Chris Hinchliff MP: written questions 2025
103 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Environment Protection: ProsecutionsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 906976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute environmental crimes.
Answer: Environmental crimes and prosecutions are generally undertaken by the Environment Agency (EA) as the Environmental Regulator and not by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS does prosecute some particular environmental crimes, for the police's Nati...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Nature ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider establishing a duty on all government departments to consider nature recovery in their work.
Answer: Under the Environment Act 2021, the existing duty in s40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was strengthened. This now requires that all Government departments must consider the action they can take, consistent with the exercise of ...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97348More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2025 to question 94312, what a wholly exceptional reason would be.
Answer: Further guidance on how local planning authorities should implement the protections relating to irreplaceable habitats can be found in Planning Practice Guidance on gov.uk here and the footnotes to the National Planning Policy Framework on gov.uk here.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: Departmental CoordinationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97320More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a cross-government nature strategy, including requiring all departments to have a duty to consider nature.
Answer: Defra plans to publish the Cross Government Nature Strategy (CGNS) in March 2026. Under the Environment Act 2021, the Biodiversity Duty established in s40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was strengthened. This requires all govern...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBadgers: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2025 to 94315, whether planned changes to the Protection of Badgers Act would permit the killing of badgers solely for development purposes.
Answer: The changes to the Protection of Badgers Act (PoBA) effected by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would permit licences for the purpose of preserving public health or safety or for reasons of overriding public interest, to kill or take badgers, or to i...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordNature Conservation: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97083More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has discussions planned with nature organisations including the Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trusts and Wildlife and Countryside Link on potential secondary legislation ar
Answer: The government has engaged closely with a range of stakeholders, including nature and conservation groups, throughout the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and looks forward to further external engagement as we implement its various provisio...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCurlews: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97080More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she has plans to implement the RSPB's Action Plan for Curlew published April 2025.
Answer: This Government is committed to recovering our threatened native species, such as curlew, and we welcome the UK Curlew Action Plan which sets out actions which will drive recovery of the species in the UK. Defra officials are carefully considering the Pla...
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of whether chalk streams are an irreplaceable habitat.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 94314 on 3 December 2025.
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRivers: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to add chalk streams to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 94314 on 3 December 2025.
Answered 11 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Data Centres: FinanceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that taxpayer-funded support, including grants and tax reliefs, for AI and data centre funding provides benefits to the public.
Answer: Through AI Growth Zones we are ensuring that local communities benefit by providing £5 million for each AI Growth Zone to support skills and adoption in the area, and by ensuring that local authorities in England keep 100% of all business rates generated ...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordArtificial Intelligence and Data CentresDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans the Government has to help ensure that local communities receive long-term economic benefits from new AI and data centre developments.
Answer: TechUK estimate that the gross value added of data centres is currently £4.7bn in the UK. This government encourages data centre developers to consider the local benefits that data centre build can bring, especially in areas with favourable conditions for...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95522More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, if she will set out the differences in targets, technological approach, and decarbonisation pathways between the JZS and the CBGDP.
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95521More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, what discussions have been had within the Department about the updating or replacing of the Jet Zero Strategy with other policy documents or approaches.
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95520More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the Department plans further modelling beyond that contained within the CBGDP for beyond 2037.
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95519More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the CBGDP represents the latest modelling of how the Government will achieve a Net Zero pathway for the aviation sector, and supersedes the modelling underpinning the
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95518More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Jet Zero Strategy (JZS) is still used for policy-making on aviation decarbonisation, or whether it has been replaced or superseded by the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP).
Answer: This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies. The Carb...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBadgersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94315More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of potential impact of the proposed changes to the Protection of Badgers Act on shooting badgers.
Answer: These amendments standardise licences for development purposes under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 with those for other species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations, 2017. This is intend...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Environment ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94314More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if chalk streams will be added to the National Planning Policy Framework as an irreplaceable habitat.
Answer: As per the commitment I made in the House on 13 November during consideration of Lords Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government intend to include explicit recognition of chalk streams in the new suite of national policies for dec...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94313More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to distinguish between diffuse landscape issues, such as nutrient pollution, and protected sites and species in the context of environmental d
Answer: Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any Environmental Delivery Plans are currently under consideration or development by Natural England or have been proposed by the Government.
Answer: Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 25 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 94311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the overall improvement test in Environmental Delivery Plans will ensure that irreplaceable habitats and species cannot be included; and whether he will publish a list of
Answer: Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) can be used only to discharge specific environmental obligations. They will set out the conservation measures that will be taken to address the impact of specified types of development on relevant environmental features...
Answered 4 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordOrganised Crime: ProsecutionsAttorney GeneralTabled 5 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 906311More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to help ensure the effective prosecution of organised crime in North East Hertfordshire constituency.
Answer: The cost of organised crime is pervasive, whether this is impacting our economy or exploiting the vulnerable. This week the government has launched a crackdown on shops on our high streets, as part of Operation Machinize. These shops are fronts for seriou...
Answered 13 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWater Restoration FundDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 31 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 87155More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to Answer of 11 July to Question UIN 65893 on Water Restoration Fund, whether the reinvestment of £100 million in fines and penalties levied against water companies into proje
Answer: The Water Restoration Fund is now delivering on-the-ground improvements for water quality through 51 projects, directly benefiting the communities and the environment which have been harmed by water company rule-breaking. The programme runs for 3 years fr...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPalliative CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86096More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) preparing and (b) publishing a national strategy for (i) palliative and (ii) end-of-life care.
Answer: The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. I refer the hon. member to the Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1087 I gave to the House on 24 November 2025.The MSF will drive improvements i...
Answered 30 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordUltrasonicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 28 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 86095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for urgent pelvic ultrasounds.
Answer: We inherited a broken National Health Service, and reducing elective waiting lists is a key part of getting it back on its feet and building an NHS that is fit for the future. To that end we have committed to achieving the NHS Constitutional standard that...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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