Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with airport operators on recent increases in terminal drop-off charges at (a) Heathrow Airport and (b) other airports; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these charges on passengers.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport regularly engages with airport operators on a range of matters, including surface access and car parking arrangements at airports. The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of car parking and drop-off charges on passengers. The provision and charging of airport parking are matters for each airport to manage and justify as a commercial business. Parking revenue including that from drop-off charges, is an important source of income for airports, supporting investment in future infrastructure and upgrades, enhancing public transport options, and helping to manage congestion around airport sites. We will continue to engage with operators to ensure that where airports do choose to charge, they do so in a way that is fair and transparent.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the state pension age to 60 for women and 65 for men.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The pace of State Pension age increases was hugely, and unfairly, accelerated by the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Coalition Government.
The Government is required to regularly review State Pension age under the Pensions Act 2014. The Government’s third State Pension age Review is underway and will assess the rules for State Pension age based on the latest life expectancy data and other evidence.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to take steps to ensure that fares set by Great British Railways are priced consistently regardless of direction of travel where there is no operational justification for differential pricing.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is overhauling the complex fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are getting the right fare. We are already delivering positive changes, including expanding pay as you go ticketing, and trialling easier to understand fares on some long-distance routes. Where operators have implemented directional pricing in the past this has reflected a range of commercial and operational decisions. While we have not assessed specific instances (such as the Portsmouth direct line), the move to Great British Railways will enable a consistent and holistic approach to fares setting.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of directional differences in rail fares on (a) part-time workers, (b) hybrid workers and (c) self-employed commuters on the Portsmouth Direct Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is overhauling the complex fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are getting the right fare. We are already delivering positive changes, including expanding pay as you go ticketing, and trialling easier to understand fares on some long-distance routes. Where operators have implemented directional pricing in the past this has reflected a range of commercial and operational decisions. While we have not assessed specific instances (such as the Portsmouth direct line), the move to Great British Railways will enable a consistent and holistic approach to fares setting.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will be required to publish the justification for directional differences in rail fares on the same route.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is overhauling the complex fares system to make it easier for passengers to trust that they are getting the right fare. We are already delivering positive changes, including expanding pay as you go ticketing, and trialling easier to understand fares on some long-distance routes. Where operators have implemented directional pricing in the past this has reflected a range of commercial and operational decisions. While we have not assessed specific instances (such as the Portsmouth direct line), the move to Great British Railways will enable a consistent and holistic approach to fares setting.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of the introduction of a GCSE qualification in Romanian.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting the teaching of modern foreign languages in England’s schools. Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations rather than by central government: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, and WJEC. These organisations have the freedom to create a Romanian GCSE based on the subject content for modern foreign languages set by the department.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 service charges in leasehold retirement properties on the ability of older residents and their families to sell those properties.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible and is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market, including retirement or sheltered housing. We are also committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement homes, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices.
There are currently two government-approved codes of practice in force in relation to the residential leasehold sector and private retirement housing. These are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Management Service Charge Code and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (AHRM) Code of Practice. The enforcement of standards set out in these codes can be taken into account as evidence, at court or tribunal hearings.
Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive, and what they should pay for. By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. We continue to analyse the feedback received and will set out next steps in due course.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People's Housing Taskforce report, including its recommendation that the government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees and a comprehensive report into resale values to support better consumer understanding and sector development.
On 27 January 2026, we published the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), a guide to the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here, and to the draft Impact Assessment for the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 protect residents of leasehold retirement properties from unaffordable increases in service charges and associated management fees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible and is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market, including retirement or sheltered housing. We are also committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement homes, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices.
There are currently two government-approved codes of practice in force in relation to the residential leasehold sector and private retirement housing. These are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Management Service Charge Code and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (AHRM) Code of Practice. The enforcement of standards set out in these codes can be taken into account as evidence, at court or tribunal hearings.
Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive, and what they should pay for. By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. We continue to analyse the feedback received and will set out next steps in due course.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People's Housing Taskforce report, including its recommendation that the government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees and a comprehensive report into resale values to support better consumer understanding and sector development.
On 27 January 2026, we published the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), a guide to the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here, and to the draft Impact Assessment for the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an estimate of the number of leasehold retirement properties that may be difficult for people to sell because of (a) high service charges and (b) associated fees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible and is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market, including retirement or sheltered housing. We are also committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement homes, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices.
There are currently two government-approved codes of practice in force in relation to the residential leasehold sector and private retirement housing. These are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Management Service Charge Code and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (AHRM) Code of Practice. The enforcement of standards set out in these codes can be taken into account as evidence, at court or tribunal hearings.
Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive, and what they should pay for. By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. We continue to analyse the feedback received and will set out next steps in due course.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People's Housing Taskforce report, including its recommendation that the government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees and a comprehensive report into resale values to support better consumer understanding and sector development.
On 27 January 2026, we published the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), a guide to the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here, and to the draft Impact Assessment for the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether forthcoming leasehold reform legislation will include measures to protect residents of retirement leasehold properties from (a) excessive service charges and (b) associated barriers to sale.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises the importance of helping older people to live independently at home for as long as possible and is committed to enhancing provision and choice for older people in the housing market, including retirement or sheltered housing. We are also committed to ensuring that leaseholders, including those living in retirement homes, are protected from unfair and unreasonable practices.
There are currently two government-approved codes of practice in force in relation to the residential leasehold sector and private retirement housing. These are the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Management Service Charge Code and the Association of Retirement Housing Managers (AHRM) Code of Practice. The enforcement of standards set out in these codes can be taken into account as evidence, at court or tribunal hearings.
Individual leases set out what services leaseholders may expect to receive, and what they should pay for. By law variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges, they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.
On 4 July 2025, the government published a consultation on strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services. It can be found on gov.uk here. We continue to analyse the feedback received and will set out next steps in due course.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), the government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People's Housing Taskforce report, including its recommendation that the government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendations to regulate event fees and a comprehensive report into resale values to support better consumer understanding and sector development.
On 27 January 2026, we published the Draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. I refer the hon. Members to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 27 January 2026 (HCWS1278), a guide to the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here, and to the draft Impact Assessment for the draft Bill which can be found on gov.uk here.