Written questions by Heylings.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to support farmers following the ending of the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

This Government has secured the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, with £5 billion being spent to support farmers over a two-year period. Defra has closed the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for the submission of new applications, but existing agreements will continue. We now have over 37,000 live SFI agreements. Every penny in all existing SFI agreements will be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications that have been submitted will be processed. We will provide further details about the reformed SFI offer once the Spending Review has been completed. SFI is an important offer, but it is part of a wider package. We recognise farmers need clarity and certainty and we remain committed to investing in agri-environment schemes, and to supporting the farming sector. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; and we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcome.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of Planning Inspectorate appeals related to Tree Protection Orders that have been overdue in financial year 2024-25.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 December 2024, 177 decisions were made on Tree Preservation Order works appeals that missed the ministerial target. This does not include cases due between these dates - but were still awaiting a decision.

What information his Department holds on the number of UK-trained doctors that have emigrated because of high competition ratios in the last three years; and if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the number of those doctors that have emigrated because of high competition ratios.

The Department does not hold the specific data requested. Data from the General Medical Council in 2022 showed that approximately 7% of doctors in England did not hold a licence to practice five years after they completed the foundation programme in 2016. More information is available at the following link: https://www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/workforce-report-2022---full-report_pdf-94540077.pdf Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the National Health Service.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing locational pricing in the electricity grid.

As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements or ‘REMA’ we are continuing to assess reforms for sending more efficient locational signals in the electricity market. This includes robustly assessing the costs and benefits of both locational (or zonal) pricing against improvements to locational signals in a reformed national pricing market. This will feed into the cost-benefit assessment of REMA reforms. We have not made any decisions yet and aim to take a decision by around mid-2025.

Whether he plans to incentivise heat pump adoption through (a) tax breaks and (b) low-interest loans.

Private finance can play a key role in helping us achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. As part of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, officials are exploring the role of incentives and private finance to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating. This includes engaging with the finance sector on the potential for low interest loans.

If he will develop a national framework for developing local area energy plans.

The Department has been undertaking work to explore how the future role of local energy planning might support net zero, clean power 2030 and efficient network planning. This includes engaging with Ofgem on Regional Energy Strategic Plans, as well as working closely with Innovate UK and the Local Net Zero Hubs. Additionally, Great British Energy will partner with, and provide funding and support to, local and combined authorities, as well as community energy groups, to roll out a pipeline of local renewable energy projects and develop up to 8GW of cleaner power.

Whether he is taking steps to support UK bicycle manufacturers.

UK bicycle manufacturers will benefit from the Secretary of State's vision to support all businesses as outlined in the Government’s Industrial and Trade Strategies. These strategies aim to boost scale-ups, grow the co-operative economy, create thriving high streets, make it easier to access finance, open up overseas and domestic markets, build capabilities, and provide a strong business environment. Recently, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service (BGS) to streamline the process for businesses across the UK to access the support they need to grow. The Department will continue to engage with the industry on key issues moving forward.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of children travelling to school by (a) walking, (b) wheeling and (c) cycling on learning.

The publication ’Physical activity guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report’, states that the benefits for young people of doing regular physical exercise include improved learning and attainment. The full publication can be read here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d839543ed915d52428dc134/uk-chief-medical-officers-physical-activity-guidelines.pdf.Active Travel England (ATE) is the government’s executive agency responsible for promoting walking, wheeling and cycling as the preferred choice of travel in England. They are responsible for a number of schemes which promote active travel to school. For instance, ATE has published School Streets guidance for local authorities in England. A School Street is a road outside a school with a restriction on motorised traffic at the start and end of the school day. The guidance can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-streets-how-to-set-up-and-manage-a-scheme.Additionally, they provide funding for the Modeshift STARS education scheme, which recognises schools and other educational establishments that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel. More information on the Modeshift STARS education scheme can be found here: https://modeshiftstars.org/education/.ATE also provides funding for Bikeability, the government’s national cycle training programme. More information on Bikeability can be found here: https://www.bikeability.org.uk/.Local authorities have a duty to promote the use of sustainable travel on journeys to and from places of education in their area. They must publish a sustainable modes of travel strategy which aims to provide health benefits for children and their families through active journeys and environmental improvements through reduced congestion and improved air quality. Further information is available in the department's statutory guidance for local authorities, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.

What steps he is taking to engage with landlords to (a) raise awareness of heat pumps and (b) reassure them on (i) installation, (ii) cost and (iii) tenant disruption.

The Government has launched the ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign to promote the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The campaign seeks to build consumer awareness and understanding of heat pumps, as well as publicising the £7,500 government grant which is available to homeowners, including landlords. The Government continues to provide advice and support for home upgrades, including the GOV.UK webpage ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in Your Home’ (https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) and the GOV.UK Heat Pump Suitability tool (https://www.gov.uk/check-heat-pump) which landlords can access. All heat pump installations are expected to comply with Building Regulations. Heat Pumps installed under Government schemes are required to be installed by a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified installer.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding to local authorities to support attracting and retaining senior planners.

Attracting and retaining senior planners in local planning authority (LPA) planning departments is vital not only to maintaining a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities, but also to ensuring that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.At the Budget, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.On 27 February, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).On 25 February, the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were agreed. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future, to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

If he will work with Cabinet colleagues to introduce a national register of landlords to assist local authorities with identifying landlords to help by enforcing energy efficiency standards.

Enforcement is a critical aspect of the policy and is something we are working to address. Government will be increasing our engagement with local authorities to understand the impact and burden of the proposed policy to enable us to take steps to mitigate the impact and support local authorities. The development of the PRS Database in England and Rent Smart Wales will also greatly increase availability and ease of access to information for local authorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to include older women in international development (a) policies and (b) commitments.

The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) focuses on those with intersecting forms of disadvantage, like women and girls with disabilities, and we include age as a dimension in our efforts to ensure inclusion and our approach to leaving no one behind.The FCDO recognises that meaningful engagement on ageing is impossible without good quality data. Our Inclusive Data Action Plan details our approach to ensure that data is disaggregated by age, disability, sex and geography. At a multilateral level, the UK has engaged closely with the work of the UN's Open Ended Working Group on Ageing and has supported UN resolutions on the human rights of older people.

What steps he plans to take to support businesses exporting goods.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is committed to supporting small businesses grow and export. UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises an online support offer and a wider network of support including the Export Academy, UK Export Finance, the International Markets network and one-to-one support from International Trade Advisers. DBT is also piloting an enhanced partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, taking a targeted place-based approach to accelerate small business growth through exporting across the region. This will be rolled out to other regions across England over the next 12 months. We will bring forward further measures in due course.

Whether his Department has modelled the effectiveness of the Warm Homes Plan on reducing energy bills.

The Warm Homes Plan will help cut household bills for families and slash fuel poverty. The Government has committed £3.4 billion towards the Warm Homes Plan over the next three years. Further details on the Warm Homes Plan will be set out in due course. Future funding towards decarbonisation and to tackle fuel poverty will be considered as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude in late Spring 2025. By investing in the electrification of heat in buildings, the Warm Homes Plan will help to protect families and businesses from the volatile costs of the international fossil fuel market and make us more secure from the actions of foreign powers.

What steps he is taking to support landlords to improve energy efficiency in the private rented sector.

The Government is now consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation sets out proposals on the maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market. We are considering how we can best support landlords to meet the new standards and welcome responses from landlords to the consultation.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing British exports of (a) e-bikes and (b) pedal cycles.

Growing the economy is a key mission for the Government, and we recognise the importance of boosting UK exports in achieving this. We are working hard to ensure that UK businesses, including those that sell e-bikes and pedal cycles, have the support they need to sell to the world and grow.As part of our work on a new trade strategy and a small business strategy, we are looking at further proposals to help UK businesses, including those that sell e-bikes and pedal cycles, export more.

With reference to the oil spill map published by the Ocean Alliance Against Offshore Drilling on 19 February 2025, what steps he is taking to help tackle the systematic and ongoing oil and chemical pollution that occurs in UK marine protected areas.

The data presented in the oil spill map overstates the number of permit breaches associated with oil or chemicals discharged to sea as a number of these report duplicate discharges while some relate to administrative failures to comply with permit conditions, such as sampling and late reporting. The UK has a comprehensive environmental regulatory regime for the offshore oil and gas sector which ensures that provisions are in place to minimise the chances of and, if required, respond to oil and chemical spills. Oil and chemical spills from offshore oil operations are of significant concern to OPRED which is why there is no minimum quantity for reporting. The number of oil and chemical spills reported to OPRED has almost halved since 2018 and the amount of oil and chemical spilled in 2023 is at a historic low. Every spill is investigated by OPRED proportionately and OPRED can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution. OPRED continues to work with industry to improve their performance and further reduce the occurrence of oil and chemical spills.

With reference to the oil spill map published by the Ocean Alliance Against Offshore Drilling on 19 February 2025, what steps he is taking to help tackle the cumulative impacts of chronic pollution from oil and gas activities in UK seas.

The data presented in the oil spill map overstates the number of permit breaches associated with oil or chemicals discharged to sea as a number of these report duplicate discharges while some relate to administrative failures to comply with permit conditions, such as sampling and late reporting. The UK has a comprehensive environmental regulatory regime for the offshore oil and gas sector which ensures that provisions are in place to minimise the chances of and, if required, respond to oil and chemical spills. Oil and chemical spills from offshore oil operations are of significant concern to OPRED which is why there is no minimum quantity for reporting. The number of oil and chemical spills reported to OPRED has almost halved since 2018 and the amount of oil and chemical spilled in 2023 is at a historic low. Every spill is investigated by OPRED proportionately and OPRED can take enforcement action against operators if needed, including the use of fines or referral for criminal prosecution. OPRED continues to work with industry to improve their performance and further reduce the occurrence of oil and chemical spills.

Whether she plans to provide additional funding to expand enhanced resource bases.

In December, the department announced £740 million of capital for high needs funding in 2025/26. This can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, including resourced provision. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.We will publish local authorities’ allocation of the £740 million funding later in the spring.

How much funding she plans to provide to schools in South Cambridgeshire in the 2025-26 financial year.

Core funding allocations for schools is distributed through the dedicated schools grant (DSG). Annual DSG allocations are published at local authority level. Allocations are not available by constituency, since local authorities are responsible for distributing the funding they receive locally through their own local formulae.Funding for schools in South Cambridgeshire constituency is determined by reference to Cambridgeshire’s local formula.Through the DSG, Cambridgeshire is receiving £518.9 million for mainstream schools in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents £5,405 per primary pupil and £6,924 per secondary pupil, and is an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding.The DSG allocations for each local authority can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2025-to-2026.The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics. The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of their pupils. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, like London, attract higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face.Due to the timing of the general election and the need for certainty for schools, the schools NFF for the 2025/26 financial year has the same structure as the previous year. This continuity minimises disruption to local authorities and schools. Longer term, the department will consider changes to the formula, recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.The department is also providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Cambridgeshire County Council is being allocated over £114 million through the high needs funding block of the DSG, which is an increase of £7.5 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs NFF. This NFF allocation is a 7% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG), and funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions, in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases. Individual local authorities’ allocations of this funding for 2025/26 will be published in due course.