Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward proposals to (a) support and (b) incentivise the resale of retirement or sheltered housing units.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 40972 on 1 April 2025.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce a statutory exemption from the long-term empty homes council tax premium for properties that have been inherited and are being marketed for sale.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.
Furthermore, the government has regulated to introduce an exception, to council tax premiums, for up to 12 months following a grant of probate. A further 12-month exception is available for dwellings actively marketed for sale or let. Exceptions to premiums may apply concurrently where the dwelling qualifies for both.
The government does not collect data on the number of properties which are empty due to probate. However, we do collect data on the number of dwellings which are exempt from council tax due to the death of the occupant. As of the latest available data, 132,883 dwellings were receiving this exemption.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department monitors the number of households charged the council tax premium on long-term empty homes following (a) bereavement and (b) inheritance.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
When a property has been left empty following the death of its owner or occupant, it is exempt from council tax for as long as it remains unoccupied and until probate is granted. Following a grant of probate (or the signing of letters of administration), a further six months exemption is possible, so long as the property remains unoccupied and has not been sold or transferred to someone else.
Furthermore, the government has regulated to introduce an exception, to council tax premiums, for up to 12 months following a grant of probate. A further 12-month exception is available for dwellings actively marketed for sale or let. Exceptions to premiums may apply concurrently where the dwelling qualifies for both.
The government does not collect data on the number of properties which are empty due to probate. However, we do collect data on the number of dwellings which are exempt from council tax due to the death of the occupant. As of the latest available data, 132,883 dwellings were receiving this exemption.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA being heard in the Crown Court and the Magistrates Court since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Based on extracted management information data, the RSPCA has initiated 15,070 prosecutions since the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This figure is taken as of September 2024 in line with published statistics.
There have been 198 Crown Court receipts of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA since the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021 came into force in June 2021.
As the CPS has the power to take over any private prosecution, it is not possible to identify any such cases from the figures provided, and therefore these figures may include prosecutions taken over by the CPS.
This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 08 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of private prosecution cases brought by the RSPCA being heard in the Crown Court since the introduction of the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Based on extracted management information data, the RSPCA has initiated 15,070 prosecutions since the Animal Welfare Act 2006 came into force in April 2007. This figure is taken as of September 2024 in line with published statistics.
There have been 198 Crown Court receipts of prosecutions initiated by the RSPCA since the Animal Welfare Sentencing Act 2021 came into force in June 2021.
As the CPS has the power to take over any private prosecution, it is not possible to identify any such cases from the figures provided, and therefore these figures may include prosecutions taken over by the CPS.
This Government recognises that greater transparency is needed in relation to private prosecutions, in order to improve confidence in the criminal justice system. This is why we have launched a public consultation on options to improve the oversight, regulation, and transparency of private prosecutors in the criminal justice system, which closes on 08 May. The consultation seeks respondents’ views on improvements to the available data on private prosecutors and the prosecutions they bring.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to issue supplementary cull licences in 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has started work on a comprehensive new bovine TB strategy, to continue to drive down disease rates to save cattle and farmers’ livelihoods and to end the badger cull by the end of this Parliament.
Licensing and authorisation decisions are made by Natural England as the delegated licensing authority for badger control in England. In accordance with the published policy guidance, which is available at the link below, no new intensive or supplementary badger control licences can be issued in 2025.
Existing cull processes will be honoured to ensure clarity for farmers involved in these culls whilst new measures can be rolled out through the new strategy. However, all remaining licences in the High Risk and Edge Area of England will end by January 2026.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the first BSL GCSE course to begin.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The development of a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is an important step toward fostering greater recognition of BSL as a language, and the government is committed to developing a qualification that benefits both students and the wider deaf community.
The department published subject content in December 2023, and Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, is in the process of finalising the assessment arrangements. We have worked closely with Ofqual throughout this process, as we do during the development of any new GCSE. Our focus is on ensuring that the BSL GCSE is of the highest quality. It is important that the assessment is fair, rigorous, and reflective of BSL as a language, so that the qualification meets the required standards and serves the needs of both students and the deaf community.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Ofqual on the timing of the first teaching of the British Sign Language GCSE.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The development of a British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is an important step toward fostering greater recognition of BSL as a language, and the government is committed to developing a qualification that benefits both students and the wider deaf community.
The department published subject content in December 2023, and Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, is in the process of finalising the assessment arrangements. We have worked closely with Ofqual throughout this process, as we do during the development of any new GCSE. Our focus is on ensuring that the BSL GCSE is of the highest quality. It is important that the assessment is fair, rigorous, and reflective of BSL as a language, so that the qualification meets the required standards and serves the needs of both students and the deaf community.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) define and (b) set standards for the use of (i) biodegradable and (ii) compostable plastics.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A Circular Economy Taskforce of experts has been convened from across government, industry, academia and civil society to help us develop a Circular Economy Strategy for England and a series of roadmaps detailing the interventions that the Government and others will make on a sector-by-sector basis.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential toxicity of bioplastics; and whether he plans to introduce specific toxicity testing requirements beyond existing waste management regulations.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Chemical substances, including monomers, which are constituent components of bioplastics manufactured in or imported into the UK are subject to the requirements of our regulatory framework. This includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation & Restriction of Chemicals), for which Defra has policy responsibility, and which requires manufacturers and importers to understand the hazards of the chemicals they are placing on the market, including their toxicity and ecotoxicology.