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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the regional allocation of (a) local authority housing and (b) affordable homes programme funds in the Spending Review 2025.

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

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the Defence Investment Plan.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (James Cartlidge), on 13 June in response to Question 58671.

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 1 July 2025 to Question 62956 on Waste Disposal: Birmingham, when Ministers in her Department last met with the Leader of Birmingham City Council to discuss the waste collection industrial dispute.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All details of ministerial meetings with external bodies are published on gov.uk.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of average savings held by (a) low-income households and (b) pensioners for meeting emergency or unforeseen costs.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to incentivising saving and investment, helping people to save for their future goals and build greater financial resilience. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) support people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save. The Help to Save scheme also supports low-income working households to start a long-term savings habit.

As part of its forthcoming Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is considering how households, including those on low incomes, can increase their financial resilience; and how people of all ages across the UK can build emergency savings buffers. In addition to savings, the Financial Inclusion Committee has discussed digital inclusion and access to banking services; access to credit; access to insurance; problem debt; and financial education and capability.

The development of the Financial Inclusion Strategy is being informed by a committee of industry and consumer representatives which I chair. Summaries of the Committee meetings are available on GOV.UK. The Strategy will be published later this year.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of average savings.

The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the proportion of overall household spending by lower income households on energy costs.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

DESNZ’s fuel poverty statistics include an affordability measure of the number of households in England required to spend over 10% of income on energy costs. In 2024, this was estimated at 8.99 million households (36.3%).

The review of the fuel poverty strategy consultation document includes a version of this measure limited to households on a low income, in the ‘Measuring fuel poverty’ section. An estimated 6.6 million low income households spent over 10% of income on energy costs in England in 2023.

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 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) prevent future cost pressures on materials that may impact housebuilding targets.

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

The government is working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the construction materials needed to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this parliament.

We expect suppliers to increase capacity to meet demand and there is evidence that they are doing so. For example, we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 23% in the year to May 2025.

Construction materials prices are stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025, far below the rate of inflation for the wider UK economy.

We will continue to closely monitor the cost of building materials.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of food price and energy inflation on (a) low-income households, (b) pensioners and (c) disabled people.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We know increased costs in essential areas are worrying and cause hardship for many families with children. That is why the Government is taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations.

Food, energy and credit costs are a function of a variety of factors including international agricultural commodity prices, the exchange rate, wholesale energy prices, and interest rates. The best way to help with the cost of living is by reducing overall inflation. The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to 2%. The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has cut Bank Rate four times since August. The effective interest rate – the actual interest paid by a borrower - on new a 2-year fixed rate mortgage has fallen 46 basis points since the election (May 2025 vs June 2024).

The government is committed to helping those in need due to the rising cost of living. An uplift to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance will see it rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30. The government is also investing £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) in a multi-year settlement for crisis support, which includes funding for councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time. From the start of the 2026 school year, the government will expand Free School Meals to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This will put £500 back into parents’ pockets every year.

The most recent Ofgem energy price cap, in place until September is 7% lower than the previous cap, reducing annual energy bills for a typical home by £129. Additionally, the Warm Home Discount is being expanded to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, meaning 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter, helping reduce energy costs for around 6 million households.

From this winter (2025-26), pensioners with incomes up to and including £35,000 will benefit a Winter Fuel Payment. This will mean that the vast majority — over three quarters, or 9 million pensioners in England and Wakes — will benefit. This change ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty.

The government’s top priority is to deliver strong, sustainable growth that raises living standards across the UK. A growing economy plays a key role in providing greater financial security for households and helping to make food, energy and credit more affordable.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to reduce the burden of (a) food costs, (b) energy bills and (c) credit costs on households.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

We know increased costs in essential areas are worrying and cause hardship for many families with children. That is why the Government is taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations.

Food, energy and credit costs are a function of a variety of factors including international agricultural commodity prices, the exchange rate, wholesale energy prices, and interest rates. The best way to help with the cost of living is by reducing overall inflation. The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to 2%. The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has cut Bank Rate four times since August. The effective interest rate – the actual interest paid by a borrower - on new a 2-year fixed rate mortgage has fallen 46 basis points since the election (May 2025 vs June 2024).

The government is committed to helping those in need due to the rising cost of living. An uplift to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance will see it rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30. The government is also investing £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) in a multi-year settlement for crisis support, which includes funding for councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time. From the start of the 2026 school year, the government will expand Free School Meals to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This will put £500 back into parents’ pockets every year.

The most recent Ofgem energy price cap, in place until September is 7% lower than the previous cap, reducing annual energy bills for a typical home by £129. Additionally, the Warm Home Discount is being expanded to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, meaning 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter, helping reduce energy costs for around 6 million households.

From this winter (2025-26), pensioners with incomes up to and including £35,000 will benefit a Winter Fuel Payment. This will mean that the vast majority — over three quarters, or 9 million pensioners in England and Wakes — will benefit. This change ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty.

The government’s top priority is to deliver strong, sustainable growth that raises living standards across the UK. A growing economy plays a key role in providing greater financial security for households and helping to make food, energy and credit more affordable.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help support veterans into employment.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans have the support they need after leaving military Service, which includes securing sustainable employment which makes full use of their skills and qualifications.

There is a range of tailored employment support, including the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which is the initial point of resettlement provision for those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities, with directly provided support usually available for two years before and two years after leaving Service.

For those more than two years post-service and looking to take the next step in their career, Op ASCEND connects veterans and their families with employers, supporting them into roles in strategic sectors. CTP and Op ASCEND make up the spine of continuous employment support provided by the Ministry of Defence for Service leavers and veterans.

Armed Forces Champions are also based across the UK’s JobCentre Plus network to help support members of the Armed Forces community into work.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether landfill sites in England will receive waste from Scotland following the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in that country.

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

I met with Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government on 3rd July 2025 to discuss this important issue.

The Scottish Government has assured me that they do not believe that it is acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Defra officials are continuing to engage with those in the Scottish Government on potential impacts to England that may arise from implementation of the Scottish landfill ban.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Scottish Government’s decision to ban landfill in Scotland on levels of landfill in England.

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

I met with Gillian Martin MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy in the Scottish Government on 3rd July 2025 to discuss this important issue.

The Scottish Government has assured me that they do not believe that it is acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Defra officials are continuing to engage with those in the Scottish Government on potential impacts to England that may arise from implementation of the Scottish landfill ban.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what contribution GB Energy has made to reducing (a) gas, (b) electricity and (c) fuel bills since its establishment in May 2025.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great British Energy (GBE) is a key part of our plan to protect bill payers from volatile international fossil fuel markets by accelerating clean power deployment. By investing in and developing clean energy projects GBE will ensure UK taxpayers and billpayers reap the benefits of homegrown energy.

The Great British Energy Act gained Royal Assent on the 15^th May and the company is now setting up its headquarters in Aberdeen and recruiting the team that will deliver its work. The Secretary of State will set out a Statement of Strategic Priorities in due course but in the meantime GBE has made initial investments in community energy and working alongside other government departments to deliver a programme of solar power for schools and hospitals across the country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of community policing in tackling antisocial behaviour linked to waste crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

​ As a result of our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for ASB, who will work with communities to develop a local ASB action plan, which could include waste crime such as fly tipping

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, £200 million has been allocated to forces for 2025/26 to support the Government’s commitment to deliver additional policing personnel into neighbourhood policing. West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 and will deliver an increase of 289 police officers and 20 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by 31 March 2026.

These officers will be out patrolling in our town centres and communities, working with partners to tackle anti-social behaviour, including waste crime and fly-tipping, and making our neighbourhoods safer and more welcoming.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will increase levels of funding for local authorities for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping.

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

The recent Spending Review provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This results in an average overall real terms increase in local authority core spending power of 2.6% per year. The majority of this new funding is unringfenced, recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, which could include fly-tipping enforcement.

Defra has no current plans to provide funding to local authorities specifically for enforcing the prevention of illegal waste dumping. We are looking to support local authorities to tackle fly-tipping in other ways. Indeed, we are taking steps to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and have commenced a review of their vehicle seizure powers to identify and remove barriers where we can.

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 Office of Rail and Road’s decision to reject the open access application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) on passengers.

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

The Department remains committed to Open Access where it provides genuine benefits for passengers through improved connectivity and does not disproportionately impact taxpayers or performance of the network. That is why we supported WSMR’s application, acknowledging the benefits that it would provide to passengers in the communities served while noting potential capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line.

Access to the railway network, however, is a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its capacity as independent regulator, and it is only right that ORR considers capacity and impacts to passengers across the network more broadly as key parts of its assessments. In this instance, ORR deemed that WSMR’s proposed services could not practicably be introduced due to lack of capacity on the West Coast Main Line.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summons Georgian Chargé d'Affaires, published on 30 June 2025, what response his Department has received from the Government of Georgia following his summoning of their Charge d'Affaires.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not received any formal response from the Georgian Dream Government to its summons of the Georgian Chargé d'Affaires on 30 June 2025. The UK, alongside European partners, remains deeply concerned by the Georgian authorities' continued repression of civil society and political opposition, as stated in our joint statement of 11 July. We continue to urge the Georgian Dream Government to reverse repressive measures, release unjustly detained individuals, and engage in meaningful national dialogue to restore democratic norms and uphold human rights.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, what reforms he plans to drive in the multilateral system, whether he plans to do this in concert with allies; and what his planned timeline is for starting work on this.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is a strong supporter of the international system, but we want to see reform. That is why we are prioritising multilateral organisations with our spending in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions. This will help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient.

No nation can tackle global challenges alone, and the multilateral system offers scale, value for money and impact. We are in regular discussion with our allies on reform, including on the UN80 process. We are using our voice and influence to push for greater efficiency and clearer coordination.

We will continue to support multilateral development banks and invest in multilateral funds like Gavi, working with our partners and allies on reform. At the recent Gavi Leaders Summit, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK will invest £1.25 billion in Gavi and called for reform of the multilateral global health system.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, which multilateral organisations he will prioritise funding.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will prioritise multilaterals in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform of the multilateral system to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions - to help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient. We will publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Annual Report and Accounts on 21 July. Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reduction in ODA on his Department’s work on human rights.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will further human rights by listening to our partners, investing in genuine partnerships, identifying joint goals, and working over the long term to drive meaningful change. We will also encourage states to uphold their international human rights obligations, and to hold those who violate or abuse human rights to account.

The UK remains committed to supporting human rights around the world in line with the five priorities set out by the Minister responsible for Human Rights, in December 2024: 1) civic space; 2) rule of law; 3) equal rights for all; 4) accountable, effective, inclusive institutions; and 5) prioritising human rights and governance principles in responding to global challenges.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, report to Parliament 2024 to 2025, published on 17 June 2025, what support the UK is giving to a ‘Special Funding Window on Conflict and Crises with respect to tackling Gender-Based Violence.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is committed to tackling gender-based violence at home and overseas, including in areas of conflict and crises. We have been a proud contributor to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) since 2014, with the UK committing £2 million to their special funding window on conflict and crisis in 2023. New grantees within the UNTF were announced in 2024 and included organisations working in Myanmar, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - under the latest funding cycle, over 20% of the UNTF's new and diverse portfolio of grantees will target support to displaced and refugee women. The UK's support will fund civil society organisations to respond and prevent various forms of violence, including conflict-related sexual violence and violence against women in refugee or displaced persons camps.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle fly-tipping in (a) rural and (b) suburban communities.

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

Fly-tipping is a serious crime which blights communities and places significant costs on both taxpayers and businesses.

Local authorities are responsible for tackling fly-tipping in their areas and we want to see an effective enforcement strategy at the centre of their efforts to tackle the problem. We are therefore taking steps to help councils make good use of their powers, including seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to provide statutory fly-tipping enforcement guidance. We are also reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers, to identify how we could help councils make better use of this tool.

In our manifesto we committed to forcing fly-tippers to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Defra chairs the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG), through which we work with a wide range of interested parties, including local authorities and the National Farmers Union to share good practice with regards to preventing fly-tipping, including on private land. The NFTPG has developed various practical tools, guidance and case studies highlighting best practice. These are available at: https://nftpg.com/.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 61535 on Palliative Care: Finance, what discussions he plans to have with the hospice sector on the allocation of funding for (a) palliative and (b) end of life care.

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

Department and NHS England officials used a variety of data sources, local examples, and academic research in the modelling for the palliative care and end of life care bids that were made as part of the Spending Review (SR) process.

The SR announced that annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. This will take the NHS resource budget to £226 billion by 2028/29, the equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

At this stage, it is still too early to say how much funding will be allocated to palliative care and end of life care, which will be worked through in the coming weeks.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life, as well as their loved ones. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations, and this can include, but does not have to include, services commissioned from hospice providers.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what modelling he undertook during the Spending Review process for funding for the (a) palliative and (b) end of life care sectors for (i) 2025-26, (ii) 2026-27 and (iii) 2027-28.

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

Department and NHS England officials used a variety of data sources, local examples, and academic research in the modelling for the palliative care and end of life care bids that were made as part of the Spending Review (SR) process.

The SR announced that annual National Health Service day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028/29 compared to 2023/24. This will take the NHS resource budget to £226 billion by 2028/29, the equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

At this stage, it is still too early to say how much funding will be allocated to palliative care and end of life care, which will be worked through in the coming weeks.

Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life, as well as their loved ones. Integrated care boards are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to meet the needs of their local populations, and this can include, but does not have to include, services commissioned from hospice providers.

We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Spending Review 2025 published on 11 June 2025, how much of the £750 million per year for maintaining and improving bus service will be allocated to the West Midlands.

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

The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review by confirming additional funding from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, and extend the £3 bus fare cap by over a year until March 2027. Allocations for individual LTAs for 26/27 onwards will be confirmed in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of levels of penalties for waste crime.

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

Legislation relating to waste crime such as fly-tipping and illegal waste sites allows for an unlimited fine and up to five years imprisonment. We are making the regulations for the transport and management of waste tougher so that those who break the new rules will face up to five years imprisonment. For lower-level offences it is important to ensure that penalties are high enough to act as a deterrent but not too high so that offenders cannot, or choose not to, pay the penalty. The Defra chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group has produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court. This is available at https://nftpg.com/.

Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent courts. When deciding what sentence to impose for unlawfully depositing waste, the court will take into account the circumstances of the offence and any aggravating and mitigating factors, in line with sentencing guidelines for environmental offences, issued by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to local authorities of clearing fly-tipped waste.

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

According to Defra official statistics, in 2023/24, around 4% of fly-tipping incidents dealt with by local authorities in England were of ‘tipper lorry load’ size or larger. For these incidents, the cost of clearance to local authorities was £13.1 million. Local authorities do not report clearance costs for smaller incidents. These statistics are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england

According to independent research published by the Environmental Services Association in 2021, the estimated national cost of fly-tipping to the economy has increased from £209 million in 2015 to £392 million in 2018/19. A more recent assessment has not been made.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle barriers to employers engaging with the (a) apprenticeship and (b) training system.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Our Industrial Strategy sets out the interventions we will make to help tackle barriers to employer engagement with the skills system. This includes introducing shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, the introduction of short courses in England, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, from April 2026, and three packages targeted at skills needed in multiple Industrial Strategy sectors (digital, engineering, and the defence sector), building on our £625 million construction skills package to train up to 60,000 extra construction workers – crucial for delivering on our pledge to build 1.5 million new homes

This investment will be underpinned by deeper employer partnerships including launching Technical Excellence Colleges to develop pipelines of skilled workers for local businesses.

The Chair of Skills England, in partnership with the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, will explore how employers, individuals and local and central government work together to address national skills needs, to support jobs of the future in the growth-driving sectors, and in particular opportunities for further business engagement and investment into the skills pipeline.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities seeking to prosecute repeat fly-tipping offenders.

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

The Government encourages councils to make good use of their enforcement powers, including prosecution, and we are taking steps to help them do so. We intend to develop new fly-tipping enforcement guidance and are also reviewing their powers to seize and crush vehicles of fly-tippers to understand how we could help them make better use of this tool.

While sentencing is a matter for the courts, the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, which Defra chairs, has produced a guide on how local authorities can present robust cases to court. The guide explains that repeat offending could be an aggravating factor. This is available at https://nftpg.com/.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many successful prosecutions there have been of people involved in people smuggling gangs since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

From 5 July 2024 (to 10 July 2025) Home Office Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation have convicted 168 people involved in people smuggling.

In many cases, someone convicted in this date range may have been arrested in a previous time-period, and in many other cases, someone arrested in this period may remain under investigation and not be charged and convicted until a later date.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the use of asylum accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil our statutory obligations and deliver our commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a statutory cap on levels of migration.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, sets out proposals for reform in a wide range of areas across the immigration and asylum system, including a cap on the amount of lower skilled migration into the UK.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a longer term settlement for children’s hospices beyond 2025-26.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government recognises the vital role hospices play in supporting people at the end of life alongside their families. We are determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift.

We are investing £100 million to improve hospices facilities, and a further £26 million for children’s hospices this year, the biggest investment in hospices in a generation. Further information on funding for future years will be provided by the Department for Health and Social Care in due course.

The Spending Review published last month set multi-year departmental budgets, providing departments with greater budget certainty. NHS day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028-29 compared to 2023-24. This is equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

Ministers have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to consult with the hospice sector prior to the Autumn Budget 2025.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government recognises the vital role hospices play in supporting people at the end of life alongside their families. We are determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift.

We are investing £100 million to improve hospices facilities, and a further £26 million for children’s hospices this year, the biggest investment in hospices in a generation. Further information on funding for future years will be provided by the Department for Health and Social Care in due course.

The Spending Review published last month set multi-year departmental budgets, providing departments with greater budget certainty. NHS day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028-29 compared to 2023-24. This is equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

Ministers have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she had with the hospice sector ahead of publishing the Spending Review 2025.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Government recognises the vital role hospices play in supporting people at the end of life alongside their families. We are determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community, and hospices will have a big role to play in that shift.

We are investing £100 million to improve hospices facilities, and a further £26 million for children’s hospices this year, the biggest investment in hospices in a generation. Further information on funding for future years will be provided by the Department for Health and Social Care in due course.

The Spending Review published last month set multi-year departmental budgets, providing departments with greater budget certainty. NHS day-to-day spending will increase by £29 billion in real terms by 2028-29 compared to 2023-24. This is equivalent to a 3% average annual real terms growth rate over the SR period.

Ministers have regular discussions with a range of stakeholders, including key palliative and end of life care and hospice stakeholders.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take with local authorities to help encourage social cohesion at a neighbourhood level.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local Authorities are being actively supported to improve social cohesion through a range of national initiatives. This includes the recently announced communities funding for up to 350 places, incorporating the existing 75 Plan for Neighbourhoods, announced in March, and the 25 trailblazer neighbourhoods announced at Spending Review, who will receive up to £20 million each over the next decade. This funding will support improvements people can see on their doorstep, champion local leadership, foster community engagement and strengthen social cohesion.

To deliver this programme of neighbourhood-level support, the government will work in partnership with local communities and local authorities to support delivery.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UN Human Rights Council 59: UK Statement on the report of the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, published on 16 June 2025, what steps he is taking to support access to (a) education, (b) employment, (c) freedom of movement and (d) expression for Afghan women and girls.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government condemns the Taliban's appalling repression of Afghan women and girls. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, especially the right to education. We support access to education, through our international partners. At least 50 per cent of people reached by UK aid in Afghanistan are women and girls and our aid supports livelihood opportunities for women. We continue to engage directly with Afghans to help shape our policy and programmes. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive, and prosperous country for all Afghans.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 63636 on BBC World Service, which projects were not settled in the Spending Review and will be determined under separate consideration in the autumn.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We now have our departmental allocation in the Spending Review. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Official Development Assistance (ODA) and non-ODA allocations and the impact on programmes, including the BBC World Service, are being worked through between now and the autumn.

The World Service's Grant-in-Aid funding for the next three years will be decided through this process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish a timetable for announcing a UK pledge for the Global Fund’s upcoming replenishment for the 2026-28 period.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has long been a strong supporter of the Global Fund and we are proud to be co-hosting the 8th replenishment this year in partnership with South Africa. Over the coming months, we will work through decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used and then discuss the timing of our pledge announcement with the Global Fund and our co-hosts South Africa.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what budget was allocated for his Department's involvement at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville and how many (a) officials,(b) ministers and (c) special advisers attended.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean, led the UK's delegation at the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) in Seville. Alongside the Minister, fourteen Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials supported and represented the UK at a range of events, including two UK-led initiatives, across the four days of the conference. No Special Advisors attended. The UK contributed £250,000 to the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs FfD4 Fund to support participation from accredited civil society organisations and academia primarily from developing countries.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Continuity of Education Allowance rates for the children of service personnel.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) scheme recognises the enormous sacrifices our military families make and aims to minimise the disruption to their children’s education caused by Service commitments involving frequent moves of the family home.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) uses a weighted average of the schools most attended by CEA claimants to calculate CEA rates. This methodology ensures CEA rates are aligned to the fees paid and reflects the choice of schools made by Service personnel. Following the removal of VAT exemptions for independent schools from January 2025, the MOD recalculated rates mid-year to reflect any changes in schools’ fees. CEA rates have also been recalculated ahead of the new academic term starting September 2025.

The MOD continually monitors feedback from the single Services to ensure that CEA rates balance affordability and value for money while supporting the choices made by Service personnel regarding their children’s education. Following a recent review of CEA methodology, the MOD’s Armed Forces Remuneration team concluded that current rates are effective in meeting these aims.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, report to Parliament 2024 to 2025, published on 17 June 2025, what representations were made to the Special Envoy for Women and Girls by the women human rights defenders (WHRDs) from (a) Afghanistan, (b) Sudan and (c) Syria on potential steps the government might take to tackle threats and reprisals against WHRDs.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In March, during the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls, Baroness Harman, hosted a closed meeting which gathered States, UN, and civil society representatives to highlight the shocking level of threats and reprisals against women human rights defenders (WHRDs). Baroness Harman heard powerful testimonies from WHRDs from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Syria who called on the international community to take greater action to support women's participation free from reprisals, and to condemn the alarming prevalence of such retaliatory acts.

The UK recognises the essential role that WHRDs play in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law and is steadfast in its commitment to women's full, equal, meaningful and safe participation in all spheres of decision-making.

Found: Sudan: Humanitarian Situation 5 Jun 2025 | 53515 Asked by: Wendy Morton To ask the Secretary

Found: Williamson John Lamont Jack Rankin Bob Blackman Nick Timothy Rupert Lowe Lewis Cocking Wendy Morton

Found: 2024 Alice Macdonald MP 10 January 2025 Tom Morrison MP 14 January 2025 Rt Hon Wendy Morton

Found: November 2024 Alice Macdonald MP 10 January 2025 Tom Morrison MP 14 January 2025 Rt Hon Wendy Morton