I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question 24227 on the 8 September 2026.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-08-28/24772

Following the devastating wildfires this summer, the Prime Minister has committed to holding a Wildfire Summit later this year. The summit will bring together a range of partners to turn the lessons of the exceptional wildfire and extreme heat events of 2026 into practical action.

We recognise that clear public information helps stop wildfires starting and helps people protect themselves and their property. We are making wildfire advice more visible, including through social media during high-risk periods, the Cabinet Office Prepare website, the Fire Kills campaign and StayWise, the NFCC-led education platform. We will consider what more we can do as part of the wildfire summit.

Ministers from all four nations have agreed to extend the UK Rare Diseases Framework by one year, recognising the continued relevance of its four priorities.

The framework is overseen through UK-wide governance arrangements, including the UK Rare Diseases Framework Board, co-chaired by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the other devolved administrations on a rotational basis. The board last met on 20 February 2026 and provides high-level coordination of rare disease policy across the four nations.

Each United Kingdom nation also has its own delivery or implementation group to agree and monitor nation-specific action plans. We continue to engage with National Health Service leaders, delivery partners, devolved administrations, and the rare disease community, including through Genetic Alliance UK-led engagement, to inform future policy options and improve outcomes over the longer term.

The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working in close partnership with local leaders, businesses, and communities to strengthen place-based growth.

We are also committed to fundamentally rewiring the way our country works, transferring greater powers, funding and accountability to the local leaders who know what it takes to drive growth and productivity in their areas.

The government has invested £10m into Team Derby – a city wide partnership between business and regional government designed to turn major national investments into local jobs, skills and regeneration opportunities. The wider East Midlands is receiving £2bn via the Transport for City Regions fund which will enable design of a new mass transit system to connect Derby and Nottingham and drive growth and productivity by better integrating transport networks.

The Chancellor has announced that the Green Book discount rate will be reduced from 3.5% to 3.0%, in line with recommendations from independent academics. This will place greater value on the long-term benefits of investment and strengthen the case for transformational projects that drive growth – wherever they take place.

At Budget, the government will publish a fiscal devolution roadmap which will set out a path to replacing grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities. The long-term certainty of funding via taxation will provide more flexibility and enable greater investment to fund interventions that will deliver a return.

The National Disease Registration Service has the responsibility to collect information pertaining to congenital conditions and continuously works with providers to improve data quality and completeness, including for the data item on consanguinity.

This includes ongoing data quality and data liaison activities and adopting a multisource approach to data collection.

The Government is investing approximately £97m under the New Dimensions 2 programme to uplift and replace national resilience assets. This is the largest scale upgrade of these assets in almost twenty years.

This investment includes a pilot national wildfire response capability with specialist firefighters, equipment and training positioned across England to support fire and rescue services during major incidents.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) funds the national resilience lead authority in Merseyside to deliver a range of services, including capability assurance, to ensure National Resilience Capabilities operate effectively across the country.

On 7 September 2026 the Secretary of State announced to Parliament that a review of the local government reorganisation programme would be undertaken and that reorganisation activity in affected areas should be paused while the Government considers next steps. The Government wants to ensure that the programme is aligned with its wider ambitions for effective and sustainable local government and the devolution of power to local areas, including in rural areas.

In light of that position and the review, the Government is not currently progressing work on interim warding arrangements and will set out any future requirements relating to local government reorganisation following consideration of these matters. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is an independent body responsible for electoral arrangements for local authorities. It is a longstanding principle that the Government does not comment on or publish legal advice.

Every Emergency Alert is carefully coordinated with responding public bodies and agencies. This tool is only used in emergency scenarios and where the need is greatest. The Cabinet Office remains committed to reviewing every alert request on a case-by-case basis.

Land managers have an important role in assessing and managing wildfire risk. Defra is supporting land managers to manage risk and put in place proportionate wildfire management plans, reflecting local risks and circumstances. These plans may include considerations of risk, control measures and monitoring mechanisms.

Defra officials are working with ALBs to ensure an aligned and coherent approach to wildfire policy. Defra’s agencies have a central role in resilience and preparedness, and officials in Defra’s agencies are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Defra to ensure an aligned and coherent approach to wildfire policy. The Forestry Commission supports wildfire resilience through forest and land management, risk assessment and operational preparedness, and Natural England provides evidence-based advice on environmental impacts, habitat management and nature recovery, including burning licence applications.

The Horticulture Sector Plan is an independent sector led plan aiming to identify how the sector can increase productivity, profitability and strengthen the contribution of domestic production to our national food security.  The plan which remains in development draws on sector expertise to set out its priorities, a clear vision for growth and a practical pathway to delivery. Discussions on the plan between industry and government cover the wide range of matters impacting the sector, including access to water.

We keep all existing programmes under review. Early implementer mental health emergency departments have provided learning which is informing the next phase of rollout. In addition, the pilot programme for community mental health centres is being evaluated, with a final report expected in October 2026. Further details on the rollout of community mental health centres and mental health emergency departments will be published in due course.

We keep all existing programmes under review. Early implementer mental health emergency departments have provided learning which is informing the next phase of rollout. In addition, the pilot programme for community mental health centres is being evaluated, with a final report expected in October 2026. Further details on the rollout of community mental health centres and mental health emergency departments will be published in due course.

Defra have continued to engage with animal welfare charities, including on the withdrawal of certificates of exemption.

Defra are still working to develop this process, so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

Defra have continued to engage with animal welfare charities, including on the withdrawal of certificates of exemption.

Defra are still working to develop this process, so that owners who no longer believe that their dog meets the legal definition of an XL Bully type can apply to have their certificate of exemption withdrawn. Further details will be shared once the process has been finalised.

Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives of the farming sector, to discuss a range of issues.

The Government is taking action to make it easier to build reservoirs. This includes reducing unnecessary barriers, updating planning guidance, and funding up to £15 million to build on-farm reservoirs, helping farmers store water and become more resilient to future droughts.

The Government continues to provide very significant relief from inheritance tax for agricultural and business assets. A couple are able to pass on up to £5 million of such assets tax-free between them, on top of the existing allowances such as the nil-rate band.

Defra has frequent engagement with key horticulture stakeholders including berry growers on the range of matters impacting the horticulture sector. Additionally, through the National Drought Group, ministers engage specifically with the National Farmers' Union and Horticulture Trades Association to assess drought impacts and to coordinate action across all sectors, helping to inform planning, response and resilience measures. This engagement informed the Government’s package of support for farmers affected by drought, announced in August.

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act establishes Local Scrutiny Committees, which are intended to strengthen oversight of Mayors and Strategic Authorities and improve accountability for decision-making and the use of public funds. Local Scrutiny Committees will be responsible for scrutinising value for money and reviewing the exercise of devolved powers by the Mayor and their Strategic Authority, rather than spending and decision making in their constituent authorities.

These committees will not apply to existing two-tier authorities, nor will they apply to unitary authorities formed through the process of local government reorganisation. Instead, they will apply to Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities from 2027 and be extended to all Mayoral Strategic Authorities from 2028.Constituent authorities will continue to operate their own Overview and Scrutiny Committees following local government reorganisation.

The Rewiring the State Cabinet Statement committed to ensuring there is a clear role for Members of Parliament in local accountability, working with mayors and local councillors. Mayors are responsible for the areas of competence set out in the devolution framework and will have the autonomy to decide how funding is used to deliver for local residents in these areas. While Mayors will be accountable at the local level, as part of the Devolution White Paper, the Government is considering how MPs can engage with strengthened local accountability arrangements in relation to these responsibilities. Further details will be set out in due course.

The Rewiring the State Cabinet Statement committed to ensuring there is a clear role for Members of Parliament in local accountability, working with mayors and local councillors. As part of the development of the Devolution White Paper, Ministers and officials are engaging with a range of stakeholders, including mayors and local government representatives on the co-design and implementation of these reforms. Further details will be set out in due course.

Tackling eating-disorder content online is a priority for the Government, and we recognise the risks posed by AI systems generating content that could encourage or exacerbate eating disorders.

Generative AI services in scope of the Online Safety Act are required to prevent children from encountering eating-disorder content. As the independent regulator, Ofcom's codes of practice set out the measures it considers appropriate for meeting those duties