Written questions by Gardiner.

Whether the independent evidence review commissioned by the previous government and undertaken by scientists from the British Geological Survey, National Oceanography Centre, and Heriot-Watt University will be taken into account in his determination of the sponsored exploration licences for Deep Sea Mining.

The 2021 independent evidence review, commissioned by the previous government, remains a valuable contribution to our understanding of the environmental impacts of deep sea mining. The government will take all relevant information into consideration when reviewing its sponsorship of exploration licences.

Pursuant to the ruling of Mr Justice Akenhead in the case of Corby Group Litigation v. Corby Borough Council, if he will conduct a review of the incidence of birth defects and rare cancers recorded in children by hospitals serving the population around Corby and the sites where spoil was deposited.

The Department and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are aware of this issue, which is currently being looked at by the local Director of Public Health. The UKHSA will offer support if needed, and the Department is awaiting the findings before further action.

If he will publish the records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the site reclamation of the Corby Steelworks in the 1980s.

Records of all the sites where waste was deposited following the reclamation of the Corby Steelworks site should be held by the local authority that managed the reclamation, in this case North Northamptonshire Council. The Department for Business and Trade does not hold this information.

Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of England's waters would be closed to bottom trawling when the proposed stage 3 byelaws are implemented.

We cannot pre-judge the outcome of the stage 3 byelaw consultation, which is currently in progress.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for the implementation of the stage 3 offshore MPA byelaws once the consultation has been concluded.

We aim to implement any necessary byelaws quickly. However, this will depend on the number and complexity of responses received to the consultation.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department adopted the features-based approach for the assessment method for the stage 3 Marine Protected Area byelaws.

The Marine Management Organisation uses a feature-based approach for developing fisheries management measures in England’s Marine Protected Areas, including the proposed stage 3 byelaws. Sometimes these management measures will involve restrictions across the whole of a site, where the features to be protected cover the whole site.

Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timeline is for implementing measures in Inshore Marine Protected Areas.

The responsibility for developing byelaws lies with the ten Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCAs). We are encouraging the IFCAs to complete as soon as possible the good work they have already done to ensure our MPAs are effectively protected. Inshore MPAs located between 6 and 12 nautical miles from the coast are the responsibility of the Marine Management Organisation and it launched a consultation in June 2025 on stage 3 of its programme of MPA fisheries management measures.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish an implementation plan for the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative.

Since the publication of the Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, we have continued our work to minimise and, where possible, eliminate the bycatch of sensitive marine species. That has included renewing Clean Catch for a further 3-year period. This flagship programme will be focused on collaborative trials with the fishing industry to establish practical ways to minimise bycatch, delivery of research on potential bycatch hotspots and of best practice guides tailored to fishermen’s needs, and critical knowledge exchange both within and beyond the UK. In addition to that, in 2025, we are considering further measures to reduce bycatch of seabirds. We have not published an implementation plan but will consider the need for this when working with stakeholders to identify and implement these measures. This builds on wider work done under the English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway. For more information see: English Seabird Conservation and Recovery Pathway (ESCaRP) - ME6044.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is to complete work necessary for the participation of the UK in the first conference of Members of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22880 on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, whether his Department has drafted the secondary legislation required in advance of ratification for the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Work is in hand on the measures needed to implement the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement before the UK can ratify. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK's progress in ratifying the Global Oceans Treaty ahead of the United Nations Oceans Conference in June 2025.

The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change draft rules on the attribution of emissions reductions from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to the country of origin on UK subsidies for BECCS.

All UK greenhouse gas emissions are compiled and reported consistent with international guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC 2006 Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories provide a methodology for the reporting of emissions from bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) that the UK will follow when the technology is operating at sufficient scale. In line with all IPCC reports, the 2006 Guidelines were written by world-leading experts, underwent multiple rounds of review from other experts and Governments and were formally accepted by Governments including the UK.

What information her Department holds on the number of tribunal judges who have been promoted to become Circuit Judges by the Judicial Appointments Commission within six months of receiving a formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years.

Circuit Judges are appointed by the King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice, following a fair and open competition administered by the Judicial Appointments Commission.The number of judges who have been appointed as Circuit Judges having been tribunal judges, within six months of receiving formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years is one.

How many promotions of judges from the first tier tribunal have been made within six months of receiving formal advise for misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years.

The number of judges who have been elevated from the first-tier tribunal within six months of receiving formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years is one.The majority of appointments to judicial office are based on selection by the independent Judicial Appointments Commission, which has a statutory duty to make selections based on merit alone.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the objectives set out in the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' speech entitled The Kew Lecture: Foreign Secretary's speech on the climate crisis, published on 17 September 2024, if he will make an assessment of the contribution of the Darwin Plus Programme to the UK Overseas Territories.

In 2020, Defra commissioned an independent review of the Darwin Plus programme. This found Darwin Plus projects to have a strong, positive impact on the capacity of the Territories to deliver long-term strategic outcomes for the natural environment, which enhances protection of biodiversity ecosystems. During his Kew Lecture on 17 September 2024, the Foreign Secretary declared reversing the decline in global biodiversity as a Government priority. It is estimated that the UK Overseas Territories are home to over 90% of known endemic British species. Information on individual projects funded under Darwin Plus is available on the programme website (https://darwinplus.org.uk/). The programme’s performance is reviewed annually and published on the UK Government’s online Development Tracker.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of the principles set out in the Porter v. Magill 2001 House of Lords ruling in last six moths, in the context of advising on promotions from the first tier tribunal.

The number of judges who have been elevated from the first-tier tribunal within six months of receiving formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years is one.The majority of appointments to judicial office are based on selection by the independent Judicial Appointments Commission, which has a statutory duty to make selections based on merit alone.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of (a) waking watch and (b) other indirect consequences of measures introduced in the Building Safety Act 2024 on costs to residential leaseholders in higher risk buildings.

Since it was first launched in 2021, the Waking Watch Replacement Fund has made £82.6 million in grant funding available to support the installation of common alarm systems to replace costly waking watch measures in residential buildings. The current iteration of the fund was reopened in May 2023, extending support to all residential buildings where a waking watch is currently in place in England, regardless of where the costs of the waking watch fall. We know that waking watch measures are still being used too often, and that in too many cases, costs continue to be passed onto leaseholders. Reducing the excessive use of Waking Watch is a priority for this government, and in the meantime, we have extended the Waking Watch Replacement Fund until March 2026 with long-term plans for the fund to be confirmed at the end of the next Spending Review in Summer 2025.Since Royal Assent, parts of the Building Safety Act measures have been amended under the Leasehold Freehold Reform Act to reduce costs on residential leaseholders. These ensure that costs of ‘interim measures’ (such as waking watches and fitting simultaneous evacuation alarms) and expert reports can be recovered through remediation contribution orders. The costs of temporary accommodation if residents are decanted from their homes on building safety grounds, can also be recovered.Any contribution required from those holding a qualifying lease for non-cladding defects and interim measures is capped and spread over 10 years, This means that, for the majority of qualifying leaseholders, the maximum amount that can be charged for non-cladding remediation and interim measures is £15,000 in Greater London (or £10,000 elsewhere in England). Qualifying leaseholders with a leasehold property worth more than £1 million and less than £2 million can be charged up to £50,000, while those with a leasehold property worth more than £2 million can be charged up to £100,000.The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced new legal requirements for those responsible for managing building safety risks in higher-risk buildings when they are occupied. Under the Act, costs incurred in meeting these ongoing obligations can be passed to leaseholders via the service charge. The government considers these requirements as vital for ensuring structural and fire safety risks are properly managed, so that residents are and feel safe in their homes. We appreciate concerns about the costs of compliance with these requirements for leaseholders, and will continue to work with the Building Safety Regulator to monitor the situation.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the uptake of leasehold with a share of freehold on new flatted developments.

The government is committed to reinvigorating commonhold and making it the default tenure.Our forthcoming White Paper on reforms to commonhold will outline proposed reforms to the model and our plans to introduce a comprehensive new legal framework.The government has also made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny.We will also engage with stakeholders on the process for converting existing flats to commonhold and consult on the proposed ban on new leasehold flats. We will set out further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has set a target for the proportion of new homes to be built by 2030 that will be (a) leasehold and (b) commonhold.

The government is committed to reinvigorating commonhold and making it the default tenure.Our forthcoming White Paper on reforms to commonhold will outline proposed reforms to the model and our plans to introduce a comprehensive new legal framework.The government has also made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny.We will also engage with stakeholders on the process for converting existing flats to commonhold and consult on the proposed ban on new leasehold flats. We will set out further details in due course.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of converting all existing residential leasehold tenure to commonhold on economic growth.

The government is committed to reinvigorating commonhold and making it the default tenure.Our forthcoming White Paper on reforms to commonhold will outline proposed reforms to the model and our plans to introduce a comprehensive new legal framework.The government has also made clear it intends to publish draft legislation on leasehold and commonhold reform in this session so that it may be subject to broad consultation and additional parliamentary scrutiny.We will also engage with stakeholders on the process for converting existing flats to commonhold and consult on the proposed ban on new leasehold flats. We will set out further details in due course.