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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new properties were covered by FloodRe in the last twelve months.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In 2024/25, Flood Re provided cover for over 346,000 household policies. Of these, 30% of the policies ceded to Flood Re in the financial year to 31 March 2025 had not previously been ceded to the Scheme. In total, 650,000 properties have benefited since the scheme’s launch. Flood Re publish these figures annually in their annual report.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many properties are covered by FloodRe.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In 2024/25, Flood Re provided cover for over 346,000 household policies. Of these, 30% of the policies ceded to Flood Re in the financial year to 31 March 2025 had not previously been ceded to the Scheme. In total, 650,000 properties have benefited since the scheme’s launch. Flood Re publish these figures annually in their annual report.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she can disclose how much additional risk the Flood Re scheme is underwriting this year than it was when it launched; and whether she holds any information about the sustainability of those trendlines through to 2039.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In its first operational year (2016/17), the Flood Re scheme’s Liability Limit was £2.1 billion and 127,326 policies were ceded to the scheme. By 2024/25, 346,200 policies were ceded and from 1 April 2025, the Liability Limit reset to £3.2 billion for three years, with annual Consumer Price Index adjustments thereafter.

The Liability Limit is set for successive three-year periods and reviewed ongoingly by the Scheme Administrator, Flood Re Ltd, to ensure alignment with the Flood Reinsurance (Scheme and Scheme Administrator Designation) Regulations 2015. Flood Re Ltd monitors risk exposure and sustainability as part of its statutory obligations. Its future trajectory, including sustainability through to 2039, is based on ceding forecasts, their risk levels and a prudent margin for uncertainty.

Flood Re must also publish a Transition Plan every five years, outlining how it will move towards a market with affordable flood insurance without the need for the scheme after 2039.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how his Department plans to assess local government reorganisation proposals; and whether those proposals will be assessed against the guidance set out in the letter sent by the former Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution to the leaders of two-tier councils in Oxfordshire on 5 February 2025.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government received final proposals for the invitation area of Oxfordshire on 28 November and will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, proposal to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area, including Oxfordshire, will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

All public bodies, including the Government and local authorities, are required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. This duty applies to the local government reorganisation process.

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 ensure that decisions relating to local government reorganisation meet public sector equality duties.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government received final proposals for the invitation area of Oxfordshire on 28 November and will launch a statutory consultation before deciding which, if any, proposal to implement. Decisions on the most appropriate option for each area, including Oxfordshire, will be judgements in the round, having regard to the statutory guidance and the available evidence.

All public bodies, including the Government and local authorities, are required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. This duty applies to the local government reorganisation process.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of international progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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

Before the Paris Agreement policies put the world on track for up to 4°C of warming by 2100. The latest Emissions Gap Report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), published in October 2025, estimates that current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) put the world on course for 2.3°C to 2.5°C, or 1.9°C if all countries meet their NDC and net zero commitments in full.

Following COP30, the UK will continue to push for greater ambition globally to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to increase capacity and resources in community schools, to accommodate pupils transferring from the private to comprehensive school sector in the last year.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the hon. Member for Witney to the answer of 30 October 2025 to Question 81701.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to help specialist independent SEND schools remain open in in response to independent school closures in the last year.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Independent special schools are private enterprises. Local authorities have the discretion to make support, training and resources available to them. As private enterprises, the proprietor of the school is responsible for its financial viability.

The department recognises that independent special schools can play an important role in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, particularly in meeting highly complex needs and building capacity in the system. Independent special schools should be part of local authorities’ strategic planning of SEND provision, and the department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient school places for children that need them.

Where a pupil’s place in a private school is funded by the local authority because the private school is named in the pupil’s education, health and care plan, the local authority is able to reclaim the VAT they are charged on the fees of these pupils via the Section 33 VAT Act 1994 Refund Scheme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of costs for the haulage industry.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Department for Transport regularly engages with road haulage industry associations and wider industry to understand the financial challenges faced by the sector.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking to press for international journalists to be allowed into Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 21 October in response to Question HL10542, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

Journalists and media workers play an important role in sharing the devastating reality of war with the global public and the Government opposes all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. On 21 August, the UK joined a Media Freedom Coalition statement urging Israel to allow immediate media access to independent foreign media and afford protection for journalists working in Gaza.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking to help ensure civilians who need to leave Gaza for urgent medical treatment are able to be evacuated.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on the Middle East, made to the House on 18 November.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what action the Government is taking to ensure sufficient humanitarian aid is entering Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on the Middle East, made to the House on 18 November.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department has taken with the Secretary of State for Defence to help tackle LGBTQ+ discrimination in the armed forces.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is committed to supporting LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces, including through engagement with our LGBT networks, same-sex marriages in military chapels and involvement with major Pride events.

We are also implementing all 49 of Lord Etherton’s recommendations to right the historic wrong of LGBT people being banned from service in the armed forces.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase skills and training opportunities for HGV drivers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 26 November to question 92492.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to requirements for EPC certificates on properties used as short term holiday lets.

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

The recent consultation on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector sought views on whether short-term lets should be included in the scope of our proposals for rented homes to achieve Energy Performance Certificate C or equivalent by 2030, to help ensure a consistent standard across all private rented properties.

No final decisions have been made, and the government has proposed to maintain a range of exemptions available to landlords to ensure that required investment is fair and proportionate. Government remains committed to taking an evidence-based approach and will consider the balance between supporting tourism and reaching our net zero goals.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to publish the findings of the consultation on Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.

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

The consultation on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector closed on 2nd May and a government response will be published in due course.

Found: • Deirdre Costigan: St Patrick’s Day and Northern Irish Affairs • Dame Siobhain McDonagh and Charlie Maynard

Found: Chair) Lewis Atkinson (Labour; Sunderland Central) Helena Dollimore (Labour; Hastings and Rye) Charlie Maynard

Found: 5th Report - Charlie Maynard HC 1570 Report

Found: Charlie Maynard - Written evidence Report

Found: Charlie Maynard - Oral evidence Report

Found: Chair) Lewis Atkinson (Labour; Sunderland Central) Helena Dollimore (Labour; Hastings and Rye) Charlie Maynard

Found: Chair) Lewis Atkinson (Labour; Sunderland Central) Helena Dollimore (Labour; Hastings and Rye) Charlie Maynard

Found: Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Charlie Maynard and Mike Wood.Simon Hoare and Ben Lake made representations.

Found: Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths; Sonia Kumar; Justin Madders; Charlie Maynard

Found: Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths; Sonia Kumar; Justin Madders; Charlie Maynard

Found: Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths; Sonia Kumar; Justin Madders; Charlie Maynard

Found: Aldridge; Antonia Bance; John Cooper; Sarah Edwards; Alison Griffiths; Sonia Kumar; Justin Madders; Charlie Maynard

The Business and Trade Committee is exploring issues impacting competition and market functioning within the UK’s live music industry, including the role of the CMA in regulation of the sector. This work is following on from oral evidence sessions held on 4 February and 24 June 2025. The Committee is seeking written submissions on the characteristics, features and trends within the UK live music industry that may adversely impact market competition or market functioning.