Written questions by Ramsay.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many game farms are operational in England and Wales; and how many of them are registered with the Poultry Register.

There is no official definition of a game farm in the UK, and the England and Wales Kept Bird Register only details keepers of bird species that might be released for shooting. The following data was extracted from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s database: ENGLAND WALES Flock SizePremises*BirdsPremises*Birds0-49**1,4309,63210785450-9991,795765,7018636,9601,000-9,9991,8795,671,62077259,84010,000-99,99966518,074,681541,704,480100,0007015,628,8952240,750TOTAL5,83940,150,5293262,242,884 * Indicates the presence of at least one flock of pheasants, partridges or ducks reared for shooting were kept. It will also include ornamental species and keepers that buy in and rear birds. ** Flocks where no usual stock number has also been recorded.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the retirement of the Public Switched Telephone Network and the transition to VoIP landline services, particularly during power outages on public safety in rural areas with (a) limited and (b) no mobile phone coverage.

The number of major incidents on the PSTN (affecting 500 or more customers) has been increasing. In 2024, there was a 45% increase compared to the previous year. In 2024/25 there were over 2,600 major incidents on the PSTN. VoIP landline services are more resistant to severe weather as the cables used are waterproof, and less prone to damage during a storm or other severe weather events. Over two thirds of landlines have already been migrated to VoIP.The Government is committed to ensuring that any risks arising from the industry-led migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) are mitigated, including for rural residents who are landline-dependent.In November 2024, the Government secured additional safeguards from communication providers. These include providing free battery back-up units for landline-dependent customers to ensure emergency access for at least one hour during power outages. Many communication providers offer battery back-up unit lasting 4-7 hours. This will enable people without mobile coverage to continue to access emergency services using their landline during a power cut.

What steps he is taking to ensure capital investment in NHS estate and infrastructure supports improvements in climate resilience.

We recognise the importance of increasing the climate resilience of the National Health Service estate and infrastructure. NHS trusts are responsible for maintaining their estate, including adapting premises to reduce the risks associated with climate change, as set out in the NHS Standard Contract.The Department is supporting the improvement of NHS sites by investing £30 billion over the next five years in day-to-day maintenance and repair, with £5 billion allocated specifically to address the most critical building issues. NHS trusts will be able to direct some of this funding towards improving the climate resilience of their estate where this is locally appropriate. Additionally, the Department is making sure all new hospitals are fit for the future. The Department’s New Hospital Programme requires schemes to achieve a minimum rating of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ for new builds, and ‘Very Good’ for refurbishments. All NHS investments in new buildings and upgrades to existing facilities that are subject to HM Treasury business case approval process must align with the NHS Net Zero Building Standard, which includes a focus on overheating risks.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Adult Oral Health Survey 2023, published 9 December 2025.

The Adult Oral Health Survey 2023 provides the first picture of adult oral health in England for more than a decade. It provides further evidence of the need for dental contract reform.We are taking forward significant changes to the National Health Service dental contract. The reforms will prioritise patients with urgent dental needs and those requiring complex treatments and will come in from April 2026. More information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reforms/outcome/government-response-to-consultation-on-nhs-dentistry-contract-quality-and-payment-reformsWe are committed to fundamental reform of the NHS dental contract by the end of this Parliament, with a focus on improving access, promoting prevention and rewarding dentists fairly.The Government is also focussed on prevention of poor dental health through our supervised toothbrushing programme to reach up to 600,000 children in the 20% most deprived areas of England, and by expanding community water fluoridation to the North East of England. This intervention will reach an additional 1.6 million people and will reduce tooth decay and inequalities in dental health, particularly in children and vulnerable adults.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterpart on the case of Palestinian doctor Dr Hussam Abu Safiya.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 6 August to question 68153.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 83666, how new permanent legal rights of public access will be created through proposals for nine new river walks and three new national forests.

Our nine new river walks and three new national forests will both increase available natural space and make it more accessible. We are progressing plans to deliver nine new National River Walks across England, one in each region, to enhance access to nature and are currently considering several delivery options. Further details will be announced in due course. Our three new national forests in the West of England, the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and the Midlands or North of England, once confirmed, will support delivery of environmental improvement goals including improving access to green space and better connecting people with nature. The Government will set out plans for new national forests in the coming months which will incorporate many factors, including a consideration of new permanent legal rights of access.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of section 147ZA of the Highways Act 1980 on the rights of disabled people to access the outdoors.

This Government is supportive of the provision within section 147ZA of the 1980 Act that enables an authority to work with landowners and relevant parties to replace or improve existing structures so that they can be used more easily by individuals that may experience mobility challenges. There is currently no national assessment available of the impacts of this provision. However, we will continue to improve access to green and blue spaces, ensuring that it is safe and appropriate for all users, through our various initiatives.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on ensuring that the statutory duties of local highway authorities for the public rights of way network are integrated into the Local Government Outcomes Framework.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on a range of issues. The Government has no plans at this stage to integrate local highway authorities’ statutory duties for public rights of way into the Local Government Outcomes Framework. The Local Government Outcomes Framework will include key national priorities delivered at the local level, so will not have metrics measuring all local authority statutory duties. Local highway authorities have clear statutory responsibilities for managing and maintaining the public rights of way network within their individual areas, including ensuring routes are kept free from obstruction. They are also required to prepare and keep under review a Rights of Way Improvement Plan, which assesses the condition of the network and sets out planned improvements for all users. These plans are published on each authority’s website.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will include proposals to end the routine culling of day-old male chicks in the UK egg industry, including through the adoption of in-ovo sexing technology in the her Department’s forthcoming animal welfare strategy.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Stockport, PQ UIN 64121.

What her timetable is for reaching a decision on whether to approve the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s revised Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations; and if she will lay the Government’s review of that Code of Practice before Parliament when it lays the Code of Practice.

The EHRC has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities on 4 September 2025. This is a long and legally complex document which will have an impact on service providers up and down the country. The process for laying the Code in Parliament is set out in the Equality Act 2006. The Government will follow this process. If the decision is taken to approve the Code, it will be laid before Parliament for a 40 day period.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the certification bodies for (a) organic and (b) conventional non-GMO seeds providers can prevent unlabelled precision-bred seeds and plant reproductive materials marketed in England from entering their supply chains.

Defra is working with the organic sector to prepare for the medium and longer term by discussing non-legislative options for supply chain coexistence. This includes facilitating discussions between experts to establish which measures, currently used by the industry, could be used by farmers to enable coexistence between precision bred and non-precision bred crop production. This is in line with approaches taken internationally. To implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, a new Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England is proposed. Any precision bred agricultural or vegetable plant varieties need to be accepted onto the new variety list before being marketed. Users, including those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be able to access information about precision bred plant varieties in the Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette. Defra are continuing to engage regularly with the Devolved Governments to discuss potential impacts.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to enact (a) a mandatory Precision Bred Variety List for England and (b) mandatory labelling of precision-bred seeds and plant reproductive materials before the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 come into force.

For the main agricultural and vegetable plant varieties, a variety must be registered on the Great Britain (GB), or Northern Ireland (NI) variety lists before seed can be marketed. To implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, a new, mandatory Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England is proposed to facilitate the evaluation of precision bred agricultural and vegetable plant varieties in England. Feedback from recent public consultation will be used to shape the regulatory framework for precision bred plants and plant reproductive material to ensure it reflects stakeholder concerns and priorities, including the need for clear, and accessible information on precision bred plant varieties. The feedback will inform future decisions on the inclusion of precision bred status in mandatory labelling of precision bred seed and other plant reproductive material.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the Devolved administrations can prevent unlabelled precision-bred seeds and plant reproductive materials marketed in England from entering their supply chains.

Defra is working with the organic sector to prepare for the medium and longer term by discussing non-legislative options for supply chain coexistence. This includes facilitating discussions between experts to establish which measures, currently used by the industry, could be used by farmers to enable coexistence between precision bred and non-precision bred crop production. This is in line with approaches taken internationally. To implement the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, a new Precision Bred Plant Variety List for England is proposed. Any precision bred agricultural or vegetable plant varieties need to be accepted onto the new variety list before being marketed. Users, including those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be able to access information about precision bred plant varieties in the Plant Varieties and Seeds Gazette. Defra are continuing to engage regularly with the Devolved Governments to discuss potential impacts.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on consumer (a) transparency and (b) trust if precision bred seeds and plant reproductive materials are labelled but the food and feed derived from them are not.

The UK maintains high standards on the information that is provided on food labels, whether that be mandatory or voluntary, so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy. For Precision Breeding, Defra has established additional measures for transparency and regulatory oversight, including public registers. These registers published by Defra and the Food Standards Agency, will ensure that information about precision bred plants approved for marketing and for use in food and feed is available in the public domain.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish in full the (a) modelling and (b) assumptions underpinning her Department's £100 billion estimate of nationalising the water sector.

Defra has estimated the cost of nationalising the water sector to be around £100 billion. We have published in full the assumptions and methodology informing our estimate here: Nationalising the water sector: how we assessed the cost - GOV.UK.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report from the Royal College of Anaesthetists entitled Anaesthetic Workforce Census 2025: Key Interim Findings, published on 29 October 2025.

No assessment has been made. Officials have noted the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ report. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department plans to take to maintain animal welfare standards in the context of negotiations with the EU on a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.

The EU has accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. It is too soon to discuss the details of the SPS agreement, which is subject to negotiation. We have been clear with the EU about the importance of establishing arrangements which enable us to maintain high animal welfare standards.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Aarhus Convention’s Compliance Committee finding that the UK is non-compliant with the Convention on the Government’s environmental targets.

The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.

Food and Rural Affairs, when her department intends to respond to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee's report to the Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention on Decision VII/8s, published on 3 October 2025.

The United Kingdom Government recognises the important role played by the Compliance Committee in making recommendations to promote compliance with the Aarhus Convention. The UK is considering the Committee's recommendations in the run up to the Aarhus Convention Meeting of the Parties in November.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Climate Change Committee's letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, entitled advice on the UK’s adaptation objectives, published on 15 October 2025, whether her Department plans to put in additional adaptation before the release of the next National Adaptation Plan in 2028.

Defra is taking forward action on climate adaptation including developing stronger adaptation objectives, improving governance through the cross Government senior officials forum, the Climate Resilience Steering Board, enhancing monitoring and evaluation, and launching a fifth round of reporting under the Adaptation Reporting Power covering key infrastructure. The Department is also supporting research through the £15 million Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change programme. These initiatives aim to improve preparedness and resilience across Government and society. Defra recognises the urgency of preparing for climate change impacts and is committed to strengthening adaptation efforts. The Department is actively implementing the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3), which includes activity across twelve departments and measures to improve resilience across sectors. Defra is also working to develop stronger adaptation objectives and delivery plans with these departments ahead of the fourth National Adaptation Programme (NAP4) in 2028 These efforts aim to reduce the risks posed by extreme weather events associated with a 2°C rise in global temperatures. Defra will respond to the advice from the Climate Change Committee letter on 15 October in due course.