Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Local Growth Plans align with the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025; and what action they are taking to provide greater opportunities for more regions to ensure that alignment.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When developing their Local Growth Plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities should have regard to our published guidance, which states that plans should be informed by and help to deliver the Industrial Strategy, and highlight links to support growth-driving sectors including Defence.

The government continues to work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to identify and co-agree shared priorities to guide the development of Local Growth Plans and underpin decision-making once these are in place.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how Local Growth Plans align with the Industrial Strategy; and what mechanism exists for central and local government leaders to ensure alignment of those plans.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

When developing their Local Growth Plans, Mayoral Strategic Authorities should have regard to our published guidance, which states that plans should be informed by and help to deliver the Industrial Strategy, and highlight links to support growth-driving sectors including Defence.

The government continues to work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to identify and co-agree shared priorities to guide the development of Local Growth Plans and underpin decision-making once these are in place.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when the last meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions took place; and how many times the council has met since July 2024.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The last Council of the Nations and Regions took place on 23 May 2025. The Council has met twice since July 2024, in October 2024 where it discussed inward investment and once in May 2025, where it discussed trade and AI.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence have died of natural causes while in prison since 2023.

Answered by Lord Timpson

Please see the number of people serving an imprisonment for public protection sentence who have died of natural causes while in prison since 2023 in the table below. Please note that these figures are derived from the HMPPS Deaths in Prison Custody database. As classification of deaths may change following inquest or as new information emerges, numbers may change from time to time. As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigate each death.

Notes

• Figures include incidents at HMPPS operated Immigration Removal Centres and during contracted out escorts (including contracted out escort of prisoners from STCs), but do not include incidents at Medway STC.

• Deaths in prison custody figures include all deaths of prisoners arising from incidents during prison custody. They include deaths of prisoners while released on temporary license (ROTL) for medical reasons but exclude other types of ROTL where the state has less direct responsibility.

• All classifications of deaths remain provisional until confirmed at inquest. Due to the number of deaths that remain unclassified (awaiting further information) in recent years, and the latest year particularly, caution should be used when comparing with earlier periods.

• In addition to deaths in prison custody which actually occur in hospitals, hospices or nursing homes a small proportion will occur while in an ambulance on the way to hospital, while on escort.

• An indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) was introduced in 2005. It was intended for high risk prisoners considered ‘dangerous’ but whose offence did not merit a life sentence. The number of prisoners held on this sentence increased initially and the increase was offset by reductions elsewhere.

• IPP prisoners in this table include both recalled and unreleased prisoners recorded as serving an IPP as their main sentence.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people serving an imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentence have taken their own lives while they (1) have absconded, (2) are out on release on temporary licence, and (3) have a concurrent sentence running alongside their IPP sentence.

Answered by Lord Timpson

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enhance the competitiveness of the UK tourism and hospitality industry within the European market.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK tourism and hospitality industry remains highly competitive within the European market. We work closely with VisitBritain, the national tourist board, to showcase Britain as a premier holiday destination to European visitors.

To capitalise on the growing trend of screen tourism and drive inbound visits, VisitBritain launched its global "Starring Great Britain" campaign in January 2025. This initiative leverages the UK’s rich film and television heritage to inspire travelers to explore diverse locations, including rural and coastal destinations. The campaign was backed by targeted advertising across our most valuable inbound visitor markets, including key European nations such as France and Germany.

In addition, VisitBritain's in market teams connect global buyers with regional suppliers in key markets to sell regional Britain internationally and grow inbound travel. In 2024/25 their trade programme generated 4,456 new business for UK suppliers, and just under £100 million for the UK economy.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguards they plan to put in place to ensure that any overnight visitor levy would not detrimentally affect tourists.

Answered by Lord Livermore

The Government has announced powers for Mayors to introduce a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation in their region, to drive economic growth, including through support for the local visitor economy.

The precise design and scope of the power is still under development, and the impacts of the levy will largely be determined by local decisions. Mayors will decide whether to introduce a levy and, if so, consult on specific proposals. We expect Mayors to engage constructively with businesses and their communities to hear any concerns.  This will inform their decisions and help them to find an appropriate balance between supporting local economic priorities, including tourism, ensuring a levy is affordable for visitors, and providing stability and certainty for businesses.

Following consultation, we expect Mayors to publish a summary of the consultation results and their response, including a final prospectus, and an impact assessment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in reviewing how hotels, restaurants and pubs are valued for business rates purposes; and what plans they have to introduce changes to the valuing system.

Answered by Lord Livermore

Officials have been progressing work to establish the review and are engaging stakeholders across the pubs and hotels sectors.

The review is considering whether current approaches to valuation accurately reflect the market, are applied consistently, and are sufficiently transparent to ratepayers. This includes consideration of the evidence underpinning the valuation methodology for Pubs and Hotels.

The Government intends for the review to conclude to allow any findings to inform the next revaluation cycle.

In the meantime, the Government is supporting ratepayers. At the Budget in 2025, we introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion and introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties.

Beyond this support, the government has introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27. For the following two years, their bills will be frozen in real terms.