Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who purchase pre-paid funeral services from a Local Authority outside of current Financial Conduct Authority and Competitions and Markets Authority regulation have adequate consumer protections.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of ending the current exemption for Local Authorities from Financial Conduct Authority regulation for pre-need funeral and cremation services.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether consumers that purchase pre-paid funeral services from a Local Authority are able to (i) access the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and (ii) make a complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the current exemption for Local Authorities from Financial Conduct Authority regulation for pre-need funeral and cremation services.

Answered by Rachel Blake

The Government legislated in 2021 to bring pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). This made it illegal for firms to sell pre-paid funeral plans without authorisation from the FCA, protecting 1.6 million customers and their families.

In the preceding public consultation in 2019, the Government stated it had not seen evidence that plans offered by local authorities required regulation from a conduct or prudential perspective. The Government therefore proposed that local authorities should be excluded from FCA regulation, and this position was maintained in the consultation response published in March 2020. The Government is committed to regulating only where there is a clear case for doing so.

Pre-paid funeral plans bought from local authorities fall outside the remit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. Residents who are unhappy with the service they have received can raise a complaint directly with their local authority. Where a complaint remains unresolved, residents in England can submit a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with water companies on ensuring continuity of water supplies during prolonged periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies in England have a statutory duty under the Water Industry Act 1991 to produce and maintain Water Resources Management Plans and Drought Plans, during in extreme heat. Companies must review and update these plans at least every five years to reflect changing conditions, including climate risks. Where additional investment is required funding proposals are considered through Ofwat’s price review process.

In the Water White Paper the Government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards. Resilience standards will be a key tool in ensuring the water industry is resilient to shocks and pressures, ensuring customer services are protected.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to increase (a) urban tree cover and (b) green infrastructure to help reduce temperatures in built-up areas.

Answered by Mary Creagh

The Defra-funded England Community Forests plant trees in and around urban areas, with over 1800 Ha planted in 2025/26. We also fund urban tree planting via our £1 million, Tree Council-delivered Trees Outside Woodland Fund for 2025/26 planted trees in both urban and rural areas planting 175,671 trees planted exceeding the target of 93,700. This will be expanded in 2026/27.

Defra supports urban tree cover and green infrastructure through the £15 million Nature Towns and Cities programme across 40 places. Mobilising £1 billion of investment we will also work with over 80 Local Authorities and provide tools to reduce urban temperatures.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the resilience of road surfaces to increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department and Met Office have published evidence that road surfaces are typically tested to withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees celsius. However, some roads may begin to soften at lower temperatures.

The Department is working closely with National Highways to take forward measures to improve the climate resilience of motorways and trunk roads.

The Department is also supporting local highway authorities by providing guidance on climate adaptation resilience and developing updated guidance on this topic with the sector. In addition, resources are available to authorities to support their adaptation and resilience plans, including the Department’s climate risk assessment guidance.

More widely, the Government is investing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country and help ensure these networks are resilient to climate risks, including extreme heat.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasingly frequent heatwaves on water security in England.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Water companies in England have a statutory duty under the Water Industry Act 1991 to produce and maintain Water Resources Management Plans and Drought Plans, during in extreme heat. Companies must review and update these plans at least every five years to reflect changing conditions, including climate risks. Where additional investment is required funding proposals are considered through Ofwat’s price review process.

In the Water White Paper the Government set out our commitment to developing statutory resilience standards. Resilience standards will be a key tool in ensuring the water industry is resilient to shocks and pressures, ensuring customer services are protected.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many inspections the Health and Safety Executive has undertaken relating to excessive workplace temperatures in each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prioritises its resources to concentrate on the most serious risks and target dutyholders with the worst risk management record. Therefore, there have been no proactive inspections specifically relating to excessive workplace temperature.

HSE uses a targeted blend of interventions to deliver its strategy and maximise its impact. The main interventions are:

• communication, guidance, advice and information
• collaboration and partnership
• following up reports of health and safety issues and incidents
• inspection of work activities and workplaces
• investigation of incidents
• enforcement including providing advice, serving notices and prosecution

As part of this HSE provides guidance for employers to manage the risk to workers, including from extreme heat. HSE issued a press release on Friday 19 June to raise awareness of managing the risks to workers to help workplaces in the current hot weather.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with the Birmingham City Council Commissioners on the potential financial impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the statutory intervention that commenced in October 2023, Commissioners continue to support Birmingham City Council’s improvement and recovery. My department regularly engages with both the Council and Commissioners, in line with standard practice, alongside receiving regular updates on progress, including on the Council’s financial sustainability and any specific financial pressures faced by the council.

Arrangements relating to the Birmingham Highways PFI contract are led by the Department for Transport. This government has taken significant steps to support councils financially, including Birmingham City Council, through the Fair Funding Review 2.0. The Local Government Finance Settlement has made up to £2,090m available in Core Spending Power for Birmingham City Council in 2028-29, which means that under this government Core Spending Power will increase by 45% from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support Birmingham City Council in managing the potential financial implications of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the statutory intervention that commenced in October 2023, Commissioners continue to support Birmingham City Council’s improvement and recovery. My department regularly engages with both the Council and Commissioners, in line with standard practice, alongside receiving regular updates on progress, including on the Council’s financial sustainability and any specific financial pressures faced by the council.

Arrangements relating to the Birmingham Highways PFI contract are led by the Department for Transport. This government has taken significant steps to support councils financially, including Birmingham City Council, through the Fair Funding Review 2.0. The Local Government Finance Settlement has made up to £2,090m available in Core Spending Power for Birmingham City Council in 2028-29, which means that under this government Core Spending Power will increase by 45% from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on Birmingham City Council’s capital spending requirements.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to working with the Council to achieve a successful transition away from its PFI arrangements alongside progress with the Council’s financial management and recovery.

To support this, the Department for Transport has put in place future funding arrangements for Birmingham’s local highways. Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For 2026/27, we will uplift the Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

Councils are responsible for their own capital spending requirements. Nonetheless, the Department has collaborated with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the Council’s transition away from its PFI to help ensure alignment with MHCLG’s work with the Council regarding its financial management and recovery.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances of heat-related speed restrictions on the rail network occurred in each of the last five years.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Network Rail has recorded the following number of daily incidents of “Critical Rail Temperature speed-restriction incidents” as follows:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to publish her Department’s most recent decision letter regarding the Final Business Case for the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The letter from DfT officials will be deposited in the House of Commons Library.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of Government-funded home energy efficiency and retrofit schemes in reducing the risk of overheating during periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in the Warm Homes Plan, our buildings are not currently built to deal with record summer temperatures and some are at significant risk of overheating. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has estimated there have been 10,000 excess deaths caused by summer heatwaves since 2020 (Heat summary – heat mortality monitoring reports - GOV.UK).

That’s why the government is introducing the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing. These include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of extreme heat on outdoor workers.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon. member to the response to UIN 14088.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on Birmingham City Council’s financial sustainability.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to working with the Council to achieve a successful transition away from its PFI arrangements alongside progress on improving the Council’s financial sustainability.

To support this, the Department for Transport has put in place future funding arrangements for Birmingham’s local highways. Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For 2026/27, we will uplift the Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

The Department has collaborated with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the Council’s transition away from its PFI to help ensure alignment with MHCLG’s work with the Council regarding its financial management and recovery.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the resilience of the rail network to increasing summer temperatures.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department recognises that increasing summer temperatures can affect the safe and reliable operation of the railway, including through impacts on track, signalling and power infrastructure. The rail industry has established procedures to manage these risks, including enhanced monitoring, inspections and operational measures such as temporary speed restrictions during periods of extreme heat.

More broadly, the Department is working with the rail industry to improve the long-term resilience of the rail network to climate change. Network Rail is investing £2.6 billion between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2029 in activities and technology to help its infrastructure better withstand extreme weather and climate change. It has also published regional Weather Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation plans for 2024-29, setting out how weather and climate risks affect infrastructure at a local level. Publicly owned train operators have similarly developed weather resilience and climate change adaptation plans to identify and address risks to operations, staff and passengers.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve passenger safety and comfort on public transport during periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Ensuring the welfare of passengers on public transport remains a priority for the Department, including during extreme hot weather. Train operators, along with other public transport operators, encourage all passengers to follow the latest public health and travel advice. For example, during the most recent high temperatures, amended timetables and passenger messaging were developed to support the welfare of passengers and rail staff and bus operators were expected to ensure their fleets prioritised ventilation, driver welfare, and passenger support to maintain, safe comfortable journeys.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to update building regulations to require new homes to be designed to reduce overheating during periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Samantha Dixon

Building Regulations Part O, introduced in 2021 and in force since June 2022, already requires new residential buildings to be designed to mitigate the risk of overheating, including by reducing unwanted solar heat gains and enabling the removal of excess heat

The Government has also committed to a full technical review of Part O to ensure it remains effective and proportionate, and to consider whether changes to the standard are necessary. No decisions on changes have been made.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department collects annually from Local Authorities on the provision of pre-need and at-need funeral services; and if he will publish that data.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not collect this information and has therefore not done any assessments.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading the cross-government response to the Fuller Inquiry and will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations, including consideration of the funeral sector, by summer 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department collects annually from Local Authorities on the provision of cremation and burial services; and if he will publish that data.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not collect this information and has therefore not done any assessments.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading the cross-government response to the Fuller Inquiry and will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations, including consideration of the funeral sector, by summer 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of consumer protection provided by at-need funeral, cremation and burial services offered by Local Authorities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not collect this information and has therefore not done any assessments.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading the cross-government response to the Fuller Inquiry and will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations, including consideration of the funeral sector, by summer 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the value for money of at-need funeral, cremation and burial services offered by Local Authorities.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government does not collect this information and has therefore not done any assessments.

The Department of Health and Social Care is leading the cross-government response to the Fuller Inquiry and will publish a full response to the Inquiry’s recommendations, including consideration of the funeral sector, by summer 2026.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has conducted an assessment of the potential economic impact from (i) cancellation, (ii) delay, (iii) descoping, (iv) or reprofiling of energy and transport projects to fund increases in defence spending.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

A safer, more secure country is the right environment for the investment needed to deliver economic growth.

This Government’s commitment to the fiscal rules is non-negotiable. To fund the Defence Investment Plan within the fiscal rules, departments have been asked to identify savings from delays, cancellations and efficiencies where appropriate, while maintaining a focus on value for money and supporting the Government’s wider growth objectives. This approach helps keep inflation and household costs down now, and means we aren’t loading debt onto future generations.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to employers on protecting workers from extreme heat.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

I refer the Right Honourable member to the response to UIN 13128.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with local authorities on their compliance with advertising standards for the provision of funeral and cremation services.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the legislative framework to which local authorities’ provision of burial and cremation is subject. However, we do not have day-to-day operational oversight of public cemeteries and crematoria, which are managed locally in line with relevant priorities.

In addition, the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 (Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 - GOV.UK) requires all crematorium operators to display specified price information and supply it to customers and local funeral directors; to provide the CMA with specified revenue and volume information; and to provide an annual compliance statement to the CMA.

More generally, local authorities should ensure that publicity complies with all applicable statutory provisions, including the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity 2011 (1878324.pdf). Paid-for advertising must comply with the Advertising Standards Authority’s Advertising Codes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish a list of capital projects that have been (a) cancelled, (b) delayed, (c) descoped and (d) reprofiled to fund the Defence Investment Plan, broken down by region and with the original funding allocation and revised funding allocation.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The savings are a small part of DESNZ’s overall budget, which saw a significant uplift at Spending Review.

Our aim is for a large proportion of the savings to be found through efficiencies. We will set out more details in due course.

The UK clean energy economy is booming, with over £100bn of private sector investment announced since July 2024 thanks to the government’s clean energy mission.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the cost to Birmingham City Council of retendering contracts for highways services following the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is committed to working with the Council to achieve a smooth transition away from its PFI arrangements for its local highways.

To support this, the Department has put in place future funding arrangements for Birmingham’s local highways. Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For 2026/27, we will uplift the Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

The Department has engaged the Council on its future plans for managing its local highways. However, procuring a new long-term contract for its local highways services is the Council’s responsibility.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which capital projects have been (i) cancelled, (ii) delayed, (iii) descoped and (iv) reprofiled to fund the Defence Investment Plan by (a) region, (b) original funding allocation and (c) revised funding allocation.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport is contributing to the reprioritisation of funding to support the Defence Investment Plan.

No final decisions have been taken and therefore, no projects have been formally cancelled, delayed, descoped or reprofiled at this stage and there are no revised regional allocations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the level of highways funding Birmingham City Council will receive for each financial year until the end of this Parliament.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Birmingham City Council on contingency funding for highways maintenance following the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on road safety in Birmingham.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on Birmingham City Council's ability to clear its existing backlog of road repairs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on Birmingham City Council's ability to conduct road maintenance and improvement works.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract on Birmingham City Council's ability to conduct pothole repairs.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not
support their revised PFI proposal because it would require an upfront charge of between £200 million and £270 million which is not affordable for the Government.

Before reaching this decision, the Department held a consultation with the Council about the revised PFI proposal. The consultation focussed on the PFI’s accounting treatment and affordability. Impacts regarding road safety and the condition of Birmingham’s local highways were also considered as part of the consultation but did not mitigate the Government’s affordability concerns.

In terms of funding, the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million, which was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 onwards, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the fulfilment of consumer requirements in the (a) funeral, (b) cremation and (c) burial services sectors.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade has not undertaken a separate assessment of consumer requirements in the funeral, cremation and burial services sectors. The Competition and Markets Authority's funerals market investigation identified concerns about consumer outcomes in funeral markets and introduced the Funerals Market Investigation Order 2021 to improve transparency and support informed consumer choice.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) NHS hospitals, (b) GP surgeries and (c) care homes are resilient to extreme heat.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We recognise that extreme heat can pose serious risks to health buildings and services.

All National Health Service organisations are required to have robust arrangements in place for adverse weather, supported by UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) guidance and national heatwave planning. NHS organisations monitor temperatures inside their buildings locally and will respond where needed, and are supported by clear technical standards and guidance including:

• the Health Technical Memorandum 03-01: Specialised ventilation for healthcare premises Part A (2021), which includes requirements for ventilation strategies, including heating and cooling, and which is available at the following link:
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-ventilation-for-healthcare-buildings/; and

• the Health Building Note 00-07: Planning for a resilient healthcare estate (2014), which includes references throughout to heat wave planning and climate resilience, and which is available at the following link:
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/resilience-planning-for-nhs-facilities-hbn-00-07/

We are backing the NHS trust estate with significant capital investment, including £6.75 billion over the next nine years to address the most critical infrastructure risks, including to ventilation and cooling systems. We are also embedding climate resilience in future NHS infrastructure. All Hospital 2.0 compliant schemes from 2025, and all new build neighbourhood health centres, are being designed to be climate resilient from the outset in line with leading building standards, including BREEAM Excellent certification for New Hospital Programme projects. We also continue to back the general practice estate through the £426 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund.

Adult social care services are provided through a largely outsourced market of commercial organisations and charities. The Care Act Statutory Guidance provides guidance on managing service interruptions and outlines local authorities’ roles and responsibilities, and is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/care-act-statutory-guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring good management of their local market. UKHSA guidance advises care homes to plan ahead, act early on Heat Health Alerts, and prioritise residents most at risk through enhanced monitoring, hydration, and environmental controls.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the level of highways funding Birmingham City Council will receive in each financial year between 2025/26 and 2034/35 following the cancellation of the Birmingham Highways PFI contract.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government recently informed Birmingham City Council we would not support their revised PFI proposal and the final instalment of our £50 million per year contribution to the PFI was made at the end of the previous financial year.

Starting this financial year, funding for the Council’s local highways will be provided via the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Integrated Settlement. For this financial year, we are uplifting this settlement by £17 million. This amount was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance funding formula.

For 2027/28 until 2031/32, the Combined Authority have received confirmation of their £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions allocation, which represents a significant increase in local transport funding for the region. Funding beyond 2031/32 will be considered as part of future Spending Reviews.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that future home retrofit programmes incorporate measures to improve low-income households' resilience to extreme heat.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Warm Homes Plan sets out our approach to upgrading the nation’s homes, including climate adaptation. Over this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing.

Passive cooling measures include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials. These enhance thermal comfort in hot weather and, when paired with active cooling, help mitigate energy bill increases.

We recognise that in some cases active cooling is needed to protect those most vulnerable to overheating and have taken steps to enable access to clean heat technologies that can also provide cooling functionality when necessary. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will provide £2,500 grants for air‑to‑air heat pumps, which can also provide cooling.

The Government also embed overheating considerations through the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), Awaab’s Law, and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of households unable to afford cooling appliances during periods of extreme heat.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Department does not hold this information.

The Warm Homes Plan sets out our approach to upgrading the nation’s homes, including climate adaptation. Over this Parliament, we intend to introduce the most appropriate, cost-effective passive cooling measures into our capital schemes, to support low-income consumers and those in social housing.

Passive cooling measures include internal blinds, external shutters, reflective window films, and cooler building materials. These enhance thermal comfort in hot weather and, when paired with active cooling, help mitigate energy bill increases.

We recognise that in some cases active cooling is needed to protect those most vulnerable to overheating and have taken steps to enable access to clean heat technologies that can also provide cooling functionality when necessary. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme will provide £2,500 grants for air‑to‑air heat pumps, which can also provide cooling.

The Government also embed overheating considerations through the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), Awaab’s Law, and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the NHS of illnesses attributable to extreme heat.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

A cross-Government collaboration, which includes the National Health Service and the Department, produces an annual Adverse Weather and Health Plan that incorporates heatwave preparedness measures. Services are expected to be prepared for periods of hot weather from 1 June to mid-September each year.

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