theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_125
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_125

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with international non-governmental organisations that provide official development assistance. \p Stephen Doughty: This government remains fully committed to the UK playing a globally significant role on development; it is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe. We are engaging with a range of partners and stakeholders on the decision to reduce the Official Development Assistance budget.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_126
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_126

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that independent reviews are conducted after (a) kidnappings, (b) attacks and (c) other serious incidents involving aid workers. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office champions the Aid Worker Security Database which independently tracks incidents involving international and national aid workers including kidnapping, death and injury. The UK promotes the review of incidents causing harm to civilians, including aid workers, through its seats at multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council, as well as in partnership with the International Criminal Court and International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission.

Bilateral diplomatic engagement also supports independent review of incidents that harm aid workers. For example, the UK has pressed Israel to conclude the Military Advocate General's investigation into the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on 1 April 2024. Our priority is to ensure lessons are learned which lead to lasting improvements in aid worker safety.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_127
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_127

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to support female humanitarian workers. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is taking steps with international partners to address the specific risks that female humanitarian workers face. We are investing in protective measures that our partners need to safely work, championing International Humanitarian Law, and using UK seats at key multilateral forums to raise awareness and promote accountability.

The UK uses its seat at the United Nations (UN) to promote the meaningful participation and protection of women in crisis response and peacebuilding, counter reprisals against women peacebuilders and women's rights defenders and build protection against conflict related sexual violence, within UN Security Council country and thematic resolutions.

These efforts contribute towards building a safer and more protective environment for female aid workers to carry out their work and help to facilitate safer access to humanitarian assistance, especially for women and girls.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_128
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_128

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent remarks from the United States administration on the sovereignty of Greenland. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK maintains strong relations with both the US and Denmark, including as close NATO Allies, and on the shared priority of security in the High North.

The UK has a longstanding policy of respecting self-determination. The Foreign Secretary and I have been clear that Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and the future of their constitutional arrangements is a matter for the people and Government of Greenland, and the Kingdom of Denmark.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_129
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_129

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Turkey. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government is closely monitoring the situation in Turkey. The UK expects Turkey to uphold its international commitments and the rule of law, including swift and transparent judicial processes. We have been engaging with the Turkish government and there has been Ministerial contact with counterparts in recent days to raise these issues. The UK supports democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the world and will always support the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly and media freedom. Travel advice for British nationals has been updated to include reference to the recent protests.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_130
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_130

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans his Department has to collaborate with (a) Médecins Sans Frontières and (b) other organisations to enhance healthcare access and resources for noma-affected regions. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and working with global partners towards achieving the global goal target to end the epidemic of NTDs by 2030, including for Noma. The UK is a signatory to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs and supports the World Health Organization (WHO's) roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021-2030.

The UK supports the WHO's work, including on NTDs. Other wider work that will also support reducing the prevalence and impact of Noma includes the department's support to strengthening country health systems, including in Noma prevalent countries such as Nigeria, and work to address factors associated with Noma such as malnutrition, other infectious diseases, and extreme poverty.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_131
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_131

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect humanitarian workers from (a) targeted attacks and (b) obstruction of aid in conflict zones. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK uses its seats at key multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council, its bilateral relationships, and its partnerships with humanitarian actors on the front line to encourage parties to consent to humanitarian relief operations, facilitate unimpeded access, and protect civilians including humanitarian aid workers.

We provide direct investment to support the protective measures our partners require to work safely, the freedom to use different approaches such as cash transfers to increase access to aid and reduce risks, and flexible funding to enable our partners to strengthen their risk mitigation strategies when required.

In May 2024, the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council resolution 2730. This resolution strongly condemned attacks and all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, threats, and intimidation, against humanitarian personnel and United Nations and associated personnel, their premises and assets.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_132
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_132

Calum Miller:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department held discussions with the EU Commission on the development of the ReArm Europe plan; and whether his Department is taking steps with the EU Commission to establish a means through which the UK can (a) contribute to and (b) be supported through this plan. \p Stephen Doughty: We strongly welcome the ambitions of the ReArm programme and believe it is in the interest of European defence to create a structure that allows member states to partner with the UK. Officials and Ministers frequently engage EU counterparts, including High Representative Kaja Kallas, who met with the Defence and Foreign Secretaries in London last month, the first visit by an EU High Representative since the UK left the EU. During which they discussed the need for EU defence financing and wider defence industrial initiatives to be inclusive of third countries like the UK and we will continue to do so.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_133
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_133

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the affordability of service charges for leaseholders; and if he will take steps to limit their rate of increase. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government recognise the considerable financial strain that rising services charges are placing on leaseholders.

The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building.

By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Should leaseholders wish to contest the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal.

The government has no plans to cap service charges for tenants and leaseholders given this would prevent necessary funds being raised for legitimate purposes when necessary.

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes measures designed to drive up the transparency of service charges to make them more easily challengeable if leaseholders consider them to be unreasonable. Once commenced, these will ensure all leaseholders receive minimum key financial and non-financial information on a regular basis, including introducing a standardised service charge demand form and an annual report.

The government is committed to acting quickly to implement the provisions of the Act. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on Thursday 21 November (HCWS244).
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_134
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_134

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on whether a flag flown outside at ground level requires planning permission, where it does not have deemed consent. \p Matthew Pennycook: Relevant government guidance available on gov.uk sets out the planning rules for the display of flags.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_135
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_135

Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the total amount of multiply funding that has been allocated for Northern Ireland; how that funding has been distributed; and how that funding compares to that previously provided by the European Social Fund. \p Alex Norris: Over the course of 2023-25, approximately £8.75m of Multiply funding has been allocated to projects in Northern Ireland.

£5.9m was allocated to the Department for the Economy, who are leading a partnership of all eleven NI councils, the three universities, and four of the six further education colleges to deliver a suite of linked activities, including vocational mathematics (linked to traineeships and apprenticeships), maths for speakers of other languages, engaging mature learners, and support that helps children and parents learn numeracy together.

The remainder of the funding is being used by community and voluntary organisations to address numeracy barriers that may prevent the economically inactive people they support from returning to employment.

Comparable data for the European Social Fund is not available.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_136
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_136

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37218 on Byelaws, whether her Department has provided guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden. \p Jim McMahon: Government provides guidance on the byelaw making process for local authorities. The department has not provided specific guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_137
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_137

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the amount (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on housing for (i) refugees and (ii) asylum seekers by each local authority in the 2024-25 financial year; and how much has been budgeted for this purpose for the 2025-26 financial year. \p Jim McMahon: The department does not hold this information to the level of detail requested. The department releases data on local authority spend through the local authority revenue expenditure and financing statistics, in which RO3 line 49 accounts for social support services or interventions for registered asylum seekers, including:

Additionally, RO3 Line 18 and RO3 Line 26 both refer to children's social care, in relation to asylum seekers.

The most recent data collected by the department regarding budgeted spending on refugees and asylum seekers by local government in England is from 2024-25 and can be found here. The relevant lines within the budget publication are: RA326 Children's social care – Asylum seekers; and RA349 Social support – Asylum seeker support.

The department has not yet published data for the 2025/26 financial year.

The first revenue outturn release for 2024/25 will be released in September 2025.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_138
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_138

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on levels of resident satisfaction with local councils. \p Jim McMahon: The Local Government Association carries out a triannual survey of resident satisfaction with local government across Great Britain. The data is published and available here.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_139
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_139

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the level of council tax levied by (a) The Environment Agency, (b) Garden Committees, (c) Conservators, (d) Port Health Authorities, (e) Crematorium Boards and (f) Pensions Authorities in the most recent financial year for which figures are available. \p Jim McMahon: The total amount of levies and special levies that have been included in the Council Tax Requirement set by local authorities in England in 2025-26 is £1.36 billion. We do not collect data that breaks this down by the levying body.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_140
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_140

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department holds data on parish precepts levied by (a) town and (b) parish councils. \p Jim McMahon: The Ministry publishes detailed statistics on the precepts set by town and parish councils each year. The 2024-25 statistics are available at this address: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-council-tax.

The 2025-26 statistics are provisionally scheduled to be published on 7 May 2025. The overall average parish council precept increase for 2025-26 is 7.4% and all statistics related to the parish precept are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2025-to-2026/council-tax-levels-set-by-local-authorities-in-england-2025-to-2026#parishes-and-other-local-precepting-authorities-in-england.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_141
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_141

Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what fiscal measures her Department has considered to help facilitate the renovation of existing residential sites. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to supporting estate regeneration schemes to transform neighbourhoods by delivering well designed housing and public space, a better quality of life and new opportunities for tenants.

As of June 2023, grant funding provided through the government’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 can be used to fund replacement homes alongside new affordable homes, as part of wider estate regeneration plans.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_142

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 32217 on Homes England: Consultants, if she will provide a breakdown of that spending by (a) firm, (b) value and (c) topic. \p Alex Norris: Homes England’s spending on consultants since 5th July 2024 can be broken down as £1,877,010 to Deloitte & Touche for external advice and support on the Agency’s organisational change, £18,894 to CSL – KPMG LLP to provide third party assurance at key stages of digital transformation projects to ensure robust decision making and budget allocation, and £344,416 to Deloitte & Touche for external advice on transforming the management and administration of Help to Buy.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_143

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the terms of reference of  the Working Group on Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition for what reasons the recommendations of the Group to the Minister will not be made public. \p Alex Norris: The appointment period for the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group commenced on 24 March 2025, following the publication of the Working Group Terms of Reference.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

The advice the group produces will be private initially, giving the Government the time and space to consider recommendations, including what a proposed definition/s should be and the merits for adopting a definition. Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_144

Jade Botterill:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that new Mayors are accountable to their local areas. \p Jim McMahon: Within Mayoral Combined Authorities and Mayoral Combined County Authorities there is an existing system of accountability and scrutiny arrangements. This system ensures that public spending is achieving value for money.

In the English Devolution White Paper the government set out how it plans to go further and the government’s commitment to strengthening the accountability and scrutiny arrangements of Mayors and the Combined Authorities as greater powers, duties and resources are devolved.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_145

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to strengthen protections for leaseholders in the commonhold tenure. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statements made on 3 March 2025 (HCWS488) and 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_146

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the guidance entitled Green Belt, published on 27 February 2025, whether a regulatory impact assessment was prepared in relation to the new guidance. \p Matthew Pennycook: No. Regulatory impact assessments are prepared to support the appraisals of new primary or secondary legislation.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_147

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to update the Disabled Facilities Grant allocations formula; whether the large and growing older persons populations in rural areas will be carefully considered as part of this; when she expects any update to take place; and whether a consultation will be completed as part of this process. \p Rushanara Ali: The government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. This is why the government has awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million.

The government has also confirmed £711 million for 2025-26. As set out in the Better Care Fund Policy Framework published on 30th January, government is reviewing the allocations formula for the Disabled Facilities Grant. The review is taking into account demographic and economic changes since the current approach was established in 2011. We will consult on a new formula during 2025 with the aim to adopt a new approach as soon as possible.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_148

Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the UK's ability to meet its binding climate and nature targets. \p Matthew Pennycook: The measures contained in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, including a new Nature Restoration Fund and streamlined consultation requirements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, will help deliver the government’s climate and nature commitments.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_149

Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to part three of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, whether environmental delivery plans will be applied in a modular way, with species considered on a case-by-case basis. \p Matthew Pennycook: Environmental Delivery Plans will only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are confident that conservation measures will be sufficient to outweigh the negative impact of development.

Where this is not the case, existing environmental obligations, including those arising under the Habitats Regulations, will remain in place.

We are working with Natural England to explore which species might benefit from strategic approaches.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_150

Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Environmental Development Plans proposed in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be required to follow the mitigation hierarchy. \p Matthew Pennycook: Environmental Development Plans will provide the flexibility to diverge from project-by-project mitigation and a restrictive application of the mitigation hierarchy.

However, this will only be where Natural England consider that this would deliver better outcomes for nature over the course of the delivery plan.

An Environmental Development Plan can only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are satisfied that the delivery of conservation measures will outweigh the negative effects of development.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_151
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_151

Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Environmental Development Plans proposed in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be informed by site level assessments where required. \p Matthew Pennycook: Environmental Delivery Plans will only be put in place where Natural England and the Secretary of State are confident that conservation measures will be sufficient to outweigh the impact of development.

The plans will be evidence based and subject to consultation before coming to the Secretary of State for consideration.

Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place and a developer utilises it, the developer would no longer be required to undertake their own assessments, or deliver project-specific interventions, for issues addressed by the Environmental Delivery Plan.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_152
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_152

Lee Barron:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to introduce greater flexibility in the National Planning Policy Framework to support small almshouse charities in building affordable homes. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 31178 on 24 February 2025.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_153
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_153

Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwelling management orders were used in England in each of the last five years. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Department does not collect data on the number of Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMOs) that have been issued.

Local authorities can apply for an EDMO when a property has been empty for more than two years, subject to the production of evidence that the property has been causing a nuisance to the community and evidence of community support for their proposal. More information can be found on gov.uk here.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_154
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_154

Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of consulting on regulating the property management sector. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government is committed to ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.

Property agents must belong to a government-approved redress scheme. This legislation is currently enforced by local authorities and by the National Trading Standards’ Lettings and Estate Agency Team, who have the power to issue warnings and banning orders to rogue estate and letting agents.

The previous government committed to regulate the property agent sector in 2018 and asked a working group chaired by Lord Best to advise them on how best to do it. However, they failed to respond to the recommendations set out in the working group’s 2019 Regulation of Property Agents: working group report which can be found on gov.uk here.

Managing agents play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates, and their importance will only increase as we transition toward a commonhold future. As a result, we are looking again at the 2019 report.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government has made clear it intends to strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service. As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter this year.

We will set out our full position on regulation of estate, letting and managing agents in due course.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_155
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_155

Chris Bloore:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all new social housing developments include a proportion of homes to be let as furnished. \p Matthew Pennycook: The government will consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.

The Deputy Prime Minister is part of the ministerial Child Poverty Taskforce, which is aiming to publish a Child Poverty Strategy. As part of the development of the strategy, the Taskforce is considering the impacts of living in poor quality housing.

People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the ‘Household Support Fund’ and other services available locally.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_156
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_156

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of families on waiting lists for social housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: The number of households on social housing registers (waiting lists) in England and for each local authority in England is available each year since 1987 in live table 600 on gov.uk here.

My Department only collects data on housing registers for local authorities in England as social housing is a devolved matter.

The number of households on the housing register (waiting list) is not the same as the number of households waiting.

Local authorities periodically review their registers to remove households who no longer require housing, so the total number of households on housing registers may overstate the number of households who still require social housing at any one time. Housing register size may also be affected by other factors. For example, there is the potential for some households to be on the housing register of more than one local authority.

The frequency of reviews varies between local authorities.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_157
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_157

Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support adoption services. \p Janet Daby: On 2 April, the department confirmed funding of £8.8 million for Adoption England to improve the recruitment of adopters, matching of children, and family support during the 2025/26 financial year.

This includes funding to develop more Centres of Excellence as multidisciplinary teams across the country to provide specialist and therapeutic support to families and the development of national standards for adoption support. It also includes a new framework for an early support core offer, ‘Becoming a Family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement and an Adoption Support Plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs. All are designed to improve support and reduce the risk of an adoption breakdown.

Adoption England are also planning work to develop a national protocol on how children’s services, front door services and adoption support teams work together to better support families at risk of adoption disruption.

Adoption England and regional adoption agencies work closely with adopters to improve adoption support services. This includes considering the latest evidence of why adoption disruptions have occurred in their agencies and across the country.

Since its inception in 2015, the department has provided over £400 million through the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) to provide therapeutic interventions for around 52,700 children who have left care under an adoption, special guardianship or child arrangements order. The interventions are designed to help children and their families to deal with their trauma and attachment difficulties and have been independently assessed to have helped prevent adoption breakdowns.

On 1 April, it was announced that the ASGSF would continue into 2025/26, with a budget of £50 million. A further announcement about arrangements for applications will be made as soon as possible. We remain committed to supporting families, who play an essential role in providing stable and loving homes for children in need.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_158
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_158

Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to introduce mandatory neurodiversity training for all teaching and support staff in schools, colleges and universities. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 41687.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_159
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_159

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time spent by schools in requesting assessments for EHC plans on the provision of SEND services. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. This includes asking local authorities to carry out an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, if necessary.

All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the SEND Code of Practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. If necessary, the local authority can be asked to carry out an EHC needs assessment.

In addition, all mainstream schools and maintained academy schools, including free schools, must have a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, designated as the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO).

SENCOs have day-to-day responsibility for the operation of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) policy and co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEND, including those who have EHC plans.

Schools should ensure that the SENCO has sufficient time and resources to carry out these functions. This should include providing SENCOs with sufficient administrative support and time away from teaching to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities in a similar way to other important strategic roles within a school.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_160
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_160

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on producing a plan for musical education. \p Catherine McKinnell: On 18 March 2025, the department announced its intention to launch a National Centre for Arts and Music Education to promote opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school, including through the government’s network of Music Hubs. Our intention is to launch in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course, including on engagement with music education partners.

To support the delivery of music education, the government has committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme, inclusive of the 2024/25 academic year. The 43 Music Hubs partnerships across England offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access to musical instruments, the government is investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year. This funding enables Music Hubs partnerships to better cater to the needs of the children and young people they work with.

The government is also investing £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over a four year period from the 2024/25 to 2027/28 academic years, backed by a further £3.85 million funding from Arts Council England and Youth Music. This pilot is delivered by Young Sounds UK in 12 areas of the country and aims to help disadvantaged children and young people, as well as those with special educational needs and disabilities, to learn how to play an instrument of their choice or learn to sing to a high standard.

The government believes creative subjects like music, art and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_161
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_161

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) local authorities and (b) schools on (i) annual reviews for EHC plans and (ii) the responsibilities of all parties involved. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education, health and care (EHC) plans should be used to monitor children and young people’s progress towards their outcomes and longer term aspirations. Local authorities have a statutory duty to review EHC plans every 12 months as a minimum.

The local authority should provide a list of children and young people who will require a review of their EHC plan that term to all headteachers and principals of schools, colleges and other institutions attended by children or young people with EHC plans, at least two weeks before the start of each term. This will enable professionals to plan attendance at review meetings and/or provide timely advice or information about the child or young person where necessary.

The department has issued guidance on EHC plan reviews in the special educational needs and disabilities Code of Practice which explains the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and schools in the review process, as well as other relevant professionals.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_162
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_162

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of schools being unable to challenge placement decisions made by local authorities on children with special educational needs. \p Catherine McKinnell: Where a local authority has issued an education, health and care (EHC) plan for a child or young person, they must consult a school or college before naming it in the plan and the school or college can express concerns about being named.

When responding to a local authority on a consultation about being named in an EHC plan, the school can make representations in relation to its total pupil population and its capacity, where it feels that admitting the pupil might have an impact on the efficient education of other pupils already in the school. This is a matter that the local authority would need to carefully consider in reaching its decision about whether to proceed to name the school. If the local authority goes ahead and names it in the plan, then the school or college is under a statutory duty to admit the child or young person.

A school can make a complaint to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education if it feels that a local authority has not carried out its statutory duties appropriately, such as where the school suspects the local authority did not follow due processes in reaching a decision to name it on an EHC plan. However, whilst that complaint is being resolved, because the school is named in the EHC plan, it must admit the child with immediate effect.

The department knows that many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) struggle to find a suitable school placement that is close to their home and meets their needs. This government is committed to addressing this by improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

We work with the sector as valued partners to ensure that every child or young person with SEND can access a school placement that meets their needs, including in mainstream where appropriate. In doing so, we want to improve pupil outcomes and experiences and restore parents’ trust.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_163
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_163

Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new Full-Time Equivalent jobs in Ofsted are being created to support the transition to School Report Cards. \p Catherine McKinnell: These are matters for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_164
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_164

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on local authorities' ability to meet special educational needs because of delays by local authorities in reviewing schools' funding requests for Education, Health and Care Plans. \p Catherine McKinnell: Mainstream schools are funded through the formula set by their local authority. The funding formula is decided by each local authority in consultation with its schools and often uses factors such as low prior attainment and free school meals to give an estimate of the number of children with special educational needs (SEN) a school is likely to have. Local authorities are required to delegate funds to a level that enables schools to meet the additional cost of pupils with SEN up to £6,000 per annum.

When a school can demonstrate that the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed £6,000, the local authority should allocate additional funding to cover the excess costs. This may follow an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment and the creation of an EHC plan, though local authorities have discretion to provide top-up funding to pupils without an EHC plan.

If a local authority issues an EHC plan, it is statutorily required to secure the special educational provision specified in the plan. Disagreements over the provision required and the associated costs should not stand in the way of a child or young person’s education.

The department is clear that we expect commissioning local authorities and all types of schools/colleges to work together so that agreement can be reached on the level of top-up funding required to enable suitable provision to be made for individual pupils and students. More information is available in the GOV.UK guidance ‘High needs funding: 2024 to 2025 operational guide’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2024-to-2025/high-needs-funding-2024-to-2025-operational-guide#top-up-funding.

As the statutory responsible body, the local authority is responsible for the final decision about the level of funding required to secure the necessary provision. In determining the funding level, the local authority should have consulted with the school or college and should ensure their decision is evidence-based and reasonable. However, even where provision is specified in an EHC plan, there is no statutory requirement that a local authority must pay top-up funding at a particular rate requested by a school or college.
wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_165
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-02 conversation_165

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND funding in South Suffolk. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Together with additional funding for schools’ increased National Insurance contributions costs announced recently, this brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Suffolk County Council is being allocated over £124 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.3 million on the 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 9% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.

In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG) in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable in 2024/25, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases, as well as the additional funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. The department plans to publish individual local authorities’ allocations of this funding for 2025/26 in May 2025.