Sarah Edwards

Under packaging extended producer responsibility, packaging producers are only liable for fees that cover the management of packaging waste collected from households. The regulations therefore make a distinction as to what is "household packaging" and what is not, so as to attribute those costs to producers.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

The Government recognises the importance of the equine sector to the UK economy and of improving equine identification and traceability. We have no current plans to implement mandatory digital identification, but we remain in close touch with the industry to look at potential improvements.

Defra also regularly engages with officials in the devolved governments to discuss matters of equine identification and traceability. Officials also share data on equines located in the UK with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and with the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Republic of Ireland. The majority of equine movements into and out of GB take place between the island of Ireland and GB.

Defra officials have engaged extensively with the glass sector in developing these reforms since 2019.

Minister Creagh met with British Glass on 21 October 2024 and attended a glass re-use roundtable hosted by the British Beer & Pub Association on 14 January. Minister Creagh and Minister Jones, Minister of State at the both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Department of Business and Trade, met British Glass on the 11th February to discuss points raised by the glass sector in detail.

Defra has responded to concerns from the glass sector about the inclusion of glass in the Deposit Return Scheme, it has remained out of scope as a result. Although packaging weight is a key driver of waste management costs, estimated packaging volumes, not packaging weight, are used to calculate kerbside dry recycling collections costs in pEPR to reflect practical limitations with collection systems. This is especially important for heavier materials such as glass, which would otherwise see higher base fees.

Defra continues to monitor the potential impact of EPR fees on the glass industry through continued engagement and extensive analysis of the packaging market.

The Government has concluded a rapid review of the existing Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23). We published a statement of the rapid review’s key findings on 30 January 2025. Publication of the revised EIP will follow later this year.

The Government recognises the strong public interest in clearer animal welfare information on the food they buy.

A public consultation on fairer food labelling was undertaken between March and May 2024 by the previous Government. This sought views on proposals to improve and extend current mandatory method of production labelling. We are now carefully considering all responses before deciding on next steps and will respond to this consultation in due course.

The table below shows volumes of roadside inspections the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has carried out for public service vehicle (PSV) minibuses that had an operator licence recorded. DVSA only holds records for this data as far back as 2019:

DVSA does not record if any school or other type of minibus it inspects, whether at the side of the road or at annual MOT tests for PSVs, are subject to a section 19 permit.

The table below shows volumes of roadside inspections the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has carried out for public service vehicle (PSV) minibuses that had an operator licence recorded. DVSA only holds records for this data as far back as 2019:

DVSA does not record if any school or other type of minibus it inspects, whether at the side of the road or at annual MOT tests for PSVs, are subject to a section 19 permit.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not record if any minibuses it inspects at the side of the road are subject to a section 19 permit. Roadside inspections of minibuses could be completed by DVSA, local Police or local authorities.

We are consulting on delaying access to the health element of UC within the reformed system until someone is aged 22, on the basis that the savings generated would be reinvested into work support and training opportunities for this age group to support them into employment and improve their life chances, and that this would remove any potential disincentive to work during this time.

We are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. The consultation will close on 30 June 2025, to ensure that everyone has sufficient time to engage with and respond to the consultation.

The Office for National Statistics estimate that nearly 1 in 8 young people are not in education, employment or training.

This is 872,000 young people, a number which has risen by 74,000 over the last year.

The following table shows the mental health population by region and as a percentage of the prison population:

Source: NHS England.

These figures are for severe and enduring mental health conditions such as bipolar and schizophrenia, and do not include conditions such as anxiety and depression.

The Prison Mental Healthcare service specification reinforces that prison healthcare, including care for people with mental health problems, should provide excellent, safe, and effective services and interventions to all prisoners, equivalent to the services and interventions available in the community.

It specifies that there should be access to suitable, evidence-based psychological and clinical interventions. The provision of specific clinical interventions should be determined according to appropriate clinical guidance. Accordingly, the service specification is not prescriptive as to the specific mix of psychological therapies which should be provided, with the aim of ensuring a personalised approached is utilised when meeting individual needs.

NHS England is in the process of reviewing and refreshing the Prison Mental Healthcare service specification. The aim of this review is to ensure that high-quality mental health care is provided to patients in prison, and that the specification is current and fit for purpose, taking account of changing patient needs and developments in health and justice and the wider National Health Service.

The UK is closely monitoring the human rights situation in Peru, including the specific challenges faced by indigenous communities. Our Ambassador to Peru and his team regularly meet representatives of indigenous communities to understand the challenges faced by these groups. The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean also met a group of Peruvian human rights defenders in November 2024 to discuss the 2022-23 political protests. We hold regular discussions on human rights at senior levels with the Peruvian Government and have raised concerns about threats to human rights defenders. In the aftermath of the protests, through the UN High Commissioner's Office for Human Rights, the UK has funded technical assistance to the Public Prosecutor's Office, forensic capacity building and training within the judiciary.

We hold regular discussions on human rights at senior levels with the Peruvian Government including the Foreign Minister, the Minister for Women and Vulnerable Populations, and other stakeholders and have raised concerns about threats to human rights defenders. The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean met a group of Peruvian human rights defenders in November 2024 to discuss the 2022-23 political protests. We will continue to work with the government and wider civil society groups to support the protection of human rights in Peru. Alongside raising the importance of accountability, in the aftermath of the protests, through the UN High Commissioner's Office for Human Rights, the UK funded technical assistance to the Public Prosecutor's Office, forensic capacity building, and training within the judiciary.

The Government understands the challenges that mortgage prisoners face and will work with regulators and the industry to ensure that this issue is properly considered.

There are significant measures in place to protect vulnerable mortgage borrowers across the mortgage market, including mortgage prisoners. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules require lenders to engage individually with their customers who are struggling or who are worried about their payments in order to provide tailored support. Closed book lenders must also comply with the FCA’s Consumer Duty, which ensures firms prioritise fair treatment and good outcomes for their customers.

Additionally, the Government has a number of measures in place to help people to avoid repossession, including Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loans for those in receipt of an income-related benefit; the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS); and protection in the courts through the Pre-Action Protocol, which makes it clear that repossession must always be the last resort for lenders.

The National Wealth Fund will invest in pursuit of the government’s growth and clean energy priorities to support the delivery of the Industrial Strategy and Britain’s acceleration to net zero. The National Wealth Fund will continue to invest in the UK Infrastructure Bank’s previous priority sectors, which include transport and clean energy.

Individual investments will be considered on a case-by-case basis in line with the NWF’s mandate and strategic priorities, which can be found on www.uknwf.org.uk.

This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are carefully monitoring the increases in its frequency. The experience of cargo theft, where criminals are ripping the sides of lorries and taking the goods inside, is a highly alarming one for dedicated HGV drivers to go through, and the Government is committed to tackling this crime, and protecting those drivers.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders towards those ends, and I recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT), specifically to discuss freight crime. The DfT also hosts the Freight Council, which regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and which is attended by Home Office officials to engage with the sector on this issue.

We also recognise the strong links between freight crime and serious, organised crime, which is a major threat to our country’s national security and prosperity and is estimated to cost the UK at least £47 billion annually. This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms, and we are continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.

As well as wider offence data, the Home Office collects and publishes data on specific crimes affecting commercial business premises in England and Wales, including premises in the Transport, Accommodation and Food sector, as part of the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS). Neither data source currently provides the level of detail necessary to separately identify freight crimes, or the number of offences taking place in different regions.

This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are carefully monitoring the increases in its frequency. The experience of cargo theft, where criminals are ripping the sides of lorries and taking the goods inside, is a highly alarming one for dedicated HGV drivers to go through, and the Government is committed to tackling this crime, and protecting those drivers.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders towards those ends, and I recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT), specifically to discuss freight crime. The DfT also hosts the Freight Council, which regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and which is attended by Home Office officials to engage with the sector on this issue.

We also recognise the strong links between freight crime and serious, organised crime, which is a major threat to our country’s national security and prosperity and is estimated to cost the UK at least £47 billion annually. This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms, and we are continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.

As well as wider offence data, the Home Office collects and publishes data on specific crimes affecting commercial business premises in England and Wales, including premises in the Transport, Accommodation and Food sector, as part of the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS). Neither data source currently provides the level of detail necessary to separately identify freight crimes, or the number of offences taking place in different regions.

This Government understands the significant and damaging impact freight crime has on businesses and drivers and we are carefully monitoring the increases in its frequency. The experience of cargo theft, where criminals are ripping the sides of lorries and taking the goods inside, is a highly alarming one for dedicated HGV drivers to go through, and the Government is committed to tackling this crime, and protecting those drivers.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders towards those ends, and I recently met with Rachel Taylor MP, and Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads at the Department for Transport (DfT), specifically to discuss freight crime. The DfT also hosts the Freight Council, which regularly discusses crime against freight companies, and which is attended by Home Office officials to engage with the sector on this issue.

We also recognise the strong links between freight crime and serious, organised crime, which is a major threat to our country’s national security and prosperity and is estimated to cost the UK at least £47 billion annually. This Government is committed to tackling serious and organised crime in all its forms, and we are continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, which has multiple thematic desks, including a vehicle crime intelligence desk which covers freight crime.

As well as wider offence data, the Home Office collects and publishes data on specific crimes affecting commercial business premises in England and Wales, including premises in the Transport, Accommodation and Food sector, as part of the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS). Neither data source currently provides the level of detail necessary to separately identify freight crimes, or the number of offences taking place in different regions.

This Government is highly aware of the rising frequency of freight crime and the significant and damaging impact it can have on businesses and drivers. We are determined to crack down on it.

We are committed to tackling crime and restoring public confidence in policing through our Safer Streets Mission and Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will deliver thousands of officers across England and Wales. We are continuing to work closely with the police, wider automative industry and the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS) to strengthen our response to vehicle crime. We are also continuing to work closely with Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, including freight crime. The Department for Transport (DfT) hosts the Freight Council, which discusses crime against freight companies, and the Home Office works closely with DfT to engage with the sector on this issue through the Freight Council.

With regards to guidelines, guidelines for sentencing are developed and reviewed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is.

It is open to individuals to approach the Council to ask that they review their guidelines. As an independent body, it is at the Council’s discretion whether to review particular guidelines, in line with its published criteria for developing or revising guidelines. This is available on its website at: https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/sentencing-and-the-council/about-the-sentencing-council/our-criteria-for-developing-or-revising-guidelines/.