Written questions by Reynolds.

What progress he has made on implementing the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership provisions to facilitate UK-Canada trade; and whether his Department has identified any specific sectors where Canadian exporters continue to face non-tariff barriers when trading with the UK.

Businesses will benefit from better trade terms with Canada once they ratify our CPTPP accession, which should happen later this year. Canada began its ratification legislative process last September, and it is making good progress through their Parliament.My Department is helping businesses take advantage of the opportunities offered by CPTPP through engagement, guidance, and practical support, and we will share detailed guidance on Canada at entry into force. The Government will continue to work with our Canadian counterparts to reduce barriers and enable businesses in both countries to reap the benefits offered by CPTPP.

When he will publish the findings of the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025.The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

What the current status is of the report of the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group.

In line with the commitment made between our Prime Ministers in June 2025, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group met over the course of last year in order to identify ways in which the UK and Canada can deepen cooperation, tackle market access barriers and grow our bilateral trading relationship, which was worth £30bn in the 12 months to June 2025 .The Working Group has identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026, including updating the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin, and deepening cooperation on critical minerals, carbon border measures, economic security, and defence procurement and trade.The joint report for Prime Ministers itself is subject to ongoing discussions with the Government of Canada, and will be finalised in due course.

Whether she plans to introduce tax incentives for businesses to upgrade their cyber security infrastructure.

The government is committed to strengthening cyber security across the UK. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides a range of tools, guidance and support to businesses to improve their cyber security. At last year's Spending Review, the government increased the Single Intelligence Account's budget by £1 billion over the Spending Review period, which funds the critical cybersecurity work conducted by NCSC. The existing tax regime already provides relief for IT and digital expenditure. Day-to-day IT costs are deductible at 100% rate as revenue expenditure. Longer-term investments may qualify for capital allowances, including full expensing and the Annual Investment Allowance, which provide 100% relief over the costs in the year of expenditure, or the Intangibles Fixed Assets regime, which also provides 100% relief over time. The Government keeps all taxes under review.

What estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of cyber attacks in 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 102698.

Innovation and Technology, what estimate she has made of the cost of cyber attacks to the economy in 2025.

In November 2025, the government published a set of independent research reports quantifying the impact of cyber attacks on the UK economy. These reports demonstrate the scale of the potential cost of cyber attacks to UK businesses, with KPMG’s report Economic Modelling of Sector Specific Costings of Cyber Attacks estimating the average cost of a significant cyber attack for an individual business in the UK to be almost £195,000. Scaled to an annual UK cost to businesses, this amounts to an estimated £14.7 billion.The Government has developed tools for businesses to protect themselves, including:The highly effective Cyber Essentials Scheme, shown to reduce the likelihood of a cyber insurance claim by 92%,The Cyber Governance Code of Practice, to help boards and directors manage cyber risks, andA wide range of free NCSC tools and support, including training for boards and staff, the Early Warning system and the Cyber Action Toolkit for small businesses.The Government is also taking further action to protect the economy. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will boost our cyber defences and better protect our essential services. This year, we will publish a new National Cyber Action Plan setting out how Government will respond to the cyber threat and work with industry to raise resilience across the economy.

How many instances of ANPR failure linked to tampered or unreadable number plates have been recorded by (a) police forces and (b) National Highways in the past three years.

The Government does not collect data on instances of ANPR failure recorded by police forces. National Highways (NH) holds data from 27 July 2023 onwards with regard to the Dartford Crossing, since the introduction of the new Dart Charge service. As part of NH’s administration of the Dart Charge service ANPR monitors all vehicles which make the crossing on this route. A very small proportion of crossings cannot be charged due to a range of factors, including environmental conditions, dirt on number plates, or deliberate obscuring or tampering.

Innovation and Technology, what consideration her Department has given to the potential merits of competition policy measures to prevent the monopolisation of semiconductor components by large technology companies.

The Government recognises the importance of semiconductor technologies for UK growth and security, as outlined in the Industrial Strategy Digital & Technologies Sector Plan. The Competition and Markets Authority is responsible for investigating anti-competitive practices. Any concerns regarding anti-competitive conduct can be raised directly with the CMA.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to reduce UK reliance on concentrated semiconductor supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region.

The semiconductor industry has complex global supply chains. As part of the Industrial Strategy’s Digital and Technologies Sector Plan, the Government is taking measures to foster growth of the UK semiconductor sector where it is strong, enhance national security and strengthen supply chain resilience. Given the global nature of semiconductor supply chains, the UK is also building resilience through collaborating with a wide range of international partners, both bilaterally and through fora such as the OECD Semiconductor Informal Exchange Network and the G7 Semiconductor Point of Contact Group.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of memory chip shortages on consumer technology prices.

No specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of memory chip shortages on consumer technology prices, but the Government continues to regularly engage with businesses to understand supply chain challenges. The Government is also working closely with international partners to develop shared approaches and solutions that improve global semiconductor supply chain resilience.

Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for publication of the draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 102833 on 12 January 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider including a legally binding target to reduce virgin plastic consumption by 50% by 2030 upcoming Circular Economy Strategy.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. The Government convened a Circular Economy Taskforce of experts to help map that transition; we will soon publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including chemicals and plastics, as well as: agri-food; built environment; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. Defra, in collaboration with experts across Government, industry, academia and relevant non-governmental organisations, will assess what further interventions may be needed across the plastics sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department will reimburse the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead for the £350,000 in costs incurred supporting the delivery of three state visits in 2025 in line with the new burdens doctrine.

The costs of State Visits have historically been shared across a number of departments and agencies. The allocation of costs for visits hosted at Windsor Castle is currently under review, and we will keep the Hon Member informed on the outcome.

Whether the Government will exempt leaseholders in unmortgageable properties from the higher rate of Stamp Duty Land Tax when purchasing alternative accommodation.

The circumstances under which higher Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rates must be paid in respect of additional property purchases, as well as information on the availability of reliefs and refunds, is available on gov.uk: Higher rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax - GOV.UK If the previous main home is sold or given away within three years of the purchase of the additional home, an application can be made for a refund of the higher SDLT rate part of the bill. HMRC are able to consider exceptional circumstances and extend the period a refund is available for, if the three-year period is insufficient to sell or give away the previous main home. The Government is not considering further exemptions at this time.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of current guidance on safer sleep practices in nursery settings; and whether she has plans to introduce statutory requirements on safer sleep in early years settings.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, which is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.In September 2024, the department collaborated with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets.Ofsted inspects early years providers against the requirements of the EYFS, including safeguarding and children’s welfare. Early years inspectors are experienced professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess compliance with statutory requirements.To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.

Whether she has plans to strengthen the Ofsted inspection process for early years settings to improve child safety outcomes.

Through our Best Start in Life strategy, we are investing in raising the quality, frequency and consistency of early years inspections to improve child safety outcomes. We continually monitor and review requirements to make sure children are kept as safe as possible. Ofsted began inspecting under the revised Education Inspection Framework on 10 November and settings now receive an Ofsted report card following an inspection which will provide a much clearer and broader picture of their performance. From April, Ofsted will receive further investment to improve inspection quality and consistency through stronger quality assurance and targeted inspector training. We are also funding Ofsted to inspect all new providers within 18 months of opening and move towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year window. We will also work to introduce reporting on nursery chains to address issues spanning across groups of providers.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to review the legality of developing crematoria on Green Belt land; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current planning framework governing such developments.

The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that includes clearer, ‘rules based’ policies for decision-making and plan-making.Proposed Green Belt policy is set out in Chapter 13 of the consultation which can be found on gov.uk here.A proposal to build a crematorium would be assessed by the relevant local planning authority in the light of all material considerations, including the NPPF, relevant development plan policies and any specific land-use impacts associated with the proposal.The consultation will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential financial impact on local planning authorities of removing the Gardens Trust as a statutory consultee, with reference to the cost of providing equivalent specialist expertise on registered parks and gardens.

On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closed on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. No decision will be made on the Garden Trust’s role until responses to the consultation have been fully analysed and considered.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that Grade II registered parks and gardens receive adequate specialist planning advice if the Gardens Trust is removed as a statutory consultee.

On 17 November 2025, my Department published a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system. That consultation closed on 13 January 2026 and can be found on gov.uk here. No decision will be made on the Garden Trust’s role until responses to the consultation have been fully analysed and considered.

What data his Department holds on average working hours for midwives at NHS trusts serving the Maidenhead constituency; and what consideration he has given to introducing legal limits on midwives' working hours to help improve workforce retention and patient safety.

The Department has access to very limited data on paid working hours under an individual’s substantive contract. This data is not a reliable way to measure average working hours since it leaves out work done through bank or agency roles, any work outside the hospital and community health services sector, and “discretionary” work that is unpaid.Employers have a duty of care to consider staff rights and wellbeing when balancing the demands of around the clock care in the best interest of patients and the rules around working hours, rest breaks, and paid leave as set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998. In general, the safeguards relating to working hours under National Health Service staff terms and conditions of service are stronger than the legal minimums. Working hours and shift expectations are made clear in employees’ contracts of employment. Certain exemptions may apply during emergencies or other unforeseeable events, allowing some rules to be changed or excluded under collective agreements. Employers have local arrangements agreed with trade unions and staff, to address modifications in the event of emergencies.