The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

We accept that there is a pressing need to address the welfare concerns associated with high concentration carbon dioxide stunning of pigs. Legislation sets out existing alternative permitted methods for the slaughter of pigs. In addition, the Animal Welfare Committee provided an up to date and comprehensive animal welfare assessment of the current evidence on high concentration CO2 stunning of pigs and the potential alternative stunning methods. This report was published in October 2025 and can be found here: Opinion on carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs and alternative methods - GOV.UK

Building societies play an important role in supporting home ownership and economic growth. Ministers and officials regularly engage with building societies and the wider mutuals sector to discuss their business, understand the barriers they face and consider opportunities to support their growth and better serve their members.

The Government is committed to creating the conditions that enable the sector to flourish. In December 2025, the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority published their joint Mutuals Landscape Report, which set out the sector’s regulatory framework and identified opportunities for growth-focused reform. As part of that initiative, the Prudential Regulation Authority removed the Building Societies Sourcebook, supporting a more proportionate regulatory framework for building societies.

In addition, the Government laid a statutory instrument before Parliament in July 2026 that would support the building society sector by reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and providing greater funding flexibility.

This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and is committed to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation, as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy.

It has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. Production using force feeding has been banned in the UK for nearly 20 years as it is not compatible with our animal welfare legislation.

The Government remains committed to maintaining and enhancing animal welfare standards and recognises the strength of public feeling on this issue.

This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management and protect areas of moorland where intensive management is known to occur on deep peat. A licensing scheme was introduced alongside the regulations in 2021 and has been maintained under the 2025 amendments. This enables land managers to apply for a licence to burn to reduce the impacts of wildfire where there is no feasible alternative. Burning is one of several tools available to land managers to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Other land management methods are not restricted by these regulations, which cover roughly 5% of England’s land area.

Defra relies on good quality evidence to inform its decision-making and policy design. Whilst we know that damage from burning can occur at any depth, evidence shows that at 30cm, peatlands are capable of sustaining blanket bog habitat. Natural England’s Evidence Review on the effects of managed burning in upland peatland (NEER155) was one source of information which fed into the decision to amend the Regulations. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies, which were assessed and subjected to the appropriate academic rigour. The overall findings and conclusions of NEER155 remained consistent with those of the 2013 review. It concluded that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function. The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

This Government is committed to protecting moorlands. In September 2025, we amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England) Regulations 2021 to improve the resilience of our moorlands. The Regulations reflect the latest available evidence to guide sustainable land management and protect areas of moorland where intensive management is known to occur on deep peat. A licensing scheme was introduced alongside the regulations in 2021 and has been maintained under the 2025 amendments. This enables land managers to apply for a licence to burn to reduce the impacts of wildfire where there is no feasible alternative. Burning is one of several tools available to land managers to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risk. Other land management methods are not restricted by these regulations, which cover roughly 5% of England’s land area.

Defra relies on good quality evidence to inform its decision-making and policy design. Whilst we know that damage from burning can occur at any depth, evidence shows that at 30cm, peatlands are capable of sustaining blanket bog habitat. Natural England’s Evidence Review on the effects of managed burning in upland peatland (NEER155) was one source of information which fed into the decision to amend the Regulations. NEER155 built on Natural England’s 2013 review (NEER004) by incorporating 102 new studies, which were assessed and subjected to the appropriate academic rigour. The overall findings and conclusions of NEER155 remained consistent with those of the 2013 review. It concluded that burning, especially repeated burning, results in a departure from the typical structure of these habitats and can impact how they function. The Government remains satisfied that the Regulations are supported by the available evidence.

The King's Speech in May set out the government's legislative priorities for the second session, which include a bill to introduce the overnight visitor levy. Further detail around implementation of the levy will follow the publication of the Government’s response to the consultation.

The Government has had close and ongoing engagement with the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England on the UK approach to stablecoin regulation, including the risks and opportunities associated with cross-border use cases.

This engagement has supported the development and implementation of the UK’s domestic stablecoin regime, and facilitated international cooperation through initiatives such as the UK-US Transatlantic Taskforce for Markets of the Future. The Taskforce recommendations set out a shared, forward-looking agenda to advance UK-US financial services collaboration, focussing on digital assets and capital markets.

All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.

Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.

The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.

All previous complaints that were being handled by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman on behalf of the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) before the withdrawal of CCW’s adjudication service were progressed to conclusion.

Under the new arrangement, if a customer complaint has not been resolved through discussion with their water company or through support from CCW, customers should be referred by their water company to the water company’s independent adjudication service. Customers will continue to benefit from the same protections and safeguards in place under the previous arrangement. Those contracted to provide this independent service for water companies will provide impartial decisions until the new Water Ombudsman is established.

The new Ombudsman will strengthen customer protections in the water sector by providing an impartial and legally binding dispute resolution service in the sector, in line with other regulated sectors. This will ensure that vulnerable customers and their complaints are properly safeguarded.

Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the police, but the Government has strengthened the tools available to them through the Crime and Policing Act 2026, including new powers to seize vehicles, including illegal e-bikes used antisocially, without first issuing a warning. Local authority Trading Standards services are supported by the Office for Product Safety and Standards which works with them to remove unsafe products from the market.

Our intention is that the ban on the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products will come into force on 1 June 2027. As per the requirements of the Act, regulations are required to implement this ban on this date. This includes necessary consequential amendments made to other pieces of primary legislation, such as the Communications Act. These are not subject to consultation.

The consultation on packaging, display, device appearance and flavour descriptors that was published on 10 July 2026 covers different regulation-making powers under the Act and is a distinct exercise from the implementation of Part 6.

These measures will help tackle youth vaping and protect children from the risk of harm and addiction.

Noise controls for aerodromes are set through the local planning system where appropriate and enforcement is a matter for the local authority. Local authorities also have a duty to monitor air quality in their areas.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) sets noise standards for helicopters. While ICAO sets engine emissions standards for commercial aircraft, these do not apply to helicopters. The environmental and public health impacts of emissions from helicopters operating from private helipads are likely to be very small and there is no routine monitoring of these emissions.

The Department has no plans to review the regulation or guidance relating to emissions from helicopters operating from private helipads.

The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the effectiveness of existing arrangements for enforcing permitted operating hours at private helipads.

Operating hours for private helipads are generally a matter for the relevant local planning authority. Where planning conditions specify permitted hours of operation, compliance with those conditions is enforced through the planning system.

Helicopter operators are expected to comply with any operating restrictions that apply to the sites from which they operate.

The Government is committed to protecting England’s peatlands. The Heather and Grass Burning Regulations establish a licensing regime for burning on protected peatland with a peat depth of more than 30cm.

Suspected breaches of the Regulations are subject to an assessment process and, where appropriate, referred for investigation. Defra Counter Fraud and Investigations (CFI) officers investigating allegations of unauthorised burning follow the policies and guidance outlined within the Heather and Grass Burning Regulations 2021 and amended 2025.

Whilst we don’t comment on individual investigations, within the last two years, CFI have been referred 8 HGB investigations for potential breaches. The Department does not hold information on cases where any initial assessment may subsequently have been revised following an independent expert assessment.

Within the last 12 months, Defra CFI have undertaken one enforcement visit in relation to suspected breaches of the Heather and Grass burning regulations. We do not immediately hold the information regarding the costs associated with the visit and the wider triage and assessment process.

Decision on enforcement action or issuing cautions are taken in accordance with the Defra enforcement policy. The decision is determined on a case-by-case basis, taking account of the circumstances of the offence and enforcement considerations.

My officials at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s UK Maritime Innovation Hub (UKMIH) regularly engage with maritime technology developers, ports, shipowners, universities, research organisations and other maritime stakeholders.

Establishment of the Hub was set out in Government's Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy in March 2025, and the Hub was launched in April 2026. Since then, discussions have focused on improving access to early regulatory engagement and helping organisations understand the regulatory requirements and potential approval pathways relevant to emerging maritime technologies. The Hub provides a clear point of contact for innovators, facilitates engagement between industry and regulators, and supports organisations seeking to undertake safe trials and demonstrations.

The Hub also helps organisations engage effectively with major government funding programmes, including my Department’s UK SHORE Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) fund, and signposts organisations to other opportunities, including the Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme.

Engagement with ports and shipowners has included discussion of the regulatory considerations associated with innovative technologies, opportunities for trials and demonstrations, and collaboration between industry, government and regulators. Discussions with universities and research organisations have included collaboration on emerging technologies, access to specialist expertise and research capabilities, the development and testing of innovative solutions, and improving understanding of the regulatory environment in areas including decarbonisation, autonomy, digitalisation and nuclear propulsion.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency records enquiries, meetings and wider stakeholder engagement undertaken through the Hub. To date, the Hub has logged 299 enquiries and engagement with 242 organisations.

The total cost of establishing and operating the UK Maritime Innovation Hub to date is £314,453.

The Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency keep the effectiveness of the Hub under review as it continues to develop. There are currently no plans to publish a separate evaluation following its first year of operation. Its performance is monitored through operational and stakeholder engagement measures, including demand for support, the effective coordination of regulatory engagement, timely access to relevant expertise, and its contribution to supporting organisations developing innovative maritime technologies.

The Hub’s performance is formally assessed through four Key Performance Indicators, which are reported through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts.

On 18 June 2026, Defra closed its consultation seeking views on the Government’s proposed approach to implementing a ban on trail hunting. All responses to the consultation are currently being analysed and a summary of responses will be published in due course.

This Government committed in the Animal Welfare Strategy to consult on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations and is working to bring this forward. The consultation will be published in due course and will seek views from all those with an interest in this important sector.

The Pubs Code only applies to pub companies with over 500 tied tenants. The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) enforces the Code. The Government currently has no plans to assess the effectiveness of the voluntary industry codes of practice governing pub-owning businesses with fewer than 500 tied pubs.

The Government is currently undertaking the third statutory review of the Pubs Code and Pubs Code Adjudicator and its report will be published as soon as practicable. The statutory review will also consider the findings of the Post Implementation Review (PIR), which analyses the Code’s impact since it came into force in 2016.