theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sarah Edwards:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. \p Jim McMahon: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman underwent an independent peer review in 2023-24 facilitated by the International Ombudsman Institute. The review and the LGSCO’s response to its recommendations can be found on the LGSCO’s website.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on stationary since 5 July 2025. \p Alex Norris: MHCLG has spent £149 on stationery since 5 July 2025.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 9.4.6 of her Department's publication entitled The Fair Funding Review 2.0, published on 20 June 2025, what the assumed increase is in the notional Band D council tax in each year of the multi-year settlement. \p Jim McMahon: It is for individual councils to set their own level of council tax. In 2025-26, data published by MHCLG shows that councils expect to generate £653.6m from the use of the ASC Precept in 2025-26, which adds £34 to average band D bills. The data is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/680a37fc7a11df940be1aaa2/Table_10_2025-26.ods.

For 2026-27 to 2028-29, the Spending Review assumed a 3% core referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept over the period, in line with OBR forecasts. Final referendum principles will be confirmed at the local government finance settlement each year, subject to approval by the House of Commons, in the usual way. The government is inviting views and supporting evidence on projecting a notional Council Tax level, to ensure places less able to raise tax locally are not left behind. The consultation is open until 15th August.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.3.1 of her Department's publication entitled The Fair Funding Review 2.0, published on 20 June 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of lower funding allocations to local authorities with stronger council taxbases on levels of council tax. \p Jim McMahon: As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation, the government is inviting views on using some grant for a funding floor, to ensure that local authorities’ income is protected by a specified amount across the multi-year Settlement. We propose continuing the existing policy that any protection offered through a funding floor assumes local authorities use their full council tax flexibility.

The Spending Review confirmed that the government intends to maintain the 3% core council tax referendum principle and a 2% principle for the adult social care precept, in line with the previous government’s policy and OBR forecasts. These principles protect working people and ensure residents have the final say on excessive increases.

We have set out further detail on these proposals and are inviting views on their potential impact, in the Fair Funding Review 2.0, which is open until 15 August 2025. Final referendum principles will be confirmed at the Settlement in the usual way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 5.1 of the report of the Ministerial Envoys to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to Ministers, published on 9 July 2025, if she will make it her policy to ask the Mayor to renew the long-term lease for Mudchute Farm. \p Jim McMahon: The statutory intervention in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets put in place a team of Ministerial Envoys to work comprehensively within the Council to oversee and support its work to improve. This includes supporting the Council’s work to improve the openness and transparency of its decision making.

The Ministerial Envoys do not take or assess the impact of decisions relating to specific cases; the responsibility for which remains with the Council.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when recommendations are expected to be published by the Independent Commission for Community and Inclusion. \p Alex Norris: The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion is not affiliated with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. As such, the department has not allocated any funding to the commission and does not hold information on its timelines.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 9.4.7 of the publication entitled The Fair Funding Review 2.0, published on 20 June 2025, what the assumed net growth is in the number of dwellings in each year of the multi-year settlement. \p Jim McMahon: As part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0, the government is inviting views and evidence on projecting Council Tax base growth in the context of supporting the government’s objective to build 1.5 million new homes.

There are several options for how we could project Council Tax base growth, two of which are outlined in paragraph 9.4.8 of the publication.

The consultation is open until 15th August. We will publish our response in the autumn, followed by the provisional multi-year Settlement.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 10, footnote 2 of the publication entitled The Fair Funding Review 2.0, published on 20 June 2025, what the estimated averages in council tax are for all local authorities in each year from 2026-27. \p Jim McMahon: The Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation is open from 20th June – 15th August. We are seeking views on the government’s proposed approach to determining new funding allocations for local authorities and fire and rescue authorities, building on the local authority funding reform: objectives and principles consultation.

The estimated averages in council tax across the multi-year Settlement reflect the government’s intention to maintain the 3% core council tax referendum principle and a 2% principle for the adult social care precept, as set out in the Spending Review. These principles are in line with the previous government’s policy and OBR forecasts. The Department will publish updated estimates as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) 2026-27, including the specific core spending power figures for each local authority.
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Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to expand the definition of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests to include (a) being in receipt of an employment offer and (b) being a candidate for employment in an ongoing employment process. \p Jim McMahon: Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011 (‘the Act’) requires a local authority to make provisions in its member code of conduct not just for the registration of pecuniary interests but also for other interests; this may include employment offers.

Under the Act, local authorities are required to have member code of conduct provisions that conform to the Nolan Principles and promote and maintain high standards of conduct. The Local Government Association has produced guidance on gov.uk a model code of conduct, recommending that they include provisions that members must not use their position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of themselves or anyone else.

It is currently for local authorities to decide their code of conduct in line with lawful requirements. We consulted on a mandatory gov.uk minimum code of conduct for local authorities in England and will respond to the consultation in due course.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether statutory guidance on Community Right to Buy provisions in the English Devolution Bill will recognise environmental impact when determining the value of community assets. \p Alex Norris: The government recognises the vital role of community spaces and wants to see them thriving again. Community Right to Buy will empower local people to bring community spaces back into community ownership.

These provisions were introduced on 10 July in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Subject to parliamentary passage, statutory guidance will be introduced in due course.
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Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri and Dhekalia. \p Stephen Doughty: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers have not discussed the status of the Sovereign Base Areas with counterparts from the Republic of Cyprus, which was secured by the 1960 Treaty of Establishment.

Ministers and officials however regularly engage with counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus regarding activities at the bases and regional security. For example, following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Foreign Secretary and I have regularly spoken to our counterparts about regional stability, including the important contribution the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) make to the security of the region.

I also speak directly to the SBAs Administrator on a range of issues. The FCDO supports cooperation between the SBAs and the Republic of Cyprus, including on shared challenges such as forest fires, protecting the environment, crime and immigration. The FCDO also supports discussions on the implementation of the Protocol relating to the SBAs agreed between the UK and the EU, which entered into force on 1 February 2020.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing specific (a) Sikh and (b) Jewish options for a person’s ethnic group in data collection conducted by his Department. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office follows the Government Statistical Service's harmonised standard for ethnicity classification. We will not unilaterally change our data categories as it would make our data inconsistent with wider Civil Service and Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistics.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to make use of innovative financing mechanisms to support global education outcomes. \p Stephen Doughty: Generating more innovative finance is a priority for the UK to address the $97 billion annual financing gap for global education.

The UK is a founding donor to the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd). This innovative guarantee mechanism unlocks $7 in new concessional lending from Multilateral Development Banks, for every $1 of Official Development Assistance. In the start-up phase, IFFEd will unlock $1 billion.

The UK is also engaging with philanthropy and the private sector to channel more finance to education. Through our support to the Global Partnership for Education Multiplier, the UK has helped raise a further $3.7 billion from 64 co-financers across 52 partner countries since 2021.

In Sierra Leone and Ghana, we support the Education Outcomes Fund to mobilise impact investment to improve children's learning outcomes. In Kenya, we are testing disaster risk finance to protect school infrastructure, keeping children safe and learning when climate disasters hit.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the International Finance Facility for Education and (b) other innovative finance models on delivering value for money in education spending. \p Stephen Doughty: It is too early to assess the impact of the International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) which was established only in 2024. The first investment cases will be approved by IFFEd's Board at the end of 2025 and projects will then begin implementation by the Asian Development Bank. An evaluation of IFFEd will take place over the next three years to understand impact.

The value for money assessments of our Results-Based Finance pilots through the Education Outcomes Fund (EOF) in Ghana and Sierra Leone are ongoing. Early analysis suggests the approach, which pays only for results achieved, leads to greater impact on children's learning outcomes. The final analysis will be available in 2026.

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Multiplier was externally evaluated in 2023. The Multiplier was found to be an effective mechanism for unlocking additional education finance, including from new philanthropic and private sector sources, of which 30% has been non-Official Development Assistance.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will submit a copy of the China Audit to the designated Planning Minister who is now considering the called-in planning application for the Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint, London. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary will not be submitting a copy of the China Audit to the designated Planning Minister. However, on 14 January, the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary submitted written representations to the Planning Inspector to ensure national security concerns are fully considered. These representations are publicly available on the Tower Hamlets website and form part of the evidence that will be reviewed by the Planning Minister.
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Brian Leishman:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Prime Minister discussed the proscription of Palestine Action with President Trump on (a) 10 and (b) 30 March 2025. \p Stephen Doughty: I refer the Hon Member to the read-outs of the discussion with President Trump on 10 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-president-trump-of-the-united-states-10-march-2025) and 30 March (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-call-with-president-trump-of-the-united-states-30-march-2025) published on gov.uk.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament will be given a full copy of the China Audit; whether it will be shared with HM Opposition on Privy Council terms; and if he will publish a security redacted version. \p Catherine West: It is right that Parliament should have the opportunity to scrutinise the work of the Government, as its responsibility. There are mechanisms in place for certain parliamentarians to have access to classified Government material, such as parts of the Audit. It is not unusual that our China strategy - or that of any other country - remains internal. This is consistent with our Five Eyes partners.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Louise Haigh:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by the UNESCO entitled AI and the Holocaust: rewriting history, published on 18 June 2024. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government welcomes the publication of this report, which explores both the challenges and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Holocaust remembrance and education.

We remain committed to working internationally on both developing safe, secure, and responsible AI and promoting education, remembrance and research about the Holocaust. We must continue to stand against Holocaust distortion in all its forms, including AI-facilitated distortion.

AI was a focus area of the UK's recent presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, held from March 2024 to February 2025. In October 2024, our presidency co-sponsored an event with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Romania to consider how AI could improve Holocaust education and identify and tackle instances of antisemitism and Holocaust distortion online.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question HL8020 on Embassies: Planning Permission, whether his Department holds such information. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not record such information.
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Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the China Audit recommended placing China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. \p Catherine West: The Audit examined the full range of considerations in our relationship with China, including National Security. We keep all designations on the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme Enhanced Tier under review.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the mental health needs of children in Ukraine. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK remains committed to supporting the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children affected by the war in Ukraine. This year, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will provide £9.4 million to the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) to target urgent needs - including mental health and psychosocial support. URCS will support the delivery of community-based psychosocial services, including, safe, accessible spaces where children can receive essential support, and will expand training for mental health professionals promoting regional knowledge-sharing.

The UK is also leading a multi-donor programme, Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, which will enhance the capacity of Ukraine's education system to respond to the mental health needs of children. This programme focuses on equipping schoolteachers with the skills to identify signs of psychological distress and to facilitate appropriate referrals, thereby embedding mental health awareness and support within the school environment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has submitted any recent human rights reports to the UN on China's regulation of (a) religious education and (b) clergy training. \p Catherine West: Chinese regulations on religious activity severely restrict religious and cultural expression in China. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief.

We continue to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. We have raised these concerns recently with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights. We also joined an Australia-led joint statement at the UN General Assembly in October 2024 on freedoms in the Xinjiang and Tibetan regions, calling out the erosion of educational and religious rights and freedoms in China.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of proposed reductions to Official Development Assistance on women and girls’ reproductive (a) health and (b) rights. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK is committed to promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), recognising that health and rights are co-dependent and mutually reinforcing. Official Development Assistance (ODA) is one of multiple levers to achieve this. We will continue to work with international partners and use targeted funding, technical partnership and diplomatic engagement to provide leadership on SRHR.

Following the recent Spending Review, detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used are being worked through as part of ongoing resource allocation processes. Decisions on individual programmes and thematic areas, such as sexual and reproductive health and rights, will be based on various factors including equality impact assessments. We will publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ODA allocations for Financial Year 2025/26 in the Annual Report & Accounts in July.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 65118 on Railways: North Shropshire, whether her Department plans to provide any additional funding to improve railway services to (a) North Shropshire and (b) Shropshire. \p Simon Lightwood: Following the Spending Review both the Chancellor and Secretary Of State have committed to the transformative Midlands Rail Hub programme, which will upgrade connectivity, reliability and provide capacity for hundreds of extra trains per day into Birmingham, including benefits to those stopping at Shrewsbury and Gobowen. Funding was also confirmed to support feasibility studies for works to improve accessibility for all passengers at 50 stations including at Whitchurch in Shropshire.

Later this year the Department will review the case for line speed improvements between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury when the business case is completed. Any funding would be subject to a satisfactory business case which represents value for money, affordability and strong benefits for the country.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Office of Rail and Road’s decision to reject the open access application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway (WSMR) on passengers. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department remains committed to Open Access where it provides genuine benefits for passengers through improved connectivity and does not disproportionately impact taxpayers or performance of the network. That is why we supported WSMR’s application, acknowledging the benefits that it would provide to passengers in the communities served while noting potential capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line.

Access to the railway network, however, is a decision for the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in its capacity as independent regulator, and it is only right that ORR considers capacity and impacts to passengers across the network more broadly as key parts of its assessments. In this instance, ORR deemed that WSMR’s proposed services could not practicably be introduced due to lack of capacity on the West Coast Main Line.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the announcement on railway stations awarded Access for All accessibility funding, published on 24 May 2024, what her planned timeline is for the completion of Access for All construction at Whitchurch Railway Station. \p Simon Lightwood: This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This included Whitchurch railway station in Shropshire. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders during the summer.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the level of use of infra-red reflective number plates. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, various police forces and Trading Standards in relation to the supply and use of infra-red number plates. Work is ongoing to quantify the number of illegal number plates that are in circulation. The evidence gathered will support future initiatives needed to address this issue.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Office of Rail and Road has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Mike Kane: The Office of Rail and Road does not differentiate between equipment purchased for use in the office and for home use, so does not hold this information.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has provided to Shropshire Council to fill potholes in each year since 2015. \p Lilian Greenwood: Shropshire Council, as a local highway authority, has been allocated the following highway maintenance funding since 2015:

Year

Highways Maintenance funding for Shropshire Council

2015/16

£16,498,000

2016/17

£16,160,000

2017/18

£18,756,250

2018/19

£20,588,000

2019//20

£16,948,396

2020/21

£30,253,000

2021/22

£20,599,000

2022/23

£20,599,000

2023/24

£26,880,000

2024/25

£23,218,000

2025/26

£33,680,000

The Government has already provided an additional £500 million increase for local highway maintenance this financial year. As a result of this increase, Shropshire Council will receive up to £9.1 million more in additional funding.

Building on this, at the spending review the Chancellor announced that the Government will be providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities to invest in significantly improving the long-term condition of England’s road network, delivering faster, safer and more reliable journeys.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many serious vehicle accidents caused by potholes have resulted in a driver or passenger death in (a) North Shropshire constituency and (b) Shropshire in each year since 2020. \p Lilian Greenwood: Statistics on reported road injury collisions in Great Britain are published based on data reported by police via the data collection known as STATS19.

Within STATS19, reporting police officers can assign up to 6 factors which they believe may have contributed to the collision, including ‘poor or defective road surface’. Contributory factors are assigned based on the opinions of the reporting officer at the scene or within a short time of the collision, rather than a detailed investigation.

The number of serious collisions in Shropshire and North Shropshire (constituency) where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” are given in the table below:

Year

North Shropshire (constituency)

Shropshire

2020

0

0

2021

0

2

2022

2

3

2023

1

1

There were no drivers or passengers killed in collisions in Shropshire and North Shropshire (constituency) where a police officer assigned the contributory factor “poor or defective road surface” between 2020 to 2023.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Sustran's report entitled Transforming mobility, published on 8 July 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing paid local access panels to (a) review and (b) improve transport (i) policy and (ii) practice for disabled people. \p Simon Lightwood: The Sustrans Transforming Mobility Report highlights how paid access panels could be one means by which local transport authorities engage with disabled people to shape, review, and monitor transport policies and projects, so that accessibility is embedded from the start of projects.

This recommendation is aimed at local leaders, who know their communities and are best placed to make decisions about how they can improve local transport for disabled people. Improving accessibility is a collaborative effort, with operators, industry, and local authorities having key parts to play – alongside the support of all passengers. Breaking down barriers to opportunity is a core mission statement for this government and that is why we are developing an Integrated National Transport Strategy to enable us to better work with partners across the transport sector to deliver a network that works for all passengers.

More widely, the government is committed to improving public transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. The Bus Services (No.2) Bill, introduced by the government on 17 December is intended to ensure networks meet the needs of the communities who rely on them and includes measures which will make bus travel more accessible and inclusive. In addition, on 1 October 2024, the first phase of the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023 came into force, meaning that newer vehicles providing local services must provide audible and visible information on stops, destinations and diversions. The majority of services will need to comply by October 2026.

Ensuring the rail network is accessible is at the heart of our passenger-focused approach to improving rail services. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers and have committed to publishing an accessibility roadmap to explain the actions we are taking to improve accessibility ahead of the establishment of Great British Rail.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Spending Review 2025 published on 11 June 2025, how much of the £750 million per year for maintaining and improving bus service will be allocated to the West Midlands. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government reaffirmed its commitment to investing in bus services long-term in the Spending Review by confirming additional funding from 2026/27 to maintain and improve bus services, and extend the £3 bus fare cap by over a year until March 2027. Allocations for individual LTAs for 26/27 onwards will be confirmed in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken with relevant authorities to help increase the safety of bus drivers in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government have introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill which focuses on delivering safe, more reliable bus networks. The Bill sets requirements for mandatory training on how to recognise and respond appropriately to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour, on buses for staff, including drivers and those who deal directly with the travelling public or with issues related to the travelling public.

Provisions in the Bus Services (No.2) Bill would also give all local transport authorities (LTAs) the power to make bus byelaws, which can be enforced by local authority officers on vehicles and at bus stations and stops. This, combined with targeted enforcement should lead to safer networks. Transport Safety Officers or Transport Safety and Enforcement Officers are also already operating in some areas.

All LTAs in England are required to publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) with information on how they intend to improve services in their area. LTAs have been informed that BSIPs should include plans on how LTAs and local bus operators will work together to ensure that bus services are safe and perceived to be safe by all. This may include measures such as appropriate passenger safety training for bus drivers to deal with emergency situations on or off the bus and encouraging bus operators to liaise with local police and other stakeholders to address safety concerns.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_265

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, how much the Crown Prosecution Service has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Lucy Rigby: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) spent the below amounts on equipment such as chairs, monitors and desks to enable to staff to work from home effectively in the last three years:

Financial year

CPS homeworker Spend

2024-25

£295,822

2023-24

£336,206

2022-23

£448,551
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_266

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, how much the Government Legal Department has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Lucy Rigby: In line with the Government Legal Department’s (GLD) hybrid working policy, the Department has spent the following amounts for each financial year on providing staff with the relevant equipment and furniture to enable them to work effectively at home:

Financial Year

Total Amount Spent

2022-23

£33,537.96

2023-24

£63,729.61

2024-25

£62,864.02
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_267

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Solicitor General, how much the Serious Fraud Office has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Lucy Rigby: All Serious Fraud Office (SFO) staff are routinely provided with laptops that enable them to work flexibly in the office, at home or other locations.

In financial year 2024-25, the SFO spent  £1311.77 on  equipment to enable a small number of staff needing workplace adjustments to work from home. No data is recorded specifically on workplace adjustment expenditure for home-working in the previous two years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_268

Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria was used to determine the 100-year classification of documents on the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash in 1994; and whether a review of that classification has been held in the last five years. \p Al Carns: For personal information and information linked to identifiable living individuals, The National Archives and the Advisory Council for National Records and Archives advocate a closure period of the ‘lifetime’ of the data subject. This assumes a lifetime of 100 years but will be graduated down from the age or assumed age of the youngest individual in the record. The Ministry of Defence has not conducted a review of the classification of the records within the last five years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_269

Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to meet with bereaved families associated with the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash. \p Al Carns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question 53163 on 3 July 2025 to the hon. Member for Angus and Perthshire Glens (Dave Doogan).

Chinook Helicopters: Accidents (docx, 16.0KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_270

Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of air dropping medical aid into Gaza. \p Luke Pollard: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office leads on coordinating the Government’s humanitarian response to deliver lifesaving assistance to the civilian population in Gaza. The Ministry of Defence has provided military support when requested to facilitate the delivery of this assistance, including participating in airdropping aid as part of the Jordanian international coalition in 2024. However, the most effective way to meet the desperate needs of the Gazan people at the speed and scale that is needed is via overland routes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_271

Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on introducing duty of candour legislation. \p Al Carns: The Government remains committed to implementing a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, and criminal sanctions for those who refuse to comply in certain circumstances.

The Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice are the lead Departments in Government for this matter. Ministry of Defence officials continue to liaise with colleagues across Government on this important issue.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_272

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much air passenger duty was paid for ministerial domestic travel on RAF-provided flights between 4 July 2024 and 31 March 2025. \p Maria Eagle: The total amount of Air Passenger Duty paid for Ministers who travelled on the RAF Envoy, on domestic flights, between 4 July 2024 and 31 March 2025 is £1,950.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_273

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will provide a breakdown of expenditure provided to Ukraine in each financial year since February 2022. \p Luke Pollard: Since 2024-25 the Government has committed to providing Ukraine with £3 billion of military support until 2030-31 or for as long as needed. The Government’s committed military support to Ukraine for each financial year is set out below.

Committed Military Support (£billion)

2021-22

0.3

2022-23

2.5

2023-24

2.3

2024-25

3.0

A further £1.5 billion of support is being provided in 2025 as part of the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative. This takes our total support to Ukraine for this year to £4.5 billion, which is the greatest amount of support since Putin’s full-scale invasion began.

The final figures for 2024-25 have been finalised and will be published in the Departmental Annual Report and Accounts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_274

Melanie Ward:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage on people in Wales. \p Dame Nia Griffith: Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20-year-olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year. This will help provide people across Wales with better financial stability.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_275

John Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on strengthening the Union. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Spending Review demonstrated how our two Labour Governments are investing in Wales’ future and strengthening our Union for generations to come.

With a record settlement for the Welsh Government, an historic investment of at least £445m into Welsh rail, money to keep coal tips safe and protecting every penny of Wales’ growth funds, we have ended Tory austerity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_276

Gill German:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help create new jobs in Wales. \p Jo Stevens: In just twelve months, this Labour government has supported over £3.4 billion in private investment into Wales, creating and sustaining over 8000 jobs.

Wales now punches above its weight, landing nearly 5% of all UK inward investment projects, up from 3.4% before the election.

Our Industrial Strategy will create tens of thousands of jobs in Wales, backed by our trade deals, Freeports, Investment Zones, and Defence Growth Deal.

This is the difference two Labour governments working together makes for Wales.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_277

Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions her Department has had with a) the Welsh Government and b) Cyngor Gwynedd on the regeneration of the former Trawsfynydd nuclear site. \p Jo Stevens: The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues including our joint ambition for Wales to be at the forefront of the clean energy transition.

The UK Government is committed to delivering a secure, reliable, and low-carbon energy future for the UK and we have committed almost £17bn across the Spending Review period to the most ambitious nuclear new build programme for a generation.

This includes making available over £2.5bn across the Spending Review period to enable one of Europe’s first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programmes. Great British Energy – Nuclear has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as its preferred bidder to partner with to build the UK’s first small modular reactors, subject to government approvals and contract signature.

The government values the work undertaken by Cwmni Egino to develop socio-economic growth opportunities from new nuclear development in North Wales. Trawsfynydd could be a candidate for new nuclear in future and is one of a number of potential sites that could host new civil nuclear projects, subject to national planning policy, regulatory approvals and technical assessments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_278

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Office remains committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government’s commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

As a department, the Northern Ireland Office annually recruits a Communication Apprentice through the Government Communications Service.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-16 conversation_279

Tonia Antoniazzi:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 on Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination law remain devolved matters in Northern Ireland, and the Equality Act 2010 does not apply in Northern Ireland (save in some very limited areas).

We expect those affected by the Supreme Court judgment in the ‘For Women Scotland’ case to comply with this ruling, together with any other relevant legislation and guidance. As they always have, courts across the UK should continue to give full and proper regard to the jurisprudence from higher courts.

As equalities is transferred, whether the Executive chooses to implement policies or legislation to respond to the judgment remains a matter for the Executive.