Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of expenditure on special educational needs transport provision in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62591.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the merits of holding an inquiry with HSBC and Standard Chartered on the withholding of the Mandatory Provident Fund from Hong Kong BNO visa holders.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 16 September to question 73901.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with the Secretary of State for Transport to reduce the number of wildlife-related road accidents.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There is currently no joint programme of work between Department of Transport and Defra to reduce the number of wildlife-related road accidents.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the US on relations with China.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly discusses foreign policy with the US at all levels, including issues relating to China.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
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 support local authorities to prevent gulls nesting in urban areas; and whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations on this matter.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
There are a range of legal methods that can be used to deter gulls to prevent or at least minimise problems in urban areas. Natural England has issued this guidance on managing wild birds using non-lethal measures. It has also piloted two organisational licences with Bath and Northeast Somerset Council; and Worcester Council for the purposes of urban gull management. It has invited and encouraged other councils to apply if they are experiencing gull issues and offered advice. Furthermore, Natural England colleagues have spoken directly to local authorities and presented to council environmental health officers through webinars hosted by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. While current Defra Ministers have not held discussions with counterparts in the devolved Governments on this matter, a Natural England representative attended the recent Scottish ‘Gull Summit’ to share learning on how Natural England is working with local authorities on managing gulls and providing licensing support.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's planned budget is for the Darwin Plus programme in financial year 2025-26.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Darwin Plus budget for 2025-26 is maintaining spending levels to support biodiversity across the UK Overseas Territories. This includes funding to sustain existing projects and award new projects. The Secretary of State announced funding to 43 new Darwin Plus projects with a lifetime value of £7.9 million in her speech at Countdown to COP30 on 9 October.
Funding for Darwin Plus beyond March 2026 remains subject to Defra business planning processes. Updates on future funding rounds will be published on the Darwin Plus website as soon as more information becomes available.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by Forestry Commission England in the last five years due to the potential impact of felling on ancient woodland remnants within plantations on ancient woodland sites.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Forestry Commission has not refused any felling licence applications in the past 5 years. However, in 2019 one application was refused as the felling would lead to a loss of woodland containing veteran and future veteran oaks. The felling of these would be against the ‘interests of good forestry… and the amenities of the district’ which meant that it was not compliant with the UK Forestry Standard.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many felling licences granted by Forestry Commission England in 2024 permitted the felling of ancient trees.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government does not collect data on the number or classification of trees felled. However, when considering a felling licence application the Forestry Commission would expect the application to comply with good forestry practice.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by Forestry Commission England in 2024.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Forestry is a devolved matter and so this answer is for England only. The Forestry Commission granted 3,437 felling licences in 2024. No felling licence applications were refused.
Asked by: Euan Stainbank (Labour - Falkirk)
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 make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make ecocide a criminal offence.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK has strong laws in place to protect the environment. Contravention of many of these is a criminal offence. Convictions are sought to punish significant or persistent environmental offending.