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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of regional disparities in access to elite sports pathways. \p Stephanie Peacock: Elite pathways are designed and operated by National Governing Bodies and are independent from the Government. Widening access is a condition of the public funding they receive. All funded sports must publish Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans and show annual progress in improving representation across their pathways.

Home Country Sports Councils regularly review athlete data from funded sports to understand representation across regions and socio economic groups.

Where disparities exist, they are usually linked to the location of specialist facilities or the cost and travel required to access them, rather than formal exclusion. To address this, UK Sport and the Sports Councils support regional hubs, outreach activity and targeted financial assistance.

National talent recruitment programmes, such as Find Your Greatness have also helped engage a more diverse population and introduce them to sports they may not previously have accessed.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the distribution of grassroots sports funding between urban and coastal towns. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is investing £98 million in grassroots sports facilities to support increased participation across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26. Projects funded through the programme include new artificial grass pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, and floodlights.

A full list of projects funded through the Programme, as well as an interactive map for each funding year, can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/multi-sport-grassroots-facilities-programme-projects-2021-to-2025.

At least £400 million will be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health and wellbeing while ensuring community cohesion and pride of place.

Officials are now working with the sports sector and local leaders to develop plans for delivering this funding through a place-based approach. This will allow us to better understand the differing needs for grassroots facilities in communities across the UK, including coastal areas and their specific needs, and will ensure that investment best meets demand.
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David Mundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of protecting authorised sales of debenture tickets above face value in proposed legislation on ticket sales. \p Ian Murray: The government response to our consultation on the resale of live events tickets recognised that debenture schemes operate differently from one-off events tickets and allow venues to generate secure, up-front revenue that can be invested in bringing world-class sporting, music and other live events to the public.

As the response set out, we believe there is a good case for a narrow exemption to allow event organisers to authorise debenture holders to resell tickets in excess of the price cap. We will continue to explore how this exemption should be defined so that it does not undermine the overall effectiveness of the price cap.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Pakistani community. \p Ian Murray: Through a broad range of activity largely delivered by our Arm’s-Length bodies, my Department supports engagement with the Pakistani community, and indeed the wider South Asian community, as we believe community cohesion is better served by providing universal access to culture, rather than targeting audiences based on their identity.

In 2022, the British Council delivered a six month cultural showcase to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan. Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives illuminated the cultural wealth and contemporary creativity of both countries and facilitated professional collaboration for culture, creative and education sectors; and focused on a shared future through building lasting partnerships. The programme also focused on changing perceptions, particularly amongst the younger generation in both countries, with a particular focus on young women and girls.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resilience of local sports clubs in the context of energy prices. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to supporting local sports clubs and recognises their importance to communities up and down the country.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through its Arm’s Length Body Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Ten percent of the funding allocated through their Movement Fund supports clubs to improve environmental sustainability and reduce energy costs. Sport England also provides detailed guidance to sporting clubs on managing energy costs and making facilities energy efficient.
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Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding will be allocated to (a) tennis and (b) padel in each year until 2028. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
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Mrs Sharon Hodgson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with partners on the future of the UK Youth Parliament and its funding. \p Stephanie Peacock: Delivery partners for the UK Youth Parliament participated in the evaluation of the 2023-25 programme, delivered by IFF Research, which includes recommendations on the future of the programme.

DCMS is currently going through our internal business planning processes and budgets are not yet confirmed for the next financial year. The outcomes of this process will be communicated in due course.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with TV and film production companies who receive public funding or tax incentives on the inclusion of English regional dialects in their programmes. \p Ian Murray: [I] do not engage with TV and film production companies regarding editorial decisions relating to programming content due their independence from Government.

However, we want British storytelling to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK so that more people can see themselves reflected on screen and as part of our national story. We are committed to working with the sector to ensure the right framework, conditions and support are in place for this to happen.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Indian community. \p Ian Murray: Our relationship with India is a priority for this Government. Our shared culture and heritage provides a foundation for mutual benefits and economic growth. India is a priority for our Creative Industries Sector Plan and our people to people engagement.

During her visit to India in May, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State signed on behalf of DCMS a five year cultural agreement with the Indian Minister of Culture. This is a key element of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India announced by the Prime Minister in July and will support a broad range of activity embracing the Indian community across the UK. We regularly meet cultural leaders from the Indian and wider South Asian diaspora.

During the Prime Minister’s visit to India last month, he announced that three new Bollywood films will be made in the UK, supporting economic growth, job creation and cultural exchange. My Department is working closely with Yash Raj Films to realise this ambition.

From Gurinder Chadha and Civic Studios’ Christmas Karma to a major Chila Kumari Singh Burman retrospective to reopen Tate Liverpool in 2027, British and Indian cultural creativity is thriving across the country.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Irish community. \p Ian Murray: I value the UK’s strong cultural relationship with Ireland which has been developed over many years of successful partnerships between UK and Irish arts and cultural organisations and I recognise the substantial contribution that the Irish community makes to British cultural life.

Since the start of the current parliament, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded three grants totalling £290,074 to projects which explore the history and the experiences of the Irish diaspora in Britain.

In a joint statement at the UK-Ireland summit in March, the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach announced a further programme of cultural cooperation between the two countries. My Department developing a programme to support new projects between the Irish national cultural institutions and leading UK counterparts.

Further commitments made by the PM and Taoiseach include establishing an Ireland-UK Youth Forum as a way to bring together young people to understand, discuss and respond to their views on how they can be considered by both of our governments.

We also look forward to jointly hosting the upcoming EURO2028 Men’s Football Championships and the 2030 T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department is having with relevant stakeholders on the potential impact of the Creative Industries Sector Plan on Hexham constituency. \p Ian Murray: The Creative Industries Sector Plan seeks to tackle barriers to growth and maximises opportunities across the Creative Industries sector throughout the UK. The Sector Plan spotlights the North East as one of twelve high-potential clusters for creative industries growth and its unique investment offer.

The North East Combined Authority will also receive £25million as part of the Creative Places Growth Fund. This is devolved funding, intended to empower Mayors to turbocharge growth in their places.

In January, DCMS Secretary of State hosted a major economic growth summit in Gateshead for the Creative Industries. DCMS officials have regular engagement with the North East Combined Authority to understand the opportunities and challenges for creatives across the North East. DCMS officials co-chaired a culture and creative industries roundtable with the North East Combined Authority in July to gather the views of local creative businesses and cultural organisations on Sector Plan delivery.
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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will support making the agent of change principle statutory to safeguard grassroots music venues from the impact of new residential developments and ensure that developers take full responsibility for mitigating noise and other environmental conflicts at the planning stage. \p Ian Murray: Grassroots music venues are vital to the UK’s music culture, offering emerging artists a platform and supporting local economies and creative jobs.

This Government wants to enable new developments such as housing to co-exist with cultural infrastructure, including music venues. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that new development should be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities, such as music venues. Existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established.

MHCLG intends to consult on the National Planning Policy Framework, including the agent of change principle, this year. DCMS are working with MHCLG to consider how the agent of change can be implemented as effectively as possible as part of this review, to ensure the principle works well for music venues.

In August 2025, the joint industry and HM government licensing policy sprint taskforce recommended stronger guidance or a mandatory requirement for licensing authorities to ensure that the agent of change principle is considered when making licensing decisions. The Government is reviewing the findings of the taskforce and the recent call for evidence on licensing, to inform how the agent of change principle could be considered in licensing.
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Joe Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Department is taking to support public libraries in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East. \p Ian Murray: Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources. The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils' Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

The Secretary of State announced in February 2025 a further £5.5 million of the Libraries Improvement Fund for 2025-26 to enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology. Upper tier local local authorities in the North East have received a total of almost £2 million from previous rounds of the Fund.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Windsor Framework on local airports. \p Hilary Benn: The Windsor Framework gives Northern Ireland unique dual market access which ensures the free movement of goods across the UK and the EU, whilst maintaining the frictionless movement of people and goods on the island of Ireland.

Duty-free shopping is not available between Northern Ireland and the EU, as it would require the application of personal allowances and associated border checks, to prevent the uncontrolled flow of tax-free goods into either Northern Ireland or the EU.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer to Question 89265 on Legal Aid Scheme: Ely and East Cambridgeshire, how many of the providers in each procurement area are based in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. \p Sarah Sackman: There are no legal aid providers with an office within the Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency.

However, that does not mean that your constituents do not have access to legal aid and legal aid services both locally within the wider constituency or via national services provided on a remote basis.

As set out in the answer to Questions 86918 and 89265, the LAA does not commission services at constituency or individual town level. Services are commissioned and monitored at wider procurement area level. Constituents in Ely and East Cambridgeshire can access services locally within the wider procurement area which has more than the minimum number of contracts in each civil category. Additionally, the Cambridge Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service ensures that on the day emergency representation is available in respect of cases concerning eviction or loss of home is available to your constituents.

Local civil legal aid services are supplemented by national remote services such as Civil Legal Advice which provides access to free confidential advice on housing, debt, education and discrimination matters throughout England and Wales.

All duty slots on the Ely and East Cambridge duty solicitor scheme are covered. This means that anybody attending or arrested at a police station in your consituency will have access to a legally-aided solicitor.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the judgment in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys [2025] EWHC 2341 on Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice recognises that the judgment and its potential implications have created concern and uncertainty within parts of the legal profession, particularly among Chartered Institute of Legal Executive (CILEX) professionals.

Whilst the legal profession and its regulators operate independently of government, I have been proactively engaging with frontline regulators and representative bodies on the judgment’s implications and the action being taken in response. On 27 October, I convened a meeting with the Legal Services Board (LSB) and relevant frontline regulators to discuss the judgment, its implications, and the steps taken and underway. I have also met members of CILEX’s senior leadership team to discuss the judgment’s impact and attended their recent conference to hear from CILEX members what the impact has been.

While I am satisfied that appropriate steps are being taken to address the issues raised by the judgment, we will continue to work closely with the LSB, frontline regulators, and representative bodies to ensure clarity and consider whether further steps are required.
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Gareth Bacon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many rent appeal cases were brought to each English regional residential property First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber by tenants each year over the past three full years, and what was the average time for the Tribunal to consider, process, and rule upon those appeals. \p Sarah Sackman: HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold specific information for rent appeal cases. Published data is published on residential property, which will include rent appeal cases: Main_Tables_Q4_2024_25.ods.
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Gareth Bacon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that HM Courts & Tribunals Service centrally record the average time for the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber to consider, process and rule upon rent appeal cases brought by tenants; and whether this will be in place prior to implementation of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. \p Sarah Sackman: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is preparing the First -Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for the implementation of the measures in the Renters’ Right Act 2025. Work is ongoing to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet the anticipated additional demand.

HMCTS is working on plans for improvements to the data we capture and draw from the supporting systems for the Tribunal as part of our preparations for the Renters’ Rights Act.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to strengthen or update legal rights of the deceased. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government is currently reviewing the law in two respects which will strengthen and update the rights of deceased persons (and assist their families and beneficiaries).

The first is in relation to responding to the Law Commission’s comprehensive report Modernising Wills Law, published earlier this year. The Government is giving careful consideration to the report and will be announcing next steps in the near future.

Secondly, the Law Commission is currently undertaking a wide-ranging project on the law of burials, cremations and new funerary methods. The final strand of this project, Rights and Obligations relating to Funerary Methods, Funerals and Remains, will commence in early 2026 and is expected to consider whether funeral wishes should be binding, who should have the right to make decisions about the funeral, and how to resolve disputes. The Government will respond to the Law Commission’s recommendations once they are available.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that families affected by Primodos are not prevented from pursuing legal redress due to the potential risk of high legal costs. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government cannot comment on individual legal cases, but we are committed to access to justice at proportionate cost. There are several mechanisms that can reduce the legal costs involved in pursuing a civil claim. Whether any are available to a claimant would depend on the specifics of the claim.

Claimants may be able enter into an agreement with a lawyer using a Conditional Fee Agreement or Damages Based Agreement, or with a third party funder using a Litigation Funding Agreement. Such agreements usually mean that a claimant will not have to pay all or part of their own legal costs unless they win their case.

Claimants may be able to take out Legal Expenses Insurance and After the Event insurance to mitigate some of the financial risks associated with litigation. Such insurance would usually cover adverse legal costs, where the losing party in a claim is ordered to pay the legal costs of the other side.

Fixed Recoverable Costs are also applicable to most civil cases in the Fast and Intermediate Tracks. These allow parties to know in advance what adverse costs they would be liable for if they lose a case. This can help claimants make an informed decision about whether or not to pursue litigation.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the recommendations of the Civil Justice Council's 2025 review, whether he plans to introduce legislation to clarify that third-party litigation funding agreements are not treated as damages-based agreements. \p Sarah Sackman: The Government recognises the critical role third-party litigation funding plays in access to justice and is committed to ensuring it works fairly for all.

The Government welcomes the Civil Justice Council review of litigation funding, which will help inform the approach to potential reforms. We are considering the report carefully and will outline next steps in due course.
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Naz Shah:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mechanisms are in place to ensure timely correction of factual or chronological errors in published judgments to ensure that any discrepancies are removed from public record. \p Sarah Sackman: Responsibility for the accuracy of judgments rests with the independent judiciary.

Courts have established procedures to correct errors promptly when they come to light. For example, under the Civil Procedure Rules, judges can amend accidental slips or omissions at any time.

Substantive errors that may affect the meaning of the judgment may require a formal application to the court. Once corrected, the revised judgment replaces the original in official records and on the Find Case Law service, operated by the National Archives.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce (a) delays and (b) delays relating to (i) rape and (ii) domestic homicide in the criminal justice system. \p Sarah Sackman: This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. It is unacceptable that victims and witnesses are waiting years for justice. This has left tens of thousands of victims facing devastating delays for justice.

We are committed to creating a more sustainable justice system, in which victims and the public can have confidence. Upon taking office, the Deputy Prime Minister took immediate action to allocate additional Crown Court sitting days this financial year, taking the total to 111,250 sitting days.

However, demand is currently so high, it is indisputable that fundamental reform is needed. That is why this Government commissioned the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, led by Sir Brian Leveson, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to improve timeliness in the courts and deliver swift justice for victims. Part one of the report has now been published. We are carefully considering Sir Brian’s proposals and will respond in due course.

The Ministry of Justice provides funding for victim and witness support services, including community-based domestic abuse and sexual violence services. To ensure these services can continue to be delivered, we have protected dedicated Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending in the Department by maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year. The Ministry of Justice also funds the Homicide Service, which provides tailored support to families bereaved by domestic homicide.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Legal Aid Agency has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The requested information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 17 November 2025, to Question 88976 on Fireworks: Injuries, how many prosecutions have there been in each of the past five financial years for (a) deliberately and (b) negligently causing an injury with a firework. \p Ellie Reeves: Acting recklessly with or throwing fireworks can cause life-changing injuries. These actions can result in criminal prosecution and/or civil liability, depending on whether the injury was caused deliberately, recklessly or negligently.

There are numerous offences this can fall under, including: s.39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (common assault/battery) or from the+ Offences against the Person Act 1861: s47 (assault occasioning actual bodily harm), s20 (wounding/inflicting grievous bodily harm), s18 (wounding/causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm), s28 (grievous bodily harm by the unlawful explosion of gunpowder or other explosive substance), s29 (unlawfully causing gunpowder or some other explosive substance to explode with intent to cause grievous bodily harm). The charge chosen will depend on the facts and circumstances of the case and the level of injury caused.

During the most recently available 12 months (ending June 2025) management information shows that a total of 102,493 offences charged by way of the above legislation, commenced prosecution in magistrates’ courts. Of these charges the CPS is unable to identify which offences specifically involved fireworks as opposed to physical assaults or the use of other types of weapons, without a manual review of each case, which would incur disproportionate cost.

If an injury is caused through negligence (e.g. due to an accident at a private or publicly organised display) the person who set off the firework (or the event organiser/landowner) may be sued for damages in a civil court. Information on proceedings in civil courts is held by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many telephone operators work on the HMRC employers general enquiries line by the nationality of those operators. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC does not have information readily available identifying the nationality of staff working on specific telephone enquiry lines. Obtaining this information would require a manual process which would exceed the cost threshold for answering parliamentary questions.
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Dame Harriett Baldwin:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what analysis she has commissioned from HMRC of the tax contribution made by the 257,000 British nationals who the ONS estimates left the UK in 2024. \p Dan Tomlinson: The Chancellor has not commissioned any analysis from HMRC on the tax contribution of the ONS estimate of 257,000 British nationals who left the UK in 2024.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has conducted an equality impact assessment on the effect of school-attendance-linked Child Benefit rules on children with mental-health-related disabilities. \p James Murray: Child Benefit remains in payment until 31 August following a child’s 16th birthday. This applies without any conditions on education, so there is no impact on children of this age if they are unable to attend school for any reason.

For young people who are over 16 and under 20, Child Benefit remains payable if they continue in full-time non-advanced education or training. Legislation allows for Child Benefit to continue being paid when this education is interrupted. This can be for a period of up to six months, or for as long as is reasonable if it is attributable to the illness or disability of mind or body. Child Benefit can also still be paid in respect of young people who cannot attend education for an average of more than 12 hours per week due to an illness or disability.

The Government does not hold data on the number of families where Child Benefit has stopped because a young person over 16 has not been able to attend education due to mental ill health.

Where a young person is unable to return to education because of mental ill-health or trauma, disability benefits may provide a more suitable form of long-term support.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a second homes council tax premium has been paid for her Ministerial residence since 1 April 2025. \p Lucy Rigby: All council tax due on the Chancellor’s Ministerial residence has been paid in full.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answered of 27 May 2025 to question 53743 on Taxation: Overpayments, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving HMRC’s data collection systems to record more detailed information on enquiries received from hon. Members, including whether those enquiries (a) related to overpaid or overcharged tax and (b) resulted in repayment. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC recognises that understanding the nature of enquiries from hon. Members, including those relating to overpaid or overcharged tax and whether they resulted in repayment, could provide useful insight. While no formal assessment has been undertaken, HMRC keeps its data capabilities under review to ensure they can respond effectively to stakeholder needs.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the UK Internal Market System, how many unclosed supplementary declarations were there on 1 October 2025. \p Dan Tomlinson: There are several facilitations available to businesses moving goods within the UK Internal Market System. Businesses can choose to make use of Simplified Customs Declaration Processes (SCDP), such as the Entry in Declarants Records (EIDR) process when moving goods into Northern Ireland. This allows businesses to have up until the 10th calendar day of the month following the goods entering Northern Ireland to submit a supplementary declaration. HMRC cannot provide the number of unclosed supplementary declarations as HMRC does not have direct access to all traders’ records that make use of EIDR. HMRC continues to support businesses to comply with their legal obligations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will meet with representatives of the UK chemical industry to discuss an estimate of the potential cost of being out of the Single Market. \p Lucy Rigby: Government Ministers regularly meet with businesses and business representation organisations from a range of sectors, including the chemical sector. They remain open to further engagement with the sector including on ways to bolster growth, trade and investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Gareth Thomas:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the cost of business loans offered by IWOCA. \p Lucy Rigby: I refer my honourable friend to the answers I provided on the topic of SME lending on 23 October, and more recently in relation to the rate of short-term lending to small and medium sized businesses in the UK.

Interest rates, including those offered by individual providers, are a commercial matter decided by the lender concerned, reflecting the base rate, the risk of the applicant, and a margin to make the loan commercially viable given the cost of underwriting and broader funding costs. The Government does not intervene in commercial decisions, and SMEs should should shop around to find the product that best suits their needs when choosing finance, which in turn helps drives competition, improves choice, and may support pricing.

More widely, case complaints are a matter for the Financial Ombudsman Service rather than the Government, where the Treasury receives correspondence across a wide variety of subjects including financial services. While we are not able to measure the number of complaints the department receives in relation to high-cost credit for business loans (or in relation to an individual provider), the volume of correspondence on the cost of credit in relation to business loans, is generally low.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Shaun Davies:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what data her Department holds on the (a) number of claims and (b) value of payments made for statutory paternity leave and shared parental leave each year by economic sector and industry. \p Dan Tomlinson: HMRC does not collect data on statutory paternity leave or shared parental leave. HMRC does collect data on statutory paternity pay and shared parental pay which may closely approximate leave in both cases.

HMRC also holds data on economic sector, but to match the two together would be a significant analytical task and so the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department's proposed policy on tiebacks in oil and gas drilling allows for the exploitation of new fields via tiebacks to existing infrastructure in fields that have already been licenced. \p Michael Shanks: On 26 November, the Government published its North Sea Future Plan.

The plan implements the Government’s manifesto commitments to manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan, and to not issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields. As part of this, the government will introduce new Transitional Energy Certificates which will enable limited oil and gas production on or near to existing fields, so long as this additional production does not require new exploration, is already part of or links back to existing fields and infrastructure, and is necessary for a managed, orderly and prosperous transition.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87415 on Solar Power, how much solar power generating capacity from installations smaller than 150kW capacity are (a) operational, (b) under construction and (c) awaiting a planning decision. \p Michael Shanks: The Government does not hold this information.

The monthly deployment statistics I cited in my previous answer use different capacity thresholds but indicate that, as of September 2025, 7.72GW of capacity was available from installations smaller than 50kW.

We do not have data about the number of projects below 150kW under construction or awaiting planning decisions. Most installations smaller than 150kW will be on rooftops. These installations can generally be constructed quickly. Typically, they do not require an application for planning permission as they fall under permitted development rights.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of regulations governing the use of Microgeneration Certification Scheme certification branding in subcontracted solar PV installations. \p Michael Shanks: Under any DESNZ schemes, microgeneration technologies including rooftop solar must be installed by an MCS-certified installer or equivalent. The installer must use an MCS-approved product and carry out the installation to the relevant MCS installation standard.

However, the Government inherited a fragmented consumer protection framework for installation of energy efficiency measures. We are currently reviewing the broader consumer protection landscape and will bring forward wider system reforms to ensure consumers can have confidence in the quality of installations and protections when upgrading their homes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the installation of solar panels on the level of Energy Performance Certificate ratings for domestic properties. \p Martin McCluskey: Alongside lower electricity bills, there are many potential benefits for householders that invest in rooftop solar. These include improved property valuation and EPC scores, although the overall score for an individual property is based on several different variables.

Government has also consulted on introducing four complementary headline metrics for domestic EPCs: "Fabric Performance," "Heating System," "Smart Readiness," and "Energy Cost." The consultation proposed that the Smart Readiness metric would include information on a households’ ability to generate on-site renewable energy, including solar PV, and give specific recommendations for improvements to scores against the metric. Government will respond to this consultation in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the value for money of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps and heat batteries compared to other low-carbon heating options. \p Martin McCluskey: The Government recognise that hydronic heat pumps may not be the most appropriate solution for all properties, especially those that currently have ‘dry’ (non-hydronic) space heating. Therefore, we are supporting air-to-air heat pumps under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) to increase consumer choice and flexibility.

The value for money, costs and benefits of expanding the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include air-to-air heat pumps will be included in a published Impact Assessment covering the period 2025/6 to 2029/30. This analysis will be updated to incorporate heat batteries closer to the point when they become eligible under the scheme.

An Impact Assessment for period 2022/23 to 2024/25 is already published.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his correspondence of 10 June 2025, if he will ask the Minister for Energy to meet with the hon. Member for the South Cotswolds. \p Michael Shanks: I have asked my office to contact the hon Member to find an appropriate date.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the waste heat from SMR turbine halls is used in a way that contributes to achieving net zero. \p Michael Shanks: Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) will play an important role in helping the UK achieve our energy security and net zero ambitions. Government recognises the potential role of SMRs in energy sectors beyond electricity generation, including as a source of low carbon heat.

The department will shortly be publishing a new policy framework which will lay out pathways for privately led advanced nuclear projects to be brought forward in the UK. Great British Energy – Nuclear will take on a new role in assessing proposals, with the National Wealth Fund exploring potential investment opportunities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of rural depopulation on the energy efficiency and maintenance of housing stock in remote areas. \p Martin McCluskey: The UK has the oldest housing stock in Europe and we are aware of the complexities involved in decarbonising rural and off-gas grid homes.

This government is committed to ensuring that no-one is left behind in the transition to Net Zero, supplying solutions that work for all buildings.

Our Warm Homes Plan will help households, including rural off-gas grid households, take up measures like solar panels, heat pumps, batteries and insulation, helping them save money on their bills and benefit from cleaner, cheaper heating. The Department has partnered with combined authorities and local and devolved governments to roll out this plan. Details of the plan will be published soon.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-26)

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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is formally triggering Section 159(3) of the Energy Act 2023 with the launch of the consultation on alternative clean heating solutions which covers the Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Obligation. \p Martin McCluskey: The consultation on alternative heating solutions seeks to gather evidence on the role that these technologies could play in ensuring that every household has a low-carbon option that is right for them. The government will consider the evidence before making any decisions on whether to exercise the powers in Section 159 of the Energy Act 2023 in respect of a Renewable Liquid Heating Fuel Obligation.