Written questions by Antoniazzi.

When he most recently met with (a) Airbus and (b) other relevant stakeholders to discuss the future of Spirit AeroSystems; and what was discussed at each meeting.

I discussed the future of Spirit Aerosystems in meetings with Airbus on 25 November 2024 and 23 April 2025, the trade unions on 29 January 2025, and the Minister for the Economy, Caoimhe Archibald MLA, on 3 March 2025. My officials are continuing to collaborate with the Department for Business and Trade to monitor the latest developments and provide updates. The Government has worked with the Northern Ireland Executive to secure the future for Spirit Aerosystems’s operation in Belfast, its workforce, and the wider aerospace sector. The Department for Business and Trade has continued to be in contact with Spirit, Airbus, Boeing, and other potential buyers to ensure the best outcome whereby the new owners commit to invest and grow the businesses, thereby sustaining jobs and safeguarding the aerospace sector in Northern Ireland. On 28 April 2025, Airbus publicly announced that it had signed a definitive agreement with Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems to acquire specific Spirit operations directly related to Airbus programmes in the UK. In Belfast, Airbus will take ownership of the A220 wing manufacturing and assembly facility. The A220 mid-fuselage work package will also transfer to Airbus if a buyer for the remainder of the Belfast site is not found prior to closing of the deal later this year.

What assessment he has made with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the potential impact of extended producer responsibility levies on business (a) competitiveness and (b) operating costs.

The Government has listened to feedback from small businesses and introduced support measures to help compliance with EPR, including: exemptions from fee obligations for producers with annual turnover below £2 million and packaging tonnage below 50 tonnes; exemptions from reporting for businesses with turnover below £1 million and packaging tonnage below 25 tonnes; and flexibility for those with obligations to pay in quarterly instalments.Both Secretaries of State will shortly be meeting representatives from across the impacted sectors, from Small and Medium Enterprises to larger companies alike, to discuss the economic impact of EPR in more detail.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the extended producer responsibility scheme on local economic growth.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) and the packaging reforms more broadly.These reforms, pEPR, Simpler Recycling and the Deposit Return Scheme, will deliver positive environmental and economic benefits, creating 21,000 new jobs in our nations and regions, and stimulating more than £ 10 billion investment in recycling capability over the next decade.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the classification by the Office for Budget Responsibility of the extended producer responsibility scheme as a tax on production.

Whilst pEPR was announced a few years ago, Defra has now built a modelling framework to calculate local authority costs and producer fees that was used for the first time by the OBR to include pEPR in their forecast. Pending a decision by the ONS, the OBR have recorded pEPR disposal fees as a tax in their forecast on the advice of Treasury classification experts, whose indicative views is that the ONS will likely classify the income stream as a tax when they formally classify the scheme. This technical classification does not affect the distribution of revenue to local authorities. Revenue from pEPR will be distributed directly by PackUK, the scheme administrator, to local authorities. It will not be diverted to the Treasury or central government finances.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government.We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, if he will have discussions with his counterparts in Northern Ireland on the potential implications for their policies of the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government. We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, if he will have discussions with the Scottish Government on the potential implications for their policies of the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government.We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.Officials and Ministers engage frequently with Scottish Government counterparts on a range of issues that matter to the people of Scotland.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government. We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The Government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous Government.We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.The Home Office recognises the contribution of this review to the important issues of accurate and consistent recording of data on sex and gender in statistics and research. We are considering the recommendations and the implications for policing and across the Criminal Justice System.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, if she will have discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential implications for their policies of the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a wide range of matters. The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government, which was also sent to the Welsh Government. We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The Government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous Government.We will consider the findings of the review alongside our existing data collections and publications, many of which already contain detailed demographic dimensions.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government. We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government. We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office recognises that high quality disaggregated data is needed to meaningfully understand and evaluate our impact across our broad portfolio of international work. Our Inclusive Data Action Plan details our approach to ensure that data is disaggregated by age, disability, sex and geography.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025.

The government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous government.We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025.

The Government has now published the independent review of the data, statistics, and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous administration.The Sullivan Review sets out a number of recommendations in relation to the collection of data on sex and gender identity, many of which are already being addressed.We have been clear that we must deliver safe and holistic care for both adults and children when it comes to gender, and that means accurately recording biological sex, not just for research and insight, but also for patient safety.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered adopting a phased introduction of EPR fees.

PackUK calculates the pEPR fees based on the full net cost of efficient and effective collection systems. Therefore, fees must be collected from producers in Year 1 of the scheme, it should be noted that the fees can be paid in quarterly to spread the cost. The UK’s pEPR policy has been under development since 2019, with extensive engagement and consultation providing businesses with a clear indication of the scheme’s design and implementation. This policy underwent consultations in 2019, 2021, and a final consultation on reforms to the Packaging Recovery Note (PRN) system in 2022. Additionally, in 2023, the four nations of the UK consulted on the operability of the draft Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, and further amendments were made to address stakeholder concerns prior to final regulations being introduced.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of extended producer responsibility costs that will be passed on to consumers; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of those costs on the affordability of food and drink.

The Department has assessed the impact of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on both producers and consumers, including the potential effect on the affordability of food and drink. This assessment is included in Section 8 of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. We are closely monitoring the potential impact of these costs on consumer prices and remain committed to balancing environmental goals with economic considerations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) review and (b) adjust extended producer responsibility fees to ensure they do not (i) adversely impact particular sectors and (ii) lead to unintended consequences in the supply chain.

Base fees for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) are designed to reflect the net waste management costs incurred by local authorities, with future fee modulation intended to encourage the recyclability of materials. This policy approach, established in March 2022, has been informed by two public consultations under the previous administration. Producer fees for packaging are calculated per tonne of household packaging placed on the market. This ensures a fair distribution of costs in line with the regulations. From Year 2 of the EPR scheme (2026-2027), fees will be modulated to reflect the recyclability of packaging materials, with less recyclable packaging incurring higher fees. The types of packaging subject to higher or lower fees will be determined by assessments based on the Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM).

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will publish a comparative analysis of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes in other advanced economies, including any measures taken to prevent disproportionate cost burdens on the beer and pub sector.

International comparisons of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are challenging due to differences in waste infrastructure across countries. The UK’s pEPR scheme covers more costs than those in other countries. For example, many European countries rely on 'bring sites' for glass recycling, which lowers collection costs. Furthermore, UK glass fees are likely to be higher due to the full inclusion of the costs associated with managing residual waste—waste not disposed of by consumers in recycling bins—something not included in the pEPR schemes of other countries. While the costs for different materials are apportioned accordingly, the UK aims to balance environmental objectives with the interests of all sectors, including the beer and pub industry.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will publish the allocation of monies received through extended producer responsibility fees.

PackUK will publish annual reports and financial statements, which will provide transparency on the allocation of funds received through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. These reports will clarify how the collected fees are distributed and used to support the scheme’s objectives.