Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to prioritise the development of small modular reactors as load following sources.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The next generation of nuclear, including small modular reactors (SMR), offers new possibilities including faster deployment, lower capital costs, and greater flexibility.

Whilst nuclear energy has a unique role to play in delivering stable, low carbon baseload energy, SMRs may be able to serve the electricity grid more flexibly than traditional nuclear, as well as unlock a range of additional applications in energy sectors beyond grid electricity.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning restrictions on noise levels for heat pumps on installation of those pumps.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Research found that noise complaints from air source heat pumps are rare and heat pumps are perceived as being very quiet (Air source heat pump noise emissions, planning guidance and regulations - GOV.UK).

In 2025 the Government amended the Permitted Development Right for air source heat pumps in England, to give households greater flexibility to install an air source heat pump without needing to submit a planning application, while retaining the sound limit. Subsequently, some installers have reported significant reductions in installations requiring planning applications.

The Government continues to explore how to streamline the planning process for low carbon heating.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions his Department has had with local Chambers of Commerce on the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development of Make Work Pay policy and implementation. This will continue throughout and beyond the passage of the Employment Rights Bill. We have engaged directly with over 250 stakeholders across 254 meetings since August 2024. We have engaged directly with 138 businesses of which 75 are Small and Medium Enterprises. Department officials meet routinely with the British Chambers of Commerce, as one of the key business stakeholders.

We will continue to work closely with businesses and business organisations.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will issue guidance on the interaction between his Department's proposed probationary period and employees’ rights to claim unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Bill.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s Employment Rights Bill Implementation Roadmap, published in July 2025, reiterated our commitment to producing guidance to ensure that employers and employees understand the Plan to Make Work Pay’s changes to employment law, including unfair dismissal day one rights and the statutory probation period.

The Government will work alongside Acas and other partners to ensure the development of practical guidance. We will ensure there is time for employers to prepare and familiarise themselves with the requirements of these changes before they are implemented in 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to announce the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after 31 March 2026.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after March 2026 will be announced when the outcome of the Spending Review and business planning processes have completed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to provide targeted support for small employers to help meet the cost of day-one Statutory Sick Pay.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Strengthening Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is part of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay ensuring the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. The Government believes that removing the waiting period is essential to ensure employees feel better able to take the time they need to recover from short term illness, without struggling in work and often spreading infectious diseases such as influenza.

The government conducted a Regulatory Impact Assessment on the changes to strengthen Statutory Sick Pay in the Employment Rights Bill, which was published on 21 October 2024. This includes the impacts on small businesses. The additional cost to business of the SSP reforms is around £15 per employee. The government intends to conduct a post-implementation review of the Employment Rights Bill within five years of implementation.

Previous SSP rebate schemes that were available to employers, such as the Percentage Threshold Scheme were seen as complex, expensive to administer, underused by small businesses and did not encourage employers to support their employees during sickness absence.

The Department for Business and Trade provides a range of offers that SMEs may wish to access.  They include the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, the network of 41 local Growth Hubs across England, and the Help to Grow: Management scheme to help improve leadership and management capabilities. The recently launched Business Growth Service (BGS) makes it easier for businesses across the UK to get the advice and support they need to grow and thrive.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care Board on the (a) public petition and (b) campaign to safeguard Arthur Rank Hospice.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve coordination between hospital trusts, Integrated Care Boards and hospices to support patient transitions from hospital to community-based end-of-life care.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service bodies and local authorities have a duty to co-operate to provide appropriate discharge support according to local need to enable effective and timely discharge. This is of particular importance for individuals who may require palliative and end of life care services.

The Hospital discharge and community support guidance outlines that health and care providers should collaborate to prevent common issues that could disrupt the provision of care as part of the discharge process. Providers should also have regard to the fast-track pathway tool for NHS continuing healthcare to ensure individuals receive timely, appropriate, and compassionate support following discharge. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance

The Department and NHS England are currently working to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure sustainable long-term funding for hospices through Integrated Care Boards.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting hospices in England with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £80 million for children’s and young people’s hospices over the next three financial years, giving them stability to plan ahead and focus on what matters most, caring for their patients.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) Employment Rights Bill and (b) changes to employers' National Insurance Contributions on small and medium-sized businesses.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments These include assessments on the impacts to micro, small and medium businesses in line with the Better Regulation Framework.

The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from the changes to employer NICs by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on levels of hiring confidence among small and medium-sized enterprises.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

My department has published a robust set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments

This analysis includes consideration of increases in labour costs for businesses and the subsequent effects, as well as assessments on the impacts to micro, small and medium businesses in line with the Better Regulation Framework.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that new regulations on zero-hours contracts reflect (a) seasonal and (b) fluctuating work patterns in the (i) hospitality, (ii) agriculture and (iii) other seasonal sectors.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We appreciate that work can fluctuate seasonally for certain sectors. The Employment Rights Bill provides powers for the zero-hours measures to cater for seasonal work through regulations. We will consult employers, trade unions, and other stakeholders to inform these regulations.

The Bill already allows businesses flexibility while abiding by the legislation. For example, businesses will still be able to use contracts which offer variable numbers of hours of work at different times of the year. It also allows guaranteed hours offers to take the form of limited-term contracts, where reasonable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will consider providing financial support for children living with Coeliac disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise the pressures families face in managing coeliac disease, particularly the additional costs of maintaining a strict gluten-free (GF) diet, which is the only effective treatment for this condition.

The national prescribing position in England remains that GF bread and mixes can be provided to coeliac patients on a National Health Service prescription, and a wide range of these items continue to be listed in Part XV of the Drug Tariff. This means that prescribers can issue NHS prescriptions, based on a shared decision between prescriber and patient, while also being mindful of local and national guidance. Children under 16 years old, and those aged between 16 to 18 years old in full-time education, are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, ensuring that where integrated care boards support GF prescribing, eligible children can access these products without charge.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the waste heat from SMR turbine halls is used in a way that contributes to achieving net zero.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) will play an important role in helping the UK achieve our energy security and net zero ambitions. Government recognises the potential role of SMRs in energy sectors beyond electricity generation, including as a source of low carbon heat.

The department will shortly be publishing a new policy framework which will lay out pathways for privately led advanced nuclear projects to be brought forward in the UK. Great British Energy – Nuclear will take on a new role in assessing proposals, with the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) NHS and (b) hospice funding allocations in (i) Greater Cambridge and (ii) other high-growth areas.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England is responsible for determining allocations of financial resources to integrated care boards (ICBs). This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.

ICB allocations for 2025/26 were published on 30 January 2025, and allocations for 2026/27 to 2028/29 will be published in due course. Further information on allocations in 2025/26 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/allocation-of-resources-2025-26/

Palliative care services are included in the list of services an ICB must commission. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and service specifications.  The statutory guidance states that ICBs must work to ensure that there is sufficient provision of palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment.

The Department and NHS England are currently working at pace to develop plans on how best to improve the access, quality, and sustainability of all-age palliative care and end of life care, including that provided by hospices, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.

We are supporting hospices in England with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. The Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge is receiving £941,496 from this funding.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that small producers are not placed at a cash flow disadvantage compared with larger producers under the payment structures of the extended producer responsibility scheme.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

pEPR in the UK has some of the most generous support measures for small businesses across any packaging scheme globally. These are exemptions from disposal fee and recycling obligations for producers with an annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes; and an exemption from data collection and reporting obligations for small businesses with turnover below £1 million and packaging tonnage below 25 tonnes. These exemptions apply to approximately 70% of businesses supplying packaging in the UK. To support businesses that are subject to disposal fee obligations we have also provided flexible payment arrangements to help obligated businesses manage cashflow, by paying fees in quarterly instalments. Where producers are a liable and struggle to meet payment plans outlined in the regulations, further options are available on request.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on community choirs of extending Orchestra Tax Relief to include vocal ensembles.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions.

Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus.

In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness.

Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has plans to consult with representatives of choirs and other vocal ensembles on the scope of Orchestra Tax Relief.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions.

Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus.

In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness.

Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure parity of access to creative tax reliefs between orchestras and choirs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government supports the creative industries, including orchestras, through funding and via the tax system. Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) was introduced to recognise and sustain the distinct cultural and economic activity associated with orchestral productions.

Under current rules, qualifying concerts must be performed by a group of at least twelve instrumentalists. The human voice is not considered an instrument for these purposes. However, orchestra concerts with a vocal element are eligible for the relief providing that the orchestra has at least 12 instrumentalists, and the instrumentalists are the primary focus.

In considering any changes to existing tax reliefs or introducing new ones, Government has to consider a wide range of factors, including the specific aims of the relief, the costs and complexity of designing and administering new provisions, and fairness.

Decisions on tax are taken by the Chancellor at fiscal events, in the context of overall public finances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures the government is taking to develop a culture of reading for pleasure in schools as part of the new curriculum.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 88744.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry; and what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard the sector from potential risks associated with its use.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the UK’s publishing sector - one of our most successful and long-standing creative industries, contributing over £11 billion to the economy.

The Government is preparing to publish the Report and Impact Assessment required by Sections 135 and 136 of the D(UA) Act.

This Impact Assessment will include an assessment of each of the options put forward in the government’s consultation on copyright and AI, including the economic impact of each option on copyright owners and AI developers. This will include the publishing sector.

In the meantime, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have jointly chaired three meetings with representatives of the creative and AI sectors.

We’re also convening expert working groups and parliamentary working groups as we consider all options.

We are dedicated to protecting our world-leading creative industries and ensuring they continue to thrive in the age of AI.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 79133 on universities: research, what assessment she has made of the impact of the MRC funding model changes on universities.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The change to the Medical Research Council's (MRC) funding model was informed by the findings of the 2020 MRC Unit and Centre Review. This found that a new model could support more strategic investment in medical research, enable closer collaboration with industry, and help researchers be more agile in their work.

MRC Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs) are a new way of funding bold and ambitious science, tackling the most important challenges by delivering transformational impact in biomedical and health research. Establishment of the new CoRE funding model is a change in the mechanism of support and does not in any way change MRC’s intent to continue supporting high quality research. Existing units are invited to secure continued, long-term investment through the new CoRE model, while other research activities are invited to transition onto MRC grant support. The MRC continues to provide routes for sustained research investment, mitigating the risks to universities as much as possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the (a) new oracy framework and (b) combined oracy, writing and reading framework.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department welcomes the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s focus on oracy. Expressing oneself fluently and communicating well is crucial for life and work, and an important vehicle for social justice.

We will make sure that communication skills are more clearly expressed through revised programmes of study. We will also create a primary oracy framework and a combined secondary oracy, writing and reading framework to be published following the revised national curriculum.

The primary oracy framework will support teachers to help their pupils become confident, fluent speakers by the end of key stage 2. This will build on our primary frameworks for reading and writing.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of how many jobs in the ecology and nature sectors could be lost as a result of small sites being excluded from BNG as proposed in the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course.

The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis her Department has undertaken to review the cost created by Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation for the ecology and nature sectors in the UK.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course.

The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of developments BNG would apply to should small sites be excluded as proposed in the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course.

The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department plans to respond to the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course.

The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding delivered through the Fisheries and Coastal Growth Fund supports sustainability in fisheries.

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

The Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund is a £360m investment over the next 12 years in the UK’s fisheries and seafood sector, and coastal communities. The fund aims to support the next generation of fishers and breathe new life into our coastal economies.

We are currently engaging with stakeholders to help shape the fund, ensure funding is targeted where it matters most, and to assess the best strategy for delivering impactful and sustainable investment. This includes a series of industry webinars and an online survey, and we welcome input from representatives from environmental NGOs and academia. Options to be funded are still under consideration and will be developed with due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement, to balance immediate impact with long-term sustainability.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislation to formalise the license variation requiring English fishing vessels under 12m to operate iVMS while at sea.

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

A Statutory Instrument is scheduled to be laid once the Marine Management Organisation's rollout of IVMS has concluded.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2025 to question 83898, what incentives there are for volunteer participants in the design and test phase for demersal trawls using mesh sizes up to 120mm, over 10m; and how many vessels in that category have volunteered for 2026.

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

All vessels taking part in REM early adopter projects have the opportunity to shape Defra’s approach to roll out, participating in programme design and flagging implementation issues. Volunteers can also recommend information and data they would like us to collect and how they would like it reported back. Defra also funds REM equipment and installation for volunteer early adopters.

At present there are no volunteers for Fishery C, Demersal trawls using mesh sizes up to 120mm, over 10m, English waters of the North Sea.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2025 to question 83891, if she will publish details of grants to the fishing and seafood sector from 2025, including details of vessels receiving funding and the nature of on-board improvements.

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

Defra is committed to ensuring transparency on the use of public funds. In England, details of grant awards to the fishing and seafood sector are already published on Gov.uk. Publications are updated regularly and made in line with legal obligations, including data protection and commercial confidentiality. As we are in the process of awarding grants for Fisheries and Seafood Scheme for 2025, these awards will be published in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure that fishing catches are recorded and accounted for.

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

To ensure fishing catches are accurately recorded and accounted for, all English vessels must record their catches either in a logbook or, for vessels under 10 metres, using the Catch Recording application. These systems provide an accurate picture of how much fish is being taken from English waters.

Compliance with this requirement is monitored through analysis of data and vessel inspections. Fisheries control and enforcement are devolved matters, with each Devolved Administration responsible for conducting inspections within its respective waters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether all catches are recorded and accounted for in UK fisheries.

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

To ensure fishing catches are accurately recorded and accounted for, all English vessels must record their catches either in a logbook or, for vessels under 10 metres, using the Catch Recording application. These systems provide an accurate picture of how much fish is being taken from English waters.

Compliance with this requirement is monitored through analysis of data and vessel inspections. Fisheries control and enforcement are devolved matters, with each Devolved Administration responsible for conducting inspections within its respective waters.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2025 to question 83898, how many (a) pelagic trawls over 24m and (b) demersal seines over 10m enrolled as volunteers to design and test Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems; and how long the design and testing phase of the REM rollout will take.

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

Defra is currently working with one volunteer vessel from Fishery A, pelagic trawls over 24m. No volunteers have come forwards from Fishery B, demersal seines over 10m. The volunteer early adopter phase of each REM project will continue until the project objectives and monitoring objectives are met.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made on the potential effect on the creation of habitats as a result of small sites being excluded from BNG as proposed in the Improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development consultation.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

A Government response to the ‘Improving biodiversity net gain for minor, medium and brownfield development’ consultation will be published in due course.

The Government will also publish a full impact assessment setting out all relevant costs and benefits.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 84396, what percentage of the fishing catch quota has been distributed through (a) Fixed Quota Allocation Units, (b) the Quota Application Mechanism and (c) other routes for the most recent year for which data is available.

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

In 2025, the percentage of quota distributed through fixed quota allocation units was around 90% (‘existing quota’ and ‘additional quota’), 5% of English allocated quota was distributed via the Quota Application Mechanism and 5% via alternative routes. In 2026, the percentage splits will change because the Quota Application Mechanism is increasing from 5 stocks to 14 stocks, for that reason fixed quota allocation will need adjusting accordingly and can only take place once we have concluded negotiations for access to fishing opportunities in December.

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 a list of fishing vessel licences including sanctions for fisheries and labour offences.

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

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) publish UK wide lists of licensed fishing vessels and details of fishing vessel licences. The MMO does not publish sanctions for fisheries offences, but regularly publishes details of its successful prosecutions for marine and fisheries offences on the UK government website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that no retrospective eligibility conditions will be applied to existing British National (Overseas) visa holders who have settled in the UK on the basis of the rules originally published for the five year pathway.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that any changes to Indefinite Leave to Remain eligibility criteria do not retrospectively disadvantage British National (Overseas) visa holders who arrived in the UK under the five year settlement pathway on the basis of the Government’s original commitments; and whether BN(O) families will be exempted from potential new income thresholds.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's open consultation on Earned settlement, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of applying the proposed tax-contribution requirement to (a) non-working dependants and (b) other members of British National (Overseas) families.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact on families arriving from Hong Kong under the British National (Overseas) visa route of introducing a minimum income requirement at the Indefinite Leave to Remain stage.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce new English language requirements for dependants on the British National (Overseas) visa route who were accepted under conditions that did not include such requirements.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed minimum income requirement set out in the Government’s consultation on Indefinite Leave to Remain rules will apply to applicants on the British National (Overseas) visa route.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to identify how the UK can meet the latest World Health Organization air quality guidelines, including reducing PM2.5 to 10 micrograms per cubic metre and NO2 to 20 micrograms per cubic metre by 2030.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has made rapid progress in reducing PM_2.5 concentrations and we will be setting new interim targets for 2030 in the forthcoming Environmental Improvement Plan. The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering next steps.

The Government continues to work with local authorities to deliver air quality measures to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and improve the health of their residents.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reducing PM2.5 to 10 micrograms per cubic metre.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have made rapid progress in reducing PM_2.5 concentrations and we will be setting new interim targets for 2030 in the forthcoming Environmental Improvement Plan.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that her Department meets the latest World Health Organization air quality guidelines, including the interim targets of 20 micrograms per cubic metre for NO2 and 10 micrograms per cubic metre for PM2.5 by 2030.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has made rapid progress in reducing PM_2.5 concentrations and we will be setting new interim targets for 2030 in the forthcoming Environmental Improvement Plan. The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering next steps.

The Government continues to work with local authorities to deliver air quality measures to meet legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and improve the health of their residents.

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