Alex Mayer MP: written questions
285 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Sites of Special Scientific Interest: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers public authorities have to restrict vehicular access to Sites of Special Scientific Interest that span multiple land ownerships where ecological damage is taking place.
Answer: All public bodies have a statutory duty to take reasonable steps to further the conservation and enhancement of the special features of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), including where an SSSI spans multiple landownerships. Natural England (N...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSites of Special Scientific Interest: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers public authorities have to restrict vehicular access to Sites of Special Scientific Interest where ecological damage has been, or is being, wilfully caused.
Answer: All public bodies have a statutory duty to take reasonable steps to further the conservation and enhancement of the special features of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), including where an SSSI spans multiple landownerships. Natural England (N...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: Conservation AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106693More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recorded incidents of fly-tipping in each of the last five years took place in or adjacent to areas designated as (a) Sites of Special Scientific Interest, (b) Special Protect
Answer: Fly-tipping (or the illegal dumping of waste) should generally be reported to the relevant local authority wherever it occurs (see guidance at https://www.gov.uk/report-flytipping). Local authorities and the Environment Agency have existing powers to requ...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to improve the collection of data on the environmental impacts of fly-tipping on habitats.
Answer: Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents to Defra, which are published annually here. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is currently being processed. Local authorities are required to report to Defra the size of a fly-ti...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFly-tippingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether local authorities are required to record the habitat type affected by each reported fly-tipping incident.
Answer: Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents to Defra, which are published annually here. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is currently being processed. Local authorities are required to report to Defra the size of a fly-ti...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: ForestsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 19 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department and its arm’s-length bodies hold on the number of recorded fly-tipping incidents in England in 2023–24 that occurred on or adjacent to woodland.
Answer: Local authorities in England are required to report fly-tipping incidents to Defra, which are published annually here. Data for the 2024/25 reporting year is currently being processed. Local authorities are required to report to Defra the size of a fly-ti...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106294More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to determine the geographical make up of GBR's Business Units will be determined.
Answer: Business Units will be the powerhouse of Great British Railways (GBR), bringing together today’s infrastructure management functions provided by Network Rail, and passenger operations currently led by train operating companies, into a single local team w...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordLevel Crossings: Cycling and PedestriansDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Office of Rail and Road on the application of a risk-based approach to the provision of new pedestrian and cycle level crossings on heritage railways in instances where
Answer: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) do not support the creation of new level crossings where there is a reasonably practicable alternative such as a bridge or tunnel. These alternatives should be fully explored and delivered where it is reasonably practicab...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Active TravelMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106243More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to Department for Transport guidance entitled Cycle infrastructure design (LTN 1/20), published on 27 July 2020, whether he plans to revise (a) the National Planni
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that transport issues should be considered from the earliest stages of plan-making and development proposals, using a vision-led approach to identify transport solutions that deliver well-designed, sustai...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDogs: Animal BreedingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, what her Department's planned timetable is for launching th
Answer: The Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform. Next steps will be announced in due course.
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 105083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting the development and uptake of alternatives to the use of animals in science and has published the Replacing Animals in Science strategy which lays out the steps we are taking to achieve that end. The strategy stat...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 12 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 104938More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which local transport authorities did not provide road condition data for at least one road type from the last 2 years; and what steps are being taken to ensure they can provide full data in future.
Answer: Official statistics on the condition of local roads in England in are published annually Road conditions in England to March 2024 - GOV.UK. Where information was not provided the Department for Transport (DfT) this is denoted in the relevant tables. Local...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGame: Gun SportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102118More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) licensing shoots and (b) making the penalty for using snares the loss of such a licence.
Answer: Defra is considering the most effective way to deliver its commitment to ban the use of snares in England and will be setting out next steps in due course. The use of snares is commonly associated with gamebird shooting. Defra has not yet made any formal ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTrappingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how she plans to enforce the ban on snares.
Answer: This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Public ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) assessment and (b) estimate she has made of the differential in her Department’s Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit budget in the (i) Spending Review and (ii) Autumn Budget 2025 in each year betwee
Answer: The Spending Review 2025 established allocations of Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) up to financial year 2029-30, with further spending announcements made during Autumn Budget 2025. A profile of these spending limits is enclosed in the table...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Public ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) assessment and (b) estimate she has made of the differential in her Department’s Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit budget in the (i) Spending Review and (ii) Autumn Budget 2025 in each year betwe
Answer: The Spending Review 2025 established allocations of Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) up to financial year 2028-29, with further spending announcements made during Autumn Budget 2025. A profile of these spending limits is enclosed in the tabl...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree Planting: Oxford-Cambridge ArcDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of afforestation on hydrology in the Oxford–Cambridge Forest region.
Answer: As part of our approach to the New National Forest in the OxCam region -spatial data will be used to prioritise sites for woodland creation that will deliver public benefits such as flood management and mitigation as well as other water management functio...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordForests: Environment ProtectionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102113More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the EIP25 targets for improving plantations on ancient woodland soils align with Forestry England’s 2044 target on PAWS restoration.
Answer: The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 (EIP25) target and Forestry England’s Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) restoration target are compatible. The EIP25 target for improving PAWS is strategic, setting a national ambition to enhance biodiver...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree PlantingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102112More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Tree Action Plan will support the restoration of ancient woodland, particularly on smaller plantations on ancient woodland sites and harder to restore sites.
Answer: The Government will continue to support the restoration of ancient woodland. Woodlands as small as 0.5ha are now eligible for the Countryside Stewardship supplements “Manage and restore Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWs)” and “Manage native wood...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree PlantingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102111More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Tree Planting Taskforce's progress; and what involvement that Taskforce has had in the development of the Tree Action Plan.
Answer: The UK-wide Tree Planting Taskforce brings together the relevant ministers from across the four UK nations. It has made good progress, enabling cross-UK collaboration and furthered understanding of shared challenges and opportunities. Given the UK-wide na...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree Felling: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by the Forestry Commission due to the potential impact of felling on ancient woodland remnants within plantations on ancient woo
Answer: The Forestry Commission has only refused one felling licence in the past 10 years, in 2020. The reason for refusal was based on the fact that the licence would lead to a loss of woodland containing veteran and future veteran oaks and the felling of these ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree Felling: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for felling licences were refused by the Forestry Commission in each of the last ten years.
Answer: Felling licences refused 2016 to 2025: 20162017201820192020202120222023202420250000100000
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTree Felling: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102108More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many felling licences were granted by the Forestry Commission in England in each of the last 10 years.
Answer: Felling licences issued 2016 to 2025: 20162017201820192020202120222023202420253621389423253002290131873190332634373499
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMotorcycles: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102107More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of motorcycle crash notification systems on (a) emergency service response times and (b) the number of motorcyclist (A) casualties and (B) fatalities.
Answer: On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy is an opportunity to reflect on the changes and challenges faced by motorcycle riders and the government has announc...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: AccidentsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102106More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of eCall on (a) response times and (b) the (i) number and (ii) severity of road traffic (A) casualties and (B) fatalities in each of the last five years.
Answer: A pre-legislation appraisal of eCall was conducted in 2013. The report is available on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ecall-uk-cost-benefit-analysis
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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