Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to fund infrastructure to support the logistics industry.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This Government is taking signification action on infrastructure used by logistics.

National support for the road haulage industry includes joint investment with industry in lorry parking and driver welfare facilities of up to £35.7 million. This is in addition to up to £30 million joint investment by National Highways and industry to improve lorry parking on the strategic road network (SRN). The Government is also investing £25 billion in the SRN over the next 5 years.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government committed a further £891 million to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, to enable the private sector to take forward construction and long-term operation. The most significant road building scheme in a generation, this will relieve congestion at the Dartford Crossing, improve connectivity across the UK and to major ports, improving resilience and reliability for freight.

To support decarbonisation, the Government has invested up to £120 million in the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator, alongside up to £30 million in the Depot Charging Scheme. The Plug‑in Truck Grant also helps reduce the upfront cost of zero‑emission HGVs.

The recent Spending Review saw average annual funding increase for the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline over the next four years which will support rail freight growth.

My department is updating planning and regulatory processes for ports, including the National Policy Statement for Ports. The Government is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Private Finance Initiative contracts include index‑linked payment mechanisms; and what the estimated additional cost has been as a result of inflation over the last five years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will publish the new assessment of the financial impact of estate management charges on homeowners, and when this assessment is expected to be completed.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the requirement for estate managers to produce an annual report containing financial and non‑financial information will come into force.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to improve data collection on the operation, costs, and performance of private estate management companies.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms for homeowners challenging estate management charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria he will use to determine when substitute managers may be appointed in cases of serious failure by estate management companies.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce private estate management arrangements on new housing developments.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make it mandatory for local authorities to adopt certain shared facilities on new housing estates.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to make resident‑controlled management the default model for new freehold estates.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of homeowners in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency at risk of (a) losing access to homes and (b) having a lease imposed due to unpaid estate rent charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to introduce standardised information requirements for estate management charges.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to end puppy farming.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is committed to ending puppy farming and the low welfare breeding of dogs. As part of the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government has committed to launch a consultation on dog breeding reform.

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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether his reforms will support council house construction in (a) Thurrock and (b) Basildon.

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

The government is taking action to support all local authorities, including those in Thurrock and Basildon, to increase their levels of council housing construction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to launch the consultation on banning the use of electric shock collars.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government is concerned about the possible welfare implications of the use of electric shock collars.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, we will consult on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars later in this Parliament.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has reviewed opportunities to (a) renegotiate, (b) buy out and (c) reduce the long‑term cost of Private Finance Initiative contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the financial resilience and tax arrangements of companies holding Private Finance Initiative contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of payments under Private Finance Initiative contracts in the last financial year related to (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the value for money of Private Finance Initiative and PF2 contracts.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

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 has taken to increase awareness of tenants living in unsafe or unsuitable accommodation of their rights under Rent Repayment Orders.

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

My Department will publish guidance for tenants on how to use Rent Repayment Orders in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the annual cost to the public purse was of active Private Finance Initiative contracts in the most recent financial year for which data is available.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been paid in unitary charges under Private Finance Initiative contracts in each of the last ten financial years.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the projected cost is of Private Finance Initiative and PF2 contracts over their remaining lifetimes.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government’s preferred financing model for any type of infrastructure project is the one that offers the best value for money. Proposals are appraised on a case-by-case basis using the Green Book.

Public sector contracting authorities directly manage Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and are responsible for monitoring and managing their respective contracts to ensure value for money.

Since 2020, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), formerly Infrastructure and Projects Authority, has provided advice and training directly to contracting authorities to support them in navigating issues relating to PFI projects (operational and expiry-related).

PFI payments are made by “unitary charge”, which are not broken down by underlying cost drivers. Therefore, the proportion of payments that are (a) capital repayment, (b) interest and (c) service charges is not readily available, nor is data on costs which have arisen because of inflation and indexing.

Data on PFI and PF2 projects can be found at the following weblink: PFI and PF2 projects: 2024 Summary Data - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the energy efficiency of electric heavy goods vehicles.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Demonstrator programme will report on the impacts of weather, terrain, driver behaviour, and payload on efficiency and range of electric HGVs. Over 150 vehicles are now operational in UK fleets with a further 150 due to enter service by March 2026. A trial of 20 electric HGVs in public sector fleets ran between April 2022 and September 2023 and information including total miles travelled, energy consumption, and vehicle range were published and are available online at http://bett.cenex.co.uk.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many cyber-attacks he estimates have been conducted against One Login in the past three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government does not routinely comment on operational security matters.

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 the Health and Safety Executive's correspondence entitled Potential risks from transfer slabs in buildings, published on 19 December 2025, when he expects the independent research commissioned by the Building Safety Regulator to be completed and published.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is working with industry experts and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to better understand the extent of the risk, and how the risk can be identified and managed proportionately in existing buildings.

BSR is currently working with sector partners to establish what further guidance is needed to help building owners manage this risk. We will be providing further advice to building owners on this.

BSR commissioned independent research in late 2024 relating to transfer slabs. This research is ongoing, and we will publish the outcomes of this research in due course. We will provide further updates via regular BSR bulletins and BSR campaign websites.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional resources will be provided to police forces to enforce tougher penalties for livestock worrying.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department will continue to engage with the police to ensure that they are fully prepared to enforce the new powers introduced by the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025.

The measures will come into effect on 18 March 2026. We will also work closely with the police to monitor how enforcement operates in practice after the measures have come into force.

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 his Department's oral statement of 18 December 2025 on Local Government Reorganisation, whether his Department has made a comparative estimate of the cost of (a) elections in Greater Essex without a mayoral election and (b) both council and mayoral elections.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

No assessment has been made. Spend on council elections is a matter for local authorities and spend on mayoral elections for strategic authorities is a matter for those bodies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the expected savings to each local authority in Essex from the deferment of the Greater Essex Mayoral Elections.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

No assessment has been made. Spend on council elections is a matter for local authorities and spend on mayoral elections for strategic authorities is a matter for those bodies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which public body will oversee mandatory licensing for domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations, including on how such a scheme should be administered, in due course.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the annual cost to the logistics industry of the proposed pay-per-mile electric vehicle charging scheme.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As announced at Budget 2025, the Government is introducing Electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) from April 2028, a new mileage charge for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, recognising that electric vehicles (EVs) contribute to congestion and wear and tear on the roads but pay no equivalent to fuel duty. The taxation of motoring is a critical source of funding for public services and investment in infrastructure.

All UK-registered electric and plug-in hybrid cars will pay eVED. Other vehicle types such as vans, buses, coaches, motorcycles and HGVs will be out of scope of the tax upon its introduction. This is because the transition to electric for these vehicle types is less advanced than for cars at this stage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) foreign and (ii) British sex offenders who have claimed ignorance of the law as a defence in each year since 2020.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold information on whether foreign or British sex offenders claimed ignorance of the law as a defence.

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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether housebuilding targets for Thurrock will be impacted.

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

The government has no plans to amend the Standard Method for assessing housing needs introduced in December 2024.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role local councils will play in the Animal Welfare Strategy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Local councils have long played a vital role in animal welfare, across a wide range of functions. This includes their established responsibilities for animal activity licensing, Zoo Licencing, the management of stray dogs, and supporting compliance with health and welfare standards in farming.

The Animal Welfare Strategy acknowledges and reaffirms this vital role, committing to continued close working with local councils, in developing, implementing and enforcing animal welfare policies.

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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether housebuilding targets for Basildon will be impacted.

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

The government has no plans to amend the Standard Method for assessing housing needs introduced in December 2024.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of livestock worrying on the finances of farming communities.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has taken steps to address the financial impact of livestock worrying on farming communities through the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 December 2025.

The 2025 Act amends the 1953 Act, introducing new measures to tackle the serious issue of livestock worrying, modernising the definitions and scope, strengthening police powers to collect evidence and prosecute offenders, and increasing the maximum penalty from a fine of £1,000 to an “unlimited” fine to act as a deterrent.

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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, whether he plans to bring forward measures ensuring that local people get the opportunity to buy homes first.

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

As set out in the government’s manifesto, we are committed to working with local authorities to give younger buyers the first chance to buy homes in their area. My Department will set out further details in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to publish a consolidated evaluation of digital engagement pilots undertaken by local authorities as part of the PropTech Innovation Fund.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the PropTech Innovation Fund pilots, including the Southampton City Council programme.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to continue or expand the PropTech Innovation Fund to support digital transformation in planning authorities.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK-Italy Young Leaders Programme on the level of UK-Italy trade in the next five years.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Young Leaders Programme was launched in 2023 and aims to strengthen ties between the UK and Italy, the third largest economy in the EU, the UK's 9th largest trading partner, and a key NATO ally. The programme promotes collaboration between young UK and Italian professionals, including in trade and commercial fields, and its 26 participants to date have been evenly split between citizens of the two countries. The UK allocated £20,000 to the programme in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, our selection process is still open for 25/26 and we have allocated £46,500 in 2025/26 to reflect the increasing number of participants and the activities of the alumni network for past participants.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British citizens have participated in the UK-Italy Young Leaders Programme.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Young Leaders Programme was launched in 2023 and aims to strengthen ties between the UK and Italy, the third largest economy in the EU, the UK's 9th largest trading partner, and a key NATO ally. The programme promotes collaboration between young UK and Italian professionals, including in trade and commercial fields, and its 26 participants to date have been evenly split between citizens of the two countries. The UK allocated £20,000 to the programme in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, our selection process is still open for 25/26 and we have allocated £46,500 in 2025/26 to reflect the increasing number of participants and the activities of the alumni network for past participants.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the annual cost is to the public purse of the UK-Italy Young Leaders Programme.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Young Leaders Programme was launched in 2023 and aims to strengthen ties between the UK and Italy, the third largest economy in the EU, the UK's 9th largest trading partner, and a key NATO ally. The programme promotes collaboration between young UK and Italian professionals, including in trade and commercial fields, and its 26 participants to date have been evenly split between citizens of the two countries. The UK allocated £20,000 to the programme in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, our selection process is still open for 25/26 and we have allocated £46,500 in 2025/26 to reflect the increasing number of participants and the activities of the alumni network for past participants.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make his policy to publish the number of electors for each street.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government has no plans to make it its policy to publish the number of electors for each street.

Electoral registers are maintained by local authority Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to users of a Regulated Asset Base model for the Lower Thames Crossing.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The road user charging regime for the Lower Thames Crossing has not yet been set. The exact level of charges that are appropriate and how this interacts with the level of private investment will be the subject of future analysis and has not yet been finalised.

Charges are necessary to cover the costs of providing the infrastructure, whether funded publicly or privately. Regulatory oversight will ensure transparency, fair pricing, and performance standards throughout the life of the asset to promote financial sustainability and user interests.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what milestones remain before the full funding package for the Lower Thames Crossing is confirmed.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Chancellor committed a further £891m to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing, the final tranche of Government support to enable the private sector to take forward construction and long-term operation.

There are a number of key activities to complete before the project is taken forward by investors, each with its own milestones. These activities include, for example, providing the project with the necessary legislative powers, enabling the appropriate regulation and devising and running a competitive process to attract investors whilst driving value for money for users. These will take place alongside the activities on the essential early works and utilities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the risk of construction cost overruns for the Lower Thames Crossing would be borne by (a) taxpayers and (b) private investors under the Regulated Asset Base model.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model, which is the preferred financing option for the Lower Thames Crossing, is designed to reduce taxpayer exposure to funding risks. Regulatory oversight ensures transparency, fair pricing, and performance standards throughout the life of the asset to promote financial sustainability and user interests. The precise risk allocation for construction cost overruns between users, private investors and contractors has not yet been finalised and is subject to further development but will be primarily based on precedents from other projects undertaken through RAB models.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the risk posed by potholes to vulnerable road users, including a) cyclists and b) motorcyclists.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There have not been specific Department for Transport assessments on the risks posed by potholes to vulnerable road users, or on the relationship between road surface conditions and road traffic accidents.

However, the Government recognises that defective road surfaces, including potholes, can present significant safety risks to vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists. Local highway authorities have a statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain their road networks and must consider the needs of vulnerable groups when planning and delivering maintenance programmes.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have made available an additional £500 million for local highways maintenance this financial year, and have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for the next four years. These funding increases will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

On Active Travel schemes where Active Travel England has been requested to inspect or assess existing layouts, available metrics can be used to score the scheme based on surface quality.

It is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the relationship between road surface condition and road traffic accidents.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

There have not been specific Department for Transport assessments on the risks posed by potholes to vulnerable road users, or on the relationship between road surface conditions and road traffic accidents.

However, the Government recognises that defective road surfaces, including potholes, can present significant safety risks to vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists. Local highway authorities have a statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain their road networks and must consider the needs of vulnerable groups when planning and delivering maintenance programmes.

The Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have made available an additional £500 million for local highways maintenance this financial year, and have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for the next four years. These funding increases will enable local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.

On Active Travel schemes where Active Travel England has been requested to inspect or assess existing layouts, available metrics can be used to score the scheme based on surface quality.

It is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate road safety interventions, based on their knowledge of local conditions and the needs of their communities.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received from (a) Thurrock, (b) Basildon, (c) Essex County Council and (d) other south Essex councils requesting financial support to improve the strategic road network in (i) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and (ii) Essex.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Essex County Council, Colchester City Council, Chelmsford City Council, Braintree District Council, Tendring District Council, Maldon District Council and Brentwood Borough Council wrote to the Secretary of State about the benefits of the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, and the role it could potentially have played in any future upgrade of the A120 from Braintree to Marks Tey. However, as announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded, therefore the Secretary of State had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 widening scheme. The Department will continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore potential small-scale interventions that could address issues on the A12 to support housing growth.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to reclassify crimes against churches as hate crimes.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians and Christian places of worship.

Churches occupy a valuable position in society through their access to citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups and this Government is committed to protecting individuals' right to practise their religion freely at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer.

The Government has extended the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme for 2025/26, which gives grants towards VAT paid on repairs and renovations to the nation's listed sites of worship across the UK, which includes churches. Churches are also eligible for funded protective security measures through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. This scheme offers physical security enhancements, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing.

Crimes against churches can already be recorded as hate crimes. Any religiously aggravated criminal damage is an offence under section 30 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, carrying a higher maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment. An offence is considered religiously aggravated, if at or around the time of committing the offence, the offender demonstrates hostility towards a religious group, therefore, including any crimes against churches.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that businesses operating in high‑risk sectors are aware of the foreign bribery indicators published by the Serious Fraud Office and Five Eyes partners.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The government takes foreign bribery risks seriously and is committed to helping businesses identify and prevent them. This is why in December 2025, this government published the new UK Anti-Corruption Strategy. The strategy seeks to bring more corrupt actors to justice, prevents them benefitting from their illicit wealth, tackles vulnerabilities to corruption at home and builds resilience overseas. It also commits to helping UK businesses to combat bribery through the Serious Fraud Office’s crime prevention capability and a new online anti bribery resource collection for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Serious Fraud Office, working with its Five Eyes partners, has published indicators to help businesses recognise potential bribery risks. These indicators are available on the Serious Fraud Office website.

The Department for Business and Trade supports this work by signposting guidance to high-risk sectors and encouraging businesses to embed these indicators into their compliance and due diligence processes.

The government will continue to work with enforcement agencies and international partners to raise awareness and strengthen the UK’s approach to preventing foreign bribery, in line with the OECD Working Group on Bribery recommendations.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value of a) grants and b) other forms of financial assistance to charities working in the immigration sector was in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government publishes data on grant funding annually in the Government grants register on gov.uk.

Grant funding for the period 2023/24 is publicly available. Grants funding data for 2024/25 will be published in March 2026. Grants funding data for 2025/26 is scheduled for publication in March 2027.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that animal rescue and rehoming centres are subject to the same licensing requirements as other animal-related establishments.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure consistent animal welfare standards in animal rescue and rehoming centres.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to date has been of Private Finance Initiative contracts for transport infrastructure projects.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government's Spending on Private Finance Initiative contracts is published annually by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfi-and-pf2-projects-2024-summary-data.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the stakeholders her Department consulted in developing the Animal Welfare Strategy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December and sets out our priorities for animal welfare, focusing on the changes and improvements the department aim to achieve by 2030.

The Animal Welfare Strategy has been developed in conjunction with key stakeholders including representatives of the companion, wild companion, wild animal and farming sectors along with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and those involved in enforcement. The department has held roundtable discussions on priorities whilst working to understand the underlying issues that lead to poor welfare. The department also received input from a wide range of other interested parties. Defra will continue to engage with stakeholders as we deliver on the strategy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the quantity of Venezuelan drug exports prevented from being smuggled to the UK in each year since 2020.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities. Cocaine is smuggled into the UK via a number of different routes and methodologies, which frequently change in response to international law enforcement activity. The Home Office does not publish data by country of origin. Since the beginning of 2020, Border Force, across England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have seized the following amounts of cocaine from overseas:

The National Crime Agency’s National Strategic Assessment 2025 on Drugs provides further detail on cocaine flows and can be found here - NSA 2025 - Drugs - National Crime Agency.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the quantity of Venezuelan drug exports smuggled into the UK in each year since 2020.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Drug misuse can have a devastating impact on the safety, productivity, and health and wellbeing of our communities. Cocaine is smuggled into the UK via a number of different routes and methodologies, which frequently change in response to international law enforcement activity. The Home Office does not publish data by country of origin. Since the beginning of 2020, Border Force, across England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have seized the following amounts of cocaine from overseas:

The National Crime Agency’s National Strategic Assessment 2025 on Drugs provides further detail on cocaine flows and can be found here - NSA 2025 - Drugs - National Crime Agency.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to support churches which have been damaged through criminal activity.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable, including that directed at Christians and Christian places of worship.

Churches occupy a valuable position in society through their access to citizens, their role within local communities and their good relationships with other faith groups and this Government is committed to protecting individuals' right to practise their religion freely at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer.

The Government has extended the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme for 2025/26, which gives grants towards VAT paid on repairs and renovations to the nation's listed sites of worship across the UK, which includes churches. Churches are also eligible for funded protective security measures through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. This scheme offers physical security enhancements, such as CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing.

Crimes against churches can already be recorded as hate crimes. Any religiously aggravated criminal damage is an offence under section 30 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, carrying a higher maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment. An offence is considered religiously aggravated, if at or around the time of committing the offence, the offender demonstrates hostility towards a religious group, therefore, including any crimes against churches.

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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, if he will set out the conflicting policies that his Department will over-ride.

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

The reference in question relates to the proposed transitional arrangements for implementing changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, on which the government is currently consulting.

Details of the proposed transitional arrangements are set out in Annex A of the draft text on which we are consulting.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total expected value is of the media strategy, planning, and buying contract awarded to WPP Media; and what estimated cost savings will result from reducing the number of suppliers under the new agreement.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

WPP Media has been awarded a place on Lot 1 of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) RM6364 Media and Creative Services agreement.

The agreement, managed by CCS, will play an important role in ensuring that the UK public receives clear, accurate, and authoritative information from the government. By uniting media planning and buying under a single agency, the government will streamline its work to reach target audiences more effectively across diverse platforms. This consolidation is designed to drive value, improve operational efficiency, and ensure more effective media buying for every pound of public money spent.

Spend and related savings will be determined by individual public sector bodies based on their specific requirements.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what performance indicators will be used to evaluate WPP Media’s provision of media planning and buying services across Government; and how often performance will be reviewed.

Answered by Chris Ward - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Crown Commercial Service reviews framework-level performance on a quarterly basis, including pricing commitments, financial transparency, social value delivery, and client satisfaction.

Individual departments are responsible for managing day-to-day performance and specific service-level agreements for their own call-off contracts.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Northwood Declaration: 10 July 2025 (UK-France joint nuclear statement), what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of that declaration on UK nuclear operations and cooperation with France.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The United Kingdom and France remain two sovereign nuclear-weapon states. Our respective nuclear forces and decision-making processes are independent, while we each retain the ability to act independently of each other, we can co-ordinate our deterrents should the situation demand it. It will remain the case that only the Prime Minister can authorise the firing of the UK’s nuclear weapons.

Deepening nuclear co-operation between the UK and France improves our ability to work together in times of crisis and strengthens our existing commitments to our Allies in an uncertain and dangerous world. The possibility of coordination between our independent centres of decision-making will enhance deterrence by further complicating the calculations of adversaries.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that enhanced focus on skills results in long-term employment outcomes for claimants.

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

The government’s ‘Post 16 Education and Skills White Paper’, published in October last year at Post-16 education and skills white paper - GOV.UK, set out the plan to give people the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, support growth across the country, and drive national renewal.

My Department recognises the importance of essential skills, (such as training in English, Mathematics and Digital skills) which are particularly relevant for unemployed claimants, for seeking and staying in work. The White Paper indicates the intention to review our adult essential skills offers to ensure it includes the skills most relevant to support progression into employment, education and training. In addition, we have developed foundation apprenticeships, offering a structured, supported route into skilled employment for young people who might otherwise be left behind. Also, through Local Get Britain Working plans we will support the development of a thriving labour market where everyone has the opportunity for good work, to get on in work and where we increase the current employment rate.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road traffic accidents involved road surface defects as a contributory factor in each of the past three years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The number of reported personal injury road collisions in Great Britain that were assigned the “Poor or defective road surface or deposits on road” road safety factor (RSF) are shown in the table:

Data on road collisions involving personal injury are reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the STATS19 system.

Following the most recent STATS19 review contributory factors (CFs) are being replaced by new road safety factors (RSFs), in some police forces from late 2023 onwards. This has resulted in a break in the time series for some of the data. As a result, we are presenting all data using the RSF specification (direct), but separating out data initially recorded as CFs (converted).

Because of that, the numbers presented are the combination of direct and converted numbers.

Further details can be found in published road safety factors guidance.

STATS19 includes all road collisions involving human death or personal injury occurring on the Highway ('road' in Scotland) and notified to the police within 30 days of occurrence, and in which one or more vehicles are involved, are to be reported. Collisions occurring on private roads (except Royal Parks) or in car parks are not included. Full details of which roads are reportable for STATS19 purposes can be found in the STATS20 guidance available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/road-accident-and-safety-statistics-guidance#data-collection

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a full funding profile for the Lower Thames Crossing, including the split between plans for public and private funding.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Chancellor committed a further £891m at the Autumn Budget 2025 to complete the publicly funded works for the Lower Thames Crossing. This brings the total public investment to £3.1bn, including spend to date. The latest cost assured estimate for the project is c.£10.6bn. The Department will continue to publish information on committed public expenditure for the Lower Thames Crossing through official reporting mechanisms.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled Northwood Declaration: 10 July 2025 (UK-France joint nuclear statement), what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of that declaration on the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The United Kingdom and France remain two sovereign nuclear-weapon states. Our respective nuclear forces and decision-making processes are independent, while we each retain the ability to act independently of each other, we can co-ordinate our deterrents should the situation demand it. It will remain the case that only the Prime Minister can authorise the firing of the UK’s nuclear weapons.

Deepening nuclear co-operation between the UK and France improves our ability to work together in times of crisis and strengthens our existing commitments to our Allies in an uncertain and dangerous world. The possibility of coordination between our independent centres of decision-making will enhance deterrence by further complicating the calculations of adversaries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 84090: Asylum, whether those charities are consulted on the development of immigration policy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters. Their input is valued; however, external advice is considered advisory and does not determine policy.

Ministers are responsible for setting Home Office policy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of individuals returned to France under the reciprocal agreement are assessed as being at risk of attempting to re-enter the UK.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot period.

Any individual who re-enters the UK illegally may be detained and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal.

The system is working: two individuals who returned to the UK having already been removed were detected, detained, and their cases were expedited for return. We continue to work closely with our French counterparts to ensure that those who are returned under the agreement do not re-enter the UK illegally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99417 on Undocumented Migrants, what steps she is taking to recover individuals who go out of contact with her Department.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has a dedicated tracing capability that works in partnership with the police, other government agencies, and commercial companies to help identify information on a person. Where tracing checks are successful, we will consider the most appropriate intervention, including whether to task an enforcement team to conduct a visit or to set up a suitable immigration reporting regime.

Tracing is just one of the ways in which contact can be re-established. Individuals are also encountered through routine Immigration Enforcement and police activity. In all cases we will consider the most appropriate action, including arrest and detention and possible removal from the United Kingdom. Many individuals who are out of contact may also re-engage with the department voluntarily or decide to leave the UK.

We are committed to improving data quality for illegal migrants to ensure that we restore order and control to our borders. We have already set up teams to review existing areas to streamline processes, improve training and ensure join-up across systems across illegal migration to get the data right first time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant of Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99417: Undocumented Migrants, what steps she is taking to improve the quality of absconder data.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has a dedicated tracing capability that works in partnership with the police, other government agencies, and commercial companies to help identify information on a person. Where tracing checks are successful, we will consider the most appropriate intervention, including whether to task an enforcement team to conduct a visit or to set up a suitable immigration reporting regime.

Tracing is just one of the ways in which contact can be re-established. Individuals are also encountered through routine Immigration Enforcement and police activity. In all cases we will consider the most appropriate action, including arrest and detention and possible removal from the United Kingdom. Many individuals who are out of contact may also re-engage with the department voluntarily or decide to leave the UK.

We are committed to improving data quality for illegal migrants to ensure that we restore order and control to our borders. We have already set up teams to review existing areas to streamline processes, improve training and ensure join-up across systems across illegal migration to get the data right first time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's news story entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 4 August 2025, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the one in, one out scheme to date.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot period.

Any individual who re-enters the UK illegally may be detained and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal.

The system is working: two individuals who returned to the UK having already been removed were detected, detained, and their cases were expedited for return. We continue to work closely with our French counterparts to ensure that those who are returned under the agreement do not re-enter the UK illegally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the reciprocal agreement with France in deterring repeat illegal entry attempts.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot period.

Any individual who re-enters the UK illegally may be detained and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal.

The system is working: two individuals who returned to the UK having already been removed were detected, detained, and their cases were expedited for return. We continue to work closely with our French counterparts to ensure that those who are returned under the agreement do not re-enter the UK illegally.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate their Department has made of the number of collective action proceedings that have been delayed or discontinued as a result of the judgment in R (on the application of PACCAR Inc and others) v Competition Appeal Tribunal and others [2023] UKSC 28 as of 26 July 2023.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department has not made such an estimate. Decisions to delay or discontinue collective action proceedings may be based on several factors, specific to each case.

The Minister of State for Justice set out, in her written statement to the House on 17 December 2025, that the Government intends to take action to mitigate the impact of the 2023 Supreme Court judgment in PACCAR and implement proportionate regulation of third-party litigation funding agreements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant of Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99417: Undocumented Migrants, what steps she is taking to strengthen sanctions against illegal migrants once they have been relocated and detained.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Where an absconder is located, they may be arrested and detained for the purposes of removal. It is generally in the public interest to pursue the removal of those with no permission to be in the UK.

Where detention is not appropriate, a person may be released on immigration bail as an alternative to detention, allowing the Home Office to maintain contact with those who require permission to be in the UK but do not have it whilst a decision is made on their case or pending their removal or deportation.

A person who is subject to immigration bail is required to comply with one or more bail conditions. Conditions may include a requirement to report regularly to the Home Office, to reside at a specific location, to be electronically monitored and a restriction on work. The number and type of immigration bail conditions imposed will vary depending on the circumstances of the individual case. A person who has previously absconded is likely to have more stringent bail conditions imposed.

Where someone fails to comply with their bail conditions, they may be arrested, detained, have their bail conditions varied to be more stringent, or they can be arrested for the criminal offence, which is punishable by a fine or term of imprisonment.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Serious Fraud Office plans to update (a) operational guidance and (b) case selection criteria for foreign bribery cases.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The SFO’s operational guidance and processes are kept under constant review to ensure they continue to meet operational needs. The SFO’s case selection criteria are established in the Director’s Statement of Principle and ensure that the SFO meets its statutory obligations to investigate and prosecute serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption.

The Law Officers have supervisory oversight of the SFO’s work and regularly assess their operational performance. The SFO’s work is also independently reviewed by the HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate to ensure that they are following good practice.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to promote public awareness of the foreign bribery indicators published by the Serious Fraud Office and Five Eyes partners, and to encourage reporting of suspected bribery.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

I regularly report on the work of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) publicly and in Parliament. This includes highlighting new guidance and casework updates published by the SFO and encouraging reporting of crime, including bribery.

The SFO promotes cooperation from business, including the benefits of self-reporting, and the Director and his senior team speak directly to businesses. The SFO routinely engages with the media to promote the SFO’s work and raise awareness of new publications, including the International Foreign Bribery Taskforce’s indicators of foreign bribery.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the scope and timetable are for the Law Commission’s project on the management of housing estates, and how homeowners will be consulted.

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

The government expect the Law Commission to report on this project in 2028.

Further information about the project, including its terms of reference, can be found on the Law Commission's website here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department will introduce humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Since publication of the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing a GB-wide joint government-industry working group on farmed trout has been examining the issues raised in the report. This co-design work has made good progress on exploring potential options for more detailed welfare at killing requirements.

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, we will consult on introducing humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish into legislation in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support farmers transitioning away from pig farrowing crates.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ending the use of farrowing crates is a key priority for this government, as set out in the recently published Animal Welfare Strategy. The Department is therefore committed to working closely with the industry to explore how to transition away from the use of farrowing crates to alternative systems: either flexible farrowing where the sow is confined for the crucial few days around farrowing, or free farrowing where there is no confinement during farrowing or lactation and consult on the transition.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will list the legislative loopholes relating to animal welfare that will be addressed in the Animal Welfare Strategy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December and sets out our priorities for animal welfare, focusing on the changes and improvements we aim to achieve by 2030.

The strategy identifies the need to address loopholes in current legislation allowing animals to be bred in and sourced from low welfare settings – such as puppy farms, unscrupulous traders, and unsuitable rescue and rehoming centres.

We will continue to work in partnership with stakeholders to understand if new or emerging issues are identified.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to require the humane slaughter of all terrestrial animals.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter. There are already detailed protections in legislation to ensure that farmed animals are spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering when being slaughtered.

As set out in the Government’s animal welfare strategy, and following the Animal Welfare Committee’s report on the topic, we will consult on banning the use of carbon dioxide gas stunning of pigs.

We continue to keep animal welfare at the time of killing policy under review and will take into account any new scientific research and evidence which emerges.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that regulations keep pace with emerging evidence on animal welfare.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Science advice is fundamental to good government. The Department benefits from academic expertise in animal welfare through several routes. Alongside its own scientific officers, the Department commissions research and evidence in the field of animal welfare to support policy development. It also receives independent, authoritative, impartial and timely advice through its expert committees, notably the Animal Welfare Committee.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to publish an annual progress report on the implementation of the Animal Welfare Strategy.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Animal Welfare Strategy was published on 22 December and sets out our priorities for animal welfare, focusing on the changes and improvements we aim to achieve by 2030

The Government will monitor progress against the strategy to ensure the outcomes we are seeking to achieve are met; however, we currently do not have any plans to publish an annual progress report. We will continue to work in partnership with key stakeholders, charities, experts, enforcement bodies, and industry from across the different sectors to deliver on the commitments in the strategy and improve the lives of millions of animals. Information and insights from stakeholders will be critical to assess whether policies are delivering on their intended outcomes.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the minutes for any meetings held on Greater Essex's shadow elections scheduled for 2027.

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

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026.

A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation

The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will confirm the timeline for the boundary review for the 2027 Greater Essex shadow elections.

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

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026.

A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation

The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether shadow elections for Greater Essex will proceed as previously planned for 2027.

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

The Government received four reorganisation proposals from Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils on 26 September 2025. On 19 November 2025, we launched a consultation on these proposals which will run for seven weeks until 11 January 2026.

A decision, on which, if any, proposal to implement will follow the closure of the consultation

The Government will work with areas to hold elections for new unitary councils as soon as possible as is the usual arrangement for local government reorganisation. Our desire is that elections will be held to new councils in May 2027 ahead of “go live” for the new structures in 2028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support the provision of (a) apprenticeships, (b) higher education courses and (c) other educational courses to assist recruitment to the logistics industry.

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

The government offers a range of education and training which can be used to support the logistics sector. This includes apprenticeships, such as the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle driver C + E standards, Skills Bootcamps, sector-based work academy programmes and a range of funded qualifications including 26 in logistics and 30 in warehousing and distribution.

The Adult Skills Fund also funds a range of courses to support entry into or progression in the logistics industry. In addition to the costs of training provision, learners can be funded to complete the medical and attain the licence required to become an heavy goods vehicle driver. In areas where the fund has been devolved, to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority, they are responsible for the provision of adult education in their areas.

Higher education institutions are autonomous and responsible for determining the provision they deliver.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of running hybrid engagement processes for local plan consultations on councils.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to issue guidance to local planning authorities on the appropriate use of 3D modelling in local plan and masterplanning processes.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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 support councils in delivering hybrid consultation models combining digital tools with in‑person engagement.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the amount of public money recovered through Rent Repayment Orders for which the latest data is available.

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

No such estimate can currently be made. My Department is in the process of implementing a new mandatory collection of private rented sector enforcement data from local housing authorities, which will include the number of Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) applied for by the council, the value of Universal Credit/Housing Benefit recovered following a rent repayment order, and the number of tenants supported in making an application.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the potential impact of Rent Repayment Orders on housing conditions in the private rented sector.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the backlog is for EU Settlement Scheme applications and reviews.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Processing times for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) are available on EU Settlement Scheme: current estimated processing times for applications - GOV.UK

The latest published data on EUSS applications is contained within the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’

The most recent statistics relate to the year ending 30 September 2025.

A total of 8,662,309 EUSS applications had been submitted, and 8,550,572 applications had been concluded. This equates to 98.7% of all EUSS applications submitted by the end of September 2025 having been concluded.

The information requested for administrative reviews made against EUSS application decisions is not currently available from published statistics and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Rent Repayment Orders on housing conditions in the private rented sector.

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

No such estimate can currently be made. My Department is in the process of implementing a new mandatory collection of private rented sector enforcement data from local housing authorities, which will include the number of Rent Repayment Orders (RROs) applied for by the council, the value of Universal Credit/Housing Benefit recovered following a rent repayment order, and the number of tenants supported in making an application.

My Department has made no specific assessment of the potential impact of Rent Repayment Orders on housing conditions in the private rented sector.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether changes will be made to the provision of road safety campaigns under the new media strategy arrangements.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

THINK! is the Government’s flagship road safety campaign that aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales.THINK! prioritises running campaigns to change attitudes and behaviours among those most at risk.

There are currently no planned changes to the provision of road safety campaigns. These will continue to target priority issues such as drink driving, drug driving and speeding, as well as communicating other key policy interventions at the appropriate times.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of natural language processing and AI‑assisted tagging to reduce consultation processing times for local planning authorities.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of digital‑led consultation tools in increasing participation across communities; and what steps he is taking to support councils to adopt those tools.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) funding to help local authorities introduce interactive digital surveys and mapping tools to improve engagement with local plan consultations.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the adequacy of training for planning authorities on emerging digital engagement technologies.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support his Department provides to local authorities to develop skills required for effective digital engagement in planning.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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 impact of ground rent escalation clauses on leaseholders.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 74455 on 15 September 2025.

In addition, measures in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which came into effect in December, will prevent long leases with grounds rents of £250 (or £1,000 in London) from repossession under provisions in the 1988 Housing Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the value of early‑stage 3D modelling in helping residents understand the potential height, scale and form of proposed developments.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of digital engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D modelling, in improving public understanding of local plan proposals.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

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 support engagement with digital consultation tools used in local plan engagement for people with limited digital skills and internet access.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging educational institutions, including higher education providers, to share campuses to broaden the range of courses available.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, if she will review the University of Essex's business decisions over the last 10 years.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review the dependence of universities on income from foreign students.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

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 impact of ground rent clauses on the saleability and mortgageability of leasehold properties.

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

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to Question UIN 74455 on 15 September 2025.

In addition, measures in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which came into effect in December, will prevent long leases with grounds rents of £250 (or £1,000 in London) from repossession under provisions in the 1988 Housing Act.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number and proportion of people who have successfully applied to be a British citizen but have not attended their British citizenship ceremony in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether digital ID was discussed at the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on education provision in (a) Essex, (b) Thurrock and (c) Southend.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, whether her Department has made an assessment of the reasons for the University of Essex's decision.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to Universities on voluntary severance schemes.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

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 help councils improve engagement with younger residents and communities in areas of higher deprivation.

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

Through my Department’s PropTech Innovation Fund, the government is funding local planning authorities to use digital citizen engagement tools, including interactive maps and 3D models, alongside leveraging AI to summarise consultation responses. Our case studies on Local Digital (see here) and gov.uk (see here) demonstrate how these can increase the quantity and quality of community engagement in respect of local plans and new developments, including reaching younger residents.

My Department plans to launch a sixth round of the PropTech Innovation Fund in early 2026. The Fund is evaluated as a part of the Digital Planning Programme.

Local planning authorities take a hybrid approach to public consultation, combining digital tools with traditional methods like in-person engagement, to ensure consultations are accessible and inclusively incorporate the views of those unable to participate in digital consultations. We have published guidance on gov.uk (see here) and a Digital Citizen Engagement toolkit (see here) to support authorities to adopt and use digital tools. Our Planning Capacity and Capability programme continues to develop its means of supporting authorities to ensure they have the skills they need both now and in the future.

The new plan-making system that we are shortly commencing is designed not only to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand but to improve community engagement. We will publish further guidance and provide further support to help local planning authorities engage with communities effectively under the new system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help tackle the issues relating to frontier worker permits that were raised at the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what follow‑up actions the Government will take following the Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting on 18 December 2025.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Information on matters discussed at the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights is available here: Citizens’ Rights Specialised Committee meeting, 18 December 2025: joint statement - GOV.UK. The UK and the EU are committed to working cooperatively to ensure full and faithful implementation of the citizens’ rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what steps she is taking to ensure sufficient levels of higher education provision in south Essex.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department had discussions with the University of Essex prior to its announcement to close its Southend Campus.

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

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings she has had with a) National Asylum Stakeholder Forum and b) the Strategic Engagement Group in the last 12 months.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The National Asylum Stakeholder Forum and the Asylum Strategic Engagement Group both meet four times a year.

The Home Secretary has not attended these meetings in the past 12 months. Home Office officials attend on her behalf.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many taxpayers were owed repayments by HMRC in each year since 2020.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The tax system is designed to give repayments to taxpayers in a number of circumstances, for example where a customer claims an allowance or an expense, or where a company is due a VAT repayment. The tax revenue repayable by HMRC each year is published as part of HMRC’s Annual Report and Accounts. This information is available on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

There are many factors that influence whether a repayment is owed or not, such as a taxpayer instructing HMRC to retain credits to offset a future liability.

To calculate how many taxpayers were owed repayments by HMRC in each year since 2020 would exceed the cost threshold for answering parliamentary questions as the information (where it is available) is held on a number of different systems that would require separate interrogation and analysis to produce.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much uncollected tax has been written off as unrecoverable by HMRC in each year since 2020.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publishes the amount of tax written off each year in its Annual Report and Accounts. This information is available on GOV.UK.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrcs-annual-report-and-accounts

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the National Asylum Stakeholder Forum is consulted on the development of immigration and asylum policy.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters. Their input is valued; however, external advice is considered advisory and does not determine policy.

Ministers are responsible for setting Home Office policy.

Honour and gratitude for British armed forces

Treatment of fathers in family court

British forces on the front line in Afghanistan

Import of illegal meat

200 years of St Mark’s Parish Church, Portadown

Big Garden Bird Watch 2026

Darlington nurses tribunal decision

Peter Hill, visiting every pub in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2020

Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce research funding

Less Survivable Cancers Awareness Week