protect communities and increase their resilience to flooding, as part of a catchment-based approach. Whilst dredging is part of the solution in some locations, it is not a universal solution to what is a complex issue. Since 2009, the EA has spent the following amounts on dredging rivers. Note that more funding was used on dredging in 2016/17 mainly due the winter floods of 2015/16 and an additional £40 million resource funding that was announced in March 2016. This allowed teams to undertake more maintenance activities, including dredging. Financial YearChannel Maintenance (£M)Dredging (£M)2010/114552011/1239102012/134582013/143042014/1545122015/164792016/1759222017/185982018/194552019/204552020/213442021/222932022/233662023/24387

What steps he is taking to improve accountability for oil companies responsible for oil pollution.

Oil spills from oil and gas installations are of significant concern to the Department which is why there is no minimum quantity for reporting. The number of oil spills reported to OPRED (Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning) has almost halved since 2018 and the amount of oil spilled in 2023 was at an historic low. Operators are required to report all discharges, spills and non-compliances and every case is investigated by OPRED proportionately. OPRED takes enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of notices to improve compliance with the law, fines or referral for criminal prosecution.