Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment has been made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of civil service apprentices since 2022.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
This government remains committed to apprenticeships as one pathway to break down barriers to opportunity. It is for individual departments to identify the need and assess effectiveness of apprenticeships, including the use of level 2 and 3 apprenticeships, within their workforce and development plans.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil service apprentices in 2024 and 2025 were aged between 18 and 24.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Civil Service data is not collected for the 18-24 age bracket. However, we can confirm that 3,010 of on-programme apprentices on 31 December 2024 were aged between 16 and 24. The Cabinet Office no longer collates cross-government data on apprenticeships beyond December 2024, so we are unable to provide data for 2025.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average cost of determining a market rent application; and what the projected annual cost is following implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
It is not currently possible to identify the cost of determining a market rent application. This is one of several types of case heard by the Residential Property Tribunal and currently costs are not apportioned to individual case types.
We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure the Property Tribunal is able to accommodate the impact of the Renters’ Reform Act.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government will publish data on market rent determinations, tribunal volumes, decision times and outcomes following implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Currently HM Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) publish quarterly data on the Residential Property Chamber.
HMCTS is reviewing the data captured, drawn and published from the supporting systems for the Tribunal as part of preparations for the Renters’ Rights Act.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken to determine a market rent application from receipt to decision is in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold specific information for applications for market rent determination. Published data is available on receipts, disposals and open caseload for residential property within Tribunals Statistics Quarterly, which will include applications for market rent determination. This information in available in column AS in tables S_2, S_3 and S_4:
Main_Tables_Q2_2025_26.ods.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for market rent determination were received by the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold specific information for applications for market rent determination. Published data is available on receipts, disposals and open caseload for residential property within Tribunals Statistics Quarterly, which will include applications for market rent determination. This information in available in column AS in tables S_2, S_3 and S_4:
Main_Tables_Q2_2025_26.ods.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an estimate of the number of (a) judges and (b) valuers required to determine market rent determination applications within reasonable timeframes following implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Judges, salaried regional surveyors (valuers), and fee paid valuers assigned to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) Property Chamber can hear any case type in the Chamber, including rent determinations.
The number of judges in post as of 1 April 2025 assigned to the Property Chamber is published in the 2025 Judicial Diversity Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2025-statistics.
2 regional surveyors and 77 valuers in post as of 1 April 2025 are assigned to the Property Chamber as their primary appointment.
We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act on the Chamber, including on judicial capacity. Recruitment was completed in 2025 for salaried and fee-paid judges of the FTT, including for the Property Chamber, and further recruitment in 2026 is planned. The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes data on the outcomes of these exercises once recruitment is completed: https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/completed-exercises/.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many additional (a) judges and (b) valuers have been recruited in advance of the implementation of the rent review provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Judges, salaried regional surveyors (valuers), and fee paid valuers assigned to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) Property Chamber can hear any case type in the Chamber, including rent determinations.
The number of judges in post as of 1 April 2025 assigned to the Property Chamber is published in the 2025 Judicial Diversity Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2025-statistics.
2 regional surveyors and 77 valuers in post as of 1 April 2025 are assigned to the Property Chamber as their primary appointment.
We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act on the Chamber, including on judicial capacity. Recruitment was completed in 2025 for salaried and fee-paid judges of the FTT, including for the Property Chamber, and further recruitment in 2026 is planned. The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes data on the outcomes of these exercises once recruitment is completed: https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/completed-exercises/.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) judges and (b) specialist valuers are assigned to residential rent determination cases in the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Judges, salaried regional surveyors (valuers), and fee paid valuers assigned to the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) Property Chamber can hear any case type in the Chamber, including rent determinations.
The number of judges in post as of 1 April 2025 assigned to the Property Chamber is published in the 2025 Judicial Diversity Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2025-statistics.
2 regional surveyors and 77 valuers in post as of 1 April 2025 are assigned to the Property Chamber as their primary appointment.
We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to assess the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act on the Chamber, including on judicial capacity. Recruitment was completed in 2025 for salaried and fee-paid judges of the FTT, including for the Property Chamber, and further recruitment in 2026 is planned. The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes data on the outcomes of these exercises once recruitment is completed: https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/completed-exercises/.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what methodology the Government intends should be used to determine market rent for the purposes of rent reviews under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The determination of market rent for the purposes of rent reviews under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 will be a decision for the judiciary in the First-tier Tribunal.
The First-tier Tribunal panels, which include expert valuers, will take into account evidence submitted by both tenant and landlord, alongside other relevant factors, such as rents for comparable local properties.