Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that rural and coastal self‑catering and tourism businesses in Devon are adequately supported in the context of (a) increased business rates, (b) rising energy costs, and (c) increased wage and National Insurance contribution pressures.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the vital contribution that rural and coastal self-catering and tourism businesses make to the economy of Devon.

On business rates, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills following the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down next year.

The Government has also protected the smallest businesses  from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by more than doubling the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change in 2025/26.

We are also continuing to develop policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the non-domestic sector and intend to consult on options to reduce costs and make low carbon heat the economically rational choice for a wider range of businesses.

DCMS and VisitBritain are actively working to boost visitor numbers and extend the tourism season for coastal and rural operators. The ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign uses the UK’s film and television heritage to drive international visitors into rural destinations, increasing the profile of areas where many self-catering businesses are located.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will cement these measures, providing a long term plan to increase visitor flows, maximise sector value, and deliver sustainable growth for our coastal and rural communities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the number of Catchment Sensitive Farming grant applications in Devon and Cornwall applied for in 2025 that are still to be processed.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Catchment Sensitive Farming acts as an advisory and endorsement route for relevant Farming Grants and includes Capital Grants and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier where applications have included specific items.

In the 2025 scheme year, the Rural Payments Agency received 271 Capital Grant and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications from farm businesses in Devon and Cornwall that required and had received Catchment Sensitive Farming support from Natural England. Of these, there are three applications that have not been offered an agreement as yet.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussion she has had with Natural England and the Environment Agency to enable Catchment Sensitive Farming teams in Devon and Cornwall to process applications expeditiously.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Following the closure of the 2025 Environmental Land Management Capital Grant, Catchment Sensitive Farming have worked with farmers and land managers to prepare for the 2026 Capital Grants round. Catchment Sensitive Farming advice is very popular and there is the need to prioritise advice and support visits for those who have already requested one. This means Catchment Sensitive Farming are now focusing efforts on those who have already requested a visit to support 24 items in the 2026 Capital Grant offer. Once the offer opens in July Catchment Sensitive Farming will start accepting new requests for advisory visits.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with rural and coastal self-catering and tourism businesses in Torridge on promoting the sector.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS recognises the vital contribution that tourism and self-catering businesses make to the UK economy, particularly in rural and coastal constituencies such as Torridge.

DCMS regularly engages with representatives from across the tourism sector, including those operating in rural and coastal areas, to understand their specific priorities and to support the continued growth of the visitor economy. A few weeks ago I was pleased to participate in a roundtable at Crealy’s Theme Park with representatives from the visitor economy in Devon, hosted by the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions, where we discussed how the government can work with the industry to grow the sector.

DCMS also works closely with VisitBritain, VisitEngland, and Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), including the Devon LVEP, to ensure that the unique challenges and opportunities of coastal and rural tourism are reflected in national policy. We remain committed to working in partnership with the industry to promote the UK’s diverse tourism offering and to ensure that areas like Devon continue to thrive as world-class destinations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has undertaken a recent review of the security and defence of the Falkland Islands; and what steps he plans to take to improve the adequacy of the preparedness of the UK to defend them.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The United Kingdom’s position on the Falkland Islands is long‑standing - sovereignty rests with the UK, and the Islanders’ right of self‑determination is paramount.

As the Strategic Defence Review set out, a core role for Defence is the protection of the UK’s overseas territories, which includes maintaining a defensive military posture in the Falkland Islands consisting of air, land and maritime forces.

We review that posture regularly to ensure it reflects all relevant developments. I am confident that our current military presence is at the appropriate level to ensure the defence of the Islands.