Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, whether her Department plans to publish an evaluation of the programme’s effectiveness.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, whether she plans to provide follow-up support to journalists who completed the programme.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the programme to UK institutions and researchers.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what proportion of programme funding was spent in (a) the UK, (b) Ghana, and (c) Nigeria.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, how the programme contributes to the UK’s foreign policy objectives in West Africa.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, whether her Department plans to expand similar training programmes to other countries.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what metrics her Department will use to evaluate the potential impact of the programme on science reporting in participating countries.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what estimate she has made of the value for money of funding overseas journalism training initiatives.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what the total cost to the public purse was of delivering the programme.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, how many journalists participated in the programme and how they were selected.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Science training strengthens reporting by journalists from Ghana and Nigeria, published on 9 April 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the science journalism training programme delivered at Imperial College London.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided to him on 17 March 2026 in response to Question 120276.

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 relationship between minimum wage levels and entry-level job availability for young people.

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

When setting minimum wage rates, the Government carefully considers the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission (LPC), an internationally respected independent body. The LPC takes into account current labour market conditions, including the youth labour market, when making its recommendations.

Accordingly, the increase to the National Minimum Wage rate from April 2026 was more modest than in recent years, and the latest remit issued to the LPC asks the Commissioners to prioritise young people's employment prospects when making recommendations for the April 2027 rates.

Evidence to date shows little or no significant impact on employment from past increases to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW).

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 labour costs on employers’ hiring decisions for entry-level roles.

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

The Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Act and this is available here: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/employment-rights-bill-impact-assessments. Our analysis, supported by independent modelling and international evidence, deems the overall risk to employment to be low.

Evidence to date shows little or no significant impact on employment from past increases to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage (NLW).

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether the councils will be able to change the name from those currently proposed.

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

A statutory consultation has already been undertaken on the proposal for five new unitary councils, which will now be implemented.

It is intended that the secondary legislation establishing the new councils will name them in line with that proposal.

Once established, new councils will have the same powers as other local authorities to change their name if they choose to do so. It will be for the councils themselves to determine whether they wish to pursue a different name and whether to engage the public as part of that process.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what specific commitments were agreed by lenders during the meeting referenced in the announcement.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, whether the commitments made by lenders are voluntary or legally binding.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, which mortgage lenders attended the meeting referenced in the press release.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what were the reasons for his decision to cancel the 2027 local elections in Basildon.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether the debt acquired by Basildon council over the last two years was considered when deciding it should merge with Thurrock.

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

All proposals for local government reorganisation were considered carefully, on a case‑by‑case basis, against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance, alongside responses to the consultation, representations made, and all other relevant information. This included evidence on the estimated costs and benefits of each proposal. The five unitary model met the criteria on being the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

The Government has committed to repay in-principle £200m of debt repayment support to Thurrock Council in 2026-27. This is a significant and unprecedented commitment given the historic capital practices at the Council and is a decision that has not been taken lightly, reflecting the value for money case for protecting taxpayers from the spiralling costs of ever-increasing debt. This is a first tranche of debt repayment support, and we will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether he had any discussions with the leader of Basildon council before deciding to cancel Basildon’s 2027 local election.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether he sought legal advice before deciding to cancel the 2027 Basildon election.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he has made of the financial viability of each of the five proposed Essex councils.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to Essex council leaders on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he made of the potential merits of the four-council model advocated by Thurrock Council.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether minutes and records were kept of meetings relating to the decision set out in his letter.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he made before his decision of how long it would take for efficiency savings as a result of restructuring local authorities in Essex to exceed any costs of restructuring.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he made regarding the expected effectiveness of the delivery of council-run services under the proposed five-council model of Essex compared to its current council structure.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he has made the progress of local authorities’ local plans before deciding on the five-council model for Essex.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing the 2027 Basildon council elections forward to 2026.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, if he will list who he consulted before deciding to cancel the 2027 Basildon council election.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether by-elections will continue to take place to Basildon council, in light of his decision to cancel the 2027 Basildon council election.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, when the legislation to cancel Basildon’s 2027 local election will be brought before Parliament.

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

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Government intends to implement its decision to create five new unitary councils in Essex through a Structural Changes Order. It is anticipated that this Order will be considered by Parliament in the autumn.

As set out in the summary of the local government reorganisation process published in July 2025, and consistent with previous reorganisations including the approach taken for Surrey, that Order will make transitional and electoral arrangements. This will include replacing scheduled elections to councils that are to be abolished with elections to the new unitary councils. Where elections would otherwise take place, councillors’ terms are instead extended for a short, defined period, ensuring continuity of democratic representation while avoiding elections that would result in very short terms of office. Replacing those elections with all‑out elections to the new councils supports an orderly transition and provides clarity about future governance arrangements.

Until the Structural Changes Order comes into force and the existing councils are abolished on 1 April 2028, current councils will remain responsible for services in their areas, and the usual arrangements, including for by‑elections where vacancies arise, will continue to apply.

In taking these decisions, the Secretary of State had regard to all representations received, including consultation responses, and all other relevant information available.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, whether there will be any public consultation on what the names of the five new Essex councils should be.

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

A statutory consultation has already been undertaken on the proposal for five new unitary councils, which will now be implemented.

It is intended that the secondary legislation establishing the new councils will name them in line with that proposal.

Once established, new councils will have the same powers as other local authorities to change their name if they choose to do so. It will be for the councils themselves to determine whether they wish to pursue a different name and whether to engage the public as part of that process.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his decision letter to Essex council leaders on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he made of the expected level of debt of Basildon Council by 2028 in determining the creation of South West Essex Council.

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

All proposals for local government reorganisation were considered carefully, on a case‑by‑case basis, against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance, alongside responses to the consultation, representations made, and all other relevant information. This included evidence on the estimated costs and benefits of each proposal. The five unitary model met the criteria on being the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

The Government has committed to repay in-principle £200m of debt repayment support to Thurrock Council in 2026-27. This is a significant and unprecedented commitment given the historic capital practices at the Council and is a decision that has not been taken lightly, reflecting the value for money case for protecting taxpayers from the spiralling costs of ever-increasing debt. This is a first tranche of debt repayment support, and we will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point.

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 decision letter to Essex council leaders on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what estimate he has made of the debt projected to be acquired by Thurrock council by 2028.

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

All proposals for local government reorganisation were considered carefully, on a case‑by‑case basis, against the criteria set out in the statutory guidance, alongside responses to the consultation, representations made, and all other relevant information. This included evidence on the estimated costs and benefits of each proposal. The five unitary model met the criteria on being the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

The Government has committed to repay in-principle £200m of debt repayment support to Thurrock Council in 2026-27. This is a significant and unprecedented commitment given the historic capital practices at the Council and is a decision that has not been taken lightly, reflecting the value for money case for protecting taxpayers from the spiralling costs of ever-increasing debt. This is a first tranche of debt repayment support, and we will continue to explore what further debt support is required at a later point.

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 decision letter to Essex council leaders on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what assessment he made of the potential merits of the three-council model advocated by Essex County Council.

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

A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation in Essex, Southend-on Sea and Thurrock has been provided. The Department has no plans to publish the advice to Ministers, or minutes of meetings.

All proposals were considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis, against the criteria, alongside the responses to the consultation, representations made and all other relevant information. This includes evidence to support the delivery of high-quality public services and estimated costs/benefits of each proposal.

The Government has made an unprecedented in-principle commitment of £200m to support Thurrock’s debt repayment and is confident that the five unitary model will be delivered on a financially sustainable basis.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the risk that lenders will tighten lending criteria in response to the measures to allow consumers to move to interest only payments for six months.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, whether any of the lenders present at the meeting referenced in the press release disagreed with the proposed measures.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, whether further intervention is required to support mortgage holders facing financial difficulty.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, whether she plans to publish the full details of the agreements reached with mortgage lenders.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, whether she plans to publish data on the uptake and effectiveness of the mortgage support measures.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what enforcement mechanisms will be available if lenders fail to deliver the agreed support.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what role the Financial Conduct Authority will play in overseeing the implementation of the measures.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, how compliance by lenders with the agreed measures will be monitored.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential proportional reduction in monthly payments for borrowers accessing support as a result of the commitments referenced in the press release.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, how many mortgage holders she estimates will benefit from the measures agreed with lenders.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what eligibility criteria will apply to borrowers seeking support under the enhanced measures.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Chancellor gets banks to step up mortgage support for customers, published on 26 March 2026, what timetable has been set for the implementation of enhanced mortgage support measures.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 26 March 2026, the Chancellor met with the six largest mortgage lenders (Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group, Barclays UK, HSBC UK, Santander UK, and Nationwide Building Society), alongside UK Finance, to discuss the outlook for mortgage rates in light of the conflict in Iran, how lenders are responding, and what practical support is available to concerned borrowers. At this meeting, these lenders committed to proactively contact 1.6 million customers whose fixed-rate deals end between now and the end of the year, setting out options well before payments change.

Lenders across the industry also reaffirmed their commitment to the Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter is a voluntary agreement that covers 90% of the sector, and provides flexibilities to help borrowers manage their repayments over a short period. This includes it permitting borrowers to switch to an interest only mortgage, or extend their mortgage term, for up to 6 months, after which they can switch back without a new affordability check or it affecting their credit score. The Financial Conduct Authority regularly publish data on uptake of the Mortgage Charter.

The Mortgage Charter is in addition to Financial Conduct Authority rules which provide significant protections for all borrowers, including ensuring all customers are treated fairly. Any borrower who is concerned about making their repayment should contact their lender. Seeking support and engaging with lenders to discuss options will not affect a borrower’s credit score in any way, and earlier engagement will mean that lenders can offer more support.

More broadly, the market remains open, resilient and competitive. Prospective first-time buyers may find it useful to speak to a broker in order to find the best possible product available for their circumstances.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the fairness of Vehicle Excise Duty for motorcycles compared with cars.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), sometimes known as 'road tax' or 'car tax', is a tax on vehicles used or kept on public roads. Different rates apply to cars, vans, and motorcycles, and the rate for each vehicle is calculated according to a range of factors, such as its date of first registration, weight, or CO2 emissions.

VED for motorcycles is currently based on engine size. There are four engine size ranges, with the lowest rate applying to zero emission motorcycles and the smallest engines sized 150cc or less (currently £27). The highest rate applies to engines sized 600cc and above (currently £125).

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether action plan funding will be linked to agreements to cover (a) Government policy, (b) public information campaigns or (c) civic messaging.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether recipients of action plan funding will be required to maintain political neutrality.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK crackdown on vile scam centres steps up with sanctions on illicit crypto network, published 26 March 2026, what cooperation has taken place with authorities in host countries to trace and recover proceeds of fraud linked to scam centres.

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

Fraud is increasingly industrialised, transnational and technologically advanced. Methods used to contact and target victims in the UK also include measures to obscure offenders’ true identities and locations. This represents significant challenges for law enforcement in disrupting and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Scam centre activities typically involve actors, infrastructure, victims and financial flows across several jurisdictions. Proceeds of crime are also often transferred and laundered through multiple countries. This creates operational complexity which can prolong investigations.

The NCA, through the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), works with international partners to identify and recover the proceeds of fraud affecting victims in the UK and overseas. For example, recent collaboration between the NCA and the Ghanaian authorities resulted in Ghana’s first cryptocurrency seizure, valued at approximately US$15 million.

The UK has also announced support for INTERPOL’s Global Fraud Task Force (Operation Shadow Storm), aimed at strengthening international coordination against scam centres and associated criminal finance

As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, the UK neither confirms nor denies that an extradition request has been made or received where no arrest has taken place, however the government attaches significant importance to ensuring that our extradition arrangements provide a path to justice for victims of crime and their families.

The decision to make a request for extradition is taken by the prosecuting authorities in each UK jurisdiction.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK crackdown on vile scam centres steps up with sanctions on illicit crypto network, published 26 March 2026, whether the UK has sought the extradition of any individuals linked to scam centres targeted by the sanctions.

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

Fraud is increasingly industrialised, transnational and technologically advanced. Methods used to contact and target victims in the UK also include measures to obscure offenders’ true identities and locations. This represents significant challenges for law enforcement in disrupting and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Scam centre activities typically involve actors, infrastructure, victims and financial flows across several jurisdictions. Proceeds of crime are also often transferred and laundered through multiple countries. This creates operational complexity which can prolong investigations.

The NCA, through the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), works with international partners to identify and recover the proceeds of fraud affecting victims in the UK and overseas. For example, recent collaboration between the NCA and the Ghanaian authorities resulted in Ghana’s first cryptocurrency seizure, valued at approximately US$15 million.

The UK has also announced support for INTERPOL’s Global Fraud Task Force (Operation Shadow Storm), aimed at strengthening international coordination against scam centres and associated criminal finance

As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, the UK neither confirms nor denies that an extradition request has been made or received where no arrest has taken place, however the government attaches significant importance to ensuring that our extradition arrangements provide a path to justice for victims of crime and their families.

The decision to make a request for extradition is taken by the prosecuting authorities in each UK jurisdiction.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK crackdown on vile scam centres steps up with sanctions on illicit crypto network, published 26 March 2026, what barriers exist to prosecuting individuals involved in scam centres operating overseas.

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

Fraud is increasingly industrialised, transnational and technologically advanced. Methods used to contact and target victims in the UK also include measures to obscure offenders’ true identities and locations. This represents significant challenges for law enforcement in disrupting and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Scam centre activities typically involve actors, infrastructure, victims and financial flows across several jurisdictions. Proceeds of crime are also often transferred and laundered through multiple countries. This creates operational complexity which can prolong investigations.

The NCA, through the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), works with international partners to identify and recover the proceeds of fraud affecting victims in the UK and overseas. For example, recent collaboration between the NCA and the Ghanaian authorities resulted in Ghana’s first cryptocurrency seizure, valued at approximately US$15 million.

The UK has also announced support for INTERPOL’s Global Fraud Task Force (Operation Shadow Storm), aimed at strengthening international coordination against scam centres and associated criminal finance

As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, the UK neither confirms nor denies that an extradition request has been made or received where no arrest has taken place, however the government attaches significant importance to ensuring that our extradition arrangements provide a path to justice for victims of crime and their families.

The decision to make a request for extradition is taken by the prosecuting authorities in each UK jurisdiction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what steps will be taken to ensure that participation in the initiative does not place additional workload burdens on teachers.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she plans to publish an evaluation of the initiative, including participation rates and outcomes for pupils.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of safeguarding measures in schools with regard to whether they adequately protect pupils participating in the school newspaper initiative from potential consequences such as long-term social and reputational harm to the author.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what role (a) teachers and (b) external partners will have in (i) approving and (ii) overseeing content produced by pupils participating in the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she plans to introduce safeguards to ensure that content produced through the school newspaper initiative is politically neutral.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she plans to issue guidance to schools on the editorial content of school newspapers supported by the action plan.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the cost to each participating school of delivering the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether funding for the school newspaper initiative will be provided (a) directly to schools or (b) to external organisations.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether local media organisations will be involved in school newspaper projects.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what funding has been allocated to support the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether training will be provided to (a) pupils and (b) staff on (i) media law, (ii) online safety and (iii) responsible journalism.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of how the school newspaper initiative will complement existing media literacy and citizenship education in schools.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what metrics she will use to assess the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the £12 million allocated to the Local News Fund to address the long-term decline in local journalism in the UK.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what proportion of the funding announced will be allocated to (a) Essex and (b) South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what proportion of funding she expects to be allocated to independent, hyperlocal or start-up news organisations.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she plans to take steps to ensure that the Local News Fund is not disproportionately allocated to large media groups.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she has assessed the risk that action plan funding could reinforce existing market concentration in the local media sector.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Local News Fund worth £6m in 2026/27 and up to a further £6m in 2027/28, to help ensure the long term provision of local news. Local media faces a complex range of challenges, and funding represents just one aspect of our approach. It will help the industry adapt in the short-medium term, before longer term measures set out in the Plan begin to take effect in helping enable a free, plural and thriving online local media ecosystem.

Funding will be distributed to local media outlets in print, online, radio or television, according to the outcomes of a competitive bidding process. Prospective bidders will need to meet specific qualifying criteria, central to which will be that the provision of local news is a primary purpose of the organisation.

Funding decisions will be supported by an independent Steering Board of external industry experts, to ensure a degree of independence in government decisions about funding media outlets. In accordance with the Government’s wider support for freedom and plurality of local media, we will not be linking grant awards to the provision of certain types of coverage or political impartiality.

Further detail on the Fund will be announced in the coming weeks.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the number of schools that will participate in the school newspaper initiative.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether participation in the school newspaper initiative will be mandatory or voluntary for schools.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what estimate she has made of the proportion of local media organisations that will receive no support from the action plan.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring a healthy and plural local media for the benefit of communities and citizens across the UK, and recognises the vital role that local press plays in scrutinising local institutions, and reflecting communities’ views and perspectives.

Our recently published Local Media Action Plan will support local media organisations across the country to innovate and adapt their business models for the online world, while incentivising and encouraging the production of high quality, trustworthy news. Our overarching goal is to empower communities through a thriving local media which highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.

In the Action Plan we have made a series of commitments which will help local media, including: investing up to £12m in a new Local News Fund, which will help local media outlets adapt to commercial and technological changes and revive a local news presence in areas where it has retreated; more than doubling community radio funding to £1m a year; launching a new campaign starting in the North West to encourage more young people into journalism careers; and creating a new Regional Media Forum in the West of England, to develop a framework for best practice in scrutiny of local decision-making and public services.

We are not planning any initiatives relating to the production of school newspapers. However, we do want to ensure that young people continue to have access to trustworthy and high quality news online from a range of sources. We are working with industry to promote and improve the ‘Newspapers for Schools’ News Library, an existing platform offering digital access to 150 local and national news titles for all state-funded primary and secondary schools in the country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled UK crackdown on vile scam centres steps up with sanctions on illicit crypto network, published 26 March 2026, how many joint investigations since 2020 have been conducted with international partners into scam centres linked to fraud affecting UK citizens.

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

Fraud is increasingly industrialised, transnational and technologically advanced. Methods used to contact and target victims in the UK also include measures to obscure offenders’ true identities and locations. This represents significant challenges for law enforcement in disrupting and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Scam centre activities typically involve actors, infrastructure, victims and financial flows across several jurisdictions. Proceeds of crime are also often transferred and laundered through multiple countries. This creates operational complexity which can prolong investigations.

The NCA, through the National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), works with international partners to identify and recover the proceeds of fraud affecting victims in the UK and overseas. For example, recent collaboration between the NCA and the Ghanaian authorities resulted in Ghana’s first cryptocurrency seizure, valued at approximately US$15 million.

The UK has also announced support for INTERPOL’s Global Fraud Task Force (Operation Shadow Storm), aimed at strengthening international coordination against scam centres and associated criminal finance

As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, the UK neither confirms nor denies that an extradition request has been made or received where no arrest has taken place, however the government attaches significant importance to ensuring that our extradition arrangements provide a path to justice for victims of crime and their families.

The decision to make a request for extradition is taken by the prosecuting authorities in each UK jurisdiction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what research his Department have conducted of the efficiencies that will be gained by replacing Environmental Impact Assessments with Environmental Outcomes Reports; and whether this will be published.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Environmental Outcomes Reports: Roadmap to reform published on 13 March 2026, which can be found on gov.uk here, and the response to the previous government’s March 2023 consultation on Environmental Outcomes Reports, which can be found on gov.uk here.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the press release entitled Ministers rip up consultation culture, published on 26 March 2026, what differences will exist between Environmental Impact Assessments and Environmental Outcomes Reports in terms of scope and scrutiny.

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

I refer the hon. Member to the Environmental Outcomes Reports: Roadmap to reform published on 13 March 2026, which can be found on gov.uk here, and the response to the previous government’s March 2023 consultation on Environmental Outcomes Reports, which can be found on gov.uk here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the average length of time taken to complete security and background checks on border force applicants.

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

BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) checks are required for Home Office roles. Checks for external applicants include the following:

• Civil Service eligibility;
• right to work / ID / address checks;
• employment history verification;
• health checks (where required); and,
• checks relating to security and integrity, including some role-specific checks for Border Force Officers.

Due to the highly contextual, case-by-case nature of recruitment, it would be neither feasible nor instructive to provide an average timespan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Drones using AI to spot explosive dangers and help keep soldiers safe, published on 2 April 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential for similar AI-drone technology to be used in humanitarian demining and explosive hazard clearance operations overseas.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

We will not go into specifics on our assessments as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action against these ships, only benefitting our adversaries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Drones using AI to spot explosive dangers and help keep soldiers safe, published on 2 April 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for UK defence exports of successful development of AI-enabled drone systems for explosive ordnance detection.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

We will not go into specifics on our assessments as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action against these ships, only benefitting our adversaries.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123457 on Local Government and Voluntary Organisations: Social Impact Bonds, whether his Department consulted the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport on whether cancelling Essex's inaugural 2026 mayoral election would lead to less funding opportunities for Essex with regards to the Better Futures Fund.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh

The Government has decided to delay – not cancel – inaugural mayoral elections in places like Essex, which are undertaking local government reorganisation, to allow that process to conclude and ensure there are firm institutional foundations in place before the mayor takes office. We are nevertheless seeking to establish Mayoral Strategic Authorities in these areas ahead of this and as quickly as possible.

The Government is committed to ensuring the Better Futures Fund provides adequate coverage across England and we expect this will include appropriate opportunities for local authorities not currently covered by a Mayoral Strategic Authority, as well as Mayoral Strategic Authorities that are yet to hold inaugural mayoral elections, to apply for funding.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether she is taking steps to ensure that Government advertising is allocated in an (a) equitable and (b) transparent manner.

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

The Government understands that many news publishers, particularly at the local level, are operating in a challenging advertising environment. In our recently published Local Media Action Plan, we announced plans to support local media outlets across the UK. This included our commitment to make the best use of local media in government advertising campaigns, where this helps us reach our target audience and is a good fit for each campaign.

We are planning a package of measures to fulfil this commitment, including supporting independent local radio and smaller online news publishers to develop standards to better measure their audiences, so they can compete more effectively in the advertising market and carry government advertising, and championing local media as a high quality channel for commercial advertising, by demonstrating its value to the government marketing community through case studies and allowing these to be shared more widely. Government Communications takes an audience first approach and carefully considers which platforms can help us reach those we need to speak to. It may be the case that these audiences are reachable through existing channels. We keep our approach to reaching audiences under regular review, and undertake assessments of platforms as needed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what proportion of overall central Government advertising expenditure will be redirected to local media by the Local Media Action Plan.

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

The Government understands that many news publishers, particularly at the local level, are operating in a challenging advertising environment. In our recently published Local Media Action Plan, we announced plans to support local media outlets across the UK. This included our commitment to make the best use of local media in government advertising campaigns, where this helps us reach our target audience and is a good fit for each campaign.

We are planning a package of measures to fulfil this commitment, including supporting independent local radio and smaller online news publishers to develop standards to better measure their audiences, so they can compete more effectively in the advertising market and carry government advertising, and championing local media as a high quality channel for commercial advertising, by demonstrating its value to the government marketing community through case studies and allowing these to be shared more widely. Government Communications takes an audience first approach and carefully considers which platforms can help us reach those we need to speak to. It may be the case that these audiences are reachable through existing channels. We keep our approach to reaching audiences under regular review, and undertake assessments of platforms as needed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of supporting Regional Media Forums.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Regional Media Forum, to establish a framework for best practice in engagement between local journalists and the local public services which they scrutinise, identifying any areas for improvement and amplifying existing good practice. Other participants will include local media outlets in the region, together with representatives from local councils, emergency services, health services and the courts.

We are working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and want this to be a collaborative exercise, as with the rest of the Local Media Action Plan, calling on the expertise and resources of the Combined Authority, as well as of other participants. We do not anticipate substantial costs arising from supporting the Forum.

DCMS will then work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and other national partners to roll out lessons learned from the West of England nationwide, encouraging voluntary adoption of this framework in other strategic authority areas across the country, or otherwise consider whether there is any need to legislate.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, what criteria will be used to determine which outlets receive Government advertising under the action plan.

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

The Government understands that many news publishers, particularly at the local level, are operating in a challenging advertising environment. In our recently published Local Media Action Plan, we announced plans to support local media outlets across the UK. This included our commitment to make the best use of local media in government advertising campaigns, where this helps us reach our target audience and is a good fit for each campaign.

We are planning a package of measures to fulfil this commitment, including supporting independent local radio and smaller online news publishers to develop standards to better measure their audiences, so they can compete more effectively in the advertising market and carry government advertising, and championing local media as a high quality channel for commercial advertising, by demonstrating its value to the government marketing community through case studies and allowing these to be shared more widely. Government Communications takes an audience first approach and carefully considers which platforms can help us reach those we need to speak to. It may be the case that these audiences are reachable through existing channels. We keep our approach to reaching audiences under regular review, and undertake assessments of platforms as needed.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Future of news is local, says Culture Secretary, as she launches the first action plan to back local news in a generation, published on 17 March 2026, whether plans to open Regional Media Forums in any areas in addition to the West of England.

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

As part of Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan, the Government is launching a Regional Media Forum, to establish a framework for best practice in engagement between local journalists and the local public services which they scrutinise, identifying any areas for improvement and amplifying existing good practice. Other participants will include local media outlets in the region, together with representatives from local councils, emergency services, health services and the courts.

We are working in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and want this to be a collaborative exercise, as with the rest of the Local Media Action Plan, calling on the expertise and resources of the Combined Authority, as well as of other participants. We do not anticipate substantial costs arising from supporting the Forum.

DCMS will then work with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and other national partners to roll out lessons learned from the West of England nationwide, encouraging voluntary adoption of this framework in other strategic authority areas across the country, or otherwise consider whether there is any need to legislate.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an Essential User Rebate for fuel to support sectors reliant on road transport.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is already taking action on fuel affordability at the pump.

At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027. The 5p cut was introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry.

As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an Essential User Rebate on the financial viability of road haulage businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is already taking action on fuel affordability at the pump.

At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027. The 5p cut was introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry.

As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the cost to the Exchequer of introducing an Essential User Rebate for fuel.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is already taking action on fuel affordability at the pump.

At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027. The 5p cut was introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry.

As with all taxes, the Government keeps fuel duty under review.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Drones using AI to spot explosive dangers and help keep soldiers safe, published on 2 April 2026, what estimate his Department have made of the time required to procure and deploy these AI-enabled drones at scale across the UK’s armed forces.

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

The Department is taking steps to ensure that the artificial intelligence (AI) systems used in these drones meet robust standards of safety and reliability. The capability being developed under the Ground Area Reconnaissance and Assurance (GARA) project mandates a ‘human‑in‑the‑loop’ approach, ensuring trained personnel retain control over decisions relating to the identification and neutralisation of explosive hazards. AI‑enabled functions are separated from platform control and explosive ordnance disposal munitions, and the systems are subject to testing and user trials in line with Defence safety, legal and ethical standards.

The equipment demonstrated during trials with 33 Engineer Regiment in November 2025 is largely based on commercially available uncrewed platforms and sensors, which could reduce lead times if requirements and funding were agreed. However, there is currently no formal programme of record to procure and deploy this capability at scale across the UK Armed Forces, and therefore no definitive estimate has yet been made of the timescales for wider procurement and deployment.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Department’s press release entitled Drones using AI to spot explosive dangers and help keep soldiers safe, published on 2 April 2026, what steps are being taken to help ensure that the AI systems used in these drones meet robust standards of safety and reliability.

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

The Department is taking steps to ensure that the artificial intelligence (AI) systems used in these drones meet robust standards of safety and reliability. The capability being developed under the Ground Area Reconnaissance and Assurance (GARA) project mandates a ‘human‑in‑the‑loop’ approach, ensuring trained personnel retain control over decisions relating to the identification and neutralisation of explosive hazards. AI‑enabled functions are separated from platform control and explosive ordnance disposal munitions, and the systems are subject to testing and user trials in line with Defence safety, legal and ethical standards.

The equipment demonstrated during trials with 33 Engineer Regiment in November 2025 is largely based on commercially available uncrewed platforms and sensors, which could reduce lead times if requirements and funding were agreed. However, there is currently no formal programme of record to procure and deploy this capability at scale across the UK Armed Forces, and therefore no definitive estimate has yet been made of the timescales for wider procurement and deployment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has held discussions with representatives of the road haulage sector on the introduction of an Essential User Rebate.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is taking action to ensure that fuel at the pump remains affordable. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027.

The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry.

The Government regularly engages with industry representatives, and as with all taxes, keeps fuel duty under review.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with road haulage providers on the potential impact of fuel duty on their sector.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is taking action to ensure that fuel at the pump remains affordable. At Budget 2025, the Government extended the 5p-per-litre cut for a further five months, until the end of August this year. The Government has also cancelled the increase in line with inflation for 2026/27; instead, rates will only gradually return to early 2022 levels by March 2027.

The Government's action on fuel duty will save an average heavy goods vehicle more than £800 in 2026/27 compared to previous plans, and follows an extended period where freezes to fuel duty have resulted in substantial savings for the haulage industry.

The Government regularly engages with industry representatives, and as with all taxes, keeps fuel duty under review.

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 grey belt policy on small settlement villages.

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

I refer the hon. Member to Paragraphs 156 and 193 of the National Planning Policy Framework and to the answer given to Question UIN 103589 on 14 January 2026.

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 grey belt policy on a) biodiversity and b) access to green spaces.

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

I refer the hon. Member to Paragraphs 156 and 193 of the National Planning Policy Framework and to the answer given to Question UIN 103589 on 14 January 2026.

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 decision letter to council leaders in Essex on local government reorganisation, dated 25 March 2026, what contingency measures will be in place to ensure the delivery of public services if existing local authorities fail to adequately prepare for the transition to the new local authorities.

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

My officials are in regular contact with councils to support them in undertaking preparatory work to ensure readiness for any transition to new authorities.

It is essential that councils continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, which remain unchanged until reorganisation is complete.

There is a suite of general continuity regulations for local government reorganisation made under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, which ensure an orderly transfer to new unitary councils. These regulations provide transitional and supplementary arrangements enabling councils to undertake specific functions to support a successful move to a single tier of local government. These provisions relate to continuity of services and functions, staffing, local authority plans and schemes, transfer of assets, property and reserves.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Department’s letter to Essex councils dated 26 March 2026, for what reason it was decided that South West Essex and South East Essex councils’ Joint Committees will automatically be chaired by a unitary council councillor, rather than allowing the Joint Committee to decide as in the rest of Essex.

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

Joint Committees are temporary, implementation‑focused bodies intended to support the transition to the new unitary councils. They will be replaced by shadow councils in May 2027.

As such, all existing councils are to be involved in the relevant joint committee, so that implementation is a shared endeavour. In South West Essex and South East Essex, where there are existing unitary authorities, the Joint Committees is to be chaired by a councillor from those existing unitaries, reflecting their existing unitary expertise. In both areas, this operates alongside equal 50 per cent representation on the Joint Committees for councillors from the other predecessor councils.

Guidance on the role of Joint Committees was circulated to all Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock councils in the Department’s letter of 26 March.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the programme on schemes in Basildon and Thurrock.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what representations she received from Essex County Council on Basildon’s roads seeking investment under this programme.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, whether she received representations from Thurrock council seeking investment under this programme.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding received by (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock from the national road investment compared to other areas.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what consideration was given to levels of congestion and freight traffic in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock when allocating funding under the programme.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, whether the potential impact of the Lower Thames Crossing on Thurrock’s road network was considered when determining which areas would receive funding.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what steps local authorities in Basildon and Thurrock must take to secure funding for road improvements under future programmes.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the condition of roads in Basildon and Thurrock when determining funding allocations.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, how much funding has been allocated to Essex, and what proportion of that funding will benefit Basildon and Thurrock.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, what criteria was used to determine the allocation of funding across regions.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Major renewal of ageing English roads delivered with £27 billion investment, published on 26 March 2026, whether any schemes relating to Basildon and Thurrock were considered for inclusion.

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

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support job creation in sectors that traditionally provide entry-level employment opportunities.

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

Lack of experience is a key barrier for young people. 7-10% of 16-24-year-olds have never held any paid job or work experience, and 58% of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) have never held a paid job.

To address this, the Government is expanding work experience placements across Great Britain as part of the Youth Guarantee, offering 150,000 more opportunities over three years from April 2026, with priority referrals for young people.

Participating in work experience helps young people to develop core employability skills, confidence and work readiness and will support them to move into employment or training. Department for Work and Pensions is engaging with national and local employers to create these opportunities. Additionally, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which include a work experience placement, are also being expanded through the Youth Guarantee, with 145,000 starts planned by 2028/29, further supporting young people in gaining valuable work experience whilst building up sector-specific skills.

In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, including entry-level employment opportunities, and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 March to PQ 122032. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new apprenticeship hiring grant of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers when hiring 16–24-year-olds as new employees, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

On 25^th March 2026, the Government also announced the expansion of employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs in 2026/27. One of these Youth Hubs will be in Basildon. Youth Hubs provide tailored, locally delivered employment support, helping young people overcome barriers such as lack of work experience by connecting them to employers, work experience, training and jobs.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of barriers to labour market entry for young people with limited work experience.

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

Lack of experience is a key barrier for young people. 7-10% of 16-24-year-olds have never held any paid job or work experience, and 58% of those who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) have never held a paid job.

To address this, the Government is expanding work experience placements across Great Britain as part of the Youth Guarantee, offering 150,000 more opportunities over three years from April 2026, with priority referrals for young people.

Participating in work experience helps young people to develop core employability skills, confidence and work readiness and will support them to move into employment or training. Department for Work and Pensions is engaging with national and local employers to create these opportunities. Additionally, Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), which include a work experience placement, are also being expanded through the Youth Guarantee, with 145,000 starts planned by 2028/29, further supporting young people in gaining valuable work experience whilst building up sector-specific skills.

In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, including entry-level employment opportunities, and I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 March to PQ 122032. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new apprenticeship hiring grant of up to £2,000 for non-levy paying employers when hiring 16–24-year-olds as new employees, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.

On 25^th March 2026, the Government also announced the expansion of employment support through a further 80 new Youth Hubs in 2026/27. One of these Youth Hubs will be in Basildon. Youth Hubs provide tailored, locally delivered employment support, helping young people overcome barriers such as lack of work experience by connecting them to employers, work experience, training and jobs.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to mandate disclosure of battery health at the point of sale for used electric vehicles.

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

Some organisations already provide their own battery health checks or guarantees to increase consumer confidence.

We will continue to engage industry on this topic, including through the consultation on updating the minimum emission standards for new road vehicles to Euro 7, launched on 13 April 2026. This includes proposals to require manufacturers to fit new EVs with accurate, accessible and comparable battery health monitors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of current waiting times in accessing disability equipment on people’s ability to live independently.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

No assessment has been made of the impact of waiting times in accessing disability equipment on independent living. Local authorities (LAs) in England have a statutory duty under the Care Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014, to make arrangements for the provision of disability aids and community equipment, to meet the assessed eligible needs of individuals who are resident in their area. Some LAs deliver this themselves but a significant number have external contracts for an integrated community equipment service.

Guidance to support the implementation of the Care Act 2014 states that community equipment, aids and adaptations can support reablement and promote independence contributing to preventing the needs for care and support.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the feed-in-tariff export payments in the context of the contribution of small-scale renewable generators to demand on the national grid.

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

The Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) scheme closed to new applicants in 2019, with existing tariffs maintained and only adjusted for inflation annually.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), introduced in January 2020, replaced the FIT export payment with a market-led mechanism requiring suppliers to offer tariffs for exported electricity. It supports the transition to smart and flexible energy systems and is designed to enable deployment without subsidies. The average bundled SEG tariff is 15.49p/kWh and with around 50 tariffs available on the market, the SEG provides consumer choice in a competitive market.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment she has made of the depreciation rates of (a) electric and (b) petrol and diesel vehicles.

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

The Government is aware that, despite strong growth of the used Electric Vehicle (EV) market, the residual values of some EVs have depreciated more quickly than their internal combustion engine equivalents. The used EV market is still maturing, with developments in EV technology and increasingly affordable new models putting downward pressure on used EV prices.

We are actively supporting industry-led working groups focused on the used EV market. We will continue to work with industry on this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Interest rate cap introduced to protect Plan 2 borrowers, published on 7 April 2026, what assessment she has made of the impact of the cap on incentives for graduates to pursue higher education.

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

The government has taken decisive action to cap the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 (postgraduate) student loans at 6%, instead of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) plus 3%, for the 2026/27 academic year. This short term protective measure removes the risk of a temporary increase in inflation causing loan balances to compound at an unsustainable rate.

The interest rate cap follows changes we have already made to the student finance system to improve it and make it fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers. This includes increasing the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025, its first increase since 2021, and increasing it again on 6 April this year, to £29,385. The department is also reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants from the 2028/29 academic year, providing students from low income households with up to £1,000 extra support that will not need to be repaid.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123457 on Local Government and Voluntary Organisations: Social Impact Bonds, whether her Department has any plans to consult areas due to become Mayoral Strategic Authorities in 2028 upon their creation for participating in the delivery of Better Futures Fund-based projects.

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

DCMS remains in the design stages of the Better Futures Fund (BFF). We are aware of the need to consider the views of areas that will become Mayoral Strategic Authorities over the lifetime of the Fund, and will determine how best to do this in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place for importers to escalate cases where delays risk significant commercial loss.

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

HMG takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed. Documentary checks are the most frequent and least disruptive type of check and are often resolved within 2 hours. Clearance may take longer for physical checks, which occur less often.

There are many agencies that operate at the border (including Border Force) and many reasons why goods may need to be physically examined. Whilst delays will always be kept to a minimum, should an importer believe their goods have been subject to unnecessary delay, Gov.uk publishes details of its complaint procedures. Complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2026 to Question 123457, on Local Government and Voluntary Organisations: Social Impact Bonds, whether local authorities which are not currently covered by Mayoral Strategic Authorities will be invited to bid for Better Futures Fund funding.

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

DCMS remains in the design stages of the Better Futures Fund (BFF), therefore, the amount of funding allocated to different delivery partners across England remains subject to development. However, the BFF will be place-based and the Government is committed to ensuring the Fund provides adequate coverage across England. This should include providing appropriate opportunities for local authorities not currently covered by a Mayoral Strategic Authority to apply for BFF funding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises affected by delays in the release of legally imported goods.

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

HMG takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed. Documentary checks are the most frequent and least disruptive type of check and are often resolved within 2 hours. Clearance may take longer for physical checks, which occur less often.

There are many agencies that operate at the border (including Border Force) and many reasons why goods may need to be physically examined. Whilst delays will always be kept to a minimum, should an importer believe their goods have been subject to unnecessary delay, Gov.uk publishes details of its complaint procedures. Complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

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 delays in container inspections on importers, including (a) storage charges and (b) sales.

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

HMG takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed. Documentary checks are the most frequent and least disruptive type of check and are often resolved within 2 hours. Clearance may take longer for physical checks, which occur less often.

There are many agencies that operate at the border (including Border Force) and many reasons why goods may need to be physically examined. Whilst delays will always be kept to a minimum, should an importer believe their goods have been subject to unnecessary delay, Gov.uk publishes details of its complaint procedures. Complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department collects data on storage costs incurred by businesses as a result of delays in Border Force inspections.

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

HMG takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed. Documentary checks are the most frequent and least disruptive type of check and are often resolved within 2 hours. Clearance may take longer for physical checks, which occur less often.

There are many agencies that operate at the border (including Border Force) and many reasons why goods may need to be physically examined. Whilst delays will always be kept to a minimum, should an importer believe their goods have been subject to unnecessary delay, Gov.uk publishes details of its complaint procedures. Complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether recourse is available to businesses where delays in inspection result in significant financial loss.

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

HMG takes a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to customs enforcement. HMRC understands the importance of consumers receiving their consignments on time and has robust procedures to help maintain the flow, whilst ensuring risks are managed. Documentary checks are the most frequent and least disruptive type of check and are often resolved within 2 hours. Clearance may take longer for physical checks, which occur less often.

There are many agencies that operate at the border (including Border Force) and many reasons why goods may need to be physically examined. Whilst delays will always be kept to a minimum, should an importer believe their goods have been subject to unnecessary delay, Gov.uk publishes details of its complaint procedures. Complaints will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

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 address factors linked to public perception of safety such as a) litter and b) graffiti.

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

To improve public perception of safety with regard to litter and graffiti, the Government has enabled and supported local action by providing a clear legal framework of statutory powers and responsibilities of local councils and setting national standards. Local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against both littering and graffiti offenders. Anyone caught littering or graffitiing may be prosecuted in a magistrates’ court. Alternatively, councils may decide to issue a fixed penalty (on-the-spot fine) of up to £500. Councils also have powers to tackle any persistent or unreasonable behaviour that is having a negative effect on a community’s quality of life by issuing Community Protection Notices and Public Space Protection Orders.

To support local councils to make good use of their fixed penalty powers for littering and related offences like graffiti we have recently published new Statutory Guidance, Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them, in Parliament. Local authorities will need to have regard to this guidance when using their powers, which is available at: Litter enforcement powers: when and how to use them - GOV.UK

We have also published the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse statutory guidance which outlines the standards expected of local authorities and other duty bodies (e.g. National Highways) with regards to their duty to keep their land clear of litter and refuse. This guidance can be found on: Code of practice on litter and refuse - GOV.UK

Furthermore, there is advisory guidance on managing graffiti and flyposting for local councils and businesses, which is available here: 15681_GRAFFITI_AND_FLY_POSTING_MANAGEMENT_GUIDANCE.PDF.

The guidance outlines the options available to local councils and others for tackling these issues with examples of good practice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce transitional protections for students already enrolled on courses affected by changes to funding eligibility.

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

As part of the department’s wider work to protect public money in higher education, we take swift and proportionate action to identify fraud and error in the student finance system.

We work closely with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to ensure student finance is delivered in line with statutory eligibility requirements and funding rules set by Ministers. Where courses are found to be ineligible, the department actively engages with the SLC to implement the appropriate actions in accordance with established processes.

The government recognises the importance of minimising disruption to students where errors in funding eligibility occur and will carefully consider the impact on affected students.

Energy Conservation

100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II