Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of recent trends in levels of regional disparity in Dental Delivery Rates between the South West and London; and what steps he will take to increase delivery in the South West.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Dental Statistics - England 2024/25, published by NHS Business Services Authority on 28 August 2025, is available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/dental-england/dental-statistics-england-202425
This shows that 31% of adults were seen by a National Health Service dentist in the South West, in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, and that 52% of children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025. By comparison, in London 39% of adults were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 24 months up to June 2025, and 53% children were seen by an NHS dentist in the previous 12 months up to June 2025.
In 2024/25, there were 40.5 NHS dentists per 100,000 population in the South West, compared to 52.7 NHS dentists per 100,000 population in London.
We are aware of the challenges faced in accessing a dentist, particularly in more rural areas such as the South West.
We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments to make sure that patients with urgent dental needs can get the treatment they require. ICBs have been making extra appointments available since April 2025.
ICBs are recruiting dentists through the Golden Hello scheme. This recruitment incentive will see dentists receiving payments of £20,000 to work in those areas that need them most for three years.
We are committed to delivering fundamental reform of the dental contract before the end of this Parliament. As a first step, on 16 December we published the Government’s response to the public consultation on the quality and payment reforms to the NHS dental contract. The changes will be introduced from April 2026. These reforms will put patients with the greatest need first, incentivising urgent care and complex treatments. Further information is available from the following link:
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
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 of changing US to UK import levels of (a) wheat, (b) maize and (c) ethanol on (i) food security and (b) agricultural businesses.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers, our food security and uphold our high food, animal welfare and environmental standards in trade deals. That is exactly what we have done and will continue to do.
For the first time ever, the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal has opened up exclusive access for UK beef farmers to the US market.
The Government has been engaging closely with the bioethanol industry, and the Department of Business and Trade continue to work with the affected companies and wider industry.
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, including around 80% self-sufficiency for cereal crops. Strong domestic production supports food security alongside supply from diverse sources and imports through stable trade routes. As internationally traded commodities, cereal supply chains are dynamic and responsive to global market developments in price and availability.
Asked by: Ben Spencer (Conservative - Runnymede and Weybridge)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on the River Thames Scheme; what her planned timetable is for that scheme; and what the (a) current and (b) projected expenditure is for that scheme, in the context of the project’s mid-project review.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Significant progress has been made in preparing for The River Thames Scheme to undergo Statutory Consultation to inform the application of a Development Consent Order (DCO).
The mid-project review, initiated by Project Sponsors: The Environment Agency (EA) and Surrey County Council, is ensuring the scheme design is optimised before finalising the DCO.
In addition, the Sponsors commissioned the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to independently assess the readiness of the project and sponsoring organisations to deliver the project. The cost of the development work up to this point has been £104 million.
The EA will be bringing forward an updated business case this Summer, which will set out the revised timetable to submit the DCO, an updated cost assessment, and any revised arrangement for delivery of the scheme.
Subject to approval of this business case, the next stage in progressing the project is to secure the DCO.
Asked by: Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrat - North Norfolk)
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 local authorities going through Local Government Reorganisation to ensure that food waste collections align with new boundaries.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Amended section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires local authorities in England to arrange for the separate collection of food waste from all households, at least once a week. All local authorities should provide a food waste service for every household by 31 March 2026, unless they have been given a transitional arrangement where long-term waste disposal (mechanical biological treatment and energy from waste) contracts present a barrier to introducing separate food waste collections. Affected local authorities are listed in the commencement regulations with the date by which they must introduce food waste collections from households. Defra will continue to engage with affected local authorities including on any potential impacts of local government reorganisation.
During the local government reorganisation process, it is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, including waste collection, which remain unchanged until reorganisation is complete. There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which ensure smooth transfer to new unitary councils. These general regulations provide transitional and supplementary arrangements, so that the councils can undertake specific functions to enable a successful move to the single tier of local government.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the holiday parks industry.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS recognises the significant value that the holiday parks industry provides in supporting our rural and coastal economies. The Government is committed to ensuring their long-term viability by modernising the business rates system and providing targeted marketing to overseas visitors.
From April 2026, we are replacing temporary reliefs with permanently lower business rate multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties. This structural shift provides long-term certainty and is worth nearly £900 million annually. To protect businesses from sudden valuation shocks, we have introduced a £3.2 billion Transitional Relief scheme, which caps bill increases at 15% for most businesses
The Government has set out a package of pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors, including the first National Licensing Policy Framework, which supports the flexible growth of hospitality services within holiday parks.
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 premier holiday parks 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.
Asked by: Katie Lam (Conservative - Weald of Kent)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of business rate increases on the rural economy.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This has led to increases in rateable values for some properties, as current values are based on pandemic-era valuations in recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills.
To respond to those who are seeing large increases, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills.
Rural Rate Relief also continues to be available for key amenities and community assets in rural areas. It provides 100% rate relief for properties that are based in eligible rural areas with populations below 3,000.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the average cost of producing a pint of milk in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The average cost of production for milk is shown below. Data is from the Farm Business Survey which covers farm businesses in England with a Standard Output of more than £21,000. Whilst it captures the majority of agricultural activity, it excludes smaller businesses (which account for 2% of output).
Production costs include all financial aspects of dairy enterprises such as unpaid labour, herd depreciation and an estimated rental equivalent for owned land. An allowance is also made for non-milk revenue (mostly the sale of dairy calves), which is applied as a reduction to cost. This reflects the value of by-products from milk production. The production costs therefore represent the price that would have to be paid on all milk produced for dairy enterprises to break even. The data includes organic production which is likely to incur higher production costs.
Average cost of milk production (pence per litre) 2020/21 to 2024/25
2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
28.3 | 36.4 | 48.6 | 44.2 | 44.9 |
Source: Farm Accounts in England
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that Arts Everywhere funding allocations will be accessible for communities in rural and semi-rural areas.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Over the course of this parliament £1.5 billion will be invested across arts, cultural and heritage providing support to arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. It aims to keep venues open, finance urgent repairs and infrastructure projects, bolster long-term resilience, and widen access to arts and culture in communities that have faced under-investment. The funding is made up of:
£600 million infrastructure funding, which will support national museums and DCMS sponsored cultural organisations, and £160 million to our local and regional museums.
£425 million Creative Foundations Fund which will support approximately 300 capital projects in arts venues across the country.
£230 million for heritage, which includes:
£75 million for at risk heritage which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings;
£46 million for the Heritage Revival Fund; and
a new £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund
£27.5 million for the Libraries Improvement Fund.
£80 million capital funding over four years to benefit National Portfolio organisations that receive regular investment from Arts Council England, part of a 5% uplift next year for these organisations. This is the biggest uplift for an existing National Portfolio in decades and will directly support NPOs in your constituency, such as the Mercury Theatre and the Colchester Arts Centre.
The £600 million for DCMS sponsored cultural bodies is allocated through the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (PBIF) which is delivered directly by DCMS and allocated to eligible organisations.
The grant recipients for the £425 million Creative Foundations Fund, the £160 million investment for local and regional museums, and £27.5m Libraries Improvement Fund will be determined through competitive application processes, which will be administered by Arts Council England (ACE). The £230 million investment in heritage will be administered by Historic England and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
We are clear that this investment package will particularly support organisations in underserved areas. ACE currently prioritises funding to underserved places via their priority places strategy. Historic England has been using a place-based approach, with the current Heritage At Risk Capital Fund having a clear emphasis on delivering funding to the places that need it most. They will continue this approach with the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
The detailed criteria for individual funds will be announced in due course and we encourage arts and cultural organisations in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and Essex to apply for the competitive funds.
ACE and DCMS regularly assess the adequacy of national cultural infrastructure within England and identify places with higher need for cultural investment. As part of their Delivery Plan for 2021-24, ACE identified 54 places across England in which investment and engagement is too low, and opportunity for ACE to effectively increase investment and engagement is high. As part of this exercise Tendring and Basildon were prioritised for additional support and funding.
DCMS will monitor the impact of Arts Everywhere Funding via a series of independent evaluations of each funding programme. The department will procure these evaluations over the next year to assess the funding's impact on cultural organisations in England. Since the impacts of these capital programmes will only be measurable after this parliament ends, the department will work with contractors to develop interim monitoring measures for project completion.
Support for arts and culture in England depends upon a successful mixed funding model, in which external funding from individuals and business, trusts and foundations, plays a crucial role alongside earned income and public investment. This significant investment will help cultural organisations, up and down the country, fix long term issues and renovate their spaces allowing them to continue their creative programming attracting increased ticket sales and donations. It will help alleviate financial difficulties, supporting organisations to reach their communities, including children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This funding will also support community-led initiatives by maintaining and improving buildings, ensuring affordable spaces and improved facilities while enabling community arts groups to create, collaborate, and engage local audiences more widely. In addition, following the recent ACE Review, we are committed to ensuring that a repurposed Arts Council will be shaped around communities and local areas. DCMS is now working through these recommendations in detail with relevant departments, as well as ACE.
Asked by: Aphra Brandreth (Conservative - Chester South and Eddisbury)
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 will take to ensure that future regulatory changes to the PRN system support market operation.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government will be consulting on further changes to the PRN system shortly, as announced by the Chancellor in the 2025 Budget, and will continue to work closely with affected business to ensure that the measures taken forward support the effective operation of the PRN market.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of job losses in the hospitality and tourism sectors on rural and coastal areas on (1) opportunities for young people to work and (2) the local economy; and what measures they are taking to alleviate these job losses.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government recognises the vital importance of the hospitality sector, particularly in rural and coastal areas, in providing employment opportunities for young people and supporting local economies. We have put in place a range of measures to ease cost pressures on the sector, including permanently lowering the business rates multiplier for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, alongside a £4.3 billion business rates support package to protect ratepayers from increases following the revaluation.
Building on this, From April, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support announced at Budget and then bills will be frozen in real terms for a further two years. The pub and hotel sector has also raised concerns about valuation, which the government agrees need to be addressed. We are therefore launching a review into how they are valued for business rates.
To go even further, we are more than doubling the Hospitality Support Fund, providing £10 million over three years to help local hospitality businesses diversify, improve productivity, and support people into jobs.
We are also investing significantly in young people's skills and opportunities. This includes £820 million for the Youth Guarantee and £725 million through the Growth and Skills Levy, ensuring young people have the support they need to earn or learn. We will support 50,000 young people into apprenticeships in England by fully funding apprenticeship training costs for all eligible 16-24year-olds, expanding foundation apprenticeships to hospitality, and extending the Destination Hospitality Sector-based Work Academy Programme pilot, launched in partnership with UKHospitality.