Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
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 has taken to support local authorities to make use of disused buildings in a) England and b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to supporting local authorities to bring disused buildings back into use. Through the introduction of High Street Rental Auction powers in this parliament, we gave local authorities the power to auction the lease of long-term vacant commercial properties, putting tools in local hands to take action on empty properties.
The government is also supporting wider regeneration efforts, providing up to £5 billion nationally to help the most deprived communities to thrive through the Pride in Place Programme. This includes up to £20 million to Harold Hill East, which the neighbourhood may choose to use for local regeneration efforts.
In addition, we are consulting on a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which includes policies on the reuse of buildings and is currently open for responses until 10 March.
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to table 1 of Annex A of the Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, if he will publish a breakdown of the spending of Capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (CDEL) spending on Science and Research, excluding CDEL on Science and Research (ALB), net in that financial year.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Please find below a breakdown of the Science and Research line outturn for FY 2024-25 per table 1 in Annex A of the DSIT Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25:
British Academy | £60.228m |
Research Base | £113.700m |
Royal Academy of Engineering | £41.971m |
Royal Society | £111.429m |
Space Directorate | £30.841m |
UK Space Agency | £607.077m |
Research Capital Investment Fund | £37.949m |
Horizon and Copernicus Association | £1,043.123m |
Office for Quantum | £1.197m |
Total | £2,047.515m |
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an estimate of the fatality rate per vehicle mile travelled for hybrid, petrol, diesel and fully electric cars in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department does not hold data that would enable an estimate of fatality rates per vehicle mile travelled by propulsion type.
The STATS19 collection and DVLA records provide a breakdown of fatalities in reported road traffic collisions by vehicle and propulsion type. This information is published in data table RAS0507 available on the gov.uk website.
However, data on mileage driven by vehicles of different propulsion types is not available to the Department. Consequently, it is not possible to calculate fatality rates per mile travelled by propulsion type.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 his Department's press release entitled Housing Sec pledges to 'go further than ever before' to hit 1.5 million homes, published on 16 December 2025, what estimate his Department has made of the number of applications refused by councillors in England in each year since 2020.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not collect data on rates of refusal for planning applications made at planning committees.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the technical difficulties affecting Ukrainian Visa Extension scheme applications will be resolved.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI is not aware of any current technical issues impacting the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme. In rare circumstances, applications submitted to UKVI may encounter technical difficulties, which are not related to one specific area. Once identified, UKVI strives to resolve these issues as quickly as possible, however, timescales depend on each application’s individual issues.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Normanton and Hemsworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications which re-designate green belt as grey belt land there have been since December 2024; and how many of those applications were approved for each English region.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department does not hold the information requested.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what powers public authorities have to restrict vehicular access to Sites of Special Scientific Interest that span multiple land ownerships where ecological damage is taking place.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
All public bodies have a statutory duty to take reasonable steps to further the conservation and enhancement of the special features of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), including where an SSSI spans multiple landownerships. Natural England (NE) works with all relevant parties to ensure appropriate protection is in place.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides the main framework for protecting SSSIs. It controls operations likely to damage an SSSI’s special features and includes enforcement powers to stop harmful activities, including those involving vehicles.
Any owner or occupier of land on a SSSI who wishes to carry out, or permit others to carry out, an activity likely to damage an SSSI, must obtain consent from NE. Failing to do so is an offence in the absence of a reasonable excuse. NE has various powers in such circumstances, including a power to issue enforcement notices, and require restoration. These consent procedures provide NE with powers to restrict or regulate vehicular access to SSSIs where ecological damage has occurred or is at risk.
In addition, section 28R of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 enables NE to make byelaws for the protection of SSSIs, which could include restricting vehicular entry.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has considered (a) establishing an investigation mechanism and (b) commissioning an independent review into the safety performance of hybrid vehicles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As announced in the recently published Road Safety Strategy, the department will be establishing a data-led Road Safety Investigation Branch to learn lessons from road incidents, by taking a strategic, thematic approach, focusing on patterns of collisions, injury trends, and systemic safety issues.
There are currently no plans to commission an independent review into the safety performance of hybrid vehicles.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what number per year of Chinese foreign students were withdrawn from training courses at (a) BRNC Dartmouth, (b) RMA Sandhurst and (c) RAFC Cranwell since 2010; and under what circumstances they were withdrawn.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what number per year of Chinese foreign students completed training courses at (a) BRNC Dartmouth, (b) RMA Sandhurst and (c) RAFC Cranwell, since 2010.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the hon. Member's Question. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.