Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 54 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth, published on 8 September 2025, when he plans to issue updated procedures to enable the use of the (a) Crown Development and (b) Urgent Crown Development routes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Crown Development planning regulations in England came into force on 1 May 2025. The government has no current plans to change those regulations.
The reference to updated procedures in the Defence Industrial Strategy relates to how the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Ministry of Defence will work together when the latter identifies potential applications for Crown development routes. Further details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the scope of the College of British Diplomacy will be.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 October to Question 79228.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding her Department has allocated for the establishment of the College of British Diplomacy.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 October to Question 79228.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she plans to establish the College of British Diplomacy.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 20 October to Question 79228.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to p.45 of the Defence Industrial Strategy: Making Defence an Engine for Growth (CP 1388), where the five new Defence Technical Excellence Colleges will be located.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
A £182 million defence skills package was announced at the start of September 2025 in the Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to make defence an engine for national renewal and economic growth, harnessing the skills needed for the future, from submarine engineers to specialist welders. The package centres on establishing five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges (DTECs), training people in the skills needed to secure new defence jobs in this growing industry.
DTECs will be in England. The exact locations are yet to be determined and will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. All further education (FE) colleges that are part of the statutory FE sector in England will be able to apply, subject to meeting specific eligibility criteria, to be released in due course. The selection process for these Technical Excellence Colleges will start by the end of 2025, with delivery planned to begin from April 2026. Further details will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the guidance entitled Digital ID scheme: explainer, published on 26 September 2025, from which database will the digital ID validate (a) identity, (b) age, (c) residency and (d) a photo.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government has announced plans for a new national digital identity credential to be available to UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. This will make it easier for people to securely access the services they are entitled to, where they want to, while also helping to prevent illegal working and deter illegal migration. Employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new digital ID by the end of this parliament.
We recognise the importance of both cybersecurity and privacy. We will consult and engage on the practical operation of the scheme, and the data structures underpinning it, as it is developed. The data for the digital ID scheme will be federated, as doing so is good practice for things like this. That means most data will stay where it is already safely stored, such as in HM Passport Office or other government departments, and only joined up if and when needed.
Following the Machinery of Government changes of 23/10/2025 policy responsibility now sits with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which legacy systems will be (a) decommissioned and (b) replaced following the completion of the Data Futures Project.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.
The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.
Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.
The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken recent steps to expand the Data Futures Project.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.
The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.
Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.
The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what subset of border movements are affected by the Data Futures Project.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Data Futures Programme is led by the Office for Students (OfS) in collaboration with sector partners. The programme is primarily focused on enhancing data collection and reporting within the higher education sector.
The programme is not directly managed by the department, and its scope and development are matters for the OfS. The department maintains an interest in its progress and continues to engage with relevant stakeholders as appropriate.
Decisions regarding system changes or replacements in relation to the programme fall under the remit of the OfS and its delivery partners. The department does not hold specific information on system decommissioning linked to the programme. Any consideration of its relevance to operational data, including border movements, would be subject to further engagement with the OfS and other responsible bodies.
The OfS, in collaboration with delivery partners including Jisc, are working to implement recommendations highlighted in the Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) review published in January 2025.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many independent schools have been bought by Chinese-registered companies since 5 July 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department does not hold data on investment in or ownership of private schools.