Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

We are working closely with the music industry, and engaging with the EU and EU Member States to tackle the challenges facing UK musicians and their support staff, including reduced access due to restrictions on the number and type of permitted transport movements when touring in the EU. Our aim is to identify practical solutions to ensure that UK artists can continue to perform across Europe with minimal barriers while respecting the regulatory frameworks on both sides.

On 7 April, Sir Chris Bryant attended the Informal Meeting for EU Culture Ministers in Warsaw as a guest of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is the first time a UK minister has been invited to such a meeting since the UK’s exit from the EU. The Minister used the opportunity to forge closer, more cooperative ties with his EU counterparts, including on matters related to touring. The Minister and senior DCMS officials have previously engaged the EU on this matter bilaterally, including during an introductory call with EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Culture, Youth and Sport Glenn Micallef and in recent engagements with Polish, French, German, Italian, Danish and Swedish counterparts.

The UK Government remains in constructive dialogue with the EU on this and other EU reset priorities. Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds and Maroš Šefčovič have been tasked with moving discussions forward and leaders will take stock at the UK-EU Summit in May.

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, further consideration of the evidence is needed in order to appoint an appropriate body to lead the prevention strand of the levy system. We will confirm our decisions in due course. Prevention is a critical part of the government’s approach to tackling gambling-related harm and we need to take the time to get the policy right whilst ensuring that necessary legislation is passed to meet our commitment to having the levy in place by April 2025.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

The Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain collects official statistics on gambling behaviour in Great Britain including participation rates of bet in play and participation rates and Problem Gambling Survey Index scores for online instant win games (online and in person), betting on sports and racing (online and in person) and fruit and slots games (online and in person).

The Gambling Commission is responsible for the implementation of a number of the regulatory reforms set out in the white paper, such as introducing new regulations to make online games safer. This has included introducing a limit on spin speeds for online slots games in 2021, with additional rules coming into force from January 2025 to reduce the speed and intensity of online products.

The Government is committed to strengthening protections to ensure that people can continue to enjoy gambling, without the risks that can ensue from harmful gambling. We are acutely aware of the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families. We are committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk, and we have noted the Lancet Public Health Commission’s report. We will provide further updates to the House soon.

The Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain collects official statistics on gambling behaviour in Great Britain including participation rates of bet in play and participation rates and Problem Gambling Survey Index scores for online instant win games (online and in person), betting on sports and racing (online and in person) and fruit and slots games (online and in person).

The Gambling Commission is responsible for the implementation of a number of the regulatory reforms set out in the white paper, such as introducing new regulations to make online games safer. This has included introducing a limit on spin speeds for online slots games in 2021, with additional rules coming into force from January 2025 to reduce the speed and intensity of online products.

Statutory guidance on the current relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum, published on GOV.UK states that by the end of secondary education, pupils should know the facts about reproductive health, including fertility, and the potential impact of lifestyle on fertility for men and women and menopause. This guidance is attached and is also available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. While endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome are not mentioned specifically in the statutory guidance, it is open to schools to include it as part of this education.

To support schools further, in 2020 the department developed teacher training modules which are freely available to download from GOV.UK and are attached and is also available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health. This included working with Endometriosis UK when developing the ‘changing adolescent body’ module, which references endometriosis. In addition, the ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’ module refers to endometriosis, polycystic ovaries, fertility and menopause.

The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools and as such we will talk to stakeholders, analyse consultation responses and consider relevant evidence before setting out next steps. This will include assessing whether amended content on reproductive health issues is needed.

The department recognises that access to green space has been shown to have a positive impact on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young people, but children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to spend time regularly outside than those from more affluent backgrounds. That is why we are inviting all nurseries, schools and colleges to register with the National Education Nature Park and offering grants to support participation from eligible settings.

Participating in Nature Park activities will support and encourage all children, and young people will benefit from spending time in nature. It will also support teachers to build confidence to deliver effective outdoor learning.

The department supports and works with a wide range of academics to understand research relating to the impact of air quality on school users.

Between January 2022 and April 2023, the department provided over 9,000 air cleaning units to over 1,300 settings that had been identified with poor ventilation. The department has published guidance on how to use CO₂ monitors and air cleaning units, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-co-monitors-and-air-cleaning-units-in-education-and-care-settings.

The department also publishes non-statutory guidance on indoor and outdoor air quality in ‘Building Bulletin 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ (BB101), which can be found in the attached document and also accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.

The responsible body, relevant local authority, academy trust or voluntary-aided body are responsible for ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils when in their care.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of RSHE guidance for schools. Over the autumn, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses, discuss with stakeholders, and consider the relevant evidence, including the published Cass Review. Next steps will then be set out.

The government has not met with the Movement for an Adoption Apology and there is no meeting scheduled.

My hon. Friend, the Minister for Children and Families, shares the deepest sympathy with everyone affected by historic forced adoption. The practice was abhorrent and should never have taken place.

The department will look to learn from the approach of the devolved nations and explore what more can be done to support those impacted.

The department is also currently funding the Adoption England project, Improving Adoption Services for Adults (IASA), which is designed to maintain relationships and provide better access to support for adopted adults.

The Government supports sustainable, industry led, growth in aquaculture. To ensure sustainability, aquaculture operations must comply with extensive land use, environmental, animal health and welfare and veterinary medicines regulations. The proposal for an onshore salmon farm in Cleethorpes will be considered by the relevant regulators, as and when the relevant permissions are sought.

From observations in Europe and the UK, we expect 1-5% of ash trees to show useful levels of genetic resistance to ash dieback, caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. Resistance is heritable which offers hope for a future breeding programme.  We recommend that land managers consider this resistance in ash trees and retain ash trees where they stand out as being healthier than those around them, providing it’s safe to do so.

The Government has invested more than £8 million to advance our scientific understanding of this disease since it was first detected, including into the development of resistant ash trees. We have conducted the world’s largest screening trials for tolerant trees have planted two living archives, one in Southern England in 2019 and the second in Scotland in 2025, to protect and maintain these important genotypes and facilitate the possibility of a future breeding programme of resilient ash.

Decisions about the management of individual ash trees are the responsibility of the landowner, but the Government has worked with partners to publish tailored guidance for woodland owners, farmers and local authorities on managing diseased ash, including a Local Authority Ash Dieback Toolkit (second edition published in 2025). The guidance recommends the identification of ash trees showing the highest levels of disease tolerance, before any felling action takes place, as the retention of these trees will help maintain a genetically diverse ash tree population in the future.

Local Authorities are responsible for the care and management of trees on their land. The Government has provided Local Authorities with a range of guidance to help them manage their trees and the pest and disease threats they may be facing. This includes Local Authority toolkits on Ash Dieback (which has been downloaded over 20,000 times), Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) and on developing a Trees and Woodland Strategy for their areas.

We also offer financial support for Local Authorities through the Tree Health Pilot to manage some pests and diseases. For example, a grant is available to Local Authorities in the OPM established area to help them manage the public health risk from this pest. The grant pays for the surveying of oak trees and the creation of OPM management plans and communications strategies. The Tree Health Pilot also provides financial support to help Local Authorities facilitate landowner action on ash dieback and to restock any trees lost to the disease.

The Government does not take statutory action against Dutch Elm Disease as it is widespread across most of Great Britain. We are aware of areas such as the Isle of Man, Edinburgh and Brighton & Hove where populations of mature elms are of local significance and survive as a result of local disease control programmes. Defra is prioritising investment in scientific research which aims to develop a more resistant and diverse elm population, to support the return of mature elms to the landscape nationwide.

The Government meets regularly meets with Local Authorities through specific groups such as the Tree Health and Safety Taskforce and the Tree Health Operations Forum, where they can raise tree health challenges and discuss how to effectively deal with these.

Defra has funded projects through Forest Research to explore methods for quantifying the social and cultural value of trees, woodlands, and forests at risk from pests and diseases. A recent evaluation estimates that these natural assets contribute approximately £3.1 billion annually through recreational use, landscape and biodiversity benefits. Additionally, Forest Research has found that regular woodland visits may contribute to annual savings of £185 million in mental health treatment costs.

Defra recognises the exceptional ecological and sociocultural significance of individual trees, such as the Whitewebbs Oak and the Sycamore Gap tree. Many of these trees are classed as ‘irreplaceable habitat’ and are protected under the National Planning Policy Framework and Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations as well as individual Tree Preservation Orders and Felling Licence regulations.

Defra has conducted a thorough enquiry into the threats and the effectiveness of existing protection measures for England’s most valuable trees. We funded a report led by the Tree Council and Forest Research which assessed the current stewardship and safeguarding measures for our most culturally and ecologically important trees. We are carefully considering its recommendations to identify the most robust and cost-effective approaches to long-term protection, and it will be important to balance our approach with existing priorities and our statutory obligations

We have also reviewed the implementation and effectiveness of the National Planning Policy Framework in safeguarding ancient and veteran trees and ancient woodland from development pressures. While these habitats are strongly protected in planning policy, the review identified implementation challenges. We are now developing policy proposals to ensure that high-value trees are protected not only in policy but also in practice.

Our treescapes face increasing threats from pests and diseases. To address this, we have implemented a robust, risk-based regulatory regime that prioritises biosecurity, surveillance, and horizon scanning. We also run targeted management programmes to prevent the importation and spread of quarantine tree pests and pathogens.

We are investing significantly in research and development to preserve iconic tree species and enhance the resilience of our treescapes. This includes initiatives such as Action Oak, a partnership of over 30 organisations focused on protecting native oaks, and the Living Ash Project, which has created two archives of ash trees resistant to ash dieback disease. Defra has also provided £4 million to the Centre for Forest Protection this financial year to support 17 new research projects to improve tree health and resilience and funded the development of the state-of-the-art Holt Laboratory in Surrey to advance tree health research.

Pests are added to the UK Plant Health risk register based on horizon scanning for new threats to plants in the UK, carried out by Defra’s plant health Risk and Horizon Scanning Team. A variety of scientific and other sources are used and the process is dynamic, with new pests regularly added in response to information gathered during such horizon scanning. Risks of existing pests are also regularly reviewed in response to new information. The ‘Risk Register News’ section on the Risk register website can be used to check which pests have recently been added or reviewed.

A risk-based approach to import inspections is undertaken at the UK border, to protect plant health professionals and others against known threats as well as new ones. Import requirements and inspection rates are kept under continuous review and adjusted as necessary, for example in response to an upsurge of interceptions of pests or a new threat emerging.

If a pest is identified at an import inspection, or through inland surveillance, which has not been identified during the horizon scanning process described, or has not yet been regulated, Article 29 of the plant health regulation (PHR), assimilated Regulation (EU) 2016/2031, applies. This requires action to be taken against any pest which on the basis of a preliminary assessment meets the criteria to be a GB quarantine pest. Where a pest which is not present in GB is considered to meet the criteria to be a GB quarantine pest, action would be taken against plants or plant products it has been found on, most likely resulting in their destruction.