Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding arrangements for local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.

For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to cover the remaining local authority share of high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits beyond 2025-26.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.

For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to help address local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.

For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the (i) interest rate, for example to CPI, for existing student loan borrowers and (ii) maximum period before student loans are written off for existing borrowers on the public finances.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Reducing the interest rate charged to existing student loan borrowers would lead to reduced future repayments due to some borrowers paying off their loans faster, and therefore represent a cost to the public purse.

Increasing the maximum period before student loans are written off for existing borrowers would generate a saving for public finances due to additional repayments being made by borrowers who would otherwise have had their loans written off.

Plan 5 loans were introduced by the previous government for new undergraduate students starting courses from the 2023/24 academic year onwards and, compared to the Plan 2 loans they replaced, combine reduced interest rates with a ten year extension to the loan repayment term and a lower repayment threshold. Impacts were published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of backlog in maintenance and urgent repairs across its overseas estate.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any overseas diplomatic properties are (a) under-occupied and (b) not used for front-line diplomatic and consular activity.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of whether the adequacy of levels of investment in overseas diplomatic property.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the condition of its overseas estate on the delivery of diplomatic and consular functions.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many urgent repairs were requested across Foreign Office assets abroad in each year since 2015.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what is the total estimated cost of maintaining its assets overseas in each year since 2021.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any overseas assets are currently vacant.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the estimated value of property owned by her Department overseas was in each year since 2021.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the value of property it owns overseas.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) continually reviews its global estate to maintain a world-class platform for promoting UK interests and maximising value for British taxpayers' money. On the specific questions raised by the Hon Member, I refer him to the extensive evidence gathered by the Public Accounts Committee during its recent inquiry into the cost of maintaining the UK's diplomatic estate, and to the official FCDO response to the Committee's report, both available at this link: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/9099/Cost-of-maintaining-the-FCDO-s-overseas-estate/publications

90th anniversary of the Spitfire

British couple detained in Iran

Review of the student loan system

Nuclear Regulatory Review and habitats regulations