theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to leaseholders to meet the costs of remediating non-cladding related fire safety defects (a) of fire doors and (b) in general. \p Samantha Dixon: Qualifying leaseholders are protected from the costs of non-cladding defects, with the maximum amount that can be charged capped at £15,000 in Greater London (or £10,000 elsewhere in England). In certain circumstances that cap may be zero, such as when the landlord is (or is associated with) the developer.

Regarding Fire doors specifically, those which have been incorrectly installed, or which have degraded prematurely may meet the definition of a non-cladding relevant defect and the cost of replacing them will be covered by the leaseholder protections.

Fire doors need to be replaced due to wear and tear, however, are not covered by the leaseholder protections and costs can be passed to leaseholders via their service charge.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential annual revenue that could be generated by a £1 to £2 levy on all (a) home and (b) vehicle insurance policies for provision to fire and rescue services. \p Samantha Dixon: Fire and rescue services in England receive funding from several sources, including a central government grant, local council tax income (precept), and retained business rates allocated by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This funding is distributed through the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Any introduction of a statutory levy on home and vehicle insurance as a source of funding to fire and rescue services would require further consideration.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of climate-related wildfires on fire service budgets; and what steps she is taking to ensure sustainable funding for fire (a) response and (b) prevention. \p Samantha Dixon: In 2024/25, the Government funded a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to assess what additional wildfire national capabilities might be needed to increase resilience to wildfire risk and to ensure coordination of approaches across the sector.

Preparing for the future not only means tackling climate and nature emergencies but also adapting to the changes they will bring to our environment. A coordinated approach is essential to mitigate the impact on people, property, habitats, livestock, natural capital and wildlife, and to plan the most effective response to incidents.

The Ministry maintains close working relationships with the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum, and will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to consult (a) fire authorities, (b) local councils and (c) the insurance sector on potential alternative funding mechanisms for fire services. \p Samantha Dixon: This Government recognises that the current funding formula for fire and rescue services is considered outdated. As such, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is committed to reforming the way funding is allocated to local authorities and fire and rescue authorities.

In the summer of 2025, the Ministry launched the Fair Funding Review 2.0, seeking views on the approach to determining new funding allocations for local authorities and fire and rescue authorities. The public consultation closed on 15 August 2025; and the response to which will be published in the autumn, followed by the publication of the provisional multi-year Settlement.

The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2025 to Question HL9815 on Electoral Register, what her planned timetable is for the commissioning of user research. \p Samantha Dixon: The Government is actively exploring a range of approaches to improve the completeness and accuracy of the register. User research is undertaken throughout the policy and digital service development process.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, June 2025, published on 31 July 2025, what was the purpose of the funding to Cambridge University of 4/6/25, marked increase in chief CSA salary; and what position does this relate to. \p Samantha Dixon: This spend was a recharge to the University of Cambridge for the salary of the current Chief Scientific Adviser who is a Professor of Engineering at Cambridge.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 September to Question 73498 on Housing: heating, what recent estimate his Department has made of the average efficiency rating of radiator systems being installed in new-build properties. \p Samantha Dixon: The energy performance of radiator systems in new-build homes is governed by the Building Regulations, which are the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. Associated statutory guidance is provided in the Approved Documents which accompany the Building Regulations. We draw on evidence from industry and the public to inform Approved Document guidance and ensure new homes are high-quality and energy efficient. While the Future Homes and Buildings Standards consultation did not include specific questions on sizing radiators, the existing Approved Document L Volume 1 provides guidance on this.

This guidance was last updated in 2021 following two consultations which provided housebuilders and end-users with the opportunity to provide feedback, and an impact assessment was published at the time of implementation. Separately, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero recently ran a consultation on raising product standards for space heating. This set out proposals which would drive improvements in the efficiency of new heating appliances and closed in March 2025.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of whether building safety regulations are being applied proportionately to low-rise, low-occupancy buildings that have historically met all safety standards and fire service inspections. \p Samantha Dixon: In the initial stages, a building control application is usually required for new buildings. This is reviewed by building control bodies to ensure compliance with building regulations.

During the build process, progress on site may be checked and monitored, using a number of methods, including on site visits, where the inspector may ask the builders on site to open up parts of the build in order to check compliance, and give advice if needed.

At the end of the build process, if a building complies with relevant regulations, a completion certificate will be issued.

Building control bodies conduct checks to assure building work or material changes of use are compliant with the building regulations. However, ultimately, it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the work (and, where appointed, the principal designer and principal contractor) to ensure building work complies with these requirements.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that buildings previously deemed compliant by local fire services are not subject to excessive remedial costs due to reinterpretations of insulation or other materials under the new Higher-Risk Building regime. \p Samantha Dixon: The higher-risk building regime fundamentally reforms the way higher-risk buildings are designed, built and managed. They change the building control process, and place new duties on accountable persons when these buildings are managed, to make sure that safety and performance of these buildings is considered right at the start of the design process and all the way through the building’s lifecycle.

The changes will reassure residents, mitigating negative mental health impacts arising from fears around safety or financial insecurities; reduce the risk of fire and structural incidents occurring; reduce the likelihood of systemic risks arising and the cost associated with putting them right; and provide confidence to the insurance and mortgage market.

It is worth noting that the regime has only introduced new procedural requirements for dutyholders to robustly demonstrate how their projects will meet compliance. The functional requirements under the building regulations with which dutyholders need to comply remain the same as under the previous regime.

We do recognise that these new procedural requirements in the regime may result in some additional costs for leaseholders. Our expectation is that these requirements will help dutyholders to get things right from the outset, which should reduce additional time at later stages and the need to correct non-compliant or defective work, saving time and money in the longer term.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what her timetable is for implementation of automatic voter registration. \p Samantha Dixon: As set out in the July 17 policy paper ‘Restoring trust in our democracy: Our strategy for modern and secure elections’, the Government is committed to creating a more automated approach to electoral registration over the coming years. Before implementing any changes, we will test a range of automated approaches including more effective use of data and better join-up across public services. This will ensure that any interventions or changes to the registration process are effective at improving the accuracy and completeness of the register and offer value for money.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service in the Spending Review 2025. \p Samantha Dixon: On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue.

Standalone fire and rescue authorities will see an increase in core spending power of up to £69.1 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6% in cash terms compared to 2024/25. The Settlement also sets out a threshold for council tax increases in 2025/26 of £5.

This financial year, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority will have a core spending power of £99.8 million, an increase of 3.7 % compared to 2024/25.

The Ministry will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of buildings under 18m in height but classified as higher-risk solely due to the treatment of non-residential basement or semi-basement garages as storeys on leaseholders. \p Samantha Dixon: If the building is below 18m in height (measured from ground level) and has fewer than 7 storeys, it should not be classed as higher-risk under the current regulatory framework. Importantly, storeys located below ground level - including non-residential basements or semi-basement garages - should not be counted when determining whether a building meets the higher-risk threshold. Therefore, such buildings should not be classed as higher-risk.

A comprehensive review of the higher-risk regime is scheduled for 2027, and the Building Safety Regulator is expected to publish its initial review and ongoing review by the end of summer 2025. These may address how impacts are assessed and inform future policy adjustments.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help ensure that his Department's processes protect (a) sites of specific scientific interest and (b) other areas from wildfires. \p Mary Creagh: We are committed to supporting land management practices that restore wider ecosystem health, and these can include measures to increase wildfire resilience.

Natural England work with landowners/managers on a site-by-site basis, and will do so over the long-term, to ensure that measures to restore habitats (including re-wetting to build wildfire resilience) are appropriate to local conditions and site characteristics.

We also support research into the causes and effects of wildfire (including the impacts and responses of habitats/species to fire) and the effectiveness of restoration measures to build wildfire resilience.

We encourage all land managers to develop and adopt good quality wildfire management plans.

Furthermore, we have held workshops with a wide range of land managers to inform the new Heather and Grass Management Code. This is being drafted by Natural England and will set clear standards for managing habitats including moorlands.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 61000 on Hunting, what recent progress he has made to ban trail-hunting. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Work is ongoing to determine the best approach to deliver the manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting. We have committed to running a consultation to ensure those with an interest can input. We will share further details in due course.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that homeowners with bats on their property can conduct (a) urgent structural and (b) safety repairs while respecting bat conservation rules. \p Mary Creagh: Defra is committed to ensuring that homeowners can maintain safe living environments while upholding England’s strong legal protections for bats. We continue to work with Natural England and conservation organisations to streamline licensing processes and provide clear guidance for property owners.

In cases of genuine emergency - such as urgent structural issues or immediate safety risks - Natural England may expedite licence applications or provide urgent advice. We would therefore encourage homeowners in England to contact Natural England’s Wildlife Licensing Team directly to discuss the situation whilst ensuring legal compliance.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to develop an effective vaccine for bluetongue virus serotype 3. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra began working with vaccine manufacturers in 2024 to ensure BTV-3 vaccines were available at the earliest opportunity, and three vaccines have been available in England since September 2024. These vaccines are widely available through normal veterinary wholesalers.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing discretionary grant funding for the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs on the farming industry in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Encouraging more young people into farming and land-based careers is vital to ensure a skilled workforce is in place and the longer-term viability of the sector.

Defra works closely with the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC). Defra provides funding of up to £30,000 per year for specific project-based activity which supports skills development and training.

My officials continue to work very closely with the NFYFC to deliver the 2025-26 grant to ensure value for money.
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Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure transparency in the allocation of licences for commercial bluefin tuna fishery; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing alternative management models to enable wider participation by inshore fishermen. \p Dame Angela Eagle: In 2025, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) published comprehensive online guidance outlining the process for fishers, including those from the inshore fleet, to apply for access to the bluefin tuna commercial fishery. This guidance included detailed information on how applications would be assessed along with a timeline for the process.

Following assessment, the MMO contacted all applicants directly to inform them of the outcome of their applications.

To support the development of the fishery Defra commissioned external evaluations of the commercial bluefin fishery in 2023 and 2024 and continue to engage with fishers and other stakeholders on the ongoing management.

We must act within international rules set by The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and will continue to evaluate the best way to provide social and economic benefits for UK fishers in a sustainably managed commercial bluefin tuna fishery.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which public sector organisations are required to ensure that 50 per cent of their catering consists of British produce. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Government’s firm ambition is that, whilst working within our legal constraints, half of all food purchased across the public sector should be locally produced or certified to higher environmental standards. In support of this ambition, we published a new national procurement policy statement (NPPS) in February this year. The NPPS sets expectations for government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that we think high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.
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Tristan Osborne:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with UKRI on steps his Department is taking to support innovative materials whose development has been funded by grants from Innovate UK. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Officials regularly engage with UK Research and Innovation including with Innovate UK as the delivery partner for some of our most significant research programmes.

The Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, provides grants to support industry-led R&D to develop technologies and innovative practices to drive innovation in agriculture and increase productivity, sustainability and resilience in our farming sectors.

Examples of other collaborative programmes include the Defra co-funded Innovation in Environmental Monitoring programme. This programme has connected industry and research to the growing UK environmental monitoring sector, ensuring that the public and private sectors work in partnership to develop and test new sensing capabilities that can be commercialised, helping to boost the UK’s economic growth.   This programme has supported technologies in fields such as environmental DNA, artificial intelligence, remote sensing and acoustic monitoring.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was of investigating unlicensed fishing by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs. \p Emma Hardy: The investigation and subsequent enforcement outcome took two days of work. The specific costs associated with each investigation and enforcement outcome can vary based on a number of factors. Data for this specific case is not held centrally but the average cost for two days of work would usually be approximately £500.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has considered increasing funding for the Capital Grants scheme, in the context of levels of demand. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As of 1 August, strong demand for the Government’s £150 million Capital Grant offer means that all available funds for this round have now been allocated.

We plan to make further improvements to the offer for future rounds. We expect to open a new round for farmers to secure more funding during 2026. Other Countryside Stewardship capital grants which remain open for applications now are Woodland Tree Health grants, Capital grant plans, woodland management plans, Protection and Infrastructure grants and Higher Tier capital grants.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Parliamentary time will be allocated for an annual debate to monitor progress towards achieving the goals set out in the animal welfare strategy. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Government has no such plans at the present time. The Prime Minister announced that we will be publishing an animal welfare strategy later this year.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has met with representatives from Red Tractor to discuss the effectiveness of the Red Tractor assurance scheme regarding animal welfare standards. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Red Tractor assurance scheme is independent from Government. We have not met with representatives of Red Tractor to discuss the effectiveness of the Red Tractor scheme standards.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will include the live exports ban, as set out in the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024, in the list of exceptions to dynamic alignment that the Government will seek during negotiations on the EU UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This Government has been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards. While I am unable to comment in detail on negotiations regarding the Agreement, we expect them to start in the Autumn.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department provides on the assessments used to decide whether to return a dangerous dog to its owner after it has been seized. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Dogs that are prohibited under section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and which do not have a valid certificate of exemption could be seized by the Police.

In these cases, there is an interim exemption scheme which allows suspected prohibited dogs to remain with their owners in advance of a court hearing. It is for the Police to determine whether to make use of this scheme on a case-by-case basis.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to help reduce plastic pollution in (a) rivers, (b) seas and (c) other waterways. \p Mary Creagh: The Government is working domestically and internationally to implement measures that will prevent plastic from reaching the environment.

Domestically, bans and restrictions on single-use plastic products, such as cutlery, straws, and polystyrene takeaway containers, plates and bowls have been introduced alongside the single-use carrier bag charge. The Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers will introduce a deposit on single-use drinks containers which is redeemable when the empty container is returned. DRS will reduce plastic litter and increase recycling rates. The Government is considering what further steps are needed to help local authorities reduce litter and thus prevent it from entering and damaging our waterways and ecosystems.

Plastic pollution is a global crisis that no country can solve alone. The UK is also working with international partners to conclude an ambitious and effective new international treaty to end plastic pollution which protects the environment and paves the way to a circular economy.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to increase protections for (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees. \p Mary Creagh: As the criminal case for the Sycamore Gap tree has shown, our judicial system takes illegal tree felling seriously: those that cause illegal damage will be held to account. In addition, our most important trees, those of ancient and veteran status, are considered irreplaceable habitats and protected in planning policy. Local authorities may also grant specific protections on individual trees of high value through Tree Preservation Orders.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) puppy and (b) kitten smuggling into the UK under existing pet travel rules. \p Daniel Zeichner: Due to the illegal nature of this activity, we cannot know the true extent of puppy and kitten smuggling operations. The Animal and Plant Health Agency plays a critical role in monitoring and intercepting animals that do not meet legal importation standards including those that are underage.

As outlined in our manifesto, the Government is committed to ending puppy smuggling. That is why we are supporting the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through the House of Lords as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has a target date for acquiring adequate numbers of electronic tags to accommodate the provisions of the Sentencing Bill. \p Jake Richards: The Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service are continuing to assess the likely impact of the Sentencing Bill on demand for Electronic Monitoring and will order the required numbers of tags in line with those assessments and contractual requirements.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the longest projected length of time between charge and trial is in cases of domestic abuse yet to be heard in court. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not carry out projections for length of time between charge and trial for specific offences.

The Ministry of Justice does publish end-to-end timeliness data each quarter, which enables users to calculate average length of time at various stages of the process. Data is only published for the average.

However, it is not possible to separately identify cases of ‘domestic abuse’ in the published data because the information held centrally is related to the offence in law for which a defendant is convicted. Domestic abuse related offences can be prosecuted under a wide range of legally defined offences.

In line with the Independent Sentencing Review recommendation, we will be introducing a domestic abuse identifier at sentencing in criminal cases. This will enable police, prisons, and probation to consistently identify domestic abuse offenders and improve support for victims, whether the perpetrator is in the community or in custody.

The Ministry of Justice commissioned Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to tackle the outstanding caseload and to improve timeliness across the board – including for domestic abuse. We are considering Sir Brian’s recommendations and will issue a response in due course.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the next data on assaults against prison officers will be published. \p Jake Richards: The Safety in Custody publication is published every quarter, including figures for assaults on staff. The next quarterly publication will be on 30 October 2025. The annual assaults tables include more detailed breakdowns, including the number of assault incidents on prison officers. The annual assaults tables are published in April each year, with the figures for 2025 due to be published on 30 April 2026.

The statistics are available at the following link: Safety in custody statistics - GOV.UK.
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Sarah Coombes:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of drivers convicted of death by dangerous driving were (a) repeat death by dangerous driving offenders, (b) repeat death by careless driving offenders and (c) repeat dangerous driving offenders in each of the last five years. \p Jake Richards: The information requested is provided in the tables attached.

Safety on our roads is an absolute priority for this Government. That is why the Department for Transport is committed to delivering a new Road Safety Strategy – the first in over a decade. They will set out the next steps on this in due course.

Table1 (xlsx, 17.8KB)

Table2 (xlsx, 18.4KB)
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the longest projected length of time between charge and trial in any single case of rape which has yet to be heard in court. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice does not carry out projections for length of time between charge and trial for specific offences.

The Ministry of Justice does publish end-to-end timeliness data each quarter, including for rape. Data is published for the average duration for the process.

Link to publication: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685c1091c07c71e5a870984f/timeliness_tool.xlsx.

The Ministry of Justice commissioned Sir Brian Leveson’s Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to tackle the outstanding caseload and to improve timeliness across the board – including for rape and other sexual offences. We are considering Sir Brian’s recommendations and will respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of trials being repeatedly adjourned on the mental health of victims of sexual violence. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government recognises the impact delays to court processes may have on victims of sexual violence. We are committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Courts can focus on the most serious cases; and this year we have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days to tackle the outstanding caseload and delays. We also commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims.

To ensure ongoing communication with victims in the pre-trial period, every Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) area now has at least one dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are also offered to all adult victims of these crimes and the CPS has also delivered trauma-informed training to staff as part of their Victim Transformation Programme.

The Ministry of Justice funded Witness Service also provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to victims who are witnesses. This may include providing information about the court and its processes, facilitating explanations around any delays and accompanying the witness (if allowed by the court) into the court room when they give evidence.

This year, to help support the wellbeing of sexual violence victims, we have protected dedicated Ministry of Justice Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending, maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support. This includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund grant, which directly supports specialist sexual violence services.

The funded services, which include advocacy and counselling support, can be accessed at any point. This includes supporting victims to continue their criminal justice system journey if their trial has been delayed or adjourned.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_202

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many criminal trials involving charges of sexual violence have been adjourned due to insufficient courtroom time in each of the last three years. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Data on trials that have been adjourned due to insufficient court time is not held by the Ministry of Justice. Related data regarding trial effectiveness can be found here: trials_tool.xlsx.

We recognise the impact on victims when trials do not proceed as planned. The Ministry of Justice funded Witness Service provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to victims who are witnesses. This may include providing information about the court and its processes, facilitating explanations around any delays and accompanying the witness (if allowed by the court) into the court room when they give evidence. To ensure ongoing communication with victims in the pre-trial period, every Crown Prosecution Service area now has at least one dedicated Victim Liaison Officer in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are also offered to all adult victims of these crimes.

This Government inherited a record and rising courts backlog. The scale of cases entering the courts is now so great that, even with the Crown Court sitting at a historically high level, this would not be enough to make meaningful progress on reducing the outstanding caseload and bring down waiting times. It is clear that we must go further and do things differently if we are to deliver swifter justice and long-lasting change for victims.

That is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson to chair an Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, to propose once-in-a-generation reform to deliver swifter justice for victims. Part one of the Review has been published. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_203

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in bringing historical child sexual violence cases to trial. \p Alex Davies-Jones: This Government is focused on delivering meaningful change for victims of child sexual violence. In April, we published our plan for responding to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s (IICSA) recommendations.

In line with recommendations from IICSA, the Government has announced the removal of the three-year limitation period for personal injury claims brought by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse in respect of their abuse. This reform also provides express protection for the right to a fair trial, with the burden falling on defendants to show that a fair trial is not possible. This change is intended to reduce the trauma survivors face when seeking justice and ensure that more cases can proceed without unnecessary procedural barriers. This reform is part of the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently being considered in Parliament.

We are also committed to tackling the outstanding caseload to improve timeliness - we have already doubled magistrates’ sentencing powers, so that Crown Courts can focus on the most serious cases; and this year we have funded a record-high allocation of 110,000 Crown Court sitting days. We also commissioned Sir Brian Leveson to propose bold and ambitious measures to deliver swifter justice for victims, including for victims of sexual violence. We will respond to the recommendations in the Independent Review of Criminal Courts in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_204

Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will respond to the report of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights entitled The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power, published on 27 June 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: We are aware of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights report entitled 'The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power', and the issues it raises in relation to the rollback on rights.

The UK has a long history as a well-respected and influential global leader on SRHR and in defending and championing these fundamental rights. The UK continues to work with likeminded Member States, NGOs, and Civil Society Organisations to defend, promote and support SRHR.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_205

Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Heads of Mission are taking steps to generate support for the Global Fund’s 8th replenishment. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is proud to be co-hosting the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment with South Africa and looks forward to working with an expanded range of partners to help end AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for good.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working with South Africa and the Global Fund on a range of international engagements and events to help generate international support for the Replenishment. For example, Heads of Mission have recently hosted events in support of the Global Fund at our High Commission in Canberra, our Embassy in Addis Ababa and our High Commission in Pretoria, in addition to bilateral discussions in other key countries.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_206

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much foreign aid his Department has granted to the Republic of Mauritius in each of the last ten years. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The table shows country-specific bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Mauritius by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and all other contributors of UK ODA (2014-2023), published in Statistics on International Development on the UK Government's website.

Year

FCDO

All other contributors of UK ODA£000s

Total £000s

2014

761

-20

745

2015

771

7

777

2016

187

6

193

2017

304

12

316

2018

505

3

508

2019

898

3

901

2020

786

81

866

2021

788

103

892

2022

452

104

556

2023

673

242

915

2024

Statistics not yet available
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_207

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government accepts the Chinese Communist Party's claim to be able to appoint the next Dalai Lama as legitimate. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government champions freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all in the UK and abroad, working to uphold the right to FoRB through the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement. For example, on July 2 the UK convened an event in Geneva to reaffirm the right to FoRB for all, including Tibetan Buddhists and the right to choose their own religious leaders.

The UK views the Dalai Lama as a respected spiritual leader and strong human rights advocate. It is our longstanding position that the appointment of the next Dalai Lama is a matter for the Tibetan Buddhist community across the world, in line with FoRB.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_208

Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Honduran counterpart on the killing of Juan López. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK condemns the killing of Juan Lopez in September 2024. Human rights defenders working on environmental issues should be able to work without fear of reprisal, wherever they are. Our Embassy in Guatemala City, which maintains our relations with Honduras, issued a statement following Mr Lopez's death urging the authorities in Honduras to urgently investigate this case. Officials at our Embassy in Guatemala City and in the UK are in regular contact with civil society organisations regarding human rights in Honduras.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_209

Sir Iain Duncan Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last raised the case of Jimmy Lai with US counterparts. \p Seema Malhotra: This Government welcomes US President Trump's public support for Jimmy Lai. Mr. Lai's case remains an utmost priority; his prosecution is politically motivated, and he should be released. The Foreign Secretary and her officials remain in regular contact with the US Government on this matter.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_210

Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Yeovil dated 13 March 2025 on a constituent renouncing Colombian citizenship. \p Seema Malhotra: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has no record of receiving this correspondence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-11 conversation_211

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to support (a) campesino, (b) Indigenous and (c) Afro-descendent communities facing (i) land dispossession and (ii) forced evictions in Honduras. \p Seema Malhotra: The UK recognises the importance of addressing land dispossession and forced evictions in Honduras. Our Embassy in Guatemala City, which maintains our relations with Honduras, closely monitors cases of criminalisation, intimidation, and defamation against human rights defenders working on environmental issues, as well as communities at risk of eviction or already displaced. Officials at our Embassy and in London maintain regular contact with civil society organisations on this issue. The UK publicly supports the efforts and struggles of these communities and engages in diplomatic advocacy with the authorities in Honduras.