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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of exempting foster carers from Council Tax in whole or in part.

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

Local authorities are responsible for the administration of council tax and have discretionary powers to apply exemptions or council tax discounts. This could include offering discounts to foster carers where they consider this appropriate.

The Government has recently consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax. This included seeking views on the current range of council tax disregards provided in the system. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum age for post-foster care arrangements to age 25.

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

The government is committed to supporting care leavers as they transition to independence.

Staying Put enables care leavers to prepare for independence more gradually in a stable and secure family setting. It enables young people to continue living with their former foster carer(s) when they turn age 18, potentially up to age 21, if both parties want this.

We are committed to Staying Put arrangements but must prioritise the introduction of the Staying Close duty in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which provides support to those who cannot benefit from Staying Put.

Staying Close offers tailored support for care leavers, including help to find and keep suitable accommodation and access to wraparound services such as health and wellbeing, education, training and employment. This measure ensures that eligible care leavers can receive support up to age 25, helping them to build stability and life skills and reducing the risk of homelessness and poor outcomes. This includes young people who might have previously been in a Staying Put arrangement.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been released in error since 5 July 2024 by prison.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Releases in error have been increasing for several years and are another symptom of the prison system crisis inherited by this Government. On 11 November, the Deputy Prime Minister announced a five-point action plan setting out initial steps to address this issue.

Totals for releases in error, including a breakdown by releasing prison (or Prisoner Escort Custody Services), are published each July in the HMPPS Annual Digest, available via  HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK , and provide data up to March 2025.

The Government is determined to fix the issue of mistaken releases and ensure the public is properly protected.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to publish the impact assessment for the removal of the right of defendants to elect for a jury trial.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

An impact assessment will accompany our legislative measures, as is usual practice.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many instances of non-compliance with ICNIRP public exclusion zone requirements for telecommunications masts have been identified in each of the last five years; and what enforcement action was taken in each case.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for public health considerations related to radio waves, nor for monitoring or measuring mobile network operators’ compliance with their existing obligations in this area. In the United Kingdom, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises the Government on health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and monitors emerging evidence.

Wireless network operators must comply with the guidelines set by The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection under licencing conditions set by Ofcom. Ofcom can enforce compliance, including the requirement to meet public EMF limits and maintain records demonstrating compliance.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires operators declare that proposed sites comply with ICNIRP guidelines when submitting planning applications. As best practice, operators should provide self-certification statements with all applications confirming adherence to ICNIRP guidelines. The NPPF is the responsibility of Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to introduce mandatory third-party verification of ICNIRP compliance for telecoms mast installations above a specified power threshold.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for public health considerations related to radio waves, nor for monitoring or measuring mobile network operators’ compliance with their existing obligations in this area. In the United Kingdom, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises the Government on health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and monitors emerging evidence.

Wireless network operators must comply with the guidelines set by The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection under licencing conditions set by Ofcom. Ofcom can enforce compliance, including the requirement to meet public EMF limits and maintain records demonstrating compliance.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires operators declare that proposed sites comply with ICNIRP guidelines when submitting planning applications. As best practice, operators should provide self-certification statements with all applications confirming adherence to ICNIRP guidelines. The NPPF is the responsibility of Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the accuracy of ICNIRP self-certification declarations submitted by telecommunications operators in respect of public exclusion zones for new and existing masts.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for public health considerations related to radio waves, nor for monitoring or measuring mobile network operators’ compliance with their existing obligations in this area. In the United Kingdom, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises the Government on health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and monitors emerging evidence.

Wireless network operators must comply with the guidelines set by The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection under licencing conditions set by Ofcom. Ofcom can enforce compliance, including the requirement to meet public EMF limits and maintain records demonstrating compliance.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires operators declare that proposed sites comply with ICNIRP guidelines when submitting planning applications. As best practice, operators should provide self-certification statements with all applications confirming adherence to ICNIRP guidelines. The NPPF is the responsibility of Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what guidance she has issued to local planning authorities on verifying ICNIRP self-certification against actual site conditions and public access restrictions.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is not responsible for public health considerations related to radio waves, nor for monitoring or measuring mobile network operators’ compliance with their existing obligations in this area. In the United Kingdom, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advises the Government on health impacts of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and monitors emerging evidence.

Wireless network operators must comply with the guidelines set by The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection under licencing conditions set by Ofcom. Ofcom can enforce compliance, including the requirement to meet public EMF limits and maintain records demonstrating compliance.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requires operators declare that proposed sites comply with ICNIRP guidelines when submitting planning applications. As best practice, operators should provide self-certification statements with all applications confirming adherence to ICNIRP guidelines. The NPPF is the responsibility of Ministry for Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

Found: Dr Rose Marie Parr (Lay member) Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat; Frome and East Somerset) Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst

Found: Dr Rose Marie Parr (Lay member) Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat; Frome and East Somerset) Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst

Found: Francis Habgood; Professor Michael Maguire; Mehmuda Mian; Dr Rose Marie Parr; Anna Sabine; Dr Neil Shastri -Hurst

Found: Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst - Transcript Report

Found: 4th Report - Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst HC 1569 Report

Found: Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst - written evidence Report