Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58609 and the Answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39471, for what reason only Green Belt purposes (a), (b) and (d) were included in assessing grey belt land.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the NPPF, and we do not propose to alter its general extent.
The contribution Green Belt land makes to the five purposes is only one consideration in local planning authority decisions relating to the release of Green Belt land.
In its response to the 30 July 2024 to 24 September 2024 consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, and having considered the feedback received, the government clarified that grey belt land is Green Belt land which does not strongly contribute to Green Belt Purposes (a), (b), and (d).
As set out in Planning Practice Guidance, where grey belt is identified, it does not automatically follow that it should be allocated for development, or released from the Green Belt, or that development proposals will be approved in all circumstances.
I otherwise again refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 39471 on 26 March 2025 and UIN 64265 on 9 July 2025.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the consistency of Local Planning Authorities in identifying grey belt land.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the NPPF, and we do not propose to alter its general extent.
The contribution Green Belt land makes to the five purposes is only one consideration in local planning authority decisions relating to the release of Green Belt land.
In its response to the 30 July 2024 to 24 September 2024 consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation, and having considered the feedback received, the government clarified that grey belt land is Green Belt land which does not strongly contribute to Green Belt Purposes (a), (b), and (d).
As set out in Planning Practice Guidance, where grey belt is identified, it does not automatically follow that it should be allocated for development, or released from the Green Belt, or that development proposals will be approved in all circumstances.
I otherwise again refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 39471 on 26 March 2025 and UIN 64265 on 9 July 2025.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce cases of antisemitism.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society. Tackling antisemitism in all its forms is a top priority for this Government. We are working closely with HMG’s Independent Adviser on Antisemitism on the most effective methods to tackle antisemitism and advocate for British Jewish communities.
The Community Security Trust will receive funding of £18 million per year through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant until 2027/28.
An Antisemitism Working Group has been established to provide advice to the government on antisemitism. It is looking at how the UK Government should engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews, and how antisemitism can be effectively tackled.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to (a) Business Property Relief and (b) Agricultural Property Relief on the level of resources required at HMRC.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 21 July 2025 HMRC published a policy paper on the agricultural property relief and business property relief reforms for Inheritance Tax. The summary of impacts includes an estimate of HMRC’s costs to deliver the measure. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken through the education system to educate young people on the harms of radicalisation.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
All schools are under a statutory duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being radicalised into terrorism.
Every school should actively promote the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Promoting shared British values is a way of building pupils’ resilience to radicalisation and enabling them to identify and challenge extremist views.
The department publishes comprehensive advice and has made a range of resources freely available on our Educate Against Hate website, supporting teachers across all sectors to educate children and young people about the risks of extremism and radicalisation. This includes talking about Prevent and discussing controversial issues with children to raise awareness of and build resilience to radicalisation.
We have a team of regional co-ordinators who work directly with education institutions across all sectors in England to provide advice, support and training to ensure providers are well equipped to prevent children and young people from being drawn into terrorism.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of permitted development on the number of Houses of Multiple Occupation in Hertsmere constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has made no such an assessment.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's announcement Railway stations awarded Access for All accessibility funding, published on 24 May 2024, what her planned timetable is for the completion of Access for All construction at Bushey Railway Station.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In May 2024, the previous government identified 50 stations, including Bushey, for initial feasibility work to assess their potential for future upgrades under the Access for All programme. Network Rail has now completed this initial feasibility work. We plan to provide an update to stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58611 on Railways: Access, when her Department will fund Network Rail to undertake the next round of feasibility studies.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Network Rail has completed initial feasibility work for the 50 projects being considered for inclusion in the Access for All programme within the 2025 Spending Review funding period.
We plan to update stakeholders in due course.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support she is providing to local authorities to help them prevent people from being radicalised.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales receive dedicated support from the Home Office to deliver the Prevent duty effectively and in proportion to the level of local risk and threat. This support includes expertise from a network of region-based Home Office Prevent Advisers who work closely with partners to raise Prevent delivery standards. Prevent Advisers also deliver an annual assurance exercise, assessing the extent to which local authorities are meeting the Prevent duty and identifying areas for further support and improvement.
Currently, the 28 highest threat areas in England and Wales receive Home Office Prevent funding which supports the provision of dedicated Prevent posts within these local authorities. Some of these local authorities also receive additional funding to support regional working and share their Prevent expertise with other neighbouring local authorities.
All local authorities have access to the Preventing Radicalisation Fund. This is a central fund into which local authorities can make bids to support the delivery of targeted Prevent projects in their local area. These projects aim to identify and mitigate local radicalisation risks, including the risk from Islamist Extremism, Extreme Right-Wing and other emerging threats.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to help prevent the radicalisation of young people.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy is set out in CONTEST, most recently updated in 2023. Prevent is one of four pillars of that strategy. Prevent seeks to intervene early and provide support to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Channel focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are at risk of radicalisation, with a significant number of young people referred to Prevent for support. In the year ending 31 March 2024, individuals aged 11 to 15 accounted for the largest proportion of the 6,884 referrals to Prevent (2,729; 40%) where age was known, and a slightly larger proportion of both those discussed at a Channel Panel (374; 42%) and those adopted as a Channel case (254; 50%).