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 potential merits of introducing legislation equivalent to New Zealand’s Retirement Villages Act 2003 to support the growth of the Integrated Retirement Community sector in the UK.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market and we will continue to consider this issue as we develop our long-term housing strategy.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce report including in relation to specialist accommodation for older people.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the original expected completion date was for all prisons currently scheduled for (a) construction and (b) expansion.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Under the previous Government, 20,000 additional prison places were planned for delivery by the mid-2020s. By July 2024, c.6,000 of these places had been delivered. As set out in the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government has committed to delivering the remaining 14,000 places and aims to do so by 2031, with the expectation that they will become operational by 2032. We are on track to meet this target, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the expected completion date is for all prisons currently scheduled for (a) construction and (b) expansion.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Under the previous Government, 20,000 additional prison places were planned for delivery by the mid-2020s. By July 2024, c.6,000 of these places had been delivered. As set out in the 10-year Prison Capacity Strategy, this Government has committed to delivering the remaining 14,000 places and aims to do so by 2031, with the expectation that they will become operational by 2032. We are on track to meet this target, having already delivered c.2,600 since taking office.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered moving the uprating of excise duty from Retail Price Index to Consumer Prices Index.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government confirms tax rates and thresholds annually. In some cases, reflecting the government’s economic and fiscal objectives, they are uprated to account for inflation.

The Office for National Statistics, regulated by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), produces a range of inflation statistics. The most widely used estimates of inflation, both by Government and the private sector, are the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) and the Retail Prices Index (RPI)

The Government agrees with UKSA that RPI has flaws, and at times overstates and at times understates changes in prices. RPI’s shortcomings are well-documented. In 2013, as a result of flaws in the way it is measured, RPI lost its status as a National Statistic. Since 2010 the Government has been reducing its use of RPI and has committed to not introduce any new uses of RPI. Further moves away from RPI are complex and more work is required to understand the costs and benefits of any changes.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the tobacco excise regime on smoking prevalence since 2021.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates make tobacco less affordable and are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS survey on adult smoking habits 2023 can be found here.

Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to (a) reduce and (b) freeze tobacco excise duty.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 per cent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. This is part of the Government’s focus on health prevention and to continue our drive to reduce smoking prevalence.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Office for Budget Responsibility has made an assessment of the potential impact of levels of tobacco duty on smoking prevalence statistics.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Tobacco duty aims to both raise revenue and reduce harm to public health by discouraging smoking. High duty rates make tobacco less affordable and are a proven way to reduce smoking prevalence and have helped reduce the percentage of adult smokers in the UK from 26% in 2000 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS survey on adult smoking habits 2023 can be found here.

Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of alleged Iranian interference in the UK charity sector through (a) Dar Alhekma and (b) the Abrar Islamic Foundation.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports that Al-Ikhlas Education Centre in Willesden hosted Scout meetings.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Charity Commission on reports of Iranian interference in the UK charity sector.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has considered the potential merits of moving the uprating of excise duty from RPI to CPI to help reduce inflation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 13 November 2025 to PQ UIN 88538.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates her Department has made of the potential effect of increases in indirect taxation on the rate of inflation, with particular reference to the impact of increases in tobacco duty; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the Institute for Fiscal Studies' estimate that cumulative increases in indirect taxation since the last Budget have added 0.4 percentage points to the current inflation rate.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Forecasting the economy, including the effect of Government policy decisions on inflation, is the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR set out its assessment of policy measures in its Autumn Budget 2024 forecast and will update this analysis, drawing on the latest outturn data, at its next forecast next week on 26 November. The Chancellor has asked departments to prioritise reducing inflation when developing policies for the Autumn Budget, ensuring decisions support stability and long-term growth.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Chair of Ofcom is independent from His Majesty’s Government.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based.

The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.

The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the specification and criteria for the next Chair of Ofcom.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based.

The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.

The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is compliant with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based.

The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.

The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what representations her Department has received on candidates to be the next Chair of Ofcom.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based.

The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.

The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2025

Mission Marigold

Found: Douglas McAllister (Labour; West Dunbartonshire) Susan Murray (Liberal Democrat; Mid Dunbartonshire) Jack Rankin

Found: I will pass to Jack Rankin, who I believe would like to declare an interest.

Found: Maureen Burke; Dave Doogan; Lillian Jones; Mr Angus MacDonald; Douglas McAllister; Susan Murray; Jack Rankin

In Scotland, as in other parts of the UK, concerns have been raised about how high streets and town centres are changing. Scotland’s high streets face multiple challenges, and many have been described as being in ‘decline’. However, possible new models for resilient and thriving high streets are emerging, while there continues to be interest in community-led regeneration. This inquiry will engage with local communities and other stakeholders to explore what a positive vision for the future of Scottish high streets and town centres might look like, and to examine what role government might play in making this vision a reality.

Reliable digital infrastructure is essential for enabling economic growth, public service delivery and social inclusion—especially in Scotland’s rural and island communities. These areas often face unique challenges due to geographic isolation and low population density, which can make the rollout of broadband and mobile networks more complex and costly. This inquiry will explore how digital connectivity can be improved across Scotland, and whether current UK and Scottish Government initiatives are delivering for the communities that need them most.