Written questions by Slade.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for Education to reduce the usage of single-use plastics in (a) early years and (b) childcare settings.

Plastic is a very useful material that can often be the best environmental choice provided it is used and disposed of correctly. This Government is committed to moving to a circular economy for plastics – a future where we keep our resources in use for longer, waste is reduced, we accelerate the path to net zero, we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs, our economy prospers, and nature thrives. We currently have a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, which apply to all, and we will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, in line with circular economy principles, to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions. Materials which can be and will be reused or recycled are a better option. The Department for Education is committed to reducing plastic waste and single use plastic in educational settings. It provides advice to education settings on legal requirements and alternatives to single use plastic.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the Financial Conduct Authority responds in full to complainants against companies it has given permits to operate.

The FCA does not generally have a role in relation to managing or intervening with individual complaints between the firms it regulates and their customers. Under the independent Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) Dispute Resolution Rules, firms that are regulated by the FCA are required to operate complaints handling procedures to deal with complaints promptly and fairly.Where complaints are not resolved through a firm’s own complaints procedures, the customer can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS is an independent body established by Parliament to provide consumers with a cost-free and quick route to resolve disputes with financial services firms. Firms are required under the FCA’s rules to co-operate with the FOS and comply promptly with any decision that the FOS may make. The FCA is directly involved in some types of complaint, for example where a person has information about potential wrongdoing or misconduct, or an individual wants to raise a whistleblowing concern. People who are worried they have been the victim of relevant scams can also make a report to the FCA. While the FCA cannot resolve individual disputes, it can take information provided into account as part of its ongoing supervision of a firm and wider monitoring of practices in the sector. The FCA is required not to disclose confidential information it receives in the course of carrying on its functions, and will not normally be able to discuss this with the person making the complaint due to statutory restrictions on disclosing certain information.Anyone directly affected by the way in which the FCA has exercised, or failed to exercise, its functions (other than its legislative functions) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 may also complain about the FCA using the Financial Regulators Complaints Scheme. This would include, for example, complaints about the FCA’s actions supervising a relevant firm. The FCA website gives details of how to make a complaint about the regulators at https://www.fca.org.uk/about/complain-about-regulators The FCA is fully accountable to Parliament for how it discharges its statutory functions, and there are a range of mechanisms in place to provide accountability and oversight. Treasury Ministers and officials meet regularly with the FCA to discuss a wide range of issues, including its overall performance in furthering its statutory objectives.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent appointments to the Food Strategy Advisory Board on (a) animal welfare, (b) farming practices and (c) farmers in Dorset.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Newton Abbott, Martin Wrigley on 30 October 2025 PQ UIN 82470.

What steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency.

Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities. They bring people together, create welcoming spaces and support local suppliers.We have reduced alcohol duty on qualified draught products and plan to permanently reduce business rates for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure properties.Additionally, we have just invested £440,000 in rural pubs through Pub is The Hub, helping to unlock stalled projects and deliver essential services to those communities, helping businesses adapt to local needs.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Pride in place strategy, published on 25 September 2025, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help tackle (a) faith-based prejudice and (b) racism.

The Government has launched its Pride in Place Programme, providing up to £5bn funding and support over the next decade for 244 places across the country. This flagship offer will help build strong, resilient communities in areas that experience the most entrenched social and economic challenges. All forms of racial and religious hatred are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities. The Government has established an independent working group to advise on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia. Furthermore, the Government has established an Antisemitism Working Group to provide advice on antisemitism. The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil their statutory obligations to asylum seekers. They are also working to deliver the commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels, by the end of this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's policy paper entitled Pride in place strategy, published on 25 September 2025, what steps he is taking to support (a) immigrants, (b) asylum seekers and (c) asylum accommodation providers.

The Government has launched its Pride in Place Programme, providing up to £5bn funding and support over the next decade for 244 places across the country. This flagship offer will help build strong, resilient communities in areas that experience the most entrenched social and economic challenges. All forms of racial and religious hatred are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities. The Government has established an independent working group to advise on a definition of anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia. Furthermore, the Government has established an Antisemitism Working Group to provide advice on antisemitism. The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil their statutory obligations to asylum seekers. They are also working to deliver the commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels, by the end of this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department have made an assessment of the potential impact for home boiler longevity of amending Part L of the Building Regulations to mandate (a) boiler inhibitor checks and (b) re-dosing as part of a boiler's required service.

Approved Document L provides statutory guidance on how to comply with Part L, including advice on adding an inhibitor when a heating system is installed and on providing maintenance information to homeowners through a home user guide. Checks or re-dosing of inhibitors during routine servicing are outside the scope of the Building Regulations where no building work is being undertaken. The safe installation, maintenance and use of gas systems and appliances are covered by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 2018. The Government intends to amend Part L and its accompanying guidance in the coming months. The new standards, known as the Future Homes Standard, intends to effectively preclude the installation of gas boilers in new homes and ensure the use of low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.

What grant funding is available to help small businesses improve their Energy Performance Certificate ratings to at least C; and whether he plans to introduce new such grants for small businesses.

EPC’s are an important metric to ensure that small businesses are as energy efficient as possible, allowing them to understand where bill savings and carbon emission reductions can be achieved. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to provide grants of up to £7,500 for small non-domestic property owners, with the threshold for single heat pump installations set at 45kWh. This helps install low carbon heating systems and improve EPC ratings.Additionally, the Government’s Business Energy Advice Service pilot scheme has so far supported nearly 3000 SMEs in the West Midlands with expert energy efficiency and decarbonisation advice. 340 grants have been awarded with a value of £8.7m.

With reference to the Answer of 22 September 2025 to Question HL10544 on Digital Technology: Taxation, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on the development of an international approach to taxing digital services.

International discussions have taken place throughout 2025 and continue at OECD level over the Two-Pillar solution. The UK remains committed to finding a multilateral solution to the challenges that digitalisation has created for the fair allocation of taxing rights over multinational profit.

If she will introduce tax reliefs for small businesses undertaking works to improve their properties’ Energy Performance Certificate ratings to a minimum of an EPC rating of C.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, in order to ensure they strike the right balance between keeping taxes simple to administer, well-targeted and effective. When considering any new tax reliefs, HM Treasury must ensure that a relief is the most effective and fair lever by which to provide that support. Any new tax, or tax relief, would require a comprehensive evaluation of a variety of factors including (but not limited to) fairness and simplicity for the taxpayer, as well as the government’s fiscal position.

If her Department will issue guidance on crime reporting for lone workers in the retail sector.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level. We will not stand for this.There are currently no plans to produce specific guidance on crime reporting in the retail sector, however we would encourage all retailers, including lone workers, to report all crime to the police.We are giving police officers the powers they need through this government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which is introducing a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker and ending the effective immunity that currently applies for theft of goods of and under £200. That will apply to all those who work in shops, including those who work alone.We want to remove the perception that those committing shop theft will escape punishment by ensuring there are visible and meaningful consequences for those caught breaking the law.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing method of production labelling on (a) the economy and (b) farm incomes.

We are considering the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare strategy.

What data her Department holds on the number of shooting incidents involving people (a) whose gun licences had been revoked and (b) who illegally retained possession of a firearm in the past five years.

The Home Office collects information on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales. We cannot tell from this information whether an offence involved people whose firearm licences were revoked, whether the firearm has been illegally possessed or whether the offence involved people who had been reported as persons of concern.It is, of course the case that, where a shotgun or firearms licence is revoked, the firearm concerned will either be voluntarily surrendered to the police, or seized by the police, reducing the risk of illegal possession or use. Similarly, the police maintain continuous assessment of all firearms and shotguns holders and will review any licence where concerns about suitability arise. If those concerns suggest that it is unsafe for the person to continue to hold their guns, the police will take action to revoke the licence and remove the guns from the possession of the person concerned.

What data her Department holds on the number of shooting incidents involving people who had previously been reported as persons of concern in the last five years.

The Home Office collects information on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales. We cannot tell from this information whether an offence involved people whose firearm licences were revoked, whether the firearm has been illegally possessed or whether the offence involved people who had been reported as persons of concern.It is, of course the case that, where a shotgun or firearms licence is revoked, the firearm concerned will either be voluntarily surrendered to the police, or seized by the police, reducing the risk of illegal possession or use. Similarly, the police maintain continuous assessment of all firearms and shotguns holders and will review any licence where concerns about suitability arise. If those concerns suggest that it is unsafe for the person to continue to hold their guns, the police will take action to revoke the licence and remove the guns from the possession of the person concerned.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether land that is (a) owned by the National Trust and (b) a Site of Specific Scientific Interest requires Secretary of State approval before implementing proactive fire prevention methods.

Consent from the Secretary of State is not required unless the SSSI concerned is also a common, in which case some actions like fencing may require Secretary of State consent as per the Commons Act 2006. The National Trust is an owner/occupier with the same legal rights and responsibilities as other owner/occupiers.

What steps his Department is taking with Companies House to ensure companies under the control of the same person or persons are connected on the Companies House website.

Companies House currently links the appointments of company officers where sufficient details across different companies' match. The introduction of compulsory Identity verification for company officers in November will help improve the quality of matching and linking.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring Secretary of State sign-off for the cutting of firebreaks in Sites of Specific Scientific Interest during crisis situations on managing ongoing fires.

Consent for operations such as firebreaks on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will need to be obtained from Natural England. However, when responding to an emergency, it is a “reasonable excuse” under the relevant section (section 28P(4)(b)) of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981) for a SSSI owner or occupier to undertake operations without seeking section 28E consent. Natural England must be informed of the details of the emergency itself and the operations undertaken as soon as practical after they have been carried out.

Whether his Department plans to (a) review and (b) update the automatic breast screening programme policy for women aged 70 and above as part of his National Cancer Plan.

The Department is not planning a review and update of the policy on breast screening for women aged over 70 as part of the National Cancer Plan. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) is an independent scientific advisor to Ministers and the National Health Service about all aspects of population and targeted screening.The NHS breast screening programme does not automatically invite women for breast screening if they are 71 or over because there is a lack of evidence around the balance of benefit versus harm of screening women above this age. Women can still have breast screening every three years if they want to, by calling their local breast screening service to ask for an appointment.The UK NSC recognises that screening programmes are not static and that, over time, they may need to change to be more effective.  Work is underway within the breast screening programme to investigate the possibility of routinely screening above the currently recommended age. The AgeX research trial has been looking at the effectiveness of offering some women one extra screen between the ages of 47 and 49, and one between the ages of 71 and 73. It is the biggest trial of its kind ever to be undertaken and will provide robust evidence about the effectiveness of screening in these age groups, including the benefit and harms. The UK NSC will review the publication of the age extension trial when it reports.Furthermore, early diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan, which will build on the three shifts in care set out in the 10-Year Health Plan to diagnose cancers earlier. Through the 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it easier for people to access cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment services in patients’ local areas.

Whether the National Cancer Plan will include strategies to improve the accuracy of diagnoses for those with Myeloma.

Improving diagnosis is a key focus of the National Cancer Plan. It is a priority for the Government to support the National Health Service to diagnose cancer, including blood cancers, as early and accurately as possible, and to treat it faster, to improve outcomes.To tackle late diagnoses of blood cancers, the NHS is implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who present with symptoms such as weight loss and fatigue, which do not clearly align to a tumour type. Blood cancers are one of the most common cancer types diagnosed through these pathways.We will get the NHS diagnosing blood cancers earlier and treating them faster, and we will support the NHS to increase capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services through investment, including for magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanners.The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, including speeding up diagnosis and treatment, ensuring patients have access to the latest treatments and technology, and ultimately drive up this country’s cancer survival rates.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking with local authorities to support people to renew their postal vote applications.

The department does not actively track trends in the level of postal vote renewals, or the number and proportion of postal vote applications that were not renewed, over any period.Information relating to postal vote applications will be held by independent Electoral Registration Officers rather than the UK Government and so it is not possible to provide more information about the number of postal vote applications that were not renewed during any period.The department will continue to work with the Electoral Commission and with local authorities to support independent Electoral Registration Officers with postal vote application activities.