Written questions by Amos.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Department has made of the contribution of littering from vehicles to roadside litter; and what consideration her Department has given to the adequacy of (a) the level of fines for littering offences committed from vehicles, (b) funding available to councils and National Highways for addressing roadside litter, and (c) public awareness initiatives relating to the environmental and social impacts of littering.

No assessment has been made of the contribution of littering from vehicles to roadside litter. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders who litter from vehicles.  Anyone caught littering from a vehicle may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court, which can lead to a criminal record and a fine of up to £2,500 on conviction. Instead of prosecuting, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. District councils outside of London have powers to issue a civil penalty to the registered keeper of a vehicle from which litter is thrown. To support local councils to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences I have laid new Statutory Guidance, “Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them” in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers. The guidance is available here: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK. Funding for roadside litter removal is provided through retained penalty receipts and enforcement. National Highways funds maintenance from existing budgets, more information can be found on: Highways maintenance block: formula allocations 2026 to 2030 - GOV.UK Designated Funds - National Highways We have been proud to support and endorse national clean-up initiatives such as the Great British Spring Clean, and the Great British Beach Clean, and we will continue to use our influence to encourage as many people and businesses as possible to participate in these types of events again.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to a longer period on British industry.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on British industry.We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received.  This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the she is taking to help support the rescue and rehoming of mutilated animals.

The Government recognises the essential service that rescue and rehoming centres provide, often on a voluntary basis, to animals, including those that have suffered from mutilation. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, it is illegal to carry out a non-exempted mutilation such as the cropping of a dog’s ears in England and Wales unless specifically exempted for medical reasons. While these practices are illegal in the UK, we recognise that the current legislative framework can be abused by traders who import these dogs from abroad. The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Act 2025 Act will give the Government powers to prohibit dogs and cats being brought into Great Britain with non-exempted mutilations, such as docked tails and cropped ears. Any appropriate exemptions to these prohibitions will be delivered via secondary legislation at a later date. In the meantime, the Government will continue to work with stakeholders including rescue organisations and consider their feedback.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed reduction in Skills Bootcamp funding on (a) regional labour markets with nationally significant infrastructure projects under active construction, with particular reference to Somerset and Hinkley Point C, and (b) the ability of local employers to meet workforce requirements for projects of strategic importance to the UK's energy security and industrial strategy.

I refer the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington to the answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 113869.

With reference to the findings of the Independent Review of Carer’s Allowance Overpayments published in November 2025, what assessment he has made of the proportionality and fairness of enforcement actions in cases where (a) inadvertent breaches of the earnings limit averaged only marginal amounts and (b) the total overpayment was substantially lower than the subsequent debt and penalty issued.

The Government inherited a system where some busy carers, already struggling under a huge weight of caring responsibilities, found themselves with unexpected debts due to overpayments of CA. The Independent Review, undertaken by Liz Sayce, showed that some mistakes were made, and we are determined to put them right. We welcomed the report and accepted or partially accepted 38 of the 40 recommendations. The Department will now continue putting things right by reassessing cases affected because guidance on averaging irregularly fluctuating earnings between 2015 and 2025 did not accurately reflect the statutory position. We will set out more details on the reassessment exercise in the next few weeks.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the recall of certain Boston Scientific CRT-P pacemakers on NHS services; and what steps are being taken to support affected patients and recover associated costs.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is closely monitoring the Boston Scientific Accolade Field Safety Corrective Action (FSCA) to ensure it progresses safely.The FSCA affects 13,969 pacemaker patients at 153 sites in the United Kingdom, who have an increased risk of their pacemaker switching to “Safety Mode”. This represents approximately 14% of UK Accolade Pacemakers.The Department is aware of two deaths associated with this malfunction, both of which occurred outside the UK, and resulted from injuries sustained from fainting following a malfunction.Risk mitigation advice includes evaluation of patient devices and revision surgery for those with four years or less longevity remaining. While some devices may need earlier replacement than would have been expected, the risk to patients is low and affected patients are being reviewed locally by expert clinical teams, often as part of routine follow-up processes.Musgrove Park Hospital’s pacing service, which includes the fitting of pacemakers, has been minimally affected, less than five patients, by the recall of the Boston Scientific CRT‑P pacemakers.In most cases, the trust uses alternative pacemaker products, including Biotronik and Abbott devices. As a result, the recall has had minimal impact on services and patient care, but MHRA will continue to keep this under review.The commissioning of pacemaker devices does not fall under the direct commissioning remit of NHS England. Given the benefits of trying to achieve a nationally coordinated response, NHS England worked with professional bodies and NHS Supply Chain to encourage an equitable approach from Boston Scientific relating to both additional device costs and the impact of additional activity.

How many patients have been affected by the recall of certain Boston Scientific CRT-P pacemakers (a) nationally and (b) within Somerset; what assessment has been made of the potential impact of this on NHS resources; and who is responsible for covering the costs of device replacement and associated care.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is closely monitoring the Boston Scientific Accolade Field Safety Corrective Action (FSCA) to ensure it progresses safely.The FSCA affects 13,969 pacemaker patients at 153 sites in the United Kingdom, who have an increased risk of their pacemaker switching to “Safety Mode”. This represents approximately 14% of UK Accolade Pacemakers.The Department is aware of two deaths associated with this malfunction, both of which occurred outside the UK, and resulted from injuries sustained from fainting following a malfunction.Risk mitigation advice includes evaluation of patient devices and revision surgery for those with four years or less longevity remaining. While some devices may need earlier replacement than would have been expected, the risk to patients is low and affected patients are being reviewed locally by expert clinical teams, often as part of routine follow-up processes.Musgrove Park Hospital’s pacing service, which includes the fitting of pacemakers, has been minimally affected, less than five patients, by the recall of the Boston Scientific CRT‑P pacemakers.In most cases, the trust uses alternative pacemaker products, including Biotronik and Abbott devices. As a result, the recall has had minimal impact on services and patient care, but MHRA will continue to keep this under review.The commissioning of pacemaker devices does not fall under the direct commissioning remit of NHS England. Given the benefits of trying to achieve a nationally coordinated response, NHS England worked with professional bodies and NHS Supply Chain to encourage an equitable approach from Boston Scientific relating to both additional device costs and the impact of additional activity.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish the toolkit on homelessness prevention and support for survivors of domestic abuse; and what engagement his Department has held with the domestic abuse sector on developing that toolkit.

My Department will publish the toolkit on homelessness prevention and support for survivors of domestic abuse over the coming year. The toolkit will draw on the Whole Housing Approach piloted by Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse and our evaluation of sanctuary schemes, which provide solutions for survivors who wish to remain in their homes, and provide guidance and best practice support on how to keep survivors safe in their homes wherever possible, and how to deliver trauma-informed homelessness support for victims of domestic abuse.

Communities and Local Government, when his Department will publish updated statutory guidance on social housing allocations.

As announced in our National Plan to End Homelessness which was published on 11 December last year and can be found on gov.uk here, we will work with stakeholders to review and update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that allocations reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households.We will publish updated statutory guidance in due course.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has received written representations from major freeholders on the proposed Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill since 17 July 2024.

My Department has received representations from a range of external stakeholders regarding the government’s leasehold and commonhold reform agenda. These have included representations from freeholders and trade bodies representing them.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the exemption from local connection tests for social housing for domestic abuse survivors is enforced by local authorities.

The government has taken action to remove barriers for victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.Regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.We will monitor the impact of these regulations at local authority level through the Local Authority Housing Statistics. The next return will capture implementation as of 31 March 2026 and will be published later this year.

Communities and Local Government, what monitoring his Department is carrying out to capture data on local authorities not exempting domestic abuse survivors from local connection tests for social housing.

The government has taken action to remove barriers for victims of domestic abuse to access social housing.Regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, mean that victims of domestic abuse moving as a result of that abuse will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.We will monitor the impact of these regulations at local authority level through the Local Authority Housing Statistics. The next return will capture implementation as of 31 March 2026 and will be published later this year.

Communities and Local Government, whether any changes have been made to the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill following representations from external stakeholders.

No changes have been made to the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill since its publication on 27 January 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, to ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the potential impact of the reformed flood funding rules announced in October 2025 on the prioritisation of asset maintenance relative to new construction.

The Environment Agency is delivering the Government’s Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) Investment Programme of flood and coastal defences, investing £2.65 billion over 2024/5 and 2025/6 with a target of 52,000 properties better protected. A new three-year £4.2 billion FCRM Investment Programme starts in April 2026. New projects will align with the strategic objectives set out within the Government’s funding rules announced in October 2025. It is expected to result in more eligible capital asset maintenance projects. These projects will either refurbish or replace existing assets that already provide protection to communities. The prioritisation of projects for investment will follow the approach set out in Defra’s flood funding policy published in 2025.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Environment Agency has made of the annual funding required to maintain all flood defence assets at their target condition grade, and what the actual expenditure has been on a) routine maintenance and b) capital repair of existing flood defence assets in each of the last five financial years.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets play a critical role protecting communities from the impacts of flooding. The EA has an annual programme of around 110,000 asset inspections, which can increase in-year to 165,000. The EA’s asset register is updated daily, meaning the baseline is in flux, preventing a meaningful comparison of figures between years. The EA therefore reports the percentage of assets at or below target condition. During quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year, 92.9% of the EA’s assets were currently at or above target condition.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many Environment Agency flood defence assets were at each condition grade (1 to 5) in each of the last five financial years.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets play a critical role protecting communities from the impacts of flooding. The EA has an annual programme of around 110,000 asset inspections, which can increase in-year to 165,000. The EA’s asset register is updated daily, meaning the baseline is in flux, preventing a meaningful comparison of figures between years. The EA therefore reports the percentage of assets at or below target condition. During quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year, 92.9% of the EA’s assets were currently at or above target condition.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many Environment Agency flood defence assets recorded a change in condition grade between consecutive inspections in each of the last five financial years, broken down by whether condition improved or deteriorated.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) Flood and Coastal Risk Management (FCRM) assets play a critical role protecting communities from the impacts of flooding. The EA has an annual programme of around 110,000 asset inspections, which can increase in-year to 165,000. The EA’s asset register is updated daily, meaning the baseline is in flux, preventing a meaningful comparison of figures between years. The EA therefore reports the percentage of assets at or below target condition. During quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year, 92.9% of the EA’s assets were currently at or above target condition.

Food and Rural Affairs, how many completed flood and coastal erosion risk management capital schemes have undergone formal post-project appraisal in each of the last five financial years; and what proportion of all completed schemes this represents.

Every individual project is managed following the Gateway process set out in the Government Functional Standard for Project Delivery. As a project nears completion, Project Managers are required to test the readiness for service (Gateway 4) and then check that the required benefits have been delivered (Gateway 5). This allows for contracts with suppliers to be formally closed and for lessons to be learned and shared.

If her Department will review the Universal Credit capital rules that reduce or remove entitlement for claimants with savings above £6,000 and £16,000, in cases where a claimant has a lifelong disability or health condition which means they will never be able to work; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those provisions on disabled claimants who need to build savings to meet disability‑related costs such as specialist equipment, mobility aids and home adaptations.

The current system already permits people with capital between £6,000 and £16,000 to receive means-tested support through a tapered reduction in entitlement to Universal Credit. It also includes a specific capital disregard for funds that are required for essential home alterations - for example, if these are needed to meet disability-related needs. There are no plans to introduce additional exemptions. Extra cost benefits such as Personal Independence Payment are available to eligible customers with long-term health conditions and disabilities. These benefits are to contribute towards the additional costs associated with these conditions and can be used according to the claimant’s own priorities. They can be paid in addition to other financial and practical support which someone can receive, including provision from the NHS and Local Authorities towards specialist equipment, mobility aids, and home adaptations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on adopted children, children living under Special Guardianship Orders, and their families of the reductions to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) fair access limits introduced in April 2025; and if she will publish evidence gathered in the last 12 months on (a) the potential effect of the lower £3,000 annual funding cap, (b) the inclusion of specialist assessments within that cap, (c) the removal of match‑funding provisions for higher‑cost therapeutic interventions, and (d) resulting consequences for the wellbeing of the children and their families, access to therapeutic services, and placement stability.

The revised criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) were introduced in April 2025 and were designed to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF funding. An equalities impact assessment was published in July 2025.Analysis shows that in 2024/25, users of the fund had an average spend of £3,170. The department continues to review data on the impact on applications numbers and value of applications to assess the overall impact of the changes made. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies may supplement funding where additional support is assessed to be required. Over 15,000 applications have been approved since April 2025, including over 1,000 specialist assessments, demonstrating continued access to support.As the Minister for Children and Families, I recently announced the continuation of the ASGSF for 2026 to 2028, and a consultation on the longer-term future of adoption support, including a call for evidence on what works for children and families.