Written questions by Whately.

What estimate she has made of the number of people that will receive additional (a) employment, (b) health and (c) skills support through funding announced in the Spring Statement 2025.

We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work, backed up by £1 billion of new funding. This investment will build on existing support from WorkWell, Connect to Work and the Get Britain Working trailblazers. As the Green Paper notes, we are keen to engage widely on the design of this guarantee and the components needed to deliver it. To get this right, we will be seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including devolved governments, local health systems, local government and Mayoral Strategic Authorities, private and voluntary sector organisations in the private, voluntary and charitable sectors, employers and potential users. We will confirm further details about the support offer and how many people will receive support in due course after we have completed our consultation process. We will be developing more detailed assessments of the potential impacts of the employment measures proposed in the Green Paper as these are developed in detail. The Office for Budget Responsibility has also stated that it intends to assess the labour supply impacts of the Green Paper measures in their Autumn forecast.

What estimate she has made of the number of people that will not fall into long term economic inactivity due to funding announced in the Spring Statement 2025.

We will be developing more detailed assessments of the potential impacts of the employment measures proposed in the Green Paper as these are developed in detail. The Office for Budget Responsibility has also stated that it intends to assess the labour supply impacts of the Green Paper measures in their Autumn forecast.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that importers of fresh fruit from outside the UK receive timely advance notification of border inspections.

Businesses must notify the competent authorities in advance of a consignment arriving in GB when it contains High risk or Medium A risk plants and plant products as they are subject to phytosanitary controls. Upon completion of the notification an initial risk assessment is provided detailing whether an inspection is required. Drivers and notifiers are informed in one of two ways. If the transporter uses the Goods Movement Vehicle Service (GVMS), drivers should use the ‘check if you need to report for an inspection’ option, to find out what they need to do. Drivers should check this service again before they reach the point of entry.If the transporter does not use GMVS, Imports of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) will provide an initial risk assessment telling the importer/agent if their consignment needs SPS checks when they submit their import notification. If the consignment does need checks, the importer/agent will also receive a text and email message 2 hours before the transporter’s estimated time of arrival in GB. The message will confirm what the transporter needs to do. They can also check their IPAFFS dashboard.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the overnight holding of perishable fruit consignments at borders on affected businesses; and what steps his Department plans to take to help minimise delays for just-in-time supply chains in the fresh produce sector.

For Plants and Plant Products, APHA will aim to inspect consignments within four hours of them being presented for a physical inspection. However, a small minority of fruit and vegetables are subject to 100% inspection due to the level of pest and disease risk and may be held in the event that the goods are not available for inspection. The time taken to conduct checks is subject to a ‘Service Level Agreement’ (SLA), details of which are available on Gov.uk. Our teams have been working closely with traders to ensure checks are completed effectively and swiftly to avoid delays. We are confident BCP capacity, including staff resource, and opening times are sufficient for the current volume of checks. We continue to work with traders to ensure their documentation is accurately filled out before starting their journey and have published guidance to traders and drivers on the requirements of BCP inspections to help reduce waiting times.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) consult and (b) inform businesses importing fruit from non-EU countries of changes to (i) inspection regimes and (ii) risk categorisation; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on ensuring that policy changes do not result in (A) unanticipated costs and (B) supply disruptions for importers.

Changes to plant health import controls are communicated in-line with relevant international obligations, including those under the WTO-SPS agreement and International Plant Protection Convention. This includes submitting a notification to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the UK Chief Plant Health Officer writing to their counterparts in other countries. Details are also published on the UK Plant Health Portal. Consultation with stakeholders on proposed, and up-coming changes to import controls is primarily through the UK plant health advisory forum. In line with the WTO-SPS agreement DEFRA ensures that any changes to import controls have a proportionate lead in time to allow trade and trading partners sufficient time to prepare.

How many times her Department has used the Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002 to recover assets following criminal prosecutions in each of the last five years.

The Department for Work and Pensions uses the Proceeds of Crime Act to apply to the courts to recover assets following criminal prosecutions. In Great Britian in total there have been 174 cases in the last 5 years which resulted in a confiscation order from the courts following conviction. Below is the breakdown of the number of cases by year: 2020/21 - 642021/22 - 392022/23 - 202023/24 - 222024/25 - 29 Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to implement the secondary legislation enabling the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to fully come into force.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244),

Communities and Local Government, for what reasons she has yet to implement the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on (a) providing freeholders with equivalent rights to leaseholders on estate charges transparency and (b) allowing leaseholders to takeover the management of their property.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244),

Communities and Local Government, for what reasons she has yet to implement the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 on (a) providing a comprehensive rights of redress to homeowners on (i) private and (ii) mixed tenure estates and (b) the ability to appeal the reasonableness of those charges.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November (HCWS244),

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has recent discussions with the Environment Agency on their inspection plans for the battery storage units at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not directly regulate the batteries associated with solar power schemes; this is the remit of the Local Authority. The EA, under the planning processes, advises on various aspects associated with the building and operation of battery storage facilities to ensure that risks to the environment are appropriately managed. This includes site wide flood risk assessments and pollution prevention plans. The EA are satisfied that drainage of the site, including the management of fire water, will prevent harm to the environment and that any recommendations have informed the Battery Safety Management Plan, approved by the Planning Inspector. If a permit is required from the EA to undertake any part of the operation, the operator is expected to submit a permit application. Details of the proposal will be inspected and a permit granted, where it can be shown by the applicant that the proposal will not cause a risk to the environment. The EA inspects permitted sites to ensure compliance with permits. If a pollution incident occurs, the EA will work with all other emergency services to ensure the environment is fully considered as part of the response.

If she will take steps to ensure that the Health and Safety Executive responds to requests from the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid Kent on battery safety at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received your correspondence dated 19 March 2024 and 28 March 2025 regarding Cleve Hill Solar Park. HSE sent a reply to both pieces of correspondence on 27 March 2024 and 10 April 2025 respectively. I have asked HSE to re-send these replies in case you have not received them. As HSE has stated in their responses, based on their current understanding of the activities proposed at the Cleve Hill Solar Farm it would be unlikely that they would undertake an inspection prior to the facility becoming operational. Responsibility for the safety of the operations remains with the operator of the facility who should ensure compliance with the relevant regulations. HSE has recently developed web guidance for Grid Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems to assist duty holders with compliance - Grid-scale battery energy storage systems - HSE

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will instruct the Environment Agency to provide information on their planned inspections of battery storage units at Cleve Hill Solar Park before they are switched on.

The Environment Agency (EA) does not directly regulate the batteries associated with solar power schemes; this is the remit of the Local Authority. The EA, under the planning processes, advises on various aspects associated with the building and operation of battery storage facilities to ensure that risks to the environment are appropriately managed. This includes site wide flood risk assessments and pollution prevention plans. The EA are satisfied that drainage of the site, including the management of fire water, will prevent harm to the environment and that any recommendations have informed the Battery Safety Management Plan, approved by the Planning Inspector. If a permit is required from the EA to undertake any part of the operation, the operator is expected to submit a permit application. Details of the proposal will be inspected and a permit granted, where it can be shown by the applicant that the proposal will not cause a risk to the environment. The EA inspects permitted sites to ensure compliance with permits. If a pollution incident occurs, the EA will work with all other emergency services to ensure the environment is fully considered as part of the response.

If she will instruct the Health and Safety Executive to provide information on their planned inspections of battery storage units at Cleve Hill Solar Park before they are switched on.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received your correspondence dated 19 March 2024 and 28 March 2025 regarding Cleve Hill Solar Park. HSE sent a reply to both pieces of correspondence on 27 March 2024 and 10 April 2025 respectively. I have asked HSE to re-send these replies in case you have not received them. As HSE has stated in their responses, based on their current understanding of the activities proposed at the Cleve Hill Solar Farm it would be unlikely that they would undertake an inspection prior to the facility becoming operational. Responsibility for the safety of the operations remains with the operator of the facility who should ensure compliance with the relevant regulations. HSE has recently developed web guidance for Grid Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems to assist duty holders with compliance - Grid-scale battery energy storage systems - HSE

Whether she has held recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive on their inspection plans for the battery storage units at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) received your correspondence dated 19 March 2024 and 28 March 2025 regarding Cleve Hill Solar Park. HSE sent a reply to both pieces of correspondence on 27 March 2024 and 10 April 2025 respectively. I have asked HSE to re-send these replies in case you have not received them. As HSE has stated in their responses, based on their current understanding of the activities proposed at the Cleve Hill Solar Farm it would be unlikely that they would undertake an inspection prior to the facility becoming operational. Responsibility for the safety of the operations remains with the operator of the facility who should ensure compliance with the relevant regulations. HSE has recently developed web guidance for Grid Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems to assist duty holders with compliance - Grid-scale battery energy storage systems - HSE

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the responsiveness of the Environment Agency to enquiries from hon. Members.

The Environment Agency works closely with the department at every level to ensure that the Environment Agency maintains high standards of delivery for stakeholders and the public, including when handling correspondence.

What the responsibilities of the (a) Health and Safety Executive, (b) Environment Agency, (c) Kent Fire and Rescue Service and (d) Swale Borough Council are in certifying the safety of Cleve Hill Solar Park’s batteries.

Requirement 3 of the Cleve Hil Solar Park Order 2020 made Swale Borough Council responsible for approving the Battery Safety Management Plan after consulting with the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. There is no requirement for Swale Borough Council to consult with the Environment Agency. Following an appeal by the developer, The Battery Safety Management Plan was approved by the Planning Inspectorate on behalf of the Secretary of State on 5 July 2024 after Swale Borough Council refused an application for its approval.

Whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) exclusion zones, (b) fire suppression systems, and (c) environmental risk mitigation measures outlined in the revised Battery Safety Management Plan for Cleve Hill Solar Park.

The issues raised are matters for Swale Borough Council acting in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Fire and Rescue Service as set out in Requirement 3 of the Cleve Hill Solar Park Order 2020. Following an appeal by the developer, on 5 July 2024 the Planning Inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, approved the Battery Safety Management Plan after Swale Borough Council had refused an application for its approval.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures implemented by (a) the Health and Safety Executive, (b) Kent Fire and Rescue Service, (c) Swale Borough Council, and (d) the Environment Agency to mitigate (i) fire, (ii) toxic emissions and (iii) explosion risks associated with the lithium ferrophosphate batteries at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

Battery safety was considered during the Examination of the development consent application and in the Secretary of State’s decision letter (in particular paragraphs 4.139 and 4.148 to 4.176). Requirement 3 of the Cleve Hill Solar Park Order 2020 made Swale Borough Council responsible for approving a Battery Safety Management Plan, after consulting with the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Following an appeal by the developer, on 5 July 2024 the Battery Safety Management Plan was approved on behalf of the Secretary of State by the Planning Inspectorate.

What accountability mechanisms are in place for (a) the Health and Safety Executive, (b) Kent Fire and Rescue Service, (c) Swale Borough Council and (d) the Environment Agency to ensure the adequacy of safety inspections of the batteries at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

Requirement 3 of the Cleve Hill Solar Park Order 2020 made Swale Borough Council responsible for the regulation of the Battery Safety Management Plan. The plan was informed following consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Swale Borough Council will be responsible for providing regulation and oversight of the construction and operation of the development.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) revised Battery Safety Management Plan’s adoption of the National Fire Protection Agency 855 (2023) exclusion zone standards and (b) BS EN IEC 62933-5-2 testing protocols in ensuring the safety of lithium-ion battery storage at Cleve Hill Solar Park.

Under Requirement 3 of the Cleve Hill Solar Park Order 2020 the matters raised are matters for Swale Borough Council after consulting with the Health and Safety Executive and Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Following an appeal by the developer, on 5 July 2024 the Planning Inspectorate, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, approved the Battery Safety Management Plan after Swale Borough Council had refused an application for its approval.