Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Climate Change Resilience

Tuesday 13 October 2026 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • A climate and nature security taskforce was launched in June to assess the UK's resilience to climate change impacts, with a wildfire summit planned for the month of October 2026.
  • The Department aims to accelerate efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including initiatives like the boiler upgrade scheme for air-to-air heat pumps and the warm homes plan for passive cooling measures.
  • Future building standards require new homes to be zero carbon-ready and designed to reduce the risk of overheating, with a technical review in progress to ensure these standards are effective.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Anna Dixon
Climate
Context

MP noted climate change impacts observed this summer, including extreme heat and wildfires, prompting questions about government measures to improve resilience.

Question

What recent progress has been made on improving the UK's resilience to the impacts of climate change?

Answer from Katie White

In June, a climate and nature security taskforce was launched to assess resilience, with an upcoming meeting planned. The Prime Minister will host a wildfire summit this month.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps and timeline for improving resilience not detailed

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Q2 Tom Rutland
Energy Environment
Context

MP mentioned constituents' experiences with extreme heat this summer, highlighting the need for adaptation measures in homes and public buildings.

Question

What steps is the Department taking to help people adapt homes and public buildings to increasingly hot summers?

Answer from Katie White

The Department aims to accelerate efforts to mitigate and adapt, including the boiler upgrade scheme for air-to-air heat pumps and the warm homes plan for passive cooling measures in capital funded schemes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps and timeline not detailed

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Q3 Anna Dixon
Housing
Context

MP highlighted the need to adapt new homes to mitigate the risks of extreme heat, citing record-breaking temperatures and heat-related deaths.

Question

Can the Minister tell the House more about steps the Government are taking to ensure new homes are designed to protect against extreme heat?

Answer from Katie White

Future building standards require new homes to be zero carbon-ready and designed to reduce overheating risk, with a technical review underway to ensure effectiveness.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timeline and details of technical review not provided

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Q4 Patrick Spencer
Energy Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

MP questioned the necessity of environmental impact assessments for solar farms on rural land, citing a specific application in his constituency.

Question

Will the Minister consider requiring an environmental impact assessment for all solar developments on rural land?

Answer from Katie White

The Minister is working closely with DEFRA on land use framework to ensure clean power and nature restoration, but did not directly address the question of mandatory assessments.

Not addressed: The specific question about mandatory assessments was not addressed

How: Changing Subject

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Q5 Sarah Dyke
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

MP expressed concern about the potential for the worst UK harvest on record due to extreme weather, prompting questions about farm resilience.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with DEFRA colleagues on strengthening British farms' resilience to extreme weather?

Answer from Katie White

Launched the climate and nature security taskforce before the summer, which became more relevant due to the impacts on farming and food security. Working closely with DEFRA on cascading climate and nature impacts on food security.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on discussions and concrete steps not provided

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