Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 conduct a sustainability review of spurdog measures before reopening the fishery.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK and EU agreed to reopen fishing for spurdog in UK and EU waters in 2023 during annual consultations for that fishing year. That agreement was reached following consideration of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas positive scientific advice for the stock, which demonstrated the stock’s recovery in response to management measures.
The UK’s approach to negotiations aims to balance environmental sustainability alongside consideration of the social and economic aspects of fishing, consistent with the objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020, the Joint Fisheries Statement, and other legal commitments, as well as shared objectives with the EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will announce the decisions on the measures for the Stage 3 offshore MPAs.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ely and East Cambridgeshire on 13 November 2025, PQ 88509.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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 UK’s opening position at bilateral and trilateral negotiations for the years 2023 and 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Each year the UK negotiates with other coastal States to set fishing opportunities, informed by the best available scientific advice. Due to the recurring nature of these negotiations, it is not appropriate to publicly disclose the UK’s opening positions. The Government’s negotiations with the EU, and with the EU and Norway have both concluded and details of the outcomes are available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the HPMAs will be implemented.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Rotherham, Sarah Champion, on 3 December 2025, PQ UIN 94184.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the Minimum Income Requirement to ensure that retired British citizens with substantial savings and no recourse to public funds are not prevented from living in the UK with their spouse.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The financial requirements of the Family Immigration Rules are currently under review following the independent report of the Migration Advisory Committee, published in June. However, the rules already provide for the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) to be met with savings, either on their own or combined with other forms of income, including pension income. Full details can be found at: Chapter 08 – appendix FM family members: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will commit extra funding for social prescribing, including to support individuals to engage in nature-based interventions and activities.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government has underlined its commitment to taking a preventive approach to address health inequalities. We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health to support them to live longer and healthier lives and we recognise the role that social prescribing can play in this.
The Department funds social prescribing link workers in primary care through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme. In March 2025, the Department agreed a further year of grant funding for the National Academy for Social Prescribing, securing £1.5 million to advance and expand social prescribing. Future funding allocations have yet to be confirmed.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads on green social prescribing and, together with Natural England, has recently invested £300,000 to track the uptake and impact of green social prescribing using primary care data. The evidence will inform future policy for the spread and scale of nature-based health interventions.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will extend the definition of bathers to include other water user types in the context of the Bathing Waters Regulations.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment, and so it is critical that appropriate regulations meet the needs of water users and those involved with managing bathing water sites. In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites. The Government response to the consultation, published in March 2025, outlined that a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with this proposal and many offered suggestions of what water users should be included. The Department is now exploring how evidence to support the delivery of these wider reforms, including expanding the definition of a bather might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the upcoming Land Use Framework will include measures to improve public access to nature.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government consulted on land use in England from January to April this year.
The consultation recognised the importance of increasing responsible access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing. It stated Government’s intention to support access to green and blue spaces in urban and rural environments, and green routes for active travel to and through these spaces.
The responses to this consultation, and feedback from supporting workshops, are being analysed. These responses will inform the preparation of the Land Use Framework, which will be published early next year.
The Government has also announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to publish a white paper on access to nature.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors. The Green Paper will set out a range of policy options and invite views from stakeholders and the public, helping us to gather evidence and test approaches before decisions are made. This consultation will play an important role in shaping the development of future policy in this area.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered introducing an automatic payment option for clean air zone charges nationwide, similar to the system operating in London; and whether she will review the level of penalty charges for late or non-payment to ensure they are proportionate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Autopay, where a driver could register their vehicle with the service and payment is taken automatically when that vehicle enters a Clean Air Zone, was considered as part of the CAZ digital service user research and design phases. This is not an existing feature of GOV.UK Pay.
Autopay was not taken forward at the time because it would have added significant cost and complexity to the service and would have delayed the point at which the service (and therefore the first CAZs) could go live. Penalty Charges for late payment are a matter for local authorities.