Ministers

Government ministers will answer questions from the Environmental Audit Committee on how the UK uses its seas and oceans amid rising demand from industries spanning activities from renewable energy to fishing, and Government commitments to designate 30% of the UK’s waters as protected areas by 2030.

As the Government commits to the expansion of airport capacity in the UK, the Environmental Audit Committee has launched a new inquiry to examine whether doing so can be achieved in line with climate and environment goals.

The UK aid budget will no longer be linked to changes in the UK’s gross national income, instead being given a fixed budget potentially protecting it from spending by other departments, the Government has confirmed.

The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner MP, will appear before the EFRA Select Committee, to face MPs’ questions on their thematic inquiries on the future of farming, fairness in the food supply chain, and fisheries and the marine environment.

The Chair of the cross-party International Development Committee Chair, Sarah Champion, has responded to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement today.

Commenting on the announcement of the Government’s preferred candidate for the next executive chair of Innovate UK.

Following a one-off evidence session with the science minister, Lord Patrick Vallance, the Committee’s chair, Chi Onwurah, wrote to the minister to request further information on the diversity of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology’s workforce.

The Defence Committee will question Luke Pollard MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence on grey zone threats, at 10.30am on Tuesday 25 March.

At a time of heightened speculation regarding the Government’s commitment to nature and the environment, the Environment Secretary will next week face the Environmental Audit Committee.

The EFRA Committee has today written to the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner MP, detailing its findings so far from its inquiry into ‘Fairness in the food supply chain’.

Today, Minister for Democracy, Rushanara Ali MP, will be questioned as part of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) review of the 2024 general election.

The Energy Security and Net Zero Committee will scrutinise the practice of back-billing by energy companies with Martin Lewis and Ofgem before hearing from the Energy Consumers Minister on this issue and retrofit failures on Wednesday, 19th March.

The Defence Committee is assessing progress on its predecessor Committee’s work on women in the Armed Forces, hearing from witnesses across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) including the chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force.