theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that sufficient funding for flood prevention is distributed evenly. \p Emma Hardy: As part of the Plan for Change, this Government is investing at least a record £10.5 billion until 2036 – the largest flood programme in history which is projected to benefit more than 890,000 properties.

The Government recently announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy, making it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places by simplifying our funding rules.

To secure maximum value for every pound of taxpayer funding, projects will be prioritised by their benefit-to-cost ratios. Contributions from other sources will boost a project’s prioritisation. This approach uses government funding to unlock investment from public, private and charitable sources.

A minimum of 20% of FCERM investment will go to the 20% most deprived communities and a minimum of 40% to the 40% most deprived communities, ensuring deprived communities receive vital investment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to consult stakeholders on the development of the Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Plan. \p Emma Hardy: The PFAS plan will set out a coordinated response for addressing risks relating to PFAS exposure, extending across government and industry. Engagement with stakeholders to date has been vital in informing policy, and we will use the plan as a platform to engage further with industry, other bodies, and the public on PFAS. In doing so, we hope to develop a collective set of actions and initiatives to address this shared challenge.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Amanda Hack:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of road closures to prevent vehicles disturbing standing water that has collected after heavy rainfall on properties at risk of flooding. \p Emma Hardy: The organisational responsibilities and operational processes for local road closures due to flooding are generally held by the Highways Department of the relevant local authority and the Emergency Services. Local private roads are the responsibility of the relevant landowner.

Local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for local highway authorities to close roads temporarily when there is likelihood of danger to the public or the possibility of serious damage to the highway.

The Environment Agency works with local authorities in advance of potential flooding to advise them about current and predicted water levels, the local authority will then decide on whether to close roads. In many cases the extent of roads likely to be affected by flooding is well understood and arrangements to manage closures well-rehearsed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to boost flood defences in South Suffolk constituency. \p Emma Hardy: The Environment Agency (EA) is actively managing flood risk in South Suffolk through routine maintenance, strategic projects and provision of warnings and advice. Since April 2025, over 2,200 hours and a budget of £15,440 have been spent operating and maintaining flood risk assets such as sluices, together with targeted watercourse and vegetation management. £50,000 additional investment will take place at Long Melford and Glemsford to reduce flood risk to vulnerable properties by enhancing upstream floodplains, while also improving wetland habitats for long-term environmental benefits.

Over the next five years, Suffolk County Council will implement the Sudbury Surface Water Flood Alleviation Scheme - protecting up to 21 more homes, and the EA will provide property flood resilience to many more homes across the area. EA maintenance will continue, wherever possible. as will provision of a flood warning service for residents, and advice to planning authorities to ensure new developments remain safe from flooding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances are classified as Substances of Very High Concern. \p Emma Hardy: The UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations provide for a list of Substances of Very High Concern to be established. This list currently contains six entries relating to Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), each covering a group of PFAS.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if her Department will consider the potential merits of a financial (a) redress or (b) scheme, for those affected by the Lowermoor Water Poisoning incident. \p Emma Hardy: The Lowermoor incident has previously been investigated, and the most recent report by the Committee on Toxicity was published in 2013. Subsequent legislative changes have created an independent regulator for drinking water quality, which must, by law, be notified of any failures of drinking water quality. Operational changes have also been made to prevent this kind of contamination happening in future.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the medium term viability of Thames Water. \p Emma Hardy: Our current assessment is that the company remains stable. The Government will continue to work with the economic regulator of the water industry Ofwat to help support a market-led solution to the company’s issues of financial resilience and operational delivery, which is in the interests of customers and the environment. The Government has stepped up preparations and stands ready for all eventualities, including applying for a SAR if that were to become necessary.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an estimate of the cost to port operators of surveying mudflats required under (a) environmental assessment and (b) marine licensing processes; and whether she has made an assessment of the (i) consistency and (ii) proportionality of those requirements across England. \p Emma Hardy: Costs for surveying mudflats vary. If surveying is a condition of a marine licence, the Marine Management Organisation charges a fee, to review evidence provided as part of a condition on a marine licence.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed new town at Tempsford plans to draw its water supply. \p Emma Hardy: Anglian Water has a statutory obligation to provide water supplies and will plan provision of this supply for the proposed Tempsford New Town, through the Water Resources Management Plan process.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reservoir from which the proposed Universal Studios Bedford theme park plans to draw its water supply. \p Emma Hardy: Anglian Water has an existing program to upgrade water resources in the region by 65Ml/d which will provide infrastructure to the Universal application.

Universal has committed to a program to minimise water usage through collection of on-site water resources, be that rainwater run-off, lake abstraction, water recycling or possible use of borehole abstraction, as part of the application submission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

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Jim Dickson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to review the operation of assessed household charges where a household is unable to have a water meter fitted. \p Emma Hardy: Defra recognises the importance of fair charges for households that are unable to have a water meter fitted. Currently, water companies have the ability to charge by water meters on a mandatory basis in areas designated as water stressed.

Defra is committed to working with Ofwat to ensure to ensure a smooth rollout of 10.4m smart water meters over the next five years (2025-30) and is considering the recommendations made by the Independent Water Commission and the 'Learning from experience' report from Baringa to ensure vulnerable customers are protected during the rollout.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 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 Dame Angela Eagle: The information below relates to Defra and the Environment agency only.

Since 4 July 2024, the Department and its arm’s length bodies have spent £996k on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities.

Since 4 July 2024, the Department and its arm’s length bodies have spent £278k on the purchase of electric vehicles.

The Department estimates that the capital cost of the electric vehicles purchased is approximately £50k (£4.1k per vehicle) higher than comparable diesel models.

The Department is working towards a government target of 100% Zero Tailpipe Emissions by 31 December 2027.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many employment tribunal claims have been lodged against her Department in each of the last five years for (a) unfair dismissal and (b) claims under the Equality Act 2010. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Defra’s casework data is held for three years from the date of case closure.

Over the last three years, Defra received 33 Employment Tribunal claims on the grounds of Unfair Dismissal or under the Equality Act. The 33 cases are broken down into the following:

Financial Year 2022-23 = total of 9 cases

Financial Year 2023-24 = total of 11 cases

Financial Year 2024-25 = total of 7 cases

Financial Year 2025-26 = total of 6 cases to date

The information requested for the older two years is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has spent on social media advertising by (a) influencer and (b) organisation in each of the last five financial years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate costs.
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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will consider establishing a duty on all government departments to consider nature recovery in their work. \p Mary Creagh: Under the Environment Act 2021, the existing duty in s40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was strengthened. This now requires that all Government departments must consider the action they can take, consistent with the exercise of their functions, to conserve and enhance biodiversity and then take that action.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The proportion of Parliamentary Questions answered by the Department during the May-November 2025 period is as follows:

Month answered

Named Day Questions answered on time

Ordinary Written Questions answered on time

May 2025

100%

97.50%

June 2025

100%

100%

July 2025

99%

100%

August 2025

N/A

N/A

September 2025

95%

99%

October 2025

94%

96%

November 2025

91%

92%

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the governments consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to question 95755 of 1 December on 30mph speed limits, what assessment she has made of changes in the levels of adherence to 30mph speed limits over the past 70 years. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport produces an annual publication on speed compliance here: Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: 2024 - GOV.UK based on speeds recorded at Automated Traffic Counter sites.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of new cars registered in (a) November 2025 and (b) each month since July 2024 were zero-emission vehicles. \p Keir Mather: The information requested is given in the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/developing-faster-indicators-of-transport-activity

Data for November 2025 was published on 10 December.
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Jerome Mayhew:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many used electric vehicles were sold in (a) November 2025 and (b) each month since July 2024. \p Keir Mather: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new publicly available electric vehicle charge points were (a) installed and (b) brought into operation in each month since July 2024 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available. \p Keir Mather: The Department publishes statistics on the number of public electric vehicle charging devices available across the UK each month: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69135a271fcc92b3f34963ca/electric-vehicle-public-charging-devices-november-2025.ods.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with British Airways on reducing the number of cancelled flights. \p Keir Mather: The resilience of the UK aviation sector is key to its success. As UK aviation operates predominately in the private sector, it is the responsibility of industry to ensure appropriate contingency plans are in place to minimise potential disruption and cancellations.

My officials regularly engage with the aviation sector to discuss strategies in place to minimise disruption and cancellations and ensure resilience exists across the network to deliver for their customers. This involves regular communication with airlines, including British Airways, airports, ground handling agents and industry bodies.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with Uber on the recognition of local Trade Union branches for its drivers. \p Lilian Greenwood: The recognition of local trade union branches has not been discussed with Uber.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to improve regional air travel. \p Keir Mather: Regional airports serve our local communities and act as a gateway to international opportunities, alongside maintaining social and family ties and strengthening the bonds between the four nations.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. It is for airports to invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers by responding to demand for different routes.

The public service obligation (PSO) regulations enable the protection of existing domestic routes that are in danger of being lost. The government currently joint-funds three PSO routes into London from Derry/Londonderry, Newquay and Dundee.
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Sir Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in the West Midlands. \p Simon Lightwood: The West Midlands Combined Authority will receive almost £2.4bn in Transport for City Region (TCR) funding up to 31/32.

Enabling Mayors in recipient areas to deliver schemes that align with local priorities, the TCR programme provides unprecedented, multi-year, consolidated funding settlements to enhance the local transport networks of some of England’s largest city regions, including investment in public and sustainable transport infrastructure, to help to drive growth and productivity. It is for the Combined Authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local priorities.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to regulate the sale and purchase of private escooters. \p Simon Lightwood: Under existing legislation, businesses are responsible for ensuring the products they place on the UK market, including e-scooters, are safe. When selling e-scooters, retailers must be clear that they can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Market Surveillance Unit carries out surveillance of e-scooter retailers to ensure they are being sold lawfully and that retailers are making legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, which secured Royal Assent this July, has created powers that will allow government to set specific product regulations and labelling requirements, and hold online marketplaces to account to prevent the illegal sale of e-scooters.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve cross-government understanding of developments in drone technology, and what plans the has to improve inter-departmental collaboration on the regulation and deployment of drones. \p Keir Mather: This government is delivering the Future of Flight Programme which is a joint programme between the whole of government, the Civil Aviation Authority and industry. A key strategic objective of the Programme is to achieve routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights by 2027.

This year we spent over £21m to fund necessary regulatory changes and to support industry to commercialise the innovation that was made possible through the Future Flight Challenge. The Regulatory Innovation Office has identified drones as one of its first set of five priorities and, jointly with the previous Minister for Aviation, set the Civil Aviation Authority six key priorities to unlock growth in the sector.

As the Minister for Aviation, I chair the Future of Flight Industry Group which brings together key stakeholders across central and local government, the regulator and the industry to agree the strategic directions and ensure that the UK's ambition reflects the sector's needs.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 4 December 2025 to question 95755, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of lamp columns as speed limit repeaters. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department has made no recent assessment of the adequacy of lamp columns as speed limit repeaters. The presence of street lighting in a 30 mph limit acts as the speed limit repeater, this has been law for over 70 years and all drivers are required to learn this in order to pass their driving test.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase compliance with 30mph speed limits. \p Lilian Greenwood: Enforcement of the speed limit is a matter for the police. Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners are operationally independent and policing of our roads and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual chief officers, taking into account the specific local issues.
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what provision of what statute requires that cars sold in Northern Ireland from 1 February 2026 must have EU Vehicle Type Approval; and whether that law changes on 1 January 2026. \p Simon Lightwood: The EU type approval regulations for new cars are applied in Northern Ireland by Article 5(4) and Annex II of the Windsor Framework. This has applied since the original protocol entered into force on the 1st January 2021 and will continue to apply after the 1st February 2026.

There will be no changes relating to the application of the EU type approval requirements in Northern Ireland on 1st January 2026.
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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, What assessment has been made of the adequacy of training in the use of body worn cameras for rail staff on Train companies contracted to her Department. \p Keir Mather: Train Operating Companies (TOCs) must comply with the law, which includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The Office of Rail and Road, as the independent railway safety regulator for the UK, oversees these legal requirements. Its enforcement powers derive from the aforementioned 1974 Act, and range from giving advice and information, through to prosecution in the courts. This covers issues such as lone working, violence at work etc. The Secretary of State also requests through National Rail Contracts that TOCs measure perceptions of staff safety and develop action plans accordingly. We encourage rail operators to consider the personal safety of its rail staff, including encouraging greater use of Body Worn Video (BWV), which was proven in a 2019 trial to reduce violence against BWV wearing staff at railway stations by 47%.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways has published (a) service performance standards, (b) routes for consolidation, and (c) a transition timetable in November 2025. \p Keir Mather: Great British Railways does not yet exist.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide a list of all transport schemes given approval to progress following the Spending Review which had a lower benefit cost ratio score than the Ely Area Rail Capacity Enhancement. \p Keir Mather: The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme was paused by the previous government in 2021, and no further funding was allocated to develop, update, or progress the EACE business case. As a result, there has been no ongoing work from which to produce a current or up-to-date benefit–cost ratio, meaning there is no basis upon which to provide the comparisons requested.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of ticket sales for season tickets from (a) Longbridge, (b) Northfield and (c) Kings Norton to (i) Birmingham stations, (ii) Redditch and (iii) Bromsgrove in the 2024-2025 financial year. \p Keir Mather: The number of season tickets is shown below

Origin

Destination

Number Of Season Tickets

Longbridge

Birmingham stations

1,369

Longbridge

Bromsgrove

162

Longbridge

Redditch

216

Northfield

Birmingham stations

2,001

Northfield

Bromsgrove

15

Northfield

Redditch

93

Kings Norton

Birmingham stations

3,446

Kings Norton

Bromsgrove

43

Kings Norton

Redditch

149

The Birmingham stations group includes Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 02 December 2025 to Question 94590 on Railways: Season Tickets, what the cost of a standard-class annual rail season ticket from (a) Lostwithiel, (b) Bodmin Parkway, (c) Liskeard and (d) Saltash stations to London Paddington was between 03 March 2024 and 01 March 2025. \p Keir Mather: The cost of Annual Season tickets to London Paddington from a) was £24,856.00, b) Bodmin Parkway was £24,856.00, c) Liskeard was £24,856.00, and d) Saltash was £24,648.00 between 3 March 2024 and 1 March 2025.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what transparency, reporting and accounting requirements will be placed on the Office of Rail and Road to undertake effective monitoring and competition oversight of GBR’s retail activities. \p Keir Mather: GBR’s licence will require it to comply with a code of practice, which will be owned and managed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The code will govern GBR’s retail industry management functions and other relevant activity. It will incorporate clear requirements for how GBR interacts with all market participants and impose separation of decision-making where relevant.

Under this approach, third parties will be able to challenge any GBR decisions or actions they consider to be non-compliant, by raising them directly with the ORR. The ORR will be required to investigate and, if it considers that GBR has not complied, it will be able to demand corrective action by issuing binding orders.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many complaints were reported to British Transport Police for (a) antisocial behaviour, (b) sexual harassment, (c) sexual assault and (d) physical assault on trains in each of the past three years. \p Keir Mather: The British Transport Police have provided the following figures for the last 3 years. Passenger numbers have been increasing year-on-year since the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions and will account for some of the increase in crime reports. Overall, the railway is a safe environment, with 26.0 crimes recorded per million passenger journeys in 2024/25 (0.0026%), this was 26.8 in 2023/24 and 24.4 in 2022/23.

Offence/Incident Type

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Antisocial Behaviour

30998

32900

40932

Unwanted Sexual Behaviour

Not available

1830

1958

Sex offences

2251

2433

2655

Violence including assault

12260

14582

15522
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that climate adaptation is considered alongside decarbonisation in policy planning; and whether his Department plans to develop and publish a National Climate Resilience Plan that incorporates nature-based solutions, updates infrastructure standards, provides support for local authorities and promotes public awareness through a coordinated strategy to manage climate-related risks. \p Katie White: Defra is the lead department for domestic adaptation to climate change, responsible for coordinating requirements set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. This includes preparing a UK Climate Change Risk Assessment every five years, followed by a National Adaptation Programme (NAP), setting out actions by relevant government departments to address the risks identified in the latest risk assessment. The next NAP will include local climate adaptation and support public awareness of climate risks.

While Defra coordinates this work, this is a whole of government effort. In DESNZ, we are working to ensure that homes are fit for the future and the Department has been carrying out research to respond to the relevant climate change adaptation risks identified by the third Climate Change Risk Assessment. This research is closing evidence gaps identifying the buildings most vulnerable to extreme heat and where these are located, as well as appropriate adaptation solutions. This is informing the development of the Warm Homes Plan which will be published soon.

Maintaining a secure and resilient energy supply is also a top priority. We work continually with industry to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure, considering a range of evolving risks and hazards as well as future system changes – including changing climate. This includes publishing an Energy Resilience Strategy in 2026, setting out Government’s long-term priorities to maintain energy resilience now and in the future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_295

Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by his Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025. \p Michael Shanks: The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of written parliamentary questions (PQs).

The proportion of Named Day and Ordinary Written Parliamentary Questions answered on time from May to November is:

Named Day

Ordinary Written

May 2025

98% (1 Question answered late)

100%

June 2025

100%

100%

July 2025

100%

100%

August 2025

100%

100%

September 2025

100%

100%

October 2025

100%

100%

November 2025

100%

100%

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government’s consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_296

Caroline Voaden:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to solar feed in tariff contract conditions on households with solar panels. \p Michael Shanks: The Government is consulting on changes to how Feed-in Tariff payments are adjusted for inflation in future. The consultation includes an analytical annex which includes an assessment of the potential impacts of this policy. An updated version of this will be published alongside a Government Response, next year.
wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_297
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_297

Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to support wards receiving funding through the Pride in Place programme in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England. \p Michael Shanks: The Government is committed to ensuring that communities benefit directly from the energy transition.

Currently the Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) is supporting 40 decarbonisation projects across the West Midlands.

Through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the MNZH has successfully supported Telford & Wrekin Council to include energy efficiency improvements at leisure centres as part of a major refurbishment programme, including £2.2 million at Oakengates Leisure Centre and £1.1 million at Wellington Leisure Centre.

In 2025/26, GBE launched a £5 million Community Fund to help groups develop their own clean energy projects, alongside £6.8 million for Local Net Zero Hubs.

As set out in its Strategic Plan, published on 4 December 2025, GBE aims to support over 1,000 local and community projects by 2030.
wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_298
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_298

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Information Commissioner decision notice of 29 October 2025, Ref IC-362303-N0J6, para 27, whether Lord Alli was on the list provided. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Yes. The UK’s constitutional arrangements require an immediate transition of power the day after a general election. A list of individuals is provided to the Cabinet Secretary’s Office by political parties, so that the incoming Prime Minister has the ability to begin work immediately.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_299

Sir Gavin Williamson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Varun Chandra has had (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) formal communications with representatives of former clients of Hakluyt & Company since taking up his role as Special Adviser. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: There is an established system in place for the declaration and management of special advisers' interests. As has been the case under successive administrations, interests deemed relevant for publication for special advisers in No10 and the Cabinet Office are published on an annual basis by the Cabinet Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_300

Euan Stainbank:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce spending on the Civil Service. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: This Government is relentlessly targeting waste and driving efficiencies to deliver a leaner Civil Service. At the Autumn Budget the Government announced that back-office administration costs will be reduced by 16% by 2029-30, to save money and focus resources on frontline services.

Examples of these departmental savings include DSIT’s use of AI and automation to free up staff from administrative tasks, which will deliver £7m of efficiencies by 2028-29. Additionally, the MOD will deliver £905m of technical efficiencies by 2028-29 through digitisation and modernisation, acquisition reform, and sustainability initiatives.

Additional, cross-government examples include cutting government credit card spending by £25 million in the first four months since new rules were introduced by the Cabinet Office in March. In addition, the Plan for London, part of the Places for Growth programme, was launched in May this year and will involve the closure of no fewer than 11 buildings by 2030, delivering annual savings of £94 million. Most notably, 102 Petty France, Caxton House and 39 Victoria Street will all be closed during the programme, as it consolidates the central London estate.
wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_301
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_301

Alex Mayer:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the proportion of tyres procured in the last 12 months for (a) central government and (b) local government heavy vehicle fleets—including lorries, buses and refuse vehicles—were retreaded tyres; and whether the Government holds data on the volume of single-use imported tyres purchased for these fleets. \p Chris Ward: This information is not centrally held. Procurement and fleet management records are maintained by individual departments, agencies and local authorities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_302

Liam Byrne:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy papers entitled Spending Review 2025, published on 30 June 2025, and Budget 2025, published on 28 November 2025, what their Department’s capital Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be in each year of the Spending Review period; how much capital funding has been allocated to each of their Department’s programmes; and how much and what proportion of the capital DEL allocation remains unallocated in each year. \p Chris Ward: The Cabinet Office’s Capital Departmental Expenditure Limits (CDEL) as set out in the 2025 budget are:

£ billion (current prices)

Plans 2025-26

Plans 2026-27

Plans 2027-28

Plans 2028-29

Plans 2029-30

Cabinet Office

0.5

0.6

0.5

0.3

0.2

All future years CDEL allocations are subject to business planning. Key capital projects funded during SR25 include reducing the government’s London office estate.

As per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, the Department will identify around 5% of allocated DEL that could be reprioritised to fund unforeseen pressures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_303

Helen Whately:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many families there were in each region in England and Wales with (a) one child, (b) two children, (c) three children, (d) four children, (e) five children, (f) six to eight children, (g) eight to 10 children and (h) more than 10 children in each year since 2019. \p Josh Simons: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of the 2nd of December is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 235.3KB)

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 235.3KB)
wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_304
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_304

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with councils in the devolution priority programme areas on securing investment ahead of the delayed mayoral elections. \p Miatta Fahnbulleh: The English Devolution White Paper sets out how Local Growth Plans will galvanise action and investment, including through setting out a pipeline of investment opportunities for strategic authorities. Adopting a Local Growth Plan will be a duty conferred on combined authorities as soon as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill receives Royal Assent, so we encourage all councils in the Devolution Priority Programme to use the guidance we’ve provided to develop their growth plans. In the interim period between the establishment of the Mayoral Strategic Authorities in the new year and inaugural mayoral elections, we will provide the authorities with a portion of their investment funds to ensure they can start delivering on key local priorities and deliver the benefits of devolution on the ground ahead of the Mayors taking office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_305

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the number of domestic boilers sold in England against the number of installations reported to local authority building control. \p Samantha Dixon: Neither the department nor the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) hold figures on boiler sales.

Figures held by the BSR show 1,089,862 total gas appliance work notifications between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025 under the Gas Safe Register scheme. Of this total, 1,039,920 was for central heating natural gas boiler installations. This is more than 95% of the total gas installation work. A much smaller number of other gas boiler installations, such as for water heaters or warm air heating appliances, were also registered.

The Gas Safe Register scheme is run by the Health and Safety Executive but the BSR has access to the scheme’s installation registration numbers.

The BSR regulates other installation schemes, also called competent person schemes, which include installation of non-gas types of boilers but neither the BSR nor the department hold figures specifically on non-gas boiler installations.

Local authorities must make available to the public details of building control notifications in their area including for boiler installations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_306

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support local authorities in (a) monitoring and (b) mitigating carbon monoxide risks in mixed-use residential areas in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency. \p Samantha Dixon: The Government acknowledges the vital contributions made by fire and rescue services to a wide variety of incidents.

All Fire and Rescue Authorities are required to publish Community Risk Management Plans (CRMPs) in line with the Fire and Rescue National Framework for England.

Decisions on how their resources are best deployed are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) as the employer, based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_307

Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of electoral law governing crypto digital currency donations to UK political parties. \p Samantha Dixon: The rules around political donations must be abided by regardless of the type of donation made, which includes cryptoasset donations. Political donations can only be accepted from permissible sources, and the recipients of the donations must make an honest assessment of the value of the donation at the time they receive it. Those who receive political donations from an impermissible or unidentifiable source must return them.

The Electoral Commission provides guidance on donations, including for non-standard donations such as those made in cryptocurrencies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_308

Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) variables and (b) indicators are included in the Fair Funding 2.0 formula; how is each factor weighted; and if he will publish the full methodology underpinning Fair Funding 2.0. \p Alison McGovern: I refer you to the government response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 The Fair Funding Review 2.0 - GOV.UK published on 20 November. The government will use relative need formulas (RNFs) to assess how much ‘need’ each local authority has in comparison to others for specific services. These formulas are a key part of how local authorities' funding allocations are calculated and, for the first time since 2013-14, they are being updated. This is something the sector has long called for and will enable the government to assess local authorities' relative demand for services more effectively. The formulas are designed to reflect the extent to which local characteristics are likely to influence demand for services. Each RNF is constructed using consistent principles, drawing on data such as demographic indicators and applying statistical techniques to weight variables according to their influence on service demand. The government will include technical annexes for each formula at the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, which is due for publication this month.