Written questions by Costa.

What estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA being heard in the Crown Court and the Magistrates Court since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Based on extracted management information data, the RSPCA has initiated 15,070 prosecutions since the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This figure is taken as of September 2024 in line with published statistics.There have been 198 Crown Court receipts of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA since the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021 came into force in June 2021.As the CPS has the power to take over any private prosecution, it is not possible to identify any such cases from the figures provided, and therefore these figures may include prosecutions taken over by the CPS.This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 08 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to issue supplementary cull licences in 2025.

The Government has started work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy, to continue to drive down disease rates to save cattle and farmers’ livelihoods and to end the badger cull by the end of this Parliament. Licensing and authorisation decisions are made by Natural England as the delegated licensing authority for badger control in England. In accordance with the published policy guidance, which is available at the link below, no new intensive or supplementary badger control licences can be issued in 2025. Existing cull processes will be honoured to ensure clarity for farmers involved in these culls whilst new measures can be rolled out through the new strategy. However, all remaining licences in the High Risk and Edge Area of England will end by January 2026. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989623/tb-licensing-guidance-ne.pdf.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to offer farmers badger vaccination in 2025 to tackle bTB in wildlife populations.

Badger vaccination is proven to significantly reduce the risk of infection and spread of disease within badger populations. The Government is committed to strengthening the evidence on how badger vaccination reduces TB in cattle. We know this is crucial for giving the wider farming industry confidence that participating in badger vaccination will have a positive effect on their cattle. We are working with a range of organisations to continue the rollout of badger vaccination in England. This includes large-scale vaccination delivery by Animal and Plant Health (APHA) field teams, and an industry delivered vaccination approach in East Sussex. This work is demonstrating that large scale vaccination of badgers is practical, including in previously culled areas. As part of the announcement of the start of work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy, the Government also outlined several actions it is taking immediately to underpin the policy with robust science and further increase badger vaccination at pace. This is available at the link below and includes: Surveying the badger population for the first time in a decade, to estimate badger abundance and population recovery. Surveys of eligible land started this February.Developing a new national wildlife surveillance programme, to unlock a data-driven approach that informs how and where TB vaccines and other eradication measures are deployed.Establishing a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force, to continue increasing delivery to create progressively healthier badger populations that are less susceptible to catching and transmitting TB. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-end-badger-cull-with-new-tb-eradication-strategy.

What discussions her Department has had with Ofqual on the timing of the first teaching of the British Sign Language GCSE.

The development of a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is an important step toward fostering greater recognition of BSL as a language, and the government is committed to developing a qualification that benefits both students and the wider deaf community.The department published subject content in December 2023, and Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, is in the process of finalising the assessment arrangements. We have worked closely with Ofqual throughout this process, as we do during the development of any new GCSE. Our focus is on ensuring that the BSL GCSE is of the highest quality. It is important that the assessment is fair, rigorous, and reflective of BSL as a language, so that the qualification meets the required standards and serves the needs of both students and the deaf community.

When she expects the first BSL GCSE course to begin.

The development of a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is an important step toward fostering greater recognition of BSL as a language, and the government is committed to developing a qualification that benefits both students and the wider deaf community.The department published subject content in December 2023, and Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, is in the process of finalising the assessment arrangements. We have worked closely with Ofqual throughout this process, as we do during the development of any new GCSE. Our focus is on ensuring that the BSL GCSE is of the highest quality. It is important that the assessment is fair, rigorous, and reflective of BSL as a language, so that the qualification meets the required standards and serves the needs of both students and the deaf community.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential toxicity of bioplastics; and whether he plans to introduce specific toxicity testing requirements beyond existing waste management regulations.

Chemical substances, including monomers, which are constituent components of bioplastics manufactured in or imported into the UK are subject to the requirements of our regulatory framework. This includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals), for which Defra has policy responsibility, and which requires manufacturers and importers to understand the hazards of the chemicals they are placing on the market, including their toxicity and ecotoxicology.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) define and (b) set standards for the use of (i) biodegradable and (ii) compostable plastics.

A Circular Economy Taskforce of experts has been convened from across government, industry, academia and civil society to help us develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the report entitled Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains, published in Nature Medicine on 3 February 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of microplastics in UK waters on (a) the environment and (b) public health.

Microplastics have been widely detected in the environment – in the air, soils, rivers, and the seas. We are aware there is still much work to be done to strengthen our understanding of the impacts of microplastics in the water and wider environment. Defra engages with the academic community working in this area and keeps a close observation of emerging evidence of the risks microplastics may pose to the environment. Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, Defra initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. This project is expected to report in early 2025. Defra and the Welsh and Scottish Governments will consider its findings once complete. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in collaboration with Imperial College, is carrying out research and providing evidence to assist the understanding of potential risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), who made a number of recommendations for further research. The most recent COT statement was published in 2024. The statements are available here. The COT concluded that based on the available data a full risk assessment on the toxic effects of inhaled micro and nano plastics could not be carried out. The Committee concurred with the conclusions reached by other bodies, including the World Health Organization, that further research is required. The COT's statement is available here. The Government is working with the devolved Governments to legislate for the ban on wet wipes containing plastic across the UK. We have been supporting Water UK’s behaviour change campaign to ‘Bin the Wipe’ which encourages consumers to dispose of wipes in the bin, not the toilet. The Government’s message is clear – if you need to use wet wipes, dispose of them in the bin, not the loo. Flushing wet wipes causes a number of environmental and drainage impacts.

What steps the Government is taking to (a) research and (b) mitigate the potential health risks posed by microplastic exposure to humans.

The UK Health Security Agency, in collaboration with Imperial College, is carrying out research and providing evidence to assist the understanding of the potential risks from exposure to micro and nano plastics through inhalational and oral routes. The potential impact of microplastic materials on human health has been assessed by the UK Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), who made a number of recommendations for further research. The most recent COT statement was published in 2024. The statements are available at the following link:https://cot.food.gov.uk/M-statementsandpositionpapers#microplasticsUnder the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. It will advise on the most effective measures to address any risks and help identify wider evidence gaps that need to be addressed to support a more strategic approach to managing intentionally added microplastics. This project is expected to report in early 2025. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Welsh and Scottish administrations will consider its findings once complete.

Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to improve (a) broadband speed and (b) connectivity in rural areas.

Project Gigabit is the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans.More than £2 billion of contracts have been signed to connect over a million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband, predominantly in rural areas. This includes a £77 million Project Gigabit contract for Leicestershire and Warwickshire with the supplier CityFibre, benefitting the South Leicestershire constituency.Through the Shared Rural Network, 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator has now reached over 95% of the UK landmass. Our ambition is for all populated areas, including communities in rural areas, to have higher-quality standalone 5G by 2030.

If she will publish a response to the Animals in Science Committee's research entitled Commission of advice: non-human primates bred for use in scientific procedures, published on 6 September 2022; and whether she plans to permit the import of monkeys whose parents have been taken from the wild for use in scientific procedures.

Through the UK legislation, the government requires the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to be delivered for non-human primates (NHPs) in scientific research. When there is no alternative to using NHPs in scientific procedures, the Government is committed to high standards of welfare and refinement.The Government is therefore keen to continue to take steps to ensure that NHPs used in Great Britain are from self-sustaining colonies, or are second-generation bred in captivity. The Government intends to publish strengthened policy, based on the Animals in Science Committee recommendations, later in 2025.

Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to maintain 2024-25 funding levels for research to (a) replace, (b) reduce and (c) refine the use of animal testing.

The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. A significant amount of UK research funding UK goes to underpinning technologies (e.g. cell-based assays and computer modelling) that have the potential to deliver 3Rs advances in the use of animals in science and other money supports research relevant to reducing animal use. The Government invests £10m annually in the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs is currently undergoing a five year funding review that will determine future allocation of resources.

Whether her Department made a distinction between pensioners living in (a) care homes and (b) assisted living accommodation when reviewing eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments.

Pensioners who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit such as Pension Credit, and who live in a care home are not entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment. This is because most will have their care and accommodation costs met by the Local Authority. For purposes of Winter Fuel Payments, a care home is defined by section 3 of the Care Standards Act 2000 in England (Care Standards Act 2000) or Part 1 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 in Wales (Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016). Assisted living accommodation does not fall under this definition.

If she will extend the 50% faith-based admissions cap to all new schools.

I refer the hon. Member for South Leicestershire to the answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 23775.

Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on requiring local authorities to take into account the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) guidance, Guidance on the Assessment of Mineral Dust Impacts for Planning published in May 2016, for quarry planning applications.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department uses to evaluate non-statutory guidance to inform planning policy for (a) quarries and (b) related proposed developments.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

Communities and Local Government, for what reason guidance from the Institute for Air Quality Management has been adopted for use in quarry (a) planning and (b) development control decisions.

Planning policy for minerals is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. This is supported by Planning Practice Guidance, including details on how planning authorities should assess the environmental impacts of mineral extraction.By law, planning applications for minerals and other development should be determined in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.Technical guidance produced by non-government organisations may be a material consideration where it raises relevant issues. The law requires that the weight to be given to different material considerations in any particular case is a matter for the decision-maker.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on developing a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers.

This is a devolved matter, and the information provided therefore relates to England only. Defra will continue to work with Natural England to develop our approach to beaver reintroductions and management in England. This work includes the development of a licensing regime to enable the wild release of beavers in England. Further information on this will be published in due course.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the future status of the Parthenon marbles.

The Secretary of State and I have separately met with the Chair and Director of the British Museum. The position of the Parthenon Sculptures was one of a number of issues discussed on both occasions.I also met Greece’s Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni o...

Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of regulating private land management companies.

I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).