Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support Typhoon production.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence is an engine for growth, as demonstrated by the recent deal this Government signed with Türkiye for 20 Eurofighter Typhoons, worth £8 billion to the UK economy and supporting a key NATO ally. This deal secures thousands of skilled jobs for the UK, including those workers in Warton and Samlesbury who I had the pleasure of meeting recently.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to limit the purchase of new-build properties by foreign investors.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has already made changes to the tax system to reduce demand for housing as an investment opportunity for overseas investors.
Non-UK residents already pay a 2% surcharge on top of the residential rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) when purchasing a dwelling in England or Northern Ireland.
At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government increased the higher rates of SDLT, which are also paid by non-UK residents purchasing additional property, by two percentage points from 3% to 5%.
Increasing the higher rates of SDLT helps to ensure that those looking to move home, or purchase their first property, have a greater advantage over second home buyers, landlords and companies purchasing residential property.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to limit the number of long-term empty homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 80458 on 20 October 2025.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the outcome of the Police Activity Survey; and what plans she has to conduct a further such survey.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office conducted the Police Activity Survey over a one-week period in February 2023, with 35 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales participating. The survey was designed to improve understanding of how police time is allocated across different activities. A report presenting the results from the survey is being finalised within the department ahead of publication.
The department is currently considering the feasibility of conducting the survey again although this is in early stages. We will engage with police forces ahead of a decision to proceed.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press notice entitled Landmark package to pursue domestic abuse perpetrators, published on 16 July 2025, whether the Drive Project rollout will be the subject of (a) an impact evaluation and (b) a randomised controlled trial.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office is investing £53 million to roll out the Drive Project over the next four years. The Drive Project is a multi-agency, intensive case management approach for the highest risk, highest harm serial perpetrators of domestic abuse perpetrators. This is a key measure in the Government's commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.
The Drive Project pilot was the subject of a robust impact evaluation - between 2016 and 2019, the University of Bristol conducted evaluation to measure The Drive Project's effectiveness in reducing abuse, using a randomised control design.
We are working closely with The Drive Partnership to develop plans for monitoring and evaluation of the rollout, ensuring that the approach builds on what has come before.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made by the expert panel of clinical specialists on its review of the harms caused to young people by the provision of unregulated cross-sex hormones by private providers; and what his expected timetable is for publication of the panel's report.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is continuing its work with the National Health Service to reform gender services, to ensure young people receive timely, holistic care and support, while reviewing the use of cross-sex hormones in line with recommendation eight of the Cass Review.
The Cass Review said that NHS England should review its policy on cross-sex hormones. The review noted that the option to provide cross-sex hormones is available for patients aged 16 years old and over, but that “extreme caution” was recommended along with a “strong clinical rationale for providing hormones before the age of 18”. In line with Dr Cass’s recommendations, every case for treatment is now discussed by a national multi-disciplinary team, and NHS England is reviewing its clinical commissioning policy on cross-sex hormones. A public consultation on the evidence is anticipated to take place this summer, and an updated policy is expected to be in place by April 2026.
With regard to private prescribing, a working group has been established by NHS England to provide advice to Government officials and the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer. The remit of the working group is to provide practical advice on the operational consequences of introducing any restrictions on private prescribing and advice on how to manage any risks to patients. The working group is made up of consultant endocrinologists, pharmacy and primary care leads, and national commissioners.
It is not the working group's role to decide whether restrictions on private prescribing should, or should not, be introduced. Neither is the group providing advice on the future use of cross-sex hormones by NHS clinicians. The Department will use the outputs of the working group to inform ongoing policy development.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the research by Queen's University, Ontario, entitled Severe Maternal and Neonatal Morbidity Among Gestational Carriers: A Cohort Study, published on 24 September 2024.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ensuring that women are healthy during their pregnancy is important for ensuring good outcomes for women and babies. This includes surrogates, also known as gestational carriers. We welcome additional research and evidence in this field, including reports such as the Queen’s University Ontario publication, which we will consider.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 24054 on Colne-Skipton Railway Line, if she will publish the completed feasibility work.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The findings of this work have been presented to all the Local Transport Authorities along the proposed route, Transport for the North, and the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) campaign group.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 6 January 2020 to Question 492 on Colne-Skipton Railway Line, whether her Department has completed the further feasibility work.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All feasibility work relating to the proposed reinstatement of the Skipton-Colne line has been completed. While there is a strong strategic case for improving connectivity between East Lancashire and the Leeds city region, the scheme is currently unaffordable due to its high capital and operating costs. No DfT funding has been allocated for further development.
Asked by: Jonathan Hinder (Labour - Pendle and Clitheroe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of restoring the Skipton to Colne rail route.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
All feasibility work relating to the proposed reinstatement of the Skipton-Colne line has been completed. While there is a strong strategic case for improving connectivity between East Lancashire and the Leeds city region, the scheme is currently unaffordable due to its high capital and operating costs. No DfT funding has been allocated for further development.