Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the National Underground Asset Register will enter full operational service on 1 January 2026 for safe digging and what formal safety and risk assessments the Department has received in relation to NUAR, including from the Health and Safety Executive and trade unions.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) is operational now, and in January 2026 all of its core functionality for use in street works will be in place. Development and continuous improvement will continue beyond this point, informed by user feedback. NUAR has been developed to give undertakers standardised, efficient access to asset information for carrying out street works. Feedback from users demonstrate that NUAR already delivers major improvements over existing processes for gathering information about buried utilities. No centralised risk assessment has been delivered as each organisation remains responsible for determining how NUAR fits into its safe working practices and for conducting any necessary risk assessments and ensuring that relevant guidance is adhered to. We will be carrying out a robust programme of monitoring and evaluation which will review multiple indicators to understand the impact of NUAR on safe working practices.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of integrating the National Underground Asset Register with existing safe digging services such as LinesearchbeforeUDig on levels of safety.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We have conducted a discovery project and testing phase to investigate the potential to broaden access to information held in NUAR, and through other channels, including via third-party access. The outputs of this will be communicated to the sector in due course, and we remain committed to ensuring that this information remains secure and available free at the point of use for authorised street works users.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data her Department holds on (a) underground asset strikes and (b) asset strikes in areas where the National Underground Asset Register has been operating in the past five years; and whether her Department has made an assessment of NUAR’s anticipated future underground strike rate compared with existing industry systems.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology does not currently hold data on asset strikes, including in areas where NUAR has been operational. It is important to note that, over the past five years, NUAR has progressed through several delivery phases across different regions, starting as a pilot in Northeast England and Greater London and moving to public beta in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in June 2025, and up to this date, user access was restricted to manage demand as the service evolved.
An impact assessment was published on 24 October 2024 as part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. This included estimates of NUAR’s effect on strike rates and was rated as fit for purpose by the Regulatory Policy Committee.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will take steps to ensure that suitable provision is made for uninsured historical liabilities that succeeding authorities may inherit following reorganisation; and if his Department will provide guidance to local authorities to support this process.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which ensure smooth transfer to new unitary councils.
These general regulations provide transitional and supplementary arrangements, so that the councils can undertake specific functions to enable a successful move to the single tier of local government. The provisions relate to continuity of services and functions, staffing, local authority plans and schemes, transfer of assets, property and reserves.
It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets and they should ensure funding decisions are prudent and represent value for money. The Government expects local government reorganisation deliver better value for money for taxpayers, saving money that can be reinvested in front line services.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide local authorities with flexibility in applying the provisions of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or Procurement Act 2023 during periods of local government reorganisation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 which ensure smooth transfer to new unitary councils.
These general regulations provide transitional and supplementary arrangements, so that the councils can undertake specific functions to enable a successful move to the single tier of local government. The provisions relate to continuity of services and functions, staffing, local authority plans and schemes, transfer of assets, property and reserves.
It is the responsibility of councils to manage their budgets and they should ensure funding decisions are prudent and represent value for money. The Government expects local government reorganisation deliver better value for money for taxpayers, saving money that can be reinvested in front line services.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office and its subcontractor are paying above market rates to hire Houses in Multiple Occupation for asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as the Home Office continues to identify a range of options to minimise the use of hotels and ensure better use of public money, whilst maintaining sufficient accommodation to meet demand.
The procurement process is guided by principles of sustainability and measured growth, ensuring that accommodation is not only available but also suitable for long-term use and integrated within local communities.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 4 of the Autumn Budget 2025, HC1492, 26 November 2025, if he will publish the evidential basis for the claim that there would be a £250 million saving from reducing the number of councillors by 5000.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government is committed to cutting the cost of politics.
The £250 million figure was calculated based on estimated savings from the potential reduction in local councillors through Local Government Reorganisation and from the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners
For councillors, this is based on £120 million of savings through a potential reduction in the number of councillors by 5,000. The Government estimated savings on councillor expenditure of £40 million per year from 2028/2029 when new unitarity councils are due to be established, through to the end of the fiscal forecast period in 2030/31.
Our estimates are based on the range of councillors and number of new authorities post-reorganisation based on the proposals and initial plans under discussion in local areas, the announced approach for reorganisation in Surrey, as well as the Local Government Boundary Commission 2024/25 data on councillor numbers and sampling councillor expenditure from current upper and lower tier authorities. Our estimates are rounded mid-points as the exact figures will naturally depend on decisions on which, if any, proposals for reorganisation are implemented.
The remaining £130 million is based on estimated net savings from the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners over 5 years.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to page 122 of the OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, November 2025, CP1439, 26 November 2025, what is her department’s estimated spending on asylum in 2024-25 and each year of the Spending Review.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum support spend in FY 2024/25 was £4.0 billion and for 2025/26 the budget is £3.6 billion. As per the Spending Review, by FY 2028/29, we plan to reduce this by £1.1 billion, bringing the total spend down to £2.5 billion. The allocations process is ongoing to profile this expenditure and confirm budgets for each year, which will then be published in the Main Estimate.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2025, to Question 89453, on Deputy Prime Minister: Admiralty House, for what reason the second homes premium was billed in July when it had been introduced in from 1 April 2025.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The issuing of council tax bills is a matter for the relevant billing authority.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has provided any support to the Sanctuary City and Sanctuary Council movement since July 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
After reasonable checks, the Home Office does not seem to have supported either organisation mentioned.