theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average number of sick days was per employee in each Government department in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25. \p Georgia Gould: The Cabinet Office publishes sickness absence data for the Civil Service on an annual basis on gov.uk. We do not report the average number of sick days per employee. Our preferred measure is Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per staff year which accounts for workforce size and composition, in a way that average number of sick days per employee does not.

In 2022-23, overall AWDL per staff year in the Civil Service was 8.3 days in the year ending 31 March 2023. AWDL per staff year by main departments is available in Table 3a of the data tables available at: Civil Service sickness absence, 2023: report.

In 2023-24, overall AWDL per staff year in the Civil Service was 7.8 days in the year ending 31 March 2024. AWDL per staff year by main departments is available in Table 3a of the data tables available at: Civil Service sickness absence, 2024: report.

Data for 2024-25 is not yet available, but will be published in early 2026.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many employees work for (a) the UK Statistics Authority, (b) the Office for National Statistics and (c) the Government Statistical Service, by (i) religion and (ii) ethnicity. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd May is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 97.4KB)
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Liam Conlon:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress he has made on establishing an infected blood compensation scheme. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is now established in law, the regulations having been approved by Parliament in March. The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) began compensation payments to people who are infected in December last year. As of 20 May, IBCA has contacted 1,033 people to begin a claim for compensation and has made offers to 236 people, totalling over £206 million. IBCA’s aim is that all registered infected people will have been contacted to start their claim by the end of this year.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, through what mechanism the UK Statistics Authority will communicate its response once it has considered the (a) findings and (b) recommendations in the Sullivan Review. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 21st May is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 94.0KB)
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) junior and (b) senior civil servants are working in the European Union Relations Secretariat. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: Details of the number of senior and junior civil servants working in the European Union Relations Secretariat can be found in the quarterly organogram published on data.gov.uk.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the introduction into Government procurement contracts of mandatory mediation in case of dispute. \p Georgia Gould: The Cabinet Office has published three standard contracts for use by government departments, and many other public sector organisations, as part of their commercial activity. Mediation clauses are included in these contract templates as part of dispute resolution, but this provides for mediation where both parties agree to it. The Cabinet Office has not had any recent discussions with relevant stakeholders on the introduction of mandatory mediation clauses in Government contracts in case of disputes.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of SMEs that were awarded public sector contracts in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency in each of the last five years. \p Georgia Gould: Information on public sector suppliers within a regional location and/or specific constituency is not held centrally. The Find a Tender service programme includes search and filter capabilities by location, supplier type and contract.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will have discussions with his EU counterparts to improve the functioning of the Windsor Framework. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: As co-Chair of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee I regularly discuss the functioning of the Windsor Framework with my European Commission counterpart Maroš Šefčovič. At the recent UK-EU summit we announced a new SPS agreement that will facilitate the smooth flow of agrifood and plants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, whilst protecting the facilitations available to businesses under the Windsor Framework. This achievement is a product of a closer partnership with the EU, which will unlock real improvements for businesses and consumers - alongside the recent switch on of new customs facilitations for freight and parcels so that goods can flow smoothly within the UK internal market.
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Claire Hanna:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to ensure that the findings of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework are considered during UK-EU negotiations. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Review reflects the Government’s commitment to securing the broadest possible confidence of communities in Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements. The Government looks forward to considering Lord Murphy’s recommendations when the Review reports. In doing so, we will follow the duties contained within Schedule 6A Northern Ireland Act 1998 including in respect of engagement with the European Union.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament of 1 May 2025, whether he plans to re-locate the Committee's secretariat to outside the Cabinet Office. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: We are engaging constructively with the Intelligence and Security Committee and will continue to do so over the coming months.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people will qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the five-year Settlement Route in the next 12 months. \p Seema Malhotra: The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of appointments at the Visa Application Centre in Minsk, Belarus. \p Seema Malhotra: Appointment capacity is agreed by UK Visas and Immigration. Where demand for appointments in Belarus is high customers may need to keep checking to find the next available appointments, which are opened 4 weeks in advance.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to retrospectively move people on the five-year settlement route to the ten-year settlement route. \p Seema Malhotra: We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
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Irene Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on trends in the number of animal tests that are taking place for regulatory purposes where a suitable non-animal alternative is already available; and if she will make an assessment of the reasons for those trends. \p Dan Jarvis: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) ensures that all animal testing, including for regulatory purposes, is only carried out where no non-animal alternative can be used. Licence applicants are required to robustly evidence their consideration of why alternative methods cannot be used. The Home Office Regulator reviews all licence applications and will only issue a licence once it is satisfied there are no practicable alternative methods available. Therefore, if a non-animal alternative is available for the scientific outcome sought then the Home Office will not authorise that testing to take place.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of Commonwealth citizens who are on the five-year settlement route. \p Seema Malhotra: The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Animals in Science Committee entitled Review of antibody licences, published on 20 October 2022, whether the Animals in Science Committee plans to publish an updated review; and whether her Department plans to provide funding for further research on this issue. \p Dan Jarvis: Following a review by the Animals in Science Committee in 2022 on licences for the production of antibodies, the Animals in Science Regulator implemented published changes to strengthen the requirement for robust justifications. This included an additional condition placed on all new antibody project licence applications that requires applicants to justify they have fully considered all recommendations in the report. Further actions of communicating the report, embedding changes in the Regulator and conducting Regulatory Reform that will strengthen delivery of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) have also been implemented.

Project licence proposals for research on animals for which there is no non-animal alternative must comply fully with the 3Rs. This assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.

The Government is committed to supporting the uptake and development of alternative methods to the use of animals in science. This is achieved through UK Research and Innovation who fund the National Centre for the 3Rs and research into the development of alternatives through Innovate UK, the Medical Research Council, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

The Labour Manifesto includes a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The Government will publish a strategy to support accelerating the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods in basic, applied, translational and regulatory research and testing later this year.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of trends in the levels of transnational repression towards Sudanese diaspora peace activists in the UK. \p Dan Jarvis: The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. We are committed to addressing foreign interference, including those actions which amount to transnational repression (TNR). We continually assess potential threats in the UK, and take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously. As I set out in my statement to the House on 14 May, and reiterated during my evidence session at the Joint Committee on Human Rights on 21 May, any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will not be tolerated, irrespective of the perpetrating country.

The legislation and tools designed to detect and disrupt transnational repression are actor agnostic. Where we become aware of individual victims of TNR, we work to deploy a range of tailored support and security assistance mechanisms for their protection. This assistance is based on threat and varied in its scope and approach.

In line with recommendations from the Defending Democracy Taskforce’s TNR Review, new guidance is available on GOV.UK to provide those who believe themselves to be at-risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. Anyone who thinks they might be a victim should report incidents or suspicious activity to the Police via 101, a local police station, or 999 in emergencies.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions the Defending Democracy Taskforce has had with civil society organisations. \p Dan Jarvis: The Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward a whole of Government response to the full range of threats to our democracy.

Meetings of the Taskforce are complemented by private engagement with partners outside central Government and Parliament, including civil society organisations such as the Jo Cox foundation, on subjects relevant to the work of the Taskforce.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the recent cyberattacks on Marks and Spencer have been investigated by the relevant authorities. \p Dan Jarvis: The National Cyber Security Centre and National Crime Agency are working to fully understand the nature of these attacks, and to provide support and expert advice to the affected organisations, as well as the wider sector.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Defending Democracy Taskforce (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to help tackle threats to democracy arising from the lack of availability of high-quality local news. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport who are core members of the Defending Democracy Taskforce, are in the process of developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is for a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, and thereby contributes to the UK’s democratic resilience.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to victims of online fraud and scams in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Dan Jarvis: The National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU), led by the City of London Police, is a national service that supports all 43 forces in England and Wales, which provides victims of all types of fraud and cybercrime with the support they need.

The aim of NECVCU is for victims to feel safe and more confident following contact, whilst assisting them to cope and recover from the crime, and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. Since its inception in 2018, NECVCU has supported over 440,000 victims of fraud.
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Chris Philp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to implement the £38,000 family visa salary threshold. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 May to Question 52912.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the British Council on the potential merits of making Accreditation UK the main oversight body for English as a Foreign Language schools. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office regularly engages with a range of stakeholders when developing policy.
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Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential long-term impact of the work ban for people seeking asylum on (a) mental health, (b) barriers to future employment and (c) integration into their new communities. \p Dame Angela Eagle: While the wellbeing of those in the asylum system is important, it is also vital to continue cracking down on illegal working, and protect those employers and employees who will play by the rules from being undercut.

However, the Government provides specific support to migrant victims of VAWG through the Migrant Victims Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) and works with sector leads on this group to ensure they are part of the broader strategy on VAWG.

Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can currently apply for permission to work in jobs on the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration and asylum system under regular review, and recently published a White Paper setting out the Government’s plans for reform in relation to the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers, and a wide range of other areas.

The Home Office also continues to invest in a programme of transformation to speed up asylum decision making and therefore reduce the time people spend in the asylum system. This approach will ensure that genuine asylum seekers can be accepted quickly and gain access to the labour market, and those who are not can be removed to their home country.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing the measures set out in the Street Works (Penalties for Utility Companies) Bill. \p Lilian Greenwood: I understand that the second reading of this Bill is scheduled for 11 July. The Government will set out its position as part of that debate.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which ferry operators have signed up to the voluntary Seafarers Charter published by her Department on 18 July 2023; and what steps she is taking to improve (a) seafarer working conditions and (b) maritime safety. \p Mike Kane: A number of ferry operators have made commitments to comply with the voluntary Seafarers’ Charter and have provided evidence to the Department for Transport to support their compliance. Officials are assessing the evidence and working with operators to ensure that they meet the required standards.

Improving seafarer working conditions is a priority for the department. We have also introduced measures in the Employment Rights Bill to further strengthen workers’ rights at sea. We are delivering on our commitment to a mandatory Seafarers’ Charter by making compliance with regulations on pay, tours of duty, fatigue management and safety training, conditions of port entry. We are also ensuring that we have the necessary powers to uphold our international obligations by implementing amendments to international maritime conventions to which we have signed up, and we are closing the loophole which allowed P&O Ferries to avoid notifying the UK government of collective redundancies on foreign flagged vessels without prosecution.

Safety underpins all aspects of maritime activity and is a key Government priority. A Maritime Safety Action Plan was published in 2019 explaining what DfT, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), our General Lighthouse Authorities and others are doing to support the sector to deliver continuous improvement in performance.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the accessibility of transport for people with disabilities in Fylde. \p Simon Lightwood: Accessibility and inclusivity are key considerations for the government, especially as we seek to deliver against our key missions, including removing barriers to opportunity and delivering safer streets. The government is committed to making transport safer, more inclusive and accessible to everyone including people who are disabled, to allow them to live healthy lives, making the journeys they want and need.

The Department introduced the Bus Services (No.2) Bill on 17 December 2024. The Bill will require relevant bus staff to complete both disability awareness and disability assistance training to give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to support every passenger appropriately. It will also require local authorities commissioning the provision of new bus stations and stops or the upgrading of existing ones to pay regard to new stopping place safety and accessibility guidance.

The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. Local buses are the most commonly used mode of public transport and the purpose of providing free local bus travel England-wide is to ensure that no older or disabled person in England need be prevented from bus travel by cost alone.

The Government wants disabled people to be able to travel easily, confidently, and with dignity, which is why we have worked quickly to put accessibility at the heart of our bus and rail reforms. It is important that government, local authorities and transport operators work together to support services that help people to live their lives the way they want to.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44560 on Luton Airport and with reference to the expiration of the period for applications for judicial review, if she will publish the modelling that underpins her assessment of the potential impact of expanding Luton Airport on economic growth. \p Mike Kane: I cannot at this stage confirm when litigation will end, however the full reasons for the Secretary of State’s decision on 3 April 2025 to grant consent to the London Luton Airport Expansion scheme are set out in her decision letter which is published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website and there is nothing outside of this to add. As an application for judicial review of the decision has been received and the matter is a live litigation case, unfortunately I am unable to provide any further comment.
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Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what she has had recent discussions with her French counterpart on the potential impact of legislation on seafarer working conditions on ferry routes between the UK and France since 28 June 2024. \p Mike Kane: On 9 April, the Transport Secretary met with Philippe Tabarot, the French Minister for Transport, where they discussed our shared commitment to seafarer protections and ongoing cooperation.

Officials at the Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have been working closely with the French authorities to discuss opportunities for joint working and cooperation.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce waiting times for practical driving tests, (b) increase the availability of driving test examiners and (c) expand access to test centres in (i) South Cotswolds constituency and (ii) other rural areas. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain, including those in rural areas.

Further information on these actions and progress on DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK.

DVSA’s 7-point plan included recruiting and training 450 driving examiners (DE). In its recent recruitment campaign, DVSA advertised for three DEs for Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester. DVSA’s recent recruitment activity in the area has resulted in:

Additionally, the agency has one DE transferring into Gloucester from another test centre.

Should applicants successfully complete the required training, this will increase the number of DEs working in those test centres to 28, from 20.

DVSA is committed to providing its customers, including those in rural areas, with the best service possible. DVSA continually reviews its estate to ensure it represents good value for money and is efficient.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) civilian and (b) military air traffic control is resilient to cyberattack. \p Mike Kane: The Department for Transport is responsible for regulating cyber security in the transport sector. For aviation, we work in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority to introduce relevant standards, guidance, and policy to ensure the cyber resilience of our essential services, including our national air traffic system.

Using both policy and regulatory levers, we support effective management of the cyber risk and assist providers of our national air traffic system to secure their networks and systems. This support includes working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) both with, and on behalf of, our aviation sector to continuously assess and mitigate emerging cyber threats.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to upgrade rail transport provision to Gatwick Airport to facilitate the airport expansion. \p Mike Kane: The Secretary of State’s letter of 27 February 2025 set out her initial views and that she was ‘minded to approve’ but has not yet taken a final decision on Gatwick Airport’s planning application. As this is live planning application that is yet to be decided, unfortunately I cannot comment in detail at this time.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) collating and (b) publishing how much Vehicle Excise Duty is collected by local authority area. \p Lilian Greenwood: Information on how much Vehicle Excise Duty is collected by local authority area, is not held. Significant technical changes would be needed to capture and maintain such data and there are no plans to do so.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of joining up Heathrow Airport’s railway lines with the South West Rail network to facilitate Heathrow expansion. \p Mike Kane: The Government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations.

The Department would expect promoters of Heathrow expansion to develop surface access proposals and work closely with local stakeholders to develop masterplans and surface access strategies.
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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44558 on Luton Airport, whether her Department sought legal advice on the compatibility of its decision to expand Luton Airport with commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. \p Mike Kane: The full reasons for the Secretary of State’s decision on 3 April 2025 to grant consent to the London Luton Airport Expansion scheme are set out in her decision letter which is published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website. As an application has been made for judicial review of the decision and the matter is a live litigation case, unfortunately I am unable to provide any further comment.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on the cost of maintaining local roads and highways in Fylde constituency. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government takes the condition of the country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities across the country in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year.

Lancashire County Council is the local highway authority for the Fylde constituency and has been allocated up to a maximum of £46.8 million for 2025/26 pending successful completion of the incentive measures announced in March 2025.

This funding increase is more than enough to cover inflationary price rises. Longer-term funding decisions beyond 2025/26 will be determined at the forthcoming Spending Review.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51962 on Abellio Greater Anglia and c2c: Standards, what her planned timeline is for the improvements to Cambridge South Station; when the Transport and Works Act Order for the project was issued; when did construction begin; and when it is expected to be completed. \p Simon Lightwood: The Transport and Works Act Order for Cambridge South was granted in December 2022, and construction work began on site in February 2023. We expect the new station to open early in 2026; an exact date will be confirmed later in the year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

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Markus Campbell-Savours:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of introducing free bus passes for people aged 60 and over on (a) social inclusion, (b) the economy and (c) the environment. \p Simon Lightwood: The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel to those with eligible disabilities and those of state pension age, currently sixty-six. The ENCTS costs around £700 million annually and any changes to the statutory obligations, would therefore need to be carefully considered for its impact on the scheme’s financial sustainability. No assessment has been made of the potential impact of lowering the age on social inclusion, the economy or the environment.

Local authorities in England have the power to offer concessions in addition to their statutory obligations such as lowering the age of eligibility. Additional local concessions are provided and funded by local authorities from local resources.

The government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services for passengers can be used in whichever way they wish. This could include extending the discretionary concessions available in local areas to support the local economy and environment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_183

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to road (a) maintenance and (b) investment in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire in 2025–26. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Government takes the condition of the country’s roads very seriously and is committed to supporting local highway authorities across the country in maintaining and renewing the local highway network and tackling the maintenance backlog. The Government has already announced a funding uplift of £500 million for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year.

Lancashire County Council is the local highway authority for the Fylde constituency and has been allocated up to a maximum of £46.8 million for 2025/26 pending successful completion of the incentive measures announced in March 2025. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Lancashire County Council how it is spent.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_184

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to provide funding for active travel in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport recently announced almost £300 million of funding to boost active travel across England, this includes £222.5 million to local authorities outside of London.

In 2024/25, Lancashire County Council received over £1.4 million in capital funding and over £800,000 in revenue funding for active travel and has been allocated over £4.5 million in combined funding for 2025/26. In 2023/24, Lancashire County Council received an additional £736,983 to deliver Bikeability cycle training.

It is for local authorities to decide on where to prioritise investment in their local transport networks. In 2024, Lancashire County Council published seven Local Walking and Cycling Investment Plans (LCWIPs), including one for Fylde Coast. LCWIPs help local authorities to make a strong case for future investment in active travel infrastructure.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_185

Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will create standardised national aviation noise metrics for use in planning processes. \p Mike Kane: The Government expects airports to explain their noise impacts through the use of appropriate metrics.

Average noise exposure contours for day and night are the most established measure which show noise impacts around airports. The Government also encourages airport operators to use alternative measures which better reflect how aircraft noise is experienced in different localities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_186

Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of airspace modernisation on the number of people experiencing noise above (a) the lowest observed adverse effect level and (b) the significant adverse observed effect level. \p Mike Kane: One of the key benefits of Airspace Modernisation is the potential to reduce the overall noise experienced by individuals and communities, through the introduction of new airspace structures and procedures which are more efficient and more environmentally friendly.

The precise level of noise experienced by individuals and communities will always depend on the specific airspace change proposals for each airport. The Civil Aviation Authority’s airspace change process (CAP1616) sets out the detailed process airport sponsors must follow in relation to noise implications, including the requirement to consult with communities who could be directly affected by any change.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_187

Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the new Road Safety Strategy will be announced. \p Lilian Greenwood: Improving road safety is one of my key priorities. Too many people are killed and seriously injured in road traffic collisions, and this Government will work hard to prevent these tragedies for all road users. That is why we are developing our Road Safety Strategy.

At the Transport Select Committee in April 2025, the Secretary of State set out that we hope to publish the Strategy later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_188

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether motorcyclists are allowed to use bus lanes. \p Lilian Greenwood: The decision on whether to allow motorcycles to use bus lanes lies with the local authorities who have responsibility for them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_189

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on employment in Wales. \p Jo Stevens: We have protected the smallest businesses and more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that over half of small and micro businesses will pay less or no national insurance contributions at all. Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.

UK Government analysis shows that 865,000 UK businesses will pay no NI contributions at all as a result of these measures. In addition, more than half of employers with NI contribution liabilities will either see no change or an overall gain from 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_190

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of performance of the Welsh economy. \p Jo Stevens: Growth is the number one mission of the government. I have worked with UK and Welsh Government colleagues to drive over £1.5 billion in private investment from the likes of Eren Holding and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners into Wales. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.

Our new Industrial Strategy is central to the Growth Mission and will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors – those in which the UK excels today and will excel tomorrow. The Strategy will play to Wales’s sectoral strengths, including Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Creative Industries.

My department has been working closely across UK Government and the Welsh Government on the Industrial Strategy. I have also established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, a group that brings together business, industry, university and union leaders to discuss key economic topics across Wales.

The positive impact our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Unemployment fell significantly last quarter. And, since we came into office, real wages have continually increased while interest rates have been cut four times. We are creating jobs and putting more pounds in the pockets of working families across Wales.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_191

Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52795 on Domestic Visits: Northern Ireland, on how many occasions did the Secretary of State notify Rt hon. and hon. Members in advance that he would visit their constituency. \p Hilary Benn: The Honourable Gentleman will be aware it is a requirement to notify Members of Parliament before a visit to their constituency. For the recent occasion when he was not notified, I have apologised to him.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_192

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether Mo Baines disclosed membership to the (a) Chair, (b) Chief Executive and (c) her Department of any significant political activity in her application for the non-executive director role. \p Alex Norris: Mo Baines provided a full declaration of interests to MHCLG prior to her appointment as Interim Lead Non-Executive Director. This was shared with the Department in line with the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_193

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution has policy responsibilities to help tackle grooming gangs. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office are leading the Government’s work to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation.

The Minister for Local Government and English Devolution does not have specific responsibilities in this regard, but is responsible for local government finance and policy.

The Department has robust arrangements in place to avoid any crossover with constituency interests.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_194

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49917 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Aviation, what the cost was of each individual flight. \p Alex Norris: I will arrange for this data to be deposited in the House of Commons Library.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-03 conversation_195

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of new (a) residential and (b) commercial properties that have been built in Cambridgeshire since 2001. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Department publishes an annual release entitled ‘Housing supply: net additional dwellings, England’, which is the primary and most comprehensive measure of housing supply. This includes estimates of net additional homes in each local authority and county, including Cambridgeshire, in each financial year, from 2001-02 to 2023-24, as well as by component flows (including the number of new build homes) from 2012-13 to 2023-24. This data can be found in Live Table 122 and Live Table 123 on gov.uk here.

The Department also publishes a quarterly release entitled ‘Housing supply: Indicators of New Supply, England’, which includes more timely estimates of new build starts and completions in England, and in each local authority district. Statistics from the quarter ending March 2005 to the quarter ending December 2024 can be found in Table 253a on gov.uk here. This dataset covers new build dwellings only and should be regarded as a leading indicator of overall housing supply.

Data on the number of commercial properties built in any particular period is not held by the Department.