Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 14 April 2025 to Question 44030 on Prisoners: Repatriation, whether (a) her Department and (b) HM Prisons and Probation Service have targets for the efficiency of the Early Removal Scheme process.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025, there were 1,848 Early Removal Scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 15% increase compared to 1,610 in the same period 12 months prior.
As part of the government’s Plan for Change and mission to create safer streets, we are building on the existing co-operation between the Home Office and HMPPS (HM Prisons and Probation Service) with a £5 million government investment in prisons across England and Wales which will assist in speeding up returns under the ERS.
This money will fund the deployment of specialist frontline staff to 80 jails to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help ensure that residential freeholders are notified of future liability for charges during the conveyancing process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 (“the 2024 Act”) contains measures to improve the home buying and selling process for homeowners to ensure perspective homeowners receive relevant and timely information at a reasonable cost.
We will be consulting on the secondary legislation that is required to switch on these measures in due course.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department issues guidance to the Environment Agency on holding meetings with hon. Members during a pre-election period.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Cabinet Office publishes guidance to civil servants in UK Government departments and staff and members of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and other arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) on their role and conduct during pre-election periods. The most recent guidance was updated on 20 March 2025 ahead of the May 2025 local elections.
Environment Agency (EA) staff follow this guidance to ensure that their activities do not call into question their political impartiality.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to require LINK to amend its assessment criteria for establishing new banking hubs.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
While the Government has no current plans to amend legislation, we continue to work closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 140 are already open.
Any decisions on changes to LINK’s independent assessment criteria are a matter for LINK, the financial services sector, and for the Financial Conduct Authority, which oversees the access to cash regime.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure hospital transport providers are meeting the needs of patients and their families.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
It is the responsibility of local commissioners and providers to work together to ensure that hospital patient transport services are meeting the needs of their populations locally. National guidance for non-emergency patient transport services, to support them in becoming consistently more responsive, fair, and sustainable, is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/improving-non-emergency-patient-transport-services/
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has a target for the removal of foreign national offenders from prisons.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
HMPPS (HM Prisons and Probation Service) are working closely with the Home Office to ensure the Early Removal Scheme process runs as efficiently as possible by driving up foreign national offender (FNO) returns directly from prison.
Between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025, there have been 1,848 ERS returns, which is a 15% increase compared to 1,610 in the same period 12 months prior.
The ERS remains the most effective mechanism for removing eligible FNOs as quickly as possible, freeing up prison beds and saving money.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place before new housing is built.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of ensuring that new housing development is supported by appropriate infrastructure.
The revised National Planning Policy Framework published 12 December included changes designed to improve the provision and modernisation of various types of public infrastructure.
The government is also committed to strengthening the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide the necessary infrastructure communities expect.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make it her Department's policy to remove all foreign national offenders from UK prisons.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The removal of foreign national offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. FNOs who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.
After sentencing, FNOs are considered for removal under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) subject to the Home Office issuing a deportation order. The ERS enables the removal of FNOs up to 18 months before the end of their custodial sentence. FNOs deported under the ERS are barred from returning to the UK.
Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, 2,925 FNOs have been returned from prison and the community - 21% more than the 2,422 in the same period under the previous Government, 12 months prior. This includes 1,557 ERS removals from prison - a 26% increase compared to the same period under the previous Government 12 months prior.
We have invested £5 million for 82 new FNO Specialist roles in prisons to speed up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country. Staff will be in post by April 2025. We will also fast-track removals through a new returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 Home Office staff.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons will the renaming of civil injunctions as housing injunctions help housing associations tackle anti-social behaviour.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.
We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by bringing forward new Respect Orders, which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders. These were introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill on 25 February.
The Respect Order partially replaces the existing Civil Injunction power for the most persistent and serious adult ASB offenders, carrying with it a power of arrest and sentencing in the criminal courts for breach. It is a broad power for use in situations where behaviour had caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Practitioners who use the Civil Injunction for housing-related ASB have told us the power works well for those purposes. The element of the Civil Injunction that pertains to housing related ASB will therefore be retained, and re-named the 'housing injunction' for clarity, to distinguish it from the Respect Order and the Youth Injunction. The legal test for this is behaviour causing, or capable of causing, housing-related nuisance or annoyance. If agencies consider that ASB committed in the context of neighbour disputes meets the legal test for a Respect Order (behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress), they may determine a Respect Order is the most appropriate option instead.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to encourage public participation in Devolution Priority Programme consultations.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 17th February, the government launched six consultations, one for each area on Devolution Priority Programme. The government is encouraging everyone who lives and works within these areas to participate and make their voices heard. The government has brought the consultation to the attention of a variety of local stakeholders, including local councils, community groups, and businesses, to ensure the consultation reaches the widest possible audience. We are utilising a range of communication methods, including social media and physical promotional materials to publicise this activity, which is also being reported by local media. Engagement is being actively monitored and we are putting in place plans to encourage maximum participation across all communities in these areas.