Written questions by Dewhirst.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure a regular supply of tomatoes in the UK.

The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain that is well equipped to deal with any potential disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources including strong domestic production and imports through stable trade routes. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

What steps she is taking to tackle vulnerabilities in property transactions, particularly in the handling and movement of large sums during settlement, in the Economic Crime Plan.

The government’s Economic Crime Plan 2 has strengthened the UK’s defences against property‑related money laundering by enhancing transparency of land and overseas property ownership, improving data‑sharing and enforcement, and targeting higher‑risk activity in the property sector to better detect, disrupt and recover illicit assets. The government’s Money Laundering Regulations ensure that those sectors most at risk of being abused for money laundering have appropriate risk-based controls in place. The regulations apply to all financial, legal and estate agency firms involved in property transactions, whether directly with the purchase, securing the funds, or setting up structures to hold property. The government intends to develop a new public-private strategy focused on anti-money laundering and asset recovery in the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to establish accreditation for digital platforms in the property market that are capable of providing verified property data, secure settlement and automated registration of home sales and purchases.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential savings to the public purse of reducing the annual expenditure by HM Land Registry on requisitions arising from manual or inconsistent submissions; and what the planned role is of property sector digitalisation in helping to achieve those savings.

For the year ending 31 March 2025, HM Land Registry (HMLR) estimated it had nearly 450,000 avoidable requisitions costing the conveyancing industry and HMLR up to £19m annually. HMLR is supporting the conveyancing industry to improve the quality of its applications through a number of measures: Using technology to validate data supplied in applications pre-submission;Providing avoidable requisition data to conveyancers to understand the error and correct these errors prior to submission to HMLR; andExtensive training and engagement activities with the property sector.HMLR has been sharing avoidable requisition data with conveyancers for the last six months and since December 2025 HM Land Registry has published avoidable requisition data on gov.uk here. This has resulted in over 29% of law firms reducing their avoidable requisition rate and 20% now have an avoidable requisition rate under 1%.

Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to test digital transaction flows in the home-buying process from upfront information to settlement and title registration.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Communities and Local Government, what progress HM Land Registry has made in digitising the land register.

The Title (Land) Register consists of information held in a variety of formats, including paper documents, scanned images, and digital images. HM Land Registry (HMLR) is committed to digitising its data, while ensuring that data security, integrity and privacy remain paramount. Work is underway in three key areas to transform HMLR's register information into a fully digitised format: Digitising paper documents integral to the Register, such as Leases and Conveyances, making them accessible and easier to manage.Converting existing computerised data into a machine-interpretable format, facilitating seamless integration with modern digital systems.Converting spatial data into an open and shareable format, making spatial information more accessible and useful for HMLR's stakeholders. HMLR's longer term plans will integrate all its digitised information into a geospatial and fully digital Land Register that allows vital property information to be shared as spatial data. HMLR's Strategy 2025+, which is available on gov.uk here, sets out further details around its plans to support the property market and beyond with its data.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure home buyers and sellers are protected through the expansion of digital conveyancing, particularly in terms of data verification, property information and the security of settlement funds.

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. As part of those consultations, we made clear our interest in ensuring digital data from trustworthy sources could be shared securely between professionals using data standards and trust frameworks. The consultations closed on 29 December 2025. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response shortly including any plans for trials or testing with the sector.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the Problem Gambling Severity Index score for players of (a) The National Lottery, (b) Society Lotteries, and (c) instant win scratch cards.

The Government is committed to tackling gambling-related harm. DCMS regularly reviews the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) from the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain and uses it as one of a range of sources of evidence.In 2024, the proportion of National Lottery players who experienced ‘problem gambling’ (a PGSI score of 8+) is 3.9% for draw games, 9.5% for instant win games, and 7.9% for scratchcards.The rate of Society Lottery PGSI 8+ scores is 4.9%.The rate of non-National Lottery scratchcards PGSI 8+ is 14.5%.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Voluntary Code for Prize Draws, updated on 17 December 2025, what steps his Department is taking to monitor compliance among operators.

The Voluntary Code for prize draw operators was launched on 20 November 2025. The Code aims to raise standards in the sector in the distinct areas of player protections, transparency, and accountability. Signatories have until 20 May 2026 to comply with the Code.The Government’s focus is on the successful implementation and adoption of the Voluntary Code, with operator signatories required to regularly review their compliance and swiftly rectify any issues if necessary. The Department will work closely with the sector on this during the implementation phase and periodically review the effectiveness of the Code and compliance to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the combined effect of higher rateable values and reduced business rates relief on (a) the number of hospitality businesses and (b) vacancy rates on high streets over the next three years.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. More broadly, the Government is delivering a long overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system and support the high street, as promised in our manifesto. The Government is doing this by introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £900 million per year, and will benefit over 750,000 properties, including those on the high street. The new RHL tax rates replace the temporary RHL relief that has been winding down since Covid. Unlike RHL relief, the new rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap, meaning all qualifying properties on high streets across England will benefit. Treasury Ministers and officials engaged with a wide range of stakeholders across the pub and hospitality sector ahead of the Budget to discuss business rates.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

As of 9 December 2025, The Department has ten direct ministerial appointments. The following table shows the name, job title, time commitment, whether they were renumerated, and expected end date for each direct ministerial appointment in the Department:NameRole TitleRenumeratedTime CommitmentExpected End DateGemma AldridgeCommunications Advisor to the Department of Health and Social CarePaidThree days per weekJanuary 2026Baroness Valerie AmosChair of the Independent Maternity and Neonatal InvestigationPaidTwo days per weekMay 2026 (pending approvals)Dame Caroline Dineage MPCo-Chair of the Children and Young People TaskforceUnpaidTwo days per monthMarch 2026 (pending approval)Professor Darren HargraveCo-Chair of the Children and Young People TaskforceUnpaidTwo days per monthMarch 2026 (pending approval)Dr Sharna ShanmugavadivelVice-Chair of the Children and Young People TaskforceUnpaidTwo days per monthMarch 2026 (pending approval)Jess Asato MPAdviser on the Health Contribution to Reducing Violence Against Women and GirlsUnpaidOne day per weekMay 2026Dame Lesley ReganWomen's Health AmbassadorPaidFour days per monthJune 2026Matthew HoodSenior Delivery Advisor to the Secretary of StatePaidup to 260 days per yearSeptember 2027Bishop James JonesChair of the Gosport Family ForumPaidOne day per monthNovember 2027Baroness Louise CaseyChair of the Casey Commission formally (Chair of the Independent Commission into adult social care.)PaidThree days per weekDecember 2028 In line with our departmental policy, we have been unable to provide the annual renumeration and instead indicated which are renumerated.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

Within my Department, the following direct ministerial appointments have been made to non-statutory offices:Intertrade UK - Chair and MembersName and Job Title: Baroness Arlene Foster, Chair of Intertrade UKAnnual Remuneration: N/ATime Commitment: Approximately 1 day per monthExpected End Date: 18 months from date of appointment. The Chair may be reappointed for no more than 18 months (so may serve for a maximum of three consecutive years). Names and Job Title: Dr Esmond Birnie, Kirsty McManus, Suzanne Wylie, Roger Pollen, Angela McGowan - Members of Intertrade UK.Annual Remuneration: N/ATime Commitment: Approximately 1 day per monthExpected End Date: 18 months from date of appointment. Members may be reappointed for no more than 18 months (so may serve for a maximum of three consecutive years). Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring PanelNames and Job Title: Alastair Hamilton (Chair), Anna Jerzewska, Aidan Reilly - Chair and Panel Members of the Windsor Framework Independent Monitoring Panel.Annual Remuneration: N/ATime Commitment: The Panel is expected to report to the Government on a six-monthly basis and therefore Panelists should have the capacity to do so.Expected End Date: 24 months from date of appointment with the possibility of an extension subject to Ministerial agreement.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

The information requested is attached.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment made by the Law Officers.

The AGO has not made any direct ministerial appointments.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

The Ministry of Justice makes information on its direct ministerial appointments available in line with Cabinet Office guidance on transparency. This information is available on GOV.UK and kept under review to ensure it is up to date. Name(s)Job TitlePress ReleaseKate Green; Dr Tom McNeil; Katy Swaine Williams; Dr Shona Minson; Bernie Bowen-Thomson; Michaela Booth; Anne Fox; Lady Edwina Grosvenor; Dame Vera Baird DBE KC; Pia SinhaMembers of Women’s Justice BoardWomen’s Justice Board - GOV.UKDame Carol Black; Ed Bathgate; Andi Brierley; Vicki Markiewicz; Dr Sunil Lad; Ranjan Bhattacharyya; Dr Ed Day.Members of Drug and Alcohol Recovery Expert PanelDrug and Alcohol Recovery Expert Panel: Terms of Reference - GOV.UKDame Lynne OwensLead Independent Reviewer into Releases in ErrorAppointment of Dame Lynne Owens as independent reviewer - GOV.UKHer Honour Deborah TaylorChair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory BoardNew Chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board appointed - GOV.UK Extension of Deborah Taylor's term as Chair of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board - GOV.UKChair of the Nottingham InquiryChair appointed for public inquiry into Nottingham attack - GOV.UKThe Rt Hon Sir Brian LevesonChair of the Independent Review of the Criminal CourtsIndependent Review of the Criminal Courts - GOV.UKShaun McNally, Chris Mayer, Jay Bangle, Katie Atkinson, David OrmerodExpert Advisers to the Independent Review of the Criminal CourtsIndependent Review of the Criminal Courts - GOV.UKHHJ Sarah Munro KCChair of the Andrew Malkinson InquiryJudge appointed to chair independent Malkinson Inquiry - GOV.UKLord Philip Sales, The Right Hon. Sir Colin Birss, The Honourable Justice Joanna Smith, Mark Evans, Kirsty Brimelow KC, Dame Elizabeth Gloster DBE, Richard Bamforth, Jonathan Wood, Kevin Nash, Lucy Greenwood, Clare Ambrose, Christina Blacklaws, Charles Clark, Professor Richard Susskind CBE KC (Hon), Dr Linda Yueh, James Palmer CBE, John Foster, Marcus Peffers, Dame Linda Dobbs DBE, Farzana BaduelMembers of English Law Promotion PanelDeputy Prime Minister convenes legal and business leaders to spearhead plan to future-proof UK legal sector - GOV.UK

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

There are currently no direct ministerial appointments at the Wales Office.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question 74274 on 26 September 2025.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

The Scotland Office does not have any Direct Ministerial Appointments.

What the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in his Department.

Direct ministerial appointments are published on GOV.UK in line with Cabinet Office best practice.Current direct ministerial appointments in the department are:Name(s) and Job TitleAnnual RemunerationTime Commitment Expected End DatePress Release LinkJon Bolton, Steel Council, Co-Chair£850 per day47 days per annum31 December 2025 (TBC)Link (2025 appointment)Nita Clarke Non-Executive Board Member£15,00020 days per annum10 December 2027Link (2024 appointment)Professor Chris Dungey Advanced Manufacturing AI Champion UnremuneratedNo specific time commitment1 December 2026Link (2025 appointment)Doug Gurr Interim Chair, Competition and Markets Authority£106,666Up to 2 days per week21 July 2026LinkRichard Judge Independent Regulatory Reviewer£500 per day1 day per week20 October 2026Link (2025 appointment)Nigel Railton Interim Chair, Post OfficeUp to £150,0002 days per week25 May 2028Link (2025 appointment)Shaheen Sayed Professional Businesses Services AI ChampionUnremunerated50 hours over 1 year appointment25 November 2026PBS announcement and DSIT AI champions linkSamantha Seaton Smart Data Council Co-ChairUnremunerated20 days per annum17 October 2027Link (2025 appointment)Professor Sir Steve Smith International Education Champion UnremuneratedNo specific time commitment30 September 2026Link (original 2020 appointment) Link (2024 reappointment)Omar Ali, Mike Hawes OBE, Dame Vivian Hunt DBE, Allison Kirkby, Paul Lindley OBE, Catherine McGuinness CBE, Michelle Ovens CBE, Mike Soutar, Sarah Walker, Charles Woodburn CBE Board of Trade Advisers UnremuneratedMeets quarterly. Occasional ad-hoc commitments13 March 2026Link (2025 appointment)Dame Clare Barclay (Chair), Kate Bell, Rt Hon Greg Clark, Professor Dame Diane Coyle, Greg Jackson, Tunde Olanrewaju, Henry G Overman, Henrik L Pedersen, Dr Aislinn Rice, Roy Rickhuss, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell (Deputy Chair) Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, Members£800 per dayUp to 2-3 days per month13 April 2026 (Chair) 17 June 2026 (Members)Link (2025 appointment) Appointees are listed alphabetically by surname.

Innovation and Technology, what the (a) name, (b) job title, (c) annual remuneration, (d) time commitment and (e) expected end date is for each direct ministerial appointment in her Department.

Please see a list of all the Direct Ministerial Appointments (DMAs) in DSIT to date, including job title, renumeration, time commitment and expected end date.Live Appointments:Matt Clifford: the Prime Minister’s AI Opportunities Advisor. 1 day per week, Term Dates: 13/01/2024 - 13/01/2026.Dr Dan Mahoney: Life Sciences Investment Envoy. 15 days per year, Term Dates:18/11/2024 - 18/05/2026.Theo Blackwell: Local Digital Champion. 2 days per week, Term Dates: 13/01/2025 - 31/12/2025.Yoshua Bengio: International AI Safety Report Chair. 26 days per year, Term Dates: 29/01/2025 - 31/03/2026.Lord David Willetts: Regulatory Innovation Office Chair. 36 days per year, Term Dates: 07/03/2025 - 07/03/2027Steve Bates: Office for Life Sciences Executive Chair. Full-time, Term Dates: 29/09/2025 - 29/03/2027.Anne Lingford-Hughes, Peter Johnson, Hilary Evans-Newton, Nadeem Sarwar, Husseini Manji, Kathryn Abel and Naveed Sattar: OLS Healthcare Goals Chairs, 4-8 days per month, Term Dates: 30/09/2025 - 05/03/2027 (DHSC appointments with joint accountability between DHSC, DSIT and DBT)Simon Johnson, Tom Blomfield and Raia Hadsell: AI Ambassadors. 2 days per year, Term Dates: 21/11/2025 - 21/11/2026.James Wise: Sovereign AI Champion, 10 days per year. Term Dates: 21/11/2025 - 21/11/2026.Anne Marie Imafidon: Women in Tech Envoy. 20 days per year, Term Dates: 15/12/2025 - 15/06/2027.Prof. Sir Jonathan Irving Bell: Life Sciences Champions, 30 days per year, Term Dates: 01/01/2011 - 31/122025Sir Jon Symonds: Life Sciences Champions, 30 days per year, Term Dates: 01/01/2021- 31/12/2025.Appointments that have now endedMatt Clifford: Lead Reviewer of the Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. 4-8 days per month, Term Dates: 22/07/2024 - 03/09/2024.Martha Lane Fox (Co-Chair), Poppy Gustafsson, Paul Willmott (Co-Chair), Jeni Tennison, Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, Lou Cordwell, Aaron Maniam, David Eaves, Sarah Hunter, Lisa Harrington, Josie Cluer and Lord Richard Allan: Digital Centre Design Panel Members. 1 day a month, Date: 30/09/2024 - 04/01/2025.Ian Hogarth: AI Safety Institute Chair. 10 days per year, Term Dates: 10/02/2025 - 09/12/2025.Appointments made before July 2024 (publicly available information)David Morris: UK Government Space Advisor. 2022 to 2024.Simon Fell: Rural Connectivity Champion. 2023 to 2024.Hilary Evans: Co-Chair for Dementia Mission. 2023 to 2024.Nadeem Sarwar: Co-Chair for the Dementia Mission. 2023 to 2024.Stephen McPartland: Chair of the McPartland Review. 2024.Alice Sullivan: Independent Reviewer of Data Collection. 2024.