Every parliamentary written question tabled by Anna Gelderd this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 304 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department takes to encourage developers to build (a) in partnership with nature and (b) using swift bricks.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 62367 on 2 July 2025.
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to defibrillators in (a) South East Cornwall constituency and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas.
To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.Funding was allocated where there was the greatest need, for example, remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas. There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or provide additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the UK.We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of its 2025 community defibrillator fund programme. The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to its 2025 scheme to do so. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-communityAcross the South West, there are currently over 12,000 public access defibrillators registered on The Circuit, with most being privately owned. Approximately 1,000 of these defibrillators are owned and managed by the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST).SWAST is working to improve the availability, accessibility and emergency readiness of all public accessible defibrillators across the South West. SWAST is currently contacting guardians of defibrillators which have not had a status check registered on The Circuit for more than three months. This proportion has, as a result, reduced from one third of all defibrillators to 17% over the past year. SWAST is also working with all schools across the South West to encourage them to register their defibrillator on The Circuit, with 90% of schools across the South West now having a defibrillator registered, the highest percentage in the country. SWAST is also promoting the labelling of public access defibrillators using stickers produced by The Circuit to reduce the time taken for a defibrillator to return to its cabinet after allocation, reducing the time that it is unavailable.
Whether his Department plans to increase the availability of defibrillators in (a) South East Cornwall constituency and (b) other (i) rural and (ii) coastal areas.
To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.Funding was allocated where there was the greatest need, for example, remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas. There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or provide additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the UK.We recognise the important work the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of its 2025 community defibrillator fund programme. The BHF is urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to its 2025 scheme to do so. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-communityAcross the South West, there are currently over 12,000 public access defibrillators registered on The Circuit, with most being privately owned. Approximately 1,000 of these defibrillators are owned and managed by the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAST).SWAST is working to improve the availability, accessibility and emergency readiness of all public accessible defibrillators across the South West. SWAST is currently contacting guardians of defibrillators which have not had a status check registered on The Circuit for more than three months. This proportion has, as a result, reduced from one third of all defibrillators to 17% over the past year. SWAST is also working with all schools across the South West to encourage them to register their defibrillator on The Circuit, with 90% of schools across the South West now having a defibrillator registered, the highest percentage in the country. SWAST is also promoting the labelling of public access defibrillators using stickers produced by The Circuit to reduce the time taken for a defibrillator to return to its cabinet after allocation, reducing the time that it is unavailable.
What steps his Department is taking to support communities with the (a) maintenance and (b) running costs of public defibrillators.
To improve patients' survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the Government committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces and reducing inequalities in access to these life-saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the Fund.Funding was allocated where there was the greatest need, for example: remote communities with extended ambulance response times; places with high footfall and high population densities; hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people; and deprived areas.There are no plans to undertake further work on improving access or provide additional support for AEDs, in light of the rapid expansion of AEDs across the UK. According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), there are now over 110,000 defibrillators in the United Kingdom registered on The Circuit, the independently operated national AED database.We recognise the important work the BHF has undertaken in identifying communities with limited access to a defibrillator. The BHF undertook this work as part of their 2025 community defibrillator fund programme.The BHF are urgently encouraging areas eligible to apply to their 2025 scheme to do so. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/defibrillators/apply-for-a-free-defibrillator-for-your-communityAs well as the BHF, several other UK charities provide and support access to AEDs, and in some cases provide support for their maintenance and running costs. London Hearts, AED Donate, and Community Heartbeat Trust are prominent examples working to increase the availability of AEDs.
Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections Natural England has conducted on Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cornwall in each of the last five years; and what the average response time is for investigating reported concerns about land management on those sites.
Natural England does not carry out ‘inspections’ on SSSIs but undertakes condition assessments on SSSIs. These allow NE to identify changes in the condition of site features and identify any concerns about site management. The Rural Payments Agency undertakes compliance inspections for agri-environment schemes including those covering SSSIs and will alert Natural England of any issues identified by their inspections. Investigation response times vary depending on the risk and significance of the negative impact on the SSSI. For example, in a case of damage to a SSSI grassland caused by overgrazing Natural England will contact the land manager immediately and seek a voluntary solution. If a voluntary solution cannot be agreed Natural England will look to serve a stop notice to prevent further damage and allow further investigation.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the guidance provided to land managers of designated (a) heritage and (b) conservation sites in relation to balancing (i) agricultural use, (ii) environmental protection and (iii) public access rights.
There are a range of heritage and conservation site designations in England affording high levels of protection. Guidance for these designations is continually reviewed to ensure it balances priorities for food production, nature recovery and access to nature.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support community-led models of food (a) production and (b) distribution in rural areas.
Food security is national security. The Good Food Cycle, the UK government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK. A resilient and healthy food system requires a whole-of-society approach – one that is centered on people and community and that addresses food insecurity and resilience in both rural and urban areas, so everyone has access to more healthy and sustainable food. The food strategy will also explore where we can go further, including community led food production and distribution, to create and promote a vibrant food culture at national, regional and local level. We will set out more detail as the work progresses.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to amend the (a) Commons Act 2006 and (b) related legislation to (i) introduce a mandatory requirement for formal public consultation on proposals to undertake works on common land, (ii) require the provision of equivalent exchange land when common land is deregistered and (iii) review restrictions in section 16 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 on the right to register land as a (A) town and (B) village green.
The Department currently has no plans to amend the Commons Act 2006 or related legislation.A requirement for formal public consultation on proposals to carry out works on common land is already in place. Under section 38 of the Commons Act 2006, consent is required for any works that would impede access or alter the character of common land. Applicants are expected to consult interested parties—including landowners, commoners, parish and district councils, Natural England, and the Open Spaces Society—and to publish notices both locally and on site. The requirement to provide equivalent exchange land when common land is deregistered is also well established. Section 16 of the Commons Act 2006 requires applicants to offer suitable exchange land where the deregistered area exceeds 200 square metres.We have no plans to review the restrictions introduced by section 16 of the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013.Further information on carrying out works on common land is available here on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrying-out-works-on-common-land.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of environmental protections on Sites of Special Scientific Interest in rural coastal areas; and what steps he is taking to help ensure timely investigation of alleged breaches of statutory protections on such sites.
Natural England works with Defra to highlight any gaps in the regulatory and enforcement regime for protected sites. Natural England has a suite of regulatory remedies and enforcement sanctions (including civil and criminal) to address issues on protected sites. The aim is always to seek the prevention or remedy of harm and to ensure future compliance. This means that Natural England often seeks to achieve a voluntary agreement but where that cannot be achieved, or where the harm is very significant, Natural England acts swiftly using its regulatory or enforcement powers to remedy the situation. The Corry Review of Defra’s regulatory landscape (April 2025) identified challenges in the effectiveness and consistency of environmental enforcement. Defra has committed to a programme of reforms to strengthen compliance and improve outcomes on the ground.
What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for council tax re-bandings by the Valuations Board.
The VOA is working as quickly as possible to clear cases, and moving staff to where there is the greatest customer demand. The VOA is focusing on the oldest cases first, and where customers are facing financial hardship. The VOA is replacing IT systems with modern cloud-based platforms that will deliver significant efficiencies. It is also upskilling its workforce to ensure there is flexibility in managing a wide range of cases and improving its digital services to make it easier for customers to self-serve.
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) advocate for improved international protections for salmon through the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation and (b) support local hatcheries to aid salmon population recovery.
The UK is a committed member of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), which seeks to reverse the decline of wild Atlantic salmon and recover populations to healthy and resilient levels across their range. The UK hosted NASCO’s 2025 annual meeting in Cardiff, earlier this year, at which parties agreed to develop ambitious new salmon action plans to contribute to the recovery of salmon populations. In the first half of 2026 NASCO will host negotiations to develop a new regulatory measure for the West Greenland land fishery, which the UK will participate in. In 2024 NASCO published new guidelines for stocking Atlantic salmon. In England, all stocking activity is regulated by the Environment Agency, who take a case-by-case approach, with reference to the NASCO guidelines.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) Tamar Grow Local Community Interest Company and (b) similar organisations on (i) improving local food security, (ii) supporting small-scale farmers and (iii) reducing environmental impact in South East Cornwall constituency.
We are currently exploring a new farming and countryside local advice and collaboration offer. This aims to support farmers and land managers to work together to improve business resilience and deliver environmental outcomes. We are looking at a variety of potential delivery partners and with existing farming collaboration groups to understand what works best.
Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent decline in Atlantic salmon populations in (a) the River Lynher and (b) other rivers in the South West (i) in general and (ii) by commercial mackerel fishing vessels inadvertently catching salmon smolts.
The Environment Agency (EA) manages salmon fisheries in England. They use a combination of local and national Byelaws and Net Limitation Orders to prevent commercial salmon fishing and to minimise recreational pressures on salmon. For the South West, this includes protections on 13 principal salmon rivers; the Hampshire Avon, Frome, Exe, Teign, Dart, Tavy, Tamar, Lynher, Fowey, Camel, Taw, Torridge, and Lyn and on 20 recovering salmon rivers; the Allen, Avill, Blakeney Brook, Bristol Avon, Brit, Doniford, Fal, Harbourne, Heddon, Lerryn, Looe, Meon, Otter, Par, Parrett, Porth, Seaton, Sid, Valency and Washford. In 2023, anglers reported releasing 95% of salmon caught, across England and Wales. Additionally, the EA works collaboratively with many local organisations to implement other environmental improvement actions that benefit salmon within the River Lynher and neighbouring catchments. Defra is working with the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) to better understand the risk of salmon bycatch in commercial pelagic fisheries, including mackerel fisheries.
Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he plans to issue on sufficient sorting requirements for material recovery facilities to follow.
Defra does not plan to issue specific guidance on sorting requirements for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Simpler Recycling requires the following recyclable waste streams from all households and workplaces in England: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, food waste (and garden waste from households only). These measures will increase the quantity of dry recyclable material collected for sorting at MRFS and will apply from 31st March 2025 from workplaces, 31st March 2026 from households and 31st March 2027 from micro-firms (with less than 10 FTEs. Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support Material Recovery Facility (MRF) readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. We have engaged with MRF operators and local authorities through WRAP’s MRF Forum to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment, upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. WRAP is developing interventions to support Local Authorities setting up new MRF contracts or procurement of other resources associated with implementation of Simpler Recycling requirements. An assessment is being undertaken of the potential future composition of dry mixed recyclable waste streams and the associated financial implications resulting from this.
Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department plans to provide to local authorities and material recovery facilities to ensure sorting and recycling infrastructure can be upgraded so it is consistent.
Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support Material Recovery Facility (MRF) readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. Simpler Recycling requires the following recyclable waste streams from all households and workplaces in England: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, food waste (and garden waste from households only). These measures will increase the quantity of dry recyclable material collected for sorting at MRFs and is a requirement from 31 March 2025 from workplaces, 31 March 2026 from households and 31 March 2027 from micro-firms (with less than 10 FTEs). We have engaged with MRF operators and local authorities through WRAP’s MRF Forum to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment, upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. WRAP is developing interventions to support Local Authorities setting up new MRF contracts or procurement of other resources associated with implementation of Simpler Recycling requirements. An assessment is being undertaken of the potential future composition of dry mixed recyclable waste streams and the associated financial implications resulting from this. The MRF operators who are engaged with us are aware of their obligations and are working hard to upgrade their facilities to ensure they can separate the target materials as required by Simpler Recycling.
How local authorities and police forces share information on children aged between 16 and 18 while respecting confidentiality.
Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 confers a power for the disclosure of information between the police and relevant local authority for the purpose of preventing offending and community safety.Every area should have a local Data Sharing Agreement in place, and the Youth Justice police officer should act as the two-way conduit of intelligence sharing between the Youth Offending Team and the local police. Information sharing is done in the same way for all children (aged between 10-17 years old) regardless of age.
Whether she plans to require public e-bike hire schemes to include third-party insurance for (a) injury to people and (b) damage to property as part of the hire fee; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a requirement on (i) public safety and (ii) liability for scheme users.
The Government is empowering local leaders to licence shared cycle schemes through measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. These licences will contain some minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State to ensure a baseline of safety and operability across the country. This could include specific insurance requirements for operators. We will consult publicly on the nature of these conditions before licensing is implemented to ensure we get it right.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase protections for (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees.
As the criminal case for the Sycamore Gap tree has shown, our judicial system takes illegal tree felling seriously: those that cause illegal damage will be held to account. In addition, our most important trees, those of ancient and veteran status, are considered irreplaceable habitats and protected in planning policy. Local authorities may also grant specific protections on individual trees of high value through Tree Preservation Orders.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing performance standards for material recovery facilities to ensure purity of all material bales.
Simpler Recycling requires the following recyclable waste streams from all households and workplaces in England: glass, metal, plastic, paper and card, food waste (and garden waste from households only). These measures will increase the quantity of dry recyclable material collected for sorting at MRFs and will apply from 31st March 2025 from workplaces, 31 March 2026 from households and 31st March 2027 from micro-firms (with less than 10 FTEs). There are existing requirements on material recovery facilities (MRFs) to report the reject rates at each facility in Waste Data Flow question 100 and to undertake composition sampling on material received and report this to the Environment Agency via the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2023. Defra is working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support Material Recovery Facility (MRF) readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. We have engaged with MRF operators and local authorities through WRAP’s MRF Forum to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment, upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. WRAP is developing interventions to support Local Authorities with setting up new MRF contracts, determine the potential future composition of dry mixed recyclable waste streams and the associated financial implications. I have instructed my officials to develop further policy options to drive long-term improvement to Local Authority performance, including on potential approaches to improving quality which will support the UK reprocessing sector.
Whether his Department plans to allocate (a) new and (b) ring-fenced funding to support the implementation of the Final Delivery Plan for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, published in July 2025.
We recognise the negative impact that myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) has on patients and their loved ones, and also the cost to health and care services and the wider economy through, for example, loss of work and an increased benefits bill. We, therefore, recently published the ME/CFS final delivery plan, which focuses on boosting research, improving attitudes and education, and bettering the lives of people with this debilitating disease.There are currently no plans to allocate new or ring-fenced funding specifically to support the implementation of the ME/CFS final delivery plan. However, we continue to commission research on ME/CFS services across the United Kingdom, focussing on the most severely affected. The plan includes increased funding for research, awarded through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, into how existing medicines can be used for post-viral conditions, including ME/CFS. Additionally, there are always opportunities for researchers to bid for and secure research funding for ME/CFS through our open research funding calls.