🌿 Oral Answers to Questions

• Biodiversity Recovery: The Government is committed to reversing nature loss through investments in tree planting and peatland restoration (£400 million) and the establishment of a new nature restoration fund. They also plan to ban neonicotinoid pesticides to protect pollinators. Concerns were raised about the UK’s nature-depleted status, but the Environment Minister emphasized efforts like biodiversity net gain (BNG) to integrate nature into development projects.

• Water Company Accountability: New legislation aims to hold water company executives accountable for service failures, including potential bans on unjustified bonuses and criminal charges for obstructing environmental regulators. The Government has ringfenced funds for infrastructure improvements to prevent misuse of funds by water companies.

• River Health and Sewage Reduction: Addressing sewage overflows, the Government plans to invest £104 billion into the water infrastructure. This includes banning bonuses for polluting water companies and managing both current and future sewage demands to improve river health.

• Flood Preparedness: A significant increase in flood defence investment (£2.65 billion) aims to protect more homes and businesses, particularly in rural and coastal regions. Plans are also in place to consult on a new funding formula to ensure equitable distribution.

• Agriculture and Food Security: Efforts to boost the agriculture sector include a £5 billion budget and measures to address rising costs and regulatory burdens. There are concerns about balancing land use between food production and other initiatives like solar farms and tree planting.

• Cat Breeding Regulations: Current regulations require licensing for commercial cat breeding, with potential future updates based on animal welfare reports.

• Metal Recycling Regulations: Regulation of metal recycling businesses is being strengthened, including online marketplaces contributing to waste electrical recycling and a ban on disposable vapes.

• Public Procurement of British Produce: Steps are being taken to ensure public bodies prioritize purchasing British produce, aligning with WTO rules.

• CPS Prosecutors and Legal Aid: Efforts are underway to increase the number of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors, especially in specialized units for sexual offences. There’s also a focus on improving prosecution rates for violence against women and girls.

• Economic Crime and Fraud: The Serious Fraud Office’s progress in tackling economic crime is noted, with new investigations opened and defendants charged. Collaboration with Scottish law enforcement against cross-border fraud is highlighted.

• Attorney General’s Transparency and Conflicts of Interest: The Attorney General’s Office has a rigorous process for managing conflicts of interest related to former practice, emphasizing transparency and adherence to standard practices.

• Use of Technology in Criminal Justice: The potential for new technology, including AI, to improve efficiency in the criminal justice system is being explored, alongside concerns about its misuse in child sexual abuse cases.

• Rural Crime Prosecution: Efforts to increase prosecution rates for rural crimes, such as fly-tipping, include implementing new legislation and supporting rural crime units.

• Hate Crime Prosecution: The Government is committed to prosecuting hate crimes effectively, with a focus on improving collaboration between the CPS and police to increase referrals and convictions.

The session displays a moderate level of disagreement across various topics. The disagreements are primarily centered around policy decisions, their impacts, and the perceived fairness and effectiveness of the government’s actions. Here are some specific reasons for the rating:

1. Biodiversity Recovery: There’s a disagreement between the Minister (Mary Creagh) and Andrew George concerning the government’s stance on bats and newts. Andrew George challenges the Minister about the Chancellor’s remark on not worrying about these species, suggesting a potential conflict within the government’s environmental policy. The Minister responds by emphasizing the balance between people and nature and mentions biodiversity net gain, which shows an ongoing debate about the implementation and priority of biodiversity measures.

2. Agriculture Sector and Growth: There is a clear disagreement between Robbie Moore and Mary Creagh on the impact of government policies on the farming community. Moore criticizes the policies for taking farmland out of food production to meet green targets, expressing concern for the future of farming businesses. Creagh defends the policies by stating they were initiated by the Conservatives and have been welcomed by the farming community, showing a clash of perspectives on how these policies affect farmers.

3. Budget Impact on Farmers: David Reed expresses strong concerns about the government’s budget changes, suggesting they could harm family farms and rural communities. Daniel Zeichner’s response avoids directly addressing the concerns but mentions his engagement with farming communities, showing a disagreement over the policy’s implications and communication.

4. Water Company Accountability: While there is no direct disagreement, the frustrations expressed by Darren Paffey and others about water company practices and the government’s measures suggest underlying tensions and disagreements over how effectively the government is addressing these issues.

5. Attorney General’s Office: Discussions over transparency and conflicts of interest in the Attorney General’s Office highlight disagreements. Jack Rankin and Patrick Spencer question the Attorney General’s declarations and past representations, suggesting concerns over conflicts of interest. The Solicitor General defends the process, leading to visible friction on the issue of transparency and ethical standards.

Overall, while there are several instances of disagreement, they are neither highly confrontational (rating 5) nor minimal (rating 1). Instead, they represent a typical level of debate and opposition seen in parliamentary sessions, warranting a moderate disagreement rating of 3.