theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Dan Tomlinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to help reduce (a) inequalities in the admissions process to academically selective grammar schools and (b) disparities in access to tutoring for admission tests to those schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The admission authorities for grammar schools set their schools’ selection criteria. This government’s priority is ensuring high and rising standards across every school to secure a brilliant education for every child.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that there is adequate training for physics teachers. \p Catherine McKinnell: ​​The within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. We want to ensure all teachers have access to and stay up-to-date with best practice in continuing professional development at every stage of their career, giving them the expertise and support needed to deliver high quality teaching.

Through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), new teachers now benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across initial teacher training (ITT) and into their induction. The department has also launched a new and updated suite of national professional qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts.

For the 2025 teacher trainee recruitment cycle, the department awarded the Institute of Physics (IOP) a grant agreement worth around £200,000 as part of the two-year ITT Scholarship Programme. This enables the IOP to offer 175 scholarships to talented individuals with a passion for physics and the potential to become inspirational teachers. Between 2022 and 2024, the IOP has recruited 256 scholars who received a bursary uplift, currently £2,000, on top of the standard £29,000 ITT bursary for physics.

The department also supports physics recruitment through ‘Engineers teach physics’, an established national ITT course. The department continues to work closely with sector experts, representative bodies and academic institutions, such as the IOP, Engineering UK, the University of Birmingham and the Gatsby Foundation, to ensure that this course reflects best practice and includes the most up-to-date industry knowledge.

The subject knowledge for physics teaching programme supports non-specialist teachers of physics to enhance their subject knowledge and confidence through a series of blended learning courses covering the key stage 3 and key stage 4 physics curriculum.

This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, especially in physics, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. We are committed to resetting the relationship with the sector and restoring teaching’s status as a valued and respected profession, one that new graduates want to join and existing staff wish to remain in and thrive.
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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres have closed in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan since May 2010; and what the (i) name and (ii) postcode was of each centre. \p Janet Daby: Data on Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

Based on information supplied by Salford and Wigan local authorities, no centres have closed in Salford or Wigan since May 2010. However, Salford local authority has converted 11 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites since May 2010. Wigan local authority has converted 15 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites since May 2010. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.

The information on children’s centres closed since May 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities for Salford and Wigan as at 14 February 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that care proceedings are concluded within 26 weeks. \p Janet Daby: Reducing unnecessary delays in family courts is a priority for this government. The Family Justice Board (FJB) meets quarterly to set direction and oversee performance in the family justice system. This includes progress in meeting the 26-week Public Law Outline.

The department is investing £10 million over 2024/25 to implement and test new solutions to address the causes of the longest delays in care proceedings. This work consists of the following three pilots.

The department is working closely with local authorities in five designated family judge ‘trailblazer’ areas to complete deep dive analysis as well as to develop and test targeted solutions to address the biggest local drivers of delays.

The department is piloting an initiative to bring the child’s Cafcass Guardian and Local Authority Social Worker together before the first case management hearing, to reduce delays caused at the earliest stage of proceedings.

Finally, the department is piloting the use of a new service for suspected inflicted injury in children within the NHS, to address delays caused by the lack of independent medical experts engaging in family court work.

These pilots are due to conclude at the end of March 2025, after which the department will receive an independent evaluation, which will help inform future decisions around reducing family court delays.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to amend the policy paper entitled UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement: The UK’s Strategic Approach, published in June 2022. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department for Business and Trade published the UK's Strategic Approach for the UK-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement ahead of launching negotiations. The Strategic Approach was based on public consultation with stakeholders and has informed the approach to negotiations since launch.

Economic growth is the priority of this government and drives our trade agenda. The objectives of our Free Trade Agreement programme support delivery of this government's growth priorities.

The government will continue to update parliament as negotiations progress and will publish further information on the GCC Free Trade Agreement following the conclusion of negotiations.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the prospective free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on the climate. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The UK is a global leader on climate action, and we have been discussing a range of environment and climate issues with GCC partners under the trade agreement negotiations.

The UK - GCC Strategic Approach published on 22nd June 2022 on GOV.UK contains a chapter that covers the potential environmental impacts of the deal.
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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the ruling by the Unitary Agrarian Court Number 28 in Mexico that the company Fresnillo PLC must pay damages to farmers in El Bajío for illegal extraction of gold on the community's land from 2005 to 2013. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department for Business and Trade is aware of the case between the Unitary Agrarian Court and Fresnillo PLC. This is a domestic legal matter for Mexico.
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Alison Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) encourage investment in startups and (b) support entrepreneurs in Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency. \p Gareth Thomas: We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year with a clear ambition to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship, built around the new Business Growth Service.

Existing support includes Help to Grow: Management - UK, providing practical ways to enhance small business productivity and growth, and the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Scotland. This commits £150 million to deliver loans and debt finance, ranging from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million, for new and growing businesses across rural, coastal and urban Scottish areas.

Start Up Loans are also available in Scotland, helping new and early-stage businesses access affordable finance and mentoring support.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employer National Insurance contributions on pubs in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency. \p Gareth Thomas: An assessment of the changes to Employers’ National Insurance has been published by HMRC in their Tax Information and Impact Note, including impacts on the exchequer, the economy, individuals, households and families, equalities, and businesses including civil society organisations, alongside details on monitoring and evaluation.

The Government is creating a fairer business rate system, reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support business and boost opportunities. This work will be supported by the publication of The Small Business Strategy Command Paper which will be published later this year. Through the Hospitality Sector Council, we are addressing strategic issues for the sector related to high street regeneration, skills, sustainability, and productivity.
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Rebecca Long Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether people who have accepted an offer through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme are able to apply directly to the new independent appeals system for reconsideration. \p Gareth Thomas: We are establishing an independent Horizon Shortfall Scheme appeal process to help ensure that all HSS claimants have the full opportunity to receive full and fair compensation. This will be run by my Department and we are expecting the submission of the first cases in spring.

We continue to engage the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and claimant representatives on the scheme’s guidance and principles. This will include detailed information on who will be eligible for the process and will be published soon.
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Rebecca Long Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether people given an offer through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme which they have not accepted will be able to apply directly to the new independent appeals system. \p Gareth Thomas: We are establishing an independent Horizon Shortfall Scheme appeal process to help ensure that all HSS claimants have the full opportunity to receive full and fair compensation. This will be run by my Department and we are expecting the submission of the first cases in spring.

We continue to engage the Horizon Compensation Advisory Board and claimant representatives on the scheme’s guidance and principles. This will include detailed information on who will be eligible for the process and will be published soon.
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Mr Mark Francois:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27123 on Defence: Financial Services, how many stakeholders his Department has met with since the meeting of 12 December 2024; what issues were identified as requiring action; and what steps he is taking to prevent unintended consequences. \p Gareth Thomas: As referred to in my answer of 7 February, I recognise the challenges for both industries in addressing this issue. Since the meeting of 12 December, my officials have been in discussions with counterparts in HMT and MOD, including Defence Equipment & Support, and have also written to each of the roundtable participants asking for their thoughts and ideas on where the issues lie and how to resolve them. The request was for responses by 14 February, and we are developing a plan to address the issues raised.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of planned increases in business rates for small retailers. \p Gareth Thomas: Against the current fiscal backdrop, the Government is clear that changes to the business rates system should be affordable and sustainable. It is not realistic to continue this support indefinitely. Without any Government intervention, Retail Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief would have ended in April, creating a cliff-edge for businesses.

We are providing support for retail, hospitality and leisure properties in the interim period leading up to the new permanent multiplier by providing 40% relief to RHL businesses on their business rates in 2025-26, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business.  For example, we are freezing the small business multiplier and protecting over a million properties from inflationary bill increases.

HMT are conducting engagement on future business rate reform and are encouraging stakeholders to provide written evidence prior to March 2025. This will provide any sized retailer to share their concerns directly with HMT.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has undertaken an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Trade Commissioners programme since it was established. \p Gareth Thomas: His Majesty’s Trade Commissioners (HMTCs) represent and promote the UK in markets across the world. They lead on export promotion, both inward and outward investment, and trade policy overseas on behalf of His Majesty’s Government (HMG). Their work includes developing regional plans to deliver the Department for Business and Trade’s priorities in global markets and then leading their teams to deliver those priorities.

HMTCs are an important part of the department’s regional leadership rather than a programme, so are not subject to programme evaluation.
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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the continued availability of post office services in (a) Forest of Dean constituency and (b) other rural communities. \p Gareth Thomas: Government protects the sustainability of the branch network – and the rural network in particular - by providing funding on the basis that Post Office meets its minimum access criteria to ensure that, across the country, 99% of the population live within three miles of their nearest Post Office. Government works to ensure Post Office Limited maintains a minimum number of branches and a geographical spread of branches in line with published access criteria. Along with the annual £50 million subsidy, we are providing a further £37.5 million this year to safeguard services in the uncommercial parts of the network.
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Charlie Maynard:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if his Department will publish its divergence tracker. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: DBT’s Assimilated Law Dashboard and Reports capture changes to legislation inherited from the EU when the UK left the EU. The Reports and dashboard are publicly available and are updated biannually per requirements of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

The dashboard was last updated in January 2025 alongside the publication of the third Assimilated Law Parliamentary Report and remains a useful resource for tracking the ongoing status of assimilated law.

The Government continues to monitor EU regulatory developments closely, cooperating with the EU on key regulatory developments via existing TCA structures.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department were working in the goods and tariffs team in February 2025. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: The Department for Business and Trade operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across goods and tariffs policy between the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group and the Economic Security and Trade Relations (ESTR) Group. In July 2024 the combined headcount across the two groups was 1, 191 and in January 2025 it was 1, 305.

The department is unable to provide an accurate headcount figure for February 2025 until that month’s payroll run is completed, therefore January’s end month figures have been provided.
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Lincoln Jopp:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help protect small businesses from regulatory burden. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government is developing an ambitious regulatory reform agenda to ensure that future regulation, or reforms to regulation, work for businesses and supports the Government’s growth mission. It is essential that we continue to identify areas where the costs of regulations may be unnecessarily high and burdensome for businesses. As part of this, we are working across government to identify regulatory reforms that will support the Industrial Strategy and Small Business Strategy. Our plans for the government’s overall regulatory vision will be set out in due course.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the claims process under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme for sub-post masters whose period of tenure includes years prior to 2004 where records have not been maintained by the Post Office. \p Gareth Thomas: The Government recognises that due to the absence of records and the amount of time that has passed since losses were incurred, postmasters may face challenges in evidencing their claim under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme. The scheme was designed so that a lack of supporting information would not be a barrier to entry to the scheme.

Claimants are asked to provide as much information as they can in making their claim. In the absence of any Post Office records, the postmaster’s testimony will be considered when determining the outcome.
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Lorraine Beavers:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Electricity Act 1989 to ensure that the use of sub-meters in domestic properties is subject to the same consumer protections as electricity provided by licensed suppliers in domestic properties. \p Justin Madders: Under the Electricity Act 1989 all electricity meters used for billing must be of an approved design and be accurate. Those who charge anyone through submeters, such as landlords, in domestic properties ultimately have the same legal obligations as licensed energy suppliers.

In the event of a dispute over the accuracy of a meter, the law gives consumers the right to have their electricity meter independently checked and tested.
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support businesses that have experienced financial losses in relation to restrictions on trade with Russia. \p Mr Douglas Alexander: Our sanctions are designed to minimise impact on the UK and avoid unintended consequences. We have sought to minimise the impact on businesses through implementing appropriate exceptions, specific export licences where appropriate, and wind-down periods when some sanctions are introduced. We have also published impact assessments alongside all Russia sanctions legislation.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to help ensure that companies cannot commit fraud by changing their company name. \p Justin Madders: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 introduced new powers that build on the existing controls of company names. These powers will be used in accordance with the Registrar’s new statutory objectives.

The Registrars of Companies can now reject a proposed company name where they have reason to believe that a name is intended to facilitate fraud. Companies can be directed to change their name in more circumstances and the Registrar can determine a new name for the company.
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Johanna Baxter:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department has taken to reform Companies House to tackle illicit finance. \p Justin Madders: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA) will fundamentally reform Companies House, enabling it to play a greater role in tackling economic crime.

The first of these reforms came into force in March 2024 and included new powers to query, challenge and remove inaccurate information, stronger checks on company names, stricter address requirements and greater information sharing powers. These reforms were backed by £63 million of investment and increased fees to fund greater investigation and enforcement capabilities.

Further reforms under the ECCTA, including the introduction of Identity Verification later this year, are in the process of being implemented.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to update whistleblowing laws. \p Justin Madders: The Government is updating whistleblowing laws through the Employment Rights Bill which will strengthen the protections for whistleblowers, by making it explicit that sexual harassment can be the basis for a protected disclosure.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what information his Department holds on the number of breaches of minimum wage legislation by employers in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency in the last three years. \p Justin Madders: Data on National Minimum Wage (NMW) breaches by region is available in the published government’s Enforcement and Compliance report at: National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance, 2023 - GOV.UK

Region

Year

Jobs paid below minimum wage

South West

2020/21

18,000

2021/22

44,000

2022/23

31,000
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff work for the Groceries Code Adjudicator; and whether any of those staff are seconded from other Departments. \p Justin Madders: The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) is funded by a levy on the fourteen regulated retailers covered by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. It does not employ its own staff but may make arrangements for staff to be seconded from any other public authority. There are currently five employees from the Department for Business and Trade and four employees from other Departments that are seconded to the GCA.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February to Question 29416 on Investment: Northern Ireland, how much of the funding already deployed is from the private sector; and over what period he expects the total amount to be spent. \p Sarah Jones: The £10 million already deployed is solely from the fund, private sector investment is in addition to that. The fund expects to deploy the £70m over 5 years, until November 2028.
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Mr Bayo Alaba:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase access to youth facilities in coastal communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: This Government is co-producing a National Youth Strategy with young people and the youth sector to set out a new vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this. We expect this work to cover the current needs of young people, access to safe spaces, preferences for activities to access local areas outside of school, and much more. We plan to publish the strategy in the summer.

In 2025/26, we will launch the Local Youth Transformation pilot to support local authorities and their partners to improve their capability to improve local youth offers.

We are also allocating over £85m of capital funding to create welcoming spaces for young people through the new Better Youth Spaces fund and completing the Youth Investment Fund projects.
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Daniel Francis:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to include local communities in VE and VJ Day commemorations. \p Stephanie Peacock: We all owe our freedom to those who served during the Second World War.

It is important that 80 years on, we will come together as a nation to thank those who fought and remember those who lost their lives. The Government is committed to a series of national and local events to show our gratitude to all those who fought and sacrificed in delivering lasting peace including local communities up and down the country.
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Clive Efford:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to implement the recommendations made by the Leveson Inquiry on independent press regulation. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government has clearly laid out its priorities in the manifesto and in the King’s speech, and the second part of Leveson is not among them. There are no current plans for further legislation.
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Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of whether there is an association between video game loot boxes and problem gambling behaviours in young people. \p Stephanie Peacock: Loot boxes in video games are not classed as gambling as individuals are unable to cash out their purchases as currency. However, we are aware of the challenges posed by the blurring of boundaries between gambling and video games and, where products do amount to unlicensed gambling, the Gambling Commission has shown that it will take swift action. The Gambling Commission’s annual Young People and Gambling survey monitors awareness and prevalence of purchasing loot boxes among secondary school pupils in Great Britain.

In 2020, the previous Government ran a call for evidence on loot boxes which found an association between purchasing loot boxes and problem gambling behaviours, although research has not established whether a causal link exists.

In response, DCMS convened a Technical Working Group of video game representatives which developed new industry-led guidance, published in July 2023, to improve player protections. The Government has urged all video games companies to adopt the guidance in full and have commissioned independent academic research to assess its effectiveness.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the Church of England, (b) the Roman Catholic Church and (c) representatives of non-conformist churches on funding for the (i) restoration and (ii) preservation of historic buildings. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS leads on heritage policy covering a wide range of historic buildings; representatives from the churches have largely restricted their comments to matters of repair and renovation works to listed places of worship.
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Jade Botterill:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the contribution of the creative industries to economic growth. \p Chris Bryant: The creative industries sector is one of eight growth-driving sectors identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy. We will publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan to drive growth in the late spring.

Creative industries GVA grew at 1.5 times the rate of UK GVA between 2010 and 2023 (35.4% vs 22.3%).

In 2023, the sector employed 2.4m people, and contributed £124bn in UK GVA, more than 5% of total UK GVA. In the 2024 Global Innovation Index the UK ranked third for creative outputs.

The government is committed to tackling barriers to growth, including skills shortages and gaps, to drive growth in the sector and across the economy.

At the Creative Industries Growth Summit in January, the Secretary of State announced West Yorkshire as a priority region for the Creative Industries, and one of six Mayoral Combined Authorities to receive additional funding to be approved as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

Businesses in West Yorkshire, including in Ossett and Denby Dale constituency, are able to benefit from support from DCMS and its arms-length bodies. This includes through the £3m Creative Careers Programme, which provides schoolchildren with information, advice, and guidance on creative career paths, and the £28.4m Create Growth Programme, which supports high-growth creative businesses to scale up and become investment ready.

The Arts Council England 2023-2026 Investment Programme is also investing £444m each year into arts and culture in England and is providing around £22m per year to cultural organisations in the Yorkshire and The Humber region.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent correspondence she has received from Historic England on the Listed Places of Worship scheme. \p Chris Bryant: None.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings she had had in the last six months with Historic England on listed places of worship that are at risk. \p Chris Bryant: I have met with Historic England several times formally and informally since July 2024 when we have discussed a wide range of issues affecting heritage buildings, heritage at risk and planning reform. These discussions have also included discussions on listed places of worship that are at risk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the Church of England, (b) the Roman Catholic Church and (c) representatives of non-conformist churches on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Scheme. \p Chris Bryant: The Government holds a range of meetings with representatives of religious organisations. DCMS officials have met with the Church of England and Catholic Bishops’ Conference to discuss the changes and ministers have exchanged correspondence with representatives from most denominations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_138

Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) youth and (b) other preventative services on (i) social cohesion and (ii) the economy. \p Stephanie Peacock: Youth work is estimated to have an indirect economic value of £3.2 billion, including £0.5 billion from decreased crime, £1.7 billion from improved health, and £0.8 billion from increased employment and education. There is also evidence that youth social action has positive impacts on young people’s sense of belonging and active citizenship, as well as inter-generational relationships and communities’ feelings of pride in local areas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_139

Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support local authorities to provide statutory services for young people. \p Stephanie Peacock: As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. At the Autumn Budget, we announced £1.3 billion of extra funding through the Local Government Finance Settlement for the next financial year.

In 2025/26, we will be launching the Local Youth Transformation pilot which will support local authorities to build back capability in the youth space and improve local youth offers.

We are developing a new National Youth Strategy co-produced with young people, which will set out a new vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this. We will be publishing an interim report this spring and the Strategy will be published this summer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_140

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will provide a breakdown of sponsors of the Homes for Ukraine scheme by nationality. \p Alex Norris: We are very grateful for the continued generosity of sponsors in opening up their homes to support Homes for Ukraine guests.

The department does not hold information on the nationality of sponsors. However, since 19 February 2024, Homes for Ukraine sponsors of new guests are required to be British or Irish citizens, or have settled status in the UK, on the date of the guest’s visa application.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_141

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025, to Question 23815, on Housing: Construction, what steps her Department is taking to continuously review the Party Wall Act 1996. \p Alex Norris: The Party Wall Act is an important piece of legislation which safeguards the interests of individuals and organisations where building work takes place adjacent to, or bridges, neighbouring properties.

While no date or decision has been made to review the party wall act, my officials are tasked with keeping the Act under continuous review by noting, recording and considering how issues concerning the Party Wall Act raised by members of the public and parliamentarians relate to wider government policies on housing, building safety and the built environment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_142

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the continued operation of late-night venues in central London in relation to (a) business rates, (b) planning, (c) licensing; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the number of closures of (i) late-night venues and (ii) late-night venues for LGBT customers. \p Alex Norris: The night-time industry plays an important role in high streets and town centres across the country. To help high street businesses, as set out at Autumn Budget 2024, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.

We recognise planning and licensing decisions can impact the continued operation of late-night venues. The Licensing Act 2003 aims to strike the right balance between providing safeguards to prevent nuisance, crime and disorder, while recognising the contribution licensed premises make to thriving night-time economies. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established.

Research has indicated a decline in the number of night-time economy venues in the UK between 2018 and 2023. We are working with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the resilience of hospitality businesses, including those operating in the night time economy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_143

Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has conducted an impact assessment of the Right to Buy scheme on council (a) house building (b) housing stock. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government has not undertaken a full formal impact assessment of the Right to Buy scheme.

However, the impact of the increased 2012 Right to Buy discounts on council housing stock and housebuilding was considered as part of the review of discounts that was published in October 2024.

More information can be found on gov.uk here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_144

Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help prevent fraudulent fire safety certificates. \p Alex Norris: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 27050 on 3 February 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_145

Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Building Safety Remediation: monthly data release - December 2024, published on 23 January 2025, how many buildings which were deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund have subsequently been determined to be ineligible after being transferred to the Cladding Safety Scheme. \p Alex Norris: 125 buildings have transferred from the Building Safety Fund (BSF) to the Cladding Safety Scheme (CSS). We are exploring opportunities to transfer further buildings from the BSF to exploit the benefits of the CSS.

No buildings, to date, have been found to be ineligible after transferring to the CSS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_146

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23909 on Council tax, whether Band D council tax set by the local authority will be taken into account in the assumed council tax metric; and how the taxbase will be calculated for precepting bodies which are not a local billing authority. \p Jim McMahon: We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation on funding reform which ran from 18 December 2024 – 12 February 2025 and sought views on how we will account for differences in locally raised resources. A response has not yet been published, but the consultation does not propose that the Band D level set by a local authority will be accounted for in the assumed council tax metric. It is standard practice to calculate the taxbase of precepting authorities using the taxbases of the billing authorities in its area, and the consultation did not propose to change this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_147

Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2025 to Question 28103 on Flats: Fire Prevention, whether she has held recent discussions with (a) mortgage lenders and (b) insurers on the form of alternative evidence they would accept in place of an EWS1 form issued by Adam Kiziak and Tri Fire. \p Alex Norris: As per the answer given to Question UIN 28103 on 11 February 2025, my officials continue to regularly engage with the mortgage lending and insurance industries.

Where a mortgage lender who is a signatory to the statement on cladding is not accepting an EWS1 for a building which requires work to remediate building safety defects, then leaseholders should provide alternative evidence that their building is in the Cladding Safety Scheme, Building Safety Fund or covered by a developer that has signed the Developer Remediation Contract. This evidence could be, for example, a letter from MHCLG or the developer. Leaseholders can also complete a Leaseholder Deed of Certificate to evidence they qualify for the leaseholder protections in the Building Safety Act.

For buildings which do not need remedial works, then lenders or insurers may accept Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_148

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2025, to Question 21621 on Unitary Councils, what the average (a) population size, (b) number of electoral wards, (c) total number of councillors and (d) residents per councillor were for each unitary council on 21 February 2025. \p Jim McMahon: The Local Government Boundary Commission for England collects electorate data from local authorities on an annual basis, and the latest data collection exercise was carried out in 2024. Where an authority has been subject to a completed electoral review which has not been implemented yet, the incoming council size and ward data has been used rather than existing.

From this data, for existing unitary authorities (including the Isles of Scilly), the total average is as follows:

Population data is collected and published by the ONS. The latest data available is from 2023, and indicates that the average population in existing unitary authorities is 265,028. Based on this population, the average population per councillor in existing unitary authorities can be calculated to be approximately 4,600 people per councillor.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-27)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-27 conversation_149

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 23871 on Unitary Councils, whether she plans to (a) instruct the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to undertake a structural review of local authorities and (b) seek the advice of that Commission on an ad-hoc basis. \p Jim McMahon: As set out in my answer to Question UIN 23871, the department is liaising closely with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) so that they are involved at the appropriate time to ensure fair electoral arrangements across the area of any new unitary local authorities.

The Secretary of State will seek the advice of the LGBCE as appropriate and as set out in statue in relation to local government reorganisation.