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 her Oral Statement of 7 September 2026 on Local Government Reorganisation, Official Report, columns 667-669, if she will set out the process to review the Government's plans for local government reorganisation in Devon, including whether hon. Members will be able to contribute to the review.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out by the Secretary of State in her oral statement of 7 September, the Government has withdrawn the March 2026 decisions for Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and paused decisions for the other 14 areas while a full review of the local government reorganisation programme is conducted.

We are working at pace and will report back to Parliament at the earliest opportunity.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to her answer of 7 September 2026 to the Honourable Member for Exmouth and Exeter East, when a decision will be made as to whether elections to the existing local authorities will go ahead in May 2027.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Secretary of State confirmed in her oral statement on 7 September 2026 that the plan is for elections scheduled for May 2027 to go ahead on existing boundaries, and this was also set out in a letter to councils on the same date.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet farmers, veterinary professionals, scientists and livestock industry representatives to discuss a national strategy to tackle the spread of bluetongue virus serotype 3, and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra engages regularly with farmers, veterinary professionals, scientists, devolved governments and livestock industry representatives on bluetongue virus (BTV-3). Baroness Hayman met industry leaders and veterinary representatives on 8 September to discuss the outbreak. The Secretary of State is also engaging directly with the farming sector, including at the NFU’s Back British Farming Day event on 9 September. Defra is supporting the industry-led Battle Bluetongue campaign to encourage vaccination, and signposting support through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. Defra will continue to work closely with industry and scientific experts to inform its response.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work is being done by her Department to establish how epidemiological, genetic, meteorological and geographical evidence explain the pattern and speed of bluetongue virus serotype 3 transmission during the current outbreak.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) work closely with scientific partners to monitor and assess the spread of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3). Epidemiological, meteorological, virus characteristics and geographical evidence is used to support disease surveillance and disease-control decisions, including improving understanding of disease patterns and vector activity. APHA is operationally supporting The Pirbright Institute in delivering enhanced bluetongue testing capacity, and accredited molecular diagnostic tests used by APHA support the detection and monitoring of virus circulation. This evidence-based approach helps inform the Government's response and ensures control measures remain under review as new information becomes available.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her Department's long-term education, vaccination and disease-control strategy is to prevent bluetongue virus serotype 3 becoming an annual cycle of infection, reproductive losses and reduced livestock production.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Bluetongue will likely recur in 2027. The best way to protect against reproductive and production losses is to vaccinate early. Defra supports the industry-led Battle Bluetongue campaign and continues to encourage animal keepers to speak to their vet about vaccination. The department take part in industry led webinars and provide other communications. During her recent roundtable with industry representatives affected by bluetongue on 8 September, Baroness Hayman heard first-hand the challenges faced by the sector, the importance of partnership working, and the need to strengthen long-term preparedness and resilience across the sector.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider a coordinated programme combining large-scale vaccination, Culicoides surveillance and systematic genetic monitoring, similar to measures adopted in France, to tackle the spread of bluetongue virus serotype 3.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government keeps its approach to bluetongue under continual review and considers scientific evidence and international experience when developing control policies. While the decision to vaccinate remains one for animal keepers, in consultation with their private vets, we have worked closely with sector representatives to encourage take-up, including supporting the Battle Bluetongue campaign to advocate for vaccination. The Animal and Plant Health Agency publishes a heat map of suspected and confirmed cases. The bluetongue virus genome is not prone to variation and recent genetic sequencing shows the virus in 2026 is very similar to the virus first detected in the Netherlands and later England in 2023.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2026 to Question 17399 on Railways: Trespass, how many of the 65,540 trespass incidents recorded by the British Transport Police occurred in each financial year from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The British Transport Police have provided the following data with the yearly breakdown of the number of trespass incidents recorded for the period requested.



Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2026 to Question 14997 on Railways: Standards, how many (a) scheduled train services and (b) station calls have been removed from planned timetables since 5 July 2024, broken down by train operating company.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer of 4 August 2026 to Question 14997.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information sharing arrangements are in place between local authorities and his Department when a child enters foster care; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that benefit entitlement is reviewed promptly where such a change in circumstances may affect a birth parent’s entitlement to either Carer’s Allowance or Disability Living Allowance for children; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The person responsible for the child is also responsible for informing the Department of changes that may affect the child’s entitlement to Disability Living Allowance for Children. If the child is placed in foster care, DWP would appoint the foster carer as the new person responsible for the child. When advised of a change in circumstances the Department will then contact relevant authorities to establish the child’s current care needs, circumstances and funding streams.

Claimants are responsible for informing the Department of changes that may affect their entitlement to Carer’s Allowance, including changes to the care they provide. The Department offers a range of routes for reporting changes of circumstances.

Upon receipt of information that may affect entitlement, the Department reviews the claim and takes any necessary action in accordance with the applicable regulations and operational guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2026 to Question 19484 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, what operational assumptions her Department uses in its total cost of ownership analysis for zero-emission HGVs, including (a) annual mileage, (b) vehicle lifespan, (c) energy costs, (d) maintenance costs, (e) payload and (f) charging infrastructure costs.

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

The Department for Transport's operational assumptions regarding the total cost of ownership of zero emission HGVs will be published alongside the next consultation on the HGV CO2 emissions regulatory framework.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with (a) police forces, (b) regional road safety partnerships and (c) course providers on mitigating the financial impact on instructors of cancellations of (i) speed awareness and (ii) other educational courses arising from the suspension of speed camera enforcement.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department is working closely with National Highways, Home Office, and National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure the Home Office approved solution for cameras affected by the anomaly is implemented as quickly as possible, once rigorous testing is complete.

The police continue to enforce speed offences on the network through a range of tactics. The HADECS camera system anomaly relates to a specific subset of enforcement activity affecting a small portion of speed awareness courses. The Department does not anticipate a significant impact on providers as the majority of courses are still taking place.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, when he plans to introduce the Regulating for Growth Bill.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Regulating for Growth Bill is set to be introduced in the current parliamentary session, when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of overpayment to a birth parent of (a) Disability Living Allowance for children and (b) Carer's Allowance have been identified in each of the last five years, in cases where the child has entered foster care.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)

The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Found: Cowper ELS 53568 Heather Ellison ELS 53581 Richard Brennan ELS 53699 Gaynor Roberts ELS 53062 Rebecca Smith

Found:

Found: Heather Ellison ELS 53581 Richard Brennan ELS 53699 Gaynor Roberts ELS 53692 Debbie Foster SC 53062 Rebecca Smith

Submit Evidence (by 13 Nov 2026)

The Transport Committee is exploring Government interventions in public transport fares, pricing and ticketing.