Written question asked by Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 September 2026. It was answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Clay: Mining

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for her Department's policies of levels of ambient concentrations of respirable crystalline silica near ball clay workings in England.

Answer: The Government's response is being taken forward through the respective departments' responsibilities. Additionally, the Government has established the Taskforce on the National Security and Resilience Risks of a Changing Climate and Nature Loss, bringing together leading security, military and academic experts to help Government identify priority risks, strengthen cross-government coordination and turn evidence into practical action. The Taskforce will provide independent challenge and recommendations to ensure climate and nature risks are considered more systematically across national security and resilience planning.

Secondary information