Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
For all staff including ministers it was £2,833,345.20 for UK hotels for the 2024-25 financial year.
For all staff including ministers it was £ 635,524.37 for overseas hotels for the 2024-25 financial year.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his department has spent on accommodation for staff of agencies and other public bodies sponsored by his department, broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Melanie Ward - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The Scotland Office sponsors one advisory non-departmental public body, the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Commission does not directly employ staff; its secretariat is provided by the Scottish Government. Expenditure on overnight accommodation for staff supporting the Commission in the 2024-25 financial year was nil.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, how much their Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department spent a total for staff of £1,877,899.74 on UK stays and £1,143,100.74 on overseas stays for the 2024-25 financial year.
For costs for Ministers, the Department spent a total of £6,306 on UK stays. Details of all ministerial overseas travel is published as part of the following collection DBT: ministers' transparency publications - GOV.UK, the total is £10,544 which includes accommodation, meals and associated costs.
This data solely covers the Department for Business and Trade as it was during the time period requested.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his department has spent on accommodation for staff of agencies and other public bodies sponsored by his department, broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his department has spent on accommodation for staff of agencies and other public bodies sponsored by his department, broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
The following table sets out accommodation spend for each public body sponsored by the department in 2024/25:
Public Body | UK Stays 2024/25 | Overseas Stays 2024/25 |
Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland | £0 | £0 |
Civil Service Commissioners for Northern Ireland | £0 | £0 |
Crown Solicitor’s Office | £1,690.06 | £0 |
Electoral Office for Northern Ireland | £4,571 | £333 |
Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains | £4,860.84 | £1,155.72 |
Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery | £90.8k | £0 |
Independent Reporting Commission | £845.82 | £0 |
NI Human Rights Commission | £4,436.90 | £14,467.59 |
Parades Commission for Northern Ireland | £600 | £0 |
Sentence Review Commissioners | £0 | £0 |
Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland | £5,867 | £301 |
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) fines and (b) points issued on the A20 near Sidcup between 1 October 2023 to 31 October 2024.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department does not hold the information requested. Enforcement of speed limits is an operational matter for the police. Depending on the circumstances, offences may result in a fixed penalty and penalty points, or prosecution in court.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support she is providing local authorities to help them expand zebra crossings outside schools.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The provision of pedestrian crossings, including zebra crossings outside schools, is a matter for local traffic authorities. It is for individual authorities to assess local circumstances and determine where crossings are appropriate, taking account of road safety and the needs of all road users.
The Department has provided good practice guidance to assist them with this in Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the value for money of (a) the Football Regulator's first year operating costs with (b) the forecast operating costs set out by Government to Parliament; and what are her Department's updated forecast costs of the Football Regulator to clubs over the next decade.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) will lay its first Annual Reports and Accounts before Parliament later this year. In its first year, the IFR has already published its comprehensive State of the Game report; begun testing owners, directors and senior executives; protected club heritage by ensuring fans are consulted on key decisions; and issued ten consultations alongside final rules and guidance.
Under the Football Governance Act 2025, the IFR must determine, through its levy rules, the number of chargeable periods over which initial and establishment costs are recovered, and the maximum percentage recoverable each period. The latest proposals, which set out how the IFR intends to repay their initial costs over a ten year period, are currently under consultation. A final breakdown will be published following the consultation, which will include the proportion of the total costs payable by each of the 116 clubs.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, a) over what time period does she expect the Football Regulator to repay its £45m initial costs covered by Government, and b) if she will provide the breakdown of how much she expects each league to pay towards these costs.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) will lay its first Annual Reports and Accounts before Parliament later this year. In its first year, the IFR has already published its comprehensive State of the Game report; begun testing owners, directors and senior executives; protected club heritage by ensuring fans are consulted on key decisions; and issued ten consultations alongside final rules and guidance.
Under the Football Governance Act 2025, the IFR must determine, through its levy rules, the number of chargeable periods over which initial and establishment costs are recovered, and the maximum percentage recoverable each period. The latest proposals, which set out how the IFR intends to repay their initial costs over a ten year period, are currently under consultation. A final breakdown will be published following the consultation, which will include the proportion of the total costs payable by each of the 116 clubs.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether she has made an estimate of the potential cost of and overnight visitor levy to the operations of Number 10 North.
Answered by Mark Ferguson - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Accommodation costs are within existing departmental budgets. An overnight levy is already charged on accommodation in Manchester.