Written questions by Opher.

What steps he is taking to support social prescribing.

As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, the Government has underlined its commitment to taking a preventive approach to addressing health inequalities.We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health, to support them to live longer and healthier lives, and we recognise the role that social prescribing can play in this.The Department funds the workforce through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which includes social prescribing link workers in primary care.In March 2025, the Department agreed a further year of grant funding for the National Academy for Social Prescribing, securing £1.5 million to advance and expand social prescribing.The Department has commissioned national research into different workstreams for social prescribing. This includes an evaluation of the model of delivery of the workforce through primary care and the impact of activities such as nature-based interventions for people with mental ill-health.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) tax incentives to help reduce packaging waste.

There are a several tax incentives already in place to reduce plastic waste. These include the Plastic Packaging Tax, which encourages use of more recycled plastic in packaging and Landfill Tax, which encourages waste to be diverted from landfill to more sustainable options, such as recycling.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce sewage discharges into the river Severn.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage into our rivers, lakes and seas. That is why we are placing water companies under special measures through the Water (Special Measures) Act. The Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry as a first important step in enabling wider, transformative change across the water sector. The Environment Agency (EA) has strengthened its regulation of the water industry by expanding its specialised workforce, increasing compliance checks, and using new data and intelligence tools. The strengthening of the regulatory system has seen a significant increase in the inspections at Severn Trent sewage assets, from 707 in 2024/25 to 1,742 in 2025/26. All storm overflows are now monitored to ensure that sites are compliant with their permits. For high spilling sites, Severn Trent Water must produce a spill reduction plan as required by the Environment Act 2021. Where the EA identifies non-compliance, it will not hesitate in taking enforcement action. For Price Review 24, which runs from 2025-2030, Severn Trent Water will be investing £1.7 billion to reduce the use of storm overflows. This investment will reduce storm overflow spills by 26% over the five-year period, a reduction down to an average of 14 spills per overflow.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with local authorities on steps to help tackle fly-tipping.

I have not had any recent discussions with local authorities on steps to help tackle fly-tipping but my officials work with local authorities through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group to promote and disseminate good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping. Various practical tools for local authorities are available from their webpage which is available at: https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group#. Local authorities have enforcement powers to help them tackle fly-tipping, including fixed penalty notices of up to £1000, vehicle seizure and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or even imprisonment. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of these. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour and will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Public Order Act 2023 on the right to peaceful protest and assembly.

The right to peacefully protest is a fundamental part of our democratic society.We have committed to carry out post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 beginning in May 2025. This process will review how the legislation has operated since it came into force.

What steps he is taking to stop the overprescription of antidepressants.

Antidepressants can be an effective treatment option for depression when prescribed safely and in alignment with patient preferences. They are also used in anxiety and chronic pain.It is for the responsible clinician to work with their patient to decide on the best course of treatment, with the provision of the most clinically appropriate care for the patient always being the primary consideration. It is important for patients to be able to make informed choices about whether to take antidepressants, and NHS England has recently published a Patient Decision Aid on this topic, produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).It is also important for clinicians to recognise that, while antidepressants may be helpful for some patients, non-drug options are likely to be a better option for most people who present with less severe mental health conditions. These include NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression, and social prescribing.To ensure antidepressant drugs are made available to patients only where the benefits outweigh the potential harms, NHS England is encouraging the integrated care boards to address inappropriate antidepressant prescribing and to consider commissioning services for patients wishing to reduce or stop using antidepressants.

What steps his Department is taking to help encourage (a) large companies and (b) investment funds to adopt sustainable net zero practices.

Under current rules, certain large companies and investment funds are required to disclose information about the ways they are responding to the risks posed by climate change and seizing the economic opportunities that it presents. Going forward, the Government is considering whether to require companies to report comparable information in line with international corporate sustainability reporting standards. In addition, the Government's manifesto committed to mandate listed companies and financial institutions to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. The Government will consult on how to take this forward later this year.

What steps he is taking to decarbonise the power system.

The Government published the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan ‘a new era of clean electricity’ on 13 December 2024 detailing our plan to achieve deliver clean power by 2030. More recently, we have introduced the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring that billpayers and communities hosting energy infrastructure see meaningful benefits through lower energy bills and local project investment.

What steps he is taking to help low income households access renewable energy solutions.

We are decarbonising the energy system with utility-scale solar, rooftop solar, and offshore wind allowing households to benefit from reduced electricity bills and cleaner energy.For homes, we have kickstarted delivery of the Government’s ambitious Warm Homes Plan, which will transform homes across the country by making them cleaner and cheaper to run. This includes grant support through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), and targeted support for low income and fuel poor households, namely GBIS, ECO. The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, and Warm Homes: Local Grant will also begin delivery this year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of microplastics on food production.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to monitor and assess emerging data regarding microplastics in food. The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment (COT), an independent scientific committee that provides advice to the FSA and other Government departments, is currently considering the issue of microplastics. The COT has previously concluded that the available data was insufficient for a complete assessment. The FSA has advised that, based on current information, they consider it is unlikely that the presence of these particles in food or drink would cause harm to consumers. However, this will be kept under review as new evidence becomes available.

Whether he plans to review firework legislation.

The Government's intention is to minimise the negative impact of fireworks and to support their considerate use, reducing the risks and disturbances to individuals, animals, and property. To inform any future decisions I have and will continue to engage with businesses, consumer groups and charities to gather evidence on the issues with and impacts of fireworks. The regulation of fireworks is complex, and we want to build a robust understanding of how the public use fireworks and how fireworks impact them, to determine whether the current system, as people experience it, is working effectively.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to implement the chalk stream recovery pack.

Cleaning up our waters, including iconic sites such as chalk streams is a top government priority. That is why on 23 October 2024, the Secretary of State announced the launch of an independent commission to fundamentally transform how our water system works. Fixing the systemic issues in the water system is essential to address the multiple pressures facing chalk streams, namely over abstraction, phosphorous pollution, and physical modifications of habitats. Alongside this, we are continuing to direct investment to projects that will improve chalk streams. In 2024/2025, there are over 45 chalk stream projects receiving funding from the Government's Water Environment Improvement Fund, each leveraging private investment.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to integrate his planned updates to the (a) Environmental Improvement Plan and (b) Carbon Budget Delivery Plan.

Nature and climate action must be taken together and will underpin the delivery of this Government’s missions, from clean energy to economic growth. Our revised Environmental Improvement Plan will set out the vital role of nature in mitigating and adapting to climate change, such as through tree planting and management and peatland restoration, recognising that tackling climate change in turn supports nature’s recovery. The Government will publish an updated plan that sets out the policy package out to the end of Carbon Budget 6 in 2037 for all the sectors in due course. This will outline the policies and proposals needed to deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 on the pathway to net zero.

Whether he plans to complete the review of postgraduate medical training.

The postgraduate medical training review announced by the Chief Medical Officer for England and National Medical Director of NHS England is underway and on track. NHS England launched an extensive engagement and listening exercise to consider the future of postgraduate medical training in February 2025. This engagement exercise will run through to June 2025, with findings evaluated and reported in summer 2025.

What steps he is taking to help reduce the use of temporary care environments in patient care.

The Government recognises that long waits in accident and emergency departments are unacceptable and lead to worse patient outcomes. Patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and we are determined to tackle the issue of corridor care. NHS England published guidance in September 2024 regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/principles-for-providing-safe-and-good-quality-care-in-temporary-escalation-spaces/In January 2025, the NHS England mandate and operational planning guidance for 2025/26 were published. These set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services. This includes increasing the proportion of patients admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.We will shortly set out the further improvements and actions to be taken to support urgent and emergency care services this year.

Whether he plans to publish guidance on the use of temporary care environments before the publication of the urgent and emergency care plan.

The Government recognises that long waits in accident and emergency departments are unacceptable and lead to worse patient outcomes. Patients should expect and receive the highest standard of service, and we are determined to tackle the issue of corridor care. NHS England published guidance in September 2024 regarding the use of temporary escalation spaces, which is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/principles-for-providing-safe-and-good-quality-care-in-temporary-escalation-spaces/In January 2025, the NHS England mandate and operational planning guidance for 2025/26 were published. These set out the priorities and actions to be taken to reform and improve urgent and emergency care services. This includes increasing the proportion of patients admitted, discharged, and transferred from an emergency department within 12 hours across 2025/26 compared to 2024/25.We will shortly set out the further improvements and actions to be taken to support urgent and emergency care services this year.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of publishing year-round data on the number of patients being treated in temporary care environments.

We continue to keep the data available and published to support improvements to urgent and emergency care services under review.NHS England has been working with trusts since last year to put in place new reporting arrangements related to the use of temporary escalation spaces, to drive improvement. Subject to a review of data quality this information will be published later in 2025 and we will consider how this data could be published on a more regular basis.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36815 on Community Development and Housing: Gloucestershire, if he will list the amount of funding allocated for each project.

A total of £22.8 million was allocated through the Levelling Up Home Building Fund/The Home Builders Fund. As this involves development finance provided to private companies, details cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity. A total of £32.7 million was allocated through the Land Assembly Fund across three projects. Individual purchase prices cannot be disclosed due to commercial sensitivity. A total of £10.3 million was awarded through the Affordable Homes Programme. Funding is provided to schemes either through Strategic Partnerships with Registered Providers or via Continuous Market Engagement. Site specific information is not shared due to commercial sensitivity but updates to the overall spend of the programme by region are published on gov.uk here. £249 million was awarded to the M5 J10 improvements through the Housing Infrastructure Fund. Anything outside of this or linked to specific funding will unfortunately not be provided due to commercial sensitivities.

Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with stakeholders from the comedy industry on Government support for that industry.

Following on from my meeting with my Hon Friend and Louisa Jackson on 13 March 2025 to discuss support for the comedy industry, I am pleased to see one of my officials attended the Comedy-on-Prescription roundtable organised by Ms Jackson at Westminster Hall.I will continue to work with my Hon Friend on the role of the comedy sector and hope to organise a round table discussion on the sector shortly and hope to organise a round table discussion on the sector shortly.

Communities and Local Government, which housing and community development projects have received Government funding in Gloucestershire in financial year 2024-25.

These projects received funding from HMG through 2024/25 to develop housing and communities in Gloucestershire: Three sites across Forest of Dean, Cotswolds and Stroud have received funding through the Levelling Up Home Building Fund.Three projects across Cotswold and Tewkesbury supported through the Land Assembly Fund to accelerate the development of strategic sites.Fourteen sites across Gloucester City, Stroud and Tewksbury received support through the Affordable Homes Programme.The Tewkesbury Garden Town project has been awarded support through a Homes England Grant for infrastructure design.A Stroud housing project has received support through Homes England as part of the THBF scheme.Cheltenham Borough Council have been awarded £20,000,000 as part of the Levelling Up Round 3 for the Golden Valley DevelopmentGloucester City Council have been awarded £11,000,000 as part of the Levelling Up Round 3 for the Greyfriars RegenerationThe Chalford Hill Old Neighbourhood Pub in Stroud was awarded £299,400 as part of the Community Ownership Fund Round 4.Forest of Dean District Council and Gloucester City Council have continued to receive HMG funding as part of their ongoing Levelling Up Round 1 projects.