theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the transparency data entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, April 2025, published on 30 May 2025, what the services commissioned from Verian Group UK Limited were. \p Matthew Pennycook: The following sets out more detail of spend for Verian Group UK Ltd:

The Rough Sleeping Questionnaire was carried out in 2019 to understand issues faced by those sleeping rough. The Department repeated the questionnaire in 2025 to update findings, and commissioned Verian to conduct the survey fieldwork with those sleeping rough.

The PRS Place Based Quality Pilots are a set of pathfinder projects to improve enforcement of existing standards in the private rented sector. Verian have been commissioned to deliver an evaluation of the scheme, including a range of fieldwork and analysis of data.

The Department commissioned Verian to research Demolition Planning Policy. Verian have conducted a survey of stakeholders across the industry to understand how and why decisions are made to demolish and redevelop or retrofit buildings, explore the role of national and local policy in decision-making and the tools and guidance used to inform decisions.

The Department commissioned Verian to carry out focus groups and interviews about the levels of understanding around a number of policy areas relating to housing and infrastructure to help improve government communications to inform the Long Term Housing Strategy.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37222 on Parking: Regulation, for what reason her Department's consultation entitled Private parking code of practice: call for evidence, published in July 2023 was insufficient. \p Alex Norris: Following Judicial Review challenges form the parking industry in 2022, former Government temporarily withdrew the Private Parking Code of Practice to review the levels of private parking charges and additional fee caps. As part of that review my department launched a Call for Evidence in July 2023. The purpose of the Call for Evidence was to gather information and expertise from various source to inform the review and determine what the appropriate levels of these caps should be. The purpose of the forthcoming consultation will be to consult on the policy proposals for these elements of the Code.

As was stated in the 2023 Call for Evidence, it was always the department’s intention to consult on options for private parking charges and debt recovery fees after the Call for Evidence.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what role the Government plays in the setting of municipal parking fines for (a) off-street and (b) on-street parking in England outside London. \p Alex Norris: Local authorities are empowered by law to decide on appropriate parking arrangements, within the legal framework provided by the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA).

In England (excluding Greater London), penalty charges are set by enforcement authorities under the TMA. They must accord with guidelines set by the Secretary of State for Transport in schedule 3 of the Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions (Approved Devices, Charging Guidelines and General Provisions) (England) Regulations 2022.

Guidelines on Levels of Charges set out in the 2022 Regulations provide two different penalty bands for Local Authorities to choose from, and requires Local Authorities under each band to issue penalties at different rates depending on the seriousness of the contravention. These are: Band 1 (£60 for higher contraventions and £40 for lower contraventions) and Band 2 (£70 for higher contraventions and £50 for lower contraventions).
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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act on (a) Stafford High Street and (b) Eccleshall High Street. \p Alex Norris: This Government is committed to rejuvenating high streets across the country including those in Stafford and Eccleshall. While no specific assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 on Stafford and Eccleshall high streets, High Street Rental Auction powers commenced by the Government in December 2024 were introduced by the Act. The Government encourages all councils, including Stafford Borough Council, to exercise these powers to tackle persistent vacancy on the high street.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of whether funding allocated to upper-tier authorities adequately reflects (a) inflationary pressures in social care, (b) the increasing cost of regulatory compliance and (c) the additional costs expected from recent immigration and employment policy changes. \p Jim McMahon: The government is committed to transforming adult social care and making tangible improvements in the short-term. The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion available for adult social care in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26. This includes an increase to the NHS’s minimum contribution to adult social care via the Better Care Fund, in line with DHSC's Spending Review settlement.

The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered including new standards in public life clauses in the English Devolution Bill. \p Jim McMahon: In December 2024, the government launched a consultation seeking views on proposed measures to strengthen the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England, including the introduction of the sanction of suspension, to empower local authorities of all types and tiers to deal appropriately with member misconduct where it arises. The government response will be issued in due course. After its release, we will continue to work actively with local government on developing the detailed policies for implementation.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has received representations from London Councils on the shortfall in compensatory funding to London boroughs for the increase in employer National Insurance contributions. \p Jim McMahon: The department actively encouraged representations from stakeholder bodies, including London Councils, as part of the provisional 2025-26 Local Government Finance Settlement consultation in December last year.

The department has continued to engage with stakeholder bodies on issues related to the 2025–26 Local Government Finance Settlement, including on the rise in employer National Insurance contributions following the government’s decision to provide £515 million in support for the increased costs faced by local authorities in England.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take through the English Devolution Bill to involve parish and town councils in restructuring decisions at local government level. \p Jim McMahon: Parish and town councils are not in scope for local government reorganisation and will continue to operate as they do now. As we implement our devolution and local government reorganisation programmes, we will ensure strong community involvement and deliver genuine benefits that can be seen by residents. Local stakeholders will have the opportunity to respond to government consultation on proposals.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to encourage greater diversity in parish and town council membership. \p Jim McMahon: The government is committed to supporting councils at all levels of local government to attract talented members who are representative of the communities they serve. We welcome the work of organisations including the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Council Clerks to encourage greater diversity in parish and town council membership.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether future funding settlements for parish and town councils will account for (a) increasing service delivery responsibilities and (b) variations in local need. \p Jim McMahon: The government values the contributions made by town and parish councils to the delivery of local services.

Local authorities may wish to collaborate with town and parish councils to determine how they can most effectively contribute to service delivery under future arrangements. In doing so, they should consider the financial and administrative support required by town and parish councils, as well as the potential impact of new responsibilities on local taxpayers through increases to parish precepts. Central government has no role in funding town and parish councils.

Town and parish councils are independent organisations local authorities should not rely on them as a substitute for their own meaningful community engagement and local area working. Local Government Reorganisation should facilitate better and sustained community engagement, and I welcome the steps areas are taking to consider how to maintain strong community voice.
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on the revised NPPF. \p Matthew Pennycook: MHCLG Ministers and officials engage regularly with local planning authorities to ensure the government’s priorities are understood.
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions her Department has had with Hertsmere Borough Council on local planning decisions. \p Matthew Pennycook: Officials from my Department have had recent discussions with Hertsmere Borough Council regarding the fact it did not meet the required performance threshold for decision-making quality during the assessment period from April 2022 to March 2024, including appeals decisions up to December 2024. Hertsmere Borough Council were informed of the risk of designation on 27 March 2025. However, after considering the authority’s exceptional circumstances, the Department confirmed on 6 June 2025 that it would not be designated.
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Lee Barron:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will issue guidance on a reasonable timeframe for the (a) construction and (b) completion of an energy recovery facility with a capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year following the granting of planning permission. \p Matthew Pennycook: All full planning permissions for development, including waste to energy development, are required to be commenced within three years of the grant of permission (unless the local planning authority sets a different time period.)

Further guidance on this commencement condition can be found in the Use of Planning Conditions section of my Department's Planning Practice Guidance.

My Department does not publish guidance on the reasonable timeframe for the completion of developments.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots music venues in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency. \p Chris Bryant: The government has announced £2.5m of continued funding for the Arts Council England’s (ACE) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund (SGMF) for 2025-26. This enables grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals to apply for grants of up to £40k to develop new revenue streams, make repairs and improvements, and enhance the live music experience for fans.

ACE has made a number of SGMF awards within the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency, including Women Are Mint, a grassroots festival that takes place in Newcastle, along with Brave Exhibitions Festival, The Tyne Bank Brewery and Cobalt Studios.

There are also a number of organisations within the ACE national portfolio that engage people in grassroots music activity within this constituency, including Generator, a creative and cultural talent development agency focused on artist development and skills.

The Government and the live music industry are working together to drive progress on an industry-led levy on tickets for stadium and arena shows, to support grassroots music. We welcome commitments by artists and the wider industry to implement the ticket levy, and steps taken by industry to set up a charitable trust to distribute funds from the levy.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that every child has access to a library in areas of high disadvantage. \p Chris Bryant: All children should have the opportunity to access books and other resources to support their learning and enjoyment.

Public libraries are delivered by local government in accordance with the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. Local authorities must have regard to encouraging both adults and children to make full use of the library service and keeping adequate stocks sufficient in number, range and quality to meet the needs of their communities.

Public libraries are free to join and there are over 2,500 static statutory libraries in England, found in every type of community, including 30 in Wiltshire. The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. Individual schools will decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils and headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by government. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025-26, meaning that core school funding will total £65.3 billion compared to £61.6 billion in 2024-25. Following the Spending Review announcement, core schools funding, including SEND investment, will increase from £65.3bn in 2025-26 to £69.5bn by 2028-29.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps to grant local authorities greater flexibility in setting school term dates. \p Catherine McKinnell: Local authorities already have responsibility for setting term dates for schools where they are the employer, including community schools, community special schools, voluntary controlled schools, pupil referral units and maintained nursery schools. These will be set in line with the requirements set out in the Education (School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1999.
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Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the finding from Surrey County Council’s 2024 Parents’ Voices Matter survey that 20% of children with special educational needs do not receive (a) an Education, Health and Care Plan and (b) any form of SEN support. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

The department is working closely with experts on reforms, including appointing a strategic advisor for SEND who is playing a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of careers advice in secondary schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools and colleges are developing careers programmes for young people against the Gatsby Benchmarks, a clear set of standards for good careers guidance.

Overseen by the Careers and Enterprise Company, a national network of 44 careers hubs delivers careers support to 95% of secondary schools and colleges. The hubs connect careers provision to the needs of local economies and leverage support from employers, through strategic partnerships with strategic and local authorities.

Evidence shows that young people in schools and colleges achieving all eight Gatsby Benchmarks are 8% less likely to not be in education, employment or training. However, only 25% of schools and colleges fully achieve all benchmarks, so there is much more to do to.

To address this, the government has embedded updated Gatsby Benchmarks into statutory guidance, for implementation from September 2025. Evidence-based improvements to the benchmarks ensure a world-class framework that will lead to better outcomes for young people.

To boost work readiness, the government is also committed to ensuring every young person receives two weeks of work experience over the course of their secondary education. The goal is to ensure work experience builds up over time and focuses on growth sectors, such as advanced manufacturing and life sciences.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to support (a) parents and (b) children with home-schooling in (i) England and (ii) Romford constituency. \p Stephen Morgan: Every child deserves to receive an education that helps them to achieve and thrive. Every parent has the responsibility to provide this for their child and may choose to do so by educating them at home. Whilst that responsibility rests with the parent, it is important that they can work with education professionals and local authorities to ensure that the best education is provided.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently passing through Parliament, will require all local authorities in England and Wales to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including those who are home educating. Attached to this will be a duty on local authorities to provide support to home educating families who request assistance.

The department’s data collection on elective home education provides information on each local authority area, including what support is currently offered. All support is offered at the discretion of the local authority in each individual case. This data is accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.
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Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make the eligibility criteria for the holiday activities and food programme the same as that for free school meals. \p Stephen Morgan: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Liverpool West Derby, to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57800.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of not awarding marks for spelling, punctuation and grammar for exams in subjects other than English. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Eastleigh to the answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57812.
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national dyslexia strategy. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Eastleigh to the answer of 12 June 2025 to Question 57810.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the regional distribution of ineligible applicants for teacher training bursaries based on degree classification; and how many ineligible applicants there were in Wiltshire in each of the last five years. \p Catherine McKinnell: Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are designed to incentivise more applications to ITT courses from high-achieving graduates. As such, for postgraduate bursaries, we take account of the grade of the trainee’s highest academic qualification. These bursaries are only awarded to trainees with at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree classification, unless the trainee possesses a higher academic qualification, such as a doctoral or master’s degree.

Graduates who do not hold a 2:2 degree can apply for student finance in the form of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is also available depending on individual circumstances, such as the childcare grant.

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses are designed to provide candidates for ITT with the minimum knowledge required to train to teach their chosen subject. Completion of a SKE course is not a requirement for all ITT candidates. The ITT provider determines whether it is requirement of the candidate’s offer after assessing their prior subject knowledge. Completion of SKE is not a factor in postgraduate ITT bursary eligibility.

ITT providers determine whether their trainees are eligible for a bursary, using the eligibility criteria set by the department. The department only holds data on trainees who are eligible for bursaries, alongside data on the overall number of trainees by subject and ITT provider. The department does not hold data on why trainees were ineligible for a bursary.
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Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding is available from her Department for repairs to the heating system at Meadowgate Academy. \p Stephen Morgan: Meadowgate Academy, as part of the Affinity Multi-Academy Trust, can access capital funding by applying to the condition improvement fund (CIF) each year. They can also apply for urgent capital support funding for urgent circumstances that cannot wait for the next CIF round.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has written to the right hon. Member for North East Cambridgeshire in more detail about Meadowgate’s specific circumstances.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to continue to fund disability-inclusive education programmes. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to mainstreaming a disability inclusion and rights approach across our work. At the recent Global Disability Summit, the UK announced a range of new commitments including ensuring that all FCDO education programming is disability inclusive and includes disability inclusion criteria and targets by 2030. We also joined partners including the United Nations Children's Fund and the International Disability Alliance in committing to champion disability-inclusive education across the education sector to drive progress and accountability. The UK has also taken on the co-Chair of the Global Action on Disability network of governments, multilaterals, civil society, foundations, and private sector actors to drive collaboration on global disability inclusion.

Equality impact assessments, which consider impacts on disability inclusion, are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on Official Development Assistance allocations.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how he plans to align the ODA budget with the UK’s wider foreign policy objectives in (a) regions where development assistance and diplomatic priorities intersect and (b) other regions. \p Stephen Doughty: The alleviation of poverty is the foundation of our development work and the primary focus of our Official Development Assistance spend is always to maximise each pound's impact on those living in poverty.

Our development work is also a key part of the UK's foreign policy, delivering both for the UK and for our partners, including through tackling upstream migration, supporting resilience in the world's most vulnerable countries and communities, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The global challenges we face - a volatile global economy, more humanitarian crises, accelerating impacts of the climate and nature crises and global health risks - demand a new approach to development that reflects the international context and the relationship our partners want, as part of our modern partnership approach.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of overseas aid is distributed via GiveDirectly. \p Stephen Doughty: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has recently worked on two Give Directly projects, the first to build climate resilience in Malawi, and the second for humanitarian support to majority Sudanese refugees in Uganda.

The Minister for International Development confirmed at the International Development Select Committee on 3 June that our funding for GiveDirectly in Malawi is paused.

The latest figure for 2024 expenditure is £1.96 million in Malawi and £1.85 million in Uganda, totalling £3.81 million. Details of programmes, including disbursements, are available on DevTracker. Based on published provisional total Official Development Assistance (ODA) figures for 2024, these disbursements represent 0.027 per cent of the total 2024 UK ODA expenditure of £14.066 billion.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with the (a) Fairtrade Foundation and (b) other stakeholders on the fair treatment of workers around the world. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK Government is committed to working closely with international labour organisations, including the Fairtrade Foundation, to advance free and fair trade around the world that is inclusive, sustainable and reduces poverty.

Lord Collins' priority of championing equal rights for all extends to workers globally and is reflected in our work with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to promote more and better jobs for workers globally, including raising workers' rights issues, and promoting equal pay for equal work for women. The Government acts globally to prevent forced labour in supply chains, including, for example, by supporting reform of labour migration policies in South East Asia to ensure fair treatment of migrant workers.

Many female dominated sectors include precarious, informal and isolated work. The UK is pressing for better representation and leadership within union movements, including for paid care workers. The UK's new Trade Centre of Expertise will build the capacity of producers, businesses and governments in developing countries to participate in and prosper from global trade.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the White paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published in May 2025, whether she plans to take steps to help support small and medium-sized research and development businesses to recruit the best scientific talent from other countries. \p Feryal Clark: The Government is committed to attracting top global talent to the UK. The Immigration White Paper reinforces our ambition to increase the number of world-class scientists coming here through high-talent routes like the Global Talent and High Potential Individual visas. This includes simplifying access to the Global Talent visa and expanding fast-track options for individuals with the skills and expertise to drive growth in strategic industries.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology works closely with Department for Business and Trade on initiatives to attract the best talent to the UK, connecting international talent with UK opportunities and helping to strengthen the UK's position as a global Science and Technology power.
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Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what (a) formula and (b) criteria is used by UK Research and Innovation to determine the distribution of Horizon Europe funding; and how much funding has been allocated to (i) institutions and (ii) organisations in (A) Bradford and (B) West Yorkshire since the programme began. \p Feryal Clark: The UK is an Associated Country to Horizon Europe. UK applicants are eligible to apply to Horizon Europe calls both now and in the future. The Government strongly encourages researchers to do so.

Horizon Europe funding calls are set by the EU, who then evaluate applications and award funding accordingly. As Horizon Europe is a competitive fund, UK entities bid into the programme directly.

As a result of the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, institutions and organisations in Bradford and West Yorkshire have been awarded €10 million and €74 million, respectively, as of 13 June 2025. These figures include funding from the UK Government’s Horizon Europe Guarantee Scheme.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Government departments work with Meta to (a) identify and (b) remove misinformation. \p Feryal Clark: DSIT is responsible for the government’s relationship with social media platforms, and leads HMG’s domestic mis- and disinformation policy while working closely with other departments. The Online Safety Act’s duties address mis- and disinformation where it constitutes illegal content or content harmful to children, and are now enforceable by Ofcom. DSIT engages with platforms and may refer content which is assessed as likely to violate terms of service and which sits within an agreed national security / public safety remit. Platforms then decide what action to take: government cannot compel platforms to remove legal content.
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Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to increase (a) core funding and (b) grant opportunities for universities in the north of England conducting AI and data science research as part of its strategy to support regional growth. \p Feryal Clark: The government has committed to invest more than £86 billion on research and innovation over financial years 26/27-29/30, supporting the UK’s scientific excellence and its full economic potential around the country, including in areas such as AI and data science. This funding will support the UK’s top scientists and innovators in business, universities and R&D organisations. DSIT will share further details of how its £58.5bn settlement over the Spending Review period will be invested once multi-year business planning allocations conclude this Autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information his Department holds on the proportion of 6G mast hardware that is expected to be produced in the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to support UK-based 6G mast hardware manufacturers. \p Chris Bryant: The development of 6G technology is still in its early stages and as a result DSIT does not yet hold any information on the proportion of 6G mast hardware that is expected to be produced in the UK.

The Government is actively working with industry through R&D programmes on advanced connectivity to support companies developing technologies in the UK that could form part of 6G. DSIT is also working closely with the Department of Business and Trade to understand the supply chain of critical technologies, like 5G and in time 6G.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_130

Ben Lake:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the National Telecare Campaign is delivered bilingually in (a) English and (b) Welsh across all platforms. \p Chris Bryant: The Government supports the industry-led National Telecare Campaign. The objective of this campaign is to identify telecare users so that they can receive additional support when their landlines are upgraded from analogue to digital.

It is important for the campaign to reach vulnerable customers across the UK, which is why the campaign is being delivered bilingually. In Wales, a TV advert is being broadcast on ITV Wales in English with Welsh subtitles, as well as in Welsh on Welsh community radio. A combination of English and Welsh, as well as Welsh-only content, is being used for printed adverts and video on demand.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_131

Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to resume the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme in Mid Dorset and North Poole constituency. \p Chris Bryant: As part of Project Gigabit, broadband suppliers are delivering contracts designed to connect a greater number of premises than the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Nonetheless, the voucher scheme is still being used on a targeted basis. Building Digital UK (BDUK) will continue to engage with suppliers on where they could use the scheme effectively. I would encourage the hon. Member to contact BDUK if she believes there are communities in Mid Dorset and North Poole which would be best served by the voucher scheme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_132

Zarah Sultana:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to answer Question 50563, tabled by the hon. Member for Coventry South on 7 May 2025. \p Maria Eagle: I will respond to the hon. Member shortly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_133

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has his Department has made in developing novel directed energy weapons. \p Maria Eagle: Following the Strategic Defence Review, we have announced nearly £1 billion in further investment for Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) this Parliament. This funding will ensure the DragonFire Laser DEW system enters service with the Royal Navy in 2027 and will enable a DEW capability to enter service with the British Army this decade. Accelerating these capabilities ensures our Armed Forces have access to cutting edge technologies as soon as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_134

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Defence AI Investment Fund. \p Maria Eagle: As set out when the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was published, the Government accepts the vision and recommendations of the SDR, including the recommendation to create a protected Defence AI investment Fund. The SDR recommends an immediate priority for force transformation should be a shift towards greater use of autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the UK's conventional forces. Learning the lessons from Ukraine, this would provide greater accuracy, lethality, and cheaper capabilities-changing the economics of Defence. This shift should be facilitated by the parallel development of a common digital foundation and digital targeting web as well as protected investment in AI research and development.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_135

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre. \p Maria Eagle: With rapid technological advances, the Defence Uncrewed Systems Centre will centralise work within the Ministry of Defence and accelerate the shift towards greater use of uncrewed and autonomous capabilities. It will: fast-track our exploitation and integration of small, uncrewed air systems on the battlefield; capitalise on lessons from Ukraine to harness the latest technical advances, revolutionizing how we develop, test and employ small uncrewed systems to deliver systems to the front line faster; and provide a central knowledge base and build a skillset across Defence to tackle emerging legislative changes, develop best practice and better manage the interface with industry.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_136

Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Justice on cross-departmental strategies on (a) the size of the armed forces and (b) the rehabilitation of offenders. \p Al Carns: Defence is dedicated to recruiting, retaining and developing the best talent, drawn from the broadest diversity of thought, skills and background, to reflect the society we serve. We inherited a long running recruitment crisis from the last government.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the Armed Forces can consider applications from candidates with spent and unspent convictions for non-serious offences on a case-by-case basis. The entry policy regarding convictions is regularly reviewed and amended to ensure that it is fully aligned with updated legislation. However, there will always be a number of serious convictions that preclude entry.

The Defence purpose is to protect the people of the United Kingdom, prevent conflict, and be ready to fight our enemies. The demanding nature of defence today is such that we require highly trained, professional personnel in our Armed Forces, fully committed to giving their best in defending our country and its allies. Recruits are all volunteers, and the Government has no current plans to introduce any form of mandated service.

It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to review the principles of justice and deliver the Criminal Justice System. Should the MOJ seek Ministry of Defence (MOD) support for alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation, the MOD will investigate potential options. Within the Strategic Defence Review such initiatives will have merit for consideration as Defence must offer novel ways of entry into the Armed Forces that attract more people from a wider range of backgrounds. However, the protection of operational outputs will always be a Defence priority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_137

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many permanent civil servants in his Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years. \p Al Carns: The information requested is outlined in the table below:

Financial Year Total

2022-23

25

2023-24

45

2024-25

51

Grand Total

121

Please note that the data in this table is from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025 and that ‘dismissal performance’ was marked as the reason for dismissal.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_138

James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar on defence. \p Luke Pollard: Protecting the UK’s operational autonomy of the military facilities in Gibraltar has been a red line throughout negotiations of the UK-EU Agreement in Respect of Gibraltar.

The agreement reached on 11 June 2025 maintains full operational autonomy of the UK’s military facilities in Gibraltar, which play a vital role in protecting regional security and important trade routes - we would not have agreed to a deal which compromised our military facilities in Gibraltar.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_139

Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he has taken with His Majesty’s armed forces to improve the defence of the maritime infrastructure of British Overseas Territories. \p Luke Pollard: The UK is responsible for the defence and security of all British Overseas Territories and takes these responsibilities incredibly seriously. The Ministry Of Defence routinely monitors for hostile activity and will take appropriate action in response to any legitimate threat, including providing high readiness maritime, land and air assets to deter and respond to threats as required. This includes defending our people, our territory, and our infrastructure, as necessary.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-17 conversation_140

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a CyberEM Command. \p Luke Pollard: The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recommended the establishment of a Cyber and Electromagnetic (Cyber & EM) Command, this was after careful consideration of proposals for the Cyber & EM domain and the related evidence gathering process for the SDR. This process is set out in the Appendix to the SDR Report published on 2 June 2025.

The SDR made the assessment that the Command will bring improved coherence to Defence’s contribution to this Domain, and we have engaged with international partners to learn from the establishment of their respective Cyber Commands. The benefits of the new Command will include an improved ability to manage and mitigate Defence’s cyber risk; centralised authorities to enhance cyber talent and skills; an increased ability to conduct and respond to electromagnetic operations and the provision of a single ‘front-door’ for Defence’s Cyber & EM engagement with our national and international partners.