Written questions by Chowns.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made on ending badger culling.

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. The previous government was taking decisions that were not based on sufficient scientific understanding of the subject, and the new Government has put following the science at the heart of its strategy. Additionally, this work is being undertaken through stakeholder co-design with farmers, vets, scientists and conservationists, with a steering group formed from the existing Bovine TB Partnership for England. A key part of the strategy is to drive forward the ongoing development of a cattle vaccine, which is at the forefront of innovative solutions to help eradicate this disease. In August, the Government also outlined several actions it is taking immediately to end the badger cull. 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. The work toward a new strategy represents a new direction in defeating this disease that will both protect the farming community and wildlife, building on the 2018 independent strategy review. To ensure it benefits from the latest evidence, my Department has also asked Professor Sir Charles Godfray, who led that review, to reconvene a panel of experts to consider whether there’s any substantive new evidence that might affect previous conclusions.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017, whether his Department is (a) committed to achieve good ecological status for water bodies in England by 2027 and (b) on track to meet the 2027 objectives.

The Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 transposed the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) into law in England and Wales and were retained in UK law after EU exit. In the Government’s response to the Office for Environmental Protection’s report on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive Regulations, this Government agreed that not enough progress has been made in meeting the Framework’s objective for water quality, to restore water bodies to good ecological status or good ecological potential. This is due to a failure by the previous Government to drive sufficient investment and action over the last 15 years since the first River Basin Management Plans were published. The Secretary of State has made cleaning up the water environment a priority for Defra and made clear that increased action and investment, and more effective management of the water system as a whole is required.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK's nuclear testing on the (a) medical, (b) public and (c) genetic health of the population in Kiribati.

The UK has arranged several assessments of the impacts of nuclear testing in the Pacific region and it has been the UK Government's position since 2008 that any remediation work required due to UK nuclear tests in Kiribati has been completed. There are no plans for the UK Government to undertake a further assessment of the health of the population or environment of that nation. The UK is committed to creating long standing partnerships with Pacific Island countries including Kiribati, and supporting their priorities including tackling environmental and climate related issues.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the prospective free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on the climate.

The UK is a global leader on climate action, and we have been discussing a range of environment and climate issues with GCC partners under the trade agreement negotiations.The UK - GCC Strategic Approach published on 22nd June 2022 on GOV.UK contains a chapter that covers the potential environmental impacts of the deal.

Whether his Department plans to amend the policy paper entitled UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement: The UK’s Strategic Approach, published in June 2022.

The Department for Business and Trade published the UK's Strategic Approach for the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement ahead of launching negotiations. The Strategic Approach was based on public consultation with stakeholders and has informed the approach to negotiations since launch.Economic growth is the priority of this government and drives our trade agenda. The objectives of our Free Trade Agreement programme support delivery of this government's growth priorities.The government will continue to update parliament as negotiations progress and will publish further information on the GCC Free Trade Agreement following the conclusion of negotiations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the number of (a) non-bond and (b) other private creditors have reached debt restructuring agreements; and what information his Department holds on when Zambia is expected to complete the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments.

Zambia has now reached agreement on restructurings with its official creditors and private bondholders, though progress was slow initially. Good faith negotiations continue with remaining commercial creditors. The UK has been clear that private creditors must play their part in debt restructurings. The Paris Club, and now the G20 as part of the Common Framework process, are also clear on our collective expectation that private creditors must participate in restructurings on terms at least as favourable as those provided by government creditors, to ensure comparability of treatment. The UK continues to push for the improvement and expansion of the Common Framework to all lower and middle-income countries, including through our participation in the Paris Club, G20 Finance Track, and the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his polices on global climate action of (a) the US Executive Order entitled Putting America First in International Climate Agreements, dated 20 January 2025 and (b) other polices of the new US Administration on (i) climate finance commitments and (ii) international agreements; and if he will take steps to increase levels of climate adaptation funding for developing countries.

The UK notes the US Executive Order entitled Putting America First in International Climate Agreements and other climate-related policy steps, these are a matter for the US. The UK will continue to work with all countries and partners to tackle the urgency of the climate and nature crisis and will pursue an energy policy that gets UK household bills down in the long-term. Our next International Climate Finance commitment will be carefully determined through the multi-year Spending Review.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the implementation of the Digital Veteran Card system on the data protection of veterans (a) with sensitive service histories and (b) who served in Special Forces.

To ensure the privacy and protection of Veteran's personal information, the implementation of the Digital Veteran Card system will be developed in collaboration with Government Digital Services and Office for Veterans’ Affairs. It will comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Secure by Design Principles and other applicable data protection legislation. As with the current physical cards, the digital cards will not hold or present detailed or sensitive Service information. The Project is working in close collaboration with the Office of Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) to engage and consult with veterans throughout the development and delivery of the Virtual Veterans Card. This is completed via user research with veterans and charities to understand their needs to ensure the Ministry of Defence provides a high-quality user-centred service.

What steps his Department is taking to consult with (a) veteran communities and (b) service organisations to inform the (i) design, (ii) implementation, (iii) data security, (iv) data governance and (v) access requirements for the Digital Veteran Card.

To ensure the privacy and protection of Veteran's personal information, the implementation of the Digital Veteran Card system will be developed in collaboration with Government Digital Services and Office for Veterans’ Affairs. It will comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Secure by Design Principles and other applicable data protection legislation. As with the current physical cards, the digital cards will not hold or present detailed or sensitive Service information. The Project is working in close collaboration with the Office of Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) to engage and consult with veterans throughout the development and delivery of the Virtual Veterans Card. This is completed via user research with veterans and charities to understand their needs to ensure the Ministry of Defence provides a high-quality user-centred service.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the implementation of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to assess its effectiveness at tackling pollution from contaminated land.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the Environmental Protection Act 1990 continues to be a robust and effective legislative framework for managing and mitigating pollution from contaminated land. The department is always assessing the effectiveness of legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose. Defra has recently commissioned the Environment Agency to produce a new State of Contaminated Land Report, which involves surveying Local Authorities progress on delivering their statutory responsibilities under Part2A of the Act, including the effectiveness of existing regulations and their remediation efforts.

Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to recommendation 13 in the Fifth Special Report of the Environmental Audit Committee of Session 2023-24 entitled The UK’s contribution to tackling global deforestation: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourth Report, HC 669, what steps he has taken to ensure that the statutory evaluation of the Schedule 17 due diligence system addresses whether the due diligence system has effectively supported the human rights of indigenous peoples to land, territories and resources.

We recognise the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of statements on Gaza by President Trump on 4 February 2025 on the temporary Gaza ceasefire deal.

The government's objective remans a negotiated two-state solution, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel. In order to deliver this, it is clear that Palestinian civilians must be permitted to return to their communities in Gaza and rebuild and that there can be no forcible transfer of Gazans from or within Gaza, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip. The new US administration played an integral role in negotiating the ceasefire agreement, alongside Qatar and Egypt. The UK will continue to work closely with the US to sustain the fragile ceasefire, ensure that all the hostages are released, increase the supply of aid, and break the ongoing cycle of violence in pursuit of a permanent, sustainable peace.

With reference to her predecessor's oral contribution of 18 November 2024, Official Report, column 49, when she plans to make a decision on concessionary bus travel for young people; and what criteria she plans to use.

Bus services are predominantly run on a commercial basis, where private operators decide on the level at which fares are set. Many bus operators offer reduced fares for young people, and the Department for Transport’s latest concessionary travel statistics show that in the year ending March 2025, youth concessions are offered by at least one commercial bus operator in 73 out of 85 local authority areas in England outside London. Local authorities can also introduce fares initiatives in their local areas. The government has allocated £712 million to local authorities to support and improve bus services in 2025/26 including Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and Bus Service Operators Grant funding. BSIP funding can be used in whichever way local authorities wish to improve services for passengers, which could include introducing fares initiatives for young people. The government is exploring options for targeted fares measures that deliver value for money to the taxpayer, to ensure affordable bus travel is always available for the groups who need it most – such as young people.

If she will make it her policy to automatically publish her Department's (a) internal process review statistics on an annual basis and (b) all internal process reviews.

For the last two operational years the department has reported on the Internal Process Reviews it undertakes in its Annual Report and Accounts. This is alongside reporting on the wider activities of its Advanced Customer Support Teams (available here: DWP annual report and accounts 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK and here: DWP annual report and accounts 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK). The department continues to consider what further information can be published in future Accounts. The department also already has plans to publish further, separate information on its Internal Process Review in a way that shows what the Department has learned from these cases and the improvements that have been made, but which importantly does not disclose the sensitive, personal and confidential information that can surround these cases. Publication is planned to start by 31 March 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to bring the statutory guidance entitled Applying the farming rules for water, updated 16 June 2022, on the application of manure, in line with The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.

We have heard concerns regarding the statutory guidance, issued under the previous Government, on the Farming Rules for Water. In response, the Secretary of State have instructed officials to conduct a review to ensure that it is fit for purpose and effective in its objectives. We are currently assessing the findings of this review. We will share the outcomes as soon as practicable.

With reference to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' policy paper entitled Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023, whether his Department provides training further to section 19 of the Environment Act 2021 in the (a) statutory instrument capability programme, (b) parliamentary capability team training programme and (c) Policy Profession programme.

A range of guidance is available to civil servants when preparing legislation, including on section 19 of the Environment Act 2021. Ahead of the duty coming into force on 1 November 2023, guidance was issued to civil servants working on legislation. In January 2024, the Guide to Preparing Explanatory Memoranda (EMs) to Statutory Instruments was published and included information on this duty. The next update to The Guide to Making Legislation, which will be published shortly, will include guidance on the policy statement.

When he plans to publish an update to the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are a crucial tool for consumers to understand the energy efficiency of their homes. We are implementing an interim update to the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP), which underpins EPC ratings, in Spring this year. This update aims to enhance the accuracy and robustness of the current model. This is ahead of a more significant, ambitious EPC reform programme set for late 2026, aimed at better supporting Net Zero objectives and delivering the Warm Homes Plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Israeli counterparts for an independent investigation to be launched into the killing of two-year-old Palestinian child Laila Mohammad Ayman Khatib.

We cannot comment on individual cases, but we remain concerned by the situation in the West Bank and reiterate that Israel must ensure that civilians are protected. The Foreign Secretary has raised the situation in the West Bank and issues of international law compliance directly at the highest levels of the Israeli Government. This Government is clear that international law must be upheld, and civilians protected.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect the (a) safety and (b) wellbeing of Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We are alarmed by the impact of the Gaza conflict on children across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has consistently pressed Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, not least children, and for all parties to ensure adherence to international humanitarian law. We led calls on Israel to enable the rollout of the polio vaccine across Gaza and we have supported partners to deliver lifesaving aid to children, as well as educational and psychosocial services. This includes an additional £6 million for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to support vulnerable families in Gaza announced in August 2024, and £41 million funding for United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) this financial year to provide essential services including education across Gaza, the West Bank and Palestinian refugees in the region. £5.8 million of the UK's contribution to the Global Partnership for Education has been earmarked to support essential education service delivery in Gaza and the West Bank. We are also one of the largest donors to the Education Cannot Wait initiative, contributing £1.64 million of its £9.65 million funding to Gaza this financial year.

What steps he is taking to ensure that illegal hunts do not take place on Ministry of Defence land.

The Ministry of Defence has only ever issued licences to recognised hunts for Trail and Drag hunting which are legal activities authorised by the Hunting Act 2004. Any suspicion of illegal hunting should be reported to the Police.