theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of diverting spending on foreign aid towards establishing a veterans support network including (a) guaranteed fast-track treatment and mental health support, (b) ring fenced housing priority funds for veterans in every local authority and (c) an employment fund to retrain and reintegrate people leaving the armed forces. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This Government is completely dedicated to recognising our veterans and is keenly aware of the debt that we as a country owe to them for their service and sacrifice. Just this week we launched a new cross government Veterans' Strategy to fundamentally reset how we, as a nation think about these remarkable men and women. At its heart is VALOUR, a new national programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve, with £27 million in VALOUR development funding programme to deliver support hubs across the country for veterans who need them.

In England, NHS England provides Op COURAGE, providing a broad range of specialist mental health wellbeing care and support for service leavers, reservists, and veterans. Op RESTORE provides specialist care and support to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the Armed Forces. Separate provision is available for veterans living in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For veterans in need of housing support, existing regulations state they must be given 'additional priority' status when there is an urgent housing need. We also changed the law to exempt all veterans of the Regular Armed Forces from local connection tests when applying for social housing in England. We recently committed an additional £12 million to vital homelessness services through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, and awarded £4.5 million to organisations supporting hundreds of veterans across the UK, to ensure there is a sustainable supply of veteran accommodation in the long term. Moreover, we have extended Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, which has already housed over 1,000 veterans.

For employment support, the Ministry of Defence-hosted Career Transition Partnership provides support for those within two years before and after leaving service. Op ASCEND is the employment pathway for veterans, available from two years post-service. As of 13 June 2025, Op ASCEND has already successfully engaged over 420 employers and supported over 4600 veterans and family members.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to support the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal 2025. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: I pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defence of our country, to recognise the dedication of those who serve in our Armed Forces today to safeguard the peace we enjoy, and to offer our respect and gratitude for their Service.

The Poppy Appeal is a vital part of the nation's annual Remembrance commemorations, and as a veteran myself I was immensely proud, along with everyone in the Ministry of Defence (MOD), to support the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2025.

Through the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government remains committed to ensuring that veterans and their families receive the support they need, including through partnerships with organisations like the Royal British Legion.

The MOD continues to work closely with the Royal British Legion to support their efforts in raising funds and awareness for the Poppy Appeal. This includes amplifying their campaigns through our communication channels and supporting their work to provide vital services to veterans and their families. We also work closely with local authorities and community organisations to promote the Poppy Appeal and ensure that Remembrance events are well-supported across the UK.

We have also actively promoted the Poppy Appeal across the Armed Forces and the wider Defence community, encouraging personnel, veterans, and staff to participate in fundraising activities and, as always, to wear their poppies with pride.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to learn from the Ministry of Defence’s handling of the Chinook ZD576 crash. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: One of the primary purposes of each of the investigations and inquiries following the tragic loss of life in the Chinook ZD576 crash, was to ascertain what went wrong and why, in order to prevent a recurrence. This is the aim of all Service Inquiries and consequently the process of learning and applying lessons is a constantly evolving one. My noble friend Lord Coaker has written to the Chinook Justice Campaign inviting family members to meet with him before the end of the year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to (a) monitor and (b) report on the operational impact of drones supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the steps taken by his Department to help the Ukrainian armed forces prepare for (i) future requirements for drone systems and (ii) its defence of critical infrastructure during winter. \p Al Carns: The UK has worked closely with the Ukrainian Armed Forces to provide military capabilities that meet their needs. This process includes feedback from the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the operational impact of drones supplied, to inform decisions on which drone systems to procure in the future and to focus research and development investment to address the most pressing challenges.

The UK continues to provide air defence capabilities to protect Ukrainian critical infrastructure over the winter. This includes further air defence systems (RAVEN, GRAVEHAWK) and missiles (Lightweight Multi-role Missiles (LMMs), ASRAAM), as well as the work developing the advanced OCTOPUS air defence interceptor drone as part of the UK and Ukraine technology sharing agreement. Most recently, on 24 October, the Prime Minister announced the accelerated delivery of 140 LMM missiles.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many planes was the F-35 training squadron reduced by in order to facilitate the recent deployment of the Carrier Strike Group. \p Al Carns: The Lightning Fleet operates as a total Force, individual airframes are not permanently allocated to units. They are allocated on a day-to-day basis to meet daily tasking requirements of each unit. Throughout the period of the Carrier Strike Group deployment the Operational Conversion Unit 207 Squadron has operated sufficient airframes to meet all its planned training and course output requirements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions the has had with the Royal Navy on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in the humanitarian aid and disaster relief operation in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. \p Al Carns: There have been no discussions on the role of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in support of humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in the Caribbean in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The Ministry of Defence’s support to the region during the Hurricane season, Operation VENTUS, is, in the first instance, delivered through the presence of a Royal Navy ship with an embarked crisis response troop. HMS TRENT is currently serving this role and can provide an immediate response and, crucially, set the conditions for further recovery operations.

The Royal Navy, alongside FCDO colleagues, has delivered humanitarian aid and disaster relief in the Caribbean following Hurricane Melissa. This supported the deployment of Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Teams to Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. HMS TRENT supported both locations with the ship’s crew and crisis response troop also deployed ashore in Falmouth, Jamaica to clear debris and conduct engineering repairs to restore critical infrastructure ahead of the arrival of other agencies.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria he plans to use to declare Full Operating Capability for the F-35 fleet. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: I am withholding the specific criteria for achieving Full Operating Capability as it would harm the security and capability of the Armed Forces. The declaration of Full Operating Capability remains on track. The decision will be based on objective criteria and the subjective assessment of the Senior Responsible Owner, following detailed and rigorous analysis, which will be captured in the Full Operating Capability acceptance case report.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 5 of the Committee of Public Accounts report entitled The UK’s F-35 stealth fighter capability, HC1232, what steps he has taken to help tackle increases in the F-35 stealth fighter capacity programme’s whole-life costs. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: This will be achieved through routine Departmental financial management throughout the life of the F-35 fleet to the out-of-service date.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff in (a) Defence Equipment and Support and (b) the Submarine Delivery Agency have job titles which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race. \p Louise Sandher-Jones: Staff employed by Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) have both a Success Profile and an Email Tally. Success Profiles provide outlines of roles, key responsibilities and formal qualifications needed, as well as required technical competences and behaviours, which are aligned to wider Civil Service behaviours. No DE&S or SDA Success Profile title includes the words ‘equality’, ‘diversity’, ‘inclusion’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’.

In DE&S Email Tallies comprise individual’s Profession, Skills Group and a unique number. In SDA Email Tallies are short summaries of an individual’s current team and role. In both cases these appear after individuals’ names in the MOD’s Global Address List.

In total fewer than five members of staff across DE&S and SDA have Email Tallies that include either the word ‘diversity’ and/or the word ‘inclusion’, or abbreviations thereof. No Email Tallies in either DE&S or SDA include the words ‘equality’, ‘gender’, ‘LGBT’ or ‘race’.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS IT suppliers with dominant market positions do not engage in anti-competitive practices. \p Kate Dearden: The Competition and Markets Authority, the “CMA”, is responsible for investigating anti-competitive practices. As an independent authority, the CMA has discretion to investigate competition cases which, according to its prioritisation principles, it considers most appropriate.

It would therefore not be appropriate for government to intervene on such matters. Any concerns regarding anti-competitive conduct can be raised directly with the CMA. Details of how to submit information, along with general guidance, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-anti-competitive-or-market-issues-to-the-cma
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the functioning of the UK Internal Market for (a) the period 1 January 2026 - 31 December 2026 and (b) the period 1 January 2027 onwards, and what steps he taken to prepare businesses for the legislation. \p Chris Bryant: The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will apply in its definitive regime from January 2026 but will not apply in Northern Ireland. It could only apply with UK agreement and under Windsor Framework democratic safeguards. From 2027, UK CBAM will apply across the entire UK, including Northern Ireland, ensuring consistent requirements for businesses.

To support business readiness for EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade has compiled a comprehensive support package, including Export Support Service (ESS), webinars, and an upcoming explainer on business.gov.uk, signposting to relevant European Commission resources. This package is informed by extensive engagement with businesses.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025, to Question 82332 on Companies: Registration, for what reason Companies House recognises nations that the UK Government does not itself recognise. \p Blair McDougall: The composition of the list of nationalities permitted for the purposes of company filings is a practical measure to ensure that the nationalities of directors are recorded consistently in the Register of Companies and are transparent to users of the Register.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Post Office Board and (b) Fujitsu on accountability for the Horizon IT system. \p Blair McDougall: Sir Wyn Williams is currently preparing the full report of his statutory Inquiry into the Horizon scandal. Until all parts of the report are published, action on accountability would be premature.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of enhanced Post Offices providing (a) affordable and (b) community-based access to (i) cash and (ii) face-to-face banking services in rural areas where banking hubs are not considered viable. \p Blair McDougall: I welcome the introduction of enhanced Post Offices in suitable areas, demonstrating Post Office continuing its vital role as an important alternative to bank branches in providing convenient in-person cash and banking services.

The Government would welcome further collaboration between Post Office and the banking sector on a commercial and voluntary basis. Together with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, I plan to co-chair a roundtable with the Post Office and key banks shortly which will provide an opportunity to discuss where future potential collaboration may be in the interests of both parties.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to establish a national framework to enable local authorities to provide residents with (a) face-to-face access and (b) payment facilities for local government services through the Post Office network. \p Blair McDougall: While this idea is not something currently under consideration, this Government welcomes all ideas on the future of the Post Office and will keep this idea under review.
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Dr Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to expand the range of in-person Government services available via the Post Office network. \p Blair McDougall: The Government’s consultation on the Post Office closed on 6 October and we thank all individuals and organisations for their detailed responses to our Green Paper, including the responses related to Post Office’s role in providing in-person Government services. Government is carefully considering all responses to the Green Paper and aims to respond in early 2026.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has had recent discussions with Ofcom on the future of the second class stamp price cap. \p Blair McDougall: Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.

Affordability is at the heart of Ofcom's regulatory framework. On 4 November, Ofcom published a call for input into its review of pricing and affordability of postal services, which closes on 5 December. Ofcom will consult on its approach ahead of the expiry of the current control on Second Class letter prices in early 2027.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025, to Question 64917 on Stamp Advisory Committee, whether papers for that Committee are held by officials in his Department. \p Blair McDougall: The Stamp Advisory Committee advises Royal Mail on future stamp designs. The Postal Museum’s online catalogue lists copies of Stamp Advisory Committee minutes which are available to the public for research in line with Royal Mail’s retention policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Alex Burghart:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what guidance the Electoral Commission has issued to (a) regulated donees and (b) political parties on whether multiple donations from (i) individuals and (ii) companies where the only shareholder, employee and person of significant control is the same individual should be treated as the same ultimate donor for the purposes of donation aggregation in cases where the combination of such donations would exceed reporting thresholds. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Commission's guidance for political parties and regulated donees outlines how donations and loans from the same source must be grouped. Donations made in the same calendar year by the same source must be reported when the aggregate amount is above the reporting threshold.

It is a principle of company law that companies have a seperate legal personality from the people who own or operate them. As such, donations from individuals and from companies are considered seperate for the purposes of reporting.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether any local government boundary restructuring exercises have been (a) cancelled and (b) paused by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England as a result of potential unitary local government restructuring; and whether the Commission has had discussions with the Government on the potential (a) cancellation and (b) postponement of scheduled local elections in May 2026. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: In February 2025, following the issuing of a statutory invitation to submit unitary proposals to all two-tier authorities, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England took the decision to pause all live reviews in those areas.

In total, 40 reviews have been paused as a result. No reviews have been cancelled as a result of local government reorganisation.

The Commission has had no discussions with the Government on the potential for cancellation or postponement of the local elections scheduled for May 2026.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what information the Speaker's Committee holds on whether the Electoral Commission has held discussions with the Government on the length of time councillors will have remained in post during the process of unitary local government restructuring. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Electoral Commission has had discussions with MHCLG officials about the proposals for local government reorganisation and the implications for elections.

The Commission has said that delaying elections for more than one year can affect the legitimacy of local decision making and risks damaging public confidence. Scheduled polls should only be postponed in exceptional circumstances when no alternative options are available.

The Commission understands the Government is working with councils on their reorganisation plans, and in the meantime, continues to support the electoral community as it prepares for the scheduled polls next May.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in his Department are recorded as having a (a) mental health condition and (b) physical disability, listed by grade. \p Samantha Dixon: The Department collects information on the disability status of staff for equalities monitoring purposes, and this is provided voluntarily by staff. However, there is no central record of the total number of staff with (a) a mental health condition or (b) a physical disability, as this level of detail is not routinely collected as part of those processes.

Information on the number of people declaring a disability by each government department is published annually as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication. Latest published data are as at 31 March 2025 and can be found at Table 29 of the statistical tables at the following web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025

Information for 31 March 2026 is due for publication in July 2026.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the consultation entitled Strengthening leaseholder protections over charges and services: consultation, which closed on 26 September 2025. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department is currently analysing responses to this consultation and will respond in due course.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding his Department plans to provide for (a) affordable and (b) social housing in (i) England, (ii) Greater Manchester and (iii) Oldham in each of the next five years. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-2036: MHCLG policy statement to accompany guidance to bidders from Homes England and the Greater London Authority published on 7 November. It can be found on gov.uk here.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to bring almshouse residents’ rights in line with tenants' rights. \p Matthew Pennycook: The legal position of almshouse residents is that they occupy their homes under a licence rather than a tenancy. The government has no current plans to change this.

Almshouse residents have protections under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

Where almshouses are registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, they must also deliver the outcomes set out in the regulator's standards. The Tenancy Standard, which can be found on gov.uk here, compels Private Registered Providers to offer tenancies or terms of occupation which are compatible with the purpose of the accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community, and the efficient use of their housing stock.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) rent arrears and (b) tenant to landlord debt in the social housing sector in England. \p Matthew Pennycook: The number of social rented households self-reporting that they had been in arrears can be found in the English Housing Survey on gov.uk here.

The total amount due in arrears by local authority tenants, both current and previous, can be found in Section H of the Local Authority Housing Statistics (LAHS) available on gov.uk here.

Information on rent arrears owed to Private Registered Providers of social housing can be found in the quarterly surveys published by the Regulator of Social Housing on gov.uk here.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to protect election candidates from anonymous abuse on social media through the forthcoming Elections Bill. \p Samantha Dixon: The Government is clear that all forms of harassment, intimidation and abuse, including online and anonymous abuse, are unacceptable and have no place in our democracy. As set out in the Restoring Trust in our Democracy strategy, we are taking forward several measures through the Elections Bill to strengthen protections for those taking part in elections. This includes the introduction of an aggravating factor to empower courts to give tougher sentences to those who are convicted of intimidatory offences targeted at candidates, campaigners, elected representatives and electoral staff.

My department is also working with the Speaker’s Conference and the Electoral Commission to develop a code of conduct for campaigning, which will promote respectful political debate and set clear expectations for behaviour. This is a complex issue which requires a comprehensive response from all parts of government. We continue to work closely with departments across government and through the Defending Democracy Taskforce to tackle unacceptable abuse and better protect candidates.
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Sally Jameson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to have a three-year transition period for the implementation of the fair funding settlement. \p Alison McGovern: The government is carefully considering views expressed by the public, local authorities and other bodies on the proposals set out in the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, including on the application of a remoteness adjustment, the distribution of grants and transitional arrangements.

The government’s proposals will target central government grant funding to where it is needed the most, and the vast majority of councils with social care responsibilities will see their Core Spending Power increase in real terms over the multi-year Settlement.

We will publish further information and set out details through a policy statement and in the government’s consultation response shortly, followed by the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations on council tax in the consultation entitled Modernising and improving the administration of council tax, published on 20 June 2025. \p Alison McGovern: We are currently considering all responses to the consultation. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.
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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure that planned reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme are compliant with not aiding or assisting serious breaches of international law. \p Alison McGovern: Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities set the investment strategies for their funds, and must include how social, environmental and corporate governance and responsible investment considerations are taken into account. Authorities must have regard to their fiduciary duty to scheme members and employers when setting their investment strategy and must follow relevant legislation and guidance.

Administering authorities are legally required to comply with UK sanctions, including restrictions on dealings with designated individuals, entities, and countries.
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what his planned timetable is for publishing the cross-government homelessness strategy. \p Alison McGovern: We will publish our cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to implement early identification models in schools to (a) identify and (b) help those at risk of homelessness. \p Alison McGovern: This Government is committed to getting back on track to ending homelessness and is open to innovative solutions to do this.

Preventing homelessness is critical to getting back on track to ending homelessness. Our upcoming cross-Government homelessness strategy will put prevention at its core and set a clear vision for tackling homelessness.
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Bob Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take to (a) maintain social housing commitments in existing planning permissions in London and (b) ensure that levels of social housing are not reduced in instances where developments are already approved in London. \p Matthew Pennycook: As part of the Government’s drive to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament, the Mayor of London and the government have developed a package of support for housebuilding in the capital. This package includes a new time-limited planning route designed to improve the viability of housing developments in the near term, boosting the number of new homes, including affordable homes delivered in the next few years. Details of the package, including the impacts of the programme, were set out in a policy statement published on 23 October 2025, available on gov.uk here.

As set out in the policy statement, once the new time-limited planning route comes into effect applicants will be expected to seek grant where needed to maintain or increase the level of affordable housing in existing section 106 agreements.

I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 79909 on 20 October 2025.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77537 on Hotels: Taxation, if he will publish those representations. \p Alison McGovern: The government does not intend to publish representations from Mayors relating to further funding, powers, partnerships or pilots. It is a matter for Mayors to decide if they want to make their representations public.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps has he taken to help tackle council tax fraud. \p Alison McGovern: Council tax is administered by local authorities. It is therefore for them to manage and address any potential cases of fraud in the council tax system. Councils have powers to impose penalties on households which knowingly provide false information as well as a range of powers to recover and enforce unpaid council tax. Our plain English guide to council tax highlights councils’ powers to address fraud. The government will continue to keep these powers under review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_206

Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Freedom of Information Act response with reference FOI2025/22431, published on 18 September 2025, what estimates his Department made of the revenue from the (a) town and parish council, (b) police, (c) the Greater London Authority and (d) combined authority precept in gross cash terms (i) in the Spending Review 2025 and (ii) in financial planning since the publication of the Spending Review annually from 2024-25 to 2029-29. \p Alison McGovern: The Core Spending Power estimates produced at the 2025 Spending Review use the same methodology as the previous government: starting with Council Tax Requirement (CTR) figures from the 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement; forecasting growth in the tax base using the average growth in the tax-setting tax base in each local authority over the previous five-year period (also from published CTR figures); and then assuming councils increase their council tax levels by the maximum allowable before triggering a council tax referendum. This is 5% for social care authorities, the greater of 3% or £5 for shire districts, £5 for fire authorities and £14 for the police element of the Greater London Authority.

These estimates do not therefore include the following precepting authorities: town and parish councils; police and crime commissioner authorities; and the non-fire element of mayoral combined authorities, as they are not in scope of the Local Government Finance Settlement.

Further detail on local government Core Spending Power will be published at the upcoming multi year Local Government Finance Settlement later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_207

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many hereditaments claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure rate relief in each local authority in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26. \p Alison McGovern: Data on the number of hereditaments that claimed Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief are collected annually as part of National Non-Domestic Rates collected by councils in England. The latest data available is for 31 December 2024 collected via the 2025-26 data collection. They are published as supplementary tables.

Data as at 31 December 2023 can be found here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/663b98e474933dccbbb6c431/NNDR1_2024-25_Supplementary_table.xlsx

Data as at 31 December 2024 can be found here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d2c9c4814acba3755e97c1/NNDR1_2025-26_Supplementary_table__ecomms_.xlsx.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_208

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department and its arm’s length bodies have not incurred any expenditure on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities since 4th July 2024.

Since 4th July 2024, the Department and its arm’s length bodies have spent £221,472.32 on the purchase of electric vehicles. These purchases were made for the Government Car Service (GCS) Ministerial fleet. The GCS services Ministers from across departments.

The Department has not made an estimate of the difference in capital cost between the electric vehicles purchased and comparable petrol or diesel models.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_209

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether due diligence undertaken by his Department for the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador considered (a) Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and (b) Global Counsel’s work in China. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Due diligence was undertaken prior to the appointment of the former Ambassador to the United States, and was part of an established process to collate relevant information as part of the identification and selection of the appointee.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s letter of 30 October 2025 to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which sets out the process and information contained in the due diligence report: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_210

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Boosting British jobs and skills key for firms to win major infrastructure projects, published on 16 June 2025, if he will publish an impact assessment for that policy. \p Chris Ward: This Government is committed to supporting British jobs and industry. As part of this, we have consulted on further reforms to public procurement. If appropriate, impact assessments will be undertaken following our response to the consultation, in accordance with the Better Regulations Framework.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_211

David Simmonds:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Minister who occupy Ministerial residences as second homes and have council tax paid (a) have restrictions on the number of days that they can occupy the property each week. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: There are no such restrictions imposed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_212

Kerry McCarthy:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure that the Infected Blood Compensation Authority claims process is accessible to people whose historic NHS records are difficult to locate. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Given the historic nature of the infected blood scandal, the Government recognises that not all medical records will still be available. The Compensation Scheme has been designed to minimise as far as possible the burden on those applying, and eligibility for compensation will be determined based on the balance of probabilities. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will provide assistance to those who believe their medical records have been lost or destroyed. The role of IBCA’s claim managers includes helping individuals who are claiming to gather information, including medical evidence where available, to support their claim.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_213

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2025 to Question 77118 on Lord Mandelson, if he will place in the Library a copy of the due diligence undertaken by his Department on Lord Mandelson before his appointment. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Due diligence was undertaken prior to the appointment of the former Ambassador to the United States, and was part of an established process to collate relevant information as part of the identification and selection of the appointee.

In line with the practice across multiple administrations, the government does not publish such material.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s letter of 30 October 2025 to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, which sets out the process and information contained in the due diligence report: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/50019/documents/269409/default/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_214

Claire Coutinho:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants from his Department will attend the COP30 summit in Belem in November 2025; and whether these figures apply to (i) his Department and (ii) other departments. \p Martin McCluskey: The full, confirmed list of delegates who attend COP is published by the UNFCCC each year, after COP has concluded.

The UK delegation to COP30 will be significantly smaller than the delegation to COP29 in Baku last year. The UK delegation includes Ministers and negotiators working together to represent the British people on the world stage fighting for investment, jobs, energy security, and action on the climate crisis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_215

Claire Coutinho:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer on 5 November 2025 to Question 86737 on Energy: Prices, for what reason his intention to cut energy bills by £300 by 2030 was not included in his Department's publication entitled Carbon budget and growth delivery plan, published on 29 October 2025. \p Martin McCluskey: The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan sets out how the UK will continue to reduce emissions in a way that lowers bills and secures good jobs, in line with the landmark 2008 Climate Change Act.

In this document and those published alongside it, the government reconfirmed the commitments made in the Clean Power Action Plan to make Britain a clean energy superpower, and to get the UK off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power that we control.

Our plan for clean power by 2030 will bring down wholesale prices and reduce energy bill volatility.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-13)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-11-13 conversation_216

Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 31221 on Carbon Emissions: UK Trade with EU, if he will make a comparative estimate of the potential impact of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the price of electricity in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain after 1 January 2026. \p Martin McCluskey: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 28 February 2025 to Question 31221

The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is in an implementation period until January 2026 and applies to exports of electricity to the EU but not electricity for the UK market. The EU Commission has said that it intends to finalise the regulation via legislation over 2025. It remains difficult to conduct an accurate assessment of any potential impacts.

The UK will continue to engage closely with the EU as it finalises the CBAM and will continue to raise the need for clarity on the practical implementation of the CBAM for trade in electricity, given the challenges involved. Alongside this, to support business readiness for the EU CBAM, the Department for Business and Trade offers a comprehensive support package through business.gov.uk, signposting to relevant European Commission resources.