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 impact on biodiversity outcomes of substantially increasing the de minimis threshold for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.

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

The Government recently consulted on options to improve the way Biodiversity Net Gain works for small, medium and brownfield development. This included potential changes to the de minimis exemption threshold. Since then, Government has announced its intention to introduce a new area-based exemption set at 0.2 hectares to reduce costs for smaller development while maintaining nature recovery at scale. A full consultation response and impact assessment will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what impact assessment his Department has made on the effect of current apprenticeship visa duration requirements on (a) young migrants educated in the UK, (b) individuals on private or family life routes, and (c) young people who have resided in the UK for over ten years.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The apprenticeship funding rules are reviewed each year. They are applied to all apprentices and potential apprentices consistently. The Department does not hold the data requested.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the apprenticeship funding rules have been reviewed to reflect the operation of section 3C leave under the Immigration Act 1971, which ensures lawful and uninterrupted permission to work for individuals transitioning to Indefinite Leave to Remain during the course of an apprenticeship.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The apprenticeship funding rules are reviewed each year. Currently providers are not permitted to start learners on apprenticeships if they are unable to complete the apprenticeship within the time available. For example, because their visa will expire, or because they have a fixed-term contract that is shorter than the duration of the apprenticeship. This applies to all learners including UK nationals (whose contract will expire) and foreign nationals (whose visa will expire). The rules do not differentiate between those on different visas.

This rule ensures that learners can complete an apprenticeship within the time they have available, including the end-point assessment.  It ensures that public funds are protected and prevents investment in someone who is ultimately unable to complete their course, for example, because their circumstances have changed and they are not able to extend their residency. The rule is in place to protect public funds where continued residency rights are not certain.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of (a) trends in the level of regional disparities in the location of electric vehicle charging points and (b) the potential impact of those trends on the Government’s environmental objectives.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) transition is crucial to the UK meeting its climate change obligations, as well as improving air quality and supporting growth.

The Government closely monitors regional deployment and the disparities in the location of electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, as detailed in statistics released in October 2025. Chargepoint availability is increasing across the country.

The Government’s £400 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund has been allocated to all highest tier local authorities in England to ensure equitable chargepoint rollout across the country. In total, it is expected to support the rollout of at least 100,000 EV chargepoints.

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 adequacy of (a) funding and (b) capacity for local authorities to implement Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

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

Funding for Local Nature Recovery Strategy responsible authorities to support the delivery of the strategies will be confirmed as part of departmental business planning for financial years 2026/27 to 2028/29. This will be informed by discussions with responsible authorities about what the new delivery role will entail.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with local authorities and regional stakeholders, including in Surrey, on the delivery of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

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

The Government’s intentions to enhance the roles and functions of Local Nature Recovery Strategy responsible authorities to take a leading role in environmental delivery are set out in English Devolution White Paper. Officials have been engaging with all responsible authorities, including Surrey County Council, and other relevant stakeholders to develop more detailed expectations for what this delivery role should entail.

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 adequacy of funding levels to meet the Government’s environmental targets.

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

The Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 sets out how we will deliver against our Environment Act targets. This is backed by a settlement that maintains the Government’s steadfast commitment to farming, food security, and nature’s recovery.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to publish an assessment of the potential impact of electric vehicle charging infrastructure on the Government’s environmental improvement goals.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The zero emission vehicle transition is crucial to the UK meeting its climate change obligations – and to delivering wider environmental benefits, including improvements to air quality. It will drive economic growth and help make Britain a clean energy superpower.

The ZEV transition is a major component of our Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, which was published in October 2025. There are therefore no plans at present to publish a specific assessment.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government will take to improve water quality and flood resilience in Surrey and Guildford, in the context of the latest environmental progress assessment.

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

The Environment Agency (EA) works with the Surrey Local Resilience Forum to plan and prepare for incidents and mitigate impacts on local communities.

In Guildford, the EA has temporary flood barriers ready for deployment, and is developing a scheme which will reduce flood risk from the River Wey to over 300 properties.

Citizens and organisations can check flood risk and register for warnings by accessing Check the long term flood risk for an area in England.

Regarding improving river quality in Surrey, the EA leads on the Water Industry National Environment Programme with improvement schemes that Thames Water must implement including the reduction of phosphorus levels in treated sewage effluent and investigations of storm overflows at Guildford, Woking, Weybridge, Camberley, and Dorking.

The EA is transforming its regulation of water companies, developing a larger specialised workforce, and delivering a step change in inspections of permitted sites and associated enforcement.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that Child Maintenance Service enforcement action is proportionate in cases involving (a) small and (b) short-term arrears.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In cases where arrears are outstanding, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) proactively seek to negotiate with the paying parent a feasible and affordable repayment plan, taking into account the individual circumstances of each case. For small arrears payments can be spread over an appropriate timescale negating the need for enforcement action.

Each enforcement decision and action taken by CMS considers the welfare of all parties, potential financial hardship of paying parents, to ensure any associated charges for the customer are commensurate and not seen as punitive to give the greatest chance of securing money for children. CMS is committed to using these powers fairly and in the best interests of children and separated families.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Civil Procedure Rules.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Civil Procedure Rules provide a framework for a fair, transparent, efficient and proportionate civil justice system. The Rules are regularly updated to support court services, to reflect wider changes in legislation and societal need, and in response to issues in practice and case law. Generally, there are at least two statutory instruments per year (April and October) which amend the Rules and ensure they remain up to date and relevant. These updates are made under the negative resolution SI process, which is subject to the related parliamentary scrutiny, having first been signed by Civil Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) members, Master of the Rolls and Minister of State for Justice.

In addition to the Government keeping the Rules under review in conjunction with the CPRC, the Civil Justice Council (a statutory advisory body chaired by the Master of the Rolls) keeps the civil justice system under review and makes recommendations on, how to make the civil justice system more accessible, fair, and efficient. The Council routinely refers proposed amendments to the Rules to the CPRC for consideration.

Grey belt policy and the impact on villages and rural communities

World Cancer Day

Financial Support for the Music and Dance Scheme

Iran protests

Social media for under 16s

Gambling harms

Killing of Dipu Chandra Das

Import of illegal meat

Public health campaign on tackling stigma towards suicide

Deregistration of international non-governmental organisations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Brain cancer

Halie Selassie and Bath