Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her policy is on investment in the Dartford Crossing.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Dartford Crossing is one of the most important roads in the UK, used by an average of 150,000 vehicles daily, of which almost 40% are freight vehicles: a much higher proportion than for other major roads. Consequently, significant annual expenditure (£42.2million in 2023/24) goes on operating, maintaining and improving the Crossing, particularly in relation to the older tunnels, which require increasingly intensive maintenance to, for example, the ventilation, electrical and drainage systems.

Additional capacity across the River Thames east of London will be provided by the Lower Thames Crossing, complementing the Dartford Crossing which will remain an essential part of the London Orbital road.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce public spending on Southeastern Railway.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is busy delivering on its plan to overhaul the railways through the creation of Great British Railways, uniting train and track with the focus of delivering for passengers and freight.

In June this year, Southeastern and Network Rail Kent route united under a single leadership team known as South Eastern Railway – a significant step towards the creation of Great British Railways. This more collaborative approach is resulting in greater efficiency with better, faster decisions for customers and taxpayers, and reducing the subsidy required to operate Southeastern.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed Bakerloo Line extension to the London Borough of Bromley on Southeastern rail services in Hayes.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We recognise the socio-economic benefits that the proposed Bakerloo Line Extension could offer regionally and nationally, and we want to improve transport and services for passengers. As transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London, it is for them to make decisions on the merits of investment including any upgrade to the Bakerloo Line.

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 help ensure areas with high levels of housebuilding have adequate GP capacity.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The National Health Service has a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient medical services, including general practice (GP), in each local area. It should take account of population growth and demographic changes. Integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning, namely planning, securing, and monitoring, GP services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England.

Local planning authorities are responsible for negotiating and agreeing developer contributions to support necessary associated infrastructure when new housing developments are built, including GP practices. At a national level, we continue to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure all new and existing developments have an adequate level of healthcare infrastructure for the community.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has a target of number of registered patients per GP.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Each general practice is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a general practitioner (GP) should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The demands each patient places on their general practice are different and can be affected by many different factors, including rurality and patient demographics. It is necessary to consider the workforce for each practice as a whole; not only GPs but also the range of health professionals available who are able to respond to the needs of their patients.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the Royal Air Force.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that the Royal Air Force should shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an immediate priority. As part of this transformation, uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Royal Air Force through a broad mix of capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness. The exact numbers of drones to be procured and the associated investment will be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the Royal Navy.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Strategic Defence Review recommends that an immediate priority should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. As we increase lethality of our forces and prepare for warfighting readiness uncrewed and autonomous systems will be incorporated into the Royal Navy's surface, air and undersea capabilities over the next five years, with the exact numbers and levels of investment apportioned to these systems to be determined as part of the Defence Investment Plan, to be published later this year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing simple majority voting in the London Assembly.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The London Assembly is a unique institution in the English Devolution landscape, responsible for scrutiny rather than executive decision-making. It has successfully served the people of London for the last 25 years and will continue to act as the body responsible for scrutinising the Mayor of London.

The government will engage with both the Mayor of London and the London Assembly on proposals for improving accountability and scrutiny as set out in the English Devolution White Paper. However, the government has no plans to change voting arrangements in the London Assembly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help prevent protests from disrupting the activities of defence firms.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The management of protest activity is an operational matter for the police, who are independent of government.

While the Government is committed to protecting the public and businesses from serious disruption, ministers cannot intervene in individual cases or direct police decisions, including those relating to protests near defence firms. This operational independence is a fundamental principle of policing in the UK.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide step-free access at Shortlands rail station.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Shortlands rail station already has step free access into the station and to and between each platform via lifts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to provide step-free access at Bickley rail station.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since 2006, the Access for All (AfA) programme has delivered step free access at more than 260 stations across Britain.

In 2022, the previous government sought nominations from train operators and transport authorities for potential upgrades through the AfA programme. Bickley was not nominated.

The hon member may wish to engage with Transport for London and Southeastern to make that case that Bickley station is a priority in any future rounds of funding.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.2.5 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, when the working group jointly sponsored by his Department and the Greater London Authority will publish its conclusions.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) and will be formally made as such via the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (‘the Bill’). As with other EMSAs, the Bill will grant the GLA the ‘right to request’, allowing them to request additions to the devolution framework to help deliver their areas of competence. Requests could be for further powers, funding or place-based pilots. Requests will be considered by Government and responded to within 6 months. This will be the primary way the powers of all Strategic Authorities will be amended going forward; however the Bill delivers on our commitment to devolve responsibility for the disposal of TfL operational land to the Mayor of London.

It is my Department’s expectation that some of the GLA’s requests for future devolved functions will be informed by an analysis of the powers and policy approaches of any global cities which can provide valuable lessons for London. As such, there is no defined list of global city authorities with which the Department plans to compare to London.

The working group jointly sponsored by my Department and the GLA has met a total of three times since November 2024. It has provided a forum to discuss potential priorities for the GLA’s ‘right to request’ informed by global city comparisons. The group has also worked to ensure the Bill's provisions align with the GLA's unique devolution settlement. Work has also been ongoing to agree an Integrated Settlement for London, as was announced at the Spending Review in June 2025. The working group is intended to provide a forum for engagement with the GLA on an ongoing basis, as such the Department does not plan to publish final conclusions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.2.5 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether he plans to amend the Greater London Authority's powers.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) and will be formally made as such via the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (‘the Bill’). As with other EMSAs, the Bill will grant the GLA the ‘right to request’, allowing them to request additions to the devolution framework to help deliver their areas of competence. Requests could be for further powers, funding or place-based pilots. Requests will be considered by Government and responded to within 6 months. This will be the primary way the powers of all Strategic Authorities will be amended going forward; however the Bill delivers on our commitment to devolve responsibility for the disposal of TfL operational land to the Mayor of London.

It is my Department’s expectation that some of the GLA’s requests for future devolved functions will be informed by an analysis of the powers and policy approaches of any global cities which can provide valuable lessons for London. As such, there is no defined list of global city authorities with which the Department plans to compare to London.

The working group jointly sponsored by my Department and the GLA has met a total of three times since November 2024. It has provided a forum to discuss potential priorities for the GLA’s ‘right to request’ informed by global city comparisons. The group has also worked to ensure the Bill's provisions align with the GLA's unique devolution settlement. Work has also been ongoing to agree an Integrated Settlement for London, as was announced at the Spending Review in June 2025. The working group is intended to provide a forum for engagement with the GLA on an ongoing basis, as such the Department does not plan to publish final conclusions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.2.5 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, which global city authorities his Department plans to consider.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) and will be formally made as such via the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (‘the Bill’). As with other EMSAs, the Bill will grant the GLA the ‘right to request’, allowing them to request additions to the devolution framework to help deliver their areas of competence. Requests could be for further powers, funding or place-based pilots. Requests will be considered by Government and responded to within 6 months. This will be the primary way the powers of all Strategic Authorities will be amended going forward; however the Bill delivers on our commitment to devolve responsibility for the disposal of TfL operational land to the Mayor of London.

It is my Department’s expectation that some of the GLA’s requests for future devolved functions will be informed by an analysis of the powers and policy approaches of any global cities which can provide valuable lessons for London. As such, there is no defined list of global city authorities with which the Department plans to compare to London.

The working group jointly sponsored by my Department and the GLA has met a total of three times since November 2024. It has provided a forum to discuss potential priorities for the GLA’s ‘right to request’ informed by global city comparisons. The group has also worked to ensure the Bill's provisions align with the GLA's unique devolution settlement. Work has also been ongoing to agree an Integrated Settlement for London, as was announced at the Spending Review in June 2025. The working group is intended to provide a forum for engagement with the GLA on an ongoing basis, as such the Department does not plan to publish final conclusions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.2.5 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, how many times the new working group sponsored jointly by her Department and the Greater London Authority has met.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) and will be formally made as such via the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (‘the Bill’). As with other EMSAs, the Bill will grant the GLA the ‘right to request’, allowing them to request additions to the devolution framework to help deliver their areas of competence. Requests could be for further powers, funding or place-based pilots. Requests will be considered by Government and responded to within 6 months. This will be the primary way the powers of all Strategic Authorities will be amended going forward; however the Bill delivers on our commitment to devolve responsibility for the disposal of TfL operational land to the Mayor of London.

It is my Department’s expectation that some of the GLA’s requests for future devolved functions will be informed by an analysis of the powers and policy approaches of any global cities which can provide valuable lessons for London. As such, there is no defined list of global city authorities with which the Department plans to compare to London.

The working group jointly sponsored by my Department and the GLA has met a total of three times since November 2024. It has provided a forum to discuss potential priorities for the GLA’s ‘right to request’ informed by global city comparisons. The group has also worked to ensure the Bill's provisions align with the GLA's unique devolution settlement. Work has also been ongoing to agree an Integrated Settlement for London, as was announced at the Spending Review in June 2025. The working group is intended to provide a forum for engagement with the GLA on an ongoing basis, as such the Department does not plan to publish final conclusions.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his plans are for the future of Business Improvement Districts.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises the important role Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) can play in regeneration and place making. We encourage BIDs to work in partnership with their local authority to deliver growth in their local area. We made a commitment to strengthen BIDs and raise standards in the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024 and we are considering options for reform.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to protect family homes from being converted into houses in multiple occupation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

National permitted development rights allow a C3 dwellinghouse to change use to a C4 House in Multiple Occupation for up to six people sharing facilities without the need for a planning application.

Larger Houses in Multiple Occupation require a planning application which the local authority will determine in-line with the local plan and in consultation with neighbours.

Local authorities can remove the permitted development right for HMOs of up to 6 people to protect local amenity or wellbeing of the area by introducing an ‘Article 4’ direction.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to build more family homes in London and the South East.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

Through bold reform of the planning system; significant investment in land, infrastructure, and social and affordable housing; and a range of other measures, we will deliver the homes working families need across the country, including in London and the South-East.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had recent discussions with defence companies on the potential impact of protests on those businesses.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence tracks risks to the defence sector as part of its routine monitoring of supply chain resilience, this includes engagement with suppliers. Some UK defence companies, including Elbit Systems UK, have faced costs and disruption due to criminal damage and staff intimidation by groups such as Palestine Action. We are working with the Police to address these offences and mitigate future risks. While individual businesses have been affected, the overall impact on Defence has been limited, with no significant effects reported on the defence supply chain or the reputation of our world leading defence industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had discussions with Elbit Systems UK on the potential impact of protests on its sites.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence tracks risks to the defence sector as part of its routine monitoring of supply chain resilience, this includes engagement with suppliers. Some UK defence companies, including Elbit Systems UK, have faced costs and disruption due to criminal damage and staff intimidation by groups such as Palestine Action. We are working with the Police to address these offences and mitigate future risks. While individual businesses have been affected, the overall impact on Defence has been limited, with no significant effects reported on the defence supply chain or the reputation of our world leading defence industry.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to procure drones for the British Army.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The British Army has been actively procuring and developing drone (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) capabilities to enhance situational awareness, reconnaissance, and combat effectiveness. These efforts align with the broader modernisation goals outlined in the Strategic Defence Review. Current examples include Project CORVUS and Project TIQUILA.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to increase the number of GPs in South East London.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) in primary care networks (PCNs) through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to secure the future pipeline of GPs. This funding has been continued into 2025/26.

Data on the number of recently qualified GPs for which PCNs are claiming reimbursement via the ARRS show that since 1 October 2024, over 2,000 GPs were recruited through the scheme. Several changes have been made to increase the flexibility of the ARRS in 2025/26. This includes GPs and practice nurses included in the main ARRS funding pot, an uplift of the maximum reimbursable rate for GPs in the scheme, and no caps on the number of GPs that can be employed through the scheme.

Thanks to new flexibilities under the ARRS, South East London general practices have grown the number of GPs across South East London by approximately 40 working time equivalent between July 2024 and July 2025, utilising the funding offered through this scheme to bring South East London in line with the London average of GPs per 10,000 registered population.

NHS South East London has work programmes in place to improve recruitment and retention and has commissioned a package of recruitment and retention support from the South East London Workforce Development Hub, a training hub for general practice.

We are investing an additional £1,092 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.4 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. The 8.9% boost to the GP contract in 2025/26 is faster than the 5.8% growth to the NHS budget overall.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Metropolitan Police's decision to withdraw police liaison officers from magistrates' courts in London.

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

Police Liaison Officers have for many years played an important role in the daily operations of our London courts. Conversations are ongoing between HMCTS and the Police to understand the implications of the decision to withdraw them.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of potential impact of increasing the Dart Charge on the number of daily crossings.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Initial assessments suggest fewer car journeys and more goods vehicle journeys will be made than would have been the case if charges had been left unchanged. Revenue from the charging scheme, net of costs, must be spent on transport projects.

Found: Caliskan (Labour; Barking) Mr Luke Charters (Labour; York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune

Found: Caliskan (Labour; Barking) Mr Luke Charters (Labour; York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune

Found: Caliskan (Labour; Barking) Mr Luke Charters (Labour; York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune

Found: 2024) 21 of 51 (41.2%) Anna Dixon (Labour, Shipley) (added 28 Oct 2024) 32 of 51 (62.7%) Peter Fortune

Found: Caliskan (Labour; Barking) Mr Luke Charters (Labour; York Outer) Anna Dixon (Labour; Shipley) Peter Fortune