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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure transparency in the planning process for residents on new housing developments.

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

Planning law requires local planning authorities to undertake a statutory period of publicity of no less than 21 days prior to deciding a planning application. Local planning authorities are also required to keep a planning register of live and decided applications.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of new housing developments in Essex.

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

My Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This includes estimates of new homes built in each local authority, in each financial year, and can be found in Live Table 123 on gov.uk here. This is then used to inform the Housing Delivery Test, which measures this delivery against the number of homes required.

The Department also publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes more timely estimates of new build starts and completions in England, and in each local authority and can be found in Table 253a on gov.uk here. This dataset covers new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply.

Through the revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in December 2024, we implemented a new standard method for assessing housing needs which aligns with the governments ambition for 1.5 million new homes over this parliament, and better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable.

The standard method provides a starting point for local councils to inform the preparation of their local plans. The indicative annual housing need figures for all local authorities under the new standard method can be found on gov.uk here.

Whilst the standard method is used to identify the total number of homes needed in an area, the National Planning Policy Framework is clear that it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of homes needed for different groups in the community and reflect this in planning policies.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress she has made on leasehold reform.

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

The government outlined its approach to leasehold and commonhold reform in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

We took swift action in the early months of the Parliament to implement provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 relating to rent charge arrears, building safety legal costs and the work of professional insolvency practitioners.

On 31 October 2024, the government commenced further building safety measures.

On 31 January 2025, provisions to remove the two-year qualifying rule in relation to enfranchisement and lease extensions came into force.

On 3 March 2025, the right to manage provisions (expanding access, reforming its costs, and voting rights) came into force and we published the Commonhold White Paper, which is a crucial first step in ensuring commonhold becomes the default tenure for flats.

An ambitious draft Leasehold and Commonhold reform Bill will be published later this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure transparency in the acquisition of domestic housing by foreign investors.

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

Data on property ownership by overseas companies in England and Wales is published by HM Land Registry and is publicly available on gov.uk.

My Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential impact of foreign investment on housing affordability in the UK.

We recognise concerns about the impact of overseas investment on housing affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. In response, and as part of our commitment to supporting first-time buyers, including giving them the first chance to buy homes, we have introduced fiscal measures to level the playing field.

Non-UK residents already pay a 2% surcharge on top of the residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when purchasing a dwelling in England or Northern Ireland.

In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased the higher rates of SDLT by two percentage points from 3% to 5%. The higher rates are also paid by non-UK residents purchasing additional property.

Increasing the higher rates of SDLT helps to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords and companies purchasing residential property.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data her Department holds on the proportion of domestic housing stock in England owned by foreign investors.

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

Data on property ownership by overseas companies in England and Wales is published by HM Land Registry and is publicly available on gov.uk.

My Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential impact of foreign investment on housing affordability in the UK.

We recognise concerns about the impact of overseas investment on housing affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. In response, and as part of our commitment to supporting first-time buyers, including giving them the first chance to buy homes, we have introduced fiscal measures to level the playing field.

Non-UK residents already pay a 2% surcharge on top of the residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when purchasing a dwelling in England or Northern Ireland.

In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased the higher rates of SDLT by two percentage points from 3% to 5%. The higher rates are also paid by non-UK residents purchasing additional property.

Increasing the higher rates of SDLT helps to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords and companies purchasing residential property.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of foreign investment on housing affordability in the UK.

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

Data on property ownership by overseas companies in England and Wales is published by HM Land Registry and is publicly available on gov.uk.

My Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential impact of foreign investment on housing affordability in the UK.

We recognise concerns about the impact of overseas investment on housing affordability, particularly for first-time buyers. In response, and as part of our commitment to supporting first-time buyers, including giving them the first chance to buy homes, we have introduced fiscal measures to level the playing field.

Non-UK residents already pay a 2% surcharge on top of the residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when purchasing a dwelling in England or Northern Ireland.

In addition, at the Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased the higher rates of SDLT by two percentage points from 3% to 5%. The higher rates are also paid by non-UK residents purchasing additional property.

Increasing the higher rates of SDLT helps to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords and companies purchasing residential property.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) early diagnosis and (b) prevention strategies for chronic kidney disease in primary care settings.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s Renal Service Transformation Programme (RSTP) highlighted the importance of prevention and of optimising screening, detection, and treatment. Regional NHS England Renal Networks are working in partnership with integrated care systems to deliver the RSTP’s aims, and to help develop effective strategies for their local populations.

NHS England recognises the importance of kidney disease, not only in preventing the progression of kidney disease but also in reducing cardiovascular events. A customer relationship management steering group has been established which aims to focus on the prevention of these common condition that often co-exist.

NHS England has expanded the scope of the work under the Prevention and Long-Term Condition Programme Board to include consideration of opportunities for improving the prevention of kidney disease.

The NHS Health Check programme is a core component of England’s cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme, which aims to prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and some cases of dementia. The programme assesses for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, which are risk factors for the development of both chronic kidney disease and CVD. Where an individual’s NHS Health Check indicates high blood pressure or high blood sugar, it is for the general practitioner to consider the results, and then, if required, undertake further clinical investigation and treatment where appropriate.

Diabetes is a leading cause of kidney disease. People at risk of developing type 2 diabetes can also be referred by their general practitioner into the Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. The programme is highly effective, cutting the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 37% for people completing the programme, compared to those who do not attend.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to improve access to financial advice for people with little to no savings.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to supporting people of all income levels and all stages of life to save, and recognises the importance of accessible, high-quality financial advice and guidance - particularly for those with little or no savings.

To help achieve this, the Government sponsors the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS), which provides free and impartial money and pensions guidance to the public online and by telephone. MaPS also offers a range of practical tools and resources to help individuals build savings, including a free Budget Planner and guides to help people manage their money, track spending, and identify opportunities to save.

At the Autumn Budget last year we extended the Help to Save scheme, which encourages low-income workers to save regularly. This Government also extended the eligibility criteria to include all Universal Credit claimants in work, not just those earning above a certain threshold

In addition, the Government is taking forward a Financial Inclusion Strategy to ensure that everyone has access to appropriate and affordable financial products and services. As part of this strategy, we are considering what more can be done to support people to build savings and strengthen their financial resilience.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to (a) support and (b) expand community-based physical activity programmes specifically designed for older people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service recognise that prevention will always be better and cheaper than a cure. Reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages, including in older people, is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, and a key part of the Department’s shift from treatment to prevention.

The Department supports the NHS, together with local authorities, to provide a range of community services to support older people, such as exercise on referral and social prescribing, aquatic/swimming classes, dance classes, and fall prevention training through strength and balance classes. The Government continues to encourage local authorities to invest in and prioritise leisure facilities and community-based services.

In addition to the above, the NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for people of all ages to move more, and signposts to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app, an accessible way of building movement into everyday life.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS services are responsive to the (a) complex and (b) long-term needs of people living with chronic kidney disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England has established a renal Clinical Reference Group to deliver change across the National Health Service, to accelerate improvements in the diagnosis of, and treatment for, people living with kidney disease.

Increasing access to home therapies for kidney issues is a priority for NHS England, and this is reflected in its inclusion in the Renal Transformation toolkit, published in 2023. This recommends that 20% of all patients on kidney replacement treatment should receive treatment at home.

NHS England is improving access to home dialysis for children, supported by a robust network of nurses and clinicians who can move care from hospitals to homes. This approach is working, with rates of home dialysis ranging from 64% to 76% across the 10 NHS paediatric dialysis centres.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to local NHS services for older people.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services that meet the needs of their local populations. When ICBs exercise their functions, they have a duty to reduce inequalities between persons with respect to their ability to access health services and to reduce inequalities between patients with respect to the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.

Further, as part of the Government’s five long-term missions, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts our NHS needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving support for older people in all parts of the country.

More care and support delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all support patients closer to home.

The 10-Year Health Plan will also set the vision for what good joined-up care looks like for people with a combination of health and care needs, such as older people.  It will set out how to support and enable health and social care services, and wider services, to work together better to provide that joined-up care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review will assess (a) attainment data which shows girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures and (b) the potential causes behind this trend.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Every child and young person should be able to achieve and thrive in education, regardless of their background. As in previous years, girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures, and although the gap has narrowed compared to 2018/19, there is more work to do in order to close it. The department is committed to addressing this challenge.

We aim to deliver these improvements and reduce gaps in outcomes through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning.

The government’s ask of the Curriculum and Assessment Review can be found in its terms of reference, and its interim report confirms the key areas for further work.

The Review is looking closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

The Review is being informed by evidence and data in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, in addition to parents, children and young people, and other stakeholders such as employers, universities and trade unions.

The government will consider any work to be taken forward and any changes it wishes to make in areas not prioritised by the Review.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the enforcement mechanisms in the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that disabled people have equality of access to (a) supermarkets and (b) other public-facing services.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon member to the answer given to question 54052 which can be found here

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-05-06/50452

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how his Department is ensuring the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of carbon capture projects funded by public money.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government has developed a series of models to incentivise behaviour in line with our objectives and deliver value for money for consumers and taxpayers. The Infrastructure and Projects Authority provides oversight of the Programme, as a Government’s Major Projects Portfolio, through Gateway Reviews and reporting, and the programme has been subject to National Audit Office reviews and Public Accounts Committee hearings. Partner organisations, such as OFGEM, Low Carbon Contracts Company, and Central Grants and Loans have a key role in providing accountability through monitoring the performance of the Transport & Storage Companies and emitters. The contracts set out regulations according to which support can be withdrawn where key milestones are not met. The Full Business Cases and associated assessments will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the long-term (a) safety and (b) environmental impact of carbon capture facilities.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Carbon capture and the transport and storage of CO2 are safe technologies underpinned by strong regulatory frameworks to mitigate potential risks associated with those activities.

There are several regulators in the UK in place to protect human health and the environment, including: Environment Agency (EA) Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Natural Resources Wales and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)

Additionally, the storage permit, regulated by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), for a storage site will only be issued when the NSTA are confident that there will be no significant risk of leakage or of harm to the environment and human health from the CO₂ storage.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential risks of carbon capture and storage facilities.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Carbon capture and the transport and storage of CO2 are safe technologies underpinned by strong regulatory frameworks to mitigate potential risks associated with those activities.

There are several regulators in the UK in place to protect human health and the environment, including: Environment Agency (EA) Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED), Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Natural Resources Wales and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency)

Additionally, the storage permit, regulated by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), for a storage site will only be issued when the NSTA are confident that there will be no significant risk of leakage or of harm to the environment and human health from the CO₂ storage.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate on employment levels in the UK automotive manufacturing sector.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government does not hold data on how the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate has affected automotive employment in the UK.

We speak regularly to all the major UK automotive stakeholders to understand the health of the sector and factors impacting competitiveness. Government is committed to ensuring the transition to zero emissions works for industry. That is why we introduced significant changes to the Mandate, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting ZEV targets and extending the sale of hybrid vehicles.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that carbon capture and storage does not disproportionately impact energy bills for consumers.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is committed to ensuring that the costs of the UK’s transition to Net Zero are fair and affordable for all energy consumers.

The CCUS programme will be funded through a mixture of levy and government funding. We have created several business models to fund CCUS projects based on the technology they are using, designed to support this nascent industry whilst ensuring value for money.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timeline is for the carbon capture sites in Merseyside and Teesside.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Having reached financial close with East Coast Cluster in December 2024, and with the HyNet Transport and Storage Company, operated by Liverpool Bay CCS, in April 2025, construction is already underway, and we expect the Transport & Storage Companies to be operational from 2028. We continue to negotiate with other Track-1 projects and hope to conclude these negotiations as soon as possible subject to several assessments, including value for money.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available to promote (a) lifelong learning and (b) digital inclusion for older people.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund, which fully funds or co-funds education and skills training for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

This also funds the department’s Essential Skills entitlements, which provide the opportunity for fully-funded study for eligible adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to and including level 2, and digital skills up to and including level 1. Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and digital Functional Skills qualifications up to level 1 are available for free under the digital entitlement for adults with low digital skills.

Where qualifications are not appropriate for a learner, more flexible provision is available through ‘Tailored Learning’, which offers bespoke courses in essential digital skills at a pace that works for them, supporting their journey to get online.

The ‘Free Courses for Jobs’ offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value Level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.

Skills Bootcamps give adults the chance to build sector-specific skills, including in digital, with a job interview on completion for eligible learners.

In January 2027, the department will introduce the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will broaden access to high-quality, flexible education and training. It will support individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives, up to the age of 60.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of larger police presence in neighbourhoods on rates of (a) retail crime and (b) anti-social behaviour.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and retail crime and its causes, as a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. Key to this is our plan to transform neighbourhood policing through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. We will deliver 13,000 more neighbourhood police by the end of the Parliament, whilst also ensuring each community has a named, contactable officer to turn to.

To help tackle retail crime, we will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.

We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Further, the National Police Chiefs' Council will receive funding to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. The training will aim to empower retailers to develop and implement tactics to prevent retail crime.

Finally, the Home Office is providing funding through the Hotspot Action Fund programme to all 43 Police Force Areas in England and Wales in 2025/26, of £66.3 million. This funding is to implement additional, high visibility patrolling and problem-solving policing in serious violence and anti-social behaviour hotspots.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the causes of retail crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and retail crime and its causes, as a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. Key to this is our plan to transform neighbourhood policing through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. We will deliver 13,000 more neighbourhood police by the end of the Parliament, whilst also ensuring each community has a named, contactable officer to turn to.

To help tackle retail crime, we will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.

We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Further, the National Police Chiefs' Council will receive funding to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. The training will aim to empower retailers to develop and implement tactics to prevent retail crime.

Finally, the Home Office is providing funding through the Hotspot Action Fund programme to all 43 Police Force Areas in England and Wales in 2025/26, of £66.3 million. This funding is to implement additional, high visibility patrolling and problem-solving policing in serious violence and anti-social behaviour hotspots.

Mauritius Treaty

Found: Not called_NC40 Nigel Farage Richard Tice Lee Anderson James McMurdock Sarah Pochin 33 REPORT STAGE